It dawned on him, then, both achingly slowly and yet with a suddenness that almost stung.
He watched her laughing and realized that he wanted to hear that laughter every day (and hopefully be the cause of some of it). That he never wanted to sit at a breakfast table that didn't have her there, smiling excitedly as she told him her plans for the day. That he wanted to know what she thought of every piece of art he would ever make. That he wanted to stand by her side for every single scheme she could possibly come up with (either to help or be a voice of reason). That he wanted to listen at the door as that voice sang children with those gray eyes and that same wide smile to sleep.
That what he wanted right now, more than anything else...
He'd never be able to say afterwards which of them moved first. One moment they were looking at each other, the laughter in their voices dying in a slow but barely perceptible breath, and the next her hands were on his shoulders and his were at her waist and their lips were pressed together in a kiss that was soft and gentle and decisive and effortless.
It only lasted a moment-- or maybe an eternity-- and then they both pulled away just enough to lean their foreheads against one another, gazing into each other's eyes.
He noticed a slight wetness in her eyes, and he might have self-loathingly mistaken it for sadness or disappointment if he didn't feel the same moisture gathering in his own.
And that's when Huan-- cautious, hesistant Huan, who never made a single decision without thinking and reconsidering and worrying over it for at least a week or two-- said the easiest two words of his life.
"Marry me."
It should have felt reckless and impulsive and crazy. Anyone else probably would have thought so, but in that moment he couldn't bring himself to care. He was ready to be home.
Ikki smiled, pulling away to wipe at her eyes.
"I was going to say that," she said, giggling.
"I can't let you say everything first," he said, standing and reaching out a hand to help her up. She took it with a smile, leaning on his shoulder as the two of them walked away together.
She'd never actually said yes, but she hadn't needed to. His words hadn't been a question.
They'd been an answer.
Hi :) Thanks for the prompt! First time trying Hukki, so this was exciting!
#11. Kisses littered all over the face.
#17. That soft exhalation of adoring laughter leaving Character B’s mouth after kissing Character A
__
At the top of the stone steps on Air Temple Island, Ikki sat with her chin in her hands, and let out a heavy sigh.
A few seconds later, another sigh. This one being longer and heavier than the last.
“Oh my spirits, Ikki!” Off to the side sitting underneath the gazebo, Jinora slammed her book down in huff. “Do you mind? I am trying to read, and your moaning is bothering me!”
Perking up from resting her head in her hands, she turned to face her sister. “Oh you caught that?” Unapologetic as ever.
Jinora fought to contain her eye roll. She settled for a pointed look of frustration.
“Anyways,” Ikki hopped up from her seat to make her way over to her sister. “Now that I have your attention…” A light hop falling into the cross legged position. “I could use your help.”
Resigned to the fact she won’t be able to continue her book until Ikki gets what she wants, Jinora marked her spot in her book and turned her focus to her sister.
“Fine then, what’s up?”
Ignoring the curt attitude, Ikki pressed on. “I don’t know what the deal is between me and Huan.”
“Deal?”
“Yeah. I mean I have no clue where we’re at. Are we girlfriend, boyfriend? Just friends? Casually dating? We’ve been on plenty of dates now, but nothing’s been made official. I don’t know if he likes me, likes me, if we’re just hanging out just because we’re here, or what?” She threw her arms up in frustration.
“Have you tried bringing this up to him?”
Ikki looked at her incredulously. “Are you kidding me?! Me ask him? Spirits, that’s not how it goes in the romance books I’ve read, Jinora. Come on, I can’t do that!”
“So? There’s nothing wrong with you asking the guy to be their girlfriend.”
“But Kai asked you to be his girlfriend.”
“Well, that’s true…”
“And Huan is a man of few words, except when he’s talking about his art. Although I find it absolutely adorable when he gets lost in what he’s doing like that, I don't know if or when I could get an update on our relationship out of him.”
Jinora cracked a smile. “Yeah, a man of few words indeed,” she mused. “However, need I remind you Mom was the one who confessed to Dad first, so who’s to say you can’t do something similar?”
At that point, Ikki sat back and hummed, mulling over the idea. “You know, you’re right. Maybe I think I could do that. I could take the initiative.” As Ikki considered the idea more and more, the more she was enticed by the idea.
“Exactly, that’s that spirit.”
“Actually, Huan is taking me on a date this afternoon. He’s presenting a big sculpture that he’s been working on and I’m going to stop by and see what it looks like and show support.”
“You haven’t seen it yet?” Jinora raised a brow.
Ikki shook her head. “Nope! I knew he was working on something major, but when I asked to see what it was going to turn out like, he practically hissed at me, saying something along the lines of, ‘the beauty will be in the wait,’” she huffed.
Jinora laughed.
“Anyways,” she continued. “I’ll finally get to see what he has been working on. I’m thinking that sometime during our date, I’ll ask him.”
Jinora nodded enthusiastically. “Sounds like a plan. Go on ahead and stick your chin out for your hopefully soon to be boyfriend!”
Ikki shuddered, pulling a face of disgust. “Okay, now you’re sounding too much like mom. Need you to stop that as soon as possible. Scary.”
Jinora tutted her tongue. “Whatever, get out of here and let me get back to my book.”
Hand raised in a mock salute. “Whatever you say. Gotta get ready anyways. Bye, sis!”
A silent wave goodbye.
****
Walking up to the Republic City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ikki sights were honed in on a familiar figure standing by the entrance and a wide smile grew.
Eyes narrowed, index and forefinger pinched his chin, Huan leaned forward in intense focus on the dual lion turtle stone sculptures at each side of the grand entrance.
Ikki glided right to his side. “Hey, Huan. Well don’t you look nice.”
Huan stood up for a moment, turning towards the source of the voice. “Hello, Ikki. Come here, what do you think about these sculptures?” he resumed his position in contemplation.
She hummed. What do I think? Her brain started to feel smokey and the gears turned, coming up empty. “I… don’t really know,” she admitted.
Abruptly he stood up to face her once more. “Exactly!”
“Exactly?” cocking her head to the side in question.
“The designs are uneven, proportions are off, and the sculpting medium doesn’t quite fit with the theme. It’s nothing, it’s everything. It makes no sense, but all the sense at the same time.” He gasped. “Remarkable.”
Ikki let out a dreamy sigh.
“Are you ready to go in?”
“Hm? Oh- yes, let’s go. I can’t wait to see what you’ve been working on. This will be exciting!”
Going through the exhibit was... Decent. There were plenty of sculptures from other artists they were going through first and while her interest in the arts has grown as she’s gotten older and spent more and more time with Huan, well, those sculptures weren’t his.
With the myriad of sculpture displays and discussions, keeping up was proving to be a challenge but she was trying her best.
“And finally–”
Oh spirits, yes!
“This is the one I’ve been working on.”
Coming up to the statue, Ikki’s eyes widened in wonder.
A series of metal ribbons, long and short, wide and narrow, swirled around in an upward spiral. The spiralized ribbons weren’t solely a stiff column. In their own way they curved and flowed. Static and dynamic all the same.
It made Ikki feel… connected.
“So,” Huan started. “What are you thinking?”
“Huan…” Slowly she turned to face him. “It’s remarkable. I love it.”
“You know..I based this sculpture off of you,” he softly admitted.
“Really?”
A small nod. He slowly reached to tuck loose hair behind her ear. “Your gray eyes, the way the color is captured in the light depending on the angle. Your bending, how beautiful and inspiring it is to see you flow like the breeze, dancing in the skies when you glide. The way your spirit is as bright as the sun. You have that positive effect on people. It’s inspiring.”
Ikki’s heart has never felt so full. “Huan... I guess that partially explains why I resonated so well with your sculpture. I- I don’t know what else to say.”
“This was why I didn’t let you in on what I was working on for this exhibit. I wanted to surprise you.”
Ikki huffed a laugh. “Well, call me surprised. This is the sweetest thing I could have ever imagined that you’d do for me.”
“And I- I hoped that once this exhibit was over. That this could be a present I may give to my… girlfriend?”
Time stood still for Ikki, hearing Huan's words. “Girlfriend? You did say girlfriend, right?”
Huan’s face turned a heated red and he nodded.
A beat later, Ikki leapt into his arms, making Huan need to stagger back as he held her steady in his arms.
“Woah! Okay, Ikki–”
“Yes!” she exclaimed, tears of joy near welling up in her eyes.
Eagerly she cupped Huan’s cheeks, peppering kisses all over his face. His forehead, eyes, nose, and lips. A tear broke free, dropping on his face.
“Hey!” A stern voice called from the other side of the room, pausing Ikki’s kisses.
The couple turned to find a random older woman glaring at them as though looks could kill.
“This is a public place!” she scolded. “If the two of you are going to act like a bunch of hooligans, do it somewhere else!”
Ikki bristled, “Yes ma’am, sorry ma’am!”
Huan silently narrowed his eyes at her before muttering a small apology.
Quickly Ikki turned away from the woman who stormed off in a huff, refocusing her attention to Huan and bearing a cheeky smile.
A singular kiss firmly pressed to Huan’s lips. She pulled away with a breathy laugh.
Huan joined in on her laugh, too.
“But yes. Yes, Huan, I’ll be your girlfriend.”
Holding Ikki in his arms, Huan easily relaxed as his heart warmed. He thumbed the tears welling in his girlfriend’s eyes. “I’m so glad.”
Winter Solstice Gift for @ljf613. Hope you like it!
Silence blanketed the room as the whirlwind of preparations came to an end as Ikki's family (and family-to-be) all made their way to their seats. Her mother was the last to leave after sliding a heavy beaded necklace around her neck and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Ikki took a deep breath before turning to look at herself in the mirror. It was the first time she had seen herself since stepping into the room and for a moment, she almost didn't recognize who she was looking at.
"You look beautiful," her father said, startling her gaze away from the mirror. "Are you ready?"
Ikki looked back at her reflection, her gaze trailing over the places where air meet earth in her wedding attire, before she nodded. "Let's get this party started," Ikki replied, skipping over to her father's side.
A glimpse through the door behind him showed the wedding ceremony where Huan was waiting for her. Her nerves dissipated as eagerness took its place. Ikki grabbed her father's arm and half dragged him from the room.
I'm always delighted when a new person writes Irosami. @ljf613 is by no means a new fan of this ship, but I'm thrilled to see A Magical Place finally take off as a full-fledged chapter fic. Featuring adorable matchmaker Ikki, second-chance Irosami, and a somewhat befuddled Huan Beifong helping it all come together.
The great artists of the world are never Puritans, and seldom even ordinarily respectable. No virtuous man — that is, virtuous in the Y.M.C.A. sense — has ever painted a picture worth looking at, or written a symphony worth hearing, or a book worth reading
Can I be honest and say when I read ‘term of endearment’ the first word that popped into my head was ‘bitch’. Go back to sleep, bitch. (This is def something my friends would say to me lovingly.)
On a more serious note, this prompt is kinda dark tones and made me really sad. Trigger warning for trauma/nightmares.
32- "Go back to sleep, (term of endearment)." Hukki
Ikki gasped and shot up, feeling her sister’s name stuck in her throat. She took a deep breath and scrubbed the tears from her eyes.
Not real. Not real. Not real.
Even years later, she still had nightmares. Reaching out for her sister’s falling, unconscious body. Sometimes she wouldn’t make it in time.
Sometimes the scenes would change, and it was Dad or Rohan, sometimes it was a man in a mask taking their bending. Sometimes it was a man taking her very breath from her lungs.
She hated these nightmares. She hated that her brain would bring up her worst memories and replay them, twisting them into something more sinister.
Ikki could clearly picture the fear in her sister’s eyes, and her heart clenched in panic. Her sister, her best friend, who she looked up to and Ikki didn’t know what she would do without her—
A sob escaped her throat and she clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes falling to the sleeping figure next to her. But it was too late, Huan was blinking his eyes open.
“Go back to sleep, hon.” Ikki whispered, tucking his hair out of his face.
He ignored her suggestion and sat up, flicking on the lamp. “Another nightmare?”
She sighed and nodded, eagerly slipping into his offered arms. Hearing his heartbeat put some of the anxiety to rest.
Huan didn’t ask her to go back to sleep, or if she wanted to talk about it. He knew better than that by now. So instead he brought up other topics to distract her until she couldn’t see Jinora’s falling body behind her closed eyelids anymore.
They stayed up for a while, softly talking about their plans for the day, or something funny Meelo said, or who won the last pro-bending match.
Eventually her eyes felt heavy again, and Huan’s soft heartbeat and low voice lulled her back to a much more peaceful sleep.
So here’s another ship I have never ever written! I have to say, it was tricky but interesting. I hope I managed to pull off at least a glimmer of their dynamic. Anyway, 18 days to 24!🌼
"No! You're missing the point Ikki! This is a representation of the societal pressures put on men that try to break out of the patriarchal bounds that were set by other gross men!” Huan shouted.
“That just looks like an upside down umbrella growing an apple to me.” Ikki shrugged, not quite catching on to Huan’s irritation.
“Ugh! That’s so insulting! You need a new set of eyes if you can’t see that this sculpture is a clear representation of the societal pressures-”
“That’s rude!” Ikki cried at the condescending tone he used.
Before he could get another word out, she stormed away- not wanting him to see the tears that would start building in her eyes if he went on any further.
After walking a few minutes in the direction she had ran off in, he spotted her sitting on a bench by the park. As soon as he walked up closer, he heard a sniffle, followed by a ‘hmph’ with her arms crossed.
Huan sighed, glancing back at the metallic sculpture in front of him. She wasn’t wrong after all, it did look like an upside down umbrella with an apple growing out of it. Perhaps he needed a new set of eyes, to see how he missed that the beauty of art lay in the eyes of the observer. And more importantly, to be able to see just how much of an effort she was putting in to support his passions, to see how he had managed to hurt the feelings of a very loving young girl. She always had such wonderfully unique perspectives.
“Ikki, I owe you an apology.” He looked down, ashamed by his behavior.
She looked up at him and softened her gaze since his apology was sincere.
“Can I sit beside you?” He smiled.
“Sure.”
“You don’t need a new set of eyes- uh- the ones you have- they’re umm- really pretty.” He looked down at his shoes.
“Thanks.” Ikki said softly.
“I mean it,” He smiled and turned to face her, “When your gray eyes light up with excitement, it gives me ideas on how I want to bend my own gray metal. I don't quite know how to explain it. You- kinda get credit for my work,” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “So, umm. Thanks. To you, really- You inspire me.”
