A/N: Borra Babies! I have a few of these too. Bolin and Korra would just make the most precious babies.
Rated: K
Day 6 - Restless
Bolin groggily sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. The radio he'd fallen asleep listening to had died and so Bolin assumed the power had gone out due to the wave of thunderstorms battering Republic City. He reached over to the bedside table and twisted the knobs, listening for the crackle of static, but there was none. The wind howled outside, and rain pelted his bedroom window. A sudden flash cut through the dark and the instant rumble that accompanied it shook the earth, startling him. His heart hammed against his ribs, but it quickly returned to its normal pace. He held his breath, listening and praying that the thunder hadn't–
A piercing cry echoed down the hall.
Sighing, Bolin climbed out of bed.
Midori had mastered sleeping through the night months ago, but because of the torrent of storms, she hadn't had a good night's rest all week. Korra being gone didn't help matters, as Bolin was left alone to console the child. He trudged down the hall to the room his daughter slept in, wondering if he'd ever be able to get her back to sleep. Thunderstorms were a toddler's worst nightmare.
There was another flash of lightning and Bolin spotted Midori sitting up in her crib, sucking her fingers in an effort to comfort herself. "Hey, kiddo," Bolin murmured as he padded into her room. She held her hands up for him, and he lifted the sniffling toddler into his arms, cradling her against his chest. Her pudgy arms went around him and she hid her tear-streaked face against his neck. "Shh… it's okay," he whispered, bouncing her gently as he stroked the dark curls of her hair to quiet her. Once she'd calmed down, he moved her into her crib and tucked the blanket around her, patting her back to let her know he was still there and that it was safe to close her eyes.
Midori was nearly asleep again when another loud rumble startled her awake. She let out a frightened whimper and Bolin groaned in his throat. He was so tired, but this storm wasn't letting up anytime soon, and he couldn't just leave his daughter alone. She'd be too terrified to fall asleep unless he was near.
He picked her up and carried her to his own bed, snugly wrapping them both up in the blankets. He'd just shut his eyes when the radio suddenly flared to life, static screaming in his ears. Midori snuffled and began to cry again and Bolin fumbled with the volume dial to cease the earsplitting static.
"Sorry about that kiddo," he said, shushing her. The late-night radio station he and Korra sometimes listened to was playing some soft Earth Kingdom classics, so he let the radio drone on as he rubbed Midori's back to the slow beat. He leant down to press a kiss to the top of her head and snuggled beside her.
Korra returned home the next morning.
"Bolin! I'm back!" she called out. When no one came to greet her, she frowned. Bolin could sleep all day if he got the chance, but Midori awoke every morning at the crack of dawn and would never allow it.
"Bo?" she called, abandoning her bags by the front door. She made her way through the house, peeking first into Midori's room. When she spotted the empty crib she moved further down the hall to her own bedroom.
She found Bolin in their bed, snuggled up against their small daughter.
Both were fast asleep.