"What? Am I not good enough for you?"

"No, I really care about you, Tahno!"

"Then why are you getting so many texts from Jin and Zozam?"

"Dude they're on the team and we hang out together! What's wrong with that?"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just get jealous."

Mako stayed silent as they walked down the beach. He didn't speak once while Tahno steered the conversation away from the sensitive topic.

                .               .               .

"So... you were out late last night," Toza observed, putting groceries away.

Mako opened the fridge and placed the milk on a shelf, "Uh yeah. We went to see a movie."

"Oh, uh, did you have a fun date?"

"Yeah, Dad."

Toza chuckled, "Just making sure you're being responsible and safe. I know I'm not the person you would come talk to about your... 'boy' business... but please just make sure you don't get hurt. If you don't want to come to me, promise you'll talk to Bolin?"

Mako still barely believed that his foster dad was okay with him being gay. At first, it felt like a kick in the chest— he was so surprised that Toza had been okay with it. Now, his Dad was being the protective parent. It felt really good.

"Yeah, Dad. No worries."

.               .               .

"Sup, cock-sucker?" someone whispered.

He did his best to ignore the jeer as he weaved his way through the school. Lockers slammed on either side of him and couples making out in the corners. Mako hated high school. He kicked a pile of trash out of his way as he fiddled with the combination on his locker.

"Maybe he'll go into porn. I hear he's good with his bat."

Just ignore them, he thought.

He scribbled in class as the lecture about the 100 Year War went through one ear and out the next. Someone kicked his desk and slid him a note. It was a drawing of him on his knees—

Whoever had passed him the note snickered and Mako had to breathe slowly to keep his cool. Mako stood up and calmly walked over to the trash can and threw away the note.

.               .               .

The jeers are like a light switch, though.

.               .               .

"Coffee's on me, babe," Tahno said, pushing Mako's wallet away from the register.

"Such a gentleman."

They walked around the city holding hands. The pier was all but empty as the couple stared out at Yue Bay.

"So, do you wanna maybe see a movie this weekend?"

"I dunno, M. I have a life, you know."

"What? Come on, you don't like it when I text other people and we've only been on one date in a month. We're on the same fucking sports team, it's not like we're a continent apart!"

"Mako! You need to fucking chill. You know what? I'm going to go, and let you cool down."

Tahno walked away, leaving Mako with a belly full of coffee— yet feeling emptier than ever.

.               .               .

"T-Tahno?" he called out, opening the front door. His boyfriend had left the apartment unlocked, and Mako knew he had Sundays off from work.

He weaved his way through the home of Tahno's family. They must've been out getting groceries, but Mako could hear something— it sounded like an action movie or something from Tahno's bedroom? There was yelling.

Mako looked down at the bouquet he had bought for his boyfriend and scowled. He walked up to Tahno's bedroom and realized that it wasn't yelling he was hearing. It was grunting.

Mako kicked the door open and let out a strangled cry.

Tahno was... naked and sucking— who the hell was that guy?!

"WHAT THE FUCK YOU SON OF A BITCH!?" Mako cried out.

Mako didn't even bother to stay. He threw the bouquet at the two and ran as fast as years of baseball would allow him. He ran all the way to his home on the other side of the city.

.               .               .

"Mako, open the door. Please!" Bolin shouted, repeatedly banging his fists on the door to Mako's bedroom.

"Go away!" his brother half-sobbed, half-screamed. His pillow was ruined from the tears.

There was a scuffle in the hallway, and Mako thought he heard Opal's soft voice peacefully tearing Bolin away from the door. There was a soft click as a key unlocked the door.

"Son, may I come in?"

Mako didn't give an answer, but just sniffled and pushed his face back into the pillow.

Toza sat on the edge of the bed and tentatively held out a hand, calmly rubbing Mako's shoulder as the boy continued to cry.

"Dad, I'm a fucking freak!"

"Oh, son. Oh, Mako, you're not a— who you are is completely normal."

"No, Dad! I know what people think of... faggots... in Republic City! And... I let that... I let Tahno use me like a piece of trash!! It's not right!"

"What that scum did was horrible, but Mako—"

"I want to be straight."

"Son, it doesn't work like that—"

"DAD I CAN'T DO THIS!" Mako sobbed into Toza's shoulder.

The old man didn't know what to do. He put an arm on his foster son's shoulder and hushed him with calming words. As soon as the boy was reduced to sniffles, Mako began to speak again.

"I don't want anyone to hurt me like that. Girls... they might be... strange and all... but being with a girl would make everything easier, Dad."

Toza's old heart felt as though it was twisting and wrenching.

"There are camps, right, Dad? Where you go and they make you better?"

.               .               .

Opal, who was never the closest to Mako, had volunteered to drive him to Camp Amon. The website had been vague, as had the brochure. But the boy was sure of this.

"So, when you get back," she said with a soft smile, "I was thinking you and Bolin and I could go to the beach. Without your dad. And maybe a few bottles of alcohol?"

"What?"

"Like a camping trip?"

"Um..."

"Oh, sorry Mako! I didn't mean to assume. You wouldn't be third-wheeling or anything! Shit, sorry I just thought..."

"No, that sounds like a lot of fun. Looking forward to it," he replied, with a scrap of enthusiasm.

The cheery girl gave him a genuine smile (not that it was a rare sight), and Mako felt a little less nervous as they turned into the parking lot. They were early, it seemed.

Check-in was absolutely boring. Some loser named Varrick showed him around as the other counselors checked through his luggage. They all seemed to approve of his baseball decorations. Mako hauled his trunk up to the cabin and went to go sit with the other arrivals.

Someone walked past him and Mako had to do a double take. He let out a gasp.

"Bolin! What are you doing here?!"

"Oh, uh, hey Mako! I got a job here as the cook!"

"What! Why?!"

"Because... the fresh air is healthy?"

"Bullshit."

"Alright, look. I wanted to make sure you would be okay. I've heard some stuff about camps like this. One of my co-workers—"

"Bolin, I WANT to be here."

"I know, I know. But maybe I want to have a career as a chef, bro! Seems like a good place to start."

Mako rolled his eyes and walked away.

"Stupid over-protective brother."

.               .               .

For some reason, maybe in another life, it felt as though he knew the kids (who were both painfully gay) at the dinner table. He didn't want to fuck... er... *mess up* his chances with Vaatu and becoming straight. Still, Korra and Wu had a certain... allure. Maybe they could be friends and Mako could still become straight. And maybe they could all live immortally in castles in the sky.

.               .               .

"Hey, are you ever going to write in your journal?" Asami said, nudging Mako with her foot.

The boy snapped to attention and realized he had been staring across the lake for a good hour— daydreaming. Or day... nightmare-ing He sighed and looked over at Wu, who avoided eye contact with him as he continued to chat with Korra. Wu flipped his hair and the sun shone on it just right. It looked like caramel. Mako's heart gave a flutter, and then he shook his head.

I fucking hate everything. Vaatu fucking dammit. FUCK. FUCK. FUCKSHITDAMMITFUCKFUCKVAATUFUCKING—

Mako let out the loudest yell of his life and threw the journal as far as he could into the lake. It skipped once and began to sink— long from rescue.

No one, not even Kuvira, made a noise as they all looked at him in fear.

End of Part Two