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hauntingofhouses · 1 year ago

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Very interesting to me that a certain subset of the BES fandom's favourite iterations of Mizu and Akemi are seemingly rooted in the facades they have projected towards the world, and are not accurate representations of their true selves.

And I see this is especially the case with Mizu, where fanon likes to paint her as this dominant, hyper-masculine, smirking Cool GuyTM who's going to give you her strap. And this idea of Mizu is often based on the image of her wearing her glasses, and optionally, with her cloak and big, wide-brimmed kasa.

And what's interesting about this, to me, is that fanon is seemingly falling for her deliberate disguise. Because the glasses (with the optional combination of cloak and hat) represent Mizu's suppression of her true self. She is playing a role.

Take this scene of Mizu in the brothel in Episode 4 for example. Here, not only is Mizu wearing her glasses to symbolise the mask she is wearing, but she is purposely acting like some suave and cocky gentleman, intimidating, calm, in control. Her voice is even deeper than usual, like what we hear in her first scene while facing off with Hachiman the Flesh-Trader in Episode 1.

This act that Mizu puts on is an embodiment of masculine showboating, which is highly effective against weak and insecure men like Hachi, but also against women like those who tried to seduce her at the Shindo House.

And that brings me to how Mizu's mask is actually a direct parallel to Akemi's mask in this very same scene.

Here, Akemi is also putting up an act, playing up her naivety and demure girlishness, using her high-pitched lilted voice, complimenting Mizu and trying to make small talk, all so she can seduce and lure Mizu in to drink the drugged cup of sake.

So what I find so interesting and funny about this scene, characters within it, and the subsequent fandom interpretations of both, is that everyone seems to literally be falling for the mask that Mizu and Akemi are putting up to conceal their identities, guard themselves from the world, and get what they want.

It's also a little frustrating because the fanon seems to twist what actually makes Mizu and Akemi's dynamic so interesting by flattening it completely. Because both here and throughout the story, Mizu and Akemi's entire relationship and treatment of each other is solely built off of masks, assumptions, and misconceptions.

Akemi believes Mizu is a selfish, cocky male samurai who destroyed her ex-fiance's career and life, and who abandoned her to let her get dragged away by her father's guards and forcibly married off to a man she didn't know. on the other hand, Mizu believes Akemi is bratty, naive princess who constantly needs saving and who can't make her own decisions.

These misconceptions are even evident in the framing of their first impressions of each other, both of which unfold in these slow-motion POV shots.

Mizu's first impression of Akemi is that of a beautiful, untouchable princess in a cage. Swirling string music in the background.

Akemi's first impression of Mizu is of a mysterious, stoic "demon" samurai who stole her fiance's scarf. Tense music and the sound of ocean waves in the background.

And then, going back to that scene of them together in Episode 4, both Mizu and Akemi continue to fool each other and hold these assumptions of each other, and they both feed into it, as both are purposely acting within the suppressive roles society binds them to in order to achieve their goals within the means they are allowed (Akemi playing the part of a subservient woman; Mizu playing the part of a dominant man).

But then, for once in both their lives, neither of their usual tactics work.

Akemi is trying to use flattery and seduction on Mizu, but Mizu sees right through it, knowing that Akemi is just trying to manipulate and harm her. Rather than give in to Akemi's tactics, Mizu plays with Akemi's emotions by alluding to Taigen's death, before pinning her down, and then when she starts crying, Mizu just rolls her eyes and tells her to shut up.

On the opposite end, when Mizu tries to use brute force and intimidation, Akemi also sees right through it, not falling for it, and instead says this:

"Under your mask, you're not the killer you pretend to be."

Nonetheless, despite the fact that they see a little bit through each other's masks, they both still hold their presumptions of each other until the very end of the season, with Akemi seeing Mizu as an obnoxious samurai swooping in to save the day, and Mizu seeing Akemi as a damsel in distress.

And what I find a bit irksome is that the fandom also resorts to flattening them to these tropes as well.

Because Mizu is not some cool, smooth-talking samurai with a big dick sword as Akemi (and the fandom) might believe. All of that is the facade she puts up and nothing more. In reality, Mizu is an angry, confused and lonely child, and a masterful artist, who is struggling against her own self-hatred. Master Eiji, her father figure who knows her best, knows this.

And Akemi, on the other hand, is not some girly, sweet, vain and spoiled princess as Mizu might believe. Instead she has never cared for frivolous things like fashion, love or looks, instead favouring poetry and strategy games instead, and has always only cared about her own independence. Seki, her father figure who knows her best, knows this.

But neither is she some authoritative dominatrix, though this is part of her new persona that she is trying to project to get what she wants. Because while Akemi is willful, outspoken, intelligent and authoritative, she can still be naive! She is still often unsure and needs to have her hand held through things, as she is still learning and growing into her full potential. Her new parental/guardian figure, Madame Kaji, knows this as well.

So with all that being said, now that we know that Mizu and Akemi are essentially wearing masks and putting up fronts throughout the show, what would a representation of Mizu's and Akemi's true selves actually look like? Easy. It's in their hair.

This shot on the left is the only time we see Mizu with her hair completely down. In this scene, she's being berated by Mama, and her guard is completely down, she has no weapon, and is no longer wearing any mask, as this is after she showed Mikio "all of herself" and tried to take off the mask of a subservient housewife. Thus, here, she is sad, vulnerable, and feeling small (emphasised further by the framing of the scene). This is a perfect encapsulation of what Mizu is on the inside, underneath all the layers of revenge-obsession and the walls she's put around herself.

In contrast, the only time we Akemi with her hair fully down, she is completely alone in the bath, and this scene takes place after being scorned by her father and left weeping at his feet. But despite all that, Akemi is headstrong, determined, taking the reigns of her life as she makes the choice to run away, but even that choice is reflective of her youthful naivety. She even gets scolded by Seki shortly after this in the next scene, because though she wants to be independent, she still hasn't completely learned to be. Not yet. Regardless, her decisiveness and moment of self-empowerment is emphasised by the framing of the scene, where her face takes up the majority of the shot, and she stares seriously into the middle distance.

To conclude, I wish popular fanon would stop mischaracterising these two, and flattening them into tropes and stereotypes (ie. masculine badass swordsman Mizu and feminine alluring queen but also girly swooning damsel Akemi), all of which just seems... reductive. It also irks me when Akemi is merely upheld as a love interest and romantic device for Mizu and nothing more, when she is literally Mizu's narrative foil (takes far more narrative precedence over romantic interest) and the deuteragonist of this show. She is her own person. That is literally the theme of her entire character and arc.

#blue eye samurai #mizu blue eye samurai #akemi blue eye samurai #blue eye samurai meta #just in case... im gonna tag this as #mizukemicritical #akemizucritical #though this post isnt actually criticising the ship itself but rather fanon's portrayal of the ship and the characters #for that reason lemme also tag this as #wank.mp3 #feel free to disagree of course but please be civil #and if you need to rant about how wrong i am without any convincing evidence kindly feel free to make your own post. peace and love <3 #fandom.rtf #meta dissertations.pdf #shut up haydar #edit: for full disclosure. i do rather dislike this ship. but obviously it's fine for anyone to enjoy it. please do! have your fun!#it's just that as usual! popular fanon and fandom around a ship is what has completely deterred me from any sense of enjoyment of it #it's a shame too because i was very open and even eager for some mizu/akemi romance in the future #but out-of-character fanon + the rudeness of certain fans has definitely soured it for me #but that doesn't mean people can't enjoy it obviously! ship and let ship!!!#plus it has its appeal which i DO STILL see and enjoy!!!!#i would even go as far as to call them soulmates because their narratives and characters are LITERALLY intertwined!!!#but. yeah. my gradual distaste for this ship is indeed very unfortunate.

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callmeagardengnome · 8 months ago

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˚ʚ colour me rainbow ɞ˚ | KIM HONGJOONG

pairings ᯓ idol!hongjoong x fem!reader

genre ᯓ soulmate au, one-shot

synopsis ᯓ you never really paid attention to soulmarks or soulmates. yet, you find yourself sitting in class with a hair colour your soulmate cursed you with.

w.c ᯓ 2.5k

author’s note: im not that familiar with the ‘timeline’ of hongjoong’s hair colour so i apologise for any mistakes 😭 either way enjoy and make sure to like + repost!

not proofread!

masterlist

growing up, the idea of soulmates slipped from your mind. while your friends found out about their soulmarks early in life, yours never seemed to appear. not that you were complaining. with soulmates out of the way, you could focus on your studies for most of your school life.

that was until the first day of your final school year. the day started like any other, you did your usual routine of lectures and assignments. as you were in a chemistry class, you felt something.. weird.

you felt a tingling sensation on your scalp, getting more overbearing by the second. at first, you thought it was the new hair oil you used that morning. but then, your best friend who was sitting behind you tapped on your shoulder violently.

“‘____’, your hair..” your best friend said in disbelief.

you hurriedly took out your phone, opening the camera app to look at yourself. you watched in horror, seeing your hair shifting to a dirty blonde colour. “what the fuck?” you muttered under your breath.

you quickly put your phone away and asked your teacher for permission to go to the bathroom. your teacher noticed how panicked you looked (and your brand new hair colour) and she immediately nodded. “yes, go ahead. take your time.” she said, her eyes filled with concern.

the colour was obvious, earning a few gasps from the people you were passing by. dyeing your hair wasn’t allowed in your school, which attracted way more attention than you wanted to.

in the bathroom, you stared at your reflection, feeling your pulse racing. the dirty blonde was completely different from your natural hair colour. you ran your fingers through your hair, hoping that the colour was temporary, but it remained.

after school, you and your best friend started researching on what the sudden change could mean. you went onto the official ‘SOULMARKS’ website that the government set up, documenting the different types of soulmarks that have been discovered so far.

that’s when you found a soulmark called: ‘COLOUR-MATCH’. it was a soulmark that caused the colour of your hair to match whatever hair colour your soulmate had.

the realisation hit you, you actually had a soulmate out there. finding out your soulmark at the age of 17 was considered ‘late’ but considering the nature of your soulmark, you didn’t mind - you felt excited and happy. however, the embarrassment sank in. you still had to go to school with your brand new coloured hair. annoyed, you tried to find other ways to style your hair that would help you blend in but no matter what, you still stood out.

meanwhile, hongjoong was completely oblivious to the panic and embarrassment he caused you. he had just debuted with ATEEZ, which led him to dye his hair a dirty blonde colour for their EP. unfortunately for you, him and his company had more plans to dye his hair different colours for the upcoming songs.

when he was younger, hongjoong would get upset and impatient that his soulmark wasn’t appearing. the absence of it made him feel jealous of his school friends that found their soulmates easily. but now, he had a lot of things on his plate. from training to producing songs to performing, soulmarks seemed like a thing of the past.

despite his busy schedule, there would be times where he would wonder whether he even had a soulmate. little did he know, his hair colour had more of an impact that he would think.

as the months went by, your hair transformed to a navy blue. this didn’t last long as your hair changed again to a muted purple. while you did like the hair colours your soulmate picked out, you couldn’t help but feel annoyed at how often he changed his hair. is his hair not damaged? what does he do that requires so many colour changes? your soulmark left you with more questions than answers. isn’t a soulmark supposed to make your search easier?

once you graduated, the hair colours seemed to get more bolder.

you woke up one day with bright blue hair. it became a hassle to match your wardrobe to your ever-changing hair. even your friends tried to guess what your new hair colour would be, turning it into a game. your best friend won, with your soulmate deciding to dye his hair a platinum blonde afterwards. as fun as it was, the constant changes were a reminder of how your soulmate was living a life you knew nothing about.

you decided to apply for a hairstylist position at a nearby salon. it was almost fitting that your soulmark was related to the job you wanted - it even helped you during your interview. you suddenly felt your scalp tingling as the interviewer was talking. “so what can we expe- oh your hair..?”

“yeah, it’s my soulmark.” you responded. you were pleased to see a light brown colour when you checked yourself out in the mirror after the interview.

you got the job and over the next few months, your skills as a hair stylist improved drastically. then, your hair colour changed to black as you were cutting a clients hair.

it was almost.. boring. your soulmate had never done such a dark colour before. feeling strange in the new hair colour, you decided to bleach the front few strands of your hair. you felt happy with the result, forgetting that your hair colour also affected your soulmate’s.

hongjoong on the other hand, was screaming. he was in the middle of eating dinner with his group members when he felt a prickly and itchy feeling at the front of his scalp. he instinctively reached up to touch his hair and his eyes widened in shock as he saw strands of hair turning blonde.

hongjoong jumped from his seat, causing the rest of his members to look at him with concern. “guys.. my hair- it’s changing..”

the room fell silent as everyone look at their leader’s new hair, which now had bleach blonde strands at the front. san was the first one to break the silence with a laugh. “wah, hyung. you’re soulmark is so cool.”

hongjoong tilted his head. “huh? this is a soulmark?”

wooyoung suddenly clapped loudly, realising something. “yeah i saw it online once! some people’s soulmarks are linked to their hair. this means that your soulmate just changed their hair colour- i’ve never seen it happen in real life..”

hongjoong ran his fingers through his hair. “wait- so i have a soulmate out there right now that has the same hair colour as me?”

“mhm,” seonghwa nodded, turning back to his food. “you’ve been torturing some poor girl with your hair colours.”

hongjoong chuckled nervously, still processing the entire situation. “shit- yeah i’ve been experimenting with my hair a lot. i wonder what she thinks about all the changes..”

“she’s probably confused,” jongho shrugged, before wooyoung added on. “or she hates you,” which earned him a smack from one of the members.

wooyoung laughed. “what? i’m just saying, if my soulmate changed their hair every three seconds i would be pissed off.”

hongjoong sat back down and leaned back into the couch. “i need to find them..” he muttered to himself. yunho patted him on the back. “you’ll find her soon.”

mingi joked. “yeah, maybe you should dye your hair a brighter colour next time.”

days passed and hongjoong couldn’t stop thinking about his soulmate. every time he looked in the mirror, he saw the connection that the both of you shared. he wanted to keep his new hair colour for as long as possible, until his company made him dye his hair a bright red.

back at the salon, you were unaware of the way your hair affected your soulmate. for the record, you knew that the both of you were linked through hair colour. but with hongjoong being the only one to dye his hair for the most part, you forgot that your own hair colour played a part too.

either way, you went on with your life. you were hanging out with your best friend when your hair shifted to a bright red.

your best friend chuckled. “damn, your soulmate must be really handsome if he’s able to pull off all these hair colours. “

“yeah, lucky me,” you laughed along, rolling your eyes.

later that evening, you were scrolling through social media when a job offering caught your eye. a small company called, ‘KQ Entertainment,’ had posted about an opening for a hairstylist position.

you read through the details, realising that the offer was ideal. KQ had a pretty famous k-pop group under their label. even though you weren’t too familiar with them, you did know of their existence. the job also paid a lot - way better than the job that you were working for right now. not only that, KQ wasn’t too far away from where you were living. working there meant that you could work with idols and get good pay - who wouldn’t want that? without hesitation, you decided to apply for the position and hoped for the best.

a few weeks go by and you find yourself working at KQ Entertainment. you were introduced to the staff and shown around the studio, which was way larger than the one you were working at before. feeling welcomed, you settled into your new role easily.

your boss told you that you were finally going to work with ATEEZ, which made you feel excited and anxious. you’ve never worked with an idol before and the thought of styling the hair of a famous group filled you with nervousness. you were informed about the concept of their upcoming comeback and their plans of what the members hair should be, making you feel slightly relieved that you had an idea of the different styles you had to do.

the day finally arrived and you quickly prepared the studio. you decided to study the names and faces of ATEEZ - not wanting to embarrass yourself in front of them.

the doors swung open, with each member walking in. as they settled down, you couldn’t help but notice that one of the members, hongjoong, had the same shade of bright red on his head - identical to the one you had right now.

“are we twins?” you blurted out, unable to contain your surprise.

hongjoong looked up, a smile spreading across his face as he saw your hair. “looks like it,” he replied with a chuckle.

the other members joined in, teasing hongjoong about his newfound ‘twin’. you introduced yourself properly, which was met with them introducing themselves too. even though you were nervous at first, their warm personalities calmed you down.

you started to work on hongjoong’s hair first. “your company told me that you wanted a split-dye look for your comeback?”

hongjoong nodded. “yep, half-black and half-white if it’s possible.”

you sifted your fingers through his hair, trying to gauge on how well his hair would hold the colour. “it’s a bold choice,” you commented. “but i think it’ll suit you and the concept really well.”

“thanks,” he replied, smiling. “we’re going for something that stands out.”

as you began to section his hair, you couldn’t help but be amazed at how easygoing he was. the conversation flowed so smoothly with the both of you engaged in talking to each other. it was almost like you.. clicked.

you carefully applied the black dye, making sure that it wouldn’t hit the bleached portion of his head. as you were doing so, you felt the familiar tingle on your scalp. confused, you looked up ahead at the mirror, but nothing seemed to change.

hongjoong glanced at you, noticing your pause. “everything alright?”

“yeah,” you replied, brushing off the sensation in your scalp. “just a weird feeling.”

hongjoong nodded understandingly - in fact, he was going through something similar. as you applied the dye, he felt the odd prickly feeling on his scalp, the very one he felt when he had his first soulmark appearance.

initially, he thought that it was the hair dye you were using but then he saw that it was the same brand that he had been using all this time. was his soulmate changing their hair colour too?

it was very puzzling. usually when you felt the weird sensation, your hair would change almost immediately. yet, there were still no changes to your hair.

the tingling feeling grew stronger and stronger as you washed and blow dried his hair. it was the same for him, his head feeling more prickly by the second. by the time you were done, the tingling in your scalp was overwhelming, making you sit down on a nearby chair.

hongjoong, who was admiring his hair, quickly went to you. “woah- are you okay?” he asked hurriedly, his own discomfort obvious as you clutched your scalp tightly.

you shook your head. “my head hurts- what the hell is my soulmate doing?”

hongjoong asked himself the same thing, his head feeling like it was being hammered constantly. the both of you sat in silence, trying your hardest to cope with the pain you guys were feeling.

he was about to say something when he saw your hair transforming into the split-dye hair colour that he had. “‘____’…” he trailed off, watching in amazement.

you turned to a mirror, looking at your reflection. there it was - your hair mirroring hongjoong’s split-dye hair perfectly, black on one side and white on the other.

you reached up to your head in disbelief. hongjoong remained speechless next to you, unsure of what to say.

“i.. i don’t understand-“ you said, still shocked. “how is this happening?”

“‘____’,” hongjoong spoke up, finally finding his voice. “i think we’re soulmates..”

you couldn’t even process his words as at that very moment, wooyoung barged into the room. “hyung, what’s taking so lo-“

he stopped abruptly, cutting his sentence short. his glanced between the two of you, looking at your matching hair colours. “guys come in quick!” he shouted to the rest of of the members.

one by one, the other members came in, their faces shifting from concern to surprise as they took in the scene before them. “are you guys soulmates?” san’s eyes widened in shock. you couldn’t even reply as you were still taken aback.

“‘____’, what’s your soulmark?” yunho asked calmly, turning his attention to you.

trying to keep you voice as steady as possible, you replied, “it’s the colour-match one..”

the room fell into a stunned silence, each member realising that you and hongjoong were indeed soulmates.

“wah, now you guys are really twins,” mingi remarked.

as all of you calmed yourself down, the members bombarded you with questions about you and hongjoong’s connection. this led you to show them photos of the different hair colour phases you went through.

“apologise to her, you made her go through all that,” seonghwa said jokingly

the following day, you and hongjoong had to tell the company that the both of you were soulmates. the company allowed you to continue to work at the company as long as you kept your soulmate status a secret. hongjoong looked slightly disappointed when he heard that your relationship had to be unknown to the world.

“are you upset?” you asked.

“a little,” he responded, pulling you into a small kiss. “but at least i get to keep you to myself a little longer.”

any and all feedback appreciated <3

other fics

#gnomeo 🥫#gnomeo🥫writes #ateez #atz #ateez fan fic #ateez fic #atz fic #atz fan fic #ateez x reader #atz x reader #hongjoong x reader #hongjoong #kim hongjoong #soulmate au #soulmate #ateez fanfic #ateez soulmate au

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largemandrill · 8 months ago

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Does it count as toxic yuri if they would actually be perfect for each other in every conceivable way?

#elden ring #shadow of the erdtree #sote #No spoilers in the image but I will say some early game stuff down here so be aware!!#The moment I heard Leda go all “I have to kill everyone who isn’t 100% on Miquella” I knew she and Fia would be soulmates #Murdery blonde girls who would do anything to help their fucked up demi-god #Needle knight Leda #fia deathbed companion #my art #fan art

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bobowbeau · 10 months ago

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🩸 🩸 🩸

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thisapplepielife · 2 months ago

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Written for @steddiebingo.

Goddamn, Fuck You, Motherfucker

Countdown to Midnight Prompt: Soulmate | Word Count: 3420 | Rating: E | CW: Language, Sexual Content, Male Titty Fucking | POV: Eddie | Tags: Soulmate AU, College AU, Modern AU, Meet Cute, Or: Meet Ugly, Soulmarks, Invisible Strings, Hijinks Ensue, The Universe Had to Work Overtime on These Two, Matching Each Other's Freak

I actually got assigned the prompt "soulmates" on both the Christmas and New Year's bingo cards. Instead of trying to double-up, I decided to just make them companion pieces. Here are the links to both:

Part 1: Steve POV | Part 2: Eddie POV | Also on AO3

They are intended so they could be read standalone, but I wrote Steve's first, so I say go back and start there if you'd like to read both.

Eddie wears it like a badge of honor. He wishes it was scrawled across his forehead instead of his arm. Goddamn, fuck you, motherfucker! is a damn good soulmark, if he doesn't say so himself.

Feisty. He likes that.

He hasn't met him, or her, yet. He's not picky, never has been.

Eddie rolls up his sleeves, and the mark is dark black, prominent. Like the freshest, newest tattoo. And he knows tattoos. He's got some good ones, and some bad ones, but this right here is his favorite and he didn't even get to choose it. It just showed up one day, a promise of who was to come.

They have nice handwriting, whoever they are. He's always thought so. He brushes it with his thumb. He just wonders when he's finally going to get to meet them.

It wasn't in high school, not during any of the three senior years he had. He kind of thought that was why he kept sticking around, like he was just waiting for them to round a corner.

They never did.

Now, he's a senior in college on schedule to graduate in one go, thank you very much, and still nothing. Nada. Zilch.

Oh well. It'll happen, or it won't.

"You about done primping your hair or what?" Jeff yells from down the hall, and Eddie laughs. Jeff wanted to go to the big frat party on campus tonight and Eddie definitely wasn't opposed. He can probably off-load some weed, make a little extra cash, so sure, why not?

Eddie settles onto the couch where he usually does his business. Right out in the open. He's the one to be feared, not the other way around. Gareth is next to him, yapping about some movie that they watched in his film class last night. Eddie's slightly interested. Playing chess against death for your soul? That does sound like something he'd like.

His arm itches. He looks down to scratch at it, right over his soulmark. This couch had better not have fucking bed bugs.

"Oh shit, Goodie's fighting with some frat boy," Gareth announces, sitting up to lean closer to the action, and Eddie looks up.

And Goodie most certainly is doing just that.

Goodie just shoved a guy, and Eddie has about two seconds to open his arms to catch the cussing heap of a man as he slides across the coffee table, knocking Eddie's lunch box of inventory, and every goddamn drink, onto the ground. Not cool.

What the fuck is Goodie doing? Yeah, he got the first cheap shot off, but this guy isn't small, and Goodie's definitely gonna get them all into a brawl if this dude has friends. Still, Eddie can't help but laugh, and he yells at Goodie, "You're a fucking dickhead!"

He shifts the guy over onto Gareth, who makes an oomph sound like he's a delicate flower, as Eddie hops up to try and get this straightened out before it progresses into an actual problem.

Eddie slides his arm around Goodie's neck, and tucks him into his side in a headlock. Goodie lets him, laughing.

"What the fuck, Goods? You just laid that poor guy out, say you're sorry," Eddie demands, looking back at the pretty, if very confused guy still sitting on Gareth who has his hands up in the air, like he's being accused of a crime.

"I'm sorry," Goodie laughs, hand finding Eddie's side, and Eddie damn well knows he's positioning himself to get out this headlock if he needs to, "It was an instinct! A remnant from high school. Get bullied, push back, that's what you always said!"

Eddie turns back to look at the guy. If he really was picking on Goodie, there's gonna be a problem here, "He was bullying you?"

"I was not!" the guy yells.

"He stepped on my foot!" Goodie clarifies, and Eddie laughs. Stepping on a foot is not bullying. It's an accident.

"He stepped on your foot, so you shoved him in my lap?" Eddie asks, making sure he's got this right.

Goodie huffs, "Well, I didn't think you'd mind!"

It was a nice gift, but still, Goodie's gonna get them in real trouble one of these days if his temper can't be, well, tempered.

"What's going on here?! I just went to the bathroom, there wasn't even a line!" a girl shows up shouting, hopping mad. "Now Steve is sitting in Gareth's lap? How do you know Gareth? You can't sleep with Gareth!"

She's rambling, hands waving in the air.

How do you know Gareth? Eddie thinks. He's never seen either of these two people in his life.

"I'm fine. We're fine, I think?" the guy says, but he doesn't sound sure about that. Eddie's sure. He's fine. He's definitely fine. In more ways than one. Goodie's not gonna do shit. None of them are. "I'm not sleeping with Gareth?" he adds, and Eddie's also sure about that. Gareth's not into men.

This was just a misunderstanding. A comedy of errors.

Eddie's life, in a nutshell.

"Not a question. Absolutely not. No offense," Gareth says, and well, that's his loss. Eddie would definitely take one for the team.

But he can't resist.

"Look what you've done, now you've made his girlfriend mad," Eddie teases, still not releasing Goodie from his grasp. He deserves a little more torture.

"Ew, gross. Not my boyfriend," the girl says, like she's absolutely disgusted by this idea. Has she not seen that guy?

"She's a lesbian," Gareth says. And oh, that'll do it. Mystery solved. If neither of them want to sleep with this guy, Eddie will volunteer.

"Don't be so disgusted," the guy with the good hair and bitchy face complains. "I'm a catch."

That he most certainly is. Eddie caught him, if only briefly, and if he can reel him back in, he'll definitely be doing that.

"Do you still have a dick?" the girl asks, snippy.

"I still have a dick," he confirms quietly, and they're bantering. Eddie likes them. Likes this show he's unexpectedly been invited to watch.

"What she said," Gareth pipes up.

And Eddie definitely likes that this handsome devil has a dick. Eddie would like to be introduced to it, up close and personal, post-haste.

"Well, we're all glad to hear it," Eddie says, finally letting Goodie stand up. Goodie shrugs, trying to get re-situated, and Eddie pats him on the back.

Jeff comes back, having missed the whole altercation, "What's going on?"

Then it turns out the girl, Robin apparently, knows all of his friends. And that is just an unfair and unjust world.

Gareth seems determined to get Jeff caught up on all the action he missed, "Oh, Jeff, you picked the exact worst time to wander off. Short story: Goodie pushed this guy—"

"Goodie's here, too?" Robin says, like she hadn't even noticed him.

Gareth keeps talking, but what else is new, he's always talking, "—and get this, turns out, this dude is Eddie's soulmate."

Wait, what?

Eddie turns his head, eyes darting between Gareth and the very pretty man that looks like a deer caught in headlights, "What'd you say? Gareth, why do you think…" he trails off, and then looks down at his arm.

"You're Goddamn, Fuck You, Motherfucker?" Jeff cuts in, beating Eddie to the punch. Well, he might not have asked it like that, but the guy laughs.

"Well, I prefer Steve, but I'll answer to anything, I guess."

Steve. His soulmate's name is Steve.

That's officially his favorite name ever, now.

"Jeff, help me. Eddie tried to take my head off my neck," Goodie complains, and while Jeff will take Goodie's side, he's not gonna come in hot at Eddie, even if Goodie is angling for it.

"You pushed my soulmate. You got off easy, my child," Eddie banters back, circling Goodie, like he's sizing him up. Pushing at his chest, and Goodie laughs, batting his hands away.

"Let me see," Steve says quietly.

Eddie stops in his tracks. He knows exactly what Steve wants to see. Eddie walks over to him, and offers up his forearm:

Goddamn, fuck you, motherfucker!

The words, Steve's words, have finally been said. They're right here on Eddie's skin in Steve's messy cursive scrawl.

Steve brushes his thumb against Eddie's mark, and Eddie feels a jolt go up his spine, as he goes half-hard in his jeans, immediately.

"Holy shit," Eddie whispers, he's never reacted to anyone like that.

"Uh, yeah," Steve says, and Eddie can't stop staring at him.

They've got to leave here before he does something embarrassing in front of all his friends and a house party full of strangers.

"Wanna get out of here?" Eddie asks, and Steve is nodding before Eddie's even done asking.

Back in Eddie's room, Eddie keeps running his hands over every inch of skin he can. All those moles and freckles. He's gorgeous.

This was the man made just for him?

He's never been that lucky a day in his life.

"You said it, and I missed it. Can you say it again?" Eddie asks, hand tangled in Steve's hair, pulling his mouth closer, so he can brush his lips against Steve's.

"Say what?" Steve asks, eyes glazed over. Nobody told Eddie meeting your soulmate would be such horny business. They've been touching, and rubbing all over each other for what has to be hours at this point.

"The words, your words," Eddie says, and Steve has to take Eddie's arm into his hand, looking like he's double-checking what he even said.

"Goddamn, fuck you, motherfucker!" Steve pops off, laughing as he says it, and Eddie giggles with delight, pressing his face into Steve's neck.

"You're a fucking dickhead," Eddie says back with affection, and Steve wraps his arm around Eddie's back and pulls him tight.

Eddie can't believe he finally met him, and he's this gorgeous. Way out of Eddie's league, but Steve seems just as happy to be here as Eddie is, which, hot fucking damn.

He just wants to touch him everywhere, wants to see every inch of his body, wants to worship him now that he's finally here.

Stripped down and bare, Eddie's checked him over, and Steve only has the one mark. No other tattoos. Just Eddie's own words, and miles of tan, freckled skin. And the moles. Oh, the moles. Not to mention the thick thatch of chest hair that lights a fire inside Eddie. Eddie rubs his fingers through it, and has the unexpected thought that he wants to come in it, wants to titty fuck him, even if that wouldn't exactly be an easy endeavor. Not to mention, well, maybe not something to suggest on the first date. He doesn't have to let his entire freak flag fly.

He moves on, but will tuck that pretty mental image somewhere safe in the back of his brain, as he slides his hand down to thumb at Steve's nipple. Steve's hips come up off the bed, and Eddie knows they are going to have so much goddamn fun tonight.

Not just tonight.

Forever.

And isn't that a heady thought?

His fingers go right back to that chest hair, and his hand wanders, getting a handful of his chest, squeezing, and Steve chuckles.

"Boobie man?" Steve asks, and it's playful, not judgmental at all.

"Fuck," Eddie says, and he wouldn't have especially said that he's a boob man. He likes them just fine, but there's something about Steve's chest hair. Manly, dark and thick in the middle, spreading up and out, that is really pressing buttons he didn't even know he had.

"I'm a pervert, the things I want to do to you will send you running for the hills," Eddie says, and Steve lets out the best sounding laugh in the world.

"Doubtful. Do 'em," Steve says, "I'm no blushing virgin. I've been around the block. I've been around several blocks, and had fun on every corner."

"Fuck me," Eddie says, rubbing his hard cock against Steve's thigh, "how come our blocks never crossed until now? My map was faulty."

Steve giggles, and it's adorable.

"You're gorgeous, and your chest hair is making me think all kinds of thoughts," Eddie admits, leaning back so he can see Steve's face.

By giving Steve space, Steve takes both hands, and presses his pecs together. There's just enough softness, just enough give, that Eddie is sure he could actually do it.

He could slide his dick between them, and feel all that hair hugging the underside of his cock.

Eddie starts fisting his own cock, watching. Wanting.

Their first sexual encounter cannot be him fucking Steve's chest. He's weird, and proud of it, but maybe not that weird.

Instead he slides down the bed, and admires Steve's impressive cock as it lays against his belly, hard and leaking. Steve flexes, making it bounce, and Eddie laughs, delighted. Can he already love him? Because he thinks he already loves him.

Eddie slides his fingers between Steve's cock and his belly, guiding it upwards, rubbing the head against his bottom lip, tongue sneaking out to taste, and then he sinks down, taking him fully into his mouth. He's a mouthful, more than, but Eddie's no quitter. Eddie moans, and Steve echoes him, as Eddie uses his free hand to grip Steve's hip.

He wants to blow him, wants to roll him over and eat him out until he cries and begs for Eddie's cock. He wants it all, wants everything, and thinks he just might get it.

Eddie's never had sex like this before. And he's had some damn good sex. This just feels like a whole different level of attraction, of connection.

Soulmates.

He thought he knew, but he really didn't.

Steve's in his lap, rocking back and forth on his cock, working him over like a goddamn pro. Arms wrapped around Eddie's neck, mouths locked together, sharing breath, unwilling to let one another go.

He was right. He is feisty. Just not in the way Eddie had always expected.

Eddie's getting close, and he snakes a hand between them, fisting Steve's cock, hoping he'll be able to to take him over the edge right along with him.

"Eddie," Steve breathes against his mouth, a warning, and Eddie nods up and down, encouraging him.

"Do it, god, do it. Come," Eddie demands, and Steve does. Warmth hitting Eddie's hand, his belly, as Steve tightens down on Eddie's cock, pulsing with his orgasm.

Eddie pushes up into him, still chasing his own, when Steve unceremoniously slides up and off him. He's bewildered, stunned for the heartbeat it takes Steve to flop onto his back, hands pressing the sides of his chest together, an offer.

Eddie strips off the condom, slides his thighs along Steve's ribs, and leans forward, bracing himself against the headboard. Slick cock pressing into Steve's skin, the slight roughness of the chest hair a new sensation, and he thrusts. He can't see Steve's face, not from this angle, but the idea alone is enough to get him across the finish line, and he slides back, a downstroke, coming with a long, hard groan. Fuck. That was something. Too quick, but so fucking filthy that he couldn't hang on a second longer.

He pants, and scoots back down to Steve's waist. Admiring his handiwork. Come is stuck in Steve's chest hair, and some shot upwards, hitting the underside of Steve's chin, pooling in the hollow of his neck.

"Fuck, we are meant to fucking be," Eddie says, rubbing his thumb through the mess, darkening his chest hair even further, matting it together.

Steve laughs, "I'm gonna need a shower, but goddamn, you were worth the wait. I've been waiting for somebody to match my freak."

Eddie laughs, delighted and wowed by this man under him. His fucking soulmate. He moans, and buries his face in Steve's neck as they cling to each other, spreading the mess further. They're both gonna need showers, and that's totally fine with Eddie. Worth it.

And this was just the first time. First times have no business ever being that good, and Eddie presses his mouth to Steve's sweaty neck, offering him open-mouthed kisses.

Offering Steve himself, his love, his whole future if Steve is willing to take it.

All of his freak, and more.

Morning comes too soon, and Steve slides out of bed to get dressed. Eddie watches as Steve pushes down his sleeves, and then changes his mind, pushing them back up towards his elbows.

"It's supposed to be sunny and seventy, definitely up," Eddie chimes in, hands tucked behind his head, just enjoying the free show.

Steve smiles, "Yeah. Just, habit. I've hidden my mark for so long it's gonna take some time to break the habit."

"You hid it? Why?"

"Well, you're a fucking dickhead didn't seem wildly romantic. I had no idea it wouldn't be directed at me," Steve says, and oh, Eddie never thought of that.

Eddie gets out of bed, and wraps his arms around Steve's middle, squeezing him tight, "I'd never. But I get it. I thought mine was towards me, too. But I was wearing it like a badge of honor. Fucking Goodie," Eddie teases.

Steve grins, "He finally introduced us. I can't be too mad at him."

And Eddie isn't mad either, he owes Goodie several beers. A new pair of shoes if he's still salty that his toe got stepped on. Whatever he wants, within reason.

"Do you really have to go to class?" Eddie asks.

"At least my first one. Six more weeks to go."

"Yeah, yeah. Same boat. You anywhere near the union for lunch?" Eddie asks, hopeful.

"Yes. Meet you there at twelve-twenty?" Steve asks, and Eddie nods. That works. Eddie doesn't want to take his hands off of him, doesn't want to let him out of his sight, like he might disappear, even if that's irrational. They've exchanged numbers. Apparently all of Eddie's friends know Steve's best friend. Steve's not going anywhere.

"Here," Eddie says, walking over and rummaging through his closet, pulling out a black t-shirt, "wear this. Nowhere to hide."

He hands over the shirt, and watches as Steve tugs off his Henley, tossing it onto Eddie's bed, and then slips the new shirt over his head. Corroded Coffin emblazoned across his chest, and Eddie grins. He's got a soulmate.

He's got Steve.

"Look at you," Eddie says.

Steve looks down at his chest, "Oh, my friend Chrissy talks about this band."

"You know Chrissy?" Eddie asks, because Jesus H. Christ, of course Steve does. The universe was working overtime to get them connected, but for some reason they were just stumbling around the same campus like fools, not making it happen, for four years.

"You know Chrissy?" Steve repeats. "I've been meaning to introduce her to Robin, I think they'd hit it off. We should all do something. Goodie can push me down again, or whatever it is that you all do for fun."

Eddie tosses his head back and laughs, "He's not usually that aggressive. He must have been possessed by our profane soulmarks."

Steve smiles at him, and it makes his heart flip in his chest. How did he get this lucky? Steve Harrington is perfect. He couldn't have picked better if given the choice. He's really something else.

"The universe thought we needed a shove, literally."

Eddie grins. Definitely worked. Job well done.

"Full transparency? That's our band," Eddie says, a smile tugging at his lips as he touches the logo on Steve's chest, "and we have a slot at The Cave on Friday."

"Wouldn't miss it," Steve says, leaning forward to kiss him one more time. Eddie kisses him back before Steve really has to leave, the door closing softly behind him.

Steve may have had to go, but Eddie'll see him later, and they'll pick this right back up where they left off.

Eddie picks Steve's discarded Henley up off the bed. Maybe he'll wear this today. He doesn't need to wear his mark like a badge of honor anymore. He won the whole goddamn lottery, because Eddie's finally met his match, his soulmate, and Steve is more than he could have ever hoped for. He can't wait to see what the future brings for them.

He pictures an entire life shared between Mr. You're A Fucking Dickhead and Mr. Goddamn, Fuck You, Motherfucker.

And Eddie laughs, absolutely delighted by the prospect.

He can't wait.

Read Steve's POV here.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @steddiebingo and follow along with the fun! 💞

Notes: I don't think I've written soulmates before, so I'm not sure if I've stayed with the trope or veered into left field, but I know I had fun with this one. I loved the idea that their first words in each other's presence would be something so unhinged, lol. And Goodie shall never let either of them forget that their soulmarks were spoken to him not each other.

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