My bbys are CANON, still can't get over that. :P

Here we have Kainora through the years, from toddlers to adults! :D

Throughout the years

(Modern Kainora AU)

(One-shot)

Friends can come and go, but only once in a person's life do they find their soulmate. Some people find them after a heartbreak, some find them by chance, and others have always had their soulmate there, always.

"Kai! That's mine!" The four year old girl ripped the toy train out of her friend's hands.

"That's no fair, I had it first!" He grabbed the toy back from her.

"You did not!" The two fought over the train relentlessly, pulling each others hair and tackling.

Snap!

"Kai, you broke it!" Jinora screamed, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Did not!" Kai turned his back to her, pouting.

"MAMA!" She yelled loud enough to pierce through a sheet of metal. Running into the room, two woman looked upon the children, looks of disapproval clear on their faces.

I like Kai because he's: Kind

No, that didn't fit him at all.

I like Kai because he's: my friend

Ugh, that's not right.

Jinora wracked her brain. What was there to like about Kai? Yeah, their mom's were friends, meaning they had to hang out, but she didn't really like him. She didn't understand it, it was easy to think of what she liked about her friends Maddie and Lara. She even managed to write something decent about Skoochy. But for Kai, it seemed impossible.

"Now remember class, It's important to build up our friends, so write your favorite thing about each classmate." Miss Kya smiled, hanging out the rest of the "I like you because:" papers.

A little boy fidgeted in his chair, the lines of his paper still completely empty. Kai wasn't really into writing, or math, or anything school related. The one thing he did like to do? Drawing. Every spare inch of his notebooks were were covered in doodles of superheroes and ninjas.

"Kai, you didn't write anything." Little Jinora teased as she fixed her pigtails. "Its just a bunch on doodles." She snatched up the paper. "Ninjas?"

"I don't care!" He sneered back at her, taking back his paper. "Not everyone can be the teacher's pet." He stuck his tongue out at her.

"Dummy Head!" she called after him. Suddenly, her mood changed, she got it, and it was perfect.

I like Kai because: He's a big dummy head!

"Cooties!" The word rung in her ears and made her skin crawl. What was so bad about playing with a girl?

"Cooties aren't real!" the seven year old and very angry Jinora stuck out her tongue at the boys playing soccer.

"Yeah they are, I could die!" Skoochy retorted, bouncing the ball on his knee. "Besides, you couldn't keep up with us."

"Is that a challenge?" Jinora's eyes sparkled at a chance to really teach Skoochy and the rest of those stupid boys a lesson.

"You vs. Us. A challenge?!" Skoochy erupted in laughter, followed buy he rest of the boys. "Go play on the swings with the rest of the girlies." That was it, too much. Moving swiftly, she maneuvered a kick to take the ball out of mid air and into her hands.

"Give me the ball, dork brain!" Skoochy held himself up, standing high above little Jinora, and knocked off her glasses, cracking the lenses. Jinora, her vision blurred, stumbled over, dropping the ball. Skoochy and the rest of them only pointed their fingers and laughed as she desperately tried to fix her glasses.

"See, you're just a little dor-."

Wham!

A knock with a wooden bat sent Skoochy falling over, completely unconscious. From behind him, a shaggy haired kid with green eyes held the bat tight in his hands. Suddenly, the whole crowd dispersed and Jinora found herself being helped up by no more than Dummy Head himself.

"Why did you do that?" She brushed the dirt off her clothes, then looked at him in complete shock.

"Cause he was being a jerk." Kai blushed and looked away.

"And you're not worried about cooties?" She rolled her eyes at Skoochy. "You know you're gonna get in trouble." Her expression turned to concerned.

"Its OK, it was worth it." he smiled a big dorky smile.

"Well, thanks Dummy Head." She ruffled up his hair and skipped off. From that moment Jinora decided Kai was worth giving a chance.

"Kai, you're gonna put way to much baking soda in it!" Jinora said as she snatched the bottle away from him. The both of them were working on their science fair project, a baking soda volcano.

"Oh come on Jinijin, it's fine." Jinora shot him the "Don't you dare ever call me that!" look. But after four years of "Dummy Head" he had to call her something.

"We haven't even finished painting it yet." She replied as she focused on making perfect "lava" flows.

"But we have to test it sometime." Kai took back the bottle.

"You're going to destroy it..." she shook her head.

"Hey, that's why I'm your friend right, to help you build, then destroy!" He took the vinegar and opened the cap.

"Kai, be careful!" She cried as the impatient little boy poured in the whole bottle of vinegar.

"See nothing hapaaaaaaaa!" The "lava" began to bubble and overflow out of the volcano, off the table and onto the carpet.

"Kai!" Jinora shouted.

"No time for blames, my mom is gonna kill me." The two of them rushed to get rags and water. Helplessly trying to get the bleached white stain out of the dark carpet, Jinora couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh Kai, you are something else."

Kai couldn't help it, Jinora made him feel like he had a purpose. So it was no surprise he spent every second he could with her. Even with all the stress of his mom's job, he had no problem finding time for his quirky best friend.

Knock Knock!

He kicked her basement hatch with his foot, his arms full of candy and movies.

"Kai?" Jinora opened the hatch, her hair in a high bun and her glasses still on.

"Avengers and M&M's?" He cracked a smile.

"And that's why you're my best friend."

About half way through the movie, the both of them were already sugar-crashed and leaning against each other, back to back.

"So summer's almost over..."

"Don't remind me." she paused the movie with a sigh.

"You're not excited for middle school? You love school!"

"Kai, its a new school, new people to make fun of me."

"Jin, you're already assuming that its gonna be horrible."

"Well, I'm just comparing it too last year."

"Oh come on, I'm pretty sure Lara won't move back from California within one summer just to make your life miserable again."

"Kai, its easy for you, you're popular."

"Yeah, you're right, my life is pretty fantastic." He smirked, causing her to hit him upside the head. "I'm kidding." He turned around and tilted her chin so he could see her eyes. "Nothing will happen to you, I won't allow it."

"Promise?"

"I promise." He hugged her tightly, "Always."

Believe it or not, Kai did keep that promise, always. But of course, Kai was always the center of attention, with every girl flirting with him like crazy.

"Hi Kai." Maddie giggled with her little lip gloss addicted posse. "Call me." She motioned with her hands. As soon as she left, Jinora came around the corner.

"Bleh!" She pretended to choke on something.

"Oh come on, its not that bad." Kai laughed.

"Really Mr. Smooth?"

"Fine, its bad."

She never thought it would be, but is was weird seeing other girls like Kai, her dummy head.

"Oh, you're so gonna get it!" Jinora and Kai sat on the couch playing Black Ops 2. The two thirteen year olds had survived middle school and were coming up on summer, and their graduation to high school.

"Dude, we're on the same team." He laughed.

"I know, you're still gonna get it." They erupted in laughter, leaning on each other. It was a perfect Saturday for Kai, nothing to do, no homework, and he had Jinora. It's strange though how fast things can go wrong, just in a single second.

"Kai, The phone." Pema stumbled into the room and handed Kai the phone with shaking hands, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Mom!" Jinora ran to her. "are you OK?" Suddenly she looked over to Kai, his smiling face.

"It's Kai." Jinora buried her face in her mother's shoulder unsure of what was going on, until everything made sense when the phone... dropped.

That was the hardest time in Kai's life, when his mother died. For a week Kai talked to nobody, not even Jinora. He only sat in his room, clutching a picture of his mother wishing she was there with him. His Grandma had moved in, but never would his life be the same.

Knock Knock

Jinora cracked open the door, her arms filled with candy.

"Avengers and M&Ms?" She grinned, finally bringing him to smile once again.

"Thanks Jin."

"And this is why I'm your best friend." She rested her chin on his head. "Now c'mon Dummy Head, get up!"

"Are you ever going to stop calling me that?" He smiled, popping M&Ms in his mouth.

"No I don't think I will." She sat down beside him. "How are you doing?" Her brown eyes filled with concern for him.

"Better, finally."

"I'm glad. I missed you." She rested her head on his shoulder. "What's that?" Jinora picked up a piece of paper. On it, a drawing of a woman with beautiful green eyes with brown hair blowing in the wind. It was the most beautiful thing Jinora had ever seen. "It's your mom."

"Yes." He sighed.

"Well it's beautiful."

"I know, she was."

High school was like an overrated version of middle school for Kai. Same old people, same old classes. The highlight of his day was seeing Jinora, but today she seemed oddly different. She was wearing her glasses, which she hadn't worn since she was 11. Instead of her usual hair in a side bun, she let all of her hair down.

"Jin?" He leaned up against her locker.

"Yeah?" she leaned so she could see him, her eyes tear stained.

"You OK?"

"Why would I not be OK?" She sniffled, trying to hold back her tears.

"I don't know, you just seem a bit off today."

"What? You don't like how I'm acting?" Tears began falling down her cheeks.

"No, no I think you're fine." He grabbed her elbows trying to calm her down as people gave him horrible looks.

"No, you hate me." She slammed her locker in his face, and started walking away.

"What? Jin, I don't hate you." He laughed a bit, terribly confused.

"You're laughing at me?" She squeaked, ready to tear up again.

"No, I would never laugh at you? What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on, I'm fine." She tried to storm off again, but this time he grabbed her arm and carried her over his shoulder.

"Kai! Put me down!" she pounded her fists on his back.

"Jinora, just try to calm down." He said softly, trying to make her calm again.

"I'm fiiiiiine." She cried again. "Where are you taking me?"

"Home." Finally, she settled her head on his shoulder.

"OK." she sniffled. "I need some chocolate."

"Alright Jin." He stroked her hair.

In no way was this a day Kai likes to remember, but it often saved him from being slugged during "That time of the month."

"I cannot believe you dragged me into that!" Kai and Jinora walked out of the movie theater, having just seen "Frozen".

"Oh come on, It was great!"

"No it wasn't, there was music coming out of nowhere! And how did everyone know the words?" He clutched his head, nearly driven mad from tons of little girls screaming "LET IT GO!"

"It was a work of art, Kai. Besides, it's the number one movie in America."

"I don't care, its driving me CRAZY."

"Oh Kai, just let it go!" She walked away with the popcorn laughing.

"That is not even close to funny Jin."

As the years passed by, Kai found himself wanting to be around Jinora all the time. She was his favorite person and his best friend. She reminded him that the love from his mother never left, it just reestablished itself in a new person.

"Hey, hey!" Jinora knocked on his door. Over the past two years, Jinora had gotten taller and stronger. Her hair she still always wore in a bun, and her eyes were as bright as ever, in Kai's words... beautiful."

"Hey Jin." He waved, not looking at her.

"I got you a present." She threw him a wooden bat.

"A bat?" He turned to her with a confused expression.

"Look closer." Reluctantly, Kai looked over the bat. It looked like it was in perfect condition except for one huge dent in it, immediately Kai knew.

"Wow Skoochy had a hard head! Where did you get this?"

"You're Grandma gave it to me." He sat next to him. "Its my favorite bat."

"You have a favorite bat? Next to what?"

"Oh, just try to be emotional for a few minutes." She ruffed up his hair.

"Jin, this is awesome, I love it." He put his arm around her, sending a chill up her spine.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He moved his arm off awkwardly.

"No, its fine." She squeaked. Awkward silence fell upon them for a few moments until simultaneously they breathed,

"Listen Jin, you need to kno-"

"Listen Kai, I need to tell yo-" They both stopped.

"You first." He blushed.

"No you, please." She moved her hair behind her ear.

"Well I guess I want to say thank you, for everything, ever. Always, even if I was a dummy head, you always stayed by me. And I was very often stupid. And all this time I don't think I could ever live witho-."

Suddenly, she brushed her lips against his as he wrapped his arms around her. Her heart beat faster than it ever had, yet oddly, she was surprised. 16 years old and that was her first kiss. Finally breaking the kiss, Jinora hugged him tightly.

"I love you." He cried, tears in his eyes.

"I love you too."

"That's such an ugly color, Kai." Jinora said, critiquing the dark green suit Kai was modeling

"What? It's not that bad."

"Don't get me wrong, you look great, but the tux, not so much."

"Fine."

"Kai, it's graduation, you don't have to wear super fancy stuff under your gown."

"I know, I just want to look nice."

"I know, I'm so proud of you." she kissed his cheek softly, turning his cheeks bright red.

"Did you ever doubt me?"

"No, not once. You still want kisses don't you?" she lifted her eyebrow. "Then let me be proud of you." She hugged him so tightly, he thought he might choke.

"Thanks Jin."

"I believe friends can come and go. Mine often did, turning on me just because of how I looked, or if I wasn't "good enough" for them. But only once in a person's life do they find their soul mate. Some people find them after a heartbreak, some find them by chance, and others have always had their soul mate there, always. Mine was always there, to make me laugh, cry, and just make me happy. Mine is you, Kai. I promise that I will always be there for you to make you laugh, cry, and make you smile." She uttered, tears welling up in her eyes.

In the crowd everyone watched as the best friend became husband and wife, and no one had a dry eye. Even her father, Tenzin, stood almost shaking, his wife's hand in his.

"You, Jinora, have always been the most important thing in my life. Whether it was watching the Avengers, Eating M&M's, and ending up on a sugar crash, you've always managed to make me happier than I was seconds before. Even when I felt that my life was crashing down, you kept it up. I am forever indebted to you, I love you more than anything in the world, and I will always be your dummy head."

At only 20 years old, the both of them could not be happier. Even their wedding vows summed up everything they were, everything they would be... together.

"I pronounce you both husband and wife. Kai, you may now kiss you bride."

With one swift motion he swept his wife into his arms and kissed her, all his dreams fulfilled at this one perfect moment.

Life isn't about how popular you are, or how many things you have, or even how you act. Though sometimes we wish it was, life isn't about what you can get out of it either. Its about who you're with, and how they make you a better person every second you're with them. Every little moment counts in the grand scheme of things, so never take for granted one little moment throughout the years.

So? OH Kainora, let this ship sail forever! This is probably my longest one-shot ever :P

Share with me what you liked, your suggestion, criticism, and your Kainora feels! Also, thanks to Cornonjacob for help with typos and encouragement! :D

Luvs,

~Astrid