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The Time to Sleep - Chapter 2

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~P~

Chapter Two

~P~

Korra nuzzled closer into a soft object, but was woken a few moments later by a loud, raucous snore to her left. Jumping up, she blinked as she tried to take in her somewhat familiar surroundings. When she came to completely, the fogginess of her brain gone, she saw that she was in Mako and Bolin's room and when she looked down, she saw that she had been sleeping rather soundly in the Firebender's bed. She blushed as she crawled out of it, peering closely at the small clock at his bedside – six in the morning. Walking out of the room as silently as she could, she arrived in their meagre living room and much to her dismay, no Mako was anywhere in sight.

"Of course," she talked to herself, rolling her eyes. "In and gone before any of can even see him for the day." She felt a little guilty that she had prevented him from sleeping in his own bed the night beforehand in favour of relieving his muscle pain, but she decided that it needed to be done and put it out of her mind.

Making herself breakfast, knowing that Bolin wouldn't be up for a few hours considering it was Saturday, she read the newspaper periodically as she prepared for work. Equalists Becoming Emboldened the print at the top read, and she bit her lip. As she read through the article, about how the Equalists were attacking innocent benders, she thought about her duty as the Avatar. At times like this, she wished she could go out and reveal her status and actually help the people of her city. But revealing herself would just get herself and the brothers killed, for she was not powerful enough to face off with anyone yet – and the boys meant the world to her, so she was not willing to risk it.

She remembered cringingly and fondly the day that the brothers found out she was the Avatar – she was ten, and they had all been together for three years. She had gotten angry at Mako for something stupid, like most of their fights began, and had breathed fire at him, nearly singing off his silly eyebrows. It was only until afterwards that she realized her mistake, how blatant she had been, but she could not go back – she had Firebent and they had seen it. Mako came to the conclusion before his brother did, thoroughly shocked and hurt by what she had been keeping from them.

The Firebender had been scared – she was even more trouble than he originally thought. She was already loudmouthed and rambunctious, but the fact that she was the Avatar – someone so potentially powerful, someone so potentially dangerous – was almost too much for him to handle. But Bolin was so attached to her, and admittedly, he was, too, and by the vulnerable look in her eyes, he couldn't just disown her now that they knew. In fact, if anything, this discovery only strengthened his resolve to keep her safe. It took a little bit of explaining, but he promised her that he wouldn't let anyone hurt her, that he and Bolin would keep it a secret. Korra had never been so relieved in her life.

Korra smiled as she ate her breakfast – yet another pleasant memory involving them. After that odd day, they had each taught her what they knew about their respective elements, training her to the best of their ability. And while she was still far from mastering both Earthbending and Firebending, she was farther along than she had been before she had met them.

The best part about that memory was that it reminded her about how far the three had come – from being completely distrustful of one another to becoming great, trustworthy friends. Korra could imagine no other people who she loved more than the two brothers – she'd do anything for them, and the feelings were mutual. Though, if she was being honest with herself, she loved Mako as more than just a good friend.

While the pair had had a rough start together, fighting constantly, and when not bickering remaining strictly quiet, they had grown to rely on each other and learned that once they stopped picking brawls with one another, they were both quite alike. But somewhere along the line, Korra had stopped eyeing Mako as just a buddy and more so as the man that she couldn't be with. She had fallen for him, for the way he was so caring for his brother, for his occasional bouts of dorkiness, for the way he just felt so utterly and passionately for the things he was dedicated towards. Like them, like keeping his family together and happy.

The Avatar sighed as these new thoughts cut into her previously pleasant ones – they only served as further reminders of how her feelings for Mako were a complete waste, for nothing could come of them. There were times when she just wanted them to disappear, when they would do nothing but get in the way, but much to her chagrin, they were not something that could be wished away. There were other moments when she wished she could act upon them, but at those times, she had to remind herself that there were more important, graver things going on in their lives that needed their attention, and that her feelings for him were trivial in comparison.

Deciding that she really didn't want to get into a personal debate about whether or not she should confess, she forced those thoughts out of her mind and set herself up for the long day ahead of her. Finishing her breakfast, she cleaned up and ran through her schedule mentally – she had to set up at the Pro-Bending arena until late in the evening, and then after that, she more than likely had one of her appointments with Tahno or the other... yet another reason it would never work with him, Korra, she thought to herself bitterly, biting her lip as her brain was invaded once again.

A very large reason she hadn't admitted how she felt also pertained to her current job, if it could even be called that. Mako made it very, very clear that he disapproved of it, always begging her to stop degrading herself – but she couldn't. It brought in far too much money for her to stop – it made their lives so much easier, allowed him to work and stress less, however, she knew he got equally as strained worrying about her while she was gone. It couldn't work because Mako was too protective, and Korra wouldn't want to continue such actions if she was with him, but she needed to, for both of them.

Just like meeting the boys, she remembered her first time as clear as a bell:

~P~

Fifteen year old Korra wandered down the cold street, the first beginnings of rain dripping onto her shoulder, and she shivered. It was so dark, and she cursed that she hadn't even tried to memorize her path before she had left their apartment – was she even going the right way? Honestly, she hadn't a clue.

She heard footsteps behind her, and she reluctantly angled her face back to eye the man who had been following her for several blocks. He was tall and sleazy-looking, easily twice her age, and wouldn't leave her be. She had half the mind to freeze him to the wall, but she was too tired and sore from her work earlier that day and wanting to avoid movement and conflict, didn't.

She walked a bit faster, but he still persisted. Turning a corner, she froze when he spoke.

"Hey, girlie," he drawled, smiling crookedly at her. Korra ignored him, but when he called at her again, she turned around, mustering as much patience as she could find.

"Yes?" she began curtly, crossing her arms across her chest. He leered at her, and she forced herself to keep eye contact so she wouldn't snap.

"You keep playing games, and it's fun, but honestly, let's just get this over with," he shrugged, stepping closer to her. He stank of alcohol, so obviously drunk, and Korra felt the sudden need to nearly vomit, but her curiosity got the better of her.

"What are you talking about?" she inquired, taking a step backwards.

"You know," he walked closer to her again, and took one of her ponytails in his hand, twirling it absentmindedly. "I'll pay good money for you. Real good money."

The Avatar perked at the offering of money, an instinct she had picked up from living on the streets. "For what? What kind of money?"

"I think you know what I want," he smiled suggestively at her, before swinging an arm around her and pulling his face close to hers. He then dug into his pocket, and seconds later, pulled out a heinous amount of cash, flashing it before her. "This much, if you're willing."

Korra's tired eyes nearly bugged out of her head at the amount of money being presented to her, but then she reminded herself of what the man very clearly wanted in return for such a payment. She swallowed uncertainly... was she prepared to lose something so crucial to her very being? Biting her lip, she thought of the brothers, and how much they had done for her, how much she owed them for their kindness and decided that she couldn't pass up on such cash. If it meant she could give back to the boys she loved, then she would do it for them.

"I... o-okay." Korra was painfully aware of how shaky her voice was and how she must have shuddered when he pressed a sloppy kiss to her lips and pulled her into the closest alleyway. Thankfully, the horrible activity was over quickly, and she was easily paid and then discarded by the man, who stumbled off with a look of pure satisfaction on his filthy features.

The Avatar shivered against the wall she was leaning on, clutching the money in her palms and trying to contain the tears that threatened to fall. As she tried to compose herself, knees wobbling wildly, she reminded herself over and over again that is was for the boys, that it was all for them and that is was worth it, but in the end, she couldn't help but cry at how empty the experience had been and how she had lost such a precious thing to an activity that had been so meaningless.

She proceeded to cry as the rain fell as she made her way home, knowing full well her actions were irreversible.

~P~

Korra felt tears building in her eyes at the memory, but she shook her head to force them down. After she had returned home that night, she had revealed the cash to Mako, and while at first he had been happy, he immediately became suspicious of how she'd come to acquire so many Yuans. She remembered with a pang in her heart how she told him what happened with such reluctance, and how a screaming match had ensued afterwards. He had told her that she needn't do such things, while she defended her case with much difficulty by saying she wanted to give more to their small family. The rest of the night consisted of frustrated yells, strangled shouts, and uncontrollable tears on her end – it was definitely one of her worst recollections, one of the most terrible fights she had had with Mako. Those quarrels hadn't ended there, either – on occasion, they would still occur, to varying degrees. He was still so angry at her choice to continue, but there was nothing he could do about it. It was her decision, and it had been made two years beforehand and it had stuck.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she scolded herself inwardly before dressing and exiting the apartment, careful not to wake Bolin as he caught up on lost sleep. School and homework regularly tuckered out the Earthbender, and she wanted him to get as much rest as possible. As she made her way to the Pro-Bending arena, she decided right then and there that she would wasn't going to focus on anything more than her work – she couldn't afford to get distracted by her feelings or past events, and honestly, she just didn't want to deal with them. Most of the time, she was good about keeping them out of her mind, but something had happened that morning, and one memory tumbled into a distracting one and it just continued from there.

So, as she arrived at the front doors of the ever-famous building, she squared her shoulders and put on a determined face, putting out all of her previous thoughts from her head for another time to ponder.

~P~

Korra wiped her forehead free of the sweat that was dripping off of it, exhaling heavily and looking around the space she was in. It was a large storage room, and she along with a handful of other people were removing various types of training equipment and Pro-Bending supplies from it and placing it all in the gym of the arena.

The Avatar had been working vigorously since early that morning, opting out of taking a much-needed break so as not to get distracted by her previous thoughts, which had been threatening to invade her mind any chance that she let it wander.

Sighing, she shrugged to herself and walked over to the next box she saw, and bending down, heaved it up into her arms and began to make her way to the gym. Different thoughts came to Korra's mind as she made the short trip, and she stared into the box in her arms. It was filled with different coloured boxing gloves, and she smiled at the thought of Pro-Bending – she adored the sport.

It was one of the few things that the three of them all had in common: a mutual love for Pro-Bending. Though she had never been to an actual match before, even if she longed to, the brothers and her tuned into each and every one that was broadcasted on the radio, always cheering and arguing and debating over wins or losses or foul plays. It was something they bonded over. And even though Korra loved just listening to the matches with them, a very large part of her wanted to be a part of the action, as well. On more than one occasion she had found herself daydreaming about what it would be like to be a part of a Pro-Bending team, the rush of adrenaline she would get from Waterbending someone out of the ring and the pride she would feel from the cheers of fans. She would sometimes even stay behind after everyone just so she could train in private, to feel, even if temporarily, the life of a Pro-Bending athlete. It was all so exciting, but then reality hit her hard once again, interrupting her happy thoughts – it could never be. There were several different factors that worked against Korra's dream – firstly, the three of them were untrained and had no prior experience, putting them at a major, automatic disadvantage. Secondly, even if she did somehow manage to convince Mako to start up a team, there were fees – they would have to pay for the entrance fee of being a new team, bills for their new uniforms and equipment... it would all pile up, and be too much for them to afford.

"Of course," she muttered under her breath lowly. "Money is an issue once again. When is it ever not?" The realization that she was so held down by lack of money stung Korra, but it was the hard reality of life, and she had come to accept it long beforehand. Shaking her head, Korra ignored the gnawing longing in her heart and continued onwards to the gym.

Upon arrival, she gratefully dropped the weighty box and let out a huff of air, putting her hands to her hips. None of the other people helping out paid her any mind, instead exiting and going to get some more equipment and boxes.

"Korra."

The Avatar jumped at the gruff voice behind her, and regaining her composure, turned and noticed the owner of it – Toza, a retired Pro-Bender and occasional trainer to those he deemed worthy. He used to be a legend until he hurt his leg, and ever since that faithful day, he never played a match again.

He was also her current employer, and from his tone of voice, he sounded unimpressed. But then again, did he ever sound all too happy?

"U-uh, yes, sir?" Korra managed out, hoping he wasn't annoyed at her for some reason. She skimmed through her mind of things she could have possibly done to irritate him, but nothing came to her.

"After your shift is over, I want to speak with you." At that, he nodded at her and turned, his lame gait causing him to have to trudge out of the room rather than walk.

Korra began to panic then – she couldn't lose this job! She – they – needed it! Her brain began to fill with ludicrous ideas as to what he wanted to talk to her about, what she could have done for him to fire her. Had she been a little late one day? Had she ever been particularly snappish when he spoke with her? She honestly didn't have a clue as to what could be the cause of her imminent firing, but her head didn't stop giving her petty reasons to focus on until she felt as though her brain was going to fry.

Distractedly, her day continued like so, fixating and moving about boxes, until late that evening, and when the last helper left for home, she stayed behind. Ringing her hands together nervously and leaning against a wall, she waited with great impatience for the old Waterbender.

After waiting for an agonizing amount of time, he appeared in the gym, limping over to her. He, however, did not stop to speak with her, instead continuing past her waiting form and bending some leftover equipment to the side of the room. As he did so, he talked casually to her.

"Have you ever thought about having your own Pro-Bending team, Korra?" he questioned, not turning to face her. Korra quirked an eyebrow at the elder, though he could not see it. She already had an answer, but just as she was about to open her mouth to respond, he did so for her. "Of course you have. I've seen you standing around and dreaming about – what else could you be thinkin' about? I've seen you here, after everyone's left, too. I've seen you train, Korra." He turned then, dropping a weight suddenly and staring at her, jabbing his finger in her direction. "You're good, young lady. You've got real talent, real moxie in ya."

The Avatar blinked incredulously at him. Her heart was pounding in her chest at his words, at the possibility of what he was implying. But she forced down the elatedness building within her, forced herself to accept disappointment – her life was filled with it because of her background, and she wasn't about to let her excitement get the better of her when it was more apt to blow up in her face than anything else. She felt embarrassment at her late night training sessions being found out, and biting her lip, she turned away from his spying eye. Shrugging casually, she tried to be humble, despite the pride swelling in her chest. "I-I guess," she managed out.

"Don't tell me you're not good, kid," he scolded. "Talent like yours only shows up once in..." He looked at a loss for words, before throwing his hands up in his annoyance at not being able to find the one he wanted, "...well, in a long time, that's all I know! All I'm saying is that it shouldn't be wasted."

The room went quiet, and the Avatar blinked at the floor, unsure of the situation when he didn't speak any further. When her curiosity got the better of her, she spoke up, "So, what are you asking of me, sir? Why did want to talk to me?"

Toza continued to ignore her for a few more seconds, before huffing out, "I'm offering you the chance to start your own team, expenses paid, that's what. With a bit of training with yours truly." Though Korra tried to contain herself in that moment, what with her suspicions confirmed, she lunged forward, hugging the old man tightly.

"S-seriously? You'd do that?" she questioned, blinking at him. As ecstatic as she was, a part of Korra felt like this was too good an opportunity to be true, and her natural instinct caused for her to inquire him about it.

"I don't kid around about Pro-Bending," he shrugged her off, bowing his head and turning back to moving around the scattered weights.

Korra resisted the urge of making a fool out of herself then and so didn't jump around, but a large grin took over her features and refused to disappear. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she went to hug him again, but he pushed her away with a wrinkly hand. It dawned on her then, and with an abrupt frown, she looked down at him. "What do you mean 'expenses paid'? I... I can't let you just... do that!"

"Sure ya can. I can provide the gear and cover the costs. Hell, anything to get me a little more involved in the sport. It's been too damn long," he waved his hand dismissively, as if he hadn't just given her several hundred Yuans worth of fees free. "All I need from you in return," he turned back to look at her, "is for you and your... friends or whatever to try your best. Utilize the talent I know y'all got. I know you're perfectly capable of winning this competition with them, Korra. And if you do... well, you'll be out of those slums for good. And even if not, by just participating and winning a few matches you'll earn yourself a good bunch of Yuans for spending." Korra's eyes sparkled at that, and he allowed a rare, genuine smile to grace his weathered features. "Now, get out of here," he motioned towards the door, "I'm done with you here."

Korra's chest felt as those it was going to burst with gratitude for the gruff man in front of her, and quickly, she stepped forward and gave him another hug and mouthed to him, grin wide, "Thank you." Before he could swat her away, she retreated and ran towards the gym entrance, shaking in her enthusiasm to tell the boys.

As she walked, there was a noticeable bounce in her step, and when she was halfway back to the apartment, the full brunt of it all hit her. She span around several times in spot, nearly throwing her arms up in her glee and just narrowly preventing herself from squealing the rest of the way home. She couldn't wait to tell Mako and Bolin – they would be just as thrilled as she was! As her initial high began to wear down, her thoughtfulness for the situation came forth, and with a soft smile, she considered the farfetched possibility of them even winning the competition, like Toza had told her so confidently that they could. Like he said – if they won, they could leave their former lives behind and start anew. The thought was so enticing and she could picture it so vividly, almost feel the different lifestyle that was just begging to be hers.

Arriving at her apartment building, she smiled triumphantly, the chance of winning fanning the flames of her confidence and hopefulness.

~P~

Mako sighed heavily, stretching out along the length of their ratty couch and putting his arms behind his head. His eyes drifting shut, planning on getting some much-needed rest, he allowed himself to relax, but just as he could feel the darkness of sleep closing in on his mind, did the door burst open and he shot up like a bullet, accustomed to be ready at a moment's notice.

"What's going on?" he started, blinking blearily at their door. Collecting his disoriented mind, his eyes focussed on who it was – a nearly-vibrating Korra, a bright, eager smile adorning her pretty features. "Korra?" He sat up straighter, groaning a bit. "What—why so loud?"

"Mako!" she burst out then, jumping over the couch and narrowly avoiding landing on his legs. Turning, she placed her hands on his knees and leaned forward, flashing her grin towards him. "Guess what? Guess what just happened to me... or more so, us?"

He blinked, eyebrow cocked, much too tired to really care to guess. "Uh, you got a raise or something?"

"No, silly, better! Toza offered us the chance to start a Pro-Bending team – and I agreed!" Her eyes were closed in her happiness, so she did not see the disbelief, elatedness, and then sudden questioning, unimpressed look pass on his face.

Despite the erratic pounding of his heart in his chest, Mako forced himself to be more analytical, more mistrustful, like his usual nature entailed. "What are the conditions?" he asked, crossing his arms. "You know we don't have the money to pay for gear, Korra, and—"

"He said he'll let us use it for free!" she answered quickly, interrupting him, bubbling inside from her joy. "And that's not even the best part – he said he'd train us. The famous Toza wants to train us, Mako! Us!" She crawled forward, not caring about their close proximity, and latched her hands into his jacket, shaking him a bit, trying to convey to him her excitement. Mako studied her face – big beautiful eyes staring down at him, waiting for a reaction that was similar to hers, and an infectious, glowing grin that he felt forming on his own face.

Finally allowing himself to feel the same glee she was, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace against his chest. Korra was surprised by this sudden show of affection, but nonetheless complied, bringing her arms up to hang around his neck. After a short while passed, he pulled away from her enough so he could smile brilliantly at her and speak. "K-Korra," he tried to reign in the emotion that was affecting his speech. "This is amazing. This means..." He was almost having trouble fathoming it, as she had originally. "...this means that we'll—"

"It means you won't have to work so hard anymore – you can finally breathe like you deserve, Mako," she answered for him, bringing up one of her hands to cup his cheek. She resisted the urge to stroke the flesh of his face, instead just taking further joy in the glory his smile and flushed face held. She had never seen him so happy!

"And you, Korra," he took the hand against his face and held it in his own, squeezing it, his features softening, "won't have to sleep around anymore. You won't have to degrade yourself any longer." As these words left his lips, Mako could already feel his conscience relaxing at knowing that Korra would no longer be selling herself. Korra looked to the side then, scowling – it was true, but only if they won. If not, she would still have to, and even maybe a bit during their time in the tournament...

If there was one thing Mako absolutely hated, it was Korra's choice two years beforehand to sell her body for money. He always tried to express to her how dangerous the job was physically. How her "clients", as she called them, could be carrying something harmful or how she could be hurt when dealing with those she was with. She was perfectly capable of protecting herself, but the thought of someone causing pain to her made the Firebender's blood boil. He cared for her, loved her, just like he did with Bolin. There was always the risk of pregnancy, too, and while the idea of her expecting a child with some random man made Mako sick, she had reassured him more than once that she always took precautions to make sure nothing was ever transmitted and she was never left with such a hazard as falling pregnant.

But there was another reason Mako hated it, a much more personal reason, for he shared those other concerns with his brother. The mere thought of Korra's wriggling beneath another man, being forced into an act she did not at all enjoy, made his heart twist violently in his chest. Sometimes, when the pair went out, she would get hungry looks from men or inappropriate calls from ones she had been with, requesting her presence once again even if she wasn't "available" for the night. The way they would leer at her, grab at her, the disrespectful names they would dub her – it made him want to set them all ablaze, for making such a wonderful woman feel as worthless as mud. Seeing how torn up she could be afterwards, how she would come home with bruises from being handled roughly or crying even, Mako always felt helpless, felt her pain, like he should have been there to prevent such things from happening, to help comfort her before the tears could fall. But he couldn't. He couldn't protect someone he loved and he hated feeling so inadequate.

It was jealousy, he knew it. It pricked his heart each time she left the apartment for one of her "appointments", and intensified when she returned a few hours later, hair mussed up and a worn-out, dulled look in her pretty blue eyes.

The Firebender didn't know what to make of his feelings for Korra. When they had first met, he had found her an untrustworthy nuisance, who just put more of a burden on him as he tried to find different means to just survive by. She worked her way into their lives and refused to get lost. She challenged his authority as they grew older, always annoying him and picking unproductive fights. He originally thought he hated her, but as they grew closer, he knew this was as far from the truth as possible.

Mako could no longer imagine a life that didn't have Korra in it. Along with his brother, she completed his, gave him a little more reason to wake up each more and trudge on with his usual routine. Long ago, he had extended to her the same love he felt for Bolin, the same protectiveness and warmth she had always provided for them. They were there to look after one another, and that wasn't going to change if he could help it. And while he considered her a part of their small family, there was a little chunk of Mako that viewed her differently, made his heart beat erratically and unevenly. It was the piece of him that was irrevocably in love with the Avatar, that never got a chance to express itself, because he wouldn't let it. There was too much going on all the time for him to ever find a good chance to sit down with her and just convey his feelings for her.

And besides, he had told himself bitterly one day, why would she want him? They may have the same street child back story, but they were two very different people. While Korra was the Avatar, bound for greatness in her future, he was just Mako the Firebender, forever doomed to live a meagre life in the hoods of Republic City. She was way out of his league, and not wanting to get distracted from his already regimented and chaotic lifestyle, he didn't say anything to her, pushing his feelings to the back of his mind and focussing solely on keeping their small family afloat in the world. It was difficult, but he had managed so far.

He blinked up at Korra, waiting for a response to his words. She was looking away from him, though, a frown set on her face. "What is it?" he asked, voice soft.

"I... you've reminded me. I've got to go see Tahno." She bit her lip, her fingers digging into his shirt at the realization, knowing how he was going to react. Mako blinked at her, and could already feel his blood curdling in annoyance at her uttering the name of the cruel Waterbender. His grip on her arms tightened, and his eyes narrowed in a glare. Korra saw his face out of the corner of her eye, and before he could speak, she rolled out of his arms and stood up, smoothing out her clothes and making her way towards the door quickly.

"Korra!" Mako started, sitting up and turning to the entrance of their apartment.

"Please, don't do this, Mako," she told him, eyes pleading. "I don't want to have a yelling match this time. Just let me go, okay?"

Not wanting to reduce her to tears, as he had before with his shouting, he bowed his head and looked to the floor. Begrudgingly, his mouth set in a hard line, he nodded. "Fine."

"Thank you," she whispered, smiling sadly at him, before opening the door and exiting like she had never even been there. Mako sighed heavily after hearing the door click, before slumping into the couch to fall into a restless nap, his worry for Korra running through his mind the entire time.

~P~

The sound of the headboard making contact with the wall reverberated in Korra's ear, drowning out the grunting noise that Tahno was making above her as he thrust. One of his hands was in her hair, pulling violently, while the other gripped her waist painfully, his nails digging into the sensitive skin of her hip.

Displeased with her unresponsiveness, he leaned up and kissed her aggressively, forcing his tongue into her mouth and biting her lips. The Avatar squeaked as his teeth sunk into her lower lip, but was unable to resist his advances, and so wrapping her arms around his neck, pulled the closer together, causing him to groan gutturally and thrust deeper within her.

Korra trembled as his mouth moved from hers downwards, his teeth scraping along her jaw line, down her neck and then nibbling on the pulse point at her nape. His hand travelled along her curves, exploring and pinching cruelly, actions that would later cause bruising, she knew it.

The Avatar was long since accustomed to numbing herself emotionally during sex, and so now was no different. While she was responding mechanically to Tahno's usual treatment of her, mentally, she was off somewhere else.

As he pumped into her, sweaty skin slapping, she wondered to herself what it would be like if this were with Mako. Undoubtedly, she'd actually enjoy it, for it would be with someone she loved dearly. She imagined that he would be slow and tentative, considerate of her emotions during the ordeal. His kisses and touches would be meaningful instead of one-sided and rushed like Tahno's or Tarrlok's. They would leave her burning and wanting more, which he would gladly give her. She and Mako would be making love, not senselessly fucking like she was right then with the Waterbender.

Korra was brought out of her idyllic reverie when she felt Tahno thrust deeply and painfully within her, his fingernails raking down her back and a few seconds later, she felt him spasm over top of her and then fill her as he climaxed. She shuddered as he rolled off of her, panting heavily, a satisfied smirk crossing his features. Korra took a few seconds to herself, trying to compose her emotions and catch her breath, before sitting up suddenly and reaching for her clothes, pulling them on as she went.

"You know," Tahno drawled from his place on his bed, where he was stretched out languidly. "You don't have to go back to those losers. There's always a place for you in my bed."

"I care about those supposed losers," she growled back, picking her top up. She looked down at her chest and inspected the bruises and bumps that littered it, all caused by the man before her. Shaking her head, she blinked back the tears before throwing her shirt on and turning away from him. She needed out of there, and she needed out of there now.

"Why? I can give you so much more. Your Firebender will never have what I have," he sneered, pulling his hair out of his sweaty face.

"Shut up!" she span around, seething. "We may not have the money you do, but at least he has humility, at least he's capable of love." Tahno's smug smirk grew on his face, and leaning over, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her close to his face.

"Just remember, I own you, he doesn't, Korra," his swamp accent was thick as he spoke, his voice husky, and it made her skin crawl. Ripping her hand from his grasp, she resisted the urge to punch him, and reluctantly letting his words sink in, her throat grew tight and constricted the more she thought them over.

Pulling her left boot on, she shook her head and went to his dresser. Grabbing her payment that sat upon it, she exited his room. As she did, he began to laugh at her, the noise echoing in her ears long after she had left his home. When she was almost back to her apartment, the shame began to set in, and she choked back a sob. She abhorred Tahno, but at the same time, he was willing to pay handsomely for her services, and so she never denied him. But by accepting the Waterbender, she also accepted the abuse he threw at her, which consisted of insults towards the boys and how she should leave them be to come live with him as some sort of live-in sex toy.

For months, she had put up with his name-calling and taunts, but for some reason, his comments had gotten under her skin more so than usual that night and she couldn't help but feel a tear fall down the length of her face. Was it him saying that she belonged to him, when she so clearly didn't, or was it from the gradual building up of his mistreatment of her? Korra didn't know or care – all she knew is that it made her feel downright awful, and there was nothing she could do about it.

~P~

Mako tapped his gloved fingers on the counter, impatiently awaiting Korra's arrival home. His eyes kept drifting shut, his mind begging for sleep, but he wouldn't let himself, not yet. After she had left him and he had tried to get at least a nap in, he found he could not fall asleep without knowing if she was okay. So he had stayed up in favour of seeing her when she came back despite his exhaustion.

Placing his head in his hand, he closed his eyes momentarily, hoping he would be able to control his flaring temper if she did in fact come in littered with bruises or the like. With a shamed sigh, he recounted all the times he had yelled at her because of them, because of his jealousy, because he just hated her "job". Opening his eyes and glaring at the ground, he remembered with a jab to his heart the first time he ever did so, the night she lost it all and came to them with a handful of Yuans:

~P~

When Korra walked in the front door of their apartment, the first thing Mako did was not inspect her or question her reasoning for being missing for so long – no, the first thing he had did was jump down her throat. "Where the hell were you?" he threw his hands out at her rain-drenched form. In his anger, he could not differentiate between the raindrops and her tears.

She did not answer him immediately, but she shook out of the frigid dampness of her clothes surrounding her. Mako was glad Bolin was already asleep – obviously, something was about to go down, for he was seething and she was not responding to his harsh question.

"Answer me, Korra!" he yelled, stepping closer to her. He was expressing his worry for her through his emotions, which were flaring right then. She still did not speak, instead shaking her head quickly before thrusting her hand into his chest, and he blinked at it incredulously. Held tightly within her palm was a thick handful of Yuans – Mako had never seen so many altogether in his life. At first, he was happy for the amount of money she was presenting, but then his better judgement took over – how did she even procure such cash?

"Where did you get this?" he asked, quieter and more composed. Korra sniffled, and he finally took into account her broken appearance. "Please, tell me."

"I... a man," she managed. "He... he..." She was avoiding eye contact with the Firebender, something he noticed. What did she have to hide from him? "He said he'd pay me well if I gave him sex. So... I did. And he followed through on the money."

In that moment, Mako's blood ran cold and his eyes ran over Korra. He noticed what he had not before – her sloppy clothes, her pained expression and the continuous tears that were falling from her eyes... all because she had lost it. To some random man. The Firebender then felt scorching rage fill him, and he voiced it. Slapping her hand away, he clutched her arms and brought her face closer to his. "Why would you do that, Korra? Why would you give something up like that for some money?"

Korra trembled in his grasp, biting her lip and shaking her head again. "I did it for you two!" she answered after a short bit. Mako let go of her then, and she continued to talk. "You've both given me so much, and I... wanted to give back to you. I never knew how to – b-but then this came along and there was too much money to refuse, Mako... I could give both of you back what you deserve from me."

Gratitude filled Mako, but then hurt that she figured she had to go to such extreme measures to obtain money. At the reminder at what had happened, he filled with blind fury again, and he growled lowly, "You idiot! So you slept with someone for money? How could you do that to yourself! How could you lower yourself down to that of a common whore, Korra? I thought you were better than that!" He knew his words were stinging her from the whimper that escaped her lips, and he knew he shouldn't have been yelling at her at all, but he was angry, and it needed to be expressed.

"Like I said, I did it for you!" she stepped forward then, arms crossed tightly. "And..." She looked at the ground as she whispered next, "And I've decided that I'm not going to stop it. It brings in so much money, Mako, how could I not? By doing this, I can—"

"Stop, Korra! Stop treating yourself like this! Let me worry about money!" he begged, interrupting her. "Just let me keep control of the situation like I always have!"

"I don't want you to!" she fought back, her eyes now blazing with the same intensity of Mako's amber ones. "I don't want to be the protected little girl anymore, Mako; I want to help you out for once! I've grown up, I don't always need to be looked after all the time!"

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" he argued, throwing his hands up in his frustration. "Why can't you be normal and listen when you're told to do something?"

"Because I have a mind of my own that you don't get to control!" she fought back, fists clenched. "I get to make my own decisions, and this is all my choice! I'm continuing with it, so deal with it!"

"You're such a stupid kid, Korra!" he insulted her, pulling one hand down his face, annoyed by her inability to see it from his point of view. How inappropriate it was of her to do such an act just for some money that he could earn after a few extra hours put in at the factory. "What if you catch something? What are you going to do then? Because we all know there won't be any cure for you, not that we'd be able to afford it!"

Korra blinked at him, scared by what he was implying. "Stop it, Mako," she warned, tone low. But he was on a roll, fuelled by anger, and he was not going to listen to her words.

"Eventually, you'll just end up rotting from the inside out, dying! Bo and I will have to watch you die, Korra, did you think of that? How it will affect Bolin? How it will affect me?" The Firebender knew he was being extreme and selfish, but there was always the possibility that she could, in fact, catch something, though the thought of it made his stomach wrench.

"Mako, stop it! Stop talking about that!" she pleaded, putting her hands over her ears to block him out. But his voice cut through the flesh, and she could still hear him as clear as day.

"He'll be heartbroken, watching you waste away! You'll just be another person who left us behind, and—" Mako was cut short, for Korra walked up to him and backhanded him abruptly, causing his face to turn sideways and his eyes to widen in shock.

"I told you to shut up, you insensitive jerk!" she cried, feeling tears well up in her eyes again and begin to cascade down her cheeks and drip off of her chin. "Why would you say that? Why would you say any of that? I thought we cared about each other! Friends don't say that to other friends, Mako! They don't imply the other's death!" Curling her hand into her chest, she turned away from him and a sob escaped her throat. "How could you?"

"Korra, I—" He went to try to explain himself, the shock of the hit bringing him down from his anger, making him sensible again. However, she was not willing to listen to his apology, and shaking her head, she made her way for the door again. "Korra, stop! Listen to me! I'm—" Just as he was about apologize, she opened the door and left him there, slamming it shut in her wake. Mako could just feel his heart cracking as he listened to her crying and sniffling as she exited the apartment.

Blinking at the doorway, he shook his head to himself before turning to the wall, hitting his head against it lightly. "You asshole," he muttered to himself, wishing he could go back and redo the entire situation, handle it better, give her the support he knew she had been wanting. But he couldn't – he had spoken, and she was gone now.

~P~

The memory was painfully vivid in the Firebender's mind. He was remorseful of ever having treated her so badly. She had, of course, returned, but it had been weeks before she had forgiven him for his outburst, and even then, it hadn't prevented him from freaking out at her further after she decided to continue with it. These spats of theirs were always harsher and more hurtful than any others, and try as he might, Mako could rarely contain his true feelings towards them. He hated them and he hated her choice, but he loved her, and so this time, he was going to try to be thoughtful and tolerant, for her sake.

As if on cue, Mako heard the door's lock click, and he straightened, staring at the door for its inevitable opening. Korra appeared a few seconds later, and while she was not crying, her face had noticeable trails of dried tears on it. As she shut it, Mako stood up and walked over to her.

Turning, she jumped a bit, surprised by the Firebender's presence – she expected him to be long asleep by then! "Mako?" she blinked at him. "What're you doing up?"

"I..." He felt his face heat up as he spoke, avoiding eye contact with her, "wanted to wait for you... because I care about you, Korra." He pulled a hand through his hair then.

"Oh, Mako," she smiled softly despite her shaken emotions. "You didn't have to. You must be exhausted."

"I couldn't sleep without knowing you were safe... that you were here," he admitted, finally forcing himself to look at her. He saw the vulnerability in her eyes, and lifting his hand, brushed it past the skin of her cheek. "And... I know you can protect yourself, but I just need the reassurance of you being here with Bolin and me."

"I understand," she nodded once at him. Smiling at him, she was just about to walk past him when he captured her in his arms, pulling her flush against him. She was about to question his hugging her, but her feelings for him betrayed her, and she melted into the embrace.

"I... just wanted to tell you how much you mean to me, Korra," he whispered into her hair. Pulling back, his hands on her shoulders, he blushed again. "I-I mean, to both of us, Bolin and I... uh, yeah." He knew it was a pathetic cover, but he had to at least try.

"You mean a lot, too. I'll be honest," she chuckled bitterly, "if it wasn't for you two, I'd probably be dead right now."

Mako froze at that statement, before frowning. "Don't say that, Korra. Never say that." He placed his hand on her hip then, but she squeaked and pulled away suddenly, as though he had hurt her. Narrowing his eyes and quirking an eyebrow, he inquired about the reaction despite already suspecting its cause. "What's wrong?"

"I... uh," Korra sighed, knowing that lying was futile. "Tahno was a little more aggressive than usual, that's all. Just a bruise."

Mako glared at the spot he had touched, imagining the Waterbender running his fingers up and down Korra's sides. It made him sick to think he had hurt her, marked her. He breathed in and out deeply, containing his fluctuating anger at her admittance. Tahno had no right, and he wanted him to suffer for his mistreatment towards Korra, but he wasn't going to show it. He was going to be level-headed like he usually was, like she deserved from him.

"I don't support your decision, but I support you..." He was careful to avoid that area of her hip, instead resting his hand higher, on the small of her back. "And I want to thank you, for everything you've done for us. Every sacrifice you've made for the benefit of Bo and I."

Korra laughed softly then, and Mako relaxed as the noise travelled through his ears. "I should be thanking you," she admitted then, "you're the one who virtually took me in when we were younger. You trusted me solely on your little brother's acceptance of me and then after that, you provided for all of us. I'm indebted to you, Mako." She lifted her arms then and hugged him closely, secretly revelling in their closeness.

Closing his eyes, the Firebender allowed himself to just enjoy himself for a few moments, memorizing the feel of Korra's body against his own. Stroking her back with his gloved hand lightly, he murmured in her ear, "And I'm sorry. For everything cruel I've ever said to you, Korra. You're the last person who deserves my anger." Korra responded by turning her face into his nape, resting it against his neck and squeezing him affectionately. Mako smiled, knowing he was forgiven for his past offences against her.

When a short while passed, she yawned and pulled away from him, staring into his amber eyes with thankful, half-lidded blue ones. Both could feel the charge between them, and it didn't take either long to yield to it, for a few seconds later, their eyes were fluttering shut and they were leaning forward. Korra's heart was pounding in her chest so loudly she almost thought he could hear it, too, while Mako the only noise passing through Mako's ears was the blood rushing in them. However, before their lips could connect, there was a bang from the brothers' bedroom and then suddenly, Bolin appeared at the doorway.

"What's with all the talking, guys? You're making a racket!" he complained, rubbing his eyes and blinking blearily. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the scene in front of him, but by the time it did, his brother and Korra had jumped apart, blushing profusely.

"Sorry, bro," Mako apologized quickly, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I was just talking to Korra about a few things. But we're, uh, done now." He looked back over at her quickly, but before they could make eye contact, his eyes evaded hers.

Bolin peered in between the two, but was too foggy from sleep still to come to a clear conclusion. Shrugging his shoulders, he turned around and marched back into the bedroom, yawning and stretching his thick arms. "Okay, then," he muttered, before face planting into his bed, almost falling asleep immediately afterwards.

When Bolin's snoring began to fill the room, Korra yawned again, and Mako noticed. Smiling softly, he said, "You should probably get to bed. You must be exhausted." She turned to him and nodded, before moving to go the couch, her usual sleeping arrangements. "You know," he flushed furiously, "you could sleep in my bed, if you want." The sleepy Avatar raised an eyebrow at him. "I'll take the couch, okay?" he finished then, sitting beside her on the ratty, uncomfortable thing. She was about to open her mouth to protest, but he shook his head. "No, go on, Korra. Go get some sleep." She blinked at him, before giving him a small smile and standing up.

"Thank you, again, Mako," she placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently before retreating into the Firebender's shared room. She peered at him as she shut the squeaky door slowly, and mouthed out, "Goodnight."

"'Night," he waved at her, giving her the same warm smile she was directing at him. Finally, Korra shut the door and he was left all by his lonesome. Looking around the room, he stood up and found the light switch. Turning it off, he made his way back to the sofa in the dark of the room, before kicking off his boots and pulling off his scarf and gloves and setting them on the pathetically small coffee table in front of him. Leaning back into the couch, Mako was able to ignore the discomfort it caused him, and filled with thoughts of Korra, he easily and gratefully descended into a deep slumber.
Here is chapter two of "The Time to Sleep"! :D
I'm sorry this took so long to get posted - I kept on getting distracted and so it took way longer than expected. >.< But at least it's longer than usual, right? XD
I hope you all like it! :D There's an overload of fluffy and angsty Makorra in here, which I love. XD

Previous chapter: [link]
Next chapter: [link]
© 2012 - 2024 fooboo24
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ILOVESTUFF13's avatar
Ths is awesome!
Very good writing too.