Avatar: The Legend Of Korra & Characters © Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko
I do not own anything, and this is just for fun.
A/N: I wrote this to get some Tenzin and Jinora feels out, because hoo boy, I have my own daddy issues and I can relate to a young teenager wanting to distance themselves from a parent. Obviously this is from Tenzin's POV, but yeah, that is essentially my inspiration for this one. Also Katara and Tenzin time, because he's totally a momma's boy. It's kind of bittersweet, but not? I don't know. I hope it's not sad.
He had known that this day would come. He had seen it approaching many months ago. And, as a rational adult, he had reasoned with himself that this was a natural period of time, one that all parents, more specifically fathers, must face. He had thought he was prepared—no, more than prepared—to handle this. But just then, when he had entered the room occupied by almost every female in his family, he couldn't but feel as though he was unwelcome.
Jinora, who only moments ago had been speaking quite enthusiastically, suddenly fell silent and glanced away from him. His sister, Kya, tried to appear nonchalant—although he didn't believe her facade for a second—and Pema only looked at him with a tender, apologetic expression. His mother looked more amused with the whole situation than anything. Tenzin cleared his throat awkwardly, gesturing at them with clumsy, rigid hand movements.
"Um, well, I'm sorry to interrupt. Perhaps I will just…excuse myself…from here."
There was a short silence in which no one spoke up to object to his retreat, however, just as he began to turn away, Pema piped up in a singsong voice.
"Oh, you know what Tenzin? You've come at the perfect time! My arms are getting a little tired, do you think you could take Rohan for a bit?"
"Yes, of course dear." He managed to smile as he took the infant from his wife.
It was a particularly lovely, sunny morning in the South Pole, so Tenzin went to sit outside after he'd wrapped Rohan in an extra blanket. The baby reminded him very much of Jinora when she had been younger, as he was a quiet, mild-mannered baby—he was even a tad shy of strangers, like she had been. Ikki and Meelo had been tiny terrors in comparison.
"I'm an old man, Rohan." He muttered out loud, beginning to feel his age as he reminisced about his children when they had been no more than an armful. The infant squirmed and gurgled in response, blinking up at him with bright green eyes. "No wonder your big sister doesn't want to talk to me about teenage things, like clothes, friends, or boys."
He knew he was essentially talking to himself, but he could swear his son was listening to him intently—and he knew the infant could keep a secret. He smiled at the baby, and the baby smiled back. He made a humming noise deep in his throat, before addressing his little secret keeper once more.
"Well, at least I have you and the little ones to keep me company." He began to rock from the left to the right, as Rohan's eyelids drooped sleepily. Perhaps listening to all of these teenager and adult problems had tuckered him out. Tenzin was so fixated on the drowsy, little bundle in his arms that he didn't notice his mother approach from behind.
"I thought I might find you out here moping."
"M-Mother!" Tenzin exclaimed sharply, glancing up at her with a frown, "I'm not moping."
She communicated her blatant disbelief in a shrug, before taking a seat next to him. She gently blew on the cup of steaming tea she held in her gloved hands, before smiling up at him in spite of his stubborn scowl, "You know this is completely normal behavior, right?"
"Yes, of course I do." He muttered, as he turned to pretend to fuss over Rohan—so he didn't have to look at his mother's perceptive stare.
"And it's okay if you're having problems adjusting."
"I'm not." He said, a bit too defensively.
His mother was quiet for a few minutes, presumably sipping tea thoughtfully, but she eventually spoke up again, "You know, your father had trouble adjusting when Kya got to be that age too."
"I find that hard to believe." Tenzin retorted quietly, heavy on the sarcasm, finally glancing back at his mother with a raised brow. Tenzin always remembered Kya being very close with their father, almost to the point where she could've been labeled as 'lifelong daddy's little girl'.
"Well, maybe you were still too young to remember when Kya was that age." Katara chuckled, and Tenzin's assured expression deflated slightly. He had barely been talking when Kya was Jinora's age, it was entirely possible that his mother was speaking true—although, she had never ever lied to his knowledge.
"Did he really have a tough time?" Tenzin pressed, unawares that his mother had discreetly gotten him to open up (for Tenzin had always been rather particular to his mother's influence).
"Oh, yes." She muttered, laughing again at the memory, "She's his only daughter and his eldest, he was very distraught when she stopped coming to him for everything."
Tenzin stroked his beard as he considered the information. If this was true, then there was hope that with age Jinora would once again be comfortable coming to him for problems or concerns—perhaps even in the case of potential boyfriends. Tenzin would have liked his opinion to matter somewhat, after all.
"How did he deal with it?" He asked, finally.
"Oh, well." Katara adopted a rather wily grin, before she elaborated, "Bumi was rather energetic, and often got into trouble, so that kept him pretty busy. And he also had you. At that age you followed him around everywhere whenever he was home. I'm sure that definitely helped him and made him feel wanted."
Relived childhood embarrassment made his cheeks flush, and he made a scoffing sound. Tenzin's expression only softened when he glanced back down at his now sleeping son. He felt his mother lean over to see her grandson, and she made a cooing noise. The two of them watched the baby for a few more minutes, before they looked at each other again. Tenzin frowned once more, and Katara rested her head against his shoulder, smiling with sympathy.
"You'll have Ikki to keep you company for a few more years, and by the time she reaches that age, Rohan will be walking and talking, and airbending most like. Trust me, you'll have your hands full. They'll always need you Tenzin, even if it doesn't seem that way." His mother patted his back gently as his shoulders slumped, relieved. As a rational adult, he was sure he already knew all of this, but sometimes it was nice to have a little reassurance from someone a little more experienced. When he spoke next, he felt like an old man again.
"Sometimes, I wish she had stayed this age forever," His tone and smile was wistful, picturing Jinora when she had only been a few months old. She had been such a lovely, inquisitive baby and as cute as could be. He shrugged his shoulders, and spoke again, this time with tender pride, "But then I see how talented and smart she is, and a part of me can't wait until she grows up and goes on to accomplish all of the things I know she will. "
"I know, honey. I know." His mother whispered softly.
They both close their eyes. The two of them reminisce about different things, different times. He sighs, and so does Katara.