Breathless

By: xXxDaughteroftheKingxXx

AN: ...Um, wow. This time of the year already?

Ahem. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! :D

Anyway, this is my first attempt at an LoK story. If you know me, then you know that this is one of my secret(not really) obsessions. This isn't so much of a mother story... Though, Korra is a mommy for the first time in this story. :3 I suppose it's a parenthood story. Yeah. Let's go with that.

Hope you LoK fans enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own LoK.

Mako was certain that he was prepared for the birth of his child. After all, Korra had been carrying around the kid for a whole nine months, and he had had to deal with her crazy pregnancy hormones, with her being the Avatar and having the ability to kick him all the way to the Spirit World on top of that. Amongst this fact, he was more than ready for Korra to birth their firstborn.

When that day finally came around after hours and hours of Korra screaming—"MAKO! I HATE YOU SO MUCH!"—and pushing and screaming some more, she finally gave birth to their child—a beautiful baby girl.

The healers rushed the crying babe away before Mako could barely get a glimpse at her, but he did manage to see a baby with tufts of black hair—or maybe it was dark brown—and tan skin. He didn't catch her eye color, but he figured that, when the healers were done with her, he could see them.

Grinning, he sat down next to Korra and brushed a stray piece of brown hair from her sweaty forehead. "You did great, Korra," he murmured.

Korra narrowed her eyes at him, "Next time, I will find a way for you to be the one that gives birth."

Mako just laughed.

Korra yawned tiredly, cradling the unnamed girl in her arms protectively. "Wanna... hold her?" she muttered sleepily, looking up at her husband.

Mako made a move to take the child, then hesitated. He had the sudden urge to take an entire class of how to properly hold a child, just to be one hundred percent sure he didn't drop his daughter. After all, if he did, he was certain Korra would have his head. But, on the other hand, Mako mentally smacked himself for being so uptight. This daughter was his own, and there was no way he could mess up holding her for the first time. After all, it wasn't that big of a deal, right?

"Holding your child for the first time... it's an indescribable, overwhelming feeling. Do not fool yourself in thinking you are prepared. I will tell you right now, Mako: Nothing can prepare you for the sheer joy you gain from holding your child for the first time."

Tenzin's words echoed through his mind, and Mako scowled mentally. "Of course," he said abruptly, upon noticing Korra's raised eyebrow. She carefully handed him the babe, and positioning his arms in the proper manner, he took his now half-asleep daughter in his arms.

She was wrapped in thick blankets, and she seemed so... tiny and so... fragile. It took a moment to process, but Mako realized that his heart was beating wildly and his arms were trembling... He, Mako, who was famous for being 'cool under fire', was shaking because he was holding his daughter. What was wrong with him?

It wasn't until his little girl opened her eyes—oh, Spirits, she had Korra's eye color—and hazily met his own that his breath stopped entirely. It felt as if the entire world had stopped; for a mere second, the only two people in the room—in the universe—were Mako and his daughter. Vibrant blue met beautiful amber, and much like Tenzin described, a whirlwind of emotions hit Mako at once.

"Mako?" Korra's voice snapped him out of his own little world, and the man looked up, raising an eyebrow at the person who had brought him out of the bliss. "You kind of spaced out there," his wife further explained.

Mako swallowed, looking down once again at his daughter, who had closed her eyes once again. It seemed that she had opened them only long enough to allow him see her eyes clearly, and now that he had, she was returning to her slumber.

"I'm... alright," he muttered, taking a seat to steady himself. A smile formed on his face, "Perfectly alright."

Korra's lips formed into a grin like his. "Tenzin was right?" she guessed.

Mako didn't hesitate to answer when he said, "Oh, Spirits, yes."