Here's Chapter Four! I can't believe we're already four chapters in! Some Asami/Bolin/Korra bonding in this one, as well as some press harassment. Not cool, tabloids. Not cool. Anywho, keep commenting! I love your feedback!
I do not own LOK, ATLA, or any of its characters except for those whom I have made up (I.e., Yhao, the baby, etc.) If I did own LOK, it would probably be morose for those who watched it. Enjoy!
Korra awoke stiffly as a wet substance tickled her cheek. Her eyes creaked open to see a certain red and brown striped animal licking her face. Pabu cocked his head to the side and gave her another experimental kiss before climbing over her shoulder to stare her in the face. He yawned widely and curled up in the crook of her neck, purring.
"Pabuuuu-uuuuu?" A soft voice leaked through the door.
Korra stretched before wincing painfully. Every time she moved lately she felt jabbing pains in her stomach. She knew she was going to have morning sickness, but she had never imagined it to be THIS bad.
"Pabu," the voice whispered sharply. The fire ferret's ears perked up and he opened one eye before giving a low chirping noise and snuggling back in with Korra. The already ajar door opened and in walked Bolin. He was covering his eyes with his hand and clicking his tongue as quietly as he could.
"Pabu, c'mon, we can't wake Korra up! She needs her rest—oof!" He ran into her bureau and winced. "Pabu!"
"I'm already awake, Bo." Bolin jumped as Korra's voice spoke suddenly. He kept his hand fixed firmly over his eyes. Korra, amused, asked, "Bolin? Why are you covering your eyes?"
Bolin's face flushed. "I didn't want to come in here and find you… indecent."
"Indecent— oh!" Korra laughed at her friend's gesture. He was so innocent despite his work with the ladies. She walked gingerly to his side. She pulled his hands down off of his face gently, revealing two shut-tight eyes. "Bolin, I'm not indecent. It's fine."
Bolin smiled sheepishly. "Thanks. I was just looking for Pabu. I saw him slip in here and I wanted to make sure he didn't wake you… which apparently he did." Said red ferret was curled up safely on Mako's pillow, wheezing calmly in slumber.
"It's alright. I need to get up anyway." Korra shuffled towards her bureau, plopped down on the chair facing the large mirror, and began brushing her sleep-mangled hair. "I'm on my way to visit Pema. She's going to run me through the process of pregnancy with me at ten-thirty. I figured she would be the most qualified person to explain it, considering she's had four already."
"How are you going to get there?" Bolin asked.
"Asami's going to pick me up," Korra answered as she fluffed her hair. She had recently taken a liking to leaving it down. "Pema said I shouldn't drive while I'm pregnant, so Asami offered to drive me around."
"I can't believe you're already three months in!" It seems like just yesterday you told Mako." Bolin sat on the bed as observed how it was starting to become more and more apparent that there was something growing in the Avatar's stomach. Her belly swelled underneath her nightshirt and her legs had grown a little meatier since she had first found out.
"Can you turn for a sec?" Korra asked without looking behind her. Bolin blushed faintly before turning around and staring out the window behind him. It was a little awkward for him, knowing that the beautiful woman he once had a crush on was undressing in the same room as him, but he quickly shook the thoughts of his head. He heard the shifting of fabric as she slipped her shirt up over her head and threw it at the laundry hamper. He tried not to imagine what it would be like to watch.
Korra surveyed the clothes hanging in her closet. Asami had bought Korra some new clothes (ones that were meant for maternity women) that were surprisingly comfortable to Korra. Plus, they didn't look too shabby on her. She pulled out a dark blue shirt that flared slightly at the elbows and hung over her rear end. It was comfy, pretty, and casual, so she shrugged and slipped it on over her bra. She turned to see Bolin absentmindedly stroking Pabu's sleeping form with his head turned towards the window.
"You're all set to turn around," Korra informed him before sitting down on the chair again. She swiped the tiniest bit of lip gloss over her lips and nodded in approval at her reflection. She turned around when she didn't hear any movement behind her. "Bolin? You can look now."
Bolin didn't speak, only pointed out the window. A car horn blared loudly outside. Korra (along with an alerted Pabu) scurried towards the window as shouts filled the air. Cars, people, and cameras were crowding around the apartment building outside. Korra's eyes widened as an excited cry collectively rose from the crowd.
"It's the Avatar!"
"There she is!"
"Do you think it's true?"
The questions being shouted at her mixed together in one big heap of confusion. Korra shook her head in wonder. What the hell was going on down there?!
"Korra!" The door in the other room slammed. Bolin and Korra whipped their heads around to see Asami panting in the doorway. Their normally level-headed, serene friend was in a frenzy, her hair windblown and scattered. Her green eyes were lidded as her lips begged for air.
"Korra… the press… it leaked…. crowds of people…," Asami wheezed breathlessly.
"Asami?! Here, sit down. I'll get you some water." Bolin scurried off towards the kitchen.
"Asami, what's going on?! Why are those people down there? And why are you out of breath?" Korra pressed gently with concern.
"Korra, somebody… told the press about…" Asami panted slightly in between sentences, her voice bewildered and tired. "…about the baby… they all hurried over… highway was backed up…. from all the cars… had to run two blocks to get here… everyone knows."
"I have the water!" Bolin jumped into the room and handed the winded non-bender the glass. She gulped it down gratefully as Bolin turned to Korra. "What happened?"
"Someone told the press about the baby, Bolin." Korra looked up at him with worry in her eyes. "They know."
"Oh, no," Bolin's face dropped. "What are we going to do?"
Korra sighed. "We knew this was going to come. I guess now's as good a time as any."
Korra, Bolin, and Asami (who had just caught her wind) went down the stairs. The Avatar inhaled slowly and opened the door. Bursts of light blinded her as cameras went off every three seconds. Words were called out to her incomprehensibly. The three friends stared dumbly at the commotion before Korra spoke.
"Everybody, everybody! Calm down! One at a time!"
"Is it true that you've been pregnant for three months without telling the press?"
"Does Mako know anything about this?"
"What is your course of action now that you are pregnant?"
"Is it true the baby is Bolin's, not Mako's?"
The young adults flushed collectively before Korra screamed, "Stop!" The flurry of voices continued. Out of instinct, Korra stood in an Airbending stance and punched the air, praying it wasn't too late to bend anything. Unfortunately, it was.
A gasp escaped everyone's mouths before an even louder outbreak of questions erupted.
"So it's true? You're pregnant?!"
"How will you protect yourself from the dangers of Republic City without your bending?"
"Is Chief Bei Fong aware of the pregnancy?"
"What does Mako think about this?"
"ENOUGH!" Bolin shouted over the clamor. He stomped his foot on the stone stairs and the ground beneath the reporters' feet shook. The crowd hushed as everyone—including the girls—looked at the young Earthbender in surprise. No one had ever heard Bolin sound so angry—or so loud.
"Now you all listen and listen good because I won't say this twice!" Bolin continued with the same forceful tone. "You all are to leave NOW before I call Chief Bei Fong down here and have you arrested for harassment and trespassing. If Kor—Avatar Korra wants to answer your questions, she will contact you, but otherwise she is not to be disturbed. And if I hear that ANY of you show up here EVER again I'll Earthbend your asses straight to Ba Sing Sei!"
The interviewers muttered in response to Bolin's threat, but their numbers depleted quickly. Bolin didn't stop glaring at the trespassers until the last camera was packed up and the last car drove away. He sighed before turning to the dumbfounded girls standing behind him.
"What?" Bolin shrugged. "I can be intimating when I want to be."
"I guess so!" Korra laughed. Asami and Bolin joined her as the humor of the situation struck them. They filed back up to the apartment, regaling the look on the reporters' faces when Bolin yelled at them and giggling. Once safely planted on the couch, Korra sighed.
"That was some way to start the day." She snorted. "So much for going to Pema's.
"If we hurry, maybe we can still make it over!" Bolin offered.
Asami hung up the phone behind him and shook her head. "That was Pema. She said you two can reschedule. Apparently the traffic from the rush is so jammed tight that you can see it form Air Temple Island."
"I wouldn't be surprised," Korra huffed angrily. "I can't believe their nerve! Showing up at my house and asking all those ridiculous questions? Did I tell Mako?! Well of COURSE I did! How long could I hide it from him\; I'm already showing signs! Is the baby Bolin's? Of COURSE not!"
"That one went a little too far." Asami furrowed her eyebrows as she dropped into the recliner position next to the couch.
"I know!" Bolin chimed in. "Everybody knows Opal and I have been dating for almost two years. How could I cheat on her and my brother?"
"They were just being absurd." The non-bender shook her head in disappointment. "I just didn't think they would go that far."
"Especially when they knew Mako wasn't home." Bolin added.
Korra nodded absently. She looked out the window, lost in thought as Bolin and Asami ranted about their fury towards the press. Mako hadn't been there when their house was practically invaded by the press. What would happen if a robber came? What if someone attacked the house? Sure, Asami and Bolin were there, but what if they couldn't protect her? She would be alone and powerless. She and the baby could die.
"Ugh, why do these noodles look so gross?" Korra's stomach lurched in her stomach at the sight of the noodles sitting in the bowl in front of her. Bolin and Asami had gone home a few minutes before Mako returned from work. Said Firebender made her favorite meal: seaweed noodles with diced fish and peach slices (real ones, not plastic). Even with the dish she loved most in front of her, the thought of eating made her sick.
"I think every kind of green noodle looks gross," Mako replied with a chuckle. Korra stuck out her tongue, which was countered with a kiss on the cheek from Mako.
"To non-Waterbenders like you, probably. I grew up about this." Korra looked at Mako from the couch. He was throwing a bunch of noodles into the frying pan on the stove. She cleared her throat before continuing. "Mako, did you see any traffic while you were at work?"
"Yeah, now that you mention it. There were cars lined up all outside. They clogged up the highway from what I heard. Got some calls about a few accidents, even."
"Sounds messy…" Korra stopped talking, hoping that was enough even though she was leaving out every single detail of the events that triggered the traffic.
Mako cleared his throat and his wife turned to see him leaning against the wall with a raised eyebrow. "Korra, is there something you're not telling me?"
Dang, was she that easy to read? She didn't answer right away.
Mako sighed. "Korra, the last time you hid something from me you were pregnant. Please just tell me what's going on this time."
Korra laughed in spite of herself. Her husband had a point. Mako looked at her questioningly. The Avatar exhaled and patted the couch cushion next to her, gesturing for him to sit down. When he did, Korra explained how the press crowded around the house, how they accused her of having an affair (with Bolin of all people), and how Bolin scared them off.
"They came here?" Mako questioned.
Korra nodded.
Mako closed his eyes and exhaled. "When will they learn to just leave us alone? I'm sorry I wasn't there to help."
"It's alright. Thankfully Bolin and Asami were there for me." She leaned on Mako's shoulder and the two sat there for a minute, relishing in the intimate moment.
Korra sniffed the air and smelled something that smelled like burned fish. She turned towards the kitchen and jumped. "Mako, the noodles!"
The Firebender leaped from his comfortable position on the couch and ran towards the kitchen. Korra laughed loudly. Ah, he forgetful husband. The Avatar stroked her stomach painfully as Mako tried to save his charring noodles. "Jeez, has the earth's gravity doubled or something?" Korra rubbed her lower back.
"Not last I checked, no," Mako stirred the slightly-singed noodles in the pan he was making for himself. He didn't find fish especially appealing, so he normally made different dishes for the two of them; they rarely ever ate the same meal anymore.
"Then how come my stomach fees like it's lugging a monkey-sloth around?" Korra lounged on the rest of the chair, leaning against a pillow to make herself more comfortable.
"You won't be giving birth to a monkey-slot." Mako carried his bowl of hard noodles into the small living room and gave Korra a sideways look. "Unless there's something I don't know." Korra punched his forearm playfully, causing him to smile in spite of himself.
"I just hope he's alright in there," Korra furrowed her eyebrows at her stomach. "I don't want him to be hurt or anything."
"Him?" Mako swallowed. "You know what it is already?" His eyes gleamed.
Korra shook her head. "No... I don't know how to do that. I only know how to see if it's there, not what gender it is."
Mako titled his head. "I'm willing to bet it's a girl."
Korra tucked her chin under her neck and folded her arms, raising one eyebrow with a smirk on her lips. "You really want to bet on what the baby will be?"
Mako took another bite of noodles. "Why not?"
Korra shrugged and leaned back. "I don't know. What's the prize?"
Mako chewed thoughtfully. "The satisfaction that they can brag to him or her when they get older that they predicted their gender."
"Eh, why not?" Korra grinned. Mako motioned for her to sit next to him and she gladly leaned against his shoulder. She absentmindedly stroked her stomach.
Just six more months to go.
Chapter Four up! This was really fun to write. Who knew Bolin could get so aggressive?
Next chapter coming up!