It was the third night in row.

Mako crept towards her room, right down the hall from his own. It was such a quiet whimper, but he could tell it was Asami. She was trying so hard to silence it, to stop the tears and the pain. She didn't want him to come to her aid again.

But he wasn't going away. Pride aside, she needed him.

Lingering affection for another aside, he needed her.

He knew that now.

He tipped the door open and peeked in. There she was, dressed in a yellow nightgown, gripping the metaled tips of the electric glove. Her hair draped over her face and her fingers shook. She had never suspected, would never had known…

Without further hesitation he pulled himself into the room, closing the door. He walked towards the bed and stood in front of her, keeping his gaze fixed on her ebony locks, blue in the clear moonlight. She barely registered he was there, her face budging near his direction.

"Asami…" he knelt down, wrapping his hands around hers. "It's okay, Asami…you can cry. You can let it out…I'm here, sweet - "

Asami stiffened as her head shot up, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"Don't…." her voice cracked. "Not that…Never that…"

"Never what, Asami? What do you - oh. Oh…." Mako stared at the floor, cursing himself for his stupidity. It had never been a problem to call her sweetie before. But now, it was haunted by betrayal, by her father's crazed face, by the love for his wife that had twisted into loathing….

"I'm sorry, Asami. I should have known…." Mako stood up and sat beside her on the bed. "I should have known you didn't want to be called that anymore. I'll think of something else, something better. So you'll know how precious you are to me."

"It's…" Asami choked on her words, tears starting to stream across her rosy cheeks. "It's okay. You - didn't - kno-o-ow - "

She turned to him and clung onto his nightshirt, her tears falling off her face and into his lap. She wailed, his heart breaking right along with hers. She and Mako had both lost their parents. He understood that pain. But he could only imagine what it was like to be betrayed by one.

"He was all I had!" Asami screamed into his chest as he stroked her hair. "He was all I loved for 12 years!"

It was then Mako started to cry. How dare Mr. Sato do this to his daughter. How dare he not know the consequences of his actions. How dare he…

"You're all I have left, Mako," she shuttered out after she had calmed down, her head resting in his lap. "You and Bolin and Korra…."

"I know," Mako whispered. "And we'll take care of you, Asami. I promise. We care about you. I care about you so much…"

"Is it okay, Mako?" Asami looked up at him, her eyes bloodshot and forehead creased in worry. He felt guilty thinking how beautiful she was in this fragile state. "To burden you like this with my troubles? I'm so ashamed of what's happened…"

"Yes," Mako propped her up, took her by the shoulders, and pressed his lips against her nose. "It's completely fine. This is what I'm supposed to do as your boyfriend. I'll support you, like you've supported me. I'll carry you, like you've carried me. You'll get through this, Asami. We'll get through this."

He bent in and kissed her on the lips. It was soft. Tender. And loving.

When they broke away, a tune from the radio he had heard a few days ago popped in his head. He grinned nervously as he took Asami's hands into his and started to sing:

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine;

You make me happy when skies are gray.

You'll never know dear, how much I love you;

Oh please, don't take my sunshine away.

Asami giggled for the first time since they had arrived at Air Temple Island. It was wonderful to hear again. He realized he hadn't been complete without it.

"You didn't tell me you could sing, Champ," she said as she gave him a quick kiss.

"Oh please, I'm terrible," Mako scoffed half-heartedly, his smile stretching wide as the light in Asami's eyes returned.

"Well, I think you're good," she nuzzled his nose. "And…I like it…"

"I hoped you would…" Mako trailed, so happy that her hands were starting to warm up.

His lips tested the nickname again, "Sunshine."

It earned him another soft and tender and loving kiss.

It was the third night he would spend asleep next to Asami. And it was on the fourth day that Pema decided to allow Mako to room with his girlfriend.

Because although it would hurt Korra, Pema knew love when it was right in front of her.

Besides, she thought as she cooked up schemes to play matchmaker, the Bolin boy suits her much better.