The Missing Necklace (on editing/revision)

Chapter 8: Dresses and Apologies.

Dress shopping with Kuvira was always a delight, especially with her amazing fashion sense. Though, like Korra, she liked wearing vests and pants; her taste in colors, textures, combinations, and all is immaculate. We were supposed to meet up yesterday, but she was swamped with work and I was quite exhausted; so we agreed on going today before the show. It's been a while since we've been on a shopping spree, so I gave myself the liberty of spending quite an amount of cash. Shoes, casual outfits, earrings, rings, and vests with pants she helped me pick out were inside the many bags that I carried back to my apartment. Kuvira wanted to accompany me, but I insisted on meeting her at the club later. There was still time until my shift, and I wanted to take it to sort out my clothing and put it away. Carrying the bags up the stairs was a hassle on its own, I really should've asked Kuvira to come. I definitely should've when I saw the figure standing in front of my door, as I made my way down the hallway. I sighed and managed to take the keys out of my dress pocket.

"Move so I can open my door." I told Mako, who stood leaning against it.

"Let me apologize for my outburst the other day." I sighed and looked at him. I could see genuinely regretful amber eyes, but no promise of him not making the same mistake again. I shook my head and tried to gently push him off the doorway, but he wouldn't budge.

"I am really sorry, Asami." He continued, almost pleading.

"Mako you can't fix this with just a 'sorry'." I could hear the exasperation in my tone. "You left me and now you come back into my life thinking you have some say on it. I can't allow that."

"I know I have no say in what you do. I'm just trying to take care of you and help you." He leaned against the wife, shrinking into himself as she spoke.

"And that includes being an ass to Korra?" I raised my eyebrow at him and he shrunk further.

"I may have gotten a bit jealous of the trust you have for Smith..." He rubbed the back of his neck and straightened up with a look of determination on his face. "Listen, I know that I play a major part in your anger. I'm trying here, Asami, I want to try and be better. I want you to trust me again like you trust her." I sighed deeply and stared up at him. The truth is this isn't the first time we fought and my mother was always there to help us make up. I won't deny that Mako loved my mom as if she was his own, which is why his -I call- betrayal stung the most. I expected Mako and I to be together as we both picked up the pieces, to help each other, grieve together. It hurt to suddenly not have him there. "You wanted to leave the organization. I put you in danger." I frowned deeply at that. That wasn't his call, it was mine. I should've had a choice.

"You should've been here, Mako, and you weren't. I can't forgive you for that, not yet at least." I whispered looking at the floor. I felt my arms shake with the weight of the bags and he saw this as well. He gently pulled the bags out of my grasp and held them while I opened the door. I opened it, walked in, and stepped aside inviting him in with a silent question. At first, he hesitated but then he slowly stepped in and walked towards my bed to set the bags on it. He looked to the vanity and saw the red mask sitting on top of it. "I do thank you dearly for your help..." I told him, closing the door, and he turned around to face me. "Honestly, I really am, and I'm sorry I've been so cold and snappy but Mako you have to understand-"

"That you need time." He finished for me. "You don't have to apologize, Asami.  I know what you need and I haven't been mindful of it."

"Maybe one day we'll go back to normal." I told him, and I did believe in this. I just don't know if it would be possible with him so tangled in the Triple Triads. I would never tell him this though, it is his decision, and if he chose against it we could still fix this.