Korra laughed, threading her fingers through Mako’s soapy hair. Steam shrouded his face, beads of sweat pooling around his eyes. “I guess. Certainly says a lot about the state of the world, doesn’t it.” She deadpanned, rubbing his temples with the pads of her thumbs.

“All I’m saying is that it did revolutionize the movie industry. Hollywood sexuality just wouldn’t be the same without it.” Mako closed his eyes, leaning against the wall as Korra’s hands traveled to the nape of his neck.

“Sure, but did it have to be like that?” Korra continued, brow arching. She reached around him to find the metal handle, cooling the stream of water behind them. “So graphic? So obviously sexist and stereotypical?” Mako’s fingers automatically overlapped hers, turning the knob the other way with a small smirk. Korra looked up at him, exasperated. “You’re hopeless. At least make yourself useful, then.” She turned around, gathering her hair over one shoulder and handing Mako the bar of soap.

“But it was art. It was noir, mystery, basically a poster child for the mass appeal of sensual manipulation.” He stayed adamant, his palms running bubbles across the planes of Korra’s back. He stooped slightly to plant a kiss on her shoulder.

“Okay, so is your art worth the gross misrepresentation of homosexuality and the unwarranted exposure of the main actress’ genitalia, for Spirits’ sake?” Korra insisted, bracing her palms against the wall as he began stroking her arms.

“I’m not arguing for the- here, turn around, where’s that new stuff you like?- obvious faults it has.” Korra faced him again, pushing down on his shoulders and handing him a different bottle of shower gel. “Of course there were some aspects of it, within the plot, in how it was filmed, and what it was meant to portray, that weren’t okay, but isn’t that what makes some of the greatest films? Some of history’s greatest works of art? A little controversy?” Mako bent down, running the soapy gel across her stomach, the liquid trailing over her hips, teasing at her thighs.

“Controversy just reveals what people actually want- oh wow, that actually smells good- and puts it next to what’s traditionally been allowed.” Mako straightened, holding the bottle between them.

“Yeah, it suits you. Coconut?”

“Seems like it. The lady at the store was right, for once!” Korra placed a few more globs of the cream-colored soap in her hand, rubbing her fingers across Mako’s shoulders and chest. “Anyway, in this case, what people want shouldn’t be considered okay. It may be sexy or revolutionary or whatever, but no matter how you look at it, the ends don’t justify the means, art be damned, Mako.” Korra vigorously scrubbed across Mako’s legs, as if to prove her point, leaving him speechless.

When she straightened and punched his chest lightly, her hair in stringy waves and her cheeks flushed, the heat closed in on his thoughts as he placed a hand on her waist. “Art be damned.” He whispered, hurriedly placing the coconut shower gel back on its shelf.

“Ah ah ah,” She taunted, inching closer. “You missed a spot.”