sharing a little thing that @worldly-diversity (writing as Mako) and i (writing as wu) did back in 2020 through tumblr IMs so it’s pretty short and rough, but it ends up really cute.
it started off as like us jokingly talking about wu just being dumb and not knowing boundaries like of course wu would just straddle mako's lap because he's a dumbass and then we started to rp it out lol
"Would you stop it already?" Mako huffs softly.
"Stop what exactly?" Wu hummed.
"Just-" He groans annoyedly, trying to put at least some distance between them but failing. It's making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and he doesn't know what to do about it.
Wu huffed back and shook his head as he climbed off of Mako's lap and plopped next to him instead, crossing his arms. "You gotta learn how to use your words, Mako." He wasn't going to admit that he enjoyed the tension there, but he didn't really want to push it if the firebender was actually uncomfortable about it.
"Yeah? Well you use too many of them." He retorted mullishly, arms crossed. It's a weak blow, really, but there's this itch he doesn't know what to do with, and Wu wasn't helping, it's making him frustrated. It's not that he really minded though, the warmth of the young king on his lap surprising but not negative. But it did make him uncomfortable in his inability to understand what the hell was going on.
"Because I know how to use them!" he waved a matter-of-factly finger in the air. "How else am I supposed to hold the position of the Earth Throne if I didn't, hm?" But to Mako's point, he was still talking too much. After another huff, Wu glanced sideways at his companion, noticing he was still red in his cheeks. The royal peered up at his face as he placed a concerned hand on Mako's knee. "Sorry. You okay?" he asked, his tone softer this time.
The sudden touch jolted Mako from his internalized thoughts, to the point of loosening the arms that had until then been tightly crossed in front of his chest. "I- Yeah, I'm fine... Thanks." He felt a little bad for snapping at the prince now, the urge to make it better manifesting, though he has no idea how to go through with it.
As quick as a switch flip, Wu's mood changed and the smug expression he wore most of the time was back on his face. "Good. Like I said, worry and all that gives you premature wrinkles," he remarked, lightly papping Mako's face again. He totally missed Mako's flinch as the oblivious king he was. "But like I said, you really need to say what you mean. How else is someone going to know?"
The sudden change brought an annoyed twitch to his brow, the strange urge now easily squashed. He refrained from retorting though, only giving half a shrug. "I'm just not very good at expressing myself, I guess, but I haven't really needed to either."
The king let out another huff -- the firebender brought out a lot of them --, a little exasperated at how much in common Mako had with a brick wall emotionally. "Then how do you know what you want, huh? You gotta treat yourself sometimes!" He accentuated the last few words by lightly slapping Mako's knee along with them. "Don't you just ever want to reach out and grab whatever you want in the moment?"
Mako jolted slightly with the touches, though Wu's little speech went in one ear and out the other. He was the one with restraint, the most of it next to Asami when it came to the new team avatar, so no... He never did things like that. In fact, following such desires sounded like a monumentally bad idea... "Well... Don't you ever know how to hold back?" Not knowing how to answer, he returns with a question of his own, despite silently admitting to himself that Wu's open behaviour is part of the other's charm. Ah, not that he's actually charming or anything--!
"Of COURSE I do!" he admitted with a scoff probably a little too quickly. "Do you know how large my wardrobe would be if I didn't?" To add to his dramatics, he rolled his eyes. "But youuuu," Wu jabbed a finger at Mako this time, "didn't answer my question. When was the last time you did something for yourself, hm??"
He couldn't help the mildly amused snort that escaped him at the other's comment, the superfluity of it so very typical of Wu. Still, he tsk's softly under his breath at being called out. " I guess... not since I dated Asami and Korra..." His job didn't leave much time for personal frivolity and neither did he have the means for such things. And ever since he'd been contracted to work for Wu, well... Time to himself or privacy were concepts he'd had to say goodbye to... Still, not being left to wallow in his thoughts was good for him, he figured. "I'm not really the type of guy to just do whatever anyway though... I've got responsibilities."
In the moment Wu was exercising his ability to hold back as he tried his hardest not to sigh again. Sometimes he just felt like shaking Mako as if it would jostle some sort of wake up call that would let him know it's okay to not always be on-the-job. "Look, I know that being my bodyguard is, like, a round-the-clock sort of thing, but since you've started, nothing wrong has happened while we were here," he motioned with a hand at the Presidential Suite that they were in, Wu's place of living for the past couple of years, "so you can just relax, you know? Take it easy. You deserve it."
"Yeah, but..." He lightly gnawed at his lip, arms uncomfortably at his sides, not liking being idle unless they’re crossed. He sighed, finally glancing over to the other, though whatever emotion is in his eyes is difficult to make out. "I feel like whenever I take my eyes off of you, something bad happens. I mean, remember the incident at the restaurant where Kuvira's goons captured you?" That was supposedly safe, and yet... He can't help but worry.
While Mako's concern was very touching, the king rolled his royal eyes instead. "Yeah, that's because you weren't with me. I'm right here right now, clearly in your sights." This time he didn't hold back a frustrated groan as he slumped down in his seat. "Look, what I'm saying is that when we're here, alone, you can loosen up! Take it easy! It's a Presidential Suite, for spirits' sake, Mako! Unbutton and unwind!"
Wu did have a point... In an attempt to appease the other, mako uncomfortably slumped in his seat before raising a brow at the other. He wasn't about to unbutton anything- "Happy now?"
Of course 'unbutton' was just a saying and he wasn't expecting any buttons to move, but in any case Wu also wasn't expecting Mako to slump down with him, so immediately he burst into laughter, clutching his stomach as he did.
Naturally, the laughter immediately caused the firebender to bristle, posture growing tense again as he glared at the other. "What's so funny?!" He certainly didn't appreciate being laughed at... Especially not when he was trying to humor the other and making an effort.
It took him a bit to come down from his laughing fit, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye as he finally did. "Nothing, nothing! You just caught me off guard is all," Wu said, still trying to stifle some giggles. "I'm just so used to seeing you all straight-laced and everything that seeing you sink into the couch like that was, uh," he paused for a moment not knowing what word he wanted exactly. "Kinda cute, I guess?"
He was frowning at the other with mild annoyance right up to the moment Wu coined the term he'd been looking for, catching Mako entirely off guard and even making the usually stoic male blush slightly, although he'd brush it off as surprise. "Cute. Seriously?" He rolled his eyes, brushing it off as a joke, or trying to at least.
"Yeah! Cute! Like, you know when a ferocious polar bear dog basically turns into a little puppy when it's not being on guard? Like that." Once again, Wu was rambling too much to notice the soft pinking in Mako's cheek at his words.
Mako can't help but snort at basically being compared to Naga. Still, clearly Wu has a high opinion of him, to liken him to a ferocious animal... "Uhh, thanks, I guess? I'm no puppy though..." The petulant comment slips out unbidden despite himself, not having meant to give Wu any extra ammo.
Imagining Mako as an actual puppy almost made Wu dissolve back into giggles, but, again, he exercised his restraint. "What are you then?" the king leaned an elbow on his knee and his chin in his hand with a mischievous smile gracing his face as he awaited Mako's answer. If anything he was glad to see him loosening up at least a little.
"Uhh..." Well fuck. He's no good at this whole analogy thing, but 'puppy' itches at his pride. Wu staring him down like this, all expectantly is making him feel nervous somehow, and he doesn't have an answer to offer...
"I'm jooooking-- you don't have to answer that," he snorted and waved the hand his chin was on as if dismissing it. "You're Mako and that's all that matters."
Somehow... That easy certitude into who Mako was to him brought another small blush to tanned cheeks, not having expected the honesty of the comment or his own reaction to it. "Thanks Wu... You're a good guy, y'know.." He's not usually one to dole out praise, but the strange feeling demands some sort of recompense it seems
Through this oh-so-casual conversation focusing on Mako's need to loosen up, the last thing Wu was expecting was to be thanked and then complimented, which made him pause a moment from surprise. Immediately he grinned back at the firebender. "I know. You're not so bad yourself," he joked as he lightly elbowed Mako in the side.
He chuckles softly, letting Wu jab at him before reasoning over to ruffle his hair, kind of like he'd done to Bolin like a million times. It's the most relaxed Wu had probably ever seen him.
Normally, the king would've batted away anyone's hand from touching his carefully styled hair, but Wu let it slide as he was too distracted by Mako's soft laughter, barely even noticing the warmth in his cheeks as it was his turn to blush. "S-See?" he stuttered a bit. "You do know how to relax!"
He had expected a small playful tirade about messing up the royal hair, but he instead spots the blush, wondering why Wu is having such a reaction. He lets it slide with a small grin though. "Well of course, I wasn't born in work mode." He teases with a small smirk. "Hell, I used to be in the triads way before we joined pro-bending"
Wu gasped dramatically, holding his face with both of his hands as he did. If him being silly was an invitation for Mako relax a little more, he was going to play up the theatrics. "You? A gangster?? And they let you be on the Police Force?"
Mako couldn't help but be amused at the other's antics, raising a brow at him playfully. "What, you think I don't look tough enough to be a gangster?" He shook his head with slight amusement. "To be fair we only did minor jobs for Shady Shin and his ilk, we were never really members. It was a long time ago, either way. I don't think Chief Beifong really gave a damn unless I was actually fucking up on the job." He grinned fondly. For all that she was tough as nails, Mako did respect her greatly.
The king furrowed his brows a little, trying to figure out what he meant by a long time ago -- the two of them were in their early 20s and it didn't occur to him that the Triple Threats would hire teenagers; he wasn't deeply interested in the underbelly of the city. "I mean, granted, you're the best on the beat, which is why I hired you after all."
Mako rolled his eyes slightly at that comment, the atmosphere seeming to change a little again. Maybe this whole opening up thing wouldn't work out very well... They've certainly gotten closer over time, but being hired because he was the best on the force? It makes him a little uncomfortable... Maybe it's the thought that Wu wouldn't have given a shit if someone had been 'better' than him on paper, he'd have picked someone else for the job and Mako would just be doing same old... He's been looking after Wu long enough now that not doing it was weird to him. "I guess so..." He muttered, realising he was supposed to answer.
Quickly sensing the mood change, Wu's royal brow wrinkled under his still-tousled bangs, confused to how his accolades about Mr. I-Have-Responsilbities' work ethic made it seem like they had taken two steps back. "You 'guess so'?" he echoed. "That was compliment, Mako! A pat on the back for a job well done!" He accentuated it by literally patting him on the back of his shoulder -- since the rest of his back was still against the couch. "Back then I didn't know that I'd gain a treasured companion as well," he said a little softer.
"Oh..." He honestly doesn't know what to say, realising his mistake. Wu sometimes said thoughtless things, but that didn't mean there was thoughtlessness in everything he did, and he sometimes still managed to forget that. Never mind Mako's not exactly good at any of this stuff, talking about his feelings, whatever. It's just not his game, and way out of his comfort zone besides. He looks much calmer now, but he doesn't know what to say either.
The king let the silence between them hang in the air a bit. He then gently nudged Mako's side and whispered, "Psst. This is the part where you go: Yeah Wu you're awesome too wow." As he said the second part, he stuck his fingers through his curls, pulling them up a bit to mimic Mako's hair, furrowed his brows, and made his voice a little more gravely in a poor attempt to sound like him. Once it was done, he let go of his hair, which just flopped in front of his face as he laughed at his own impression.
Mako chuckled softly and playfully poked him in the side, a small grin on his face. "A dork is what you are." He teased, not feeling the need to bloat Wu's ego any further than he already did today. Still, this is nice, and he does appreciate Wu making an effort to not be annoying, if that makes sense. He knows Wu can be mature and sensible if he wants to be, it's just that he doesn't usually want to be that.
He couldn't help but laugh along, folding a little as Mako poked him. Wu retaliated by bumping his shoulder against his. "That's 'Your Royal Dork-ness,' to you, good sir," he said, putting on a faux pompous air that didn't last very long as he grinned again, just knowing the fact that he made Mako laugh again.
