A/N: I was suddenly inspired by a summary for a story I saw about Korra and Mako having a baby and how it was his, hers, and theirs. I suddenly wondered, what if it was only his for certain reasons. I guess the ending is kinda obvious, but if you don't understand maybe it's not and you can PM me and I'll explain. My first work in a while, this feels good even if it may suck.
He had to wait outside, all the women told him he'd just be a useless mess if he was inside with her. That or he'd be overexcited and get in the way which could be deadly in this case. Waiting in the halls of the air temple left him excruciatingly frustrated. He was pacing, wringing his hands, gripping his hair, and-once the twelfth hour had passed-slamming his fists against anything in reach. When one of Pema's assistants finally exited the room at the fifteenth hour, hands covered in a nauseating amount of blood, Mako was quickly rushing her and subconsciously his hands lit up with flames of anger. The poor woman lifted her hands to her chest in fright, stared at the dark haired man with wide eyes.
"Where's Korra?" he demanded, glaring at the woman, and holding his flaming hands down at his sides.
The woman closed her eyes softly, keeping her hands at her chest and refusing to look at Mako. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry but we're doing all we can." Those words were like a physical blow to Mako, he stumbled back and the flames blew out as his breathe rushed from his chest leaving large smoke trails to float up around him. He turned and forced himself to take a seat on a bench in the hallway as the woman rushed off.
In the seventeenth hour Pema left the room and closed the door behind her with a wailing bundle clutched to her chest but no cheer in her eyes or spring in her step. She brought the baby across the hall to Mako's waiting arms, settling it in its father's arms carefully before stepping back. She stared at the man and the much smaller life in his arms, covered in a pink blanket.
"Mako-" Pema started, but was jarred when he looked up at her with tears in his eyes that she knew weren't from happiness. "Mako, don't wait for someone else to come out of that room. No one's coming."
That was what broke the dam and the tears came pouring down his cheeks as Mako sobbed, clutching the child to his chest tightly but not so tightly as to hurt her. His sounds were heart wrenching and Pema had to swipe away tears of her own as she looked at the broken man before her. "She can't be gone, she's the Avatar! The city needs her, her friends need her, our child needs her!" Mako was obviously hysterical and it made the whole situation even sadder.
Pema reached out a hand and brushed Mako's tears away in a motherly way before whispering, "And you need her too."