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Korrasami Week 2017 – Day 2: Affection
“So Mako what do you think?” The question directly addressed to him, interrupted the firebender in his musings about the young couple at the head of the long table.
Somewhat sheepishly he realized, that he had been so lost in thought and had no idea, what the conversation at the table even was about. With and embarrassed smile, he turned to the Avatar who had posed the question. “Sorry Korra, but I was kind zoned out. What did you ask?”
“I wanted to know whether you thought, if that Wonyong Keum guy had something to do with the triple threats attack on the spirit portal yesterday evening.” The bemused sounding water tribe native replied, while absentmindedly using her bending to float her tea in a complex muster of winding tendrils above its glass.
The detective took a moment to mull over his answer. “We can only hope so.” That statement brought him a number of bewildered looks from around the table so he continued. “If they were not working for him we would have two different shadowy fractions with an interest in the new portal. Also, if there is one thing I learnt on the beat, it is that there is rarely such a thing like coincidence. We shouldn’t focus on either option though without some evidence.”
That brought him a rare smile from Lin, who sat opposite from Bolin with Kya’s arm draped around her shoulders. “At least someone here doesn’t draw conclusions without any proof.” Mako however didn’t register her reply or the continuation of the conversation he was once again focused on his two ex-girlfriends like it had been all evening.
Team Avatar and all their friends were currently sitting in the Sato estate’s main dining room. They had been invited by Asami and Korra for a welcome back feast and to give the young couple the chance to officially announce their relationship to all their friends and loved ones at once.
Mako would have enjoyed spending time with their large circle of friends, but ever since Korrasami as Bolin had named them, had revealed their relationship the evening prior after defeating the triple threat’s attack on the portal the young man had been deep in thought.
To his great shame his first thought had been the question what he had done wrong as a boyfriend for both of his exes to become gay. He had quickly dismissed such thoughts though, since he knew that being gay or in Korra and Asami’s case bi was not a matter of choice but rather birth. And while he was happy for his friends to have found love in one another his still lingering feelings for Asami and his secret hope at another shot at a relationship with her had made it harder than he would have liked to be openly supportive instead of absolutely awkward towards the two girls.
Now after a good night’s sleep and a whole day of brooding (though he would vehemently deny that he was someone who brooded), he had accepted that maybe this was for the best. After coming to the conclusion, that as long both Korra and Asami were happy he was happy, Mako found himself comparing his relationships with both girls and their behavior during those with how they were with one another.
Asami always sought physical contact, be it by holding onto his arm or cuddling with him on the sofa but there were very little of the small gestures of affection some other couples seemed to thrive on, like small kisses or a discreet press of hands. And while he had seen himself as the protector he had gotten the feeling, that the Sato heiress had been annoyed both by high society’s pressure to behave like a proper lady while on a date and his belief she would need protection.
With Korra on the other hand PDA had always felt somehow a bit forced while everything else had been a fight for dominance. While Asami had been taught to uphold a certain image, the Avatar had only scoffed at other people’s expectations how she should behave, including those of Mako.
So, he had been extremely surprised when he saw the easy with which the two women showed their affection for one another. From a small brush of hands while they were sitting down, to the small kisses the gave one another without any hesitation, everything seemed to flow naturally as if they had been dating for years and not less than two weeks. Moreover, they had some form of communication without words and sometimes even without gestures or looks, Asami would pour the Avatar a new tea without having to be asked and Korra would somehow know when and of what the engineer wanted a second serving and would use her bending while still deep in a conversation with Jinora to levitate the needed plates in front of her girlfriend before placing them back where they belonged.
These things more than anything else mad him realized that Korra and Asami had always been destined to be together and were two parts, that together formed a whole. So Mako swore to himself, that no matter what he would always support his friends and their relationship and would help them weather any storm.
He knew, that it was an uphill battle they faced. Both in the Air Nation and the Southern Water Tribe gays had equal rights including marriage and adoption, in the remaining nations and territories however the situation was less than ideal. In the Fire Nation, they gays were barley tolerated, the Northern Water Tribe had outlawed homosexuality and the Earth Kingdom was actively persecuting and imprisoning or even killing them. Since the United Republic’s citizens mostly came from these three nations gays had few rights and even fewer protections. While homosexuality was not illegal the nation didn’t accept gay marriages from other countries as legal and didn’t allow for members of the LGBTQ community to adopt or hold a public office. President Raiko had even signed a bill a couple of years back, that allowed for businesses to openly discriminate against lesbians and gays.
Mako knew though, that neither Korra nor Asami would not accept the status quo and that they would fight for their rights. And he knew that he and the rest of their friends and family would be right beside them. The bigots did not know what was coming for them.