Chapter Text
“The who?!”
“The avatar,” Namjoon repeated calmly.
Hoseok gawked at him. “You’re telling me The Avatar came into our shop today, and I had no idea?”
“It all happened pretty quickly. He popped in with a couple of his friends while you were in the back, misting the vines. Said he was busy but that the shop was sort of calling to him, and he’d be back to see it for real soon. I don’t know; it was surreal!”
“You’re sure it was actually him?”
“He looked like every depiction of the current avatar I’ve seen. And, at the very least, he’s an airbending master. He had his tattoos. That alone is still a rarity these days.”
“Wow,” Hoseok said, more to himself than in response to Namjoon. “The avatar in our little Republic City plant shop. What are the odds?”
“Maybe he misses seeing greenery too,” Namjoon murmured, taking one of Hoseok’s slender hands into both of his.
That was the whole reason they had started this journey together, after all. After relocating to Republic City as a young couple from different respective nations, they found the constantly progressing metropolis exciting, if not a tad depressing. Technological advances were the main priority of most of the city's population. However, as homesickness hit Namjoon and Hoseok hard a few months after arriving, the scant parks and surrounding sea could only do so much to quell those feelings.
Which is how they wound up putting their heads together to start a little business of their very own. Omashu Gardens—named to pay homage to the city where Hobi and Namjoon first met—was a labor of love. The two had always intended it to be a bright spot of nature in an otherwise industrial neighborhood. Perhaps that was why it had drawn the eye of the avatar.
With the hand that wasn’t being held, Hoseok used his bending to playfully flick some water from a nearby dripline at Namjoon. “Something as big as this, you should have yelled for me! I would have dropped everything had I known,” he chided.
“As I said,” Namjoon replied, chuckling at Hoseok’s petulance, “It all happened so fast.”
Hoseok hummed as if considering whether or not to accept Namjoon’s answer. After a moment, he broke into a wide grin and pressed a quick peck to Joon’s cheek before flitting off across the store to the next thing that caught his attention.
The excitement of the avatar’s impromptu appearance began to fade, and both men easily fell back into their typical routine. Namjoon greeted customers, tidied the shop, and made note of their current stock. Meanwhile, Hoseok utilized his bending to keep all of the plants fresh and arranged floral bouquets with his keen eye.
It was a comforting ebb and flow now, three years into operating the shop.
When the sun set, the pair went through the motions of closing the shop. One of the best parts about doing this together was that each night they got to retire home together, hands clasped as they climbed the stairs to the apartment above the shop.
~
It only took three days for the avatar to make good on his word and return to Omashu Gardens.
This time, Namjoon didn’t have to holler for Hoseok, as the latter was standing near the door when the man entered. Two other men flanked the avatar. Had the arrow inked into his forehead not been a dead giveaway, the air of importance that those three carried would have immediately clued Hoseok into his identity.
The shock of his sudden appearance caused Hoseok to nearly drop the glass vase he was carrying, a gift from the firebending craftsman around the corner. He saved the fragile creation at the last moment, setting it down before hurrying over to where Namjoon was assisting another customer behind the counter.
The Avatar and his companions hung back patiently, watching as Namjoon explained what was making the roots of the houseplant the older gentleman had brought in unhappy. He was rambling about the properties of different soils when he glanced around and saw the new guests in the shop.
Equipped with a wealth of new information, the man thanked Namjoon and went on his way.
“I’m so sorry for the wait,” Namjoon said with a deep bow. “This is my partner, Hoseok. Hobi, this is—“
“The avatar,” Hoseok supplied in wonder.
“Jungkook,” the man gently corrected. “It’s so nice to meet you both.”
Avatar Jungkook bowed, and Hoseok had to grab Namjoon’s sleeve to steady himself from disbelief.
Though the avatar was known to be incredibly powerful, even compared to his past selves, Jungkook appeared a few years younger than Namjoon and Hoseok. His youthful features were only slightly offset by his immaculate physique. There was a certain sparkle to his eyes like they contained eons and galaxies.
“These are my friends,” Jungkook began but was interrupted by an elbow to his ribs from the silver-haired man to his left.
“My teachers,” he amended, earning a chuckle from the bender on his other side. He gestured first to the one that had nudged him. “This is Jimin, and that’s Yoongi.”
Recognition sparked in Hoseok.
“You’re a waterbending master!” he exclaimed, pointing at Jimin.
“Yes, that’s right,” Jimin smiled demurely. Despite his somewhat sharp correction of Jungkook’s wording, he had a generally serene atmosphere about him.
“And Yoongi here is the greatest firebender since General Iroh,” Jungkook announced.
Yoongi opened his mouth, getting ready to protest, but when Jimin snorted loudly at the claim, he simply crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrows in defiance.
Namjoon and Hoseok watched the exchange unfold, somewhat at a loss.
“I’m a waterbender, too,” Hoseok said after a moment of charged silence. “There are all kinds of people in Republic City, but to meet a bonafide master…that’s—wow! I’d love to discuss technique with you if you have the time.”
“Right,” Namjoon finally spoke up. “What brings you three to Omashu Gardens anyway? It’s an honor to have you, of course! I’m just curious, I suppose.”
Surprisingly, it was Yoongi who answered.
“We’ve been traveling around Republic City for almost a month while I finish training Jungkook in his firebending. Mainly we’ve been observing what life is like here. Meeting citizens. It is the avatar’s duty to uphold peace throughout the nations and to do that, we all believe he has to have a certain level of awareness to lead his compassion.”
“Sure, that makes sense,” Hoseok nodded.
“I’ve never seen someone use their earthbending quite like you,” Jungkook said, his gaze fixed directly on Namjoon.
“Oh, I don’t—I’m not a bender. Never quite had the knack for it, though Earth affinity does run in my family.”
Hoseok silently hooked his pinky with Namjoon’s in a small gesture of support. Though he was correct before in saying that Republic City had a diverse population, he still couldn’t kick the worry that ideologies lingered regarding benders being superior to those without the ability. Hoseok was nothing if not loyal. If he had to fight the avatar himself in order to defend Namjoon, he would do it without hesitation.
But none of the men scoffed or jeered at Namjoon’s confession. Jungkook only cocked his head to the side like a curious polar bear dog.
“Really? But the way that you sensed the potting soil that man brought in, I thought…Ah, never mind.”
Yoongi and Jimin exchanged a look so quickly that it was impossible for anyone else to read.
Namjoon cleared his throat. “So, I get what brings you all to Republic City. Can I ask what drew you to our shop in particular?”
“Let’s see, how can I put this…When I was mastering my airbending training, I learned a lot about intuition and guides from the spirit world. It was the most connection I’ve ever felt to my past lives. But, with Earth as my natural element, to me, that kind of stuff comes down to being able to trust my gut. And something was telling me that I needed to come here. To meet both of you! I believe that I’m meant to learn something from you.”
“What could we possibly teach you?” Hoseok’s voice jumped up an octave with his surprise. His eyebrows nearly reached his hairline. “You already have a waterbending trainer, which makes me useless. Namjoon has no bending, but even if he was an earthbender, as you assumed, what difference would that make? Earth was your first element; you said so yourself.”
“I’m afraid Hoseok’s right. The most we could offer you is how to grow and dry your own teas,” Namjoon shrugged. “That doesn’t seem like a top priority for the avatar.”
Jungkook shook his head. “I don’t know what it is, but I can’t shake the sense that I’m meant to be here. I don’t think it has to do with me mastering the elements. But it’s still important in my journey. I’d like to stay a while until I can figure it out. I’m trusting my gut. Can I ask you both to do the same?”
After years together, Namjoon and Hoseok had nearly perfected the art of having silent conversations through looks and body language. What they signaled to each other now was a combination of confused resignation. What could it hurt? What other choice do we have?
“Alright,” Hoseok answered Jungkook, but his eyes remained locked with Namjoon’s. “We’ll trust you.”