"Come on, Bo! Take it off!" his brother snickered gleefully. The earthbender groaned and slid his shirt over his head.

"This sooo isn't fair!" Bolin grumbled, "I only have two things left. Korra, you might as well be fully clothed. I swear you're cheating." He glared at her pointedly. Korra looked at him innocently and shrugged. Mako was rolling on the floor laughing, still wearing his shirt, scarf, pants, and boxers, thankfully, underneath.

"Oh, I wouldn't start laughing yet," Korra warned him. "You're next, City Boy." Mako looked up from the floor.

"That a challenge, Avatar?" he asked her as he sat back up. She raised an eyebrow and smirked at him. "Accepted. Deal the cards!" She laughed and began shuffling the cards.

Korra had gone over to the pro-bending arena around five o' clock to just hang out with the guys for a little while. When she'd climbed the stairs to the guys attic room, she found them doing laundry. She had leaned against the wall and giggled. They'd looked up from folding there socks and underwear and blushed slightly.

"What do you want, Korra?" Mako asked, slightly irritated at their uninvited guest. She chuckled and walked in.

"I was just wondering if you guys wanted to do something this afternoon." She said casually. Bolin grinned at this and dropped his socks.

"Heck yeah!" the earthbender told her. He walked over and draped an arm over the
Avatar's shoulders. "What'd ya have in mind?" he asked. Korra cracked a grin and Mako dropped his laundry basket.

"Nope," he announced, "whatever it is, I don't want any part of it." He bent down and picked his clothes up again. "I know that look, and I don't even want to know what you're planning. He walked up the stairs and began putting his clothes up. Korra and Bolin's faces fell at the news.

"Aw! Come on, Mako. You don't even know what it is!" Bolin shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yea!" Korra yelled. "You wouldn't even have to leave the apartment." Mako appeared back at the top of the steps. He cocked an eyebrow as he began to climb back down.

"How can we do anything even remotely entertaining without leaving the attic?" he asked, his curiosity spiking slightly. The waterbender smirked mischievously and brought out a deck of cards from behind her back.

"You boys ever heard of strip poker?" She laughed as she watched the two bending brothers' jaws drop.

So there they were, Bolin in only his pants and underwear underneath, Korra wearing practically everything save for her arms bands and a boot, and Mako, who was taking his shirt off.

"You are so cheating," the firebender muttered under his breath. Korra giggled and leaned back, placing her feet on the low table.

"You guys really suck at this," she commented as Mako threw his shirt with the rest of his discarded clothes.

"Only cause' you're cheatin'," Bolin told her. She simply rolled her eyes and rested her arms behind her head.

"You guys are just jealous that I'm better than you are," She said to the brothers.

"Pft, whatever," Mako waved her comment off. "Bo, your deal."

They continued playing for the next few hours and it ended up with Bolin losing his trousers, Mako losing his scarf, and Korra her other boot and fur wrap.

"Ok, that's it," Bolin announced well after the sun had gone down. "I'm going to bed before I lose anything else." He stood up from the table and gathered his cloths in his arms.

"Aw, Bo!" Korra pleaded, "stay!" Bolin laughed and turned around.

"No, thank you!" he told her. He bent down and whispered in her ear. "However, you two have all the fun you want." He stood up quickly and jogged to his room before the Avatar could bend him into the next century.

"Bolin!" she screamed at him, making his brother jump. The earthbender laughed as he jumped the stairs two at a time.

"What? What'd he say?" Mako asked her, wanting to know what his brother could've said to create such a response. Korra slumped back and crossed her legs.

"Nothing," she grumbled, "deal." Mako sighed, knowing he wasn't going to get an answer anytime soon and began dealing out the cards. Korra looked almost longingly at the firebender. She had a slight hunch that he might like her, but she knew she was head over heels for him. She just wished that he would give her some sort of sign, and as much as what Bolin implied embarrassed her somewhat, she almost wished something would happen. She argued mentally with herself for a few minutes, all the while keeping her face cool and collected as she studied her cards.

"Raise you ten," Mako said, placing ten yuans in the middle. Korra held back a smirk as she decided on a plan. She looked at her cards and grinned. She could have been more pleased with crappy hand she had been dealt. She nodded and threw ten in as well. Mako laid his cards down. Korra grinned behind her cards, then became serious and tossed her cards down, pretending to be upset.

"You got," she commented snidely. Mako shrugged, not caring if it was luck or she was just losing her touch.

"Doesn't matter. Your shirt!" He pointed at the sky blue top, signaling that was the article of clothing to lose next. Korra stuck her tongue out at him and began to pull her shirt above her head, revealing her tanned and toned stomach. Mako tried not to stare… but it was just so hard not to. The waterbender took her sweet time pulling it off and tossing it over her shoulder. She was wearing her usual cloth binding underneath, keeping her well covered. She looked at Mako and he quickly turned away, blushing like mad.

"What?" she asked him, trying to keep from grinning. He turned back and tried to keep his facial expressions under control.

"Nothing," he mumbled and gathered the cards back up.

"Mhm," Korra mused, scooting closer to the teenager. She saw him fidget with the cards and saw his sharp cheeks flush pink. "You are a terrible liar," she informed him. He blushed a bit more and cleared his throat.

"Just play the game," he muttered as he shoved the cards into her hands. She put the cards down and rested one of her hands atop his. His face was roughly the color of the fire nation emblem at this point.

"Mako," Korra whispered. He turned towards her and looked her in the eye. He noticed her blush softly and he wanted to kiss her so badly he felt he would spontaneously combust if he didn't. Korra wished he would do something, when out of nowhere; hot and hurried lips were crushing hers. She responded eagerly, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist and lifted them off the floor. Korra sighed against his mouth as she pressed herself to his bare chest. He led them over to the sofa and they muffled their yelps against each other's mouths as they toppled unceremoniously onto the cushions.

"Mmm… Korra," Mako gasped softly for air as she landed on top of him.

"Mmm?" she purred as she nuzzled his collar bone. She gently kissed around his throat and jaw, nipping slightly every now and then, sending shivers down the firebender's spine.

"Korra," he mumbled, stroking up and down her back with his nails. She slowly ceased her kissing and looked into his bright, ochre eyes. She smiled as he placed a gentle hand against her cheek.

"Just promise me…" he paused, wanting to word it right, "not too far, alright?" He closed his eyes. The firebender figured Korra would be one to just 'do it' with anyone she was dating before they were married, but it had been a tradition in his family to wait and he wanted to uphold it. He waited, knowing the waterbender would reject him for not wanting to go that far. He didn't see her gentle smile as she leaned forward and kissed him softly. His eyes shot open at the unexpected contact, but slowly reclosed. Korra pulled back and grinned shyly.

"I promise," she murmured as she laid her head against his chest. "I don't mind waiting." She closed her eyes and listened to the rapid beating of his heart. The firebender wrapped his arms around her and grinned to himself.

"Thank you, Korra," he hummed, sighing satisfactorily and closing his eyes, falling asleep with the woman of his dreams in his arms.