Ten Years Later

Namjoon grinned as the wall went up for the last section of the city, enclosing the North like it once had. Rebuilding was slow, but the North was getting there.

Fire Lord Seokjin had been willing to give aid to rebuild. Namjoon's people were still uncomfortable around fire benders, meaning manpower was not one of the things Seokjin could give. Recently, they had accepted an ambassador from the Fire Nation. Every move of hers was monitored. She seemed to be kind, a young progressive. Appropriate for her job title. Nonetheless, his people were wary. It was understandable looking back at their history.

After the war there was a gift Namjoon hadn’t even realized he could receive. The Fire Nation had jailed many of their benders and Seokjin freed them when he began his reign. None of the benders could be considered 'normal'. Many struggled to acclimate to society and a world without war. Jimin helped with making services available for those needing rehabilitation. It was one of his side jobs he was passionate about and worked hard on. The surviving Southern Water Tribe members were more lost than the rest, and he found many of them decided to live near each other on the east side of the city. They had given up on rebuilding the South altogether. There were no elders or people to lead them. All of them had died in the war. They made peace merging with the North.

None of the freed benders were particularly a danger to society. More likely a danger to themselves and anyone that asked too many questions. They did not like talking about their time while jailed, not that Namjoon could blame them.

“Daddy! Dad! Look what I did!”

A little boy with the blue eyes of the water tribe went racing into his arms with a giggle, hiding his face in the crook of his father’s neck.

“What have you done?” he sighed, worried about what his mischievous son was up to this time.

“I took Sana’s toy.” He waived it under Namjoon’s nose and he groaned.

“You can’t just take other people’s toys.”

“Even if it’s Sana’s?” He rolled his brows at his father forcing a laugh out of Namjoon’s throat.

“Yes, now go give it back.”

Sana was one of Jungkook’s children. He had settled down a few years after the war with a healer. All of his children were water benders. Namjoon couldn’t help but think fate must have taken in their father’s feelings on that.

Daehyun raced off to do as his father bid and Namjoon couldn’t help but wonder where his teacher was. His son always managed to get away from the man despite his valiant efforts.

Arms wrapped around his waist, and Namjoon clutched the hands in his own. There were many things he had changed after the war, starting with the rules of succession. From now on it was not blood that determined who ruled the tribe, but whoever the past chief thought was most worthy. Even with Namjoon's own ual preference in mind he felt like it was a good idea. Meaning he no longer had to marry a female to create the next chief. After all, Namjoon’s father wasn’t born royal, but he went down in history as one of the best chiefs of all time.

Namjoon turned around, taking the smaller in his arms and placing a soft kiss against his forehead. Jimin grinned, placing his head on Namjoon’s chest and holding him close. There had been many orphans from the war. Namjoon and Jimin had decided to adopt one of the many and were thinking about a second. Even with Namjoon changing the laws his people were still struggling to accept his partner. Jimin may have the eyes of a water bender, but fire was still his element. Because of the war fire had a negative stigma to it, but things were slowly changing.

“What is our son up to?” Jimin murmured, watching as a group of children played below. Sana was crying to a teacher about her doll and then their little Daehyun appeared in the courtyard, racing over towards the girl and giving it back, placing a kiss on her cheek with a giggle and racing off. She wiped away her tears with a grubby fist, watching Daehyun from afar as he played with another one of Jungkook’s children.

“Mischief like always,” Namjoon sighed. Jungkook’s wife was a renowned healer in the North, two years his elder. He met her soon after his arrival, and in the coming months a love blossomed from the ashes of the tribe.

“They both seem to be promising benders,” Jimin hummed.

“They are,” he agreed. So far out of the new generation Jungkook’s children seemed most promising for the throne, but only time would tell. His own son would never be able to inherit. It was a stipulation he added so that no chief could be biased when choosing the next leader. The remaining nobles were all too willing to ratify it, wanting a chance for their own progeny to become Chief. The Northern Water Tribe still had a long way to go, but hoped bloomed in the shadows.

Hope was all they needed.

“Dinner is finished!”

A flurry of activity from the lower dwellings of the house could be heard, and then the stomping of feet as a multitude of children burst forth from the hall in a rush and get their food.

Taehyung stepped back, wiping his forehead with a sigh and watching with a slight smile on his face. When the war first ended Taehyung was lost with what he should do with himself. He didn’t want to be a prince again, that was too much responsibility, and he figured that would make things even more difficult on Seokjin and Darshi anyways. Possibly giving other nobles ideas to have him rule instead and offing his brother.

So he remained with Yoongi. Keeping his exact location a secret and sending the occasional letter to Seokjin.

He returned to the Earth Kingdom, back to Yoongi and Nara’s, Yoongi’s little sister, childhood home. No one was there when they first arrived. It had been abandoned, most of the valuables stolen by the prior servants. All of them wondered what to do with no money, land, and a large home.

People began trickling back as the Earth Kingdom stabilized. Taehyung began to notice an overwhelming amount of war orphans on the streets. As he tossed in the muggy summer heat an idea hit him.

They could turn their home into an orphanage and began living off the land.

The first few years were difficult, and there was always another child in need of a place to stay. The mouths outnumbered the food. It was the hardest thing he’d ever done in his entire life, and sometimes when he laid down at night he wondered if it was even worth it.

But it was.

Taking care of them gifted him with a happiness he didn’t realize was possible. All the large eyes and cute buttons noses staring up at him as he read them a story, the absolute faith they had in him being able to provide for them. How they would race up to him on his worst days and clutch to his leg, giving him a hug before disappearing into the myriad of children in the courtyard.

“Were you able to get the green beans in time?” Yoongi probed, grabbing a plate for one of the little one’s waiting at a smaller table giddily vibrating in her seat.

“I sent Mara and Hara out and they picked them for me,” Taehyung supplied, filling up a plate for another child. The cacophony of nearly forty children in a single room was deafening, but Taehyung had grown used to it in the passing years. It never bothered Yoongi at all. Not many things did. He was unperturbable as ever.

“I made the little one’s do it,” Mara giggled, sneaking between them to grab a roll. “If you make a game out of a chore they’re willing to do anything.”

Taehyung snorted. “Already learning the ropes, are you?”

“I learn from the best,” she teased, off to find her sister.

He gave the food to a little one, adjusting the spoon on one of the toddlers. One of the older boys took over for him, giving a winning smile. Without the children helping each other Taehyung didn’t think this would be possible. All they had on staff was a cook. The children helped with the chores and Taehyung minded the youngest. Yoongi handled the business part of it, making sure their funds were always able to stretch and catching odd jobs when he had the chance.

A hand rested at his waist, brown eyes probing his own. Yoongi pulled him to the side gently, surveying the room. “You okay?”

Taehyung bit his lip, releasing a breath that had his whole body relaxing. He didn’t realize how