Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The sun barely hung on the early morning sky, a cold breeze sweeping through the streets and causing a sale sign to bounce off the window it was hanging from. It was foggy and the usually grey stone plaster was covered by a beautiful untouched layer of white.

Two small boys, with torn and ragged clothes hanging off their bodies, dragged themselves through the streets, the taller of the two pulling the smaller behind him, fingers intertwined in each other's hands. The snow crunched softly with every step they took.

Pulling his scarf up his face with his free hand to cover his mouth and nose, the taller boy quickened his pace. It was freezing, he could barely feel his fingers at times, and that despite his blood running hot. Winter had come in harsh, and according to the mumbling in the streets, it will be one of the fiercest the city has ever seen.

They only barely made it out of the last one.

"M-Mako..."
The stutter made him halt in his tracks for just a moment, his head whipping around to face his younger brother's green eyes. They were getting duller lately.

"Come here, Bolin," Mako muffled through his scarf, crouching to get on his brother's eye level. He gently took both of Bolin's hands between his own and allowed his palms to heat up ever so slightly. Watching the blue fingers return to the pale beige color they originally were, Mako gifted his brother a small smile, "Better?"
"Hm-hm!" Bolin nodded eagerly, returning the smile with one of his own, one that was much more genuine than that pitiful excuse Mako had mustered. The smile was bright and warm, enough to melt some of the ice that had been freezing over his chest. Mako ruffled Bolin's hair, "Come on, we're almost there."

The headquarters of the Triple Threat Triad was a decent walk away from their nightly shelter, the trip took them a while on good days, but with the snow sticking heavy to their boots, it took them until sunrise to arrive.

Shady Shin was waiting for them by the door.
The older man had a grim expression on his face with an undertone of annoyance, "You're late," he huffed, elbowing the door open to let the brothers inside. Bolin happily leaped into the building, his little legs ready to beeline to the chimney if Mako hadn't such a tight grip on him.

The two boys followed Shin down the hallway they had grown familiar with over the years. Office, office, bathroom, storage, office, staircase, Mako barely spared the doors a glance, his eyes too buys narrowing at Shin as they walked.

It was as if the older man felt the glare burning into his back since he suddenly slowed in his pace and spoke, "You know, you two could stay here. Have a roof, some walls, actually beds. Beats freezing to death I would say."
"We're not joining the Triple Threads," Mako returned calmly. They offered this to them before, multiple times, ever since Shin ran into the bending brothers a year ago. The answer had always been no- will always be no. He hates how involved they were already, but he would not allow for his brother to go down a path of violence and misery. As soon as he found another way to sustain the two of them, he will bid this place and all the people farewell and never return, but for now, they needed the money. "We're only here for the job."

A lower-ranking goon had approached them the day before, claiming Zolt had a special job that needed the two of them specifically. The thug didn't have any details for them, only insisting that the boss was planning on handing them a pretty pouch of yuan once the job was done. At the offer, something sank deep in his stomach, it hurt worse than the hunger, and it had the hairs on his arm stand in tension. The Triad's had never before sought them out to do a job, it had always been the other way around. It should have alarmed him that they knew where they lived- well, slept- from all the alleys in the city, they just so happened to know which one they had their little camp set up.

Mako accepted, he wasn't in any position to deny money- money to get Bolin food and clothes, money to pay for blankets, or maybe they could scrap together enough to pay for the bathhouse. Bolin and he didn't have a proper shower in... a while.

Enough of that. Fantasizing about what to do with the money could wait until he actually got it. Right now he had to focus. If only the horrible feeling in his stomach would go away.

A gentle squeeze of his hand brought him back to the now, and he tilted his head to see Bolin grinning at him.
He was only eleven years old- half of his life spent on the streets scavenging trashcans for food. They slept in an alley with shoddy earth-bended walls to keep them sheltered from the weather, the clothes they wore were torn beyond usability, scars and bruises on their skin wouldn't heal because their bodies were too weakened to put in the energy, but despite all that, the kid could smile so brightly. It was one of the many things Mako admired his younger brother for, enough so, that Mako had the strength to smile right back, the pit in his stomach numbing by the warmth. Mako lovingly pinched his brother's cheek, to which Bolin protested with a giggle and swatted his hand away.

"Hey-!" The brothers froze at the growl, "We're not on the playground. Come on, get inside, Zolt will tell you what you need to know for the job."
Mako repressed a sigh, and he saw Bolin pouting at the man. The older of the two patted the younger on the back in reassurance, and gently pushed him towards the door Shin held open for them.

"No, not you," The man shoved Bolin away from the door with his arm. Shin used more force than needed to, the child would have fallen if Mako hadn't been right behind him- who was now glaring at Shin with eyes burning as bright and dangerous as as an inferno. His firey hot stare was countered by the unbothered cold of the older man. Almost as if they had entered a fight of silence, yelling profanities at one another in their minds, the two kept eye contact.

Shin was taller than him.
Much taller. Stronger too, in muscle and bending. In no real battle would Mako have any hopes of standing a chance, and both of them knew that.

Mako tore his gaze away from the man with a hiss, his eyes only softening once they landed on Bolin huddled against his chest with his arms wrapping around him, muttering something that got lost in the tattered fabric of his jacket.

"We only need Mako in there, now get in, don't let the boss-man wait," Shin commanded and he tapped his foot impatiently.
"What about Bolin?i" Mako retorted sharply, tightening his grip around his younger brother.
"What about him?"
"You called us both here. And you know we don't do solo runs."
Another moment passed between them.
Mako felt his blood boil to accommodate for the shiver that shuttered through his body. The outside seemed suddenly so much warmer than this hallway, or the door that led to Zolt's office. He even saw the leader sit at his desk with a few of middle-ranking thugs sitting by obediently. They were waiting, and Mako didn't ignore the dread puddling in his stomach this time.

"Yea' you do now."
He didn't like the smirk on Shin's face, and he hated how the men inside the room were staring at him- no, no that wasn't quite right. They weren't staring at him, or rather, not only at him.

He felt Bolin fidget against his chest, Mako shushed him with a squeeze.
It wasn't too late to back out of this. The Triple Threat Triad had nothing over them other than money and sweet promises, Bolin and him weren't risking reputation and limb if they turned their back now and ran. The money... they could get it some other way, they would manage, they always had.

Mako started pulling himself and Bolin away from Shin.
Unfortunately, his attempt didn't go unnoticed. Mako heard the sound of a chair scraping back and his head whipped to the side just in time to catch Zolt walking around his table and towards them.
"You're always so quick to deny us," The triad leader sighed, "Why won't you at least hear us out, who knows, you might like what we have to offer."

Mako allowed for his shoulders to fall, although his body wouldn't relax. The way Shin and Zola moved towards him gave him no was to safely run and bolt. They had him and Bolin cornered, not exactly a position he enjoyed being but far from the first time he found himself in the predicament.

"What do you want us to do?"
Mako wanted to scream when Bokin spoke up. He quickly pulled his hand over his brother's mouth to silence him, although the damage had been done.

Zolt chuckled before laughing out loud, seemingly happy someone finally asked the question. The sudden outburst has the brothers take a step back, and Mako used the moment to push Bolin behind him so that he was sandwiched between him and the wall, as far away from both the triad members as possible. The smaller boy protested it somewhat, trying to wiggle out and stand beside his brother rather than hiding behind him like a coward, only Mako didn't let him and adjusted whenever Bolin moved to keep the human shield persistent.

"Oh, don't be like that, boy," Zolt waved a hand at him, coming closer. Mako backed away, successfully squeezing Bolin against the wall. The younger boy let out a wheeze as the air was literally pressed out of him.

"You see, it's been a while since this place had its last cleaning. Thought Bolin here could get into all the nooks and crannies to wipe them nice and clean, eh?" The fire bender was right in front of them. Zolt pressed the palm of his hand against the wall right above Mako's head, covering both boys in his shadow. "Just a little house cleaning, nothing bad there, and doesn't a job here in the warm house sound nice compared to your usual stick out in the cold?"

Mako repressed his trembling and forced the coming stutter right down his throat before it had the chance to come out, "And what would you need me for?"
Zolt laughed heartedly and patted him on the shoulder with the other hand. It was forceful and hurt.

"Just a quick errand. Someone owes me money on the other end of the city, you go with my boys and help bring back what's mine. And for that, you would get-"
Zolt grabbed his arm and yanked it forward. Mako yelped and tried to recoil but by that time Zolt had already pried his fingers open and placed something inside. It had a soft exterior but there was something hard and round on the inside. It jingled and clattered when it landed in his hand, and Mako could count three seconds in his head before he caught up to what he was handed.

"200 yuan, for both jobs completed."
Mako almost dropped the pouch. It was heavy, but not 200 yuan heavy. He pulled it open and quickly saw that paper bills were sticking out between the coins. That would explain the weight.

"Mako-"
Bolin tugged at his sleeve, Mako made the mistake of looking at his brother. All that stared back were bright eyes, they hadn't been this alive in so long, filled with happiness and hope. Bolin looked like he was close to tears, and for once they didn't appear sad. His mouth was switching between opening to say something and his lips pressing tightly together to stop himself from squeaking in excitement.

Mako wasn't fairing much better.
He would later admit that his mouth started watering at what he held in his hands. They could have a feast with that, or ration it out and have food for the next 2 weeks. They could get new jackets, maybe even get a shot with the bathhouse-

A jolt wrecked him out of his fantasy. He had pinched himself.
This was way too good to be true, that was far too much money for two simple jobs. Their normal ordeal would sometimes barely amount up to 10 yuan.

"You seem skeptical, let me assure you-" Two heavy hands plopped onto his shoulder, Mako felt his knees buckle and he barely collapsed under the weight, "-This money is all yours at the end of today. Given you run our errands."

Mako's mouth went dry. Words formed in his throat but he couldn't choke them out. The money- it wouldn't last them long, but it would make the coming days so much easier, and every day he didn't have to ask himself if they would make it until the next morning was a blessing. But... blessings didn't happen, not to him and Bolin. Not since that fateful night so many years ago.

"We'll do it!"
Bolin snatched the pouch out of his older brother's hands, delighted at the jingle it did as he jumped in the spot with excitement, "Right, Mako? We do the jobs and we get all this money! We have to do it, Mako! Please, please, please!"
"B-Bolin-" Mako could barely speak.

"I see our housekeeper is on board," Zolt bent down and extended a hand towards Bolin. For a fraction of a second, flames danced across Mako's fingertips, and he held himself back long enough to see that all Zolt wanted was for the pouch to be handed back to him. The reward was for afterward, after all.

Bolin shrank back behind Mako, unwilling to let go of the money so soon after getting it, although a demanding cough quickly had him return it to its original owner.

"Now, Mako, what do you say?"
No.
It was what he wanted to say, he tried to convince himself of that, Something wasn't right, something was majorly wrong. He couldn't tell what exactly it was, all his senses flared up at the same time, telling him this was a bad idea.

"Fine, I'm in."

Chapter Text

Muffled mumbling rose from the entrance, unrhythmic tapping and a scoff to hurry it up made themselves noticeable. Marko would spare Zolt's men about a second to glance at them before he redirected his attention back to his younger brother. He held Bolin by his shoulders and looked him deep in the eyes. "Don't worry, little bro, I'll only be gone for a little bit, alright? You won't even notice I'm gone."

A lie, obviously.
It's been a while since they were truly separate, by choice no less. Mako went through great effort to make sure the two of them were always within reach of one another, even when it would have been greatly beneficial to go off solo. The streets were a harsh and unforgiving battlefield, and they had plenty of enemies out there. Schemes and thievery tend to make people remember your face, and Mako had rather him and Bolin be together on the off chance someone was coming after them to take them away.

Mako wished there had been a better reason than money for him to break his habit. He tried to comfort himself in the knowing that this would grant Bolin an entire day in a warm, roofed place away from the snow and with no police to snatch him up forever. He tried telling himself that once this was all over, he would get them a big nice dinner and blankets and it will all be so very worth it.

Taking a deep breath, Mako tightened his fingers around Bolin's shoulders and gave a reassuring squeeze. "And remember, behave. Do what they tell you and don't get into trouble," He said, before leaning closer to whisper, "-But if they try anything funny you whoop their asses and bolt out of here. I'll come find you once I am done."
Bolin gave him a firm nod, something akin to determination sparkling in his eyes, "And then we'll get dumplings?"
Mako ruffled his hair, "And then we'll get dumplings."

Bolin bobbed up and down on his toes, "When you come back, the floor will be so clean here, you'll be able to eat off it!"
"You say so?"
"Yeah! Uh- I mean, we usually eat from the trashcan so any floor is pretty much what we eat off, but-" Bolin shook his head and hands, "You know what I mean!"

"Hurry it up already, we don't have all day!" The goons from the door yelled their way. One of them- the only woman of the three- knocked her fist against the doorframe. Mako could only sigh in response. This was it then.
He moved his hands from his brother's shoulders up to his cheeks and he gave them a squish. "I'm off, see you in a bit, little brother."
Bolin put his hands on top of Mako's to hold them in place for a little bit longer, relishing in the feeling of warm palms on his face. "Be back soon," the eleven year old mumbled, "I love you."
"Love you too, bro."

"Okay, this is taking too long. You!"
All of a sudden, a hand grabbed Mako's scarf, harshly pulling him backward. The yank caused the boy to choke and his hands left his brother's face to pry himself away from the attacker. He managed to tangle his scarf free and backed away from the thug, taking a moment to catch himself and get his heartbeat to slow.

The woman straightened up and put her hands on her hips, "We're leaving. Now."
"Fine," Mako scoffed back, adjusting his scarf and rubbing his throat, "I'm coming."

Mako waved goodbye to his brother and followed the Triad members out the door into the snowy streets of Republic City. The cold hit him square in the face. It luckily wasn't snowing, although the wind carried powdery flakes at them. It was as if the winter itself nested in his stomach when he heard the door fall shut behind him.

No turning back now. Bolin was safe and everything was going to be fine.
Not waiting for another second, Mako began stomping through the snow. The faster this was done, the faster he could get back to his brother.

He didn't bother asking where they were going, nor tried to attempt small talk with any of his fellow thugs. He'd seen their faces around, they weren't high up in the foodchain, two of them weren't even benders, but they had more prominence in the Triple Threats than any recent newcomers would.

The woman was a waterbender, not necessarily a skilled one though. On a full stomach with a night's worth of rest, Mako had no doubt he could take her in a fight. Same goes for the two male goons. He can't really say he ever cared enough to learn any of their names, and he wasn't planning on starting so now. He wasn't part of the Triads and preferred to stay as little involved with them as possible.

And although Mako didn't take part in the conversation, he would still try to listen in. Maybe they had something useful to say, or maybe they would give him any information about this job outside the lines of 'Collecting money for Zolt'.

"Bet you 10 yuan he will ask for another week," One of the men said.
"I'm not gonna join a bet I know I will lose," The woman replied, brushing her hair back. In the motion, she caught a glance at Mako and she leaned offer to her buddy with a smile, "Bet you 20 that he doesn't have the guts to do it."
"Oh, you're on."
Mako narrowed his eyes at them from behind.

Around an hour and some minutes into their trip- he was freezing despite his attempts to warm himself, his breath came out in foggy clouds and his entire body trembled beneath the loose fabrics he had the shame to call clothes- they arrived at a small two-story building. The lower half was connected to the streets and had a little shop window next to the door. The top part seemed to be a small flat for a family to live in.

Unusual for the time of day, the shop seemed to be closed.
That didn't stop one of the thugs from walking up to the door and knocking at it using his foot- if the door had been any less sturdy, it would have broken.
"We know you're in there, Zeelas! Open up!"
He kicked the door harder.
"You had your time!"

This went on for nearly five minutes until the door finally cracked open. A wide pair of sickly-looking eyes peeked from behind the wood, followed by a cough, and before anyone could react, the thug threw open the rest of the door and yanked the man out into the snow. There were small screams of protest coming from somewhere deeper in the house, but Mako also focused on the older man lying in the snow, clearly sick with some kind of flu- his skin had a yellow tint to it and his eyes were bloodshot. It was uncomfortable looking at him and his fragile limbs as he tried to lift his body from the snow. Mako almost felt bad for the guy.

The Triad member pulled the man up by his arm, shaking him roughly, "We're here for the money, where'd ya' put it?"
"I-I-I don't h-have it y-yet!" The man raised two hands in defeat, shaking like a leaf, "P-Please! I... I only need one more week-"
"Zolt is tired of giving you all these 'weeks'. We told ye last time, it's either yer money or the shop."

"You can't take my shop!" The man cried out, lowering his arms in an attempt to pry himself free, "P-Please! I have a wife and five children, this shop is the only income we have!"
The Triad member shoved the man against the wall of his house, "I don't give a fuck! Cough up the money right now or it's goodbye for the shop."
"Please! Just one more week! I can get you the money in one week!"

The thug chuckled and nodded toward his friends, "You heard the man"
"Well then, do your thing, kid," A smile spread across the woman's face and before Mako knew it, he was shoved forward. He stumbled for a second, caught himself, and whipped around. "What?"
"Give us a spark."

Mako felt his breath shudder.
He hated the sinking feeling in his chest that made the outside cold feel like a chilly summer breeze. All his muscles tensed uncomfortably, and a vile taste settled in the back of his throat.

So this is what it was all about, huh?

"You're a firebender. 'Heard you guys are pretty good at fucking other people's shit up," The woman gave him another shove forward, "And this shop would look so pretty once you set it ablaze."
"I-" All words left his tongue at the same time, his brain was racing to come up with a solution.

"I like your fire!"
It had been the first winter they spent out on the streets.
An eight year old Mako sat huddled in an alley close to where their old home used to be, with his six year old brother in his lap. They had a thick blanket around them, covering them both. It did little to actually block out the cold, however.
"You're fire is so warm! And it's very bright and pretty!" The younger boy snuggled deeper into the blanket, though his eyes never left the small campfire his older brother had made for them. They would have probably not made it so far into the winter if it weren't for the older boy's bending. The very same bending he had sworn to never use again. But they were freezing and they had trouble making a fire with rocks and sticks.

"It's safe," The boy eventually mumbled, nudging his brother into a position that allowed him to use the older more effectively as a pillow, "It's safe because you made it," A yawn, "You don't hurt people with your fire. You protect them with it..."

"Bo-" Mako looked down with a reply on his tongue, but his brother had already fallen asleep.

It was funny.
Bolin definitely didn't remember saying any of these things.
But for Mako, those words echoed loud in his ears every time he raised his fist.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled beneath his breath, too quiet for anyone to hear.

His palms heated up, ambers flickering, and small sparks ignited a flame. He let the fire dance across his fingers for a moment, tracking the movement silently with his eyes.

He needed the money.

Then, the older man broke free from the triad member and launched to grasp at him. "Please!" He explained and seized the fourteen year old by the rim of his jacket, the flame vanishing from his hand, "Please, the store is all we have, you can't take it away from us, please- please don't take it-"
"Arg, shut the FUCK up!" The other Triad member came up from behind, tore the man off and threw him back in the snow.

"Dad, no!"
A small voice erupted from inside.
Mako saw a flash of something appearing in the doorway and then quickly got pulled back with a "Eliza, come back here!"

Oh, how he would curse himself for this later, but Mako took a step to the side and peered inside the house.
He saw what he guessed was the man's wife, crouched down and holding two shaking bodies in her arms. Sisters, he presumed. They were crying and clinging to their mother in desperation. Behind them- on the staircase- sat another child. That kid was eight.

As if frozen, Mako kept his eyes on the eight year old. His legs wouldn't move, neither would his eyes. The image bore itself into his mind, with all the little details that Mako refused to see. Those wide eyes filled with fear and confusion, too young to understand what was happening. The silent plea for his dad to come back inside and for those evil people to stop hurting him. The belly that was by no means fat, but chubby enough to prove that the kid hadn't had to experience true hunger before. The cry of a baby came from somewhere upstairs.

"How long are you planning on standing around? Zolt wants us back at the base soon."
The triad woman smacked him on his back, snapping him out of his paralysis.

"There are people still inside," Mako breathed out, his legs wobbled beneath him. He wondered if anyone noticed.
"So?"
"They'll get hurt in the fire... I... I can't-"
"Oh, get over yourself, kid!" The woman gave him another shove, this one successfully forced him into the snow. Mako landed with a dull 'thud'. Snow leaked uncomfortably into his clothes.

The woman now stood above him, watching in annoyance as Mako got to his knees and stand up.
"I'll stop the fire with my bending before it gets too worse. Can't have the cops get up in our ass. Now do your job, unless you want me to tell Zolt how difficult you are being right now. Then you can say your paycheck right goodbye."

Hissing through his teeth, Mako ignited another flame in his hands. It was bigger than the last, and it flickered in the wind with dangerous intent.

"You're fire is so warm! And it's very bright and pretty!"

"Please!" The old man cried out, fighting pathetically against the thug holding him, "Please, don't hurt us! Don't take my family! Don't take my shop!"

He took in a deep breath and tried to calm himself.
His hand nearing the wooden frame of the house.

"It's safe. It's safe because you made it."

"Get on with it already!"
The woman's shouts were dull in his ears.

"You don't hurt people with your fire. You protect them with it."

"Gah!" Mako hissed and threw the flame at the ground, melting the snow all the way down to the plaster of the streets. "I'm not doing it!"
He hated how his hands were trembling now, and his heart wouldn't stop pounding so loudly in his chest. Had it always been so hard to breathe?

One of the male triad members- the one had had been passive in both conversation and action so far- stepped forth, "You will get one more chance."
"I don't need anymore chances," Mako shook his head, "I'm not doing it."
"Now listen closely, you agreed to this."
"I didn't agree to be your weapon! I won't hurt innocent people for you!"

The man let out a long, heavy sigh and put his hands on his hip, "You are a part of this triad and-"
"I might be working for you but I am not part of your stupid gang!"
"Do you understand what will happen if you don't uphold your end of the bargain? Your payment-"
"Screw your money!" Mako snapped back, newfound vigor fuiling his veins and he felt a fire inside of him burn stronger than it had in a long while. Ambers flickered in his eyes, the smell of ash and smoke trailing off his fingers. "No matter how much you pay me, I won't hurt other people for you, and I won't join you either!"

The triad member let out another long sigh. His face deepened to a frown and his gaze drilled into Mako, but the teen refused to be intimidated. He stared back defyingly, fists clenching and unclenching- small sparks flickering whenever he opened his hand. The man looked angry, furious even. And then his expression changed to something even worse. He almost looked happy.

"Zolt was hoping you would finally turn around. With the winter coming in so harsh and all. Don't you want a safe place to sleep? A secure roof over your head? Do you really want to risk your brother's safety over your damn pride?"
"You leave Bolin out of this!" Mako snapped with a bark. Out of instinct, he whipped his head to the side, half expecting his brother to stand there so that he could pull him away from the danger unfolding. But his brother wasn't there. He had come here alone, Bolin was still back at the triad's headquarters. He couldn't quite decide if he was glad about that or not.

"Oh, right, you don't know."
"Know what?" Mako's voice was low, growling almost. He unconsciously took a few steps back, his body tensing and ready to defend himself. Flames started forming out of the small clouds of fog coming from his mouth as he breathed.
At that, the triad member laughed out loud, "Why do you think the big boss was so insistent that you come here alone?"
Mako stepped back, his fists clenched. If Bolin had come with him, he would have for sure tried to stop him from even thinking about using his flames to hurt anyone. Did they kept him at the base for some kind of insurance? A way to make sure nothing interrupted the plan. Mako scoffed. Even without Bolin here, he refused to steep on a level this low.

Something on his face must have given him away, because the triad only laughed louder. "I think you are mistaken," the man huffed, "We were not planning on keeping him away from you, the opposite really, we wanted to make sure you were nowhere near to help him."

No.
Nonono- Bolin.
Mako turned so fast his vision turned white for a moment. He turned back to where he had come from, his earlier footsteps still imprinted in the snow. If he ran then maybe-
He needed to get back to his brother. Now.

His entire body shook in preparation to run. He didn't know if he could- what was he thinking, he couldn't afford to doubt. He was going back to his brother and he will make sure they never run into the triads ever again. This was a mistake. It all was a big mistake! He should have never- damnit!
Then, before he would take off, strong arms wrapped around him from behind, seizing him by the wrists. Mako yelped and tried to push out his elbow for a strike only to hit air. Then, the hand around his wrist turned- and twisted- and Mako's legs couldn't keep him upright as the pain brought him to his knees. The hand never let go off him- it actually held on tighter now.

Breathing heavily through the pain, Mako twisted his head. The person that grabbed him was one of the two male triad members. With a grunt, he turned back to where the other two stood.
The waterbending woman came up and took position next to her buddy. "Good job, Fred, I wanted to tell him!" She looked somewhat disappointed, although she was smiling, "Now look at him, you got him all riled up."

She reached deep into her pocket, "Not a bad performance. Here is your cut, now scram." When her hand emerged again, it was wrapped around a thick stack of bills. Those must have been worth at least 800 yuan. The woman carelessly threw the cash bundle at the old man- who Mako realized had gotten up and stood by idly, not much reacting to him or anything really. But when the money came flying at him, he caught it in clumsy hands before quickly bowing down," Thank you. Thank you so much," and rushing back into his house.

The slam of the door closing rang in Mako's ears.
Some of the rageful smoke clouding his eyes cleared up and he blinked. Once, twice, and he slowly turned his head to the door. Did... Did he just...

"You look surprised," the woman said, walking up to him and then coaching down to be on eye level with the teen. The smile spread across her face had faded but not disappeared, "Don't look so upset, you won me 20 yuan."
"You tricked me!" Mako barked back, his entire body lunging forward in an attempt to bite- at that his body was harshly shoved back and one of the hands that held him released his wrist and grabbed him by the hair. The next moment, his face was slammed into the snow full force. For once, he was happy it was winter.

The woman chuckled, "Feisty. I can see why Zolt is so fond of you. You make for a good Triple Threat."
Mako lifted his head out of the snow, a growl still present on his lips, "I'm not..."
"Yeah, we'll see about that," And the woman waved him off. She then turned to her buddies with a smirk, "The boss won't be happy to hear he failed his test. I wonder what he is going to do with him."

The hands holding him were relentless. Mako struggled against the hold with the entire strength his body could give. He tried to kick, bite- he threw his head back and grunted. He could barely firebend with his hands like this, but he knew he had to try if he wanted to free himself. He halted in his movements and took one, deep breath. His palms heated up- a familiar tingle running through them- and he let it grow, hotter and hotter until he knew it would hurt when he were to release. A flame, hot and bright, flashed before his inner eye and then, he let it loose. The man behind him let out a loud shout and released him.

Mako dropped to the snow, caught himself, and quickly straightened up.
He brought his fists close to his face and brightens his flames. The were still small all things considered, but he surprised himself by how much fuel his aching body had left. He knew though, that he wouldn't be able to keep this up for long. His fire was already flickering.

The triad member he had burnt held one hand in the other. Some of his fingers were turning red from the irritation, but his face was much redder than his hands. "You little piece of shit-!" He roared, his eyes catching Mako's, and the teen sank down just a little bit. His throat felt a lot tighter and his muscles tensed, but he held his ground. "You will pay for this!"
"Give me your worst," Mako returned, holding his fists higher. His eyes flickered between the man he burnt and the two other train members. the woman by now had bended some water out of her pouch and looked as ready for a brawl as he was. The other member was more reserved, apparently not in the mood to get burnt too.

Mako kept his hands up and ready to defend himself.
The triple threads members weren't moving at him, holding their ground as well. Mako hissed, feeling as his flames began to fade. Were they stalling him out?
"Alright kid, surrender and maybe I can put a nice word in for you and convince Zolt to lessen your punishment. That sound's nice, no?" The one member- What was he called? Fred? It didn't matter- stepped forth, arms raised in defense but with that stupid smirk blasted on his face that told Mako that he didn't had much of a choice. He disagreed.

"I'm not afraid of you," Mako spat at them, "Hurt me as much as you want."
"Oh, you won't be the one hurting."
"What do you-"
"You're brother, remember?"

At that, this heart stopped. Literally stopped for a second. It was so abrupt and absurd that he thought he might have imagined it. He sucked in a cold breath of air. His limbs were shaking. Fire pushed past his nostrils.
"If you touch a SINGLE HAIR ON HIS HEAD-!"
A beam of water jabbed him across the face and Mako got thrown into the cold snow. He coughed and tried to wipe the water out of his vision to see- his head was spinning. His head was hurting.

House cleaning...
He really was stupid...

Mako propped himself back up.
Three blurry figures grew bigger as they came toward him.
He growled and forced himself to his knees.
Mako rose his fists again, his arms hurt and they were trembling.
He's not going to let them. They won't be hurting his brother.

Chapter Text

Mako groaned, battling with himself to pry his eyes open. His head hurt, and his entire body felt numb and wet. His clothes stuck to his body in an uncomfortable way, but when he tried to shift to get rid of the discomfort, he realized he couldn't move. His body was heavy, with each of his limbs feeling like they had been disconnected from his torso.

Trying to blick the dizziness away, his mind slowly began to take in his surroundings. He was on the streets, moving, just... not moving himself. His legs and feet were being dragged lazily, lugging behind his unresponding body and leaving a Mako-sized trail in the snow.

Everything was numb, and felt far away, not quite connected with anything. The only feeling he had was on his wrist- his entire arm pulsed with pain, he couldn't feel his fingers at all. The moment he moved his head he felt as if his skull was splitting open, everything flashed white and he couldn't help but whine in pain. His ears rang with a buzzing sound and something repeatedly smashed against his skull from the inside, a stupid knocking and doorbell ringing mixing to the most horrendous melody he ever heard.

Eventually, things softened and he foolishly tried to move his head again to check what was causing the pain in his arm. Foreign fingers have wrapped around his wrist, squeezing and yanking at it. And the one doing all that was no other than the female Triple Thread member he fought earlier.

Right...
He tried to fight them.
And he lost. Quite embarrassingly too- he remembered getting a good punch or two in, and he definitely burned the tips of the woman's hair off, which was hilarious to watch- but in the end, it was three adults against a teen. He hadn't expected to get out of this unscathed, and if his split lip and black eye had anything to say, he didn't. His nose might be broken too.

Another groan pushed past his lips.
He tried to move but his body still wouldn't respond. Everything felt so heavy... He couldn't even feel the snow pressing against his face as he was dragged through it.
It should be midday now, people are supposed to be on the streets doing... stuff. Why was no one questioning the half-conscious kid being carted off? Mako scoffed. Stupid assholes probably were too busy with their fancy lives of food and warm houses to care for such unpleasantries. He cursed every single one of them that his blurry vision fell upon.

He was about to slip back into the dark lands of bliss when his head collided with something hard and sent a shockwave of pain down his spine. This was followed up by another hit and another one after that. "GAH-!" Through the splitting headache now forming and threatening to explode his brain, he realized that what he was hit with were stairs. Familiar stairs. Just before his mind could do the last jump, his body was dropped to the floor, and all his thoughts were once again jumbled up.

His ears rang for a moment- a painful high-pitch echoing in his mind- the first clear word he was able to make out was a frightful shout of his name.
"Mako!"
And small footsteps racing up to him.
Mako willed himself to force his eyes back open and stare back at the wide green eyes- big and round and oh so filled with worry- scanning over his injuries.

"Mako-" Bolin dropped to his knees beside him, "What happened? Are you alright? I-Is that blood?! Did someone hurt you? Y-Your soaking wet! A-And freezing!"
Bolin's small hands grabbed him by the rim of his jacket and pulled, dragging- or rather attempting to drag- him over to the fireplace. "You need to warm up!"

Mako let out a low whine at how his sore body protested against being moved- everything ached and he wished for nothing more than to pass out again. But he couldn't. Not as long as his brother sounded so worried about him.

With what little strength he had in his body, Mako helped Bolin push himself further to the fire, dropping like a rock once they were close enough for the flames to warm him. Feeling the heat lick against his frozen limbs was bolstering, and he soaked up the warmth with every passing second. But the cold just wouldn't go.

His limbs were shaking.
Even with him right next to the fire, he was freezing. Mako started chewing his tongue just to have something- anything- to distract him from how miserable his body was feeling.

The next time he managed to open his eyes, his vision cleared up a little more. Bolin sat right next to him, his hands hovering over his body while his head wildly snapped from one side to the other, probably trying to find something that could help warm him up faster. He hated seeing his brother scared, and he hated that he was the reason for his worry.

Mako opened his mouth to whisper some reassurance about how things were fine and that Bolin didn't have to worry about him, but all words died on his tongue when his roaming eyes graced the figures standing by the door.

The triad members he had been with grinned back at him once they noticed he was looking. Their stupid smiles made his stomach turn. He returned their expressions of glee with a vicious snarl. His entire throat burst with pain at the vibration but he chose to ignore that. He had to ignore that. Just ignore it. Ignore Zolt and Shady Shin and the other triad members standing there beside those three- all of them looking at him with the same delighted expression of hunger. Like a predator once they have their prey cornered.

Laying there unable to move with his body already battered, Mako never felt this vulnerable before.
Exhaustion screamed at him, but Mako forced himself to prop himself up on his arm and slowly rise to a semi-sitting position. He knew he couldn't defend himself in his state, less so protect his brother, but at the very least, he might be able to buy some time.

He didn't know what the triple threats were going to do to him- he had never failed one of their little jobs before- but he knew that none of the gangs in Republic City were kind to those who couldn't get the job done.

He had witnessed people disappear. One day they were sent away for a job, the other they would return with a message of failure, and the next, they were gone. Anyone who started asking questions was soon to follow.

Hustle or get hustled.
It is the number one rule for a reason.

But it wasn't himself he was scared for.
No. The words the triple threats told him earlier were what truly made his heart race. It wouldn't be him that would have to pay for his reluctance. The mere thought of what they were going to do to Bolin- not him, Bolin, his younger brother, his younger brother who did nothing wrong, the one reason why Mako woke up in the morning, the only reason he had to keep fighting to live- No, he couldn't- wouldn't let them.

"Bo," Mako huffed in strain, finally able to get his two feet under him.
His stance was wobbly and for a moment his vision blacked out completely. He caught himself before falling, although moments later, he realized that the sole reason he hadn't gone back to hugging the floor was because Bolin acted as his crutch, steadying him by lending his shoulder to lean on.

It was the first time he got a look at this brother- an actual close look.
Bolin was uninjured, a bit tired maybe, but there wasn't a single bruise on him that hadn't been there already the day prior. Really, the only thing out of the ordinary was how utterly anxious his face was, and how he was shaking just as badly as Mako did despite being inside the warm house all day.

"You shouldn't be standing!" The younger of the two whined, "Here, I can help you lay down again. And- And I can ask Zolt for maybe a blanket and some water, and-"
"Bolin," Mako didn't know if it was the sharpness or the urgency in his voice, but his little brother fell quiet, "I need you to run."

Bolin tightened his grip on him, "What?"
"I'll explain later, but I need you to get out of here."
"Mako, what's going on? What about you? Y-You're hurt!"
"Don't worry about me," Mako kept his voice low and his eyes trained on the thugs. It seemed that whatever conversation they were having was ending now, as Zolt disbanded from the bigger group and started to approach them. He was getting closer. Closer to them. Closer to Bolin.

Mako pushed past his brother and took a protective step forward, just for his legs to immediately buckle and give out under him. He crashed to the floor with a "Gah!" and a groan. His entire vision swam, shadows slowly creeping up to him from the corners of his eyes. Damn, how bad did these guys beat him while he was unconscious? His body was killing him...

"Mako!"
Bolin dropped next to him, shaking him, "Mako, are you alright!? Mako!"
"Bo-" Mako attempted to push his brother away, his shaking hand barely brushing over his brother's chest, "-Leave..."
His arm dropped back to the floor limply, and Mako was content with remaining like this forever, just stuck to the polished floorboards next to the fire for all eternity. Maybe one day he will start to feel his body again.

Although, with his ear right on the floor, he couldn't possibly overhear the approaching steps- slow and steady and clearly with a purpose. It made him tilt his head, just enough to see what was happening, and who was getting closer.

Zolt.

And Bolin was still glued to his side.
"You-"
Before he could finish- or even start- his sentence, Bolin let go of him. The small flicker of hope that his brother would take his advice and bolt faded with the wind when Bolin took a stance before him, legs apart and arms raised with his hands forming fists.

That...
That idiot!
Mako put some weight onto his arms to haul himself up and immediately crashed. "Bolin..." he whined, "Please..."
"It's alright, Mako," his brother turned to give him a determined look, "I won't let them hurt you."

But Mako could see he was shaking.
They both knew they were fucked. This wasn't a fight they were going to win. It never had been. Yet, Bolin refused to step away, standing strong no matter how much Zolt closed in on him.

Mako's throat got tighter. He clawed at the floorboard and tried to drag his body forward. His eyes stung, although he barely felt anything over the numbness- aside from his heart, which was beating fast enough that Mako was concerned about it exploding out of his chest. He had to get Bolin away, quickly.

In the end, he barely moved an inch from his original position.
His limbs burned- screamed in agony even. Mako couldn't move any further despite how much he wanted to. His breath came out in fast huffs of air and it was all he could do to keep him from passing out.

Zolt by now had crossed the hall to them, standing only a few feet away. He stopped there on purpose it seemed, extending a welcoming hand out towards the two brothers.
Bolin regarded the appendage long and carefully.

"Why don't you come over here for a moment, Bolin?" The firebender offered with a mild smile on his face. Mako realized all of a sudden how quiet the entire room had become. He didn't necessarily remember it to be loud earlier, but the silence was piercing to him now. The only constant noise was the crackles coming from the fireplace next to him.

Bolin didn't accept the hand. He stared at it intently but never moved to take the offer. His gaze shifted up by a little bit. "You hurt my brother," he said, his voice wavering, "Why?"
"He attacked us first! We only acted in self-defense!" One of the triad members behind Zolt yelled out, only to be shushed when the leader raised his hand.

"We gave your brother a very simple job today. Similar to you, Mako only had to follow orders. But unlike you, he couldn't do that."
The last part had Zolt's voice dip lower. Bolin carefully took a step back and closer toward his older brother, shooting him a briefly concerned glance mixed with something that Mako couldn't quite place. He had never seen that look on his brother's face before, and it wasn't any emotion he could accurately single it out as. It held hints of uncertainty and doubt, fear and resignation. Mako didn't know that look but he had already decided on hating it.

Once Bolin caught his eye, the two brothers shared a long look. It was their secret little language, something only the two of them could understand. Mako prided himself on the fact that he could always tell what was going on in his brother's head. Whether Bolin was happy or excited, uneasy or scared, Mako could tell, despite the younger one's attempt to hide his emotions- and being very bad at it.

But now, Mako drew a blank.
"Bolin!" Both Bolin and Mako flinched at the sudden booming voice. Immediately all attention was back to Zolt. The man hadn't moved, but his stance had changed. He towered above the two boys with a deep glare. "Come over here," he said, slowly, "Now."

Bolin sank in on himself. Mako could see the exact moment it happened- how Bolin's expression morphed to something much more akin to defeat, and how he tried to hide his head between his shoulders. His eyes quickly jumped from Mako to Zolt and back in rapid succession.

In the end, it was only a short moment of hesitation.
Bolin tightened his fists until his knuckles turned white, and despite his shaking legs, he crept towards the lightingbender.
Mako grunted from the strain it took to make his body move, but it was all he could do as he reached out a desperate hand to reel his brother back. His fingers brushed faintly against his brother's shirt, curling just a second too late, and just like that, Bolin was out of reach. His arm dropped back to the ground, and Mako reluctantly let the exhaustion wash over him as his beaten body throbbed with pain.

Just, he couldn't simply lay there and do nothing. Not until he got Bolin out of this building and somewhere safe. Far away from the triads.

Bolin slowly approached Zolt. Once he was close enough, the man grabbed him by the arm and pulled him the rest of the way, pushing him close against his chest with an iron grip that didn't allow the boy to pull back again. Bolin winced out loud at the harsh pull, the hands holding him by the shoulders were tight enough to leave bruises.

Zolt turned the young boy around so that Bolin was facing his brother- his back to Zolt's chest. One of the hands Zolt kept on Bolin's shoulders moved up- now resting on top of Bolin's head, making the young earthbender shrink in on himself. The growl Mako felt rise in his throat came instinctively, and once again, he fought to stand up. "Take your hands... off my brother..." He hissed through his teeth.

"You two really are something," Zolt hummed while running his hand through Bolin's hair, his fingers combing through them and undoing some knots, although not gently. "Orphan street rats with nowhere to go. Yet, you refuse the only people who have ever offered you a home."

Mako followed Zolt's movement with murderous intent. He could feel his blood rise in temperature every time the lightningbender came in contact with his brother. Everything in his vision blacked out but Zolt and Bolin. He could see every minor detail, any change in posture, every little flinch from his brother when the older man put his hand down.

Zolt's hand stilled for a moment, though his fingers continued to play with a strand of Bolin's hair. He curled it and pulled it, and eventually dropped it. Then picked it up again. Meanwhile, the boy beneath that hand wouldn't dare to move. Bolin tried to keep his trembling to himself, fidgeting with his hands and avoiding eye contact with his brother at all costs. Every time he felt the thicker fingers run through his hair, the shaking would get worse, and he blinked away moisture from his eyes.

Mako observed as it happened right in front of him. His body was in agony, but his body was also burning with pure static. "I said-" the words were accompanied by little flames spewing from his lips, "Take. your. hands. off. him!"

And a wave of fire erupted from his fist as he aimed right for the leader's head. The flames were quickly caught, redirected, and dispersed until they were only small ambers flickering out before they managed to touch the floor. Zolt seemed unimpressed, maybe even downright annoyed, at the attack. Both his hands came down again to where they had formerly rested on Bolin's shoulder- the boy flinching yet again- and he started squeezing.

"It's a pity, really. You two have potential."
Fingers dug into Bolin's flesh and the boy yelped, finally squirming and trying to move away, but Zolt's hold was relentless. Simultaneously, the sparks around Mako's fists busted into loud flames that raged wildly up his arms. A little bit bigger and he might set the building ablaze.

Zolt narrowed his eyes at him, a silent command to stay where he was. Mako wouldn't though, which in turn made Zolt raise a hand of his own, revealing that he too was casting his element. It made Mako follow the path to his other hand- still on Bolin's shoulder. The fabric was charred and the smell of burnt became more prominent.

At that moment, a red vail flashed before Mako's eyes and he charged.
"I'LL--"
"Mako, stop!"
Mako tripped and stumbled, flailing wildly with his arms to catch and save himself from the embarrassment of landing on his face. He was only inches away from Zolt and Bolin.
Mako backed up a few steps, adjusting his stance and regaining his footing. His flames have vanished in his fall and some of the earlier dizziness came back, twice as strong as it had been before. Or thrice.

With an increasingly blurring vision, Mako stared at Bolin.
His brother stared back with wide eyes. Bolin slowly shook his head at him, eyes watering and his lips tightly pressed together. There was this look again. The same as before, just more intensive.

Mako focused on that expression. It was all he could do to distract himself from how Zolt's hand was on Bolin's neck, fingers hovering just above his flesh but the heat radiating off Zolt's palm was searing enough to irritate the boy's skin and have it turn an ugly red.
Bolin could no longer hold back the tears and they ran down his cheeks in fat droplets, and his shaking reached a peaking point. Malnourishment had an effect on both brothers in making them shorter than the average teen, but in that very moment, Bolin was... tiny.

Zolt saw the hesitation and chuckled.
"Listen Mako, I am not all that much into fighting children. It's beneath me," the man said, tapping Bolin's neck with a finger- the other four still hovering above his skin, "-So I'll let you go with a warning. Don't disobey me again."
He laid off Bolin and gave the boy a shove, pushing him right into his brother. Bolin clung to him immediately, grasping his shirt tightly and burying his face in his older brother's chest.

Mako didn't waste a single second and wrapped his arms tightly around Bolin and pulled him back, pushing the younger closer to the exit. He had one of his hands on Bolin's back and the other holding the back of Bolin's head. He gave reassuring pads and squeezes every other second in hopes of calming some of the shaking.
"M-Mako..."
"It's alright Bolin, I got you," Mako squeezed a little harder, "I got you."

While attempting to comfort his little brother, Zolt stepped around them, "You can go now. But Mako-" Mako pulled his brother tighter to his chest and glared at the bender that rounded them, "-I expect you back here tomorrow. We will try this again. And bring your brother."

Mako didn't answer. He had many choice words stored up but held his tongue. Only a little longer and he had Bolin out of the door. Then he could curse out the world and everyone in it, and let fantasies of how he overpowered and beat the most dangerous man in this city sector rummage through his mind. Oh, how great it would have felt to have landed that punch earlier...

Mako reached the door and turned the knob. The cold hit him in the face. He welcomed it. This building was much too warm anyway.
"Hold on, I have one more thing for you."
Mako turned fast. Fast enough to react to the pouch thrown at him. He caught it in hand and weighed it.
"For the housekeeping," Zolt said, ginning and then waving them goodbye. Mako grunted for an answer. He didn't need to check to know it was less than promised in that pouch.

Finally, the threatening door closed and Mako felt all the tenseness strip off his body like it was mud in a hot shower.
Mako pressed Bolin as close to his chest as he physically could. It was okay. Everything was going to be okay.

Bolin was mumbling something under his breath that was too muffled to understand clearly. All but a few words. "S-Sorry... I'm sorry..."
"It's fine, Bolin, it's okay," Mako whispered back softly and began to put distance between them and the triad headquarters.

The brothers were practically glued to each other the entire time they hiked through the snow. It took a while for the immediate shock of everything to wear off. His head was hurting badly trying to process and going over it all again. He couldn't believe how stupid he had been, leaving Bolin all alone in the heart of the Triple Threat territory. He could have been hurt or- or worse... Anything could have happened in the few hours they were apart, the longer he let his mind gather ideas, the more he felt his insides turn. All the things they could have done to Bolin, and Mako would have been none the wiser until returning once it was way too late.

He imagined himself standing in the doorframe, Bolin before him, on the ground, a lake of red spilling out of him. Wide, lifeless eyes stared at him with dried tears staining his cheeks, a silent wonder hanging in the air as to why Mako hadn't protected him like he had promised. And standing above the corpse was the man he hated the most in the world- a knife which by all means was more a dagger than a knife, stained in the blood of his family. His mother and father lay where his brother had moments before, the same expression on their face and their screams busted his eardrums because they were so loud and haunting and he couldn't take it anymore.

Mako stopped abruptly.
He had to remind himself how to breathe. In. Out. In. Out.
Bolin was safe. Bolin was okay. His neck was a little irritated from when Zolt used his bending, but it already looked less swollen, and Bolin's clothes absorbed most of the damage from the assault on his shoulder. Everything was okay.
In. Out.

Bad decisions were nothing he could afford right now- ever. Nothing he could afford. Periode.
"...Mako...?"
Mako could feel a tug at his shirt. He looked down and- No. No, no, no, no- Not that look again. He still couldn't make heads or tails of what this expression meant and his mind was much too exhausted to come up with any theories. So, Mako bent down and held his brother by the arms, making sure Bolin was looking him in the face. "Bo," he began, putting emphasis on the urgency in his voice, "Tell me the truth. Did anything happen while I was gone? Did they do anything to you?"

Bolin pulled back as if he were struck by something. He looked shaken and his face- the expression intensified and Bolin quickly looked away and hid his face.
"N-No-" He stuttered, shaking his head wildly, "I just cleaned..."
A lie.
"Bolin."
"It's the truth! They gave me water and rags and had me clean everything until you came back! They... they didn't touch me, I promise!"

Mako's legs carried him over to where Bolin had jumped and he took him by the hand, wrapping his own around Bolin's.
"Bolin, please, if they did anything to you-"
"They didn't! Please, I promise you!" Bolin returned eye contact, and where a second ago the mysterious expression stood, was now determination and desperation, "They didn't hurt me! They... I'm okay...

There was a barely noticeable quiver in his voice, and he tried to pull away from his brother, only for Mako to not let him this time. Starting to chew on his lip, Bolin let his head hang low- perhaps to hide the new tears forming. "I was worried because you were gone so long... I thought they did a bad thing to you... and then- then they did!"

Something crammed inside Mako's chest. "Oh, Bolin..."
Bolin slapped the comforting hand away, "They DID hurt you! They hurt you and- and... and I-" The tears were fat and came down in small waterfalls along his cheeks, "I wasn't there and what if- what if they had- what if you-!"

"Bolin," Mako got him to stop by placing a hand on his cheek and wiping the falling tears away with his thumb, "It's alright. See, I'm right here. They need to try harder if they want to make me away from you."
Ah, there it was, that tale tale sign that he once again gave the worst possible response. Bolin's sad frown turned to one of anger and shoved harshly.
"I don't want them to try harder? And I don't want you to get hurt even a little bit!"

Mako nodded, his heart was heavy.
If life was only that ease. Mako envied the seemingly perfect world of peace his brother so often envisioned. One where no one went hungry or cold.
"You're right, I'm sorry," He mumbled, "I'll be more careful from now on, alright? Then you no longer need to worry."
Bolin looked up at him with his mouth slightly open. More tears came crashing down, "Mako-!" And he slammed himself against his brother's chest. The eleven year old wept loudly.

Whatever passer-by hadn't noticed the two homeless kids causing a scene in the middle of the street were now stopping to observe.-
But not a single one came to see if they were alright.
Never did anyone come to help them.
Mako's face hardened.
And no one ever will.
It mattered little what faith would befall the two orphaned children. Whatever life threw at them, they had to deal with it, and if they were to ever win the fight, Mako was sure that the battle would have left them broken by then.

Mako allowed Bolin to cry, but while he did he also ushered him closer to the alley they called home.
Home.
They had none.
But man, the crudely arranged earth structure with its ragged blankets and moldy leftovers sure felt like one after the day they had.

"...Sorry... I wish I could help you more..." Bolin sobbed while leaning heavily on his brother.
Mako put him down and ruffled his hair. He noticed the small flinch at the touch, and in his mind, he immediately threw every curse he knew at Zolt.

Mako used that moment to grab one of the used blankets they kept on the pile and pulled it towards them, wrapping it around Bolin before pulling his brother into a one-arm hug.

Bolin took a moment to get his reaction under control and he soon leaned into the touch, soaking it up like he was starved for it. The solace made most of the build-up stress leave his shoulders and the young boy let out a deep breath. "...I... I don't want to go back to the Triple Threats tomorrow..."
Mako sat down next to his brother and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close so they were connected by the hip, "Neither do I. And we won't go back. Don't worry about it."

Bolin curled up against him, holding on tightly, "But... Won't they be mad if we don't show up tomorrow?"
"They can be mad all they want," Mako replied, rubbing his hand comfortably up and down Bolin's arm, "We will be long gone before they get here."
Bolin blinked at him, "What do you mean?"

"The Triple Threats are no longer safe for us to work for," Mako said while reaching for a blanket to wrap around himself. A third- and last- blanket was then spanned across both of them to further isolate from the cold. The brothers huddled closer together under their little earth tent and watched the sky. It was still a while until noon, and Mako would have to get up soon and see if he could get some food with the money they made, but the sky was turning darker, hinting toward an upcoming storm. It was going to be a harsh night.

Mako leaned against the earth wall, and Bolin repositioned so he could use his brother's lap as a pillow. The older of the two continued to give loving and soothing cuddles. He knew how much Bolin graved them.

"You should rest. We're leaving early in the morning," Mako pushed some hair out of his eye. It was getting longer again, he had to look into getting it cut soon. "We will leave the city and go somewhere better. Far away from the Triple Threats. It's going to be okay, Bo."
He should have done this much sooner.
He should have never let it come to this. But it was going to be alright. Tomorrow, they would start anew.

Bolin nuzzled him in the side and made himself comfortable.
"Mako?" He chimed up, "I love you."
"I love you too, little bro."

Yeah, it was going to be just fine.