[ It's not Korra's age that gives Hei pause. It's the sheltered life she's lived. Dissembling, tact, poise, calculation -- she hasn't honed any of the double-edged talents that are synonymous with adulthood. In that respect she's not too different from Pavel. Sometimes Hei sees that faraway look in Pavel's eyes -- spinning star-spangled plans for Dimitri, no doubt -- and can't help but think the baby's ended up with an affectionate playmate more than a parent. ]
[ Not that it matters. In his opinion, it's already clear who the baby -- never their baby, it's too soon for that -- favors most. There are times when, given a free choice, Dimitri will reach for Pavel first. Times where Hei's irritable mutterings and rockings don't quiet the boy's crying, but he's soothed as soon as Pavel picks him up. Hei won't pretend not to understand why. It's not just a heartbeat and a warm body that are key. It's an aura that you're at ease with the child. ]
[ To Pavel's question, ] The garden-variety nursery rhymes seemed too tame for him. [ His voice is quieter than usual, out of consideration for the zonked out baby and Avatar. Hei's always been a light sleeper -- never snatching more than a few hours of rest at night. The post-midnight hours are when he's his most alert. Perhaps for that reason, when he's the only one awake in the house at three a.m. his ambivalence around Dimitri fades. Gathering the fussing infant from his crib, drifting with him through the predawn silence, he experiences an unsettling sense of calm. ]
[ There's something so stupidly, self-absorbedly honest about a child. You can't help but relax your own shields in response. ]
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[ Not that it matters. In his opinion, it's already clear who the baby -- never their baby, it's too soon for that -- favors most. There are times when, given a free choice, Dimitri will reach for Pavel first. Times where Hei's irritable mutterings and rockings don't quiet the boy's crying, but he's soothed as soon as Pavel picks him up. Hei won't pretend not to understand why. It's not just a heartbeat and a warm body that are key. It's an aura that you're at ease with the child. ]
[ To Pavel's question, ] The garden-variety nursery rhymes seemed too tame for him. [ His voice is quieter than usual, out of consideration for the zonked out baby and Avatar. Hei's always been a light sleeper -- never snatching more than a few hours of rest at night. The post-midnight hours are when he's his most alert. Perhaps for that reason, when he's the only one awake in the house at three a.m. his ambivalence around Dimitri fades. Gathering the fussing infant from his crib, drifting with him through the predawn silence, he experiences an unsettling sense of calm. ]
[ There's something so stupidly, self-absorbedly honest about a child. You can't help but relax your own shields in response. ]