Hopeless - Makorra

"Korra, what's wrong?"

The Avatar didn't turn from her spot on the dock to look at the Firebender, instead hugging her arms around her tighter. Closing her eyes, she whispered, "Go away, Mako."

Mako stepped forward, signalling that he wasn't going to leave her out there alone. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he repeated himself, "What's wrong? What happened back there?"

Korra bit her lip. Just a few minutes before, she and Mako and Bolin had been sitting up in their attic apartment, going over and finalizing their plans for attack against Amon. They had been planning this ambush for weeks now, and they finally had everything little thing sorted out. It was foolproof – nothing could go wrong. They were going to take Amon down, once and for all. But just as they were talking about the final battle with Amon himself, Korra had randomly up and left the brothers, confusing them and prompting Mako to go and confront her.

Biting her lip, Korra shook her head. She whispered something inaudible, and Mako stepped forward again.

"What?"

"I said, I can't let you guys do this," she repeated herself. "It... it's too dangerous, Mako. I can't expect you and Bolin to do this – this... this is something that I have to do by myself."

"Korra, what the hell are you talking about?" Mako had stepped closer to her, standing directly behind her. "We've been planning this – together – for the last two months! You can't tell us now – the night before we plan do to it – that we can't be a part of it! And besides, we want to help you! We're just as involved in this entire Equalist mess as you are now, can't you see that?"

He saw her step forward and away from him, but he prevented her from creating too much distance between them by taking her hand in his.

She whispered next, "Well, can't you see that this is too dangerous? By doing this, you're risking your life. It's not fair to either of you."

"Korra," he turned her around and placed his hands on her arms, but she still wouldn't look at him. "Bolin and I want to do this – we're dedicated to this cause, too. We want to be there to help you... to protect you. We... we all care about you, Korra. And despite what you think," he smiled at her before looking away, "I care about you. I don't want you getting hurt and I don't want to even think about the possibility of losing you – that's why I want to be by your side, protecting you, fighting with you."

The pair stood in silence for what felt like a short eternity, before Mako said her name again. "Korra..."

When she looked up at him, he saw the tears in her glassy eyes reflect the glow of the Pro-bending arena and the moon, and immediately he wanted them to go away. He saw the conflict in her eyes – she had been planning on leaving and fighting against Amon without them. Stupid girl! In a sudden sweep of emotion – anything to get her to realize how he felt about her, how both him and his brother wanted nothing more than to ensure her safety – he admitted quietly, "Please, Korra. I... I love y—"

But before he could finish his confession, Korra's lips were pressing against his with burning fervour. She couldn't hear him say those words – because if she did, she may just break down right there and her resolve for pushing the brothers away would be broken forever. And so she kissed him – as both a temporary distraction and to indulge in some lustful whim on her part.

Mako's eyes widened at the contact, but before he could react by wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer, to actually enjoy their lip lock, she pulled away, avoiding eye contact.

Before he could say anything, she was speaking. "I-I'm sorry, Mako." She brushed passed him and he saw a tear fall down her face. He quickly reached for her hand to stop her.

"Korra," he said her name whisperingly, still trying to recover from the sudden kiss.

"That was a mistake, I'm sorry," she choked out, touching her fluttering lips, trying to calm her furiously thumping heart. She gave him a forced smile, going against everything she was feeling. She wanted nothing more than to have him embrace her and tell her he loved her once again, so that she could tell him the same thing. So that for just a few seconds, they didn't have to be in the situation they were in, but an entirely different one filled with fleeting kisses and butterfly touches. But they didn't live in a fairytale world where those kinds of things happened – no, the reality of it all was that they were two teenagers who had fallen in love at the wrong time, at the beginning of another war, another revolution. And now both were paying the price for their insolence – by being forced to reveal their love but not indulge in it. And Korra hated all of it. "Can't have any distractions, can we?" she asked him wryly, tears threatening to fall again and break her wall of indifference. They pair stared at each other for a few moments, motionless, wordless, before Korra squeezed the Firebender's hand and turned to walk away.

She heard him take a few steps behind her, call her name frantically, but she didn't turn back to face him. She couldn't do that to him – instill a false sense of hope in the boy she loved when there was an equal chance that either could die from this entire mess. Her heart broke a little more with each desperate cry he sent her way, but she ignored him and continued walking away until he either stopped or could no longer be heard.

When she knew she was a good distance away, she ducked into an alleyway and finally allowed herself the escape of tears, leaning against a wall and venting about the unfairness of the world and how she loved the Firebender so.