#i was originally thinking hazel bad ending AU but it made me too sad

[morganali-art]

Wolchefant Week - Day 2 AU

We all know that one AU - the one where the Exarch accidentally plucks Haurchefant's spirit out of the rift and lands him in the First. It's hardly original, but it definitely makes me feel Some Kind of Way™ :')

[silvia7272]

Miraculess Ladybug Salt AU: You Always Liked To Play With Fire ~ The Prologue

Hey everyone, this is a new story I wanted to introduce to you all.

I’ve been putting everything in a massive word doc because I had so many ideas and finally settled on putting it out today because it's my birthday. 29th, I may have updated it late.

Yay.

So as a special treat, here’s a new series with a few original characters, ones you know or have been changed ever so slightly to fit, in a Miraculess world. (haha, you see what I did there? No… I’ll leave)

Also for anyone new, I’m a multi-shipper so I ship my characters with a bunch of other people, as I like Lukanette (Fandom Version), Daminette (Fandom Version), Felinette (PV Fandom Version), Marichat (Fandom Version) and I guess Rosannette. What’s Rosannette? Well, I guess you’ll have to find out, won’t you? (also no that’s not a typo, it is Rosannette)

Also, I guess this will just have the usual salt, maybe more, I don’t know. I kinda want it to just be about these two.

Word Count: 3912

Note: I haven’t tagged anyone just in case, this is a different series from my other, I just got really excited and wanted to write it. If you still wish to be tagged for this story please say and specify.

Also: This is a salt story, it will have OOC moments from everyone so it will be classed as an AU. If you don’t want to read that’s fine, and have a nice day.

Well, I hope you’ll enjoy it.

This is for all the people that might prefer Rosinette (like from the songfic) instead, I don’t mind but it won’t be in my main series, so I hope this will satisfy you.

(Word of warning, I believe this will be an AU where the Miraculous don’t exist, and non-canon to my official story and I believe mentions of a panic attack might be lightly mentioned, don’t know if it is, but if someone could check and I’ll make the warning clearer that would be nice)

Summary: 

(Fire doesn't exactly have anything to do with this story I just really liked the title)

Note: This book contains OOC scenes of Miraculous Ladybug as well as a ton of salt, so if you don't like that stuff you may scroll past and have a nice day.

In a world with no Miraculous, no Hawkmoth and no Ladybug, how does our little heroine do?

Well, it usually would be hanging out with her friends, as any other teenager would do...

But, of course, this wasn't normal. 

This was reality. It was cold, hard and definitely not welcome.

So, when this girl wishes to have some kind of adventure in her boring, mundane life...

How long does it take for her to regret it?

***

Memories, it's such a simple word yet it holds so much meaning. One could either wish to forget everything from their life, and simply move forward so they could pursue their dreams. Or, simply relish in the past when they remembered how great it was, all the friends they had made, all the moments they had which were too good to let go.

.

But, I guess sometimes, you did have to let go. But let go of what exactly? Let go of all the happiness once you knew how it would end? No that would be too harsh and you’d turn bitter. Let go of all the sadness? But, wasn’t it an important life lesson to learn, sometimes, you just have to be sad because of the situation at hand. No amount of croissants or macarons would be able to lift your spirits back.

.

Or maybe that was too much of a specific example.

That was what Marinette had thought, staring at an empty glass so intently the man behind made himself disperse from the amount of time the unblinking woman just stared and never flinched.

She guessed it hadn’t all been bad, she at least had some form of happiness before it was violently ripped away, but part of her wondered, what would’ve happened if she never felt that type of happiness before? Would she have felt like she had for so long, was it the fact that she knew what being happy was like before worse? Because, as depressing as it sounded, if she hadn’t been as happy, would she have been as upset?

She would never know, she couldn’t go back in time since that was impossible, but the thought always came and went whenever she was alone with her thoughts.

So… Maybe it was for the best, that she was able to remember what real happiness felt like.

The tight feeling in your chest, butterflies in your stomach, face being so red anyone would worry if the bluenette had caught a cold instead-

Wait- this was an oddly specific kind of happiness she felt, surely she must’ve gotten mixed up with some other felling right?

Right!?

So, how come she was feeling this- incredibly bright heat from her cheeks when she felt a hand on her shoulder?

We may need to go back several years.

***

In a classroom in Collège Françoise Dupont, a young pigtailed girl sat at the back, tears silently falling onto her knees and bawled up fists. She didn’t see any use of wiping them away, since they would just come back anyway, and it would be useless to just repeat that endless cycle. She hadn’t looked around to see anyone else’s faces, they would either just ignore her, or taunt her for just crying, for just being human.

Now you may be wondering why she was so upset? What possibly could’ve happened to make our very cheerful and sunshiny girl become so hunched over she was practically crying her eyes out? Well, the answer lies on the one girl at the front. The one girl sitting in an all too familiar place. The one girl who just ruined all of her newfound friendships.

Lila Rossi.

And boy had she hated that name.

She couldn’t stand that smirk, that thief, that scandal!

And what exactly did she do?

.

She lied.

Now you may be thinking that may not have been all that bad, but it was.

Every time she opened her mouth, everyone would fawn around her, even Alix, the one who seriously couldn’t care about anything to do with glamourous celebrities, was hanging on the edge of her seat to hear one of Lila’s so-called stories. She just had to guess Lila held up a treat over her head to keep her being obedient enough.

She hated Lila so much because she was just using everyone to get an easy life at school, the fastest way towards popularity she guessed, but why she thought this was the fastest way was beyond her.

She hated Lila because she had spread so many lies, so many rumours, all about her. All so out of the realm it was such a surprise they all believed her without a shred of evidence.

It had happened so fast, one day, they were all friends, smiling and laughing like there was no tomorrow, the next, she was surrounded by those faces, those faces of disgust and hatred. As if she had committed even the worst of crimes, more so than Chloé, speaking of, who was absolutely enjoying this show.

But undoubtedly. What she hated about Lila the most.

.

Was that technically, she didn’t have to do that much.

After so many sessions of crying, and just not believing that they could possibly leave her, a friend, like that, she started to reason with herself, that maybe it wasn’t just Lila that pushed them all away.

She thought back to before.

Before they were friends, before Alya even came to Collège, she had been alone. Chloé had always gone out of her way to relentlessly bully her, and no one wanted to be friends with her with Chloé around. So she accepted it, just hoping one day, karma would seek justice and she’d be put in her place.

So she waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And-

Gave up.

She accepted defeat after all the years. After the meaningless conversations with teachers that she should try and be the bigger person and rise above all of her hatred for her. Simply because they couldn’t do anything. They had no power over the mayor's Daughter. So they just let her continue her reign over the school.

She didn’t have any powers to stop her.

.

But then, a light of hope came.

The new girl, with ombre brown and red hair, glasses and hazel eyes. A striped t-shirt and an undeniable Aura that reeked of confidence.

As Marinette was being targeted by Chloé yet again, she came in, and for once, stood up to her. Chloé! No fear in her eyes as she, Alya, grabbed her, Marinette’s, hand and walked off to the desk at the front.

She couldn’t believe it, someone stood up to Chloé! She thought it had only been a myth, a legend, but that right there, it was real.

They became friends faster than the speed of sound.

And soon, she too was able to stand up for herself. Reclaiming her original seat back, and citing a quote her new friend had said… Then everyone had wanted to become friends… And, she felt ecstatic.

Finally. It finally came. The day she had prayed for had come. She felt nothing but pure joy.

And she didn’t want that feeling to go away.

She was terrified that the feeling would go away.

So, she thought of making sure that feeling wouldn’t go away.

That’s why she made so many ‘spare’ macaroons to give away, she didn’t spend her free nights staying up and making them, no way.

That’s why she provided so many free gifts to her friends. What? Her hand has a plaster, no she just tripped and hit herself, it had nothing to do with the gifts. Don’t worry, try your gloves on, do they fit?

That’s why she was late for class. Huh, no I’m fine, I’m not tired… But I might just rest my eyes for a bit, wake me up when something important happens.

That’s why she was so happy to realise Adrien wasn’t as bad as Chloé, the small gentle soul that he had, to graciously provide her with his own umbrella, how selfless.

And that’s why she held onto the idea of Adrien so much. The idea that he was perfect. The idea that she was in love with him.

So, she held onto it.

No, she clung to that idea because she didn’t want any chance to let go. So, she may have gone a bit overboard, with the whole, schedule thing, and the phone… And the schemes. But she believed it was harmless. No one else seemed to have any problems with it, so she believed she was in the clear.

Until she wasn’t.

And Lila used that to her advantage.

She remembered that day so vividly, just like all those other memories. The day she came. The day she would find herself in the same predicament from before, it hadn’t been that long since she had been friends with everyone in fact. She was still getting used to it, and her feelings grew as each day passed by.

She remembered when Lila introduced herself to the whole class, and at first glance, anyone would just think she was an innocent little girl. But behind that smile, behind those eyes, held a sinister intention.

She, in less than an hour, had everyone wrapped around her little finger.

Even her.

She’d been on a private jet?

Had a song written about her?

And saved Jagged Stone’s cat?

There was no way Adrien would fall for her now.

…So maybe she had been jealous of that girl before she had done anything. But she had every reason to. She, Lila, was pressed against Adrien who was happily talking to her. The love of her life! She had to do something, even if Alya had given her a disappointed look she just had to stop them from confessing their love to each other, it was inevitable now, so she followed after them to the park. If they even got too close, she was sure she could just conveniently interrupt, she just had to wait for the perfect moment, she only had a couple of hours before they would fall in love, get married, have three kids and a hamster named-

“Wow Adrien, you’re so nice to me. Y’know I really thought moving here would be just like all the other times. But you’ve really made me enjoy my first day Adrien.” She smiled so sickly sweet Marinette wanted to hurl, how dare she just hold onto his arm like that, so affectionately!

“Its no problem Lila, that’s what friends are for.” She smiled, hugging him so fast they almost lost their balance from sitting on the bench, before seemingly giving him a quick peck on his cheek, only for Adrien to turn his head towards her.

And they kissed.

However, it wasn’t a simple quick kiss, by all means, Adrien should’ve realised his mistake and pulled away.

But he didn’t, what felt like forever lasted a minute. One minute to realise that it should’ve been an accident. But they stayed like that.

It- it was over, wasn’t it? This wasn’t her being melodramatic, she just knew how it would turn out. They were going to fall in love so soon, she wouldn’t have a chance.

If only she had seen the look Lila gave, spotting her retreated form from behind a small trash can, the smirk would’ve given her shivers.

***

Getting back to Collège had taken longer than expected. Maybe it was the small amount of dread knowing she may have lost her love for good. Sure, there might have been Kagami as well, she had tried to sabotage her chances with Adrien too, but it always worked out in the end, Adrien always smiling as Kagami’s cheeks burned with redness. But to say they were friends afterwards.

Marinette would cringe at the fact she always felt so relieved afterwards reflecting years later at her choices. But she had always believed she would still have a chance.

Until today.

Lila came, and took him away, within hours.

And she couldn’t stop it.

Walking along the stairs to her class she had to keep her head held high, if she showed weakness, that would mean she was sad, she wasn’t sad, she couldn’t be sad. She still had all of her friends after all.

Maybe now, they could do more activities, after crying and eating a ton of ice cream of course with cheesy movies to brighten her mood up.

But, this would only be the beginning of that negative feeling.

Opening the door, she would be fully aware of something terribly wrong. At the front of the classroom, a crowd had formed, and a crowd that would soon become a routine in this classroom.

But a crowd formed around a girl, the new girl, Lila. She had seemed to be covering her eyes, water dripping down her eyes, no wait they were tears. What had happened?

She didn’t realise she had spoken those few words before heads turned around, looking- no glaring at her, why were they-? What had she done?

“Marinette I knew you could be a tad jealous but to actually do something like that” Huh? Oh no, Lila must’ve noticed she followed them, how embarrassing, and definitely not the best first impression she could’ve made.

Before she could apologise, before she could explain she really didn’t mean any harm. She didn’t have time to.

“To threaten her to never talk to Adrien again because she likes him. Well, I never thought you’d put your jealousy out like this.”

What!?-

No- she didn’t- she, just saw them kiss.

She didn’t even speak with her.

Why would she say this?

Why didn’t she say anything?

Why wasn’t she defending herself?

Why was she letting them believe that so easily?

Why

Why

Why.

.

Why was it so hard to breathe?

Running out of the classroom was easier than looking at all of those faces. Those accusatory faces. She hated it, she couldn’t do- defend- explain.

She- just-

She-

She-

She-

She was in a room?

The bathroom.

It didn’t matter why, as long as she was alone, she could cry to her heart's content.

The fear seeped over her just like that first time, knowing Chloé had won and would never stop, she had lost and lost everything.

Everything she had worked so hard to obtain.

Everything she had worked so hard to keep.

To make sure she didn’t have to let go.

And now it had gone.

Because it was then Marinette realised. That girl, those tears hadn’t been real, there she saw her eyes hadn’t been red or puffy, the tears’ dried up rather quickly, and the inconsistent wails made it very likely she was only doing them for effect and sympathy.

That girl. Was lying!

That must’ve been it.

No way could she be telling the truth. And no way could ‘I saw her around me and Adrien’ be translated to ‘she threatened me, I’m so scared of her’

Maybe, maybe with that, there was hope.

If she could just simply convince her friends that she was lying, then everything would be all sorted.

And maybe she and Adrien-

Wait, she was getting a little ahead of herself there.

Wiping her tears away she proudly opened the door, ready to face her fears.

Too bad her fears were much much stronger.

No matter how many times she would try to prove her innocence, it became worse.

When she tried going to the teachers, they bat an eye with her responses. Obviously not taking her seriously, and just believing it to be some teenage drama, she was pushed out of the classroom and told to try and just be nicer and make friends with her.

That was harsh but expected.

She tried talking with Alya, she turned away from her. Not wanting to hear anything come out of a crazy stalkers mouth.

That had hurt.

She tried talking with any of her other friends, y’know, the ones who ‘always’ had her back.

They too turned from her. Believing Lila without a doubt, I mean, they knew how jealous Marinette could get, it wasn’t that much of a stretch to think she would jump to that, considering the situation.

That felt like a punch to her gut.

She tried talking with Adrien, even if she did stutter and always lose her words around him. But this was more important, than a silly crush.

.

She wasn’t used to saying that.

But, the way he looked at her, it felt like- pity.

He told her he already knew.

He already knew? Wait- then why didn’t he say anything?

Because, as the naïve little boy stood so tall and ‘innocent’ he simply wanted to help her through his own way.

“She was only lying for attention,” He said.

“Once she finally makes some real friends, she’ll stop,” He said!

“In the meantime, you should really drop this, it would be just awful if you were to hurt Lila again. After all, she hasn’t hurt anyone, she doesn’t mean any harm”

.

.

She stood in shock.

This was the boy she had fell for?

This spineless- foolish- Son of a-

“So please Marinette, don’t cause too many problems for her, you shouldn’t be so harsh on her. If you really value our friendship, you’ll do it.” He smiled before walking off, leaving her to her thoughts.

That felt like someone had walked over to her, ripped out her heart and squashed it in the palm of her hands, all while grinning.

Why, why wasn’t she able to see before? Did her heart want to deceive her by falsifying all of his qualities? Was she just blind to bear witness to him not being as perfect as she made him out to be? Was it because she just couldn’t entertain the thought of letting go?

She didn’t know, she just hated this negative feeling. It felt so familiar. She wanted it to go away.

Unfortunately, that feeling would only grow for months.

And it was about to be worse.

“Huh? Marinette? Why are you crying? If this is about what happened this morning, don’t worry, I’ll forgive you” She was crying? Huh, when did that happen?

Whatever, more importantly.

“W-What, no you don’t have to forgive me because I did nothing wrong” Lila’s worried expression faltered for a bit before she grew ‘scared’

“H-Hey, I didn’t realise you felt like that. Oh, you poor thing” Her eyebrow snapped, she seriously didn’t like being called a thing.

“Save it, I can’t prove it but I know you’re just lying to everyone here. And you need to stop, you’re going to hurt everyone when they find out. You need to confess” Her face faltered again, but it never recovered, her once innocent eyes hardened as she smirked, a look that seemed almost natural, as if she had perfected it by looking into a mirror countless times.

“Oh, so you’ve finally figured it out? Figures, I was told you were the smartest one, and it seems like I wasn’t wrong”

“What?” Lila sighed, maybe she had put too much faith in her being the smartest.

“Ugh, you’re so young Marinette. I haven’t told the truth all my life, why the hell should I start now?” Marinette was stunned, why, why was she telling her this?

“Honestly, and I thought Adrien was naïve. Look, I’m not here to play games, I have this whole routine wrapped up. So just sit back, stay out of my way and I might consider making another lie that would benefit you.” It was an offer any reasonable person wouldn’t refuse.

Unfortunately for her, she didn’t want a reasonable offer.

Marinette stared, she was- she was fully aware of what she was doing?

“B-But you’re going to end up hurting everyone, you need to stop, please!” She begged.

Lila frowned.

She was just like all the rest.

“I don’t care”

Huh?

“I said I don’t care, seriously don’t you get it yet? I’m here to win by all means necessary. You were in the way so I took you out. They are just little trophies to remind you of my victory. You had your chance”

She stood still, this situation felt so familiar, but she had to stay strong, she couldn’t give up now. If reasoning with her won’t work, then maybe understanding might, and she could work with that.

“Why are you doing this, do you really not care about when you get caught? About how everyone will feel when they know you promised nothing in the end?” She hoped she would see some sense. They were good people, they shouldn’t be manipulated into this, she was sure they would’ve been friends regardless of what she had promised.

“It’s because I can”

.

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean, dear sweet Marinette, is that because I am able to, I can. I’ve had years of practice with this, and the result always has me at the top, all that oppose me either stay at the bottom or beg for mercy from moi. It's always a delight to see their hope diminish. To realise they would do anything but to be alone.”

Alone- that word, that word stuck with her so much.

She didn’t want that- but she didn’t want her friends to be tricked either.

“Besides, you made it so easy for me, in reality. You only have yourself to blame”

“What- I didn’t even-” A finger was wagged in front of her face.

“Ah ah ah. You really should know better than that. A calendar full of Adrien’s schedule? A box full of presents for Adrien? Sabotaging dates? You’d think I’d have made it all up, it only made the end result so much greater. Seriously Marinette, I don’t even know if I’m the bad guy here, what you’ve done really isn’t appropriate behaviour. But I do know of a great therapist, they helped me through such a hard time” Lila continued to talk as Marinette zoned out. She was the bad guy? No- no that couldn’t be, that was just a harmless crush, that was just what normal teenaged girls did.

But- if it was. Then why didn’t anyone tell her it was wrong, she didn’t mean for it to be wrong. She just didn’t want them to leave, she just didn’t want to be abandoned again.

Why didn’t they say? Why didn’t she realise?

Why did she know?

Lila must’ve seen the shock as she giggled, not at all innocent.

“It was so easy manipulating all of them into telling me about this ‘crush’, once they realised just how crazy it actually was, they had no problem seeing you for the crazy stalker you are.” Lila flicked her hair up away, only for it to come back, but it didn’t matter, she made her point.

Not having the energy to look up, she would’ve noticed Lila had left her behind, laughing too, because no one had been there to overhear their absolutely private conversation. Her overall plan would not be undiscovered today, tomorrow, or the next. It wouldn’t be discovered ever.

Because she was in control.

Marinette, wasn’t in control.

Just like before, that hollow feeling from before, it was back.

And so much worse.

.

She hated Lila, because she made her realise, she was right. All along. And she just had to accept it.

And gave up trying.

She reverted back to how she was at the beginning of the year.

The quiet girl that no one paid attention to, alone, in the back, with nothing but her sketchbook.

Gone were the childish pigtails, it was for the better, no one said anything about then anymore.

Because she realised.

She wasn’t a child anymore.

She couldn’t be, not after this.

***

Hey, so I guess this was more like another prologue, so I’ll have to apologise if it seems just like the other one, but the premise is still the same so yeah.

And I think I might like the idea of a non-Miraculous world; it seems interesting since I feel like Marinette wouldn’t have as much of a confidence boost since she wouldn’t be Ladybug, please tell me that would make sense.

I think it’s interesting for how much would change and stay the same, and my OC will be making an entrance next time, however, here they are all like 13-14. The next chapter will have a time skip of 3 years, oh and Lila came in late, like around Season 3 late ok? So they already know about Kagami and Luka.

Also if you’re confused about anything feel free to ask any questions.

Cya next time.

Note: Please tell me if I should add anything else to the card, there will be one of these cards for all 15 chapters, however, because I have uni work all updates will be slower because I really need to focus on the uni stuff, then I might be able to upload quicker.

[lovingmyselfcore]

Skate Into My Heart: Prologue

Solangelo AU

This is slightly short than I wanted it to be😕 but I wanted to get it up. I have no idea how many chapters this will be but it’s here! This is for you @the-love-yourself-journal

"Hey Annabeth," Nico padded across the lobby toward the edge of the rink, his skates clutched in one hand.

Annabeth was sitting on the bleachers, unlacing her skates, but she paused and looked up at him.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think it would be okay if I stayed after hours to get some extra practice before sectionals?"

"Oh," Annabeth smiled, "I'm sure it would be fine. I'll cover with the all-powerful Olympians," She rolled her eyes, "If necessary." She pulled off her skates and tossed them in her bag.

"Thanks," Nico sat down next to her to put his skates back on.

Annabeth stood up, tossed her bag over her shoulder, and opened her mouth to say something but was silenced by her phone ringing. She dug it out of her pocket, "Hey," She paused, and Nico could hear Percy's voice but couldn't tell what he was saying, "Yeah, I'm on my way out now," She smiled, "I'm excited to see you too, only a few hours you. Yeah, yeah, I love you too, Seaweed Brain," 

She then hung up, sticking her phone back in her pocket.

She was at the door when she looked back at Nico, who was now stretching against the wall, "Nico?"

"Yeah, Annabeth?"

"You are going to kill it at sectionals in my place,"

Her voice was so genuine he looked down, his cheeks dusted pink.

Nico couldn't see, but Annabeth was smiling.

"Tell Percy I say hello,"

"I will. I'll see you in a few weeks. I wish I could see you kick everyone's asses,"

Nico let out a genuine snort, "You'll be in my heart," He held his hand to his chest.

She smirked and flipped her hair over her shoulder with exaggerated arrogance, "I know."

Nico just shook his head with an eye roll and a small smile.

Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at it and laughed, "Okay, so Grover's outside waiting for me so he can take me to the airport, and he is getting very impatient."

"You'd better go then,"

"Yeah. Nico, seriously, you're going to do great."

"Not as great as you would do,"

She just shook her head, "I'll leave you to your practicing but don't spend so much time you overexert yourself, okay?"

"Okay,"

And then she was gone.

~~~~~~~~~

Annabeth had left at seven pm, and it was now ten. Nico was definitely getting tired, but he had to keep practicing. Sectionals were in two days. Nico has participated in many figure skating sectionals, regionals, and even nationals. However, none without Annabeth by her side, and definitely no solos, and he wasn't sure he could do this without her.

"You know you're really not all that great,"

Nico lost his footing and slipped on the ice, falling on his ass.

He looked over to see a man leaning against the doorway.

"Who the hell are you?" He exclaimed, pushing himself off the ice with a scowl.

He walked forward, looking completely at ease and confident, and Nico knew he already despised the man.

"My name's Bryce Lawrence," He held out his hand, and was looking at Nico with a look that made him immediately uncomfortable, and knew he didn't actually want a handshake.

"Why are you here?" Nico was still scowling.

Bryce lowered his hand, "No name? Okay, sure. I was playing with my friends," 

He jerked his head in a vague direction, "But they left, and I was about to, but the lights were on in here, and I saw you, so I stuck around and watched." He shrugged as if he wasn't just being very, very creepy.

"Playing?" That's when Nico took note of the jersey and narrowed his eyes. "Ice hockey, the uncivilized ice sport. And not even this city's team? What are you doing here?"

"'Uncivilized ice sport'? So we're playing that way, sure I can do that. And very astute of you," His eyes had also narrowed, and his posture got very stiff. "I'm friends with Will Solace, who's friends Travis Stoll, who's dating Katie Gardener, who is friends with Annabeth Chase, who told us it was chill if we played in your other rink."

"Wow, nice name dropping," His voice was pure venom, and he wasn't entirely sure why. He wasn't so supportive of his city's ice hockey team that he detested the other players on sight. And though their coach frequently drilled into them that ice hockey would never be as good as figure skating, they're uncivilized brutes with no grace in the rink, he'd never entirely bought into that either.

"Thanks," His smile was all fake. "Nice to know that you figure skaters still think you're above us and that you support your local hockey team so aggressively," His voice was dry and every syllable grated on Nico's nerves. "Wait," He paused and scrutinized him, and Nico knew that whatever was about to come out of his mouth, he wouldn't like.

"You're going to be performing at your, um-"

"Sectionals," Nico growled.

"Right, that. Well, you'll be oh so pleased to hear that I'm going to be there."

"Wonderful,"

Bryce smiled nastily, "You haven't even been practicing for this for a while right?" 

He cocked his head to the side, "You only just got handed the solo?"

Nico gave a grudging nod.

"Well then, I'll leave you alone to practice, you'll probably need it."

Nico watched Bryce leave with a burning taste in his mouth. He skated for a few more hours, with much more intensity than he'd originally intended.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How the hell do you manage to make enemies so fast?" Reyna was sprawled across his bed. His room at his Dad's house was the perfect summary of him, dark and hopeless.

"It's a gift," Nico called out from his closet.

Reyna was basically his sister who had been the one to successfully pull him out of his ruthless practicing with her never-ending phone calls threatening him that if he didn't come home she would kill him in a, particularly painful fashion.

"Right. Look, Nico, don't let what this random stranger said get under your skin. You're good. Really good. Your coach picked you for a reason, you know."

"Yeah," He mumbled, jumping onto his bed next to her.

"You belong in that rink, Nico. They all think so."

At the look he gave her, she sighed and pulled him against her, "You belong, hermanito. You belong."

Reyna had been there for him through nearly every bad thing that had happened in his life, and he was so grateful for everything she did for him, which is why he allowed himself to fall asleep in her arms, her humming a Spanish lullaby under her breath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Alright, pay attention!" Coach Hedge exclaimed.

Nico looked up. Coach Hedge was a strange man. He knew absolutely nothing about figure skating, Coach wasn't one for the delicate appearing sports, but they're usual coach, Annabeth Chase's cousin's friend Thomas had to leave thanks to a family emergency, so they were stuck with Hedge.

"I'm an ice hockey coach! Not this," He made wild gestures with his hands.

His sister Hazel leaned over and whispered, "Why is he always yelling?"

Nico just shrugged helplessly.

"I need a volunteer! Someone who really knows their stuff!"

Hazel glanced at him, but Nico did what he did best. He shrunk himself down to hide in the shadows.

"Me! Me! Me!"

Hedge looked over to see who was talking and pursed his lips. Leo Valdez, a hyperactive teddy bear with slight homicidal tendencies. He was only here for his girlfriend, Calypso. They both joined to support their friends but found they actually liked skating, so they stuck around.

Leo was practically out of his seat, Calypso's arm wrapped around his waist, the only thing that kept him from tumbling headfirst down the bleachers.

"Valdez," Hedge said gruffly, "Lovely."

He scanned the team once more, his eyes landing breifly on Nico before sighing and motioning Leo forward, "Show me what you got."

Leo leapt off the bleachers, paused at the bottom to slip his red skates on then launched himself out into the rink.

Leo was actually extremely good when he didn't get too excited. In his excitement, he usually tripped over his own skates and flew off into the distance, which was one of the only reasons Leo was not going to skate with Nico at sectionals.

Nico looked back at Calypso, who was grinning as she watched her boyfriend, which made Nico unreasonably sad and jealous.

Coach Hedge clapped and called Leo back, looking surprised. "Well done, Valdez, well done."

"But now," Coach's voice echoed through the arena, "I was hoping our star would demonstrate some of his moves."

At his words, the team turned to stare at Nico, who buried himself deeper into the shadows.

Nico was saved from responding when a man burst through the doors. The first thing Nico noticed were his eyes, bright blue, gorgeous, and panicked.

"Coach," He called, brushing his blonde hair out of his eyes.

Hedge turned and groaned, "What happened Solace."

"The Stolls and Clarisse,"

"Of course it was,"

"You'd better see what they did Coach, it's not good."

Hedge followed the boy out the door, slamming it behind them with a shouted, "Behave!"

"So," Hazel said, grinning.

"What?"

"He was pretty cute,"

Nico blushed, hoping she didn't see, "Really? I didn't notice."

"Sure," Hazel nodded. "You weren't staring the entire time?"

"Nope. Shut up,"

"Good cause he's a hockey player," She wagged her finger at him, "Forbidden."

He just rolled his eyes.

"Sectionals are tomorrow."

"I know,"

"You feeling ready?"

"Sure,"

She looked at him with raised eyebrows, "Nico, you're going to be amazing. You're going to win for us."

He sighed, "I hope so,"

He also hoped he'd see that cute blonde hockey player again.

[pika-ace]

In the Heights AU-Watership Down

This is more of describing the characters rather than the story as a whole,I’ll get to that later. If you think anything can be improved just say so!:-)

((Ironically I started watching the original movie when you sent this to me XD; with that said, I LOVE this, it’s perfect!))

Usnavi and Sonny take the place of Hazel and Fiver respectively. Instead of being brothers,they are cousins of course. Sonny was taken in by Usnavi’s parents after his own parents were killed by predators. Usnavi’s parents later died of sickness, so both of them were looked after by Abuela,since they were still relatively young. The warren they live in is fairly big, but there isn’t much care from the group as a whole,more like individuals caring for other individuals. But there is a chief and the Owsla,like in any warren. Usnavi is really an average rabbit in this warren,but is very caring and protective,especially of Sonny. Of course,as the story progresses, he actually becomes a leader of the group,as Hazel does in the original story. Average size, but he talks very fast and excitedly, one of the few to really believe Sonny in the beginning. He’s also nervous and unconfident about his ability to be a chief, and he struggles to overcome his doubts. Abuela is a fairly old rabbit,still able to run if she needs to,but is up in years. She’s been in this particular warren since she was a very small kit with her mother. She doesn’t have a mate or kits,but instead looks after everyone, especially Usnavi and Sonny. She doesn’t represent anyone in the original story,but I think Abuela should be here. She also has to take breaks sometimes when traveling to the new warren, but will push herself so as not to slow down the group so much,much to Usnavi’s concern. Has great advice for practically anyone. Is the group storyteller as well,telling ancient tales of the Prince of rabbits. Sonny is Usnavi’s cousin, he’s been having bad dreams for a while now,but isn’t extremely concerned about what they could mean until he has a vision while out grazing with Usnavi. He sees that something very bad is about to happen to the warren,and tells Usnavi that they need to warn others and get out NOW. Unfortunately, not everyone believes him. I don’t think Sonny would be as frail and nervous as Fiver is as much,I think his personality would stay relatively the same,but it would be very stressful sometimes to see the stuff he sees,and worse,not know what it meant,so he is still very much able to have a breakdown about them. Usnavi and really, everyone, do what they can to help him through it. Benny is a member of the Owsla of the warren, much like an average guard or officer. Used to be a bit of a troublemaker when he was younger. Is much nicer than Bigwig in the original story,friends with Usnavi and Sonny, but he also wants to impress the chief and his superior officer, Kevin. So while he sometimes goofs off,he tries to do his job like he should. He let’s Usnavi and Sonny talk to the chief when they’re trying to warn of the trouble coming, but nearly gets his head bitten off by the chief for doing so. Annoyed by how he’s been treated, he disobeys Kevin to escape with the others and help them escape from the pursuing Owsla. Kevin is the Captain of the Owsla in the original warren. He’s strict,but doesn’t abuse his power,unlike some other officers in the warren,and can be kind. Took Benny under his wing when he was a young juvenile rabbit,to get him to stop causing trouble and to train him to become part of the Owsla. Tries to stop the group from leaving,but thanks to interference from Benny, is unsuccessful. Mates with Camila,they had a single kit named Nina,who unfortunately was snatched by a bird when she was still young. Still mourns her. He can be stubborn, but his mate is often his voice of reason when he gets this way. Willing to do anything for those that he loves. Fortunately able to escape the destruction with Camila,though he is injured in the process, and later joins up with the group. Camila is Kevin’s mate,and again is often his voice of reason when he gets stubborn, unfortunately this can still be a hard task sometimes. If you pushed her too far though,you will definitely know it! She’ll stand up to anyone if they’re acting Isn’t like a jerk including her mate. She’s still very sad at the loss of her daughter,but very motherly to everyone. You can be sure that she’ll make sure the others are eating enough. She stays at the warren with Kevin initially, not wanting to leave him,though she’s nervous about what Sonny said would happen. Kevin reassures her,but the destruction comes as predicted. Fortunately able to escape with Kevin,though they are the only ones who survive and Kevin is injured. Are able to rejoin the group at their later home. Daniela is the “gossip queen” of the warren. Seems to know practically everything about everyone, though how she’s knows some things is a mystery. She never gossips to hurt anyone though,just for something interesting to do. Friends with our main group,but a little skeptical of the claim that something bad was coming. Eh,she was getting a little bored here anyway, this should be interesting. Becomes really close friends with Carla when she joins the group from another warren. Carla was from a warren that was fed by humans. The food was bountiful and good quality, but the humans would also lay out snares to harvest rabbits from time to time. When the traveling group came,she befriended them in the few days they stayed. She tried to warn them of the snares,but was always interrupted or stopped before she could. Benny was later caught in a snare,and she helped to rescue him by preventing the enemy rabbits from stopping the group. Asks to be allowed to join the traveling group to their new home,as she doesn’t want to stay in such a dangerous place and is accepted in. Becomes really good friends especially with Daniela. Good at digging tunnels, that’s something she helps with at the new warren. I’m thinking that Pete can be one of those loner male rabbits that wasn’t really part of the warren,but still was around the territory. He’s a little bit of a troublemaker, will sneak in to steal some food from inside the territory, or something just to annoy everyone. Willing to trade some things he finds for good food. Friends with Sonny,Usnavi doesn’t like him(thinks he’s a bad influence). Has a good heart and very protective of those he cares about. Sees the group leaving, and after hearing why,decides to join them,much to Usnavi’s annoyance. One of the few to really believe Sonny,besides Usnavi and Abuela,at least at first. Very fast, instrumental in leading attacking crows away. Nina is the kit of Kevin and Camila. Very smart and hardworking,and it was thought that she could even be chief of the warren one day,but was snatched up by a hawk,and thought to be killed. Fortunately the hawk dropped her,and she landed in a bush. Was able to hide,and later found by a kind human who nursed her back to health. The human kept her as a pet rabbit in a hutch on their farm,protected from the cat by her cage. Was friends with Usnavi and Benny when she was younger, also would watch over Sonny when he was really little. Her farm happens to be nearby the down that the group comes too,and while passing by,Benny stops and looks at her, though not realizing it was her due to the distance. Would like to be free,but isn’t able to escape herself. Since they are looking for more members for the warren, a couple is sent to ask if she wants to join, made up of Kevin and Benny,both who are overjoyed to see her alive. They help her escape,though they barely escape the humans, who end up grazing Benny’s leg with a bullet. When they make it back to the down everyone is very happy to see her. Eventually falls in love with Benny,her father isn’t as opposed more like a mix of, “I just got you back why are you growing up so soon” and “Of all the bucks,you pick Benny!?” Gets captured by Efrafa while looking for herbs to help Benny’s wound. Vanessa is part of Efrafa,but not willingly. Wants to escape with others but the escape attempts always fail. She doesn’t give up hope however, and keeps trying, despite the punishment she and others receive. Meets Usnavi,Kevin,and Pete when they first meet up and are captured by Efrafa, and bonds with Usnavi especially. She helps them escape from the Efrafans,but cannot escape herself,to which Usnavi promises to her that they will come back to free her,and to not give up yet. She later meets Nina, who accidentally got captured while looking for certain herbs, and Benny,who has been sent as a double agent of sorts to “join” Efrafa. When they are able to,they make escape plans. Piragua Guy is the bird that the other rabbits meet who is injured. He’s much more friendly than Kehaar is in the story,and is very grateful to the rabbits for helping him. He’s a seagull from the docks a ways away,and talks a lot about some sort of food called “piragua” Apparently he nests near a human that makes piragua,and over time has given him little bits of left over ice and syrup, so he talks a lot about the different flavors.(I’m aware this would probably be bad for a real bird,but let’s pretend it isn’t bad in this world). I’m thinking maybe he’s named Eliseo? He helps with finding the Efrafan warren when the others are looking for more rabbits, and also helps them to escape by attacking their enemies. I’m thinking the one who could represent Blackavar would be Ruben from Do No Harm? He was raised in Efrafa but always resented it because of how they treated him and his family. He tries to escape only to be recaptured and his ears torn up a bit,then paraded around to be seen as an example. He joins later in the escape with Benny,Nina,Vanessa and any others who join. He’s a great tracker and a good friend to everyone, but is still traumatized from his time in Efrafa,something that his new friends try to help him through. El-ahrairah is represented by Hamilton. He’s the Prince of the rabbits, and the one who’s stories have been passed down from generation to generation. He still has those “Icarus” qualities, though he does everything for his family and people. They became too numerous, and he refused to control his people,so this led to the creation of the thousand enemies to the rabbits. But they were given the abilities to run and dig to escape and survive as a species. 

[animalkingdom-an0nymous]

Technicolor Beat- Part One

A Soulmate AU

Disclaimer: This features an original character by me @animalkingdom-anonymous and all plotlines are original content. Gifs and photos are not mine unless stated otherwise.

Subject: J X Indigo (OC)

“What if soulmates were real? What if there was one person out there for everyone? What if they were halfway around the world? What if they were a mere three miles up the coast?

Growing up, my parents always taught me to believe that soulmates weren’t real. There was no such thing, it was all make believe. I didn’t know any better, didn’t know how to disagree, so I went along with whatever they said.

Maybe it was because my mother was a pill popping lush who never got off the couch.

Maybe it was because my father was a drunken, disgraced cop who constantly reminded me that he never wanted me.

Maybe I was just too scared to disagree with them.

But here’s the thing, soulmates existed. They were a real thing, but I wouldn’t realize or understand that until I was ten years old. Until I found my own soulmate.

Well, technically, I didn’t find anyone. I felt it.

With soulmates, it’s all about proximity. If you’re within fifty miles of your counterpart you can feel them, feel their moods and their emotions. It’s not necessarily a weight that you feel inside yourself, it’s more of a warmth. A sense of not being alone. I felt him, whoever he was, for the first time when I was ten years old and I’d felt him every day since.

Thirteen years later and nothing had changed.

My name is Indigo Parrish and this is my story.

I slung my black Calvin Klein backpack over one shoulder as I bounded up the stairs to my apartment, keys jingling in my hand. It was nearly six and my shift at the cafe ended late thanks to the asshole who decided to spill his large iced latte all over the display case. I smelled like a mix of mocha and coffee beans, in desperate need of a hot shower before I had to meet my best friend, Tiny. We made plans to go to her favorite dive bar and it was somewhere in Oceanside, a town she had become familiar with when she was still heavy into coke and guys that were too old for her.

My phone vibrated in my pocket just as I unlocked the door. I stepped inside and locked it behind me before answering. “Tiny, listen, I’m gonna be a few minutes late. I need to take a shower, I smell like coffee and broken dreams.”

“I love coffee!” My best friend of ten years chirped happily into the phone.

“Nice try, I’m still gonna be late.”

“Boo, you whore.”

I laughed and hung up, undressing as I made my way down the short hall to the closet sized bathroom. Okay, so maybe my apartment was a shithole and maybe I could hear mice scurrying around inside the walls sometimes, but the rent was cheap, my neighbors were quiet, and anything was better than my parents’ house.

My anxiety began to rise just thinking about the two people who brought me into this world and I tried as hard as I possibly could to put a lid on it. I didn’t want him to feel that I was all riled up and upset because, in turn, he would get all riled up and upset. It was Friday, for fuck’s sake. I wanted us to enjoy our weekend even if we weren’t together.

We’d never been together.

However, I knew he was close.

It had been a selling point for the apartment, honestly. The second I stepped foot into the cramped space for the first time he felt closer than ever before. We’d spent a decade feeling each other but it always felt far away. This? My shithole apartment? This was where I could really feel him. Three years later and I never regretted moving in.

Tiny was the only person who knew my soul had found its counterpart. She was the only person I could trust with the information because she was the only person in this world who had my back. She believed in them, but anyone who truly believed in soulmates had to keep it on the downlow. There were some serious anti’s out there who refused to acknowledge that they existed. In fact, some people were so anti that they went as far as killing people who claimed to be soulmates. Just last week I saw on the news that a couple was burned alive in their home in Santa Fe after revealing they believed fate brought them together.

It was a cruel world.

I knew I believed in soulmates when I was ten years old. I’d been at the park by myself, my father too drunk to remember that he brought me there and leaving without me. I’d been sitting on the swings, kicking my legs back and forth when I felt this sudden rush of something inside me. I’d later realize it was adrenaline, but I was so panicked at the time, alone and scared, that I burst into tears. A man had been there with his daughter when he saw me having some sort of nervous breakdown. He’d rushed over, asked where my parents were and, after realizing I’d been left alone, he asked if that was why I was upset.

“No,” I said as I wiped fat tears from my cheeks. “Something’s inside of me. I feel weird.”

The poor guy looked so confused. “What do you mean? Where?”

I hit my hand against my chest three times. “Here. Something’s wrong.”

The man’s face lit up in realization and he started laugh which, in turn, made me cry harder. But that man changed my life. He told me everything about soulmates, about how he had met his when he was fourteen years old and they were still together. He told me all about how they had to keep it a secret, but that it was a good secret because they loved each other.

“Why a secret?” I asked him towards the end of our conversation.

He had lifted his hat off revealing a long, jagged scar that went from his forehead down to his temple. My ten year old self had been terrified, but something resonated with me that day. This man had his face permanently disfigured all because he wanted people to know that he found the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. All because he didn’t want to settle. Even at my young age I knew, I knew, my soulmate was someone I needed to protect.

“Not all secrets are bad.” He smiled.

I never saw him again after that, but not a day went by in the last thirteen years that I didn’t think about him. His name was Simon and he changed my life.

I hoped Simon was happy with his wife and daughter.

I hoped someday I could be that happy, too.

Soulmates were a pretty straightforward concept. You could feel what the other was feeling. There was no telepathy, nothing Sci-fi about it. You could just… feel the other one. It was interesting and overwhelming, but the older I got the easier it was to manage. Although I had to admit it was a shock when I realized I could feel him get aroused and even more of a shock when I realized that he could tell when I was, too. It was embarrassing, but there was a part of me that felt as though it was easier knowing I wasn’t going through it alone. He, whoever he was, had to be just as uncomfortable as I was.

Though his emotions were never light I welcomed them anyway solely because I liked the feel of him. Sometimes his sadness and resentment were so heavy it made my chest physically ache. But he had his moments of peace. It never reached the point of happiness, but late at night when I lay in bed I could feel a certain weight lift off me. I wondered if he was asleep, if that was the only time he had any peace and quiet in his life.

Don’t get me wrong, there were days when it was so frustrating I could have screamed. There were days where I dismissed myself as crazy and told myself soulmates weren’t real and it was all in my head. I was just the dumb, crazy little girl my parents told me I was when I was a child.

Those feelings never lasted, though. They were dark, yes, and my mind was probably dangerously twisted from the constant back and forth. But there was always something to pull me back from falling over the edge of sanity. There was always something holding my hand, pulling me back, pulling me towards that warmth again.

It was him. I knew it was.

But I still thought I was crazy sometimes.

After my shower, I was quick to change into a pair of curve hugging jeans and a simple white t-shirt. Nothing fancy considering we were going to a dive bar. Wiping the condensation off the mirror, I looked at my own hazel eyes staring back at me. My long brown hair was pulled up in a loose bun, strands falling and framing my face. My thick brows looked the way they always did… thick, and my plump mouth had nothing more than chapstick on it. After swiping on a bit of mascara, slipping into my white Vans, and grabbing my keys I was good to go.

* * *

“I swear you don’t listen sometimes. It’s like I do all the work and all you do is lay around and smoke weed, and do coke, and fuck around with Renn by the pool. If you’re not here to do exactly what I tell you to, then why are you here at all? Craig, are you listening? Craig?”

I glanced over at my uncle who was zoned out and looking at whatever was playing on the tv. He was always the one who never paid attention in family meetings. I knew Pope would give him a play by play, but this was Deran’s job and Deran’s rules.

He was going to get what he wanted even if he had to sucker punch Craig for it.

It would be a routine job, the same old shit. In and out in under three minutes, ditch the cars, ditch the clothes, take the cash, and go. It was easy enough but going over the basics was smart, especially with Craig who was always too fucking coked out to pay attention.

With Smurf still in prison and Baz dead it was just the four of us. We were making it work pulling easy jobs that brought in quick cash. But it was never a big payoff. There were still bills that needed to be paid and properties that needed to be managed. We needed a serious hit. A big hit. Or else I would fuck everything up and Smurf would be right.

I’d sooner drown in my own fucking blood that ever admit she was right about us.

Hell, I didn’t even like my uncles but I wanted success so bad I could practically taste it. We could do it without her, we had to do it without her.

I shoved my elbow into Craig’s ribs. “Dude, listen the fuck up.”

He turned and glared at me, clearly pissed off that I’d interrupted his tv time. “Why don’t you shut the fuck up, kid?”

I clenched my jaw and cocked my head from side to side, cracking my neck to relieve some of the tension. I couldn’t let my anxiety ramp up, not after feeling hersnot too long ago. I wondered what was bothering her, if she was alright. She wasn’t normally an anxious person, she was actually pretty relaxed most days. I could always feel that warmth in my chest when she was happy and as much as I loved it, it killed me that I couldn’t be there with her. I hated knowing that I wasn’t the one making her happy, but even more than that? I fucking loathed the thought of anyone else making her happy.

You’re her soulmate, I thought to myself as Deran rambled on about money and guns and we had to move quick and keep our heads low. No one will ever make her as happy as you do.

Although there was no way of knowing if I was actually going to make her happy considering I’d never heard her voice or seen her face. But I always liked to imagine what she looked like. I pictured a brunette, someone with an easy laugh, someone that liked the same movies as me.

“Jesus, J, you there? Or did Craig get you into the coke, too?”

I clenched my jaw as my uncle looked down at me with raised eyebrows.

“I’m here, sorry. I didn’t sleep well.”

He huffed, moving slowly across the living room as he scrubbed a hand over his face. “Well, if you’re too tired then maybe you should skip this one, kiddo. I don’t want you to lose any sleep.”

I bit back my temper, grinding my fucking molars. “I said I’m here.”

He clapped his hands together in response. “Great, now where were we?”

After going over the plan three more times we called it a day. Deran needed to head to the bar, Craig needed to pick up Nicky and get more coke, and Pope… went off doing whatever it was that Pope did. I went back to my room, closing and locking the door behind me as I thought about her, wondering if she had a good day. I assumed she did considering how light my chest felt. If it was a good day everything felt light. A bad day? It felt like my bones weighed a ton and there was a weight on my chest.

But today wasn’t a bad day.

I wonder if she felt my temper earlier, I mused silently. As if she could hear and answer my question, warmth bloomed in my chest, spreading over my shoulders and down my arms to the tips of my fingers. I knew she did.

There were times when I didn’t think she could possibly exist. Maybe my family was right, maybe soulmates were bullshit and it was just media propaganda. It was make believe and there was never just one person out there for us. But the older I got the more I believed. Because why else would I wake up in a panic in the middle of the night? Because she was afraid. Why else would I get this strange, bashful, vulnerable feeling in October of every year? Because it was her favorite month, it was her birthday month. It held something significant and I felt it.

She was real, she was out there, and she was waiting for me.

Sometimes she felt so close that I wondered if she was down the street.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out, looking down at the ID. It was Smurf. Again. She’d been pushing me to go see her for the last four days but now I was dodging her calls. She was awaiting trial for Javi’s murder, but she just kept saying she would get out. She would come home. Things would go back to the way they were before.

I fucking prayed every day that she was wrong.

“J!” Craig’s heavy footsteps thudded down the hall to my room. “Get dressed, we’re heading to the bar.”

“Nah, I’m gonna stay here. Tired.”

He was already shaking his head. “No way. Come on, man. Smurf turn you into her little bitch boy or do you want to come have a beer?”

Fucking Christ, I thought to myself. It was bad enough living with this fucking family, the last thing I wanted to do was drink with any of them. I just wanted out.

“Whatever. Fine. Give me ten minutes.”

“Five.”

I flipped him off and his laugh echoed down the hallway.

* * *

The bar was crowded. Shoulders were being bumped into and Tiny had her finger wrapped around my belt loop as we headed towards the bar.

“Two shots of Jameson!” I shouted over the overlapping conversations around us.

The bartender was a blonde guy wearing a red velvet shirt. Tiny mentioned earlier that she thought he was cute but he didn’t seem to pay much mind to the petite, raven haired Panama native that was my best friend.

“This is my favorite little place.” Tiny drummed her fingers on the bar and shook her ass to the beat of the music. It was clear that she’d pre-gamed pretty hard before I met up with her, not that I minded. She was the definition of a free spirit.

“That guy from last weekend showed up tonight.” She smiled over my shoulder, her nose crinkling up and making her little diamond stud twinkle in the dim lighting.

Tiny was, of course, referring to the guy (David? Daniel? Dick?) that she met here last weekend. She’d vowed not to exchange numbers with him but told him if she saw him at the bar again she’d let him buy her a drink.

“Looks like it’s my lucky night.” She winked at me. Her brown eyes looked like big saucers as he walked up to us with so much swagger I actually almost gagged. He wasn’t my type and his cologne was way too heavy for my taste, but he was right up Tiny’s alley.

“I believe we had a deal.” He laughed, revealing teeth that were so white they probably could have glowed in the dark. It was seriously like in that episode of Friends when Ross wore the teeth whitener for too long.

“Okay,” I said with an awkward smile. I knew it was my cue to leave and let her have her fun. To be completely honest, I didn’t mind. I was tired, work sucked, and after having a shot or two I would want nothing more than to go home, roll a blunt, and slide into bed. I’d been on my feet since nearly six and, though I wasn’t complaining about coming out and having a good time with my best friend, I was someone who appreciated their alone time.

I was heading towards the exit when all at once it felt like I couldn’t breathe. Slamming my hand against my chest, it felt as though the wind had been knocked out of me and my vision blurred around the edges. It was like nothing I’d ever felt, completely overwhelming, and all at once I knew.

He’s here.

My eyes widened at the realization and I whipped my head around, looking for someone I wouldn’t even recognize. I had no clue what he looked like, who he was, his fucking name. But I could feel him. It was like he was standing right in front of me and I wondered if he felt the same way. Could he feel what I felt? That overwhelming, stifling warmth?

We’d been doing this for thirteen years, unwillingly sharing our emotions and feelings with each other. We’d always been so close yet just out of reach, just far enough away that maybe it didn’t feel completely real. Now? Now he was so close I could almost taste him, so close I could nearly feel his breath on the back of my neck.

I can’t do this.

It felt like too much. It was too much too fast, unexpected. I wasn’t ready to face him, whoever he was. What if he didn’t like the way I dressed or the way I looked? What if I was disappointed with his name or his job? They all sounded like such shallow, trivial things. But the simple truth was that they were basic things that people either accepted or they didn’t.

What if we couldn’t accept each other?

You’re soulmates. Don’t you sort of have to accept each other? It’s in the metaphorical soulmates handbook. My head was swimming and I was confused, anxiety tugging at my heartstrings. Jesus, screw the whiskey. I needed three shots of tequila and a horse tranquilizer.

It could be my only chance at actually seeing him, finding my counterpart, and I was running away with my tail between my legs because I was just too afraid. Shaking my head, I cast my eyes down to the floor as I weaved through the throngs of people in the bar. Some were playing pool, some were dancing, all were loud. My anxiety was making everything feel heightened and I figured if he couldn’t feel me before he could definitely feel me now. My palms were sweating and my temples were pulsating. I just need fresh air. I just need to get outside. My lungs were starting to burn, a panic attack quickly approaching as I shouldered my way through the crowd, eventually making it out the door to the sidewalk.

It was mostly empty aside from a few people milling about. I took a few steps to the edge of the concrete and bent over, placing my hands on my knees while I hauled in a few deep breaths and tried to even my breathing. My heart was beating a mile a minute and I shook my head, wanting to laugh and cry at the fact that I had just bitched out instead of facing him.

The strands of hair that escaped my bun were sticking to my forehead from sweat and I damned myself for wearing jeans instead of shorts.

What a shitshow this turned out to be, I thought with a humorless chuckle. I come out with my best friend and the night ends in a full blown meltdown. What was more embarrassing than that? I honestly figured the poor bastard was better off without me, I was clearly borderline certifiable and couldn’t even go out to a bar without feeling like I couldn’t breathe.

Eventually, after my heart rate slowed and my breathing returned to normal, I straightened up and rolled my shoulders a few times to relieve some of the tension. It was time to call it a night and I turned on my heel, preparing to walk for a few blocks, get some fresh air and then eventually hail a cab home.

I took two steps forward, my Vans scuffing against the broken concrete when someone stepped directly in my line of vision, blinking at me from a few feet away. He was a few inches taller than me, sandy hair curling just slightly at the ends and a navy blue sweater covering his upper half. His jaw was distinct, his shoulders broad, and he had eyes that reminded me of the ocean; stormy, dark, trouble looming just under the surface.

It was him. I didn’t know how I knew, but I did. I could feel it in my core. I was standing in front of my soulmate and he was looking right at me, our expressions mirroring the other’s.

“You.” The word was barely audible, coming from low in his chest.

You. This. Us.