Author's Note: Just a quick oneshot while I attempt to get a feel of the characters think, behave and move.

Korra's movements are long and languid, like the water she controls. Mako easily sees through them. His counter, sharp jabbing bursts of fire, form a marked contrast to her waterbending.

It reminds him of the stance she used against the Equalists.

Unfazed, she responds with an earthbending move; he nimbly dodges the chunks of rock and kicks the last piece back at her. Korra backflips out of the way and he grins; she's showing off now.

Close combat is something they can't afford to have when fighting them.

Mako sends a stream of fire after her. She nullifies it into steam with a wave of her hand (and a generous stream of water from the grating) and promptly disappears from view.

Cover; an effective tactic. Like the noxious green smoke they used.

He can feel her intent hovering somewhere behind his left ear. A preemptive blow in her direction is met with her arm with a dull smack, and growing impatient, she brings them out of the cloud of steam.

Ever impatient. A quality that very nearly cost her.

They trade blows without bending for a while. He grows exasperated by her unpredictable style; while he prides himself on his unconventional firebending style honed by years of streetfighting, she has three elements (and the inkling of the fourth) to draw on. A textbook firebender would have been lying facedown on the floor by now. As it is, Mako is barely able to contain her.

And even that is no advantage against an enemy that doesn't play by the rules.

Mako finally decides enough is enough, and drops to the floor, his leg sweeping out at hers in a move learnt off a renegade earthbender (who moonlighted as a dancer). Predictably she blocks it, but the split second is lost and he puts space in between them. He even has time for a cocky grin before unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks.

They always press close. They need to be near enough to hit the right points on a bender's body, to numb the limbs. To temporarily nullify their bending.

Korra plunges through the wall of fire and seizes his wrists in a bold move he wasn't quite expecting. Her momentum carries her all the way against his chest, and then the both of them against the gym wall. She grins, triumphant. "Yield."

Mako can't answer at first; the weight of her body (heated from her exertions) doesn't give him much breathing room. But eventually he doesn't grin back, he just smiles. "Never."

Banter is wasted on the Equalists. The entire movement is as grim and foreboding as their leader. It's a thought Bolin said out loud once, and Mako found it interesting enough to keep.

He flings his arms outward, forcing Korra to let go of his wrists. While she's off balance, he keeps up a flurry of coordinated attacks; to her upper torso, her footing, back to her arms, back to her legs. Fire traces his movements in the air; the sharp tang of ozone lingering after each blow.

Their fighting style is light and flexible. He's never been a very traditional firebender, and that's probably the only reason why he's still alive after this many encounters with them.

Mako has forced Korra on the defensive and she reacts with an airbending move; she rolls and sidesteps his attacks, placing her feet lightly. He's waited for this; testing his skills against the Avatar, hoping the counters he's devised work.

As do they.

He feints, darts, and lunges. She, still unfamiliar with airbending, doesn't respond quickly and correctly enough, and falls into his trap. To be precise, they literally fall and he attempts to cushion her head with his hands like the overprotective big brother he is. But she's Avatar Korra, and she doesn't need to be cushioned. She falls neatly and Mako clumsily lands on top of her, somewhat marring her picture-perfect finish.

When he realizes how close they are, all thoughts of the Equalists magically vanish.

They take a moment to recover, panting hard. She's sprawled in an undignified position on the gym floor, her elbows propping her upper body up. Mako is attempting to get up from his spot in her lap, face as red as his element.

"You beat me," she says in surprise. He's too busy scrambling away to a platonic distance to answer properly. "Uh... I did?"

Korra's face splits into a grin. "Heeey, not bad, Mako!" She punches his arm. "That was a great match."

He mumbles a reply. She cocks her head in mild bewilderment.

"Something wrong? Did you hurt yourself?"

No, I didn't. I'm just being Mako, who is an arrogant jerk who is suddenly too conscious of how close we are.

"No, I'm fine." He takes a deep breath and ignores the sensation of her hand on his shoulder, which brings back dangerous memories of her clinging to his arm; to the warmth of her head on his shoulder.

She's dangerous when she stares at him with those cerulean blue eyes, because she makes Mako feel like he could get lost in them. He opens his mouth, preparing to snap at her, to pretend he isn't affected by her, like he always does –

– but luckily, something about Korra's eyes today stops him. They've shared an understanding, he and she, and he now knows she doesn't deserve this.

So instead he smiles at her. "Thanks," he says.

And just like that, her sunny expression is back in place. "No problem." She stands up and offers her hand to him. The old Mako would have lashed out, angry with her that she would think he is weak, but things between them are different now. He takes her hand, lets her pull him up (with ease, he notes a little bitterly).

"Thanks," he says again, ignoring the inanity. Now that equilibrium is established, Mako's a little hurt her face doesn't betray any emotion, that she doesn't seem to be going through the same thing he is. Sure, it means admitting he's weak, but...

He's still holding her hand.

Their fingers fly apart. Both are blushing fiercely. His mind is whirling, searching for something to fill the suddenly awkward space.

"Uh... I'm going to check up on Bolin. Make sure he isn't getting himself in trouble again." Mako hears himself saying the words, and he winces internally. He's being the distant, serious one again like always.

"...sure. I'm going to take a shower." She turns to leave. "See you later?"

"Later."

Mako doesn't watch her walk away, because he's too immersed in thought. She's the Avatar, and you're just Mako, jerk extraordinaire who doesn't even have the guts to admit to himself that waking up in the park with her wasn't too bad.

Bolin's often told him he thinks too much to enjoy life, and sometimes he's inclined to agree.

And of course, he doesn't see Korra blush as she walks away, and skip down the corridor towards the showers.