Welcome

Korra was doing much better now that she had gotten the epidural. Tahno traded hands and tried flexing the one she had nearly broken with her iron grip in rhythm with her contractions.

"Sorry," Korra muttered in exhaustion.

"Don't worry. I can't say I didn't expect it," Tahno replied with a small, grateful smile that she wasn't squeezing the life out his hand anymore. "Are you doing better now?" he asked, his concern clear on his face.

"Oh yeah, I wish I had gotten this epidural sooner. I really am sorry about your hand though," Korra apologized again as she gave him a puppy dog look that had Tahno melting into his chair.

"It's okay, you can hurt me all you need to. I'm your slave tonight, and every other night for that matter," he commented with a wink.

Korra rolled her eyes. "Can you not make your adorable innuendos when I'm six centimeters dilated?"

"Whatever you say, Pretty Girl. Is there anything I can get you?"

"Ice chips," Korra immediately answered.

"Then I will go get you ice chips," Tahno said as he kissed her head before leaving the room.

It was 4 am and Tahno had been up all night since Korra's water broke late last night. He remembered he had barely gotten to sleep before her gasp of pain had immediately jolted him awake. They had had a false labor scare before, a few weeks prior in the middle of the day, but now it was finally the real thing. Very soon he was going to be a father and welcome a son into the world. Tahno wondered if their child would look more like him or more like Korra. When they had gotten the 3D pictures of the baby he had looked more like Korra than himself, and Tahno was perfectly fine with that, but he also knew babies could still change a lot while still in the womb.

He found the nurses station along with the ice machine and made sure to get Korra two large cups of ice chips. Tahno had wondered over the course of her pregnancy if he should invest in the product considering how much of it Korra had consumed. Then he went back to the room to see Korra resting her eyes, and he set the cups down on her table before sitting in the chair next to her, watching her chest rise and fall and keeping an eye on the baby monitors, most importantly the baby's heart rate. It was such a strong heart rate too. Tahno had never thought he could hear a more beautiful sound the first time he heard his son's heartbeat on Korra's first ultrasound. It was so fast.

A few hours later, the time had finally come and Korra was ready to push. Tahno was amazed by not only the amount of sheer power she displayed, but also by her determination and stamina through the entire torturous process. He stayed right there by her side, holding her hand, encouraging her. Then, while the sun rose in the sky that morning, Korra delivered a gorgeous baby boy, and the usually smooth, collected Tahno could barely contain his own happiness. His eyes followed his son as the squirming infant was passed among the nurses to be checked over and cleaned up. Then he was placed into his mother's arms and the new family was given some space to bond.

"Hello, sweetheart," Korra cooed down at the tiny baby cradled against her body as she loving traced her finger down the downy cheek, her eyes sparkling with her joy.

The baby looked up at his parents with blue eyes as equally bright as his mother's, and Tahno and Korra both felt the instant wave of unconditional love wash over them and anchor permanently in their hearts, never to be removed.

"Welcome to the world, Hudson. I'm your Daddy," Tahno greeted his son with a watery smile as he reached out to him. Hudson stretched out his arm and grasped his father's finger with his tiny hand while gurgling and cooing happily.

Author's note- thank you to the lovely and ever so talented Alaburn for betaing.

And a special note to the 'guest' ZombieReader. If you are reading this, I would dearly love to talk to you. But since you are only a guest on FFN I can't really do that. IF however you have a tumblr page by the same name, aka tea or coffee, check your messages. I am also on DA, just so you know. I dare you to try and find me. lol.

Otherwise thank you so so so much for reading and know this- I have saved the best for last. Also I wrote a few prompts for the artist ShOrtSh4dow, should I post those here as well? Just curious.