"Mako! Bro! Where are you?" Mako opened his eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the morning light. "Brooo!" He heard his brother calling him from somewhere.

"Mmm," he groaned as he reached his arms above his head and stretched. He felt something move beside him and looked down. Korra? The avatar was turning over in her sleep and she reached out and wrapped her arms around Mako's middle. He blushed slightly and pulled his arms back down around the girl. "Korra," he whispered into her hair, listening to his brother stomp off outside. Korra rubbed her face against his bare chest and mumbled.

"Five more minutes, daddy." The firebender laughed and stroked her cheek tenderly. "Please," she said, squeezing her eyes closed.

"I'm not daddy," he chuckled and kissed her nose. Her eyes shot open and looked at him.

"Oh jeez! Mako!" she cried and jumped back in the sleeping bag. He laughed and stretched again.

"Morning sunshine," he told her, wrapping his arms around her bare waist. "How are you this fine morning?" Korra giggled and scooted closer and curled against his chest.

"Chilled," she murmured against his chest. He smiled and stroked her hair gently. "Were you warm enough last night?" she asked, her lips brushing against his torso. He shivered slightly and smirked at her.'

"Yea. How about you?" he asked, running his nails lightly over her back. She trembled and began kissing softly and his chest.

"It… was just… perfect," she whispered in between kisses. The firebender grinned and closed his eyes, relaxing entirely into Korra. She worked her way up his chest to his shoulders and throat. As she made her way across his jaw, she wrapped her arms around his neck and excruciatingly slowly kissed his lips. Mako moaned as she methodically moved her lips against his.

"Korra," he gasped as he pulled back for air. She didn't reply, just crushed their mouths together, frantic for his touch. Suddenly desperate for him to know how she felt. "Kor-mmh!" she cut him off, weaving her fingers through his hair. His eyes widened at her roughness. Something was up. He gently cupped both sides of her face and separated them. She tried to jump for him again, but he held her back. "Korra," he whispered, trying to get her to look him in the eyes, "what's wrong?" She looked down and twirled his fingers through his dark hair.

"I… I…" she stumbled through her words. She wanted to tell him so badly, but she was never good at expressing herself. That was unless she was angry or thoroughly upset. When it came stuff like this though… she always seemed to choke up.

"What?" he asked, tipping her chin up so he could look into her eyes.

"I… I uh..." she felt like her whole throat was constricting. She took a quick shaky breath and blurted out.

"I love you!" She looked down and blushed crimson. Mako's eyes widened slightly and then softened. He placed a hand behind her head and tilted it up so he could look at her.

"I love you, too" he told her and captured her lips with his own. She sighed against him and kissed him back, glad to have finally told him how she felt.

They eventually broke apart, both having to come up for air, and Korra nestled her head underneath Mako's chin while he traced swirling patterns along her back.

"You know, Bolin's eventually going to come back and come in your tent to see if you've seen me." The firebender reluctantly informed her. Korra grumbled something about stupid, earthbending brothers and nodded.

"Yea," she agreed. She stretched and began crawling out of the sleeping bag before curling into herself as the wind slapped cruelly at her bare skin. "Nope, never mind. I'm good right. Bolin can find us for all I care." she stated firmly, shivering because of the wind blowing through her tent. Mako laughed and unzipped the sleeping bag. He slipped out quickly and zipped it back quickly. "Na uh! Come back here!" Korra cried, reaching out a shaking arm to grab his ankle.

"Hold on just a minute," he said as he pulled his pants on.

"Come on! I'm f-freezing in here; the heat follows you!" the waterbender said. Mako rolled her eyes as she burrowed into the sleeping bag, seeking whatever warmth she could find. He laughed and grabbed her thick pants and walked over to her.

"You in there?" he inquired, poking at her side through the sleeping bag. She squeaked and squirmed around before poking her head out.
"Yes I'm in here!" she yelled indignantly. Mako held up her blue pants and she snatched them, vanishing again. He her relieved sigh as she pulled the fur lined bottoms up to her waist. She popped up again and held out her hands. "Shirt please." The firebender shook his head and walked over to her top, which was lying near the entrance of her tent.

"Come and get it," he said, holding the shirt tauntingly in front of him.

"Mako!" she whimpered, her voice dropping in despair, "Come on!" He simply shook his head and crossed his arms. She sighed and sat up slowly, squatting on her hands and feet to keep as much of body covered as possible, before lunging out of the bag, the freezing air surrounding her instantly. She was half way to him when she tripped over her parka. She yelled as she fell, but a strong pair of arms caught her before she hit the stone floor. She hugged herself closer, becoming enveloped in his warmth. "Mmm, thank you," she sighed. He smiled and offered her the shirt. She simply shook her head. "No thank you. I'm happy right here."

"We have to find Bolin," he reminded. Her face darkened and she grudgingly slipped her on. "You just love to ruin my moments, don't you?" she told him as she walked back to her parka.

"Just stating the facts." Mako said somewhat blandly as he went to retrieve his own clothes. He didn't want to ruin her moment, but he really didn't want Bolin to find him. She huffed as she yanked the heavy fur over her head. As she turned around, she saw Mako wrapping his scarf around his neck.

"Hmm?" Korra hummed as she sauntered over to him.

"What?" the teenager asked. She raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

"Oh nothing," she commented as she came face to face with him. She placed a hand against his chest and walked her fingers up. "I just think," she murmured, fingering the somewhat frayed edge of the red fabric, "that it looks better," she unwrapped it once from his neck, "like this," she looped it across her own neck.

"Oh really?" He smirked and wrapped a quick arm around her back and tugged her against him, his brother completely forgotten. "I think it looks pretty good like this too." He wrapped it around her throat, forcing him to lean closer.

"Oh, yes. This is much better." She grinned as she leaned up and kissed him. He kissed her back gently, wrapping his arms around her waist. She sighed as she put one hand on his chest and worked the other up the back of his neck to tangle in his hair.

"Korra!" The two jumped apart, breathless, lips slightly red, at the sound of Korra's name.

"We'd best go find him." Korra mumbled, unwrapping the scarf and pulling away. Mako cupped her face and leaned in.

"Probably," he whispered and kissed her nose. She smiled and pulled away.

"Stay here until I come get you," she told him, and opened her tent flap and stepped out. "Hey! Bolin!" Mako heard her call from outside the tent.

"Hey Korra!" his brother replied, "have you seen Mako? I've been looking from him all over and I can't find him." The firebender could practically hear the gears turning in Korra's head, trying to come up with a plausible lie.

"Uh… yea." she said. "He came to the tent earlier with a headache and asked if I could help. I told him I couldn't do anything for it, but I have headaches I usually meditate. I think he went that way." Mako crawled to the tent entrance and opened one flap just a tad to see Korra pointing in a random direction and his brother thanking her and following her directions. Korra made sure the earthbender was completely out of sight before turning into her tent.

"Come on," she said, motioning with her hand for him to come out. He leapt out and ran to the Avatar. She opened her arms and he picked her up, wrapping his arms around her waist. He looked up into her dazzling blue eyes and grinned.

"I love you," he told her lovingly, "so much." Korra beamed and cupped his face with her hands and kissed him. He responded eagerly, but she pulled back. She stared at him, taking in every detail of his face, determined to remember it for the rest of her life.

"I love you, too," she whispered and kissed him again. She didn't think her life could get any better than this.