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”There’s no other love like the love for a brother. There’s no other love like the love from a brother.”
~ Terri Guillemets
Bolin winced as he re-dressed the wound around his shoulder before retiring for bed. That beauty was a combination of those electric rods and a sword used by the Equalists. Thankfully, Mako and Korra were able to rescue him before anything too fatal happened. Bolin shuddered at the memory of being shoved to his knees in front of a crowd of cheering people, people who hated him just for being able to bend. People who quite possibly wanted him dead.
There was a quiet shuffle outside his door, so silent Bolin wondered for a moment if his frayed nerves had conjured it just to scare him. But once the initial fear dispersed, Bolin broke into a small smile. He knew the sound of those footfalls.
He kicked his foot off to the side and his door swung open, revealing his older brother. Normally, Bolin would have been tempted to aim it so the door (lightly) smacked his brother, but considering recent events and the way Mako looked so distressed Bolin wisely realized knew this wasn’t the time.
“Hey, bro!” he said cheerfully. “I would have thought you’d be asleep by now.”
Mako said nothing, didn’t even seem to acknowledge that Bolin spoke. He simply stared at Bolin, as if he believed that if he looked away the earth-bender would disappear. It was a little disconcerting to say the least. Sure, Mako was more of a quiet guy but Bolin only saw him like this when there was something really troubling his older brother. It usually had to do with money.
“You know you can come in,” Bolin said, his tone a little softer. He tapped a space beside him on the slightly hard and lumpy cot. Mako blinked a few times in confusion as he brought himself out of whatever haze he was in, then cleared his throat and took the seat beside Bolin. His movements were stiff and Bolin noticed Mako was still favoring his left leg from the previous battle.
“I hope Korra’s all right,” Bolin said after a while. “Was that dude really an airbender?” Mako just gave a curt nod as he slouched forward and stared at his hands. Bolin whistled. “Sure hope Korra can get us a chance to see him in action sometime—wouldn’t that be cool?”
From his understanding, the tall man who came to retrieve Korra had actually used airbending to help them out in the last few minutes of the battle against Amon. Regrettably, Bolin was too busy trying to dodge deadly attacks by the Equalists with his bending blocked so he missed it. He also missed saying good-bye to Korra as well. As soon as Mako had defeated the last of the Equalists who stayed behind to give Amon the chance to retreat, his older brother all but dragged him away from the warehouse (though to be truthful Bolin was grateful to get out of that horrible place).
He got a glimpse of Korra off to the side with the airbender who was hugging her tightly. The man looked up and gave Mako a nod before gently guiding her toward the opposite exit. Bolin wanted to say something to Korra, but she looked pretty shaken up about something, so he decided to save his thanks for later. Part of him wanted to ask Mako just what happened to Korra, but his brother didn’t really seem in the talking mood.
Toza was on the other side of Republic City for some errand or another, so the place was silent when they returned. As much as Bolin cared for the older man, he had to admit he was grateful he didn’t have to deal with explaining what had happened to him at this point in time. Mako was really the only one Bolin wanted to be around for the time being. Well—Mako and Pabu of course.
As if on cue, the little fire ferret let out a snore and rolled over in his makeshift bed by Bolin’s feet. Bolin reached down and lightly scratched the little guy behind his ear, unable to keep back a grin when the creature let out a sleepy noise of contentment.
“I’m sorry.”
“Huh?” Bolin jumped a little at his brother’s hoarse voice. At least he’d finally got him to talk—Mako had barely said ten words since they returned home. (Bolin’s arm was still sore from Mako’s vice-like grip though) “Whadd’ya mean? You didn’t do anything.”
Mako just shook his head and tightly gripped the fabric around his knees. “I’m sorry I failed to keep you safe,” he said slowly, lifting his gaze to meet Bolin’s. “You could have … he almost—” Mako took a deep, shuddering breath.
“I … I almost lost you,” he whispered. Suddenly Mako’s eyes widened as the reality of the night’s events fully settled and his hands started shaking. Bolin watched in alarm as Mako started breathing in short, erratic gasps and even in the dim of the light from the hall, Bolin could see tears welling up in Mako’s eyes.
Bolin had only ever seen his brother cry one other time, and that was the terrible night they became orphans. Of course, being so young his memory was a bit hazy, but even then Bolin could remember he hated it. He hated seeing his older brother so vulnerable, so hurt. Mako was always so strong and brave, able to make the best out of the horrible situations that were forced upon them. Bolin wouldn’t have been able to survive without him; Mako was his hero.
He was even more Bolin’s hero tonight, him and Korra. Bolin did his best to keep an optimistic attitude about his situation once he was captured, but even his cheeriness wavered when he met Amon and his followers. There were just so many of them—it would have taken a miracle to escape! Turns out the Avatar and one thoroughly pissed older brother was enough to do the job, which Bolin was eternally grateful for.
But now it was Bolin’s turn to play the hero. Now Mako needed Bolin, and he was more than willing to help. He reached out and pulled Mako into a smothering hug. Mako’s breath hitched and his body tensed at the sudden contact, but Bolin tightened his grip and Mako finally lowered his shields and cried, burying his face into Bolin’s shoulder.
—
Boiling—suffocating—fury. That’s all Mako could feel when he found out Bolin had been taken by those bastards. His hands were covered in fireballs before he was even aware of it. Korra was yelling something at him, but Mako couldn’t hear over the roar of the blood in his ears. He was eventually brought out of his anger when Korra punched him squarely in the jaw and then doused him with water for good measure.
Loathe he was to admit it, she did him a favor. His rage was by no means extinguished, but his head was clear enough to keep it under control so he could use it to incinerate the fools who thought they could get away with taking his brother.
Thankfully, with Korra’s help they were able to save Bolin. Mako had seen Korra go after Amon and was grateful she returned unhurt, but it was obvious something was bothering her. Part of Mako felt bad for not talking to her, but she had the airbender form the United Republic Council there to help her. Besides, he barely knew her anyway, and Bolin came first. He could thank her tomorrow and maybe…be nicer to her or something.
It was only in the dark of his room that all the adrenaline and sheer fear that came with Bolin being captured had tapered off. Mako was suddenly filled with the powerful urge to see if his brother was all right—just to check and make sure he didn’t disappear again, that somehow Amon had come back to grab him in revenge.
To his disappointment Bolin had caught him before he even reached the door. Mako was aware that Bolin tried talking to him, but now that he was there with Bolin awake and could see the bandage in the faint light from the hall …
Bolin was the only thing left on this god-forsaken earth worth living for. After losing both their parents and subsequently their home and possessions, Bolin was the only thing left. As the older brother, it was Mako’s duty to take care of him, and by Agni he wasn’t going to fail in this.
He almost did tonight though. And so when it finally hit him, when it finally clicked in his brain just how close he was to losing the only important thing left in his life … it was too overwhelming. Try as he might to stall the tears, he was hopeless against them.
Mako hated crying. For one thing it hurt his chest and throat, and it always meant bad things; their parents were dead, Bolin was hungry, Bolin was hurt—Mako did his best to avoid crying at all costs. However, if he had to cry in front of anyone and show such a weakness, there was no doubt he would do so around Bolin, because he knew his brother had a big heart and wouldn’t think any less of him.
And so, as Mako found his sobs nearing hysterics, he tightened his grip on Bolin, craving that physical reassurance that his brother was in fact alive and there with him. Then to his surprise, Bolin started rocking back and forth ever so slightly while rubbing circles into his back, just like what Mako did whenever Bolin sought comfort. Now he could see why Bolin enjoyed it.
They stayed like that for a few moments, until Bolin started shaking and Mako could hear the barely restrained sobs echoing in his chest. His own grief was immediately forgotten and Mako pulled back to look his brother in the face. Bolin shied away and tried averting his gaze, but Mako reached out and gently forced Bolin to look at him.
“What’s wrong, Bo?” he asked, his own voice broken and raspy.
Bolin gave a self-deprecating laugh and tried to quickly dry his eyes with a balled up fist. “S-Sorry, I … I was scared I’d n-never see you again either and—” Mako wouldn’t let him finish. (It was Bolin crying after all, and Mako hated that) He roughly pulled Bolin into a hug and the two brothers just sat there on the bed, drawing upon the strength and reassurance each gave the other.
—
When Toza went upstairs the next morning to see how the boys were doing (he had gotten some note about an issue with the Equalists), he was met with a sight that even softened his old heart. The retired pro-bender chuckled and leaned against the doorframe as he stared at the sight that brought back memories.
Both boys were cuddled up on one bed, and the sheer fact that they hadn’t fallen down was impressive to say the least. Bolin was facing his brother, all curled up against him like a young pygmy puma cub with one hand fisted in Mako’s shirt. The older brother had both arms wrapped around Bolin, and while they appeared to be lax, Toza knew from personal experience that Mako could react harshly at any given moment.
The scene of them choosing to sleep together rather than apart reminded Toza of their first year living just above his gym. Mako had made it clear that while he was grateful for the help, it didn’t mean he had to trust Toza. One of the ways he showed this was by snuggling up with Bolin every night to make sure they were safe.
Well enough of that. Toza quietly cleared his throat and shut the door softly as he left. Whatever had happened while he was gone … Toza was sure the chores he had for the two boys could wait.