Chapter Text
Chapter One
Iroh sighed heavily before walking into his home, it had been a long day and he was ready to embrace some sanctuary. Shedding his layers, Iroh walked into the living room to find Mako sitting in a corner reading; the small gold band on his hand gleaming in the lamplight. Iroh smiled and kissed his fiancé. It was good to be home.
“Hey.” Iroh whispered. “Have you eaten?”
Mako shook his head. “Nah, was waiting for you. You look beat, hard day?”
Iroh nodded and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, more annoying than hard, Raiko is trying to drag me into his sinking political career.”
“You told him no right?”
Iroh shrugged. “I deflected him.”
Mako rolled his eyes. “You know that’s not going to stop him from pestering you about it.”
“I know but telling a politician no doesn’t work either.” Iroh put his arms around Mako. “Now let’s get some dinner. I’m starving.”
Mako closed his book and stood up. “Sounds good to me. You can tell me more about your day later.”
“I’d rather hear about yours.”
Mako shrugged. “There’s nothing really interesting to report, except Bess broke her leg while skiing so I’m filling in for her with anything motorcycle related.”
Iroh frowned. “Really? Aren’t you a little above that? You’re a detective now.”
“Yeah but Bess is a friend and none of the new recruits are certified yet so I’ll fill in for her tomorrow and then it’s back to death and dismemberment on Wednesday.”
Iroh wrapped his arms around Mako’s waist and kissed him. “You’re too good for this world you know that?”
“Only because you think so.” Mako kissed him back. “Now come on there’s dinner waiting.”
.o.
Snow had started to fall during the night and when Mako woke up there was a light dusting on the ground and the balcony just outside the bedroom. Iroh pulled Mako close and snuggled the back of his neck.
“Mmm stop moving, you’re letting all the cold in.” Iroh kissed his ear. “I hate being cold.”
Mako snorted. “Sorry your highness but I’ve got to get up and go to work.” He looked back at the snow and groaned. “Uhg… and I supposed to be on my bike today, this is going to suck.”
Iroh’s grip became tighter. “All the more reason to just stay in bed with me. We could keep each other warm.”
Mako turned and snuggled against Iroh. “I would really love to but I can’t I’ve got to go to work. People depend on me to do my job, I promised Bess. And anyway in a few months we won’t have to do anything but stay in bed and enjoy the luxuries of Ember Island.”
Iroh smiled but didn’t let go. “Yeah but it’s cold outside and you’ll be warm and safe here with me if you stay.”
Mako kissed him. “I’m getting the subtle feeling you don’t want me to go to work today.”
Iroh chuckled. “Now would I want that?”
“You don’t want to be cold.” Mako frowned “Is there something I should know about? Or a good reason why I shouldn’t go to work?”
Iroh shook his head. “No, I just really like the idea of us spending the day together. It’s the perfect winter day for that.”
Mako sighed. “It’s just snow, we’ve had snowy days before and we’ll have them again.”
“But this is our first snow day as an engaged couple. Surely that’s worth skipping work for.”
Mako sighed. “I doubt the Chief will see it that way.” He looked at the ring Iroh had given him. “Especially since she’s still in the dark about us.”
“You still haven’t told her?” Iroh sounded surprised. “I thought you two were close with the whole team Avatar thing.”
Mako nodded. “Yeah, well with the sodomy rules still on the books, I don’t want to put her in a position where she feels like she has to protect me or fire me.”
“So you’re still going with the plan of handing her the invitation with your resignation letter?” Iroh raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think that’ll overwhelm her?”
Mako shrugged. “Maybe but like I said I don’t want to put any pressure on her and she knows I’m thinking of getting my P. I. license so the idea of me leaving the force isn’t right out of the blue. Just the getting married part but she’ll forgive me eventually.”
Iroh sighed. “I guess, just be careful today. Snow and Ice make things slippery especially on a bike.”
“I’m always careful, you’re the reckless one, speed demon.” Mako kissed him lingering for just a few more seconds than usual before finally slipping out of bed to grab a quick shower and head to station.
Outside the air was crisp and Mako adjusted his scarf as he walked down the street to grab a cab. Inside the police station it was warm and somewhat cozy with the above average number of people crammed into the building. Mako was surprised most of the civilians looked like upstanding citizens and not the parade of usual faces.
“I keep getting these notes you have to be able to do something!” One man complained.
“He’s doing something illegal I just know it! All the noise all hours you need to investigate him!” Another yelled at Detective Zie slamming his hand on the desk.
“Look, weird noises and buying vats of ink are hardly crimes Sir.” Zie tried to explain.
“I tell you its more than that. I swear all the strays are going missing too! And the crates! Didn’t you hear me about the creats!”
Mako shook his head and sat down at his own desk grabbing the new pile of papers. He surveyed the pile, maybe if he dragged his feet long enough someone else would have to help motorcade. After all he was a full-blown detective, he shouldn’t have to freeze his ass of for some paranoid city official. Bess would understand, the whole team would if he couldn’t make it.
“Hey detective I’d like to report a crime, there’s an officer that is just too damn good looking!” Bolin joked leaning against the desk and laughing. “Also Lin is looking for you, you’re late and she’s not happy.”
Mako looked around. “Really? Damn maybe I should have just called in sick and stayed in. Any idea what she wants?”
“She wants to give you the route for today’s ride and tell you your position.”
Mako groaned. “Uhg, that’s still on?”
Bolin nodded. “Yeah, apparently Raiko just has to have his motorcycle escort.”
“Yeah because cars alone aren’t good enough for him in this weather.” Mako sighed and stood up. “Ok, let me go find Lin before she finds me.”
“Probably for the best. Hey you got plans for dinner?”
Mako shook his head. “Nothing but stuffing and addressing more invitations, they’ve taken over the kitchen table. It’s awful.”
“Well why don’t you and your flame join us for dinner and the Golden Lilly? Korra and Asami just got back in from their trip to Zaofu, it would be nice to have the whole crew together.”
Mako nodded grabbing his motorcycle gloves from his desk drawer. “Yeah, sounds great. I’ll let flame know during my lunch hour.”
“I can do the calling.” Bolin shrugged. “I’m here all day. Office or home?”
Mako closed the drawer. “Home, I think.”
“Alright! See you later bro! Have fun out there.”
.o.
Mako wrapped his arms around his torso. “It’s too damn cold for this.” He cursed as he waited for Raiko to finally come out so they could escort him back to the city. Near bye a bird landed on a branch showering snow on him. Mako glared up at the bird. “I’ll be out in a minute my frozen ass.” He huffed.
Another five minute passed and an aid ran out to the waiting officers. “The President will be staying the night here with the Duke of Omashu, so you can go home. We will alert you when we need you. Thank you for your time.”
Everyone groaned as motors erupted into life.
“Oh I am not doing this again tomorrow!” One of the officers announced before taking off down the road.
Mako nodded. “Me too.”
“Hey Mako!” Officer Jun yelled rolling up to him. “Did you realize someone put ice tires on your bike instead of snow tires?”
Mako looked at the tires and noticed the tread with its rows of tiny spikes. “Oh fuck, I did not. No wonder it was so slick on the way here.” He sighed. “Great now I’ll have to go even slower to get back.”
Jun gave him a sympathetic look. “It’s better to go slow than to be dead.” She patted his back. “I’ll see you back at the station!”
Mako watched her and the other officers take off before taking a deep breath and starting down the winding mountain road back to city. On a few of the turns Mako skidded more than he liked.
“Maybe I should just walk back.” He muttered as he just missed another guardrail on a turn.
He turned another corner and had to wrench the bike awkwardly to avoid the smoking wreckage of a fresh crash that had shredded the guardrail. Mako desperately tried to dump the bike and skid to a stop but hit a patch of ice that sent him careening through the edge of the crash and the into the forest below.
.o.
Iroh had just finished combing his hair when the doorbell rang. Confused, Iroh answered it to find a police captain holding her hat.
“General Iroh?” She asked.
“Yes, this is he. How can I help you officer?”
“Captain, Maru, I need you to come with me. There’s been an incident and you were listed as Detective Mako’s emergency contact.”
Iroh blood ran cold. “Did something happen to Mako?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “Look, please gather your things and come down to the station with me.”
“Why the station and not the hospital or…” He trailed off. “He’s dead isn’t he?”
“It’s possible, please come with me.”
Iroh grabbed what he needed and was back at the door in moments. “What about Bolin? Is he ok?”
“We’re trying to locate Officer Bolin now, he was not involved in the accident.”
The ride to the station was quiet. Iroh spent most of the time silently praying they had made a mistake and that Mako was fine. Walking into the station, all was quiet. Even the typewriters seemed muted. Maru lead him down into the morgue, the coldest part of the already freezing building. A water tribe man wearing a white coat met them at the entrance.
He gave Iroh a sympathetic look and told Maru to leave them. She left them quickly and for a moment the two just stood in the empty hallway.
“I’m sorry.” He said softly. “We need someone to identify the body, unfortunately, today that’s you.” He handed Iroh Mako’s engagement ring. “If you don’t want to go in and say you did. I can do that. I know my friend well enough, it’s just for official documentation.”
Iroh closed his hand on the ring. “I want to see him, just to make sure.”
He nodded and opened the door. The morgue proper was even colder than the hallway. In the middle of the room where three bodies covered in white sheets. “I need to warn you, Mako’s bike skidded off a cliff, and it’s not pretty.”
“I’m a general, I’ve seen not pretty.”
The Doctor nodded and lifted the sheet pulling it down to reveal Mako from the collar bones up.
“I tried to clean him up as much as possible.” He commented before stepping away and giving Iroh a clear look.
Iroh’s breath hitched in his throat, it was Mako all right. He laid still, some bruises on his neck, shoulders and side of his face. Two gashes started on his cheek and ran down his body beyond the sheet. Iroh reached out to brush some of the hair out of Mako’s face but stopped.
“You can touch him. I’ve collected all the external evidence I need.”
“What killed him?” Iroh asked brushing the wet hair back and shivering at how cold Mako was.
“I don’t know yet.” The doctor stepped up and smoothed parts of the white sheet. “I’ve just started my examination. When they brought him to me his neck was broken but I don’t know if that was postmortem or the cause of death.” He looked at Iroh and sighed. “He also has deep wounds caused by impalement which might have been the final blow.”
Iroh wanted to cry. “H-he was impaled? My poor Mako was impaled, by what?”
“Some dead trees.” The doctor stepped back. “I’ll give you a moment.” He turned. “Take as long as you need. No one will disturb you.”
Iroh nodded and looked back at Mako. After the door closed, Iroh leaned down and kissed Mako’s forehead before crumbling to his knees. He wept for a few moments before he gathered watch composure he could and stood up. He wanted to say something to Mako, anything, but the words didn’t want to come. After a moment of not knowing what to do, he gave Mako one last kiss and slipped the ring onto his finger for safekeeping.
He exited the morgue to see Bolin standing a few yards off talking to the doctor. Bolin spotted Iroh and rushed to him.
“Is it?”
Iroh nodded and suddenly was being crushed by a now sobbing Bolin. Somehow in that moment Iroh wanted to cry too but the tears refused. So he stood there comforting the brother he almost had. His body felt numb as the night slowly ticked by. Some of the other policemen asked Iroh a few questions but most gave condolences to Bolin as he made the necessary calls to friends and family. Iroh offered to help but Bolin refused just asking him to stay. It was well into the morning when the two men left the police station.
Bolin sighed and looked at Iroh. “So Opal and the girls are waiting for me at the apartment. You’re more then welcome to come too.”
Iroh was quiet for a moment; did he really want to go back home right now and be alone? Just surrounded by the items that made up their lives? Iroh sighed, he didn’t think he could do that just yet. “I think I’ll take you up on that offer. It’s not good to be alone in these kinds of situations and besides I don’t think I can handle going home just yet.”
Bolin nodded. “Yeah, no one should be alone on a night like tonight.”
“Yeah.” Iroh nodded. “I think that would be good. Would you mind if I made a few calls to family when we get there?”
“Of course.”
.o.
It felt like Iroh was sleepwalking as he entered his home for the first time in two days. Staying with Bolin had been nice and probably what he had needed at the time but it had also been busy and crowded. There wasn’t room for Iroh to process it and sort out his own emotions with everyone else trying to sort their own out. Maybe it was the commanding officer in him, or the fact he wasn’t very close to any of Mako’s friends but Iroh couldn’t give his own emotions voice while there. He didn’t find his emotions easy to express in the few minutes of solitude he had while he called his mother and sister on Kiyoshi Island. They were both coming to the city as soon as they could, even his father was coming and he rarely traveled.
So here he was walking into what now felt like a tomb of a home. The whole place was still and silent until the phone rang. The sound cutting through the silence and sounding so alien it took three rings before Iroh had the good sense to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Hello, General Iroh! It’s Raiko, I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for days where have you been?”
Iroh frowned. “Absolutely, nowhere you need to know about. What do you what Raiko?”
“I just wanted to give my sympathies General, I know you were very close with the lat-“
“Fuck off Raiko!” Iroh exploded. “I don’t want your sympathy you snake! It’s all your fault! His blood is on your hands!” Iroh slammed the phone down and started to weep. “You had to have that stupid escort when it had snowed.” He whimpered. “It’s all your fault Raiko, it’s all your stupid fault.”
Iroh took a deep breath and walked up the stairs to his room. Being extremely careful to not move any of Mako’s things, Iroh took a shower and crawled into bed. Resting his head against the pillow all Iroh could smell was Mako. The scent was both soothing and painful. Iroh inhaled deeply and drifted off quickly.
Iroh was pulled from his slumber by the phone ringing. He answered while summoning a fire to check the time. It was half past two in the morning and it looked like a blizzard was raging outside.
“Hello?” He asked trying to sound more awake before freezing. “NO! Ok, I’ll be right there!”
Iroh launched himself out of bed quickly dressing and running out the door barely remembering to lock it.
.o.
Lin looked down at the still form of General Iroh, frozen to the core and lips turned blue. She sighed and looked at his bare feet.
“What the hell happened to your shoes general?”
The officer on duty who had originally called the body in shrugged. “They weren’t anywhere near where we found the body. I wonder if he had them at all, I mean his feet look frost bit to me.”
Lin sighed. “Yeah, but why would he be here all alone without any shoes?”
“Maybe the queen decided to end it?” A grizzled looking detective suggested walking up and handing Lin a newspaper. “After all, his life was about to get a whole lot worse.”
Lin shot Hegan a glare before looking at the headline. “The Prince and the Popper: Prince Iroh’s illicit affair with the late Detective Mako.”
Hegan shook his head. “Trust me the title is kind compared to the actual article. The writer comes off almost petty in some parts, apparently he’s unhappy he wasn’t invited to join.”
Lin looked Iroh and shook her head. “He had a lot of reasons to live and a good motivation to die but why freeze to death? Seems like a pretty risky way to end it all.”
Hegan nodded. “Yup, especially for a fire bender.” He put his hands in his pockets. “Hey, Chief we’ve been friends a long time.”
Lin nodded. “Yup, what is it Hegan?”
“I’ve been hearing rumors old Raiko has been putting pressure on the department to rule the late detective’s death a tragic accident even though Officer Jun has been tarring the mechanic’s office apart looking for the work order that switched his tires.”
“Your point?”
Hegan looked down at Iroh. “Well the whole thing didn’t smell right to me before, but now? The good general’s dead and this hit piece of an article is on the front page. Seems a lot less likely that was a tragic accident and I wouldn’t’ put stock in this as a suicide.”
She nodded. “I agree but what will you have me do? I’m between a rock and a hard place.”
Hegan nodded quietly. “So you want me to get my buddy Shang to investigate these deaths? He doesn’t deal with your strings.”
Lin sighed. “Do you think he’d be willing? Most private eyes like to get paid.”
“I’ll work that out with him, I pay the rent anyway so he shouldn’t bitch too much.”
“Glad to see you two are still getting along. Make sure Shang gets all the information he needs.”
“I will.”
“And make sure no one knows we had this conversation.” Lin knelt down and examined Iroh’s face. “Good night sweet prince, you were too good for this world apparently.”
.o.
“Interesting.” The Spirit of Day leaned against the flagpole of the tallest remaining skyscraper. Her yellow kimono flapping gently in the wind, unseen by all, except those who were looking for the lantern bearer. “Could my search be at an end?”
“Depends are you looking for the city’s best coffee because if so I have found it!” Night announced appearing near her with a steaming cup in one hand and his helmet under his arm. The spirit took a gulp. “Ahhh so good!”
Day frowned. “Not quite bone head, I meant I think I found the prefect candidates from my project.”
Night raised an eyebrow. “Really? You found at least one person to fit the ridicules rules the North Star gave you?”
Day nodded. “Oh, actually I found two. You know it’s surprisingly hard to find a dead man with a good but restless soul. Unfortunately, most good people even when brutally murder tend to be at peace when they die.” She crossed her arms. “It’s really inconsiderate of them.”
“Yeah, how dare they just silently go inot that good night and not consider your needs.” Night took another sip of his coffee. “I mean it is much better to be like us and turn into bitter ghosts still obsessed with the wellbeing of the living.”
Day put her hands on her hips. “Hey we saved the all the worlds from the embodiment of Chaos!”
“And caused a zombie apocalypse.”
“And stopped that zombie apocalypse and cured everyone so no permanent damage.”
“And became the spirits of night and day and literal death gods.” Night rolled his blue eyes. “I was there you don’t need to remind me.”
“Well you might have been but the reader wasn’t.”
“Hey, stop breaking the fourth wall, every time you do that Heroto’s got to fix it.”
“Fine, anyway we’re loosing the plot. I’ve got my eye on the two men I need.” She clapped her hands. “They’ll be so happy to have the chance solve their own murders they’ll gladly help me with my little project.” She tapped her chin. “Now, to figure out how to bring them back without stepping on a prissy spirits toes?”
“What’s wrong with just bringing them back?”
“Many things but the big reason is I can’t, that would be making a zombie and no spirit no matter how powerful can do that anymore. No, I need to be clever about this.”
“No, you need to be sneaky about this.” Night corrected.
“Same difference.” Day shrugged. “All that matters is I have my agents.”