A/N: This one-shot was based off of the lovely picture "Brothers" by Dakotaa on deviantArt. .com/art/Brothers-297673113 I couldn't resist writing a little fanfic for this drawing when I saw it. :3 Makes me full of brotherly feels.

Legend of Korra is (c) Nick/Mike/Bryan

Mako was sitting on the couch in their apartment. His head was back, his eyes closed, and his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. He couldn't sleep. It wasn't that he wasn't tired- he was exhausted- it was that his mind wouldn't let him rest. His mind kept flashing back to that moment when he thought for sure that his brother was a goner. The fear that had poured through his system was intense and strong. The look on Bolin's face had made that fear so much worse. He was surprised the people next to him hadn't noticed.

Bolin was everything. If anything happened to him Mako wouldn't be able to live with himself.

He could hear Bolin rolling around on his bed up in the loft. Bolin was a light sleeper as it was. He couldn't imagine how this was affecting him. He heard a groan and then a thud. It was most likely Bolin hitting his head against his pillow in frustration.

Mako sighed and dropped his hand into his lap. He opened his eyes and saw that the apartment was transforming. The walls were growing and changing colors. He jumped up from the couch and looked behind him. It wasn't a view of Air Temple Island as he'd been expecting. It was the crowd of nonbenders. His head snapped back forward and he was staring at the stage. Amon was slowly advancing towards Bolin. "Listen, Amon, sir. This is all just a big misunderstanding. Really, it is." Bolin was rambling. He started walking backwards as Amon inched closer.

Where was Korra?

"Won't you fight?" Amon taunted. "Won't your last act as a bender be a courageous one?"

Mako could see Bolin's knees knocking together. "Look, all I was doing was trying to get some extra money. I'm a street kid. My parents were killed by a firebender too." Bolin tripped over his own two feet and was on his butt staring up at Amon.

"BOLIN!" Mako yelled.

Bolin's head snapped over to look at him. His mouth opened to yell for Mako, but Amon's hand connected with his forehead. His gaze was locked with Mako's. Mako watched as the life was drained out of Bolin's body. It wasn't like the other one's where their bending was simply taken. Amon was killing Bolin slowly. Mako couldn't tear his eyes away from Bolin's. Couldn't bring his feet to move. He was frozen.

Mako suddenly found his footing and started pushing towards the front of the crowd. It seemed like forever before he was pulling himself up onto the stage. Amon's hand pulled away from Bolin and Bolin collapsed onto the ground. Mako leapt over to him and stared at his face. His eyes were glazed over and lifeless. "Come on, bro. Don't do this." Mako whimpered quietly. His heart was thudding in his throat and his eyes were welling up with tears. "Bolin!" Mako picked up Bolin's torso and pressed Bolin's head into his chest as the tears started rolling down his face. He could feel the cry that echoed through the building start in his gut and rattle its way through his chest and up his throat. It was a horrible sound that Mako had never heard him or another person make before. It could only be described as a wail. A wail of agony.

His brother was gone.

The only family he had left.

Something made him look up, however. Made him look away from his brother's corpse. He looked back over his shoulder and saw that horrible white and blood red mask staring at him, gold eyes glowing from beneath. His hand was almost on Mako's forehead. The scream he heard next wasn't his though, it was Bolin's.

Mako jerked awake gasping and soaked in sweat. The scream hadn't been in his dream though. He could hear the remnants of it ringing through the apartment. He bolted to his feet and climbed the stairs to the loft as fast as he could. "Bolin?" he called.

The two brothers nearly collided at the top of the stairs. "What's wrong, Bolin?" Mako asked.

Tears were streaming down Bolin's face. He flung himself at Mako and wrapped his arms around him. Mako didn't hesitate to hug his brother just as tightly. Bolin started crying even harder. Mako closed his eyes as his own tears threatened to spill over. He kept his brother close to him. His dream had been so terrifyingly real. He needed to hug Bolin.

"I'm so sorry, Mako." Bolin said in between sobs. "I was, I was just trying to get us some money. I wanted to help you out because you, you always work so hard and all I do is sit around and burn money on food. I just wanted to help."

A lump rose in Mako's throat. Mako couldn't speak for fear that his voice would betray him.

"The Equalists ambushed us, Mako. We didn't even have time to react. They, they tied us up and… Oh, Mako. I was so scared…" His sobs were slowing down now, making it easier for him to speak.

Mako still couldn't find his voice. He squeezed his brother tight. "I was scared too." He managed. His voice was thick and two octaves higher than normal. Bolin tried to pull away, most likely to take a peek at Mako's face to see if he really was crying or not, but Mako just hugged him tighter. Mako cleared his throat to try and get it to sound normal. The attempt was unsuccessful. "I was so worried about you the entire time you were gone. It scared me to death to think of what those Equalists could have been doing to you. You're the only family I have left, Bolin. If anything happened to you…" Mako's voice trailed off. Despite how hard he was trying not to, he began to cry.

This time Bolin hugged Mako tighter. "I love you, Mako."

"Love you too, bro."

The brothers stood at the top of the steps for a while just holding each other until both of them were cried out. Bolin pulled away first and rubbed at his eyes. Mako put his fist to his mouth and cleared his throat. "How about we try and get some sleep?" Mako suggested. He realized that after working his shift at the power plant he'd only slept for an hour or two the next morning. That had been in the park with Korra. The whole crying thing had only added to his fatigue level. He hated crying.

Bolin shook his head vigorously. "No sleeping for me."

"You had a nightmare before, right?" Mako asked.

Bolin gave a small nod.

Mako crossed his arms over his chest as he studied the floor and said quietly, "I did too." He paused a moment and looked back up at Bolin who was staring at him in shock. It was like he couldn't imagine that Mako had had a nightmare about him. "Come on." He grabbed Bolin's hand and then led him down the stairs.

Mako sat down on the couch where he'd been before and pulled Bolin down beside him. "What are we doing, Mako?" Bolin asked.

"Sitting." Mako replied.

A couple moments of silence passed before Bolin said, "Mako, if… if Amon would take my bending away... Nevermind."

Mako knew where Bolin's thoughts were. "Bolin, it doesn't matter whether you're a bender or a nonbender. You'll always be my little brother."

"Thanks, Mako." Bolin relaxed back into the couch.

"No problem." Mako replied as he leaned back. It was only a few minutes later that Mako heard Bolin's small whistle of a snore. He smiled and then drifted off himself.