There it goes again, the breeze that relaxes her. Everything is so strangely calm lately it seems to be warning of an impending catastrophe, but it is moments like this that make her smile, that make her question her sanity. Was it real? Did she really defeat the doom that has fallen upon them? She questions reality because she doesn't know how her strength, if there was any at all, managed to get everyone she does and doesn't know into the arms of safety. She managed to free the word of its self-destructive tendencies, at least for the next century or so. But what happens after that? What will happen to the future of everyone that will live then? More pressingly, what will happen to the child she is bearing if there is another lunatic who'll try to disturb the peace?
Look at her, being all protective already. A shadow of a smile is creeping up the corners of her mouth. Everybody said she was not the ideal mother, that maternal instincts would be hard to learn, maybe even harder than air bending itself because she is all about the physicality of everything she lays her eyes upon. Even she herself questions her viability. Being a mother to a child, which Mako says is a fire bender but she's pretty sure it's a water bender, isn't exactly easy. Look at her. She wasn't exactly an easy child to handle back then. She wonders how her mother did a day with her. Then her thought goes a wayward way. It really doesn't matter if the child is a fire bender or a water bender or not a bender at all. This was her child she was talking about here. Somebody that will be an extension of Mako and herself. Theirs.
She hears the sound of somebody moving from behind her. Craning her neck, she sees the silhouette of the guy she adores. It must be hard on him. With her being the Avatar and all. Her stubbornness isn't exactly helping either, and now with this child, she just impulsively wants to have a bite at everything that smells remotely good - even Mako when he gets out of the bath. She smiles at the thought.
At that moment, Mako enveloped her into a hug. Her body becomes feeble and unresponsive to her requests whenever he does this. But that's alright. With him around, she doesn't feel like she has to be strong all the time because he is there for her no matter what. She bends her neck sideways to get a good look at his bed hair, smiles, then ruffles it some more. He gets back at her with a kiss between her neck and shoulder blades. That did it alright. She still doesn't know how she could be sluggishly willing to give this man what he wants. With her, Mako always wins.
"Let's get back to bed." he murmurs. "You may be the Avatar and get to boss most people, and by most people I mean me, all the time but our child needs you to sleep. And so you will."
He leads her back into the bed but then she realized...
"Say that again." Korra whispered.
"For you, anything. But what should I say again?"
"Our child."
Smiling, he drops to his knees and gently rubs circles on her belly.
"Hello my child. As you have heard, your mother is being a little emotional right now. She wants me to say something really obvious and I don't know if I can bear with the redundancy of that. Repeating what is already apparent. I mean, really..."
She chuckles.
Mako stands, holds her head with both of his hands and leads her lips to the familiar curvature of his. "This is our child, Korra. Ours now and forever."
"I love you." she says.
"You must be really emotional right now huh, for you to blatantly admit your feelings for me. Or was it my birthday today?" he said, smirking at her.
"You will pay dearly for that comment. I hope you are aware of that."
"Can't wait." he says. "Now can we get back to bed?"
She smiles deviously at him.
"I have a better idea. Oh Mako..."
"No. No, no, no, no. I'm not doing it this time. It's three in the morning Korra! The water is freezing!"
"You're a fire bender aren't you? Heat it."
"But..."
"The only but I want to hear is 'but this is for our child'. Now get on with it."
Korra wakes with a start.
It was all a dream. She bends her head to the palm of her hands and shakes it. How ridiculous was that? Her and Mako, married, and with a baby on the way at that. It seems preposterous, not to mention entirely impossible. He cares for her, but never in that way. That is just the way it is.
"You're up." Mako says, rubbing his eye.
"Yeah. You slept here?"
"Yes." he pauses for a moment. "I'm glad you're alright Korra."
He seemed to be uneasy with having just said that so she blurts, "I'm hungry. Is there food."
"I think Jinora just finished cooking. Come on, let's join them for breakfast."
As they were walking to the kitchen, she thinks back to the dream. Now that she is staring at Mako's back she does something she has so uncharacteristic when it comes to what they will become. She hopes, with all her heart that he will somehow love her the way he loves Asami. She hopes he would care for her less as a friend and more as a lover.
"Please." she thinks. "Please let it happen."