It felt as if, only yesterday, Korra was 5-years-old.
… then he blinked and his baby girl was suddenly a married woman.
He could still hear that soft giggle of hers that would slip out whenever she attempted to pull a prank. He could still see the adorable pout she used to make whenever she couldn't get her way. He could still feel her chubby little hands wrapping around his own as she excited tugged him towards something she found fascinating.
But most of all, he could still remember how, whenever there was a storm, she would quietly slip under the covers between him and Senna and ask him to "make the scary things go away". He would hold her tightly against his chest and whisper soothing, nonsensical words until she eventually relaxed, falling asleep snuggled against his chest.
He sighed and turned his attention back to his beautiful baby girl.
She looked radiant in her wedding dress. She looked more care-free than she'd been in a long time. She was a sight to behold.
She turned and made eye-contact with him from across the room and the smile on her face widened exponentially.
He smiled back in response.
He was proud of her— so proud of her.
He wanted nothing more than for his baby girl to be happy.
But there was a part of him that couldn't shake the underlying feeling of loss. Despite how happy he was for her, his heart still clenched in his chest painfully.
Because, as he watched her twirl around the dance floor with her new husband, he felt as if a torch had been passed without his consent.
He would no longer be the first person she would turn to whenever she felt scared or alone. He would no longer be the person to whisper soothing words in her ear to calm her whenever she couldn't sleep. He would no longer be he person to "make the scary things go away".
That was Mako's job now.
He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the wall behind him as he watched his daughter dance with his new son-in-law.
He had to accept the fact that his baby girl was now grown up.
He always knew it had to happen eventually— he just wished it didn't have to happen sosoon.
(( Yet another short little response to a prompt. The prompt was "sleep"... I have no idea how I got this out of that. I can't even begin to explain how my mind works. Erm. Thisiskindacrappybutohwell I still somehow gave myself feels. I don't even asldjfa;lsd. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT NONETHELESS. ))