Legend of Korra 1. dust to dust

**Title:** Dust to Dust  
**Rating:** K+  
**Warning[s]:** None  
**Words:** 1,212  
**Notes:** dorkymako on tumblr requested Korra telling Mako she wished to have a child, with Mako reacting negatively due to his fears of being a terrible father. I took my own spin on it, with her permission, and altered a few things, but it is basically the same prompt with no major changes. In short, Korra is instead already with child when Mako reacts negatively. Enjoy.

~.~.~.~

The sound of their apartment door creaking open in the middle of the night signaled his return to the young woman that lie wide awake in the comfort of their king-sized bed. He had been gone for the majority of the evening, skipping out on dinner to venture off to Spirits'-knew-where, without one word to the young woman he had left behind at home – alone.

It definitely wasn't anything new for the young firebender to avoid any problems that seemed to arise in his life, and that was definitely something his wife knew all too well. The earlier stages of their relationship had their fair share of kinks to work out, resulting in much needed time apart before later coming together once more; as their relationship progressed over the years, however, the young man had become more comfortable with vocalizing his worries, no matter how trivial they were. As his wife, Avatar Korra had helped him to move past the rough patches in life and move on, something of which he made great sure of using – so for the young man to leave without a word for hours-on-end was of great concern to the Southern Water Tribe native.

She rose from her end of the bed, swinging her legs off of the edge and planting her feet firmly upon the ground, pausing only for a moment in order to listen for her husband's next actions – the sounds of the apartment door closing and his footsteps into the kitchen, where she heard the opening and closing of a cupboard, and the stream of water from the faucet as he began to fill a cup. The young woman pushed herself up and onto her feet at that point, and made her way out of the bedroom and down the hall, into the conjoined kitchen and living room, where she found her husband sitting beside the window, illuminated slightly by the streetlamps just outside of their building.

She took a seat across from him.

The young man, who sat with his head turned toward the window, gazed amongst the cityscape, blanketed by the dark of the night, opened his mouth for a moment, closing it only after what Korra could guess as failing to find the right words to say. Instead, the strong scent of alcohol drifted from the young man's mouth, stinging Korra's nostrils as she inhaled the now lingering scent. She covered her nose with her hand.

"When you told me you were pregnant, I freaked out," Mako began suddenly, having now found the words. His speech was slightly slurred from the alcohol, giving his explanation that much more meaning – the firebender was definitely not one to drink even the slightest bit of alcohol, which tipped Korra off that the young man had sought an escape through drinking.

"I started picturing myself as a father…" his voice trailed off as he continued, finger now circling the edge of his cup absentmindedly. "As I continued to picture that, I realized that I had made so many mistakes in the past; I will never live up to becoming as great of a father as mine was. I've hurt too many people – Bolin, Asami, and most importantly, you. Who's to say I won't do the same to our child, Korra?"

Flabbergasted at her husband's sudden revelation, the Avatar's mouth hung agape just the slightest. In her mind, she began to scold herself for not figuring out the situation sooner – after announcing her pregnancy to Mako earlier that day, the firebender had distanced himself away from his loving wife, until he eventually fled to the nearest bar in their neighborhood. The pregnancy had been sudden and unplanned – the two had only been married for a short six months, and now they were expecting a child due to a slip-up on their part. However, this wasn't to say that Korra wasn't excited to discover she was with child. Shocked, yes, but disappointed? Never. Sure, the pregnancy wasn't exactly planned, but the Avatar was expecting a newborn baby with the love of her life – that wasn't something Korra classified as disappointing.

Mako's worries, however, weren't totally uncalled for. For Korra to say she wasn't terrified of becoming a mother was a total understatement. She and her husband were still rather young – barely twenty-one and twenty-two, respectably – not to mention one was in charge of keeping Republic City safe as a police officer, but the other was in charge of keeping the world safe and balanced as the Avatar. Raising a child at such ages with such professions would definitely prove to be somewhat of a challenge – perhaps one of the greatest challenges the two would face as a couple; however, was that to say Korra wasn't ready to take on such a challenge? With her husband on her side, she was certain they could tackle parenthood damn well, but to see Mako having doubts…

"You're one of the most caring, most loving people I know – if anything, you would be one of the best fathers out there," Korra smiled, placing her hand atop her husband's. She let out a small sigh of relief when his other hand – formerly occupied by the trim of his cup – came to envelope the top of hers. "Just because you made some mistakes in the past doesn't mean you will do the same to our child – or to anyone else, for that matter. If anything, you've learned from those past mistakes, Mako, and you grew from them."

"Those are great points, Korra, but I lost my dad when Bolin and I were still young – I only have so many memories of my father to have learned from when it comes to parenthood."

"You raised Bolin on your own, didn't you?" Korra reminded him. "From what I can tell, you did a pretty decent job at raising him to be a smart guy. Terrible with women, but I think he gets that from his big brother," she winked.

Mako blinked a few times at the sudden realization – Korra was right; he had raised his younger brother, so what was he so terrified of?

"If it helps, I'm a bit scared, myself."

He blinked once more and squeezed her hand as though it would comfort her. "You are? But why? You seem so happy…"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic – but do you want to know why?"

He nodded.

"It's because – even though I'm terrified that I won't be able to be as great of a mother as, say, Pema or my own – I know that you will be standing right by my side, ready to pick me up if and when I fall, just like I'll be doing for you."

For the first time that day, the young woman heard a sudden huff of air coming from Mako's nostrils – something she could only guess was somewhat of a chuckle, after witnessing her husband crack a lazy smile. It seemed as though she had gotten through to him – someway, somehow.

"You'll be an amazing father – I'm sure of it," she reaffirmed, giving his hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance, similar to his earlier action. "Okay?"

And as Mako lifted Korra's hand to rest upon his cheek, his smile seemed to widen just the slightest. "Okay."


	2. roller coaster

**Title:** Roller Coaster  
**Fandom:** The Legend of Korra  
**Pairing:** Makorra  
**Rating:** K+  
**Warning[s]:** None  
**Words:** 579  
**Prompt: **Anonymous said: _Mako seeing Korra's new look when she comes back to RC! Make it fluffy! (Bonus points if you bring up that korra recieved his letter)_  
**Notes:** Short, yet sweet. I hope you enjoy this, anon! Thanks for sending in the prompt.

~.~.~.~

He had found himself staring again.

_"Done stare, sweetie,"_ the words of his late mother rang through his mind as though she were right beside him, whispering the same words into his ear. _"It's rude."  
_  
Was it so rude to stare when you found someone absolutely breathtaking, Mako wondered? Was it so rude to stare at the same, breathtakingly gorgeous individual in awe after they had altered their appearance, even the slightest?

He tugged at the collar of his gray coat, amber eyes watching the mocha-colored hands of the young woman before him, running through her now chin-length hair. It had been a change – a shocking one at that – that the Avatar had simply stated she needed during her time away in the Southern Water Tribe. "A quick airbending swipe," she had stated, "and that was that. I have to say, I think I did a pretty decent job."

Compared to the haircuts Mako had given not only himself, but his brother as the two had grown, Korra's go at chopping her hair off was that of a professional stylist. She had left behind no jagged edges, no mismatched areas, nothing too short and nothing too long – the shorter hairstyle complimented her features beautifully. Exposing scars Mako had never known adorned the skin of her neck, as well as newer scars that he could only be led to believe were marks of the not so distant past, left by the members of The Red Lotus – the young man had been left in awe, as he quite often was, by his ex-girlfriend, yet newfound best friend.

His fingers twitched at his side, and it was only then that he noticed the feeling that stirred within his stomach.

Perhaps he had gotten so used to concealing the feeling whenever around Korra, that ignoring it had become second nature. After their break up, Mako had found his need to feel the young woman's skin against his own growing in intensity; his urge to kiss her whenever he pleased gnawing at his mind. Now, however, after having not seen his friend in a few weeks time, and having her return looking more beautiful than ever, his urges had seemed to hit their peak.

Maybe – if things were different, if this world wasn't as cruel as it was – they could find their way back to each other once again.

He smiled.

"—and I mean – wait, Mako, are you even listening?"

Ripped away from his thoughts, the firebender blinked, focusing his attention upon the young woman that occupied his mind.

Standing for the first time since her departure, with one hand on her hip and the other gripping the arm of her soon-to-be out of commissioned wheelchair, Korra had a brow raised in question at the young man. A smile played at her lips, and Mako couldn't help but smile wider.

"What are you smiling about?" she asked playfully.

"Nothing," he answered almost instantly. "You just look very beautiful… with your hair short like that."

Wide-eyed and blushing, the Avatar brushed the short strands of hair away from her eyes and turned her gaze toward the floor. "Um, right, well… back to that letter you sent me…"

Having managed to make the young woman blush in what seemed like so long seemed to satisfy Mako's hunger for more. He knew that hunger would definitely return sooner or later, but for now, Mako would take what he could get with a grin on his face.


	3. hallucinations

**Title:** Hallucinations  
**Summary:** [inspired by the book 4 trailer | angsty/hurt/comfort/fluff however you want to categorize it | Makorra]  
**Words:** 936

~.~.~.~

It's around two-in-the-morning when she wakes in a cold sweat, sitting upward in her sleeping bag. Her palms graze over the rough surface of the terrain, and for a moment, she is back in reality; safe from the thoughts that litter her mind and drive her to near insanity. The night is peaceful – Naga sleeps just inches away from her, curled into a ball yet ready to pounce if trouble were ever to bear its nasty fangs; the slight breeze that drifts through the valley is the only sound that fills the silence, almost as though a soft melody that has the ability to lull her back to sleep. She surveys her surroundings – nothing but dirt, dead grass, and the occasional weed or plant for miles.

She allows herself a yawn and slowly lowers herself down unto her back, cushioned only by the material of her sleeping bag that lies between her and the cold, hard ground. Come morning, she and her friends will continue their venture through the Earth Kingdom in hopes of encountering Kuvira and her army; for now, however, she must acquire as much rest as possible, especially having had many sleepless nights prior to her departure.

Her eyes close, and she focuses her attention on the rhythmic sounds of breathing that surrounds her. The wind blows gently against her face, pushing strands of her short hair every which way, and eventually, the air grows warm. She isn't quite sure if that is somewhat unusual weather for this area of the Earth Kingdom, but she chooses to ignore it, growing to enjoy the heat upon her cool face.

The heat grows in intensity, however, immediately setting alarms off in her head. The temperature mimics that of a flame – perhaps manmade, or from a fellow firebender; either way, she isn't going to be a sitting turtle-duck while she and her friends could potentially become ambushed.

She tells her body to move, but she can't even lift a finger. She is frozen to the ground – helpless and vulnerable – and out of instinct, she unclenches her jaw and opens her mouth, hoping to spit flames at whoever it is nearing her.

The flames do not produce.

She's trapped.

Her eyes snap open as she continues to struggle for movement upon the ground, too terrified to speak but wishing someone would hear her silent pleas for help and fend off whatever intruder may be at their campsite. It's dark – much darker than it was just minutes ago, when she had fire awoken – sending the Avatar into a further state of panic. There is no sky above her, no earth anywhere in her line of sight – there is only a light illuminating her face.

Out of the darkness, she sees her own image materializing before her – a past image of her own self. The image's hair is still kept long, and her clothing remains that of her past; familiar chains hang at the image's wrists, and injuries remain fresh across her flesh. The image's gaze is downcast; expression defeated, mirroring the exact moment she had been held prisoner by The Red Lotus, bound by metal restrictions as they readied themselves to poison her.

The image's eyes soon begin to continuously flicker a bright light – a light she knows all too well – and her lips stretch into a wicked smile. The image is now looking her in the eye, and not a second goes by before the world goes dark again. The image of her former self is gone, yet she remains unmoving in her state of fear.

The image of the past self – still with that wicked smile and those glowing eyes – reappears before her, now face-to-face, and her hand rests to the side of her face, a flame ignited just at the center of her palm. The image's menacing look chills her to the bone – she can almost feel her blood go cold and she tries to defend herself from whatever danger her body is warning her of, but alas, her muscles remain stiff and frozen, and the only thing she can do is watch the image as it begins to speak.

"You are me, and I am you."

The image quickly forms a fist, keeping the flame ignited now at her white knuckles, and makes a swing for her face before vanishing amongst the dark.

Somehow, she manages to find her voice as the real world begins to materialize before her, placing her back in her sleeping bag beside her friends, and a weak scream escapes her lips. She's in that same cold sweat again, sitting upright against the hard ground, gasping for air when she feels arms wrap protectively around her. It's like a knee-jerk reaction, but she still isn't totally aware that she is in no physical danger, and she struggles against the hold around her.

"Hey, hey, calm down! Korra, it's me!" Mako's voice erupts just inches away from her ear, and in that moment, she knows she is safe.

She turns in his hold, completely and utterly vulnerable after the ordeal that had just occurred, and wraps her arms behind his neck, clinging on to the back of his shirt for dear life. She's safe now that he is here – safe from her mind and from herself – which allows her to let down her guard and allow the tears of fright flow down her cheeks and onto his collar.

"You're safe now," he whispers and begins rocking her in his arms soothingly. "Whatever was after you, you're safe now, Korra. Don't worry – I got you."

And she knows he's telling the truth.


	4. left unanswered

**Title:** Left Unanswered  
**Summary:** [Korra struggles to bring herself to read the letter her father hands her, one bright morning |written before episode 4x02 | Makorra | angst]  
**Words:** 758

_She turned the envelope around and dug the end of her fingernail beneath the seal, ready to rip it open and expel it of its content._

"Honey—" her father's baritone voice effortlessly carried through the large, wooden door to her bedroom, followed shortly by a soft rack of his knuckles and the creaking of the hinges as he pushed his way through. "—this came just a few minutes ago in your name – straight from Republic City. I figured you'd want to see it as soon as possible."

"Another one from Bolin?" she asked, spinning the left wheel on her wheelchair in order to turn herself away from the window she had occupied so much of her time staring out of the past few days. It had her parents worried – worried that she had fallen deeper into a depressive state than prior to her return home. She, of course, had shrugged off their concerns as simply just that – concerns from over-reactive parents worried about their one and only child; she knew for a fact that she wasn't – nor had she ever been – depressed in any definition of the word. She was just… injured. Beaten. Bruised. She would be back to herself as soon as she healed, she had promised them – promised herself. "This is the third one this week."

"It's actually from that little boyfriend of yours," Tonraq smiled, outstretching his arm before him, offering the envelope to his daughter. "Mako."

That word – that name – left a bad taste in her mouth and a burning sensation deep within her ears.

"_Friend_, Dad," Korra reiterated for what she hoped was the last time. It seemed just as soon as her relationship with the young man back in Republic City had come to an abrupt end after only six months, her father had gotten used to the idea of his little girl having a boyfriend. Nonetheless, she took the letter from her father's grasp. "Mako's _just_ my friend."

"Right – I'm sorry," Tonraq quickly apologized, hoping his slip-up hadn't caused his daughter to feel any worse than she already did. At least, that's what Korra got out of his tone and expression. His hand came to rest atop her head, ruffling her hair like he had done when she was a child. "I'll leave you alone, now. If you need anything, Mom and I are just down the hall."

She didn't bother to watch her father promptly leave her room, though as soon as she heard the door close behind him, her gaze shot down to the envelope she held in her hands – crisp, fresh, and somehow free of creases despite the long journey it had made. Scrawled somewhat neatly in black ink across the front was the formalities; addressed to one Avatar Korra, followed by the address of her home beneath her name, from one Mako, followed by his return address should any problems in the post ensue; in the top right corner was a stamp with Republic City's Police Force logo printed onto it.

She turned the envelope around and dug the end of her fingernail beneath the seal, ready to rip it open and expel it of its content.

Something, however, stopped her.

She retracted her fingernail from beneath the seal and turned the envelope back around in her hands, where she stared at the same words she had read just a moment ago, scrawled across the texture of the envelope's material. In her mind, she read the same name over and over again until, eventually, it became a silent mantra – _Mako, Mako, Mako_ – that slowly drove her insane. Her stomach began to churn, her heart picked up its pace within her chest, and soon, the exhaustion kicked in. Her muscles felt weak – weaker than they already had felt, sitting in that same damn wheelchair for days-on-end – and she was quick to excuse her new found symptoms as nothing more than her pushing herself mentally rather than physically; Master Katara had warned her of just how much mental exhaustion could mimic that of physical exhaustion in terms of how her body reacted.

She placed the unopened envelope atop the vanity beside her, promising herself that she would read it when she had the strength.

As the days went on, the letter addressed to one Avatar Korra remained in its same position, atop the vanity, still unopened, only having been joined by several others addressed from the same young man back in Republic City.

Korra knew the letters were most likely filled with questions as to if she was receiving the letters and simply ignoring him, or if they had gotten lost in the post – she just couldn't bring herself to read them.


End file.

Legend of Korra, Family, Romance