I. Shock

Mako stared at his wife as the words left her mouth.

There wasn't any brain function happening while he just stared at her smiling face with watery blue eyes from tears. Happy tears though, right? But Mako just stared, totally unsure what his next move should be.

His vision swam and hearing dropped completely away as he tried to even mentally say the words. His mind was stuck, it wouldn't budge, he couldn't… just couldn't figure it out. Korra was pregnant? Pregnant.

II. Anxiety

Oh God, Korra was pregnant.

"Are you sure?" He amended as he realized she'd probably answered his last question while he was in the state of shock and lost control over his senses for much longer than anticipated.

"Yes, I'm sure." Korra was still smiling. How could she be smiling? They hadn't been married too long, how had this happened? They were having a baby already. They weren't ready, they didn't make much money as she wasn't exactly paid and he was still a rookie on the police force. They were going to have a baby that strained on their bank accounts and put so much pressure on them as people.

Everything was going to change. Their relationship was going to be irreversibly altered now that there was a baby coming. And would come.

"Are you alright?" Korra had a hand on his arm and was looking at him curiously.

"I just… yeah." Mako nodded and leaned against the doorframe to steady himself. Oddly, his legs didn't seem to have any strength left in them. "Yeah, I think so."

"Look, I know this is sudden…" Korra started but trailed off, "it'll be ok, Mako. We'll be here for them."

III. Terror

The fear that had been in the back of his mind since he was a child came to the surface full frontal as Korra tried to soothe him.

She was pregnant with his baby; he had a fairly dangerous job. If something happened to him Korra and the baby would be alone. She was tough, sure, but raising a baby on her own would be something she'd struggle with. The whole concept of child rearing weighed pretty heavily on two people to share the burdens, to share the load of things that could go wrong or just to guide their child into adulthood without struggles.

Like every single struggle he went through. A new wave of terror hit him as the realization that Korra had a dangerous job too, and if both of them died in their fields, their baby would be alone in the world. Parentless at a young age like he was. Having to fight for meals, do some jobs under the table that were definitely not on the up and up. There was no limit to how badly he didn't want that for his baby.

IV. Realization

Except their baby wouldn't be alone.

Even if something happened to him and Korra, Bolin would take care of the baby. Asami would probably help, and even Pema and Tenzin would be around to make sure that he or she was always loved, and always knew that they were adored by so many people. They would never struggle for a meal, never fight for a safe place to sleep at night, and never have to go a single day without someone telling them that they were loved.

Mako barely understood that his arms had shot out and grabbed Korra and pulled her against him. Luckily she wrapped her arms tightly around him and held him back. Errant tears were starting down his face at the sheer range of emotions he'd been experiencing in only a few minutes, let alone the intensity of them. And the intensity of their situation.

And even if nothing ever happened to him and Korra, which hopefully nothing would, and they lived into old age comfortably with their baby. And maybe a few others.

V. Fear

Children. The abstract concept was one he liked. Having babies, children who looked like him and his wife and raising them.

The reality of having children to rise hit him hard. This baby was going to rely on them for everything from food to clothing to diapers and just making sure they were loved and adored. The last part would be easy, but the fact they had to wake up every few hours with their baby and take care of them.

He didn't know how to take care of a baby.

And he didn't imagine Korra did either.

He'd raised Bolin from age six, but he was two when his brother was born, he didn't do anything to help with him as an infant. Their mother would help him hold his baby brother once and a while, propped up with pillows and hovering protectively, but that was the extent of it. He'd have to hold his own child, and he hadn't held a baby since he was two years old.

"Aren't you terrified?" Mako's voice was soft as he finally spoke again, feeling like it had been hours instead of the mere minutes it had been.

"Beyond belief." Korra cuddled herself as close to him as she possibly could. "But we're a team." She rested her head on his shoulder and looked up at him. "We're going to have each other."

VI. Contentment

The thought immediately calmed most of the fears in Mako's head down to echoes of uncertainty. They'd be together. If he didn't know what to do, Korra would be there. He could help her with things she didn't know. Hopefully. Or maybe they'd just fumble around and attempt to raise the kid together.

"We could do this." Mako murmured against Korra's temple, pressing his hands on her waist and lower back. "Be parents." A small wave of anxiety passed before he smiled at her. "A baby, huh?"

"Yep." Korra smiled up at him. "We're going to be ok, right?"

"Yeah." Mako smiled right back at her and pressed his forehead to hers.

VII. Joy

If there was anyone in the world he wanted to go through this with, it was Korra. If there was anyone in the world he was excited to have a child with, to take care of a little baby with, it was Korra.

Things would be rough, that was expected and unavoidable, but there would also be great things to look forward to.

Their baby's birth. Their first laugh, first smile, first word. Their first steps and the first time they bent an element. Or didn't, a non-bender would be just as adored because they would be their child. No matter what.

Mako took a deep breath in and was surprised to find he was a little congested from the tears streaming down his face. Korra was crying too, but they weren't sad. No, this emotion was the opposite of sadness, but so much deeper than just happiness. Their foreheads pressed together as they experienced the emotion together, the pure deep feeling.

Joy.