i’ve written 28 pages of this fic but i’ve only published 3 chapters bc i jumped forward and started writing later chapters but haven’t gone back to fill in the chapters to get there lmao
Inspired by this AU graphic. I couldn't control my feels.
Part I is here!
~
“You look good.” Korra sips the champagne, making a face. It was disgusting. She felt as if she wanted to take a napkin and wipe her tongue off and maybe wash it out with a bit of water. “This does not taste as good as they make it seem.”
Mako pulls his lips together in an effort to stifle the laughter climbing up from his chest. “So do you. But I have a feeling you already knew that.” His smug grin matches her own.
~
Korra’s eyes lazily roam the ornately decorated room, nothing catching her waning attention. She grabs a champagne flute from a passing waiter, thanking him before turing back around to the dance floor where some classical waltz music notes made their way through the space.
Every year before the championship there was apparently a banquet thrown in honor of the finalists. It was mostly for the nobles to decide who to place their bets on. They were expected to mingle with people who were putting prices on their heads so they would know what to make the going price rate.
Korra feels the thin glass leave her fingers when someone plucks it from her hands. She turns around to half-frown half-pout at Tenzin. He looks at her with judgement in his eyes doing everything short of waging a finger in her face.
“I’m not a child Tenzin.” She protests, reaching to grab the glass from him looking every bit the petulant child who hasn’t gotten what she wanted.
Tenzin moves the glass just short of her reach. “How about next year when you’re old enough?” He says in a monotone sort of voice that tells her that he’s reached his patience level for the night. She had seen Meelo trying to use the plants for a bathroom again. “Or when most of Republic City’s authority figures are not here.”
The who’s who was out tonight. Everyone who was somebody under the city’s harsh neon lights was here. And Korra knew none of them. But they all seemed to know her. Once she got a moment to herself someone else would come introduce themselves to her. Being in the city for a while she’s learned it’s not because they want to know her, it’s because they wanted her to know their name.
Korra turns away from Tenzin, who has convinced himself that she won’t cause anymore trouble and goes to tend to his other children. She spots a gorgeous girl with jet black hair and bright eyes, her name was Asami if she remembers correctly. The one who has the tumultuous on again off again relationship with Mako, at least according to the papers. She spots his bright red scarf that he always seems to wear in a corner next to the entrance doors (mostly likely for a quick getaway). Judging by the way they were avoiding each others eyes and standing a room apart she guessed they were off again.
Korra picks up her figure off of the wall she had propped it on making her way over to him, maybe everyone would stop trying to introduce themselves to her if she were talking to someone and hopefully he could get her some champagne.
Mako lazily raises his eyes to acknowledge her when she nears him. He is softly caressed by the glowing lantern lights being used of decoration, his scarf tucked into his formal jacket, his amber eyes half open. She could feel the aloof annoyance coming off of him in waves, along with a bit of boredom.
“You seem like you’re having a great time here -“ she smirks as he straightens himself against the wall. “ - City Boy.”
“Yes. Very enjoyable.” He mutters.
Another uniform clad man passes her from behind. She takes a flute from his tray, smiling sweetly. “It’s for him.” Korra points to Mako, head tilted to one side, who shrugs nonchalantly in response. The waiter seems satisfied as he moves past them to serve a man who has gotten particularly loud in his drunken state.
“You look good.” Korra sips the champagne, making a face. It was disgusting. She felt as if she wanted to take a napkin and wipe her tongue off and maybe wash it out with a bit of water. “This does not taste as good as they make it seem.”
Mako pulls his lips together in an effort to stifle the laughter climbing up from his chest. “So do you. But I have a feeling you already knew that.” His smug grin matches her own.
Deep down she knows she shouldn’t, she shouldn’t openly flirt with him in public. At least not until the match was over and she didn’t have to tip toe around anything. It was so easy with him, to forget everything and lose herself in the warmth of his rare smile. Hey, she was the Avatar, she could do whatever she wanted to. She could be afforded a bit of fun every now and again.
Korra fingers the folds of his jacket that reminded her of the calm waves before a big storm back in here tribe. Fluid, soft and beautiful. “Did your girl friend give you this?” He snaps his head down towards her and for a moment she thinks she’s gone to far, touched the edge of the circles they danced around each other.
“No.” He turns away and Korra’s anxious face relaxes under the weight of her guilt from digging to deep. “My brother got me this jacket. With money he had saves up from some circus street show of his.” He chuckles at the memory, Korra’s eyes light up from seeing him smile.
“Where is your brother now?”
Mako gestures across the room unamused at his brothers current position surrounded by women laughing at all of his jokes. “He’s the only reason I haven’t left yet.”
“Your brother can take care of himself.” Korra points out, moving closer to him, she knew she was getting dangerously close to that line again but she kept pushing. “Are you sure that’s the only reason?”
He shrugs. “Maybe not.”
Mako takes his eyes off of his brother and turns to stare down at her with a look she can’t seem to decipher. She feels a hand on her shoulder when she opens her mouth to ask, the hand pulls her closer into a hard body. She turns around to glare at Tahno, who merely looks at her with cruel amusement in his eyes.
“Let go of me, Tahno.” Her voice is dangerously low and her body is started to heat up.
“You should be thanking me, Avatar.” Tahno says, making a judging sort of tsk tsk sound. “I’m saving your dignity and your social reputation. You don’t want everyone thinking you’re wasting your time with common trash.”
To his credit Mako is much more patient than his brother’s small pet that bit Tahno’s face last week after a comment about their living arrangements. He merely glances at Tahno with a look that says I-can-seriously-hurt-you-but-I-won’t-becaise-you’re-not-worth-it. Korra’s body started to warm up in a different place.
“I don’t give a damn about my social reputation.” Korra uses her strength to push Tahno away from her, glaring at him. “And what I do outside of the ring is none of your business.”
Tahno sighs dramatically, flipping his hair to the side in the same fashion. “My dear Avatar, in life there are winners and losers. Luckily, you were born a winner. Why would you lower yourself to this level? Are you going to join the winner’s circle where you belong or are you going to be dragged down by losers who have done nothing but fail a life? I mean what a joke they are.” He points at Bolin who was making Pabu do tricks to impress his newfound friends.
Mako pushes himself off the wall, his fingers emitting a warm orange glow, his amber eyes lit with the fires of battle. He was going to attack. Korra grabs his arm, shaking her dead slightly. Mako’s hands cool and he settles for a vicious glare.
“Hey you wanna get out of here?” Korra asks, still holding on to his arm. Mako looks in his brothers direction, deciding he will be fine on his own and turns to leave the ballroom room with its grand ceilings and crowing arches behind, Korra in tow.
Korra turns to stick her tongue out a Tahno, who merely shakes his head, flips his hair and walks away. She looks down at her and Mako’s entwined hands and fights to keep the blush from creeping up her face.
