A/N: No bending, sorry guys! Takes place in modern times. Enjoy this oneshot!

Rating: K+

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

Her Father's Laugh

Katara took another look at her watch. It was the fifth time in one minute that she had done this, and upon realizing, she quickly shot her wrist back down to her side at the park bench. She ran her hands along her blue jeans and tossed her hair from off her cream-colored button down shirt. It wasn't that he was late. For multiple reasons, Katara was just anxious; more anxious than usual. Her wedding was two weeks. Thirteen days, to be exact. She checked her watch once more.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an all too familiar face. No matter how hard she tried, she would never be able to remove the rose tint that appeared in her cheeks whenever she saw him. His hair was flipped and unkempt, just as always. His black Ray Bans were hiding his amber eyes, although anyone would notice that scar from a mile away. As he approached her, she could see his smile widening. His small lips were quivering, keeping pace with his quickening feet. He approached the park bench, stopping right in front of her.

"Hello Zuko."

"Hey Katara!"

Her smile was shamefully weak, compared to Zuko's. He lifted the glasses and his eyes sparkled. He took a seat beside her.

"You seem unusually content." She stated flatly, almost in a whisper.

"I've been waiting all week for today, I guess." He replied. He jammed his hands in his jean pockets.

"So have we…I guess." She looked off into the distance at the playground.

Zuko smiled. "Has she grown an inch or two since last week?"

"Not that I'm aware of…" Katara chuckled quietly.

"And her hair…It's so beautiful" He turned his head slightly towards Katara, who met his gaze with hazy eyes.

His eyes darted in a desperate attempt to read her face. "Just like yours."

"Just like mine." She averted her gaze to the pavement path. Silence fell over them. Ten seconds later, they both attempted to speak.

"I guess I should--"

"Why don't you--"

They both laughed nervously.

"You first." Zuko insisted.

"Why don't you go on over there? She's been talking about you all morning."

"Sounds good." He sighed, rising from the bench. Zuko began to walk over to the playground; a slight spring in his lazy gait. He turned his head one last time to glance at Katara, who was holding her pink cheeks.

Katara watched the encounter from her island of a park bench. She felt her cheeks grow even hotter and her eyes burn from the sting of tears.

"Zuko!"

"Kya!"

The two of them ran towards each other, meeting in a beautiful embrace. It was as if they hadn't seen each other in twenty years, when they had just met about two months prior to this encounter. This was the fifth one in their new system of weekly get-togethers.

This was a system that Katara had devised on her own, only with the consent Aang, her blushing fiancée. Hakoda, had been outraged when she had first discussed the idea with him after she had seen Zuko on Kya's half birthday in the middle of a crowded street corner near the Quality Inn Hotel…Almost three years since she had last seen him. Katara knew her father would never forgive Zuko for leaving her when he did.

Katara was the only one who could just barely understand that it wasn't Zuko's fault that he had to leave her. From the brevity of the letter he had left her, she could tell that it had something to do with the scandalous lives of the Agni family. However, she could never forget the last line of his letter: Please try to forget me; something that would be hard to do when she realized the severity of their own situation.

And now, she sat from the sidelines, watching this innocent child and her former boyfriend play a rousing game of Hide and Seek through the slides and swing sets. And as she heard their beautiful laughter, she couldn't help but want to join them as they rolled through the fallen leaves. It was such a loving bond, one that could withstand itself, even through the clouded complications of their pasts. Katara was sure of it. Zuko was had the strongest will of anyone she knew. And she could see in his eyes that he absolutely adored the child.

Zuko and Kya played and laughed for about an hour, composing songs and taking on fabulous dramatic roles of all sorts, while Katara sat and watched them with feverish eyes. Afterwards, Zuko bought the little girl and ice cream cone, and sent her off to feed the turtle ducks. He jogged back to Katara's bench, sat beside her, and breathed heavily.

"She looks just like you, Katara." He gasped, trying to catch his breath.

"Except for one thing." She murmured.

"Hmm?"

"She has your smile."

Zuko nodded to himself, folding his hands together as he did so. "Yea, I've noticed that."

"She also has your fiery sense of spirit." She continued, "And your fierce determination…And your laugh."

"Does she now?"

"Yes, she does. She reminds me of you every time I make her laugh." Katara paused as she adjusted the side part in her hair.

Zuko smiled. "You're blushing again--"

"I know." Katara pressed her palms against her cheeks and hung her head.

"So are you ready?" He asked.

"Ready for what?"

"…The wedding?"

She had to take a deep breath. "Oh…I think I am. I'm ready as I'll ever be."

In a perfect world, he would have said, "You're lying."

In a perfect world, she would have said, "I know."

"Zuko…" She whispered, "Why?"

He stared into the setting sun. "You and Aang are going to have a long and happy life together," He promised, though his words were hollow, "and I will always be here for you."

Then, in a wave of self-encouragement, in move that was almost taboo, Zuko leaned in, and sealed the delicate gap between them. Katara stopped breathing, and fought all her urges to fall madly in love with this long awaited connection. She had to remain stable…but she did not know why. She did not know why she had to hold back. Time began to start again as he pulled away.

"Katara, I--"

"Zuko!!!!" Kya cried as she ran down the pavement path towards them. Her ice cream cone was spilling all over her hand. Her thick long ponytail swished back and forth as she flew.

"Hey there, kiddo!" He smiled as she took his hand, clutching onto his thumb.

"Did you see the dog? Did you see the dog over there?" She jumped and pointed across the pavement at the large Golden Retriever that was playing catch with his owner's Frisbee.

"Yea, I did!" Zuko answered, somehow matching her incredible excitement, "I used to have a dog like that…"

"Woooooooow." She cooed, placing her tiny hands on his cheeks, "Zuko, I wanna go back on the swings!"

"Actually, Kya I have to get going."

She dropped her hands, and her cerulean eyes grew with her discontent. She sighed heavily as her face fell.

"I'm sad now." She whispered.

"Don't be!" Zuko ran his hand down Kya's head, "I will see you next Sunday."

She lifted her head to look at his empty hands.

"How do you know that?" She questioned with such a childlike innocence.

He planted a kiss on her forehead, "Because I love you." The little girl attacked him inan embrace as he stood up.

"I...love…you too, Zuko." She stammered as she held him. As she let go, Zuko reached in his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. He handed it to Katara.

"For you and Kya," He whispered. "Think of it as an early wedding present." In her hand was a check for two hundred thousand dollars.

"Zuko, you shouldn't have." She gasped.

"I needed to." He sighed, putting on his Ray Bands. He began to walk away.

They were thinking the same thing.

They were asking themselves the same question.

They were practicing the same method of self-restraint.

And as Kya turned to ask her mother why she was crying, they were telling themselves the same truths:

It is not enough.