𝓳𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓪 𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓯

🌿 — 𝓙in's eyes softened as she slowly approached him with a cup of jasmine tea . Nothing special about it , only that it { { rested } } safely within the walls of a porcelain teacup with a dragon on it .

❝ I hear a good cup of tea is best for rest . ❞ She said softly as she placed it on his desk . ❝ It used to help a lot while I was studying , or when it would calm my nerves waiting for Aang to come home . ❞ Quietly , Jin looked down at the cup of tea , then gave him a little bow out of respect .

❝ Perhaps , it will help you too . ❞ There was a genuine { { warmth } } in her words , but something didn't quite reach where it should .

운현궁의 여름(Summer at Unhyeongung Palace)

Aang’s smile softened the moment the name left her lips. “Jin,” he repeated quietly, the sound of it already reaching somewhere inside of him like sunlight through leaves. It fit her in every possible way; gentle and bright. “That’s a beautiful name,” he said softly, as his thumb stroked once along her cheek where his hand still cradled her face.

A soft laugh escaped him at that, light and fond, but it quickly melted as he looked at her smile, the flush in her cheeks, the way her fingers still curled into his sleeve and Aang leaned in once more, his hand still gently cupping her face just as he was about to close the distance when a sudden weight dropped onto his shoulder.

“Mrrp!”

Aang blinked, “Momo,” he says with an amused laugh as Momo perched proudly on his shoulder, clutching what looked like a pastry in his tiny paws. Crumbs clung to his fur, and his wide, curious eyes shifted between Aang and Jin. “You have incredible timing, you know that?” he murmured, glancing at the lemur.

Momo chirped happily, completely unapologetic, and took a big bite of the pastry.

“I was trying to do something romantic,” he admitted, another quiet laugh slipping through. “But apparently that’s not allowed.”

Momo leaned forward, peering curiously at Jin, his head tilting as if inspecting her. Then, deciding she passed his inspection, he gave a small chirp and offered her a piece of his treat.

“Jin, this is Momo,” Aang introduced them formally, voice warm with affection. “He tends to show up whenever something that’s not his business is happening… or whenever there’s food involved.”

🌿 — 𝓖rowing up , she never really liked her name much . She understood the meaning , and that it was { { her } } name , but it never really felt . . . Right . When she heard Aang say it , something about her name suddenly sounded like the most warm , loving thing in the entire world . He made her name sound sweet , { { comfortable } } — like it truly belonged to her . And when he called it { { beautiful } } , Jin's heart began to soar .

Jasmine eyes flickered between summer - blue - grey hues , and his lips , as Aang leaned into the space . Her eyes began to close , { { melting } } into his light as he drew her closer . They were so close , now . She could practically { { feel } } his lips on hers for the second time . And just as they were about to share another moment , the little purr from the lemur monkey made a stream of soft laughter fall from Jin's lips .

❝ Well , hello there . ❞ She released Aang's left sleeve to hold her hand out towards the lemur monkey . He was so cute , and { { lively } } . In a way , he reminded Jin of the man she had just kissed . Judging by how they were interacting together , it was no wonder that the pair seemed to be as thick as thieves . ❝ I think you're { { allowed } } to do something romantic , but clearly your friend wants to be part of it . ❞

She watched as Momo leaned into her space , analyzing her with those big , round eyes of his . When he happily made noises and handed her the pastry , Jin's smile only grew as she took the little piece in her grasp .

❝ Thank you for sharing your snack with me . ❞ She held the pastry piece in her lap while her gaze shifted back to Aang . ❝ What an adorable name . As for showing up when he pleases , I think the best way to meet someone is when they show up unexpectedly . After all , ❞ she shifted in her seat a little as her eyes fell down to the pastry in her lap , ❝ I sat down next to you unexpectedly , and I think things are going pretty well , so far . Don't you ?" ❞

  ❝𝓣wo-bite cupcake? They severely underestimate my power.❞

🌿 — 𝓙in looked down at the cupcakes nuzzled within the little box in her hands , then up at the man who seemed to { { question } } their validity . ❝ I thought they were the perfect snack size . . . Not everyone likes big cupcakes . ❞

Her hand against his cheek was warm and impossibly gentle, and the light brush of her fingers as she wiped the dirt from his skin sent a quiet shiver through him. For a moment, he nearly forgot how to breathe as his eyes locked on hers, watching the way the world seemed to narrow until there was nothing left but the small space between them. The grass, the sky, the distant sounds from the street—all of it faded into a soft blur until there was only her. And in that same heartbeat, his soul pulled him forward.

He didn’t even know her name. Here he was, feeling as though the world had gone still around this girl, ready to risk everything on the pull in his chest, and he had somehow let himself fall so fully into the moment that he had never once asked the simplest thing. It should have made him pause, but for so long, Aang had tried to live by caution where his heart was concerned. It had felt safer since losing Katara not to risk this. Wanting. But with her, the pull in his soul was stronger than fear and for the first time in a long while, Aang let himself follow it.

His gaze flickered to her lips, then back to her eyes, searching for even the smallest sign of hesitation. What he found there was warmth and softness, and he felt courage bloom in himself as a faint, breathless smile touched his mouth. “Then I guess,” he murmured, voice barely above a whisper, “I should take a risk too.”

Slowly, tenderly, Aang lifted his free hand to her face, his palm cradling her cheek and his thumb brushing gently along the curve of her cheekbone, holding her as though she were something precious he wanted to protect.

Then he leaned in the rest of the way and brushed his lips against her in a gentle kiss, soft as wind through summer grass.

When he finally pulled back, it was only by the smallest distance, their foreheads almost touching, his breath mingling with hers as eyes slowly opened. “I’ve wanted to do that since you called me tall grass boy,” he admitted with a quiet, almost shy laugh. “And… I just realized I kissed you before I even asked your name.” Aang let out the gentlest laugh at himself, thumb still stroking lightly over her cheek. “I know mine,” he murmured, eyes shining with tenderness, “but I’d really like to know yours.”

🌿 — 𝓣he world stood still as she held his gaze . She didn't know what he was thinking , probably that she was a { { huge } } dork for wanting to spend time with a stranger she didn't know . . . He was also probably thinking that she was reckless for trusting someone she didn't know . She did that in Ba Sing Se , and it cost her more than she'd { { ever } } say . He was probably thinking a lot of things but , to be fair , Jin was thinking a { { lot } } of things about him . She was thinking about how she could watch him smile for hours and never get tired of him . Jin was thinking about how his voice was so { { soothing } } that no noise would ever compare . And , she thought about his touch , and how { { powerful } } it could be . . . But how gentle he was with her.

And to think , Jin was starting to fall for this { { charming } } stranger , and he didn't even know what her name was . Frankly , she expected him to call her ❛ grass girl ❜ , since she called him cute , tall grass boy . Oh well , he'd learn it , eventually ! In the meantime , she was focused on his eyes and how { { expressive } } they seemed to be , even when he was saying nothing at all . Aang had this way of saying { { everything } } , even when he said nothing at all . She actually really liked it . It meant that , for Jin , she could always ask him what was on his mind , and there would always be an answer .

It was his next words , though , that drew Jin's brows together in thought . She tilted her head to the right , her bangs falling in front of her eyes just a little while she kept looking up at him . ❝ Risk . . . What ? ❞ She whispered back between them .

And then . . . She felt his lips find hers in the { { sweetest } } form of harmony the world has ever seen . Her eyes went wide in surprise momentarily , but once her mind realized what { { exactly } } had happened , Jin closed her eyes while she happily sighed into their kiss . Her skin painted with a watercolor flush of blush , while her free hand settled against his shoulder . She kissed him back just before he pulled away , and when he did , Jin couldn't stop smiling . Her eyes fluttered open , her fingers twisting nervously into his sleeve as laughter { { bubbled } } from within .

❝ Really ? I didn't realize that that nickname would make someone kiss me . ❞ She smiled down at their hands , shaking her head in utter { { disbelief } } . Susu is { { never } } going to believe that the new person who has captured her heart is the Avatar . It felt like a story from a fairytale , and Jin was reading it from cover to cover ten times over . ❝ You { { did } } kiss me before you knew my name . Quite a risky thing to do , I'll admit , but , ❞ she shyly laughed with him as her eyes found his once more , ❝ it's Jin . ❞ She smiled softly , ❝ my name is Jin . ❞