Soulmate

what's a soulmate?

It's like a best friend but more. It's the one person in the world you knows you better than anyone else. They make you a better person. No actually they don't make you a better person, you do that by yourself because they inspire you. A soulmate is someone you carry with you forever. It's the one person who knew and accepted and believed in you before anyone else did or when no one would. And no matter what happens you'll always love them, and nothing can ever change that.

Kai didn't have a whole lot of experience with the word love. No family growing up, sort of friends who probably wouldn't stab you in the back were all he knew for a long time. Then, he was an airbender. Then, he was given a new life, a second chance. Then, he was given a new home. A family. Kai was extremely grateful for everything the Air Nomads had done for him, especially to Jinora's family.

Three years had flown by, and Kai marveled at how far they had all come. Pema fussed over him like she did with her own children. She never said a word about the fact he always had seconds. Tenzin, although the road had been rocky, liked and respected him. There was still a certain sense of formality between them, but Kai had come to see the man as the closest thing he had ever had to a father. Ikki and Meelo, even if they could be unbelievably annoying, were fun and were always ready to go along with any game or prank he dreamed up of. Rohan was getting bigger every day, and had mastered the art of talking. He often trailed along and followed Kai around, but the older airbender found he couldn't mind. Rohan was a cute, nice kid. Besides, when he had mentioned it, the kid's oldest sister had chuckled, saying, "He really admires you." It had filled him with a sense of warmth and pride he had never known before...

As for the oldest sister... Jinora. If someone had told Kai that three years ago, that the young girl with glider would be his best friend, he wouldn't have believed them. He couldn't be more glad that she was in his life. She was funny and smart and beautiful. She had been his first friend, and had never held his past against him. Jinora had been the person who was the reason behind him really turning his life around, really trying. She had been the person who had convinced him that he could have a new life, a better life, one where he was safe and loved.

He felt so lucky she was his best friend. But a part of him, one that had only grown in the past three years, wanted to be more than best friends. Wanted to be with her, as a couple. As her boyfriend.

Kai was scared, though. He was scared that if he told her, he would lose the best relationship he'd ever have, the best thing in his life. For now, he had resigned himself that if all he ever was was her best friend, it was enough.

"Watcha thinkin' 'bout?" Rohan asked.

Kai looked over to the little boy, startled, having been so wrapped up in his thoughts he had forgotten the kid was even there. The two were sitting on one of the walls of the Earth Kingdom city he and some of the other airbenders were looking after, not far from Ba Sing Se. "Boring teenage stuff, kiddo," Kai told him with a smile, reaching over and ruffling the boy's hair.

"You looked like Jinora when she's readin' her romance books," Rohan said. Kai's face felt hot, and was grateful that the younger airbender had already looked away from him. Spirits bless four year olds' short attention spans. "An' the other day she started talking to mom about soulmates... Kai, what's a soulmate?"

The question took Kai by surprise. Soulmate? There was something from ancient Air Nomad texts, an actual definition. Intertwined spirits, or something like that? Kai couldn't remember the actual definition, and he still needed to answer Rohan's question.

"Well kiddo," he began, feeling awkward. "A soulmate... uh, it's like a best friend," he said, thoughts straying to Jinora, "but more. It's the one person in the world who knows you better than anyone else."

He was the only one who Jinora had ever confessed that she missed her hair after her Master ceremony. And she was the only one who knew that he couldn't remember what his parents' looked like. He knew that she had favourite bookmarks and Panda Lily's were her favourite flowers. She knew that he would Bacui Berries for breakfast, lunch and dinner if he could. He knew that she wanted to go to university one day, even if was hardly the traditional Air Nomad thing to do. She knew that his favourite colour was brown (it hadn't always been, but then he'd seen her eyes).

They knew every secret, every nook and cranny of each other's lives. They knew all the little things and big things that made up the years before their friendship, and since they'd met, there'd hardly been a day where they hadn't been in each other's company.

Kai knew that there was not a single person in the world that knew more about him than Jinora, and that she was the only one she would ever feel comfortable sharing all of it with.

"They make you a better person," he continued, a rueful smile coming onto his face. His thieving days were long behind him, but he could still recall them easily. "No, actually, they don't make you a better person," Kai corrected himself. "You do that by yourself, because they inspire you."

A thrill still went through him whenever Jinora praised him, especially for his airbending. He was skilled, he knew that. But he had only come this far because of her, become probably the best airbending student because of her. She was the only one who made hours of Air Nomad history bearable, and Kai would be lying if he had never imagined his own anointment ceremony for his tattoos, only instead of Tenzin giving the speech, it was Jinora, glowing with pride...

"A soulmate is someone you carry with you forever," Kai went on. He wasn't quite sure what had spurred on that statement, but somehow, he knew it was true. No matter where his life led, even to a horrible future where maybe Jinora wasn't in his life (he quickly pushed the awfulness of that possibly away) he would always remember her. She was the first person to care about him, despite his overflowing faults.

"It's the one person who knew you and accepted you and believed in you before anyone else did," Kai explained. When she had come to rescue him, with Mako and Bolin, or even before, when she had found him due to their connection... Jinora's eyes had held no resentment, no hurt, no anger, even though out of everyone he had hurt by running away, he had definitely hurt her the most. She had forgiven him, and never held it against him.

"Or, when no one else would." Mako had wanted to give up on him, Kai had learned later on. The firebender had apologized profusely in a way that was very Mako, and Kai didn't blame him at all for it. Jinora had insisted they looked for him. Had never given on him, not once. She had helped put his thieving and lying to rest with her continuous belief that he could be better, that he was going to be a better person.

A lump formed in his throat. "And no matter what happens, you'll always love them, and nothing can ever change that." Kai gave Rohan a small smile, realizing that all of it probably went straight over the kid's head.

Rohan looked up at him, eyes wide, and then, very quietly said, "I think you should tell Jinora that," before scampering off.

Kai stared awestruck after the little airbender, who disappeared around a corner. A few minutes passed before the shock had worn off, and the another airbender came around the corner: Jinora. Kai blushed furiously, suddenly all too aware of how strongly he felt about her, but it felt like a breath of fresh air as well.

"Rohan told me to come see you," Jinora said, brow furrowed in that adorable way Kai loved. He loved everything about her, he realized. He just loved her. "Something on your mind?"

"Sort of," he admitted, looking anywhere but at her as she took the space beside him. "Just boring teenage stuff."

Jinora giggled a little. "Care to elaborate?"

If it was anyone else, Kai wouldn't, but this is Jinora. "Rohan asked me about soulmates, for some reason."

Jinora went pink. "He probably heard me asking my mom about that the other day. The Air Nomads believed every person had a soulmate, you know. It some texts soulmates are referred to as the earthly tether." She tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear, glancing up at him shyly.

"I didn't exactly give him the textbook definition," Kai replied.

"Oh?" She was trying to sound like she wasn't overly interested in it, Kai realized. It gave him a surge of confidence.

"Just told him some stuff... Feelings." He mentally steeled himself before rushing on, knowing that if he thought he wouldn't say it. "Like how I feel about you."

"Kai..." his name was so quiet, so gentle, coming from her mouth. She was smiling, eyes unusually bright. Kai gulped, his face burning. "C-could you tell me what you said?"

So he did. He stuttered and tripped over his words but he manged to get it out. Jinora was silent pretty much the whole way, except to the very end. Tears had welled up in her eyes, her lips parting slightly as a soft sigh escaped her mouth.

"Thanks," she said at last, her shaking hands closed around one of his. "That's real nice of you." She smiled, and he couldn't help but return it softly.

They were so close he could see the tears on her eyelashes. "Always," he replied, finally leaning in and kissing her. It was soft, and quick, but it still made him feel electrified.

Jinora grinned up at him. "I think we should get over there and say thank you to Rohan too."

Kai laced his fingers through hers. "Let's go then," they got off the wall, Kai in the lead, and lowered his voice for only Jinora to hear, "soulmate." She leaned into him, smiling.

I almost cried a few times while writing this. This is quite possibly the fluffiest thing I've ever written. If you want to find a lovely audio of this quote with music, it's pretty easy to find one on Youtube. I couldn't help but relate this quote to Kainora, and this is the result.

I guess this is around Book 4? Maybe a year after or Post-Book 4? Maybe a week or two before? Either way, these two soulmates are around 14/15 years of age.