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( she pulls back, water tossed in the basin all the same, affording mako the space before him to pull his shirt back on. the question makes her blue eyes widen up, somewhat comically, both in surprise and - well. elation? )

You would teach me?

( a warm smile cuts her face like a heated knife on butter. she tucks some hair behind her ear shyly ducking her head. sifu mako. )

I've always wanted to learn. Back in the South Pole, the bending Masters never would've taught me it and — I. Didn't exactly have the patience back then, either.

( a soft laugh. )

What brought that on?

( she smiles like the sun, it warms every inch of him. enough that his own smile is a pale moonlit shadow in response, and then he looks down at his hands. )

Well... I mean, if you wanted to learn. We might not even have time, depending on how long our bending holds up.

( he sniffs his shirt, and then shrugs and climbs back into it. a normal person would probably try to find a clean one, but, you know, he's still wearing that same dumb tanktop with the neatly patched collar that he had when they first met, so. he's probably not that guy. it's not like it's dirty, and there isn't exactly a place here to buy new clothing anyway. )

I guess I was just... thinking about it, with Zuko. I know he's curious, lightning is a lot more common among firebenders in our time than it was in his.

( god you're a gross boy.

to be fair, korra is also a gross boy, so she's hardly giving it thought. she tosses the old water out ( probably the window ) and is swift to fall back to mako's side. naga hops in place, from foot to foot, ready for more play!! korra satiates her thusly - springing blocks of earth up from the dirt floor for naga to chase, all across the room.

she can tell mako is looking for some guidance. the blocks keep popping up and naga keeps running happily, stealing korra's gaze away so her soft look is hidden in an equation of angles. )

You two are getting close, huh? Well. You're a topnotch firebender! The best Republic City has to offer. The best the whole Fire Nation has to offer, while I'm at it. ( she bumps his shoulder. ) If anyone can teach him it, I can't think of a better Master.

( she's not looking at his arm, but. you know. it's pretty obvious. )

It's weird, you know? I've met him, but it's... it's different, seeing him like this. He's the same age Bolin was when we all fought Amon. He's just a kid.

( he leans against her. guidance, yeah, but a little bit of support — figuratively and literally — at the same time. he's trying to rely on her, she's trying to rely on him. it's what best friends do, even if he has no idea what best friends actually looks like. he never had one before korra, and his feelings for her are still muddied water, love looking like lust looking like friendship in a never-ending cycle.

the only constant thing is that he knows he loves her more than just about anything, that he'd die for her without question, that he'll never stop trying to be a better man for her sake.

but it's... nice to hear her faith in him. he turns his face to her shoulder, cheek slouched on whipcord muscle. she was never soft, but her time spent wandering the world, abstaining mostly from her bending shaped her into something hard. not just physically, but. she sees the world differently now than she used to.

in fact, she... sort of sees it the way he does. that's a thought that guts him. she's kinder than he is, though. she always has been. )

You'd probably pick it up pretty easily.

( in a way, he'd rather teach her first, feel himself out as an instructor. zolt tended towards cruelty, and korra wouldn't take that from him. zuko just might. )

( instinctive, or maybe just habitually, a hand sneaks silently up his back to cup the back of his head, fingers through his coal locks. korra understands his sentiment as one she felt when meeting up with katara for the first time - awe at an age, a responsibility over their younger ... but older ... mentors. it's a lot to unpack. korra generally opts not to think about it for the benefit of not getting a headache, but. if mako wants someone to bounce off of, she a willing participant. her fingers cradle his skull in a way she knows he likes, cheek squashing temporarily on his forehead.

naga, without the constant motion of the room, finally has a breath of space to realize how tired she is. ordinarily, she'd curl up in korra's lap, but the day has won mako's favor after all the time they've spent together - she circles around her tail, getting comfortable, before she lays her big body on the floor, large head snuggled in mako's lap. )

You really think so?

( she knows mako probably wouldn't say it just to say it, but it's still nice to hear. )

Yeah! You'll be a great teacher! ( a little flirty ( she can't stop ), ) Sifu Mako.

( he's not... still sore at her, really, because he couldn't bring himself to hate her even if she beat him bloody, but he's... wary, maybe. about where they are and what they're standing on. thin ice beneath their feet, crackling with the weight of their emotions and their commitment to one-another and asami in absentia. still, he doesn't pull away. she threads her fingers in his hair and he lets himself relax into her touch, feeling warm and sunkissed and bone-tired in a way he hasn't been in a long time. his exhaustion is almost entirely physical, instead of... physical and mental and emotional all at once. it's nice. )

Yeah, I'm not answering to that.

( it's a lazy protest, almost a purr. naga nests in his lap and he lifts a hand to sit atop her massive skull, scritching idly at her ears. )

How's your lightbending coming along?

It's ... uh, coming.

( she lets out a huffy sigh, frowning to herself. naga lets out an inquisitive muuuuurl and korra boops her wet nose, playfully. )

It's really difficult, if I'm being honest. Light isn't the same as all the other elements. It needs a lot more focus, and I.

( have been pretty distracted lately, between thinking of asami, and fixing things with mako. getting the rest of her bending back has really just enabled her to forget about lightbending, as soon as she was able. she hangs her head, just loosely cupping the back of mako's neck. )

Anyway, the struggle is just with making my own light, or taking it from the sun. If I have a light source, it's not too bad. I'll show you sometime.

You're overthinking it.

( it's an observation rather than admonition, but. he stays where he is, letting her hold him. letting himself enjoy it. he's half asleep, muffling a yawn against her shoulder, threading his fingers in naga's soft ruff. )

You're the best bender I know, Korra. But you always do better when you let your instincts guide you. The more you think about it, the harder it'll be.

( it's a soft something. mako is never reluctant to offer compliments and reassurances when korra needs them, but it's only when she needs them that she bristles under their weight. he has this strong belief in her that she isn't sure she's ever earned, but his faith is also a driving force. to constantly be better, do more.

also, the idea of a sleepy mako makes her incredibly fond. she bullies him a bit, laying them both down, nudging mako's head to rest on the flat of her shoulder. naga noses her way under both their legs, letting them rest on her back. )

We can hit the training grounds after a nap, okay?

( more likely: they'll just sleep through until tomorrow. )

( what the hell is a 'nap'. he doesn't do those. unless you just mean 'a short duration of sleep that somehow supplements an 18 hour shift at the rcpd'. in which case... i guess.

this is different, though. there's not much here right now he needs to be on alert for. and he ran himself pretty damn ragged with the sickness from struxta, looking after bolin. his body is still on the rebound. no matter where he stands with korra, he'll never doubt that they're safest together. she's really the only person he's ever been able to relax around. completely relax around. it's different with bolin, there's a part of mako's mind that always has to be on for him.

but being with korra is effortless.

he slings an arm across her midsection without too much protest or prompting. maybe this place is getting to him, but. sure. he can spare an hour or two. )

You better wake me up.

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