Drabble Prompt: How Bryke may legitimately imply Makorra sexy times. Cause, ya know, they're 18...it's been six months...and they're both passionately nutty and sometimes reckless. It happened. It TOTALLY happened!...at least in my adult fan-girl head it did.

Rating: T for terrific! (or terrible…but mostly for "teen")

Pairing: Makorra

-.Airborne.-

"You have to be more careful!" Mako huffed for what was probably the hundredth time that month. No, that week. Maybe even that day. Korra had long since lost count. All she knew was that it was exasperatingly frequent.

Her attempted eye-roll was interrupted by a wince as he tightened the bandage around her bicep. She attempted to cover with a manly-sounding cough but probably failed; at least if his haughty smirk was any indication.

How he loved to remind her that, spiritual bridge or not, she was still human. She bled just like everybody else. He would have the dark streaks of red decorating his couch for all eternity as proof.

"I almost had it this time," she defended, yanking her arm free of his grip. "If you'd just given me a few more minutes-"

"You would have fallen to your death in a few seconds."

"I was perfectly-"

"You had absolutely no control over-"

"It's part of my training to-"

"To what? Become street jam?"

Korra rose an eyebrow at that, one corner of her lip twitching in amusement. "Street what?"

"You know…" Mako's right hand rose in a sweeping gesture before slamming down in his other palm. "Jam. Road kill. Splattered. Not alive."

"I get it." She couldn't help but chuckle a little at his strange way with words; the result of never having a formal education plus regular exposure to street slang. It was nothing she ever considered mocking him about. In fact, it was one of the skills that allowed him to achieve the rank of detective at such a young age. He just had a way of speaking that made everyone (street kids, gang members and even high-class ladies) comfortable yet vulnerable and all too eager to confess what they witnessed or done.

His official promotion had gone into effect this morning. They were supposed to be out celebrating at Narook's right now. That is, if she hadn't decided that today was the day she would master the air-glider once and for all. Who knew that the rebel winds would lead to her crash-landing into the tallest spires of Harmony Tower?

It was then that it hit her. Mako had been the one to forcefully extract her from the wreckage even though she had been determined to try again. He did this not only as a paranoid boyfriend, but as a protector of the peace. This time, she made no attempt to hide her discomfort.

"I was your first call out, wasn't I? You're starting your new detective career as the Avatar's cleanup-crew because everyone knows that we're… that we…" she struggled, as she always did, with finding an exact word to describe their relationship. As the man who saved her life countless times and who had quite possibly been conscripted by fate to be her life-long support; dubbing such a man a mere "boyfriend" had always made her uneasy. As if she were forcing a crown of scrap metal upon a regal and respected forehead.

"We're…close." She settled upon eventually, briefly flitting her eyes up to his and then down again as an unavoidable blush tainted her cheeks.

Mako released a short breath, focus returning to her wounds as he mulled over his response.

Close or not, he'd long since given up on the idea of being an exception to Korra's 'I-do-what-I-want-and-you-just-have-to-deal-with-i t' way of living. Yes, he had initially felt annoyance, anger and embarrassment all simultaneously upon receiving his first official assignment to go 'tame his woman'. But that was all quickly overshadowed by a terror so intense that he had found it difficult to move from the office chair. A couple of feet off and she may have hit the power lines or some of those thick, metal spikes that discouraged rat-pigeon nests…

His thick brows furrowed as he wiped off the last dirt-crusted blood from her forearm, hating the fact that the task was necessary at all but appreciating that it could have easily been so much worse. Korra - the infamously insane Avatar Korra - was here beside him, alive and as snarky as ever, the right sleeve and pant leg of her airbending getup being the only victims of the catastrophe. He was suddenly not only tolerant but thrilled that he had been called to the scene so swiftly.

"Don't worry about it," he whispered with genuine earnestness just as he tucked the end of the bandage into her wrapped palm. "It's no big deal."

"No. No!" She caught his head between her hands before he could turn away. The deep, diagonal gash along her arm throbbed with the movement, but she ignored it. "You were right. I was being not only reckless with myself but with your reputation."

"Korra, I don't car-"

"No! You have this valiant but infuriating habit of taking responsibility for everyone and everything. But I'm not going to let you this time. I…I'm so…" Spirits, it was ridiculous how hard it was - had always been - for her to admit any sort of defeat. Like pulling teeth or digesting sea prunes. Pure torture.

But for Mako…for him she'd eat one thousand sea prunes if only for the possibility of a smile.

If that wasn't love, then the admittedly naïve Water Tribe girl didn't know what was.

"I'm sorry," she sputtered at last, holding his gaze steady to prove her sincerity.

His expression softened as the words left her lips, releasing his parental-paranoid personae in exchange for the boyfriend who only wanted to see her happy if not safe.

"Thank you." His hands rose to cover hers on his cheeks and he took a moment to press a kiss into each wrist. "I'm sorry too. I just…I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to you."

Korra nodded. The feeling was completely mutual. After all, being a cop was no less risky than being the Avatar. "I know. But I'm careful. I know it might not always look it, but I am. And yes, sometimes I knowingly put myself in danger. But it's part of my job and I just want… I hope that you can, eventually, just-"

He interrupted her with a kiss. A kiss much like their first, but with reversed roles. Mako had basically launched himself onto her lips, no longer interested in the conversation, only in proving that they were still both alive. That they were both still young and reckless and (one of them)completely crazy, but here and together and healthy and amazing.

It took Korra a second or two to recover from shock. Mako never initiated anything between them and was always the one to pull away after their kisses became a little too heated. But the horror of today's events had obviously weakened his resolve.

By the time Korra had regained her senses enough to flutter her eyes closed and return the gesture with her usual enthusiasm, she had come to a sort of decision. A plan.

Seven months they had been dating. But tonight, strangely, was the first time they had ever been truly alone. It was just a fortuitous coincidence of course. Her accident in collaboration with bad weather reports had prompted Tenzin to insist she not brave the swim home. Though the healer had originally suspected broken bones and informed the airbending master of such, her injuries were deemed minor and she was immediately discharged. Bolin was out of town for a pro-bending try-out in a nearby city and therefore absent from the apartment they currently occupied.

It was like the fates has positioned all the dominoes in a row, begging her to knock them down and take advantage of the game. Finally.

After all…seven months. Tenzin should commend her patience.

She forced herself to pull away from him then, breaking the lip lock. Both were breathing more heavily than usual. Ocean blue met molten gold and both elements seemed to boil.

As they reached forward, every lantern within the entire building complex went dark.

Dark-skinned fingers reached down to snatch a pair of boots from the floor before exiting the room as quietly as possible.

It was past nine AM and Korra was late - very late - for airbending training. It was exceptionally rare that she slept in till such an hour, having adapted over the past year to rise at the crack of dawn for meditation. Then again, she didn't get much sleep the night before…

Korra grinned but immediately lost it when she tripped over a duffle bag in the middle of the hallway, cursing as she stumbled. Her usual hair-wraps were kept between her teeth as she attempted to quickly yet naturally tame her impossibly tangled mane into its usual style.

She had just finished forcing her long wolf-tail into position when a voice invaded.

"Hey Korra."

The avatar spun, in the midst of a heart-attack, to face whichever evil equalist or gossip-mongering press-member had invaded this sanctuary and discovered her secret.

Or worse; Tenzin.

Semi-thankfully, the intruder proved to be one of the few people she could trust who also happened to share the lease. Mako's younger brother donned a slightly suspicious smirk on his lips as he gobbled up leftover noodles at the kitchen counter.

"Oh! Hey-oh…Bolin." Korra quickly pulled down the still-loose, front tufts of her hair, praying to appear normal. "I, uh- I thought you weren't getting back until later today?"

"Nah." Bolin shrugged. "The team was a bust. Not only were they complete rookies who had no idea what they were getting into, but the firebender could give Tahno's arrogance a run for its money. I quit after five minutes."

"Oh. That's…bad. But good! But…" Korra took a deep breath before meeting his eyes straight on. "How long have you been here?"

Bolin's smirk, though she hadn't thought possible, widened. Korra's glare deepened.

They stared at each other, unblinking for a full minute.

Soon enough, Korra decided to take the hit and try to avoid any further repercussions. Slowly, as if afraid he may turn into a tiger-dillo and attack her at any moment, Korra retreated toward the front door. She reached backward and twisted the knob, giving her boyfriend's brother nothing more than a brief nod of goodbye before making her escape, slamming the door behind her.

Bolin chuckled, shaking his head as he watched her from the window sprint and then dive into the bay, the front wraps holding her hair at completely unsymmetrical positions.

Someone sure was in a rush.

"Bolin!"

Mako was suddenly in the living/kitchen space wearing only shorts and a white tank top, his hair sticking up at angles that defied gravity. His eyes were wide with terror and his pale cheeks were gradually turning a deep shade of red.

"I uh, I…" he gulped, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "How…how long have you been home?"

Choosing a similar tactic to the one used with Korra, Bolin merely smiled and wiggled his brows. True to expectations, Mako's eyes narrowed.

They stared at each other for a while longer, one smirking and one scowling, until Mako decided that he had enough. The elder backed away down the hall before launching himself into his room, probably to tidy up any remaining evidence.

Bolin had to mentally restrain himself from rushing in and forcing his brother to give him a high-five.

It was about damn time.

As quietly as possible, with a gentleness reserved for only the most delicate of tasks, Korra reached over the threshold of her bedroom window and deposited her boots on the floor inside. Next came her coat and afterwards the bindings she had never had a chance to put on properly.

With a sigh of relief, seeing as the entirety of air temple island was still and silent, the young avatar hooked her fingers onto the window sill and hoisted herself up.

No one would ever know.

"Good morning Korra." The instant her feet touched the pine-paneled floor, she sensed him. Her airbending master and guardian was seated in a shadowed corner with his arms menacingly crossed over his chest, his every feature radiating disapproval.

She could have said she returning from the hospital and didn't want to wake anyone. She could have stood her ground, as per usual, and insisted he mind his own business. She could have cried or played dead or something. Anything!

Instead, she choose to run.

"Korra!"

Before another word could be uttered, she had vaulted over the window sill and roll-landed onto the damp grass below No longer giving any mind to being sneaky, she sprinted across the yard while laughing in a way some may describe as manic.

The jig was up. The lecture about propriety and respect was imminent and inevitable. But for now, for this morning at least, Korra refused to feel anything other than elation.

Whatever demon or revolutionary or press-member or father-figure choose to tackle her next, she was ready.

She felt, for the first time, completely light. Airy almost. Free.

After weeks of crashing and burning and being a general failure in all aspects of life…Korra was flying.

Finally.

Author's Note: Hey y'all. Yes, I still have plans to finish "unexpected" but I wanted to entertain myself with something a little lighter. Hope you enjoyed. Reviews are part of a balanced breakfast. Many thanks.