A short and sweet story about Katara's wedding day from her father's point of view. Inspired by the song "I Loved Her First" by Heartland. And no, I do not specify who she is married to, put in whoever you want.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. That wonderful show belongs to Misters DiMartino and Konietzko.
I Loved Her First
He stared solemnly at them, watching his daughter dancing with the man she loved. She laughed and he felt a smile try to spread. The ache in his heart made the smile vanish though.
She was beautiful in her wedding dress and she looked so much like her mother. If only she were here to see this. She would be so proud of their daughter. His eyes drifted up and he smiled sadly at the clouds. She had grown up so fast, his daughter. He remembered when he had first held her, how tiny and vulnerable she had been. She had stared up at him quizzically, big blue eyes laughing at him.
A lump swelled in his throat. She wasn't his alone now. Someone else had caught her eye and her heart. They were a perfect match, his daughter and this man. They moved as one across the dance floor and the love in her eyes was as plain as day.
Not that he had given her up without a fight. He had given a very stern talk to the man now responsible for her. Of course, his daughter was headstrong and not going to be content with the meager duties that many wives were given, especially after saving the known world. He had made that clear enough and was met with complete agreement.
The two of them had also come to complete agreement that if he hurt her in any way, he would have a father and a brother to destroy him.
His mind drifted back to when she was young. He had recited stories of princesses, princes, heroes, and monsters to her as she had stared up at him in awe. His heart warmed as his little girl laughed. She had found her savior, her prince to be with. But his heart broke a bit as he realized she wouldn't be around as much. The tribe would need her as she was truly the only bender in their midst.
She would visit, he reasoned. She wouldn't forget about them.
The man looked up and caught his eyes. He nodded, a barely noticeable movement, as though to reassure him that he would not stand in her way to visit them. He smiled at the young man, sincerely.
When the song ended, the couple shared a brief kiss much to the pleasure of the crowd around them. She smiled at her husband, love practically radiating off of her form. Then her head turned and she caught his eye. She disentangled her form from the man and did a strange run to him as to not rip her dress. He couldn't stop the grin and held her as she embraced him. Then, before he knew it, she had pulled him out onto the dance floor. Soft music began to echo around them, surrounding the two of them. She smiled brilliantly and hugged him tighter.
"Thank you, Dad," she whispered to him.
He closed his eyes, knowing that everything would be all right now. There might've been several new people in her life but he would always remain in her heart.
And, despite what happened in her life from now on, he would always be the one who loved her first.