#split fanfiction

[urween]

Spend an afternoon with Hedwig, GN reader

Split headcanon

notes : j'avais vraiment envie d'écrire quelque chose de doux sur Hedwig parce qu'il est tellement touchant <3 ! no spoiler

! warning : aucun

2 512 mots

- Description à la deuxième personne

Vous vous connaissez depuis plusieurs années déjà, ou plutôt tu connais certains alters depuis plusieurs années. Dennis, Hedwig, Barry et Patricia ont été les premiers à se présenter à toi. Jade, Orwell, Mary et Kevin se sont ensuite exposés, mais il reste encore beaucoup d’alters méconnus. Barry a expliqué les principaux traits de caractères de ces inconnus pour que tu puisses ainsi te les représenter et même parfois les reconnaître lorsqu’ils prennent la lumière. Tu as exprimé beaucoup de reconnaissance pour ça, car il arrive quelquefois que tu te retrouves face à une personne que tu ne connais absolument pas. Barry a aussi expliqué que ces alters ne prennent que très rarement la lumière et que par conséquent ils sont toujours un peu perdus ou inquiets lorsque ça arrive. Heureusement qu’Hedwig est là pour reprendre le front et ainsi les soulager.

Quoiqu’il en soit, on peut dire que tu t’entends assez bien avec tous les principaux alters. Certains ont des caractères bien spéciaux mais tu apprécies ce détail, ça leur donne un charme.

Patricia fait partie de ces alters. Les femmes sont peu nombreuses dans leur système comparées aux hommes, mais elles ont pour la plupart un fort caractère. Et dans ce lot, Patricia est certainement la plus complexe. Tu as mis beaucoup de temps à t’habituer à sa présence. Elle dégage quelque chose, une aura pesante. Elle a cette façon de parler sereine et douce qui au début t’effrayait énormément. Lorsqu’elle a pour la première fois proposé une discussion autour d'un thé, elle s'est mise à raconter à quel point les kilos de viandes qu’un lion peut manger sont impressionnants, et alors tu as imaginé beaucoup de scénarios où tu finissais en morceaux dans une cage à félins. Mais à présent les choses se sont calmées pour toi, enfin la plupart du temps. Patricia t’a bien fait comprendre qu’elle n’avait aucune mauvaise intention envers toi, mais tu ne peux pas empêcher les frissons dans ta nuque lorsqu’elle passe un peu trop près de toi. Mais au fond de toi, tu sais très bien que ces réactions ne sont plus vraiment dues à la peur.

✉ nouveau message de : Avengers

Ton attention lâche le plat de pâtes encore tout chaud que tu viens de commencer pour plutôt attraper ton téléphone portable. Un sourire illumine ton visage en voyant le destinateur.

✉Avengers

- cc !!

- tu peut venir à la maison ????? stp stp stp

Lorsque, plusieurs années en arrière, Dennis t'a donné leur numéro de téléphone, tu as désepéré devant l’option “nom du contact”. Tu ne pouvais pas mettre le prénom d’un des alters puisque c’était leur numéro à tous, et ils n'avaient pas de nom global pour leur système. Finalement tu as eu un souvenir de l’obsession pour les Marvels qu’avait développé Hedwig lorsque tu lui as parlé d’Iron Man, puis de la façon avec laquelle Dennis et Patricia ont des paillettes dans les yeux lorsque tu leur dis qu’ils sont extraordinaires. Par conséquent tu as décidé de les surnommer les Avengers, parce qu’ils ont tous des supers pouvoirs à leurs manières.

✉Vous

- coucou Hedwig

- oui je peux venir si tu veux ! D’ici environ trente minutes je peux être là, n’oublies pas de m’ouvrir le portail ;)

✉Avengers

- trop cool !!!

- mademoisele patricia a achetté un truc pour moi !

Tout en finissant rapidement ton plat, tu te diriges vers la salle de bain afin de préparer tes affaires pour gagner du temps.

✉Vous

- vraiment ? Génial et qu’est ce que c’est ?

✉Avengers

- plein de jouets animaux !

Un énième sourire étire tes lèvres au message alors que tu déposes l’assiette vide dans l’évier de la cuisine.

✉Vous

- wow plein ? On va pouvoir tous les essayer alors ;)

✉Avengers

- ouiiiii

- ah !!

- tu prend les bonbons bleus ???

✉Vous

- d’accord, mais je te préviens je te laisserais pas manger tout le paquet Hedwig

✉Avengers

- oui oui

- tfk ???????????

Tu poses ton téléphone contre le lit le temps d’attraper deux ou trois bagues, un collier et des vêtements propres.

✉Vous

- je t’ai déjà dis que c’était pas bon d’écrire comme ça, tu oublies les vrais mots à force

✉Avengers

- pardon !

- tu fais quoi ?????????????????

✉Vous

- je vais aller me laver puis je vais partir pour te rejoindre

- et toi ?

En tournant le robinet de la douche vers la gauche, tu commences à retirer tes chaussettes et ton pantalon. L’eau chaude a toujours pris beaucoup de temps pour arriver, mais comme ça tu peux continuer de répondre à Hedwig.

✉Avengers

- j’ai trouver des vieux dessins de barry

- ils sont beaux

- mais je dessines mieux !!

✉Vous

- fais attention à ne pas les abîmer, sinon il risque de bouder pour un long moment

- vous dessinez tous les deux de manière différente, et elles sont toutes les deux très belles ;)

Après avoir passé ta main sous l’eau pour voir la température de cette dernière, tu reprends une dernière fois ton portable.

✉Avengers

- t’s toujours trop cool !!!

- mademoiselle patricia elle a dis qu’elle aime bien ça et moi aussi j’aime bien ça

- et monsier dennis il penses que c’est rare d’être comme toi

- je suis d’accord moi persone à jamais été cool comme toi avant

✉Vous

- oh c’est adorable Hedwig, mais cette gentillesse vous la méritez tous

- en tout cas ça me touche beaucoup que les autres pensent ça de moi ! Tu pourras leur dire merci de ma part <3

- je suis désolé il faut que je te laisse si je veux pas arriver trop tard

✉Avengers

- derien !!!!

- d’accord à tt !

Une fois que tu as la certitude qu’il ne va pas envoyer d’autres messages, tu déposes ton téléphone sous ta pile de vêtements et finis de te déshabiller. Tu aurais très bien pu le faire tout en lui parlant mais il y a quelque chose de dérangeant dans le fait de se dévêtir en discutant avec Hedwig, ce n'est pas la même chose avec Dennis ou Mary par exemple. Il est déjà arrivé que vous parliez par messages pendant que tu te changeais ou même que vous soyez au téléphone lors de ton bain, et ce n’était vraiment pas la même chose.

Comme prévu, tu te dépêches de prendre ta douche et de t’habiller de nouveau. Tu enfiles les quelques bijoux que tu as pris précédemment et après avoir vérifié que tu n’as rien oublié, tu quittes ton chez toi. Heureusement pour toi, tu n’habites vraiment pas loin du zoo, et donc de leur appartement. Grâce aux nombreuses années à travailler là-bas, ils ont obtenu un logement de fonction dans la même rue que le parc animalier. Le seul problème est que cet appartement est assez petit, du moins trop petit pour avoir vingt-trois chambres, même s’ils n’ont pas réellement besoin d’autant de chambres. Mais par exemple Hedwig aime avoir sa propre pièce, où il peut afficher tous ses dessins et écouter de la musique, Dennis a besoin d’un endroit qui lui est totalement réservé, Barry aussi et encore d’autres. Ils n’ont pas tous besoin d’une chambre, mais les plus réguliers préfèrent en avoir une. Malheureusement cet appartement ne contient que deux chambres, une a alors été aménagée pour Patricia et l’autre pour Dennis. Hedwig, Barry, Orwell et d’autres ont les leurs ailleurs. Encore une fois, grâce aux années passées à travailler dans ce zoo, ils ont eu l’autorisation d'avoir une sorte de grand sous-sol rien que pour eux. Ce n’est clairement pas l’endroit le plus accueillant à première vue mais s’acheter une grande villa n’est absolument pas dans leurs moyens, et puis ils l’ont assez bien aménagé. Les murs restent rugueux et les lumières peu nombreuses, mais il y a malgré tout quelque chose d'apaisant là-bas. Leurs présences sont étalées dans chaque pièce, et c’est presque poétique de voir la façon dont ils doivent organiser la salle de bain ou la cuisine pour convenir aux envies de chaque alter.

Par automatisme, tu appuies sur l’interphone et fais défiler les noms jusqu’à trouver celui qui t’intéresse : Crumb. Sans avoir besoin de parler, la porte de l’immeuble s’ouvre devant toi et tu peux avancer vers l'ascenseur. Puisque cet immeuble est principalement occupé par des employés du zoo, ils ont fait installer un portail qui ne peut être ouvert qu’avec un badge ou un bouton chez les locataires, ça permet de limiter les squatteurs ou voleurs. Mais à cause de ça, tu dois attendre qu’Hedwig ou un autre alter t’ouvre ce qu’ils font toujours, sauf lorsqu’il y a un problème. Il est déjà arrivé qu’un alter “méconnu” prenne la lumière et dans ces cas-là il ne t’ouvrira pas le portail puisqu’il ne sait même pas ce qu’il fait ici. Pour cette raison, Barry a demandé un doublon de leur badge, prétendant que l’autre ne fonctionnait plus, et comme ça tu as toujours la possibilité de venir si jamais un problème survient.

Deux petits coups à la porte et Hedwig apparaît tout souriant devant toi.

« C’est trop bien que tu viennes ! Dit-il en te tirant par le bras vers le salon, les autres ont dit que je pouvais rester dans la lumière tout l’après-midi »

Sa façon de parler très atypique te réchauffe le cœur tandis que tu enlèves tes chaussures et les dépose avec soin sur un petit chiffon placé dans un coin de la pièce. Dennis a beau ne pas être dans la lumière, tu préfères respecter ses tocs.

« T’as pris les bonbons ? Te demande le jeune garçon en se mettant assis par terre »

D’un hochement de tête tu lui souris et sors le précieux trésor de ton sac à dos. Aussitôt, Hedwig se jette dramatiquement dessus, se mettant presque ventre contre le sol pour attraper le paquet de bonbons.

« Wow génial je vois qui tu préfères ici, déclares-tu en riant »

Le garçon te lance un regard avant de prendre trois sucreries dans sa bouche et de se tourner sur le dos pour te voir à l’envers. Son rire résonne faiblement dans la pièce alors qu’une conversation commence entre vous deux.

Hedwig est sûrement l’alter avec lequel tu peux le plus rire, il dit constamment tout ce qu’il pense, même si ça n’a aucun rapport avec votre conversation actuelle. C’est quelque chose qui manque dans beaucoup de relations à tes yeux, pas avec eux, mais avec d’autres personnes. Lorsque tu rencontres quelqu’un il y a toujours un moment de gêne, une envie de vite s’enfuir et de rentrer chez toi. Ce n’est pas toujours le cas, mais ça l’est presque toujours. Tu as du mal à t’intégrer dans le mode de fonctionnement des autres, leur façon de parler sur le dos de leurs amis et leurs obsessions pour la politique, ce n’est pas toi ça. Tu aimes tourner les mauvais événements au comique et admirer ce papillon qui se pose dans l’herbe. Les personnes que tu rencontres ramènent toujours le négatif au centre de la conversation, c’est mentalement épuisant de penser au réchauffement climatique et à la montée des impôts. Tu trouves ça dommage de revenir aux informations que les médias mettent déjà au centre de l’attention, pourquoi ne pas juste profiter du soleil dehors et du vent frais ? Bien sûr qu’il se passe des choses horribles dans le monde, mais y penser constamment ne les fera pas disparaître. Et Hedwig pense aussi comme ça, parce que c’est un enfant de neuf ans et qu’il a encore la chance de voir les beaux aspects de ce monde. Ça te fait vraiment du bien de passer du temps avec lui, il est ressourçant. Et même lorsqu’il évoque la mort, il le fait avec une façon tellement directe, sans pincette, que ça en devient rassurant. Ce qui le rend heureux c’est dessiner et danser, quoi de mieux pour oublier une mauvaise journée ?

« Elle est jolie ta bague, c’est un serpent ? »

Tu relèves la tête du livre que vous étiez en train de feuilleter pour regarder le jeune garçon et ses grands yeux bleus.

« Oh celle-ci ? Réponds-tu en levant ton index où se trouve le bijoux, je pense qu’on peut dire que c’est une sorte de serpent oui »

Tu l’as trouvée lors d’une brocante il y a plusieurs années de ça, la forme originale a tout de suite attiré ton œil et au faible prix auquel elle était tu n’as pas vraiment hésité pour l’acheter.

« Moi j’aime trop les tigres, ils sont super grands et forts, explique Hedwig en tournant les pages de son livre d’illustration, il s’arrête sur un dessin de tigre et passe son doigt dessus, regarde ils sont genre méga costauds »

Ton regard détaille l’illustration et ses traits très simples. Hedwig est le seul dans leur système qui fête son anniversaire, même s’il ne prend pas en âge. Alors l’année dernière, tu lui as offert une dizaine de livres, parce qu’il aime beaucoup ça. Tu as pris un peu de tout, de courts romans comme des livres à illustrations comme celui-ci. Un sourire prend place sur ton visage lorsque tu repenses à cette journée, Dennis faisait tout pour garder Hedwig loin de la lumière pendant que Jade et toi vous occupiez de faire le gâteau. Lorsque l’enfant parvenait à passer au front, il posait mille et une questions à la seconde alors que tu essayais désespérément d’éviter qu’il découvre la surprise. Finalement toi et les autres alters êtes parvenus à tout organiser sans qu’il ne découvre la vérité, et tu te souviens encore de ses yeux larmoyants lorsqu’il a vu le salon décoré ainsi que la pile de cadeaux qui l'attendait.

« Pourquoi tu viens ici ? Demande soudainement Hedwig, t’as pas des amis ? »

La question pouvait être mal interprétée, mais heureusement, tu arrives à comprendre le fond de sa pensée.

« J’aime venir ici tu sais, passer du temps avec toi et les autres »

« Oui mais t’es tout le temps disponible pour venir, enfin sauf quand tu travailles »

Tes doigts passent contre les pages colorées du livre alors que le garçon allongé à côté te regarde avec insistance.

« Honnêtement à part vous je n’ai pas grand monde, dis-tu en déviant tes yeux vers Hedwig, tu sais que je n’ai pas vraiment de famille et puis- je crois que j’ai un peu de mal à faire des rencontres, créer de nouvelles relations et tout ça, c’est compliqué pour moi »

Le jeune garçon fronce pendant quelques secondes ses sourcils avant de faire rouler son corps sur son dos et tourner de nouveau la tête pour te regarder.

« Moi non plus j’ai pas d’autres amis, avoue-t-il, les gens ils me trouvent bête je crois et ils se moquent de moi »

Un pincement au cœur, tu délaisses le livre en face de toi pour poser ta tête dans ta paume de main.

« Les gens ont du mal à comprendre les personnes comme nous, mais c’est pas grave parce que ça veut dire qu’on est spécial tu vois ? Eux ils peuvent pas être aussi géniaux que toi, c’est pour ça qu’ils sont jaloux »

« Alors c’est comme un super pouvoir ? »

De nouveau, ton cœur se réchauffe en voyant le sourire sur le visage du garçon.

« Exactement, le super pouvoir d’être extraordinaire »

° split masterlist

gif : @/hellozxxy

bannière : @/saradika-graphics

[bold-writing]

The One With Whiskey Eyes || 24 || Motherly or Lovingly, You're Mine

Words: 3000+

Warnings: None

Previous || Next

~24~

Iris hummed happily as she took a bite of the carefully prepared lasagna. Luke smiled from his place across the table, watching as she took her first bite before even starting on his. When he’d first pulled off the foil covered the dish, he hadn’t known what he was looking at—all he could see was red sauce. The word ‘meatloaf’ had been on the tip of his tongue before Iris peeked around his shoulder and chirped ‘oh! I haven’t had lasagna in forever!’, offering to help him set things while he put it in the oven.

Glad to have dodged the moment of embarrassment, he gladly handed the plates and utensils to Iris.

“So I’m assuming Patricia does most of the cooking?” She cut her section of lasagna carefully, trying to keep the layers from separating as she ate.

Luke hummed for a moment in consideration. “I wouldn’t say the most. A few of the others love to cook, like how Felicia is with her make-up and Barry is with his sketches. Don’t tell them, but I’d say-” he stopped just shy of speaking the name, knowing that he and Iris hadn’t met yet and didn’t know if he should say it.

The small woman seemed to understand the reason for his pause and smiled in assurance. “You can say names. I already know Jade and Hedwig, haven’t met them yet. They may be soulmates I’ve yet to meet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring them up. Just gives me something to know about them in advance.” She took another bite as Luke sighed in relief.

“Heinrich,” he finished. “I’d say Heinrich cooks the best. Honestly, he should be the one on grocery detail; the guy uses most of the food anyway.”

Iris smiled as she listened to him, loving how he spoke of the other alters affectionately. Like family. “What’s your favourite dish?” she inquired. “I mean overall, not just cooked by Heinrich.” Saying the name made her tongue feel thick, as it did whenever she said the name of someone she was yet to meet. Originally, she wasn’t sure if she should speak with one of her soulmates about another, but so long as they didn’t mind bringing them up she would be happy to continue the conversation.

Luke sat back as he chewed, looking off to the side wall as he pondered. “That’s a hard one.”

She knew it, too. Whenever someone asked her what he favourite thing was—book, movie, pastime—she always had trouble answering. “How about….what dish are you craving lately?”

The look that came to his face was almost dreamy, and Iris knew he was playing it up for her. “Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo.” Iris made a soft sound of agreement, remembering the last time she had made some for herself when she’d had a day off and a fresh batch of groceries. “Yours?”

“Can’t say a favourite, but I’ve been craving a pulled-pork sandwich,” she admitted, getting a surprised look from Luke. Clearly that wasn’t what he had been expecting. The look made her giggle, covering the bite of food she had just eaten. Once she finished chewing, she elaborated, “I had one at the little deli restaurant some years back called Sweet Meats. They ended up moving to a new location, bit too far for a cab ride, so I haven’t had it in a while. But their sandwiches were to die for. It’s not often I get takeout, but they were definitely one I went for quite often.”

Luke stopped eating as she spoke, leaning his chin on his fist as he smiled at her. “We’ll have to make a day of it sometime. Go up for sandwiches, find something to do while we’re there. That way it’s not a waste of a ride just for something to eat.”

Flushing with happiness, Iris nodded in agreement and busied herself with another bite.

“Even if she doesn’t cook as often as I thought, Patricia makes excellent lasagna.”

Luke flashed another brilliant smile. “I’ll be sure to tell her!”

The small conversations continued as they finished off their plates, Iris immediately declining a second. She had eaten more in one sitting than she normally would in an entire day. The sleep lull had returned to her eyes, however, and Luke immediately refused her offer to wash their dishes in favour of soaking them in the waiting sink.

The original plan was for Iris to head home that night. However, as she grew sleepier with food in her belly the thought of her walking home made him feel sick with worry. It was such a short distance he knew she would refuse to take a taxi, so the compromise came to allow her the chance to sleep over again. Iris had become accustomed to the routine after the several nights she had stayed following the incident at the store.

An open invitation from Felicia gave her a place to sleep, her meagre toiletries still in the bathroom for her use. Barry had an early start the next day for work, and Iris had a later shift that would have her closing the store the next day. It was already nearing midnight by the time Luke walked Iris to Felicia’s room, now wearing a set of her own pajamas that had been left behind.

Iris approached him first, wrapping him in a tight hug as she leaned her cheek in against his pectoral. “Thank you, Luke. It was a wonderful date.”

“We’ll have to do it again soon,” he responded, the smile he wore apparent in his voice.

Returning her tight embrace, cheek resting on the crown of her head, Luke didn’t want to let her go. He wanted to be selfish and keep her with him for as long as he could. But they both had work and he would get an earful from Barry if he did not get to sleep at a decent time. His next exhale came out like a sigh, Iris letting out an answering one before she started to draw back from him.

“I’ll message you tomorrow, okay?”

“Mhm,” she hummed with a smile, before she gently cradled his jaw in her small hands, lifting onto her tiptoes and pressing the ghost of a kiss against his cheek. Her lips lingered, spreading their warmth, and drew back too soon for Luke’s liking.

Her cheeks were flushed a warm pink as she retracted her hands. “Sleep well.”

Catching her chin between his fingers before she could flee, Luke returned her kiss with one of his own, high on her cheekbone and closer to the sensitive skin at her ear. “You too, Sweet.” He swore he could feel the heat from her blush warming her skin, making him grin with the knowledge that he had been the one to put it there.

She slipped into Felicia’s brightly coloured room, shyly casting him one more smile before the door was closed between them.

Neither were able to keep the smile off of their lips as they tucked themselves in for the night, wishing it had not had to end.

Iris had been so tired from the day, she did not dream or wake again until a weight suddenly landed on her legs, one of which had been curled up on top of the blankets to expose her sock-covered foot to the air. Jerking in surprise at the sudden contact, she tried to sit up, but a weight caught around her waist and pinned her in place. An instant of panic seized her heart before she looked down at the familiar shaved head of her soulmates’ body, but which soulmate was perched atop her was an answer she did not have.

Her erratic heartbeat steadily calmed as she leaned to prop herself up on her elbows.

She had only opened her mouth to speak, still unsure what words would come out, before her soulmate rolled abruptly, looking down at her feet. Rendered silent from the sudden and erratic movements, she watched as he moved until his feet were next to hers, revealing they were wearing nearly identical blue socks, hers of a slightly fuzzier quality.

“Look, look! We have matching socks!”

The familiar, and often confusing, words brought a smile to her face as she looked from her small feet to his larger ones. The lisp in his words hinted that she might be speaking with the one named Hedwig, but she didn’t want to make any assumptions and instead wiggled her foot to tap her toes against his.

“Look at that, we’re soulmates and we match,” she responded sweetly, sleep thickening her voice just slightly.

The smile he turned on her was one of pure childish happiness. It warmed her heart to see and, even as tired as she was, she could not help but to return it. Similar to how he must have arrived in the room, he pounced again; bouncing up beside her, Iris threw her hand out to stop herself from tipping off the bed. The antics of her newest soulmate set her off in a fit of giggles. Once she was sure she was not going to overbalance off of the bed, she rolled to face him. He was wearing a tracksuit—black with white and blue accents—and his blue socks.

“I’m Hedwig.” Inches separated them, the light from the hall allowing her the chance to see his face in the otherwise dark room. He looked at her so excitedly, like she had hung the moon. It made her feel so special just from that look alone.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Hedwig. I’m Iris.”

He made a soft scoffing sound, more of a laugh really, and ducked his head briefly before he looked to her eyes again. “I know that, silly!”

Patiently, Iris smiled back. “I’m sure you do,” she assured. “It’s just polite when someone introduces themselves to return the favor.”

Hedwig made an ‘oh’ face as he nodded along. “I also have red socks,” he blurted out suddenly. Iris blinked before she nodded.

“I don’t think I have any red pairs. I’ll have to buy some.”

“Yes!” Then he made a face that Iris knew well; he was trying to repress a yawn.

“It’s awfully early to be awake.” Shifted slightly, Iris laid her head down on the pillow. “Aren’t you tired?” While stopping herself from falling off of the bed, she’d glanced at Felicia’s alarm clock and caught the time that glared 4:12 in bright red. It was too early, even for Barry to have to wake up for work.

Hedwig shook his head rapidly, making an ‘uh-uh’ sound.

She wasn’t sure how old Hedwig was, but she did know that telling a child to go to sleep was often the wrong choice and could be met with resistance. “I’m sleepy,” she said instead, hoping he would give in and go back to sleep as well if he knew she wanted to. “I’m not usually awake this early.”

Even in the minimal light provided, she could tell when he started to pout.

When she had originally caught the hints that one of her soulmates was going to be a child, she had been worried that there might be trouble distinguishing him or her from the adults that made up her other soulmates. However, the comfort came to her just as easily as it had when meeting Patricia and Felicia, embracing the knowledge that some of her soulmates were going to be women. Having so many soulmates, she was sure quite a few were going to be platonic but she honestly could not say whether all of the female ones would fall into that category of not.

Soulmates were not always romantic. They were meant for each other simply because that is what someone needed in their life. A mother or father figure, a child, or a dear friend. Soulmates were whatever someone needed to complete themselves.

Hedwig was still so new to her, and already she could feel the unmistakeable urge to hold him close and protect him from everything the world would use to hurt him. Being a child in a man’s body, she was sure there were times he and the others were ridiculed simply for not understanding.

That protective feeling must have been lacking with her mother and father.

“Would you like to stay here with me? A few more hours of sleep will be good for both of us.” His pout lifted, becoming a shy grin before he nodded his head. Opening her arms, Iris let him shuffle closer and come to rest with his head on her chest. He must have been able to hear her heartbeat with his ear resting over her breast. Wrapping him in her embrace—the broadness of his shoulders making her adjust her hold just slightly—she gently rubbed on hand up and down his back as the other came to cradle the back of his neck.

God, he was like a living furnace. The heat that bled from his body would easily keep her warm.

She could tell when Hedwig drifted to sleep, the soft snores were the dead giveaway, as he cuddled in closer and tucked his hands up near her stomach to keep them warm. She continued to lightly stroke her hand up and down his back, listening to his light snoring and taking in the warm breath that seeped through her clothes to her sternum. Gradually, she lessened her soft stroking until her hand was simply resting on his back

Knowing that Barry had to be awake for six-thirty, the sleep she fell into was a light one. Sometimes she dozed more deeply, but even the faintest shift from Hedwig would wake her again. Occasionally she would crane her head back to see the time, but the hours passed slow until the time Barry’s alarm would have sounded.

It was when she was in one of her dozing states that the body she held suddenly jerked, pulling away. It startled her back into consciousness as well, her eyes wide and her hands lifting to allow her soulmate the chance to move back.

Not Hedwig, then.

With a quick glance down at what they were wearing, her soulmate groaned suddenly and dropped back onto the bed with a hand clapped over their eyes. Iris remained lying in silence, trying to gauge if this was someone she had met before or if this was a new soulmate. “Hedwig,” he mumbled. “I’m so sorry, Iris.” Ah, someone she knew.

“Barry, it’s okay. I found him very endearing.” Propping herself up on an elbow, she offered a smile even as Barry groaned again. Reached out, she slipped her fingers under his palm and drew his hand back from his face. “What’s wrong?” This could not have been because he had snuck in while she was sleeping. He was a child and judging by the lisp he was still too young to think anything more of sleeping beside her than simply sleeping beside her.

There was a twisted feeling in her stomach that she came to realize was not hers. It made her realize just how strong the connect between her and her soulmates was becoming; this was the first time she had felt something from them.

Barry’s lips pursed, like he was fighting the urge to lash out for something. He refused to meet her eyes for a moment, but she waited patiently—still holding his hand in hers—and he finally shifted his focus to her. “He’s nine,” he started. However, as long as Iris waited, nothing else followed the abrupt declaration.

“So?”

“So?” he repeated as his face coloured with surprise. “He’s nine! I share this body with a child.”

His discomfort became clear in an instant and Iris felt her heart clench for him. Was this something he’d been worrying about for long? Was it a concern shared by the other soulmates?

“Barry,” she started carefully, shifted closer and wrapping an arm around his torso so he had no chance to move away from her. “I have twenty-three soulmates. You all share one body. Some are women, some are men, and apparently there’s at least one nine-year-old mixed in. Having Hedwig as one of the others in this body doesn’t change my view of you any more than Felicia or Patricia. You’re all unique to me. I look at you and I don’t see Hedwig or anyone else. Just you.”

He still looked hesitant, but he at least turned his head to look at her.

Smiling with reassurance, she leaned forward to press a soft kiss to his paled lips. “Have you been worrying about this, all this time?”

Barry’s silence was her answer. Her response was to lean over him and kiss him again, lingering this time. He softened under her lips. One of his hands remained in hers, the other lifted to cradle the back of her head. This kiss was different than the one shared under the falling snow. It was not as tentative, like a careful first step into water to test the temperature. This was assurance, proof of feelings for someone that words lack the ability to convey.

His lips were softer than she had been expecting. Parting from him for a moment, she shifted to catch his bottom lip between hers and let the tip of her tongue tease the soft skin gently. The sharp intake of breath told her that her boldness paid off, followed by the increased pressure on the back of her head pulling her closer.

Only when air became necessary did she finally pull back; Barry’s grip loosened until she had no trouble putting the slight amount of distance between them.

“You’re all here with me, Barry. But I don’t look at you and see them as well. I promise. I don’t care what anyone else says, you’re each your own person.”

If she saw his eyes glisten with tears, she didn’t say a word. “Thank you, Iris. Fate couldn’t have given us a better soulmate.”

Her weight leaned onto him again, lips seeking his, when an alarm clock down the hall sounded and shattered the quiet between them. Iris jumped slightly at the sudden sound, then burst into soft laughter at the sour look that briefly coloured Barry’s face.

“Time for work, hun.” Sighing, his head dropped back down onto the pillow.

Previous || Next

[liveslivedinthemind]

It’s called Freefall Chapter 3

Summary: When you're born, the Universe has already decided who will be your soulmate by marking their first touch on your skin. Some of those soul marks are just a small fingerprint on their shoulder, or maybe a hand mark from a handshake. Some even have multiple, and it is never sure what kind of a bond you're destined to have with your soulmate. Alexandra Turner is a special case however, as her whole body is covered in marks. 24 to be exact. What she doesn't know that there's someone else out there with 24 marks who's waiting for her to bump into them.

Pairing: Original Female Character x Kevin Wendell Crumb/Dennis/Barry/the whole system

Fandom: Split

Word count: 1.4k

Masterlist

Author’s note: Please feel free to let me know if I have messed something up or if you have any advice on how I can improve my writing. I hope you enjoy!

If you wish to be added to the taglist for this fic, let me know :)

                        »»————-　♡　————-««  

Barry couldn’t stop smiling to himself as he led Alex through the masses of people that were leaving their workplaces. He had met his soulmate, he had actually met her and he had been the first one as well out of everyone. He knew that they were all on the same team, that being Kevin’s, but he couldn’t help but feel a bit special since he had found the one destined for them. 

But no matter how happy he was, Barry still felt a bit of sadness because even he could see that there was something hurting Alex, something that was stopping her from feeling the same joy he had in his heart. He had always known that he’d have to be prepared to be rejected by their soulmate purely because of his condition, but he never expected to be met with sadness before he had even had the chance to introduce himself. He wasn’t sure what had happened to her, but he knew that, if she allowed him to, he’d want to make sure that sadness would be replaced with a smile. 

Alex found herself in front of a small café that was only a five minute walk away from the therapist’s office. It looked quite quiet inside, despite the busy traffic outside, which she was very grateful for. Nodding a thank you to Barry for holding the door open for her, she stepped in and looked around - there were only a few patrons there and plenty of empty tables were free for them to have what she suspected was going to be one of the most difficult conversations in her life. 

“What do you want to drink, Alex?”

She heard Barry ask and she immediately looked up at the chalkboard menu on the wall, her head swimming with options. She tried to open her mouth and  reply with anything, but no voice came out. She was still unable to fully speak and her cheeks flushed, ashamed of her own anxiety getting the best of her. 

But Barry just smiled reassuringly and gently placed his hands on her shoulder, right on top of his mark. He may not know or understand what’s going on in her mind, but he could tell that at that very moment, he needed to just offer that extra bit of support so he looked up at the menu and offered,

“How about we just get a teapot to share? Is Earl Grey okay?”

Alex was shocked to hear him speaking up with a choice, taking a lot of pressure off her shoulders. She nodded, this option was fine with her and the smile she received in return made her feel a bit more at ease as well. 

After Barry had ordered and picked up their teapot from the barista, he led her to one of the more secluded areas to sit down. She had picked up the cups for the both of them before following him, happy that he had chosen a private space for them. She may not fully know what was to come but she had a gut feeling that it would not be a simple ‘how’s the weather today’ type of a conversation. There was a silence between them as they settled in at the table for two, neither of them wanting to scare the other off it seemed. Once sat and both of their breathing had calmed, Barry finally looked at her properly and spoke up with his voice being gentle and soft, something that didn’t fully suit his massive frame.

“So, as I mentioned before, I do have a couple of marks on me. Now… before I continue, I just want you to know that I won’t force anything that you don’t want, Doll, so please just speak your mind on what I’m about to explain to you.”

He paused for a moment and looked across the table at Alex, the fear of just outright rejection slowly building up in his chest. She remained as silent as she had been, there wasn’t any indication that she would bolt again so he continued,

“There’s no smooth way to say this because I can’t really sugarcoat any part of it too much so here goes nothing… The reason why I visit doctor Fletcher is because I have DID.”

“DID?”

“Dissociative identity disorder. Have you heard of it maybe?”

Barry was praying to whoever was listening that she wouldn’t run, and that she would have heard at least something about his condition. He really didn’t want to explain the details of what it is and how it came to be, it wasn’t really a conversation to have over tea in his opinion. Luckily Alex nodded and whispered softly,

“I read about it a little when I looked Doctor Fletcher up.”

Barry gave her a kind smile and his heart was breaking just a little at how delicate she sounded. He didn’t know if it was the soul bond between the two of them but he felt an immense drive to make sure that nothing would spook Alex. He just had to make sure that none of her words would get lost between them, he’d always make sure her voice was heard at least by him. He was also relieved that she had some knowledge on his condition since this would save him from explaining everything from scratch. 

Barry poured some tea for the both of them and started to explain a bit more in the meantime,

“Now this is all speculation from doc’s side but she seems to be under the impression that there is a possibility that all of us in Kevin’s body might actually share a soulmate. We all seem to have a mark correlated to us, however it is just statistically unlikely that we haven’t even met a single one of our soulmates yet so… She seems to think it’s actually just one person. In our little situation, she thinks it’s you who’s the soulmate to all of us. Now-”

“How many?”

Alex had cut him off before he could continue and he looked at her for a moment, unsure if he should answer truthfully, scared it might frighten her too much. Barry sighed, knowing it would cause more harm to lie so he replied,

“24 in total. Kevin is the host, the OG so to speak. The others, me included, came later on and so did the extra marks.”

There was a moment of silence, tense of the unknown. Alex’s mind was going a thousand miles per hour as she tried to grasp the situation at hand. She had met one of her soulmates but it then turned out that it is most likely all of them. She thought that she would be happy but it was all so overwhelming for her to even fully accept. She took a deep breath before she spoke her mind,

“There are 24 marks on me as well, Barry. So I think that Doctor Fletcher might be right. It’s a lot to take in though, I honestly do not know what to say or do or if I should be happy or sad or…”

Her words got caught in her throat and she clamped up once again, unable to verbalize her trail of thoughts fully. Her eyes started darting from Barry to the outside to her mug and to her hands, not sure if she should run or stay. There were so many thoughts and images flashing through her brain that it all just blurred together in a consistent state of movement and screaming. 

Without thinking too much about it, Alex pulled out a piece of paper from her bag along with a pen and jolted down her name and phone number before she grabbed everything and bolted out of the door without uttering a single syllable. She needed to get out, away from the man who would be responsible for every single one of her marks over time. She just couldn’t look at him because deep down, without her even fully realizing it, her heart was slowly starting to beat only for them.

Back at the coffee shop, Barry was dumbfounded, still sitting at the table. This had been the second time that day his soulmate had fled from him but he knew it would cause a lot of harm if he were to go after her this time. He picked up the piece of paper and very carefully put it in his wallet to make sure he wouldn’t lose it. He finished his cup and looked out of the window, trying to soothe the ache in his chest from the very slight rejection he was feeling from the escape of his soulmate. His efforts were in vain however because from somewhere, he could hear Hedwig innocently asking,

“Is she scared of me et cetera?”

< Chapter 2                                                       Chapter 4 Coming soon >

                       »»————-　♡　————-««  

Taglist: @royaltysuite

[elizabethcrumb]

☀️New chapters in both Split books! ☀️

Link: SPLIT: Big Book Of All Of My Oc Oneshots Book 5 - Chapter 79 - LizRenKnight - Split (2016) [Archive of Our Own]

Title & Summary: 79: Bus,

*Kevin/Dennis X My Oc Molly/Elizabeth. (Molly has a dream where she's swept back in time to when Kevin was on the bus leaving to go kill himself *Post split time travel story) Side note: Katy is a mean gf of Kevin.

☀️

Link: SPILT OneShots: Only The Sexy Vol 6 - Chapter 8 - LizRenKnight - Split (2016) [Archive of Our Own]

Title & Summary: 8: Spend Time With Me - *Kevin X Casey Cooke*,

Kevin X Casey Cooke (Casey and Kevin have a tiff over him not being in the light and make up)

☀️

[split-fanfic-fusion]

Split Fan Fic Song Drop!

Artwork by AmBeRaZaNu.

Song # 9 Heartless, Kanye West

Kevin was a little boy who suffered abuse from his own mother. Since he liked Kanye songs from the movie, I chose ‘Heartless’. The lyrics fit the movie/fanfic aptly.

In the night I hear 'em talk

The coldest story ever told

Somewhere far along this road

He lost his soul to a woman so heartless

How could you be so heartless?

Oh, how could you be so heartless?

Song #8 Forever Young, Kaiak

And because of this abuse, his mind fractured into many alternate personalities, one is a forever 9 year old child named ‘Hedwig’.

For this, I chose the song ‘Forever Young’ version done by Kaiak. It has a slower more solemn vibe to it.

You can find my Blue Skies playlist here in Spotify 👇🏽

Head canon from the movie meshed with the awesome fanfic Blue Skies by @wellclutchmypearls that blew me away.

[allthenobodyppl]

Chapter 3, the final chapter, has been posted! Casey and Dennis spends Christmas Day exploring the holiday decors in New York City and they share a kiss!

Title: Where Do Lonely Hearts Go?

Fandom: Split (2016 film) and Glass (2019 film), starring James McAvoy.

Relationship: Dennis/Casey

Two lonely hearts have nowhere to go and no one to spend Christmas with, so why not spend it with each other? A sweet Dennis/Casey fic where they decide to take a festive trip together. Christmas AU where there are no other alters, just Dennis.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43436508

[split-fanfic-fusion]

I can’t with this quote seriously

I choose to love you in silence because in silence I find no rejection, and in silence no one owns you but me.

Rumi

[choccy-milky]

herbology class 🌹🌿 (from chap 2 of my fic!)

[urween]

↴

Hedwig 𖠌

spend an afternoon with Hedwig /GNreader

Patricia ℘

The Beast ✹

image : me

gifs : @/garyfuckingking, @/youbetterwatchyourmouthsunshine and @/samurai-aztec-ninjaturtle

bannières : @/cafekitsune and @/thecutestgrotto

[bold-writing]

The One With Whiskey Eyes || 22 || Softened, Waves to Glass Shards

Words: 3900

Warnings: None

Previous || Next

~22~

Her employers had apparently saw fit to surprise her when she returned to work, the mess having been completely cleaned and the front window replaced, with an old piano they had seen for sale online. The wood was aged and scraped, the children of the previous owners having scratched little characters and names into the legs, but it made her smile none the less. Damaged and aged, it was magnificent. “We haven’t had a chance to arrange for someone to come and tune it yet, but we’ll have someone stop by this week,” Melissa assured softly as she stood next to Iris, her hand on the younger woman’s shoulder as she smiled down at her softly.

Iris had mentioned time and again over the years that she dearly wished to own a piano at some time in her life—this was as close as she was probably ever going to actually get, and it made her heart soar to know that they cared so much for her.

“Thank you, both of you, so much,” she gushed in return as she looped her arm around Melissa’s shoulders in a one-armed embrace, then turned to her husband and did the same. “I think it fits in perfectly, too. Finally got the one thing that this corner needed.” The piano was situated deep in the store, near the back corner where a few comfortable chairs were placed about sporadically, a coffee-table in the middle, and the new piano taking up residence in the corner.

“You’ll have to test it out once it’s ready, check out the acoustics,” Gerald added a moment later, shifting over to wrap an arm around his wife as they gazed down at Iris as though she was a child they had raised; a prideful, parental glisten in their eyes. Iris thanked them again and once more when they were on their way out of the store. The others asked about her wellbeing as they arrived for work, each getting mostly the same answer. Jessica gave Iris a look that told her she knew something else was up with the older woman—she was much too calm, almost happy, after having been through someone attacking the store.

Returning to her work, Iris was somewhat relieved to have returned to the usual routine—even if a part of her desperately missed the time she had been given to spend with her soulmate. Barry had taken the day off of work the day after the incident, allowing her and Felicia to spend the day together, but he had to go back to work the next day while she was kept off of work to relax and recuperate.

She had read and cooked, spending the day in her apartment before she returned with BT to the zoo, the man having taken over the work-load for the day, and laughed as he ooed and awed over her soup that had been left-over from the day before. She had received a call from her employers, telling her that the surveillance cameras had caught the car driving away, but it was such an old system that it was too blurry to make out the person driving or the license plate.

Barry had already arranged for her to stay in his room another night, bowing to her affirmation that she would be returning to her own apartment in time for her return to work. She could tell he was reluctant to do so, and her email had been overwhelmed with the others trying to persuade her to stay longer as well. However, no one forced her hand and for that she was thankful. Not that she could ever imagine any of them actually forcing her into anything, but it was still reassuring to know that they were kind enough to care without being oppressive.

Jessica finally cornered her when Iris was in the office working on paperwork and it was the younger woman’s scheduled lunch. She scooted her way into the room and put herself right next to Iris’s peripherals, wearing an expectant look that forced a laugh from Iris. She tried to keep her composure, but Jessica’s excited look of ‘tell me!’ was too much.

“I met another soulmate,” she finally caved with a smile. Jessica squealed discretely, throwing her hands up in celebration.

“Iris, that’s fantastic! Must’ve made all of this mess much easier to bear, huh?” Iris nodded along in agreement, wishing that she could tell Jessica just how much her soulmates were making everything easier to bear. She had confided in the woman with a fraction of her soulmates, a feat she never thought she would make, but she wasn’t sure she could tell Jessica the full extent of her situation.

Not only the fact that her soulmates were all housed in one body, but also that there were twenty-four of them.

Felicia’s presence in her life had made it easier, all of them had, but that didn’t stop the nagging feeling that came to her stomach when she went to the front area of the store, or when a car passed slightly slower than the others. It was like the situation with her father all over again; not knowing who had done this or why. For all she knew, it was still her father deciding what new ways he was going to torture her. She wouldn’t put it past him, or her mother, to vandalize property.  Or she could have just been terribly unlucky to be somewhere that some kids decided to do something illegal.

“It’ll still be nice to know what the police find. Who has something against a bookstore?” Iris wondered aloud, trying to derail her thoughts as she turned back to the computer and clicked on the items that she needed to print for their inventory.

Jessica hummed in agreement before she spotted the time on the computer and slipped back. “I’m going to run down the street for my break, but I promise I’ll be back on time, okay?”

“Sure, I know you’re always clocked back in on time,” Iris assured with a calm wave of her hand. As Jessica turned into the adjacent room for her things, she called out again, “And take your jacket!”

“Yes, mom!”

Shaking her head with a smile, Iris collected the sheets from the printer and splayed them in front of her while recollecting her pen. At least with her first day back, there was lots of work that she needed to do and it kept her mind occupied and let the hours rush past without her even noticing. She was beginning to marvel at how much she had actually worked before she met Barry, and subsequently the others. Perhaps it was because she now had something to look forward to, but she couldn’t imagine working so many days in a row anymore.

Knowing that she might have time to meet up with one of her soulmates at the end of a day was steadily becoming the driving force to her work-ethic. Some days were harder to focus than others, excited as she was to have her shift end, but it was getting easier and easier. She had found a dear friend in Felicia the past several days; it was nice to have another female to speak with that wasn’t technically her employee. Jessica was a sweetheart for being there for Iris, but it was different when she could be completely herself and honest about her situation.

She desperately wanted to speak with Jessica, full honesty and disclosure about her soulmates, but there was something in her heart that made her want to keep it quiet. It was almost as though she wanted to keep it just between herself and her soulmates—and Dr. Fletcher—as something that was solely for them. She still wanted to prove to the world that her marks exposed the truth about the alters, they were real people, but she wanted it to be just them for a little while longer.

More than half of her soulmates were still unknown to her, so she was in no rush to expose them just yet.

Continuing to switch between her computer and the pages that were sprawled across her desk, Iris could feel a familiar cramping muscle beginning between her shoulders and rolled them with a sigh. Jessica poked her head back in when she returned, getting a soft hum from Iris as she was deeply focused on what she was typing out at the moment. They only had a short time before close so she was trying to finish her work for when everyone had left.

If felt unnatural to stay in the store alone after what had happened the last time; not that her employers allowed that anymore, even if it was completely dead at the end of a long day. Luke and BT had both sent her emails in all capitals that forbade her from working alone; the frown that had come over her face had Felicia muttering an ‘uh-oh’ before she started to laugh. When Iris had asked what was so amusing, she’d proclaimed that the guys may have put their foot in their mouths for the first time.

Iris did not take well to being ordered to do anything, or ordered not to do something in this case, and Felicia knew that from the hours they had spent talking. Iris had told her about her younger years and her childhood, unfortunate as it was, but skirted around some of the darker parts of her past that she wasn’t quite ready to bring up just yet. None of her soulmates knew the same pieces of her past—Patricia and Barry probably knew the most, but even they weren’t aware of some pieces that the others had been privy to.

Sitting back from her work, Iris flexed and stretched her fingers a couple of times to try and get the stiff feeling out of her joints—a few pops and cracks sounded as she did so, telling her in that instant that she had been working in one position for too long.

The tight muscles in her back gave a faint spasm when she straightened herself and rolled her shoulders backward, issuing a faint groan of discomfort. She was looking forward to a warm shower once she was home, and a tea to help her finally relax. Saving her work in Excel and closing the programs, she began the careful and meticulous process of cleaning up her papers and putting them back in the proper files and folders.

Leaving the office in search of Jessica, she found her already locking the front door and turning off the neon open sign that sat in the small window above the door. Iris busied herself with removing the cash drawer from the register, leaving the printouts to Jessica as she counted through the bills and change, writing everything out as she went. They had closed the store enough times that they didn’t need to speak to one another while they counted and switched papers back and forth with a calculator sitting between them.

“And we’re done,” Iris sighed as she snapped the book closed, turning to tuck the receipts in their proper place. Jessica collected the drawer of the register as Iris snatched her keys, flicking the lights off as they passed the switch to head for the safe in the back office.

“So, what’s this new soulmate of yours like?” Jessica finally asked, her patience having surpassed what Iris expected, as they were pulling on their coats. Everything was locked up, all of the paperwork for the day had been completed and both women were excited to be leaving for home.

Iris pursed her lips as she paused a moment before offering a shy smile, “She’s amazing.”

Jessica was still for only a moment before her expression brightened with a warm grin. “She? Well, what’s her name? And please tell me she’s the one that did your hair!”

Iris’s cheeks warmed while she nodded along. “Her name is Felicia, and yes, she’s always excited to do hair and makeup, which I never really did anything—as you know—so she’s had a lot of fun doing mine the past few days.”

Jessica did an excited wiggle as she followed Iris toward the back door, her purse over her shoulder and her scarf and coat wrapped tightly around herself. Iris’s nagging seemed to have gotten through to her because Jessica was finally wearing appropriate clothing for the weather on particular days. Iris set the alarm and locked the door behind them, Jessica waiting outside in the chill before she helped the smaller woman to close the door and click the lock in place.

“Any plans for the evening?”

“A nice long shower,” Iris sighed, rolling her shoulders again as she tucked her hands—and keys—into her coat pockets. Jessica hummed softly in agreement as they turned to leave the back alley, merging into the people already walking home for the evening. “You?”

“Meeting some old friends from school,” she answered easily, almost swaying happily at finally being out of work. “Do…do you want to come?” she offered a moment later, glancing over to Iris as though worried she would scare the woman away with her offer.

Smiling in assurance, Iris shook her head ‘no’. “Thank you for the offer, Jess. But I think I’m just going to try and settle in and sleep.”

A small frown found its place on Jessica’s usually happy expression. “Are you having trouble sleeping? Because of…what happened?” Shrugging one shoulder sadly, Iris confirmed the younger woman’s worries without actually saying a word. “Oh, Iris.”

Iris waved her off calmly. “It’s okay, really. They’re getting better, and I do sleep for most of the night. I’ll be fine! Everyone’s done so much after what happened, I honestly can’t ask for anything more. This last bit is…for me to work out.” Jessica smiled sadly before she saddled up next to Iris and looped her arm through hers, linking them together as they continued down the street. She asked rapid-fire questions about Iris’s soulmates, gushing over how sweet her meeting with BT had been and looking forward to the chance of meeting the others. Iris wasn’t sure how that would turn out, actually, since they all wore the same face.

She might be able to see the differences in them easily enough, but she was sure others struggled with it a bit more.

Finally, they came to the intersection that would separate them and they offered farewells and hugs before Iris jogged to reach the other sidewalk before the light changed again. The evening wind was beginning to pick up, causing her to duck further into her coat for warmth as she quickened her pace to get back to her own apartment. Barry had another staff meeting this evening, so he was going to be working a bit later than her.

Quickly scaling the stairs to her floor, Iris unlocked her apartment—looking anywhere but the section of her door that had once held her father’s note—and slipped silently inside.

The smell of her morning tea still lingered throughout the small space, coaxing her to breathe deeply before she carefully removed her coat and hung it up in its usual place. Leftovers from the night before were already packaged and waiting in her fridge, needing to be reheated, but the thought of a warm shower to loosen up her muscles was much more appealing.

Leaving her dinner until later, Iris entered her small washroom and shucked her clothes off after turning the shower on to a decent—though slightly warmer than average—temperature.

The small space was immediately enveloped in steam, fogging up her mirror and making the air thick and humid. Stopping for a moment, Iris leaned her lower back against the cool counter and heaved a sigh. Her fingers swiped beneath her eyes tiredly. It did nothing to wake her up or relieve the fatigue that was weighing on her bones. She had returned to the habit of trying to drink a variety of calming tea before bed, but it was never enough.

She’s slept better while staying with her soulmates, but she’d noticed that her best nights were when they were within reach. Her nights with Barry close by, or when Patricia had remained after her nightmare. She’d fallen asleep once when she and Felicia were sitting on the couch at her place, talking in quiet tones as they sipped at hot chocolate Felicia had made. She hadn’t even been aware she’d begun to doze, but her soulmate had been watching her energy waver for a while and had been keeping an eye on her. The hot chocolate had been rescued from her hands before Iris had the chance to drop it and a blanket had been tucked around the brunette for warmth.

Iris wasn’t the kind of person to normally nap, and she was shocked how often she’d fallen into an easy sleep around her soulmates. Felicia especially had a knack for soothing her to sleep, calmly playing with her hair and stroking fingertips with just the right pressure down against her scalp.

Slowly, Iris was being enveloped in comfort and warmth. It made going home to a cold apartment that much harder.

Inhaling the humid steam of the shower that had filled the room, Iris finally pushed away from the counter and slipped beneath the stream of water. Her skin stung momentarily as the hot water made contact, but it soothed away quickly and she could swear the heat penetrated right down to the muscle. The ache that had settled between her shoulder-blades finally seemed to melt, allowing her back to relax for the first time all day.

Pulling her elastic from the end of her braid, she carefully began pulling her fingers through her hair to undo the tightly bound plait. Tipping her head back under the water, she sighed in relief to finally have her hair freed. It wasn’t until that moment that she’d realized the tightness of her braid had probably done her no favours. She’d had no headache, but the loosening of her hair made her feel like the last of the tension she had been carrying for the day finally let go and washed away down the drain.

Taking longer than she had for a while to wash her hair and scrub down her pale skin, she was left a pleasant pink from the combination of a soapy loofa and hot water. Turning her body this way and that, letting the water remove the last of the suds from her skin, she stroked her hand along the prominent scars left through her marks. The one on her right thigh suddenly felt substantially softer.

Leaning her back against the warmed shower tiles, her thumb continued to trace up and down the scar absently. She was sure that it had once felt rough; proud flesh that had been split and tortured back together with needle and thread. However, the silvery line seemed like it had smoothed out to better match the surrounding flesh.

Had it been in her head? Did the memories attached to the scar somehow make it feel rougher than it really was?

After taking one more turn around beneath the water to ensure all soap was washed away, Iris finally shut the water off in an effort to force herself from the comfort of the hot, steamy cubicle of her shower. She flinched as she remembered that she hadn’t turned on the little heater out in the main room, meaning the comforting cocoon of warmth was going to be abruptly broken when she opened the bathroom door.

Towelling herself down in an attempt to remove as much water from herself as possible, the petite woman carefully wrapped herself in the terrycloth softness before her focus was drawn away by the familiar chime she had set on her phone to alert her of any incoming emails. She rarely received an email from anyone other than her soulmates, since everyone else she knew—even her employers—would either call or text her. Tucking the upper corner of the towel in as securely as possible, she opened the door in a rush and quickly slipped out into the main room in search of the phone she had left in her coat pocket.

“Oh!” she gasped against the shock of cold, quickly clicking on the heater as she passed, before she resumed her rush for her phone. Goosebumps almost immediately erupted across her damp, exposed skin. Pulling the aforementioned  phone from her coat, hung carefully as it always was once she returned home, she brought the screen to life and looked at the listed notifications.

She must not have heard it, but her phone had gone off several times since she’d returned home. Emails from Patricia, Luke and BT were waiting for her, each only a few minutes apart. An uncontrollable smile softened her features as she read their names. Her little bubble of happiness made her momentarily forget how cold it was in the room. A small droplet of water fell from her hair and hit the screen, blurring Patricia’s name for a moment, and brought reality back to Iris.

Tossing the phone onto her bed, she began pulling warm clothes out for the night. Dressing with haste and using her towel to twist her hair up and help it dry, she curled herself up on her bed with her legs crossed and feet tucked beneath her thighs for warmth.

The little heater was slowly doing its job.

Opening Patricia’s first, she smiled at the older woman’s motherly concern as she asked if she had enough food and hoping she was eating a good dinner. Do not overwork yourself, Iris. Please, promise me you’ll take all the time you really need for yourself. I’m sure you are an amazing employee, but they can manage—your health must always come first.

Warmed by Patricia’s concern, Iris typed back a response assuring her that she still had an additional day off a week and explained, in detail, what she had made herself for dinner the night before; which reminded her, she needed to toss her leftovers in the oven so they had adequate time to reheat properly. She also told her about the gift her bosses has surprised her with upon arriving at work. She was sure her excitement was palpable through her typed words.

BT was checking up on her in a similar fashion, as well as discretely slipping in the question about whether she would be cooking for them again soon. Apparently her soup had been a hit among those who had the chance to eat it, which made her wish she had made more; there had maybe been leftovers for six, so not everyone was able to have a bowl. She offered a promise to make more for everyone soon, the next time she visited their home, and wished him a good night.

Luke, unlike the other two, had an additional message at the end of his email.

Would you like to go out on a date with me? Dinner, tea, a movie? Anything.

Iris’s heart felt as though it stuttered in her chest before a smile lit across her face until she was sure her eyes had laugh-lines creased at the corners.

Previous || Next

[liveslivedinthemind]

It’s called Freefall Chapter 2

Summary: When you're born, the Universe has already decided who will be your soulmate by marking their first touch on your skin. Some of those soul marks are just a small fingerprint on their shoulder, or maybe a hand mark from a handshake. Some even have multiple, and it is never sure what kind of a bond you're destined to have with your soulmate. Alexandra Turner is a special case however, as her whole body is covered in marks. 24 to be exact. What she doesn't know that there's someone else out there with 24 marks who's waiting for her to bump into them.

Pairing: Original Female Character x Kevin Wendell Crumb/Dennis/Barry/the whole system

Fandom: Split

Word count: 1.5k

Masterlist

Author’s note: Please feel free to let me know if I have messed something up or if you have any advice on how I can improve my writing. I hope you enjoy!

If you wish to be added to the taglist for this fic, let me know :)

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“No fucking way…”

Those words had just slipped out of Barry’s mouth as he looked at the woman behind him he had most likely just saved from falling on the stairs. A wide grin grew on his face as he stopped walking on the stairs and leaned against the handrailing. He had always been wondering how he’d meet his soulmate, daydreaming up all kinds of unexpected romantic encounters, yet the truth happened to be so simple. Something he never thought would happen with himself, it seemed so uncharacteristic to him yet so poetically fitting. Of course he’d meet them on his way to the place he so desperately hoped would help Kevin, soulmates were supposed to be the ones who would be a companion on one’s life journey. He took it as a sign from the Universe that this was a good thing, a sign that they were on the right path.

The smile on his lips slowly faded away though as he realized that his excitement was most definitely not matched. Alex looked horrified and all the blood had drained from her face as she just stared at the stranger in front of her. Her mind was running as fast as it could, trying to figure out what had just happened, what to say, how to stand, how to speak. And eventually, she could recognize only one thought - ‘Run… Run… I need to run!’

“I have to go, I just remembered that I… have to go.”

She whispered out, looking away from the man. She then quickly turned around and rushed down the stairs and immediately out of the building. The rain had picked up even more and the cold downpour was a welcomed guest to Alex as it cleared her mind just a little bit. She made her way down the street, dodging the people and making sure she didn’t stick out in the crowd. She needed a place to hide herself for just a moment, a tucked away alley or something where she could catch her breath and collect herself. 

Taking a turn to her right, she finally leaned against the wall of what seemed to be a small apartment complex. Her lungs were struggling to calm themselves from both the shock of sudden rushing, and from meeting someone she didn’t think she would ever meet. Her fingers gently rested on her shoulder where his mark was located, the rain creating some white noise for her to just disappear from the world a little bit. Alex just wanted to exist as no one for a moment, give herself that peace of not having to deal with anything. 

Rain fell onto her face and the wind turned her cheeks a bright shade of red but she didn’t notice anything around her. Alex felt her breath calming down to the point where she spent more time in a state of holding her breath than she did actively breathing. This allowed her to very slowly return to reality and she looked up at the sky, allowing the drops to coat her entire face as she tried to go over everything that had happened in the past couple of minutes of her life.

Alex had met one of her soulmates, there was no denying that. She didn’t even catch his name or a good look of his face but from what she could remember, he was a force to be reckoned with. He had a big muscular frame, even though it was hidden by the baggy coat and jeans. He was fashionable, she couldn’t deny that, and the beanie he wore gave her a youthful image. Much younger than his face portrayed, and she had a feeling that underneath the hat, he was fully shaven. And his eyes had been so kind, especially when he had realized that she was his soulmate. She could have sworn she saw them sparkle for a second. 

But Alex couldn’t go back to him, she didn’t want to pass on the pain that he’d have to share her with 23 other people who were still somewhere out there. There were rumors of what happened to those who ignored the connection between soulmates, but she was certain that it must be a lot smaller compared to the agony of someone having to be together with such an attention whore as herself. Alex just couldn’t risk seeing the disappointment of the man’s face. 

With a soft sigh of a held breath leaving her lips, Alex pushed herself to stand from the wall and took out her phone. She sent Doctor Fletcher a short email, saying that she unfortunately has to cancel her appointment and to let her know if she would need to pay for any kind of fee for a no-show since she did cancel at such a short notice. Tension was rising in her body as she knew it was not the most polite thing to do but she couldn’t risk seeing that man once again. She’d just find a new therapist somewhere far away from this place, maybe she could try online therapy instead. 

While pulling her headphones out of her bag, she put them on and turned back onto the busy street. Alex could feel an emptiness in her chest and it was weighing her down, but she just kept walking in the opposite direction to the good doctor’s office. The tears were stinging her eyes, but she just excused it to herself as it was a result of the rain and wind irritating them. It was easier that way for her to accept what she had chosen to do. It was always easier for her to just continue to exist in her current state than to risk any changes.

It was made clear to her that the Universe had other plans for her however because the first person she saw when she finally looked up from her shoes was that man. Her soulmate. It was clear he had been running from his ragged breathing and red face. He smiled at her though and tried to catch his breath as he spoke up,

“There you are, I’ve been running up and down the street like a loon.”

His voice was filled with happiness and the smile on his face never dropped as he swallowed and let out a final big breath. Alex looked up at him, unable to say anything, because the glimmer in his eyes made her heart and stomach erupt into millions of tiny yellow butterflies. She bit her bottom lip hard to make sure she wouldn’t smile back as the man finally introduced himself.

“I’m Barry by the way, and you have no idea how hard I’ve tried to find you.”

‘Barry… sounds cheerful.’

Alex thought to herself before she softly whispered,

“I’m Alex. I…”

She trailed off, unable to actually say that she thought it would be best for them to part ways out loud. No one knew of her numerous soul marks, she was sure even her parents had forgotten the full amount, and part of her had always thought she wouldn’t meet even one of them so she never really thought about how she’d tell them about it. Luckily for her, Barry spoke up once again.

“Listen, I’ve got a feeling we need to talk about some things because I’ve got a couple more marks on me.”

He said those words with such ease as if they were talking about the weather. Alex’s eyes widened and her breath got caught in her chest - he had more marks too? How many did he have? It possibly couldn’t be as many as she did. So many questions ran through her head and she was getting so overwhelmed that she had to dig her fingernails into the palm of her hand to keep herself grounded in the moment. She knew she had to say something, anything, but the best she could do was nod. It was as if her mind and body were refusing her to open her mouth.

Barry could see the amount of anxiety and tension coursing through Alex’s veins and he let out a sad chuckle before he tilted his head and said softly,

“Come, I know a quiet place and don’t worry about Doctor Fletcher. I mentioned to her what happened and she’s more than happy to reschedule with you.”

He somehow had an inkling that Alex would worry about her session and whether or not it would be rescheduled on time so he made sure to run up to his therapist’s office first and give her a short summary of what had happened before he ran after her. It looked like it was the right move on his side as Alex gave him a soft smile and another nod. 

He motioned her to follow him, knowing it would be a bit too forward of him to put his arm around her at that moment. Alex started to walk half a step behind him, still unable to speak, but something in her chest was slowly blooming. Like the first snowdrop popping its head through the cold ground as the first sign of spring. 

< Chapter 1                                                      Chapter 3 >

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Taglist: @royaltysuite

[elizabethcrumb]

SPLIT INTO ME story Final Chapter 9

Link: SPLIT INTO ME - Chapter 9 - LizRenKnight - Split (2016) [Archive of Our Own]

Title & Summary:

Chapter 9: The Big Day. The plan comes into play, will it work??

[split-fanfic-fusion]

Song #9 All I See by Lydia

All I see scares me

Come closer baby

I want to see what you’re made of

Cause this isn’t all we could be

You’re not the same and

I’m not the same…

My Unofficial soundtrack for ‘Blue Skies’ by @wellclutchmypearls Chapter 16 ❤️ 🤗

Album Cover art was a pin for sale lol

In my head canon, Dennis instead has not yet kidnapped the girls, and Casey ran away from home and asked for his help when she went to the zoo of all places. 🤗

[allthenobodyppl]

Chapter 2 has been posted! Casey and Dennis spends Christmas Eve together!

Title: Where Do Lonely Hearts Go?

Fandom: Split (2016 film) and Glass (2019 film), starring James McAvoy.

Relationship: Dennis/Casey

Two lonely hearts have nowhere to go and no one to spend Christmas with, so why not spend it with each other? A sweet Dennis/Casey fic where they decide to take a festive trip together. Christmas AU where there are no other alters, just Dennis.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43436508

[split-fanfic-fusion]

-💜-

The way to love someone is to lightly run your finger over that person’s soul until you find a crack, and then gently pour your love into that crack.

Keith Miller