something beautiful
Kai&Jinora - 50 sentences, 50 glimpses into their life together. Headcanons galore.
1) The girl soars in a whirl of orange and yellow with a bright smile, and even though he knows he shouldn't with the police right behind him, Kai stops and stares.
2) As much as she hopes her spiritual projection will work, Jinora's surprised that it does, a little flustered and a little scared about it: her bond with Kai is already as strong as the one she has with Korra.
3) Kai narrows his eyes as he sends a slash of air at the poacher, because how dare he try to take Jinora (and the baby bisons) from him, when she's the sweetest, kindest and most amazing person he knows?
4) Jinora doesn't really know exactly how to feel; no one's ever been that vengeful on her behalf before, but mostly, she's just glad that they're both okay.
5) It doesn't take long for Jinora to put two-and-two together: Kai can't read, but really that's alright, because she's more willing to teach him, especially since that means more one-on-one time together.
6) Zaheer has arrived, and Kai's never had a home, a family before, and so he decides that he'll protect them (protect Jinora).
7) When she sees him fall, it's an image that haunts her dreams for years to come, because it feels like her world has come crashing down around her.
8) She becomes a master, and he's so, so proud of his best friend.
9) The realization that Jinora has become taller than him is one that takes Kai by surprise, and then, much to Jinora's delight, he's just grumpy about it.
10) The realization that Kai finally gets his growth spurt and then is taller than her, doesn't surprise Jinora very much; she just wishes his lips weren't right in her direct eyesight.
11) Kai's never been one for romance and all that lovey-dovey stuff, but somehow it doesn't seem so bad when his thoughts link it to Jinora (for some weird reason he still hasn't figured out).
12) They have an accidental kiss when he's thirteen and she's twelve - she had leaned in to kiss his cheek and he had turned - and it takes two weeks for them to be able to look each other in the eye.
13) Kai helps Jinora name her sky bison Pepper.
14) Jinora thinks that Kai cares way too much on whether Pepper and Lefty become mates.
15) They don't plan on getting into a food fight at 2 am in the morning but it just sort of happens one day (Jinora wins, obviously).
16) The wingsuits are undeniably cool but Kai's first flight with them doesn't go so well - it's a good thing Jinora knows a thing or two about first aid.
17) Their first real kiss happens when the day before he leaves for the Earth Kingdom and they make it work from there, because honestly they've been sorta-dating for a while and it's just nice to have it be official.
18) Jinora's spiritual projection helps but it's still hard to not be able to hug or touch or anything like that, but they make it work anyway; they mean too much to each other.
19) "I love you" goes unspoken for a few years but when they finally do say it, it's with total confidence.
20) Kai gets his tattoos when he's 21 and Jinora is so, so proud of him, and of herself, because she's the one who gives them to him.
21) Kai is the second master of the new Air Nation and it's at his ceremony that he decides Jinora's the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with.
22) Jinora is the one who ends up actually proposing, however.
23) They have a small, simple wedding on a mild fall day and it's as perfect as a day can be.
24) Jinora freaks out less over being pregnant, but they're both pretty scared; it's comforting that, like falling in love with each other, they're jumping in this together on equal ground.
25) They name their baby girl Kotta, and Korra is the godmother (an Earth Kingdom tradition) because Kai wants to say thank you to the Avatar somehow.
26) "Kai, why is our child's first word bisons?"
27) Jinora's always needed a little more fun in her life, and Kai brings that in abundance - not just any husband would pull her into an impromptu snowball fight when they're 28, after all.
28) Whoever gets up first makes coffee for themselves and the other; neither have a clue how it started, but it's a nice little tradition.
29) Kai loves kissing Jinora on her arrow and does it frequently, to the disgust of their kids.
30) For their 10 year anniversary, they leave the kids with Tenzin and Pema and revisit the town they first met.
31) They both cry.
32) When Kotta gets older and into boys Kai finally understands what Tenzin went through and immediately apologizes.
33) Jinora loves giving Kai a quick peck in the morning before she gets out of bed.
34) There are mistakes along the way and petty arguments but they do a pretty bang up job of raising their family, if they do say so themselves.
35) Every day, Kai feels so, so grateful for the fact he has Jinora in his life.
36) And Jinora feels the same way.
37) When the kids move out things feel a little lonely, but they still have each other, and that's really what matters.
38) The idea of growing old does scare Jinora little, but she doesn't mind it so much because she's always wanted to grow old with Kai.
39) Lefty passes away at a ripe old age, and Jinora just holds Kai while he cries, and somehow, it's enough.
40) Sometimes, Kai wonders about the afterlife, if Jinora will go on to the Spirit World, if he will go on with it, but he comes to the conclusion that the Spirits are merciful: they won't allow two souls with a connection as strong as theirs' to be parted.
41) Jinora retires as the head of the Northern Air Temple and Kotta takes her place, and Kai knows that their home will continue to be in good hands.
42) Even as their hair turns gray, and then white, Jinora still loves to run her fingers through his.
43) Years ago, Jinora taught him how to read, so it feels only right that when her eyes start to fail, he reads to her.
44) In the attic, Jinora comes across a box full of old, old photos of them and she starts crying and puts the pictures up on their walls, of best friends who never left each other.
45) They may be almost 88, but somehow, Kai manages to pull her into another snowball fight.
46) They only meet the next Avatar, a young Earth Kingdom child once, but they can see so many pieces of Korra shining through that it's more than enough, and it's a pleasure to watch Kotta train the Avatar in airbending.
47) It's only natural that sometimes, Jinora wonders what her life would be like if she hadn't met Kai, but she always pushes those thoughts away, for that would truly be an awful life.
48) Near the end, Kai starts to forget things - their children, facts, Lefty, even - but he never forgets Jinora.
49) Kai passes away first; Jinora lives another three years without him.
50) And then, well, they have eternity, and that might just be long enough.
Do I have any idea what this is? Nope. And old age!Kainora is my new favourite thing because *angst*.
I hope you guys enjoyed this! :)