She had a lot to think about, that much was true. Mako had expected a much more swift and well-deserved response, a slap to the face or maybe a really cold turn of the shoulder against him. The heiress to her father’s industry had surprised him with her chosen words; he never expected immediate forgiveness and would’ve been a fool among fools to have thought something like that was ever possible. Her response did show him however that she was willing to forgive him sometime, perhaps not soon, but sometime in the future. A final thanks for the apology she more than deserved, Mako caught himself staring at her back for a lingering several seconds before he could peel his gaze away. Turning around himself, he would make his way back to his part of the room and rest quietly until dinner had been completed.

In time, Korra had returned inside with Bolin, Tenzin, and Lin accompanying her. With the smile Mako wasn’t certain he’d ever see again surely taking everyone by surprise, dinner had become almost pleasant for everyone with the tension of Korra’s bending trouble no longer a considerable focus. She had revealed that in what she described as her ‘lowest point’, she had met with the previous Avatar and in turn the others even before him! He didn't know what to make of that, but was thankful that Korra would no longer be in a deep depression like everyone had feared. Bolin had especially expressed how happy he was to hear this news, and seeing his little brother smile and laugh like this made Mako questioned what he was thinking trying to come between that before. Women, right? 

There was the question of how Republic City would recover, but the majority of the adults in the room agreed to save that kind of thinking for another day. By the next morning they had all said their goodbyes and left the tribe, the route back to Republic City being one of peace, but with the subtle undertones of concern. Amon was beaten back, but if he ever came back would they be ready? It wasn’t exactly the best time for him to think that way, not with the already bad situation he put himself in with Asami herself. As they rode there, he would glance at her out of the corner of his eye while Bolin and Korra spent their time with the kids. If it wasn’t for the sounds of their laughing, he might’ve gone insane from the ride. The tension for him was so thick he probably could’ve cut into it like warm butter. All things considered, it could have ended up considerably worse during the trip, but for the most part everyone was collected and calm ..except for himself and his ex. 

Setting down at the docks, Mako was one of the first to dismount with eagerness. The trip made him stiff, and it would do good to move his body around. He found it strange how frightful he was to move around Asami, but supposed that that was the after effect of being dishonest about his feelings. Her gaze was both pleasant and painful at the very same time. As everyone moved to collect themselves, Mako moved to join beside Bolin and discuss their options for housing. It went without saying that given the invasion against the City, their own housing was obviously going to be in rough shape. This left a few options, but none he expected they’d be able to take. The irony was that the first option he expected not to be possible, Korra had jumped up to take. Offering Bolin housing, Mako was both grateful and surprised at the jumping. As he thought about it now, her no longer depressed state may have actually enabled her to make that call without concern. He had expected Korra to invite both of them, yet for some reason she seemed to hesitate, causing a very awkward pause in the discussion. 

In a turn of events he couldn’t have possibly predicted, Asami had chosen to act before Korra and offered her home to him. Mako was clearly the one to look at her in flattered shock, but Korra too appeared a little surprised at the offer while Tenzin appeared very content with how things had turned out. Now, all that was left was to say goodbye for now. Cheerful to be back as made obvious by his worshipping of the ground on their arrival, Bolin was already racing to the boat to take himself to Air Temple Island. [b]“Be good Bolin!”[/b] Mako called out to his little before. Just before he turned to join Asami at her Satomobile, Korra had met his gaze and he had naturally held his onto hers for a single moment. In that moment, he figured he understood as much as she did why this might’ve been for the best, and they both parted the gaze at the very same time. Joining Asami in the car, he buckled himself up and turned to express his thanks, yet the appearance on her face gave hint that perhaps his opinion on her selfless action wasn’t wanted. His modest smile faded in seconds, and his gaze moved to the buildings they had passed in silence. 

As they had returned, Mako waited until the moment she had placed it in park to try and say something to her. [b]“Hey, so—“[/b] she had already shut the door behind her, not that his voice was loud enough to catch her attention. Quick to step out himself, he hurriedly followed behind her, yet by the time he was in earshot of her again he was watching her do her complete best not to face him. Informing the butler that he would be staying here, the firebender felt his heart sink with the final four words muttered. At that point Mako had no voice left to speak out with, feeling hurt that such a thing could even leave Asami’s mouth. Instead he held a hand up to the butler, not needing him to relay the message Asami had clearly left him. All he did now was watch her, his eyes tracing her form as she moved further and further away from him. 

Left to his own devices, Mako made his way to the living room and took a seat on the couch both exhausted and with a mind racing like Satomobiles on Asami’s own personal track. It hadn’t occurred to him just how alone he felt without the others here; Bolin was always beside him but since he was staying with Korra he would have Asami thanks to her own kindness, but kindness that felt more like a mercy. She spared him the embarrassment of having to ask Tenzin personally if he’d have a little more space available, and in return kept him here with the coldest of shoulders to be met with. Karma wasn’t something he tended to think about, yet in a way this all seemed to make sense to him. What goes around, comes around, and this was a message Asami deserved to send him. With nothing to keep him company but his own thoughts, he had soon just shut his eyes and drifted off into sleep. After an unknown amount of time but supposing it to be at least a few hours since arriving, the smell of a meal roused him quickly enough. Peeling open his eyes with the numbness of his emotions and the emptiness of his stomach, Mako didn’t imagine food would improve his mood, but it’d at least stop the grumbling. Picking himself up, he made his way to the kitchen not to find a butler or a maid preparing dinner, but Asami herself.

She appeared entirely focused on the task at hand, but even so Mako found himself hiding most of his body behind the doorway frame and just watching her. At least like this he could watch her, and not have her look back at him in complete disgust. It wouldn’t be too bad an assumption to think that preparing her own meal might be a way of just staying active and getting her mind off of things. Her father was part of the Equalist movement and that was obviously a large hit on the company she’d inherit, and it meant she’d need to rework the image. Then there was him, the guy that broke her heart and tried to pretend his feelings for her weren’t wavering when it came to Korra. Thinking back to how they looked at each other that time, there was definitely something they needed to discuss, but Korra seemed to need more time. Now that he thought about it, she looked at him at dinner last night too. Something was definitely up.

When it had appeared that she was wrapping up her meal of what looked to be chicken and pasta, he knocked on the frame of the doorway. Perhaps she had noticed he was there at some point, or maybe she didn’t, but it was becoming more and more irrelevant. [b]“Hey, do you think we could talk while we eat? If there’s, you know, enough, and if you’d want the company.”[/b] Mako had stepped out from his idle position behind the doorway. He didn’t know what exactly he could say now, none of this was always planned and he was beginning to think that planning any of it to begin with was silly. Some things were more meaningful when you didn’t know what exactly to say, but he was becoming aware that if things stayed like this they couldn’t bear it. 

[b]“I know that if I keep giving you space and you keep trying to ignore me as much as you possibly can, we’ll both break down. This isn’t us, Asami, at least not what we were. I’d appreciate sitting with you, if you’ll let me.”[/b]

~-~

The ride back to home was an awakening and thrill Korra hadn’t experienced in some time. Aang and the rest of her past lives had saved her from making the biggest mistake of her life, and it was all she could do now to remain atop Naga and not scream and shout to the heavens. It might’ve been embarrassing but if you had a second chance to do everything over again, Korra was willing to bet anyone would’ve considered doing the same thing! Well, at least Bolin, who she was thankful for coming out to make sure she was alright. Truth be told if it were any other face other than her parents or Tenzin, the Avatar didn’t expect the thrill to be the exact same. It wasn’t all sugar and rainbows though; Aang and the rest did talk to her about the seriousness of her attitude towards the people she had called friends, and it had dawned on her that if she had seriously considered taking that dive off the cliff she would’ve left so much unanswered for. 

Naga had taken a sharp turn and skid her way inside the home, stopping just in front of Tenzin and Lin and accidentally getting a large amount of snow on both parties. Normally she might’ve been more apologetic about the incident, but she dismounted Naga with Bolin who introduced her. Returning to them now in such a drastically different attitude, Tenzin was the first to wonder what the abrupt change in personality was as he cleared the snow from Lin and himself with a burst of air, but Korra was quick to promise that she’d explain a little about everything over dinner. By the time it had come, she was nestled between her mother and father as she informed everyone about what had occurred, being very careful not to mention her suicidal contemplation. Amon’s removal of her bending was easily reversed thanks to Aang, but he encouraged her to relearn all that she had gained in terms of knowledge as she grew up. This meant that while he had the power to return every single bit of understanding she had in bending, that to take lessons once more to master her craft. Korra didn’t divulge the information, yet had a feeling he requested this based on the friends she had split apart. Her grasp of water was so natural she wouldn’t need a teacher, but earth, fire, and later on air once again would need to be taken. If this meant what she suspected, then she’d need to start with Bolin. There was at one point during the feasting of this fine cuisine that Katara was complimented on a few times from multiple parties where her gaze met Mako’s, but she didn’t let it longer for more than a second or two. The attraction was still there, but her new perspective on what she had caused told her that she wasn’t ready to face him yet.

After a peaceful rest, the young Avatar said goodbye to her parents and Katara, assuring both parties she would be fine and that there was no longer any reason to worry. The ride back to the city was a thrill, helping Bolin keep the kids entertained much to Tenzin’s thankfulness. Once they had set down, the issue of housing came to mind. Knowing that Mako and Bolin’s home was in bad shape, the idea of housing them had come to mind. [b]“Hey, we’ve got some room. You can join us, Bolin!”[/b] at the tail end of that offer Korra had only then just realized how awkward and rude that had come off. Taking in Bolin but not Mako seemed like it’d have a negative effect, but Bolin hadn’t actually refused and Korra was worried she was off to a bad start. They both looked to him, not certain of what to say. In a particularly surprising display, Asami had offered him a room to stay in, and the entire situation was swept up immediately. The optimal thing to do was to thank Asami for the offer, but nothing had come out, because at that moment Mako had given her a glance as if asking her what was that all about. There were once more no words for this, but a returning glance to him, only broken by Bolin quickly tagging her and rushing to the boat. Instinctively she smiled, still on a high about her new situation, but ran off after him without a wave of goodbye to the others. 

Crossing the bay with Tenzin, Bolin, and the others, she watched as Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo ran by to get back to their true home. Pema and Tenzin brought up the rear and took care of Rohan who was in Pema’s protective grasp. This only left Bolin and Korra, as well as Naga who emerged from the water and shook herself off, thankfully out of range of the two of them. [b]“Hey, about that thing with Mako. I just want you to know that I think we’re okay, but it’s not the best time for me and him to talk right now. And besides, I need you to help me out with some earth bending exercises!”[/b] She was careful not to make implications that would cause dramatics, and was hoping Bolin would pick up on that too. All she needed was a good friend beside her right now, and she’ll deal with the heavier stuff later. Before the two could make their way up to get Bolin’s new room fully prepared, Tenzin was already heading back down.

[b]“Tenzin, everything okay?”[/b]

Offering a quick explanation as to where he was going, Korra and Bolin assured him that they’d keep an eye on the kids and help Pema with Rohan whenever possible. Watching him go by after speaking of inviting Lin over for dinner, Korra was tempted to comment on how early it was still, but held her tongue. It seemed that Tenzin must’ve felt like he owed her significantly, but she wasn’t willing to dive into the details with her own relationship issues currently ongoing. [b]“I wonder if thing’s will be the same after all this.”[/b] She found herself muttering out loud.

Somehow, she thought she was forgetting something. Something important …

~-~

[b]“You helped more than enough already, Lin. I only wish I had made the decision that you—“[/b] Tenzin ceased his sincere discussion of sacrifice to hear Naga shuffling towards them with Korra and Bolin atop her. Even form a distance Korra’s smile was positively radiating from that distance. He was in such awe that he hadn’t actually reacted much to anything until Naga’s skidding halt blew a pile of snow against him and Lin. Quickly removing it with a short controlled gust of air, he immediately questioned the state of Korra’s mind. [b]“Korra, what happened? You’re different.”[/b] Promising to explain at dinner, he brought Lin back inside with Korra and Bolin leading the way. Explain she did, sitting beside her parents and telling them of what she had seen. His father, Aang, had reached out to her at a time like this to aid her. The ‘lowest point’ Korra had mentioned, must have been her gateway to reaching out spiritually to her former lives. 

Tenzin was naturally interested to hear more about his father, but knew that that paled in comparison to how different Korra had acted. After a more relaxed night with Korra’s condition somewhat corrected with a greater explanation, he’d need to reintroduce her to air bending eventually, but until that time she would need to educate herself on earth and fire like she told them all she intended to. A ride to Republic City later, and Tenzin dismounted just as Bolin did a comical leap in the air, much to the delight of the kids. Helping Pema down and tickling Rohan gently, he encouraged the kids to make way to the boat as Korra, Bolin, and Mako had a particularly strange stare-down. He had only managed to catch the tail end of what was happening; Korra had offered a place for Bolin on the island, but Mako was excluded from that for some reason. He didn’t ask why, figuring it was between the young men and women themselves. Asami had offered Mako housing, leaving Korra looking somewhat relieved and Bolin clearly thankful. [b]“That was very kind of you Asami, thank you.”[/b] 

Lin had come to his side, informing him that she would be the one to make certain that whatever order was left within the City would be maintained. There was also the matter of buildings in rubble and people needing assistance. It was a lot to concern herself with alone, and Tenzin praised her strength like never before. Were he to lose his bending, he wasn’t sure he could brush off his father’s legacy like this. Still, if it was between his bending and his families safety, he’ll lose his bending a thousand times over in exchange. [b]“I understand Lin, don’t overwork yourself.”[/b] Her outgoing desire to make sure all was settled made him feel some form of guilt for not doing the exact same. The difference between them both was that she had a sense of duty, and his sense of duty couldn’t always beat his concerns for his family. [b]“I’ll be with you as soon as I can.”[/b] With one final assurance, he watched her begin to walk off before rejoining his family on the boat. 

Stepping back on the island, he watched his kids hurriedly ascend the steps while he remained by Pema’s side with Rohan. With Korra and Bolin here, they’d certainly prove to be a big help for Pema and himself with the next few days already proving to be long. The city needed rebuilding, and the council needed to be formed together once again. Civilian unrest was likely to be large, but that wasn’t a worry for his wife nor his children. As he made his way to the top of the stairs, he held onto Pema and gave her a quick kiss on her forehead. [b]“I need to go out, Lin will likely need help and with Korra and Bolin both here you’ll be better taken care of and safe.”[/b] Pema had told him that he had just returned and could afford to sit down for at least a little while, but Tenzin shook his head in disagreement. He had to do his part, and could rest when he returned. [b]“You wouldn’t mind if I brought Lin back for dinner, would you? It’s difficult to explain—“[/b]

He cared about her. Pema said the words clear as day, and he couldn’t possibly refute that. Lin’s bravery reignited a spark he hadn’t felt in quite some time. There was always a measure of respect between them, but inspiration to be more active in this rebuilding process couldn’t help but occur. [b]“I do care for her, yes. I know I probably don’t need to justify it, we’re quite beyond that. I can’t help but somehow feel that it should’ve been me in place of her.”[/b] Pema had a few choice words about that, but Tenzin was quick to silence her with a kiss to her lips this time. Assuring her he’ll be back by the time dinner is prepared, he descended the steps and passed by Korra and Bolin, the former curious as to where he was off to. 

[b]“I’m off to help Lin oversee things in the city, and to bring her back for dinner. If you two could, please help Pema with the kids when possible. I’ll be back soon.”[/b] And that was that. He bid them both farewell and took another trip to the mainland. There were quite a few sites he could check for Lin, and it would’ve been a few tries before he was finally able to catch up with her at last. [b]“Lin!”[/b] he called to catch her attention, joining beside her on the operation she was overlooking. Getting here showed him just how damaged the city was, and it would take quite a lot of work to bring it back to its former glory. 

[b]“From the way things look, you could use a little help sooner than expected. Any news of the council? Are they all right?”[/b] The former police chief likely must’ve heard something in the short time she had been away, he’d wager it was only about half an hour across the city to successfully find her. He had seen much on his way there, much pain and despair, and some displeased looks were cast at him. Tenzin understood their feelings well enough, but no apology could change this. 

Only Action.