Fidelity

By Luna Maria Boulevardes

Prompt: Mako watches Korra marry someone else, even though they love each other. Prompt came from my ask box on tumblr ( .com)

Summary: AU. In which a deal is struck – Amon will leave the benders alone if Korra will marry him.

Her wedding dress, of course, is red. Ostensibly, this is because red is the color of love. The media says that it's romantic and the fashion magazines fill up with pages of new dresses in pink, scarlet and crimson. It disgusts Mako. He thinks her wedding dress is red because he wants to remind her who's in charge around here. The red is meant to degrade her; Korra would wear blue if she had her choice. When he sees her dress he thinks pain and has chilling thoughts about red being a good color to hide bloodstains.

Asami and Bolin do their best to look after him. They all receive invitations in a gesture of dubious thoughtfulness. Mako thinks it's about hurting them even more. Asami says the why doesn't matter. If he wants to be there for Korra, he should go. If you are hungry and someone offers you food with a sneer, take it anyway; don't let your pride be your undoing.

So the day of the wedding, they load themselves into Asami's Satomobile and head out in their fancy clothes. Asami and Bolin chat about nothing in particular while Mako tries to remember to breathe. His chest has been seizing all day, and doesn't realize he's holding his breath sometimes until the dizziness starts to set in. He separates himself from them as soon as they arrive, moving quickly so the crowd swallows him whole.

Mako keeps his head down inside the hotel, using all his old spying skills to sneak past the guards and servants. Honestly, it's not too hard given all the chaos. Everyone is terrified of doing something wrong (though who could blame them given who their boss is?). He breaks into Korra's room when a maid comes out, catching the door before it can close behind her. Granted, he doesn't know if the door is locked, but why wait to find out?

Korra has her back to him, so she doesn't notice his entrance. She is sitting in a chair with her head down, hands folded in her lap. It occurs to him that this is one of the only times he's ever seen her so still. The Korra he knows is all life, all energy and enthusiasm and dancing blue eyes. This girl before him is none of those things; she is silence and mourning and submissive.

"Korra," he whispers, causing her to look up. She looks beautiful and it pains him to admit that. Her dress has a long full skirt tiered with lace, and there is a full bustle in the back. The waist is cinched in tight (she looks like she's lost weight), a black velvet ribbon emphasizing the sharp curve. The scarlet bodice is cut with a sweetheart neckline so her smooth brown shoulders are revealed. The sleeves cover her upper arms, flowing in soft ruffles banded with gold.

Her hair glows with oil; it's longer than it was the last time he saw her (in person, at least). Someone has coaxed the ends into big, soft curls. He sees her veil on a desk, a thing with a simple gold-banded headpiece and lacy black veil. It looks more suited to a funeral than a wedding, and that somehow strikes Mako as incredibly appropriate.

"Mako," Korra whispers, her voice trembling as though expecting him to disappear. His throat tightens.

"You're beautiful," he chokes, unwilling tears starting to gather behind his eyes. She swallows, laughs nervously.

"I was just about to put my veil on," she says, hands reaching for the desk. He notices her nails are painted gold.

"I'll help you." Before she can protest he's moved across the room, picking the veil up and sliding it into her hair. Her breath catches, and her screw shut like she's trying not to cry. Black lace tumbles down between them and he can't see her face anymore. "You don't have to do this, you know," he murmurs. She shakes her head.

"I'm the Avatar. It's my job," she replies. "Amon said he would leave the benders alone if I married him – " She makes a wet gasping sound like the words are poison and they're sending her into anaphylactic shock. "He – he said he would let the benders go if I married him. So I have to do this, you see. I'm the Avatar. I'm the savior. The protector of the world."

He still can't see her face, but he can hear her crying. Mako pulls the veil back from her face and they stare at each other's tear-stained stained expressions.

"I hate your dress," he whispers. "I can't tell you how angry I am that he made you wear this. Red. I'm so sorry, Korra." Spirits, is he ever. He's sorry he couldn't save her. He's sorry this is happening. He's sorry she's trapped and he's really sorry she'll lie down tonight and endure something just-this-side of rape. He wishes he could offer himself up as the necessary sacrifice, that he could throw himself before her and keep her safe like he used to in their pro-bending days. She reaches out, touching his scarf (they silently acknowledge that she is the only one he would allow to do this).

"Mako, I chose to wear red," she murmurs, eyes still trained on the scarf so she won't have to look at him. "I – I chose it for you. Red always makes me think of you. I remember you giving me your scarf when we went to the rally. It made me feel – safe," she says. Pain and joy flood him in equal parts and he isn't sure which to favor.

"Korra." He is grabbing her face, kissing her hard as they both cry and ruin her makeup. Her hands are gripping his shirt, wrinkling the expensive fabric Asami picked out. He recognizes her perfume, and he knows that tomorrow he will go out and buy a bottle so he can pretend she is closer than she is.

"Mako, I love you," she gasps, breaking the kiss. They are still very close, close enough that he can feel the heat of her breath brushing his lips and their foreheads are touching.

"I'll wait for you," he says. She starts to protest but he forges ahead. "I mean it. I'll wait for you. I love you, Korra, and I'll never stop loving you." He kisses her again, this one softer and sweeter. He then takes his scarf off, pressing it into her hands. "Do what you need to do," he tells her. "I'll be waiting there for you the day you come back to me."