note: An AU in which when Asami and Mako break up, Korra gets with the Sato heiress instead.
don't say a word
Korra looked down at the screaming bundle of terror and death in her hands with a curious mix of fear and retribution. The room she was in looked like a complete disaster zone, more akin to the aftermath of the probending arena than the usual serene living room of Tenzin's house it was supposed to be. She glared at the discarded bouquet of panda lilies on the floor with the ferocity of a thousand burning suns.
"Asami."
It was supposed to be their six month anniversary today. Supposed being the key word here. Korra could barely contain herself as she adjusted her grip on the bouquet she had hidden behind her back as she stared, completely lovestruck, at her girlfriend. She had spent so long convincing Bolin (who had insisted on tagging along to the florist) that yes, she was sure the panda lilies were a better fit for Asami than the moon flowers and no, she didn't have a particular reason for picking them (unlike Bolin who had prepared an hour and a half long dissertation in defense of the moon flowers and who apparently had very strong feelings about moon flowers).
"It's just a gut feeling I have," she had explained, offering no other reasons to the spluttering and downright indignant earthbender in front of her.
Oooh that gut feeling would've come in handy just a few hours prior. The signs were all there, for Spirits' sake! She should've known something was up when Asami insisted on meeting for their date back at Air Temple Island instead of in Republic City. She should've felt uneasy when she arrived at the island and all of Tenzin's family had been missing. She should've sensed the impending doom when she walked into the house and saw Asami sitting there with an uncertain smile plastered on that stupid pretty face of hers.
But missed potential gut feelings aside, nothing (and for the record, Korra would like to repeatedly emphasize, bold, underline, italicize, shout from the mountaintops, NOTHING) could have prepared her for the bombshell that happened next.
They were supposed to trade gifts at the same time. Asami was supposed to see the panda lilies and "ooh" and "ahh" over them (and the green ribbon Bolin had practically shoved down Korra's throat because it was simply the perfect match for Asami's eyes! he had crowed triumphantly after emerging victorious from the veritable rainbow mountain of tangled ribbons the florist kept in the supply room. Korra had rolled her eyes.) They were supposed to go on a fabulous date in Republic City, filled with lots of double entendre, inside jokes, hand holding, food, and an unholy amount of cuddles because for Spirits' sake, Korra had lasted six months in her first relationship and she thought that that was pretty awesome and needed to be celebrated!
But no, Asami had to go and ruin everything! Korra had thrust the bouquet out towards Asami on the count of three and had literally shrieked and assumed a defensive position when she saw what Asami was holding out back at her.
"Is that...is that...is that baby Rohan?" Korra had practically screeched, flinging her arms up (panda lily bouquet be damned).
And then Asami went on and on with her stupid cute pout and stupid pretty voice that sounded like wind chimes about how she had told Tenzin and Pema that they could take the other airbender kids for a day out in the city and oh don't worry, Korra and I can look after baby Rohan for you! And oh, Korra wouldn't it be fun?
And how was Korra supposed to say no to that? Even though she absolutely hated babies ("Oh don't worry, I'm fully aware that your kind hates me too," she warily informed Rohan as he continued bawling in her arms), once she saw the eager look on Asami's face, she immediately caved.
But then! Then! The lowest blow of all low blows, the sneakiest of all manipulative plans, the most unholy of all sins, Asami goes and exploits Korra's moment of weakness even further.
Oh that's great, Asami had said once Korra had crumbled and begrudgingly agreed. Just one more thing... I-have-to-go-run-a-few-errands-for-Pema-in-the-city-so-do-you-think-you-can-watch-over-Rohan-while-I'm-gone-for-a-few-hours-thanks! And with that, Asami had dumped the baby in her arms and zipped out the door, giving Korra's jaw barely enough time to hit the ground.
Rohan kept screeching bloody murder and the panic that had been mounting within Korra ever since Asami disappeared out that door reached dangerous levels. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! What do you want? Please, help me out here! I don't know what to do."
In hindsight, the nervous, agitated energy she was emanating probably wasn't the best for the baby, but hey, we're not supposed to dwell on past mistakes, etc, et al, so on and so forth, right?
Korra felt like crying and sobbing herself because damnit, she was the avatar! She could bend all four elements to her will, venture to the spirit world and back, communicate with her past lives and she couldn't even handle a simple—
Her eyes widened. Communicate with her past lives! That's right! Aang could probably help her with the debacle at hand, for crying out loud, he had fathered three kids after all! (And somehow even gotten the eternally grumpy Lin to practically worship the ground he walked on.)
But Korra had never been a spiritual person and meditating had never come easily to her. She couldn't even make contact with Aang if someone was thinking too loudly in her general vicinity. (Asami had rolled her eyes and asked how a person could possibly think too loudly to which Korra had rudely shushed her because she was trying to ask Aang for his famous fruit pie recipe.) So how could she possibly muster up enough concentration when there was a baby whose cries could probably be used to torture information out of war criminals currently perched in her arms?
"Okay, please just…hang on a second okay? I just…come on, Korra, think! What would mom do?" She blinked once. Twice. Her mouth twitched. "Oh shoot, I am a grade A idiot." She practically sprinted to the telephone Tenzin kept in his bedroom and dialed the numbers so quickly that she feared the rotary dial was going to fall off. She attempted to balance Rohan, the receiver, and her frazzled nerves to the best of her ability while she waited for someone to pick up and prayed that her mother was nearby.
mama's going to buy you a mockingbird
"Hey, Senna," one of the White Lotus guards had run after her just as she passed by their headquarters. "Your daughter is on the phone for you."
Senna broke into a huge grin as she followed the guard inside and reached for the receiver. "Korra called? Finally, I've been waiting for her to—"
"Mon, I have a baby and he won't stop crying and I don't know what to do—" her daughter's voice blared out at her so loudly that the entire room could hear.
Senna felt her heart drop into her stomach. "What do you mean you have a…baby?" She steeled herself for the answer to her next question. "I-Is there something you need to tell me…"
"No, mom!" She heard Korra take a few deep breaths and attempt to compose herself. "I-I'm babysitting for Tenzin and Pema's new baby and it won't stop crying and I…I really don't know what to do." She had never heard Korra so frustrated and anxious before and Senna could barely keep herself from laughing.
"Oh, sweetie… You never were one for babies, were you?" Senna sighed, smiling. "Something that couldn't be handled head on and at full force."
"Yeah, that's why they suck!" She couldn't help but be reminded of Korra when she was just five years old, stomping her foot and sticking her tongue out at anything that remotely required patience.
Senna propped her elbow on the table, resting her chin on her hand. "Have you tried feeding him?"
"I fed him about ten minutes ago. Oh Spirits, do you think he's hungry again? Is he starving? No wonder he's been crying so much! How often are you supposed to feed these things anyways?" she panicked.
Senna clucked her tongue chidingly. "Korra! You're not supposed to feed babies that often!"
"I dunno…I'm hungry all the time so…I just thought…" her daughter grumbled on the other line.
"What about changing him?" Senna heard the rustling of fabric amidst the baby's howling.
"Nope. Nothing."
Senna laughed. "Sweetie, I think that you just need to calm him down."
Korra had to consciously bite her tongue to keep herself from screeching. Calm him down? Calm him down? What do you think I've been trying to do for the past hour!"H-How-"
"Rock him back and forth. Not too roughly though! Think of... Think of waterbending. Push and pull gently. Like waves." Maybe it was just her imagination, but Senna thought that the baby's cries were beginning to subside just the slightest bit.
"O-oh my Spirits. I think...I think it's working! "Korra whispered excitedly.
Senna smiled gently. "Good, good. Now try singing to him."
She had to pull the receiver away from her ear as Korra screeched. "Sing to him? Are you—" But it seemed that it would take little convincing for the avatar to bust out her singing chops as Rohan's cries began to amplify in intensity again. "Okay, okay, what do I sing to him?" she asked desperately.
"Do you remember the lullaby I used to sing to you when you would have nightmares?"
Korra laughed. "That one? Do I ever! It was my favorite!" A pause. "It was everyone's favorite. It was such a popular song."
"Yup. Now sing it to him."
and if that mockingbird won't sing
Korra looked down at the bundle in her arms and began to rock the baby gently. Push and pull. Waterbending. She cleared her throat uncertainly. "Two lovers," her voice cracked embarrassingly but miracle of all miracles, Rohan pauses in his crying and looked up at her and laughed. Yeah, yeah, I get it you little punk. I can't sing, how funny. "F-Forbidden from one another." And, maybe the constant hour long sound torture Korra had been subjected to had finally gotten to her but did he just yawn? "A war divides their people, and a mountain divides them apart." Rohan's eyelids began drooping and before long, sleepiness was the victor in the struggle. "Built a path to be together," she sang softly. "Spirits, mom, he fell asleep," she whispered in awe, simply staring at the bundle in her arms for a few moments and then placing him down in his crib.
"Singing isn't really another strong point of yours either, is it?" Senna teased.
Korra scowled. "Well, at least he fell asleep! Too bad he knocked out right before my favorite part of the song..." she pouted.
A rush of static greeted Korra's ear as Senna heartily laughed into the receiver. "You probably would've woken him up again if you started yelling, 'SECRET TUNNEL!' over and over again."
Korra gave a tired chuckle. "You've got a point! It was my favorite part though of the lullaby. I always sang the secret tunnel part with you. It always made me laugh and forget about what I was scared of..." she remembered fondly.
"Yeah and then we'd wake your father up with our yelling and giggling and he'd be annoyed at first but would join in with us."
Korra peered at Rohan and wondered if she had ever cried that vehemently when she had been a baby herself. Judging from her mother's stories, she had been worse than a hundred Rohans. "I can't believe you thought I had a baby," she snorted, causing Rohan to stir in his sleep.
"Well, I mean, honey you might be my little girl but it's moments like those that remind me just how old you are. And it's been ages since I've seen you!"
Korra started getting teary eyed as she couldn't even remember the last time she had seen her parents (had it really been that long?) and this deep, body consuming desire to tell her parents about her relationship took over her. She hadn't been planning on telling her parents...ever, actually since she has no idea how they'd react but at that moment, she felt as of she was going to explode if she didn't. "M-Mom, I have something...really important to tell you."
There was nothing but silence on the other end of the phone.
"Um, I just...uh, do you remember Asami?"
"That pretty dark haired girl we saw when Katara tried healing you when you lost your bending?"
Korra could feel her heart speed up in her chest, her palms becoming tingly. "I...er, she...um, we've been kind of...uh...sort of...dating for the past...six months...or so... And ah, I know it's not exactly...something you and dad are... used towhich is why I haven't told you...all this time..." Korra felt as if she were about to throw up all over Tenzin and Pema's sheets. "Um, you can say something now, mom," she urged, beginning to panic.
"It's not something your father and I are used to? Used to? Korra, are you kidding me?" her mom practically seethed.
"A-Are you mad at me?"" Korra could feel her heart beginning to break.
"Mad? MAD?" Senna hissed. "Oh that's putting it lightly! I'm furious!"
Each word made Korra feel smaller and smaller and smaller until—
"I can't believe you've been dating her for the past six months! Half a year! And you're telling me that your father and I could've met her six months ago but no! You didn't even bother introducing us to her!"
Korra simply blinked dumbly. "H-Huh?" she managed to stammer out. "You mean y-you're not mad that I'm dating a girl?"
Senna angrily huffed on the other side of the line. "No, silly! Who do you think we are? We could care less about the gender of whoever you're dating! And she was so sweet to us when we saw her. She brought us tea and talked to us about you nonstop! We told her only the best stories about you."
"Oh great."
Senna sighed. "I'm irritated that you'd think we'd disapprove. And that we had the opportunity to meet her formally and we missed it! I can't believe you two were dating when we talked to her."
Korra could literally burst from happiness. "I'm so relieved! Man, I can't wait for you and dad to meet her! She's just...she's just so great and sweet and amazing and just...spirits, I can't wait!"
"Now don't think you're both off the hook, young lady," Senna chided. "I plan on interrogating her! No daughter of mine is going to be dating a less than worthy girl!"
"Mom—"
"Ah, ah! No ifs or buts about this!"
mama's going to buy you a diamond ring
At that moment, the door opened and Asami walked in. "Korra, what are you doing in here?"
"Oooh, is that her?" Senna squealed. "Put her on the phone!"
Korra rolled her eyes and tossed the phone to a very confused Asami. But then again, this was the perfect revenge for what Asami had left her with earlier. She'd pick an hour of screaming Rohan over being grilled by her much too excitable mother.
As Asami embarrassedly answered all of Senna's questions, Korra peered into Rohan's crib and poked at the baby who had just woken up. He offered a toothless smile up at her and grabbed onto her finger. "You know, you're not half bad when you're not crying." Rohan simply gurgled back at her.
A pair of arms slipped around Korra as Asami hugged her from behind. "I thought someone here hated babies," she teased, pressing her lips to her girlfriend's temple.
Korra allowed herself to close her eyes and melt into the taller girl's arms. "Hmph, by the way you shoved Rohan at me and ran out the door earlier, it seems like you'rethe one who hates babies," Korra fired back.
"I suppose I deserved that," Asami laughed, moving beside Korra and leaning over the crib, much to the delight of Rohan who seemed absolutely memorized by her dark locks and grabbed her hair by the bunch in his chubby little hands. "But I'm here now, no need to cry now," she joked.
Korra simply snorted and the two girls quietly and contentedly played with Rohan who was more than happy with the amount of attention being lavished upon him.
"Your parents are visiting two days from now for tea."
"Hm."
"They said to prepare for at leastfour hours of questioning." Asami tucked some of her hair behind her ear.
Korra pursed her lips. "Better run it by Tenzin if it's okay to use the dining room for that long."
Asami gave a curt nod of her head in acknowledgement. "And lots of boiled water."
Korra flashed a grin at her. "Dont worry. I got that covered. I ama firebender after all."
Asami sighed with mock annoyance. "How troublesome!" But she could barely hide her smile and her excitement about being a part of a family.
Korra playfully shoved her. "Oh, hush."
A/N: ohhh korrasami... reviews are always appreciated!