#Billy's all stream of consciousness is this. which is wild. snd then Jason gets to swear

[nari-writes]

I forgot that I have quite a bit of this, actually. I just chip away at it when I'm stuck at other things. The affectionate summary of: PR 2017 fic where I went ham on soulmates and demons and aliens and superheroes and autism all at the same time

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"No," says Jason, and his face is somehow, in equal measure, completely blank and utterly horrified. "Why? That's not supposed to- when did it happen?"

"Found him in the hall ten minutes ago," Zack offers, but Jason's expression just flickers with annoyance.

"You're in so much shit right now," he says, "so how about you just shut it?"

"Make me," Zack says, and he's grinning, with so many teeth that Billy feels uncomfortable. It doesn't fit his mouth - or rather, it does, in the way that his face looks built for sharp grins, but in that his teeth are hurting Billy's eyes, like they're too perfect and yet somehow there's too many, too sharp, all at the same time.

That, and- he misses a lot. He knows he misses a lot. But there's a look in Zack's eyes, in his challenge, that's eager and hungry and wanting, fastened right on Jason. And it's probably the bond that's leaving Billy more in tune with what other people do, but maybe part of this is feedback from Jason. Feedback from Jason reading this stranger-friend better than Billy ever could, just on prescience of knowing who Zack is, what he's like, and- it's uncomfortable to know that Billy's soulmate has someone else in love with him.

"Stop that!" Jason snaps, fingers clenched into fists, and it's fascinating that Billy can feel Jason's fingernails in his own palms. "You're making him uncomfortable."

Zack's eyes flick to him. Billy tries to project I am so very chill and cool, please keep talking like I'm not here because this is all crazy and I'm invested in why you have an axe, rather than, my mom and dad were so in love that I grew up wanting it for myself and I thought my soulmate would know me, in all the ways I never knew I wanted to be known, except now it seems like he doesn't want to be near me at all and also it's weirding me out that you're in love with him because I don't want to get in the way of that.

He is not entirely sure he manages to succeed, because Zack frowns.