Laughs.
"What exactly is this?" Mako asked as he held up a cloth strap that was wide on one side and skinny on the other with an adjustable buckle on it.
"It's a baby sling." Korra smiled as she adjusted Anali in her arms, the little girl playing with tips of her mother's hair. "My parents used to carry me around in something like that when I was a baby. I thought it would be cool to get and it'll make it easier for us to carry the girls around in public."
Mako raised an eyebrow at his wife. "There's also this thing called a stroller that you could've gotten that would've made it easier too."
Korra's smile went away as she stared up at her husband as he still looked at the sling, trying to figure it out. "Just let me be happy about this, ok?" She then gave him her famous annoyed pout.
Mako looked down at her and realized that she was serious. He then leaned down and kissed her lips, something he usually did when she pouted at him. "Ok I'll give it a chance. Also, I'm getting tired of telling you that if you keep making that face it'll stick."
Korra rolled her eyes at him and turned to go lay Anali down on the little pallet with her sister who was fast asleep on her stomach. Anali smiled up at her mother, being the happy baby that she's been since day one, after Korra rested her on the pallet. Korra gave her a little baby blanket to feel and play with. She then stood up and went back to Mako to help him with the sling.
"Ok, this is easy to use; unlike a stroller with all its straps and stuff." Korra started as she took the sling from Mako. "All you do is, depending on where you want the girls to be on you, you take either the narrow or wide side of the strap and put it over your head and put one arm through it." Mako crossed his arms and looked down at Korra as he listened to her explain the sling to him, still not convinced that it was better than getting a stroller. "So say you want to carry one of them in the front," Korra continued as she pulled the strap through her hand till she got to the narrow side. "You just put it on and adjust the strap." She then put the strap over his head, Mako bending down a little for her and slipped his right arm through. Korra then walked behind him and tightened the strap so that the sling was tight and secure around him. "And then you just put one of the girls inside the pouch in front and there you go. Hands free to do what you want, but still have them close to you." Korra finished as she smiled up at him.
Mako looked at her for a moment and then down and the sling that was now wrapped around him. "This is still weird and I doubt I'll ever wear this. I would rather push a stroller around or carry them myself."
Korra looked up at him frustrated. "Fine, I'll show you how awesome it is." She said before turning to go back to the pallet to gently pick up Ama, partially waking her from her nap. "And your biggest fan is going to help me." She said as she settled the baby in her arms and pushed her growing black bangs to the side. She then opened up the pouch enough so she could slide the infant inside. Ama squinted her open a bit to see why she was moved a second time. She then right away, let out a big yawn and stretched out her hands and feet before curling up against her father's chest.
Mako looked down at her and his heart completely melted. "Ok, I could probably get used to this thing." He said sounding a little defeated as he kept looking down at his sleeping daughter.
Korra smiled up at him. "Good." She said before standing on her toes to kiss him. "Because I got two, so that one is yours."
Mako sighed and rolled his eyes at her. "Of course you did."
Later that night, Mako started cooking dinner while Korra was in the living room keeping an eye on her girls. Korra was pushing Ama's legs back and forth, a little exercise she did to keep the twins on track of their mobile progression. Ama just stared up at her mother with her usual bored expression. Her sister, Anali was lying beside her on her stomach, trying to push herself up a few times, but always falling back down after a few seconds and laughing in the blanket that was under her acting as a cushion. Korra smiled at her when she heard the little girl laugh in the blanket. She then looked down at her other daughter that just looked up at her still. "You have your father's since of humor." Korra said as she looked down at Ama, the infant girl looking back at her with wide, blue eyes. Korra then quickly leaned forward and blew on the little girl's belly, making her scream slightly and laugh. She looked down and smiled. "See? Daddy's not the only one that can make you laugh." She said before picking her up and kissing the smiling girl's nose. Korra then looked at the clock on the small table to the side of the room.
"Hey Mako." Korra yelled as she rested Ama against her shoulder as she stood up.
"Yes?" Mako called back as he started to brown some meat in a pan.
Korra walked up to the door frame to the kitchen. "I'm going to give Anali her bath first, so can you watch Ama?"
Mako looked over at her a little confused. "Um, I would love to, but I'm cooking here." He said as he motioned to the stove he was standing in front of.
"So?" Korra shrugged.
"So?" Mako repeated. "I would like to not hold my daughter while there's grease and hot stuff splashing at me."
Korra raised an eyebrow at him. "Just the wear the sling and put her on your back. I got it for a reason, remember?" Mako closed his eyes tight as he turned his head away, wishing that she had forgotten about the sling. "I'll go get it and set it up, and then when I'm done with Ana's bath, I'll come back and switch them out." Korra said before walking out of the doorway and going to get the sling.
After a few minutes, Korra came back in with the sling, adjusting it in her hands as she walked up to her husband. "Ok, stop your cooking for a minute." She said as she looked up at him.
Mako turned around and looked at her. "Honey, I really don't want to wear that."
Korra looked up at him and poked her bottom lip out in frustration. "Would you rather stop making dinner to watch her?"
"No." He responded as looked down at the sling and then back at his pouting wife.
"Then you're wearing it." Korra said as she stood on her toes a little and put the sling over Mako's head. Once one of his arms was through, she adjusted the strap and made sure the pouch part was behind him. When everything checked out, Korra then left the kitchen to go get Ama from the living room, leaving her husband to look at the sling around him. Korra walked right back in with a very awake Ama in her arms, reaching up to feel the tips of her mother's hair. "Turn around." She commanded as she slightly pushed Mako around so he was standing with his back to her. She then gently put the infant in the pouch of the sling and made sure she was comfortable inside. "There, it's not so bad. Now you can cook and Ama can be in the same room as you."
"That just makes it so much better." Mako said sarcastically as he turned around slightly to look down at his wife.
Korra looked up at him unamused. "I'll be back to switch them in little bit, ok?" She said before kissing his cheek and leaving.
After she left the room, Mako tried to look behind him to see how his daughter was doing. When he couldn't see her, he just reached back and rubbed Ama's back before turning to finish cooking. Korra came back in with Anali wrapped in a towel and wearing only a diaper, to switch out the girls while Mako was finishing up the cooking. He paid no mind to the quick switch as he started to set up the plates. Korra walked back out of the kitchen as quietly as she walked in with Ama in her arms now, the infant being a little fussier than her sister. About a few minutes later, Mako had washed out the dishes and placed the plates on the table, Anali was asleep in the sling behind him, and Korra was busy giving a screaming Ama her bath.
Mako walked back to the bathroom to tell his wife that dinner was ready. "Hey, are you almost done?" He said loud enough so Korra could hear him over Ama's screams.
"Almost." She replied at the same level.
"Ok, everything is set up. Want anything particular to drink?" He asked before heading back toward the front of their apartment.
"Just water." Korra replied.
Mako nodded and went back to the kitchen to fill up the drinks. On his way he heard someone knock at the door. He walked over and opened it to find his little brother standing outside. Bolin had a smile on his face that made Mako very suspicious about what he was doing at his doorstep. "Hey bro. Can I come in?" Bolin said in his usual bright attitude.
"Sure?" Mako said as he stepped to the side to let his brother in, his guard still up. "Why are you here this late?"
Bolin shrugged. "I was around and thought it would be good for me to stop by and let my nieces see their awesome Uncle Bo." Bolin smiled as he looked at his brother. He then noticed the strap across his chest and became curious. "Uh, what are you wearing?"
Mako sighed as he looked away from his brother is slight embarrassment. "It's something that Korra got to help carry the girls around. It's a called a baby sling or something."
Bolin raised an eyebrow at him and looked at the sling, walking to the back and finding his niece sleeping in the back. "I'm guessing this is Anali since I hear crying towards the back." Mako nodded in response. Bolin then ended in front of his brother again, finalizing what his conclusion on the sling. "You know, I've seen these before when I walk around town. Only, I usually see new moms wear them while they're breastfeeding."
Mako's shoulders dropped a little from what his brother said. Korra then walked in the living room after dressing Ama and settling her in her crib. She looked up and smiled when she saw Bolin. "Oh, hey Bo. When did you get here?"
"Just now." Bolin smiled.
"Hey Bo," Mako said as he turned around to face his back to his brother. "Can you get her out of this thing for me?"
"Uh, ok." Bolin said before reaching in and carefully taking his niece out of the sling.
Once Anali was out of the sling, Mako took it off and walked it over to his wife. "I don't care what you say, but I'm never wearing this thing again and I'm getting a stroller tomorrow." He said as he handed the sling back to Korra.
Feedback is greatly loved and recommended.
A/N: Sorry if this felt like a filler, but I just loved the idea of Mako getting emasculated after becoming a father because now, he's the only guy in the house so it's going to happen sooner or later.