Officer Mako x Reader

Chapter 59: Puff Of Breath

I always say idk where to start, but this time I really don't fucking know.

 1. There are four planets in retrograde right now. Which means everyone is acting insannnneee. 2. I'm beefing with all the people with Pisces placements in my life, and they really don't understand my level of pettiness.

Yinz know by now I do everything for the plot.

So, where should we start?

 a) My hot coworker who led me on for 2 years now is trying to make me fall back in love with him, because I stopped giving him my attention?

 He doesn't know I'm onto his little game, so I am enjoying watching him chase his own tail for me. Case in point, I ordered him to buy me a salad in front of a group of coworkers, and he did. Walked 15 minutes there and back, didn't get himself a thing. He didn't get me a fork, though, so I gave him a B minus.


 b) My laxative guzzling, incompetent ass employee who's basically malfunctioning at work to the point I now have to write weekly progress reports that go directly to HR?

 She's 32, by the way. A grown ass woman. And I have not held back on those reports, and I cc her on every single one.

 c) My ex, whom I should've cut off a long, long, long time ago, but didn't? 

He was buying me food and bought me an Xbox, so I was like, ehhh, why not keep him around? But like 2 months ago he stormed out of my house like a whiny little bitch so the last text he got from me was:

 You're a bitch. Your mom's a bitch. I'm blocking you.

 d) Or my one BFF dating that married, jobless, bum of a man?

 I had the group chat on mute, and she reached out to me via text to ask if I was okay because I wasn't active in the chat. I read her to filth, sort of, and she got mad and left the group chat.

 The gist of what I texted was:

 I sat with myself and wrangled with the thought that I used to enable this dynamic early on. But that was before it got this serious, to the point where you're crying daily and both of you are threatening to kill yourselves over minor inconveniences. That is where manipulation comes into play. And that may work on you when he does that, but I will not be swayed by tears or hopelessness.

 She read that, got mad at the entire friend group, and left the chat lmaaaaoooooo. And me? I've been chilling. Honestly? Life has never been better. So let's get on with the next chapter, shall we? 😊

Ugh. I missed yinz so much. 😙😙

-A

[Air Temple Island]

"What are you doing?" 93 hissed quietly at Shah when Pema walked inside, "We can't stay...here!"
"Why not? The lady wants to make us lunch," Shah scoffed,
"Yes, because we're delivering her unconscious yet partially injured husband," 93 reminded him sharply, "The man you shot,"
"She's never going to find that out, plus we haven't eaten since we left Ba Sing Se,"
"I did,"
"Well, there's nothing wrong with an early dinner," Shah winked as he stepped inside the temple, "So, Captain Meelo, what do you pirates eat for lunch around here?"
"Bread and shillings, intruder!" Meelo laughed maniacally from the top of the stairs before jumping off the railing onto the plush couch,
"Hmph. Bread and gold," Shah chuckled, "The very two things I'm hungry for,"

Dining room

"Alright, boys and girls, lunch is served," Pema called,
"No boys. Only pirates!" Meelo cackled, racing to his seat,
"Meelo, no swords or eye patches at the table," Pema snapped, snatching Meelo by his cape, before turning to Shah and 93, "Sit anywhere you like,"

Pema had prepared a spread. More than enough for two families now that Shah was at the table,
"Wow....you cook like this every day?" he asked, filling his bowl with broth and two heapings of noodles,
"No, only when we have guests, most of the time we starve–
"Ikki," Pema shushed, "How many times has your father told you, fasting is not starving?"
"A hundred and fifty-six," Ikki answered defeatedly,
"Exactly. Now, eat your lunch and thank these fine gentlemen for bringing your father home,"
"Thank you," the kids said in unison, besides Ikki, who stuffed her face instead,
"Ahh. Don't thank us," Shah smirked, elbowing 93 playfully, "It was the least we could do,"
"Yes," 93 said dryly as he nibbled on some freshly baked bread, "I guess you can say we were in the right place at the...right time," he smiled weakly,
"Well, we are eternally grateful," Pema smiled back, "I couldn't possibly take care of this–zoo all on my own," she chuckled, "Just out of curiosity, how do you two...know my husband?"
"Oh, well, simple," Shah answered quickly, "He needed our help tracking down a prisoner,"
"Oh? Which one?" Pema asked while she sipped her tea,
"Kuvira," 93 blurted out, only for Shah's eyes to widen in shock,
"Of Zaofu?" Pema questioned,
"The one and only," 93 grinned behind his own sips of tea,
"I mean Kuvira's a pretty common name," Shah added sheepishly, "A-Are we sure it was that Ku–
"I'm sure," 93 nodded, "Granted, she did manage to get away. And there's still no word if she plans to return to the city,"
"Well, I should hope not," Pema breathed, "My husband doesn't like her very much. Or at all, really. I can't tell you how many times he'd lie up at night debating on whether or not Avatar Korra should've ended her life all those years ago,"


Shah choked. Not on the tea. Not really. It was Pema's words that burned going down—like betrayal, like the name of his future to which he couldn't defend.