#natsu soulmate au

[zorosbeau33]

Courting~ Natsu Dragneel Alpha Headcanon

❖ Fairy Tail, Natsu Dragneel x gender neutral reader

❖ Headcanon, Possible future series, fluff

❖ Tw: none~

❖ wc: 1045

❖ @tojiseviltwin @kimnamshiks ❖ Masterlist ❖

. ⋅˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ ⋅˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

This is a alpha beta omega au~ Reader is assumed omega in this but you are free to decide for yourself~

. ⋅˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ ⋅˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

To begin, to make this easy let us establish this Dragon Slayer is an alpha. If you did not know you might suspect he was a beta with how he is so careless and goofy. Not your stereotypical stern tough guy alpha.

Natsu doesn’t care if you see him as an alpha or not, and he doesn’t care if someone doesn’t believe he’s an alpha. His status as a dragon slayer and member of Fairy Tail is his pride not something decided by birth or gender. Gender, who cares about that, are you strong or funny or nice? Thus goes his priorities.

So needless to say he’s not really into the whole, he has to court you by rules xyz due to his secondary gender. He’s going to court you how he believes a dragon slayer and guild member (because you will be adopted into Fairy Tale if you're not in it already) should be treated.

It might have taken him a long while to realize he wants to court you though. At first he just knew he liked being around you, and isn’t that enough? Spending life going on adventures and laughing together are most important to him. 

Once or twice he feels like frowning or growling when he sees someone get really close to you. Not just proximity wise because he too is a skinship with all the friends kind of person. But seeing someone attempt to get close to you romantically or emotionally and nudge him aside and out of frame? He doesn’t understand why but it burns him up inside.

I hate to say it but he tries to train it off, or just cling onto you and insist on starting a job right now. No he hasn’t picked one and yes it might be midnight but it's the perfect time to start a quest! No really-

He may go and confide in Master or Mira Jane. He knows he may get teased for it but he can’t figure these emotions out, and it's imperative to him to know because it's becoming stronger. His anger (its jealousy), his thoughts about you, why your scent is smelling sweeter and sweeter to him, all of it.

Bless this poor boy's soul because he really couldn’t figure out why he was “hungry” when he smelled your scent. He thought he needed to eat more food or fire because we don't eat friends. Thankfully they explained it's a physical and emotional longing to be closer with you.

This was not his first birds-and-bees talk but it was the one that made him realize he wanted you, and without them having to say more Natsu realized he wanted you as his mate.

Thankfully he does know from seeing others do it, although he thought it stupid at the time, the basics on how to court someone

His heart cannot take this he's so jittery and happy as he bounds up to you, if it's night time he may have broken in but that's okay! To hand you some hand picked flowers and a snack. He’s pretty forward about this, not subtle on starting the courting process. 

“Why? Because I want you to be my mate partner too of course!” Queue big happy grin

Lucy has helped him go shopping several times for you, blankets for your now shared nest. Food gifts galore.

No seriously everywhere you go, and you go to all places together now unless you ask for some space. He gets you food.

You looked away for two seconds and he disappeared. Don't worry he’ll be back in ten minutes with something scrumptious for you. 

If he has to go on a mission without you, or if you decide to take some time to yourself, expect a small little sweet or scone to be placed on your desk or in your hands. They are often a shade of pink, or dragon themed so you’d think of him.

Not huge on you wearing his clothes, with the exception of his scarf. He adores seeing you in it before he started courting you because he hadn’t realized yet, now he is obsessed wrapping it around you both as you cuddle. Or do anything for that matter.

Natsu did realize it's not practical while walking only after clotheslining you once…or twice…

He is super attentive to your needs, perhaps not romantically, but he knows you’re hungry before you do. 

Shivering? Not around him he knew to warm you before you knew you were chilled.

Tired, and he somehow has drafted you for a cuddle and nap session or has told the other guild members to go away so you can nest in a corner where he can keep an eye and make sure you are safe

Guild member pissed you off, he’s already squaring up to fight with you

You are feeling needy? He's right there giving you a hug

It all stems from his fighting experience funnily enough. He’s gotten really really good at reading body language because of it and he has yours down to an art form.

Natsu is strong and independent despite his love of skinship and kinship. However he will always be longing to be just a little bit closer to you and his gifts sometimes reflect as much.

Never in his life before would he have wanted to buy a massage, but here he is getting vouchers for couples massages. He heard about it from Elfman and it was a lightbulb moment.

Matching funny hats at the amusement park

Small little quirky dates to places to do things together, like making matching earrings. Or a food tour of a town together, quality time is his utmost number one gift and treasure. It's the best thing you can give him too, volunteer to spend time together and he is over the moon.

This goes without saying but Natsu is above all else, protective. You are strong or weak, it doesn't change this, he will fight god and anyone who looks down on you or tries to hurt you. Even if it's a guildmate in a pre ordained face off, someone will need to hold him back. You are too precious to him to risk losing, so please stay by his side forever.

[isabellafoster13]

This was requested on AO3 by Torhu_008.

This is a soulmate AU and diverts quite a bit from canon. I wasn't really sure which of Natsu and Zeref's fights to set this in, so I thought, "why not make one up?" And that's what I did. 

I hope you enjoy!

He's My Soulmate! (Zeref x Lucy ft. Natsu, Gray, and Happy)

Lucy sat against a tree trunk, staring at the inside of her wrist. She had managed to get a break from their Alverez Empire problem to have some time to herself. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, and her brown eyes were locked onto the writing that was etched into her skin. 

There was a thing called "soulmates." From the day that you are born, you have a name engraved on the inside of your wrist. This name is your soulmate, who you are destined to fall in love with. After running away, Lucy wasn't keen on people seeing the name of her soulmate. To remedy this, she would use makeup or clothes to cover the name. 

She hadn't been very concerned about finding her soulmate, but now, she was wishing that she would never come face-to-face with him. Her eyes boor into her marked skin, seeming to be willing the name to change or disappear. 

Zeref. 

That was the name that was written on the underside of her wrist. She remembered when she first heard the name spoken aloud, but it was followed by the fact that this Zeref guy was an evil wizard. Upon hearing that for the first time, her mind had gone straight to the name on her wrist. There was no way that her soulmate could be some long-dead dark wizard. That was impossible. But, nevertheless, she couldn't stop herself from thinking about the idea. Surely, she told herself, it was just a coincidence. Her real soulmate and this dark wizard shared the same name, that was all. 

But now, she wasn't so sure about that. With the knowledge that Zeref was not only still alive, but also the leader of their latest enemy, she began to question if he really was her soulmate. What would that mean for her life now, Lucy questioned herself. Was she going to need to leave Fairy Tail and join her soulmate? Would her friends hate her? Could she avoid meeting Zeref? She didn't want to leave Fairy Tail. She didn't want to turn on her friends and fight them. 

How could she avoid meeting Zeref and falling in love with him? That was the only solution that she could think of: avoid meeting him in person so that she won't fall in love with him and wait for him to be killed. 

She sighed. She had to get back to the guild soon. She wondered if she'd be able to avoid being sent to help defeat him. She pushed herself to her feet and took a few steps before she heard a voice behind her ask, "are you Lucy?" 

Lucy stopped in her tracks, her breath hitched and her body froze. She silently prayed that this guy wasn't who she thought he was as she listened to his footsteps come closer to her. She felt him take hold of her wrist and turn it over. 

"Don't touch me!" She shouted and pulled her wrist away, taking a few steps back. She was faced with a young, black-haired man who was dressed in robes. Her brow furrowed at him and she held her wrist against her body. Her mind raced to figure out what she should do. She couldn't run to Fairy Tail because that would mean leading their enemy to the guildhall. She also knew that she couldn't fight him, not by herself. 

She watched as the man raised his hands defensively, saying, "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." 

Lucy barked, "stay away from me! I want nothing to do with an evil wizard!" 

A look of hurt took over his face, causing Lucy to feel guilt stab at her heart. She swallowed down the apology that rose into her throat and she maintained her glare that was fixed on him. 

The man responded, "I don't blame you, but please, just hear me out." He then rolled up a sleeve and showed her the underside of his wrist. 

Lucy looked at what was on his skin and narrowed her gaze at him upon seeing that her name was written on his wrist. She took a few steps away and sneered, "too bad! I don't want to see you ever again unless it's while you are dying!" 

Zeref took a step closer, almost begging, "just give me a chance, please! I already have a solution that I'm sure you will be happy with!" 

Hearing this, Lucy gave him a curious look. She relented, "alright, but make it quick."

Lucy walked with Natsu, Gray, and Happy, making their way to a designated battlefield. Lucy walked behind her friends, nervousness enveloping her being. That morning, a letter had arrived from Zeref, stating that he wanted to meet a few members. He hadn't said more than that, other than two of the mages that must be sent were Natsu and Lucy. Upon their departure, the chosen mages were instructed that Natsu would fight Zeref while it was Lucy's and Gray's jobs to support him. Happy was tasked with flying to the guild and getting reinforcement if needed.

Natsu lit his fists on fire as he went on about how he was going to beat Zeref to a pulp, quickly divulging into an argument with Gray. Lucy paid them no mind as she wrapped her arms around herself. She was unsure about her soulmate's plan, but she had no choice but to trust him and go along with it, hoping that it would succeed. 

When they arrived at a large, grassy field, the trio found Zeref, standing in the middle. Natsu stomped over to the dark wizard, Gray, Lucy, and Happy following after him. Zeref smiled kindly at them, causing Lucy to blush and her heart to skip a beat. 

"I'm glad that my directions were followed," Zeref started. He then opened his mouth to speak again, but was cut off when Natsu delivered a flaming punch to his jaw. Gray and Happy cheered him on while Lucy gasped and covered her mouth, her heart clenching painfully. 

Natsu thundered, "stop the yapping and let's get to the fighting!" 

Zeref took a few steps back, his hands raised defensively, as he responded, "that wasn't the plan-"

Just as he finished, Gray called out, "Ice-Make! Wall!"

With that, a wall of ice was behind Zeref, keeping him from turning around and running away. Lucy's heart became erratic and her breathing became quick as panic swirled within her gut and spread to the rest of her body. This wasn't going as they planned. 

Zeref attempted to defuse the situation, "I'm not going to fight you-" 

Natsu snapped, "well, that's good! Makes my job easier!" 

Just as the dragon slayer was about to launch another attack, Lucy bolted forward and inserted herself between the men, her arms raised in a protective manner. She furrowed her brow as she yelled, "Stop, Natsu!" 

Natsu kept his fist raised as he snarled, "get out of the way, Luce!" 

Lucy shook her head and snapped back, trying to stare her best friend down, "he doesn't want to fight! We should hear him out!" 

Gray took a few steps forward demanding, "what's gotten into you?" 

Happy floated in the air above them and asked, "should I get reinforcement?" 

Nobody answered him. Instead, Natsu growled, "move, Lucy!" 

Lucy shivered under his glower, but she was defending her soulmate, the man she loved, so she had to do something to help him and their plan. She barked back, "no, Natsu!" 

In a flash, Nastu had distinguished the fire that had engulfed his fist and he reached for Lucy's wrist. Having not been able to react faster enough, the celestial wizard was tossed by her best friend to the side, yelping in pain as she crashed to the ground, several feet away from the rest of the group. She heard Zeref call her name as she pushed herself to her hands and knees. 

She whipped her head around and picked up a rock, throwing it at Natsu's head. The dragon slayer turned around and stormed over to her, demanding, "why are you being like this, Luce? Have you forgotten what he has done? We need to take him down!" 

Lucy shrunk away as her best friend approached her, becoming fearful of him attacking her as well. She curled into herself and closed her eyes tightly, gritting her teeth. She waited for an eventual hit, but instead, she heard someone step in front of her, and Zeref threaten, "don't you dare touch her in a harmful way again!" 

Lucy snapped her eyes open and raised her head to see what was going on. She found that Zeref was standing in front of her, his body pulled into a fighting stance. The dark wizard continued, his tone not changing, "I don't want to fight, but I will if I have to." 

Natsu sneered, "I don't care if you don't want to fight, I want to beat you up!" 

Lucy watched with horror as Natsu launched an attack on her soulmate. She staggered to her feet and called out for the pair to stop as Natsu tried to knock Zeref down, while Zeref blocked his attacks with only defensive spells. 

The blonde jumped when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She whipped around to see Gray giving her a look of concern. The ice-make mage asked with a quiet voice, "Lucy, why are you defending Zeref? He could just be trying to fool us." 

Lucy shook her head and answered, sounding almost desperate, "he isn't though! He wants to change!" 

Gray questioned, "how do you know?" 

"Because he's my soulmate!" Tears slipped down her cheeks and she shoved her wrist into Gray's face, showing him the name on her skin. 

Gray's eyes widened and he gasped at the sight of the name. He turned to Happy, who was floating next to him, his mouth covered by his paws in surprise. The black-haired man commanded, "go grab Natsu!" 

Happy nodded and flew toward the two men as Gray ran alongside him. As Lucy watched with bated breath, Zeref was encased in an icy dome and Natsu was being held in mid-air by Happy. She smiled when Gray nodded to her and rushed forward. She stepped in front of the dome. 

Natsu yelled as he thrashed around, trying to escape Happy's hold, "what the heck are you doing?" 

Lucy snapped at him, "be quiet and listen!" When Natsu quieted and stopped struggling, she went on with her explanation, "a few days ago, Zeref came to me and told me that he wanted to change and join us. He and I decided that I and a few of my guildmates will come here to meet him so that he can tell us this. He and I were hoping that if a few Fairy Tail wizards were on his side, then Master Makarov would be willing to hear him out." 

Natsu questioned with a critical look, "how do we know he isn't just saying that?" 

Lucy revealed to him the name that was etched onto her wrist, saying simply, "because he and I are soulmates." 

When she was sure that Natsu saw the name, she dropped her arm and turned around to face Zeref, pressing her hand against the dome as she smiled at him, love in her eyes. Zeref smiled back at her, his eyes holding just as much love in them as hers did, and pressed his hand against the dome as well. Their hands would have connected if not for the dome of ice. 

Natsu then said, his voice low, "alright...let's take him to Fairy Tail." 

With that, the dome broke and Lucy and Zeref were face-to-face once again. Tears welled up in Lucy's eyes as she wrapped her arms around Zeref's neck and pressed her body against his, feeling Zeref wrap his arms around her waist tightly. 

They remained in their embrace for several moments. When they pulled away, they gazed into each other's eyes and leaned toward each other, pressing their lips together. 

Getting not just Fairy Tail, but also the other guilds and the Magic Council, to accept him was not an easy thing to do for Zeref, but he was determined to redeem himself in their eyes. He was grateful for Lucy, who stood beside him the entire time, loving him and supporting him. It was a surprise to everyone that Zeref's curse had a weakness: the presence of a soulmate. 

As long as Zeref had Lucy, his curse was contained, and he was even able to age alongside her. The following years saw the couple getting married and having children. They grew old together and passed away close together, with Zeref going first and Lucy following just a few months later. 

[cutecatlov3r]

my character ai bots:

bnha-

dabi: toxic bf , mafia au

denki kaminari: your a milf

eijiro kirishima: dying his hair

hanta sero: shotgunning w him

katsuki bakugou: he smells good , mean ass soulmate , ghostface katsuki , rivals to lovers , he’s bad w feelings , your pro hero fiancé , if you die so do i , girl dad

izuku midoriya: corrupting the religious boy

jjk-

gojo satoru: can’t get enough of him , vampire au , wardrobe malfunction , your affair , he’s annoying , his eyes r funny looking

geto suguru: dad’s best friend

nanami kento: healing your daddy issues

yu haibara: he’s gone , he’s sick , he admires his upperclassmen

yuji itadori: your parents hate him , best boyfriend , dorky best friend , he’s delulu , captain of the football team , gossiping w him , older brother’s best friend , you have a bf already but he loves you , your his mentor , shibuya arc

megumi fushiguro: step brother

yuta okkotsu: your a fan , welcoming the new boy , he likes when you pull his hair , he chose geto’s side that day , your best friend

haikyuu-

atsumu miya: your annoying neighbor , he’s drunk

iwaizumi hajime: scolding you after your ex did you dirty

kei tsukishima: he hates you(?)

kotaro bokuto: he’s spiderman , your his fan , emo mode

kenma kozume: streaming wars , cat hybrid , he hates you , he hates brats

hinata shoyo: healing your issues , he got sick , u get ur head hit w a ball

tetsuro kuroo: studying w him

koshi sugawara: he’s your son’s teacher , your coworker , he’s jealous

keiji akaashi: he loves feeding you , the pretty setter

yuu nishinoya: he’s drunk

demon slayer-

sanemi shinazugawa: training w him , your roommate

aot-

eren jeager: smoking weed w him

blue lock-

nagi seishiro: coke head

bachira meguru: you’re his therapist , pervert bachira

death note-

touta matsuda: he has a little crush , admiring his boss

csm-

denji: blood lust , walking home w him , mommy issues

sk8-

reki kyan: he’s a zombie

fairytail:

natsu dragneel: mating season

nanatsu no taizai [seven deadly sins]:

arthur pendragon: your his servant , you saved him , he saved you , your his holy knight

hxh:

kurapika kurta: your loyal to him , it’s only you and him

killua zoldyck: he’s your little brother

the disastrous life of saiki k:

kusuo saiki: he’s self aware , your ordinary

if you have any recommendations on more bots I can do lmk ! i’ll be adding a bunch more :x

[suguwu]

lover be good to me: part one

You meet Kita Shinsuke on a rainy summer day, with a sea of hydrangeas swirling at your feet. You know him instantly, as only a soulmate can. He seems like a good man. Like a good soulmate.

But it's your wedding day.

minors and ageless blogs do not interact.

pairings: kita shinsuke x f!reader, oc x f!reader

notes: this fic has been a long time coming—it's basically my baby at this point. i'm so excited to finally get to share part one with you! i am so thankful for everyone who has sat thru me yelling about this to them. and a million thank yous to my beta, between your enthusiasm for this fic and all your help with it—i don't know if it could have been done without you!

title and part title are from hozier's "be" and "nfwmb"

tags for this part: soulmate au (first words), this is a very reader-centric story, very significant reader x oc, slow burn, hurt/comfort, pining, alcohol consumption, anxiety.

see main fic tags here.

wc: 13k

The hydrangeas are in full bloom.

You can see them through the window: the sea in each blossom, the radiant blue of them veined through with white, ocean and foam detailed in petals. They nod with the rain, weighed down by the fat droplets. 

There are two men that keep passing through the sea of hydrangeas like ships, leaving little eddies of blooms in their wake. They must be vendors considering they’re weighted down by boxes, though neither seems bothered by their load. 

You watch them for a moment. They’re both efficient, unbothered by the slow, steady drizzle. You rest your chin on your cupped palm, eyes drawn to the shorter man. There’s a few strands of hair peeking out from beneath his hat, the hazy gray of it—black-tipped like thunderclouds—an odd contrast to his lean, toned body. 

He makes his way through the courtyard, and you lean forward to keep him in sight, your nose almost pressed against the foggy window pane. He steps carefully around a drooping hydrangea bloom, his calm face visible for the first time, and something threads through you for a breath unraveling too quickly for you to place. 

He ducks beneath the eaves and out of your sight. 

Just in time, too. The rain picks up drumming gently against the ground, carrying a few loosened petals with it. The other man—broader and taller but no less graceful for it—spits out a curse. He hurries forward until he too is gone from view. 

“Told you it would rain,” Abe says from behind you, making you yelp. She presses in next to you. Her breath billows over the window pane blooming hazy against it, a marine fog. 

“You did,” you say with a laugh. “So did the weather channel. Almost a full week before you did.”

She scoffs. “Yes, but that’s their job. Mine was sheer instinct.”

“And listening to the weather channel?”

“Must you slander me?”

“Yes,” you say, smiling, but your gaze returns to the courtyard where the hydrangeas are bleeding petals under the rain’s heavy cut. 

“Are you nervous?”

You meet Abe’s gaze in the reflection of the window pane. Her dark eyes are warm and soft, and maybe a little bit sad. 

“Should I be?” you ask.

She wraps a small hand around yours and you realize you’ve been tapping your nail against your water glass, a crystalline symphony. 

“No,” she says firmly. “You shouldn’t.”

Warmth blooms in your chest, sprouts like flowers between the cracks in the concrete. You lean into her. She sighs, long and put-upon, but she tilts towards you, opens her body to you. It’s an invitation you know well. You rest your head in the crook of her shoulder and stare out the window.

“Yeah,” you say. “You’re right.”

“Always am.”

“That’s debatable, Natsu.” 

She grumbles but starts to pull away without comment when the kimono stylist calls out for her. She pauses for a moment. She leans in and adjusts your shiromuku carefully, her fingers deft. Then she squeezes your hand softly, familiar and warm, like a song you’ll always know. You squeeze back. 

You watch her reflection in the window until it blurs at the edges. She’s already bickering with Yoshikawa by the time it fades entirely from the foggy windowpane, their voices carrying. You’re sure that they’re curled together over Yoshikawa’s phone, flicking through the itinerary you’ve already forgotten most of. 

There’s movement beyond the window and you perk up as the man from before walks by. He’s kept under the eaves by the increased rain, and you can see the way it’s dampened his hair to something closer to slate.

There’s a gleam of amber above the boxes he’s carrying; the briefest flash of his eyes, bright and keen. He sweeps by the window almost close enough to touch, and you press your fingertips against the cool pane without thinking. 

It’s this closeness that lets you see his phone—a flip phone, of all things, with a little charm you can’t quite make out dangling from it—slip from his pocket. You wince as it drops out of view. 

He keeps going though, utterly unfazed. The rain has overshadowed the noise you realize, and you’re darting outside before you even know it, the shoji rattling slightly from your force. The summer humidity rolls over you, so stark against your aircon-chilled skin that you shiver with it. 

“You dropped your phone!” you call out after the man, hurrying along the engawa to scoop it up, careful of your shiromuku’s hem. The tiny charm is a stylized stalk of rice, you realize, the little panicles at the top colored with shimmering golden paint. It’s cute. A little at odds with his utilitarian flip phone, but cute nonetheless.

Ahead of you, the man goes still.

He’s turning around when his name unfurls inside of you. 

The movies hadn’t said it was anything like this.

There’s no passion ripping through you like forest fire, no lightning strike sizzling his name into your very bones. It’s slow and soft, like slipping into bathwater after a long, hard day, the heated kiss of it a balm against all of your bruises. Like the bloom of the first crocuses, a promise of spring after the long winter. 

“Oh, Shinsuke,” you breathe, and you think you’ve never known a name so well, that each curve of it was made to fit upon your tongue. 

The man—Shinsuke—stares at you. And then his lips tilt into a faint smile, tender like the oncoming dawn; a watercolor sky burgeoning with sunlight, a world coming awake. You think you could build a home in the way he looks at you. 

“There you are,” he says softly. “I’ve been waiting.”

You know.

You’ve known for years that he’s been waiting for you; it’s been scrawled on your skin this whole time. He has always, always been waiting for you.

Your soulmark pulses faintly. For a breath, you think you can see it glow despite the heavy layers you have on.

“Shinsuke,” you say again. It’s a helpless little sound, the edges of it catching in your throat like burrs. You need to say something else. You know you do. You know what you have to tell him, but he’s looking at you so softly that the words keep getting lost. 

Your grip on his phone tightens until the little rice charm is cutting into your skin.

His smile starts to fade. It curls in on itself, wilting at the edges, like the last of the summer flowers.

He’s been looking at only you, you realize. Just you. Your face, most likely, but it feels like something more—as if he’s seeing down to your marrow, as if he’s flayed you open beneath his tender gaze. He’s only been looking at you. Nothing else. 

He’s been looking at you, but you think he’s seeing the rest now. Your careful makeup. Your pristine hair.

Your lavish shiromuku—carefully embroidered with the elegant sweep of cranes’ wings and with delicate petals unfolding into bountiful chrysanthemums—that fits you perfectly, the heavy silk of it as white as driven snow.

You couldn’t find the words for it, caught up in the gentle sun of his joy as it pooled golden around you, but he’s finally seeing what you couldn’t say.

It’s your wedding day.

***

Your soulmark appears when you’re twelve, all without you even noticing. 

Summer is in full bloom in Toyooka; the wet lick of a heatwave has settled oppressive over the countryside. It’s relentless. Even the rice fields seem to feel it, the verdant green ripple of them becoming a honey-slow shiver under the wind’s gentle touch. 

In the heat the cicadas’ call goes lazy; the storks only come out in the earliest parts of morning. They wade carefully through the still waters of the rice paddies, their beaks flashing in the weak sunlight as they needle down into the murk. 

The rental house is tucked carefully between two farms, a lone house amid the rippling rice plants. It’s old but well-maintained, a perfect little hideaway for your mother to finish her study. In the heat, she keeps the shoji doors open wide to let in the dancing, citronella-scented breeze. The first day you wander around the house to weigh the papers down with a mish-mash of items: the fruit bowl, pilfered from the kitchen counter under your father’s nose; encyclopedias long outdated; a pair of petal-flecked garden shears. 

It helps it feel like home.

Abe and her mother have come to Toyooka too; your mothers spend their days bent close together, talking in a language you know by heart but still can’t understand. Caught up in their research, they leave you to your own devices.

Away from all of your other friends and the bustle of the city, you and Abe roam free like a pair of stray cats. You spend the days without chores wandering through town, your arm hooked through hers, both your tongues stained sky blue from the Gari-Gari Kun popsicles from the conbini. The grannies wave at you as you pass by them; the two of you wave back with sticky fingers. 

You flit in and out of the rice paddies, scooping up tadpoles from the murky water. The farmers grow used to your presence quickly; they greet you cheerfully, accepting the onigiri you bring with little nods. 

After you splash through a paddy to coo over them, Watanabe lets you feed his ducks. He pours the feed from his hands into your smaller ones with a grunt. His hands are strong but aged, the dark skin on the back of his hands papery in the sunlight, wrinkled like old parchment. He teaches you both how to sprinkle the feed into the water just right so the ducks go arrowing across the water, little ships without sails. 

The days are long and short in the same breath.  

At night, Abe’s flashlight flickers in her window like a firefly, long after you are both meant to be in bed. You flash your own message back, little secrets wrapped up in ribbons of light, never mentioned after dawn. The two of you are woven together as only childhood friends can be.

And it’s Abe that sees your soulmark first. 

It’s midday and the clouds are rolling in across the clear blue sky hanging heavy and low, a gray promise of afternoon thunder. The two of you trace shapes in the clouds, shaded under a massive camphor tree, bumping into each other’s arms as you go.

There’s a rabbit in your cloud, the puffy edges of it extending into fluffy gray ears that wisp and sway with the growing breeze. You’ve just traced along the little curve of its nose when Abe—who has been burbling away like a spring brook, her chatter weaving a spell around the two of you—goes silent. 

Then she shrieks and grabs your arm.

“When did it come in?” she asks breathlessly. She’s shaking you too hard for you to see what she’s talking about, but there’s only one thing that tone could mean. 

You freeze, your heart pounding in your ears. For a moment, you consider closing your eyes, as if that will keep it from being real. As if that will rewrite your fate. 

You think of all the quotes you’ve scrawled in your notebooks late at night, and hope for all of them and none of them. 

Abe gives you another little shake. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me! It’s so early! How long have you had it? Has anyone said it yet? What do you—”

“I don’t know!” you say, shaking her off and scooting backwards, pulling your arm towards your chest. 

She scowls. “How do you not know?”

“I didn’t notice it.”

You hadn’t. Maybe it was the sleepy haze of summer days running together.

Maybe you hadn’t wanted to see it.

Now that you know, it’s easy to see your mark. It’s already settled into your skin, the kanji tucked carefully into the tender flesh of the crook of your elbow. The characters are neat, precise little things, delicate at the edges. It shimmers silvery in the sunlight. A winter moon’s glow inked into your skin.

Abe plants her hands on her hips. “You didn’t notice your soulmark?”

You shake your head. “You know I would tell you!!”

She huffs. “I guess. You really didn’t know?”

You yank on a tuft of grass. “Nope.”

“Idiot,” she says, but it’s fond. She nudges closer to you despite the heat. “Who doesn’t realize their mark was written?”

“Me, I guess.”

“Guess so. Lemme see,” she says, making grabby hands at your arm; you let her yank it close with a sigh. She peers down at your mark with heavy concentration.

“You look like Granny Takada right now.”

She pouts. “Do not!”

“You do,” you tell her. “You’re all squinty.” 

“Do you want me to read it to you or not?”

You take a second too long to answer, the words caught in your throat, tangled on your tongue. Abe glances up. Something passes over her face; it’s too quick to know, a fleeting summer storm. She drops your arm with a sigh.

“The kanji are complicated,” she complains. “Too hard to read. Leave it to you to have a soulmate like that.” 

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” you ask, wrinkling your nose even as you relax, your muscles uncoiling. 

She snorts. “Nothing, nothing,” she coos, smacking your hand away when you swat at her. “Let’s go, it’s gonna rain. We can’t track mud inside again.”

“That was you, not me.”

Abe ignores you, popping up to her feet and rocking back on her heels. She takes off before you can stand her braids streaming behind her like kite ribbons, and you yelp out a protest as you scramble to your feet. 

“Nat-chan!” 

“Keep up!” she shouts, halfway to the rice paddy that edges the little meadow, and you take off after her.

The skies open on the two of you when you’re almost back to the rental, the rain relentless and heavy as only a summer storm can be. You both shriek but the water is warm, and you giggle at the way Abe’s bangs are plastered to her forehead even as you keep running.

You tumble into the genkan just as the first lightning strike splits the sky. You’re practically tripping over each other. Abe knocks into the getabako, jarring a pair of your father’s shoes, their well-worn soles rolling upwards like the barnacled hull of a capsized boat. She grunts with the impact.

“Quiet,” you hiss.

“I’m being quiet,” she hisses back, just as your mother rounds the corner and fixes the two of you with an unimpressed raised brow.

Abe’s mother peeks around the corner too, her lips thinning as she sees the water dripping from the two of you. “You’re soaked,” she says. “And you’re making a mess of the genkan, Natsumi.”

“Sorry,” she mutters.

Her mother sighs. “Weren’t you supposed to be back earlier? Before the rain?”

“We got distracted because her soulmark came in!” Abe says, pointing to you with no remorse. 

You gape at her. 

“What?” she says. “It’s in a pretty obvious spot.” 

“Natsumi,” her mother says, exasperated. “You’re always jumping in feet first.”

Abe grumbles, but goes quiet when her mother eyes her.

“Chieko,” your mother says. “Do you need umbrellas for the walk home?”

“If it’s not an inconvenience.”

“Of course not.”

You and Abe engage in a rapid-fire round of mouthing things to each other as your mothers search for umbrellas, too close to risk actual words. Abe speaks fast, even in exaggerated slow motion, and after you think she says something about snails, you decide it’s too incomprehensible to keep trying. You wave her off with a quick tilt of your head. She scowls but stops, crossing her arms with a soggy squish. 

The scowl disappears from her face as soon as her mother steps up beside her, handing her one of your umbrellas. She traces a finger over the nearest little cat design, petting lightly at its fabric ears. 

“Let’s go before you catch a cold,” Chieko says. “Say goodbye.”

“Bye,” Abe says, her voice stilted.

“Bye,” you parrot. 

“Alright then,” Chieko says after a moment. She looks at you, considering. You bite the inside of your cheek, running the tip of your tongue against the pinched flesh. 

She sighs. “You’ll figure it out,” she says softly.

You should have known that she wouldn’t offer congratulations. The relief spreads over you like a balm, soothing the scrape you hadn’t even known was there. 

You nod. 

“See you tomorrow,” your mother tells her.

She and Abe disappear out the front door and into the downpour; Abe throws you one last look before the door closes behind them. You look away. 

Your mother is quiet for a moment. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asks.

“I—I don’t think so.”

She considers you. “Alright,” she says. “I’ll get you a towel and then you need to go change before you get sick.”

“Okay.” 

She disappears down the hallway without another word. 

You look down to your soulmark. At the thin kanji of it, the gleam of them like spiderwebs caught in a moonbeam, an ethereal silver. When you touch it, tracing a fingertip carefully against the crook of your elbow, it just feels like skin. As if it’s always been there. As if it’s always been a part of you. 

Upside down, the kanji are difficult to parse. You run your fingers over them once more, and then your mother is there with a towel. You yank your fingers away as if burned. She doesn’t react, just handing you the towel and corralling you upstairs to dry yourself off. 

Dinner is quiet that night and you go up to bed early, tired from the ups and downs of the day.

You’ve just finished brushing your teeth when the flickering catches your attention. You spit out the last bit of foam and rinse out your mouth before padding over to your window. 

A little light bobs up and down across the way; at moments, you can make out the vague outline of Abe’s face when she brings the flashlight up with a sharp jerk that almost hits her chin. She’s cycling through the attention-getting code you’d made up a few years back. 

You consider pulling your shade down entirely. 

Instead, you pad over to your dresser drawer and pull out your own flashlight. You settle into bed with it heavy on your lap. You pull at the edge of the faded sticker slapped below the switch, tearing a little piece of it off. You flick it on for a second. Just enough to let Abe know you’re there. 

It’s not your normal greeting, and Abe’s window stays dark for a long, long moment. 

Mad at me? she finally flashes, little pulses of starlight in the dark.

You are. Soulmates are different for the two of you. You’ve grown up hearing all of the jargon for your mother’s study, and you know that she has too. You know the low rate of soulmates meeting, and you know the distant look in your father’s eyes as he wraps tender fingers around his blackened mark. 

It’s different, and you thought she knew that. 

Sorry, her flashlight blinks out. I am.

You think of how she complained about the kanji of your mark despite being the most proficient in your classroom. 

Mad at me?

You wonder how you would have told your parents that you’d received your mark when you can barely acknowledge it yourself. 

You raise your flashlight.

No, you send off. Not anymore. 

Good, she immediately sends. 

You talk until your eyelids are drooping and your jaw is cracking with non-stop yawning. It’s easy to say goodnight, knowing you’ll see each other in the morning. You pull down your shade and climb into bed.

You fall asleep with your hand cupped over your soulmark.

***

It takes you three days to finally ask what your mark says. 

Evening is coming to life, the sky darkening into plum, the faintest hint of cotton-candy pink lingering on the horizon. As your father sets the table, you’re unable to resist the quiet call of what fate has scraped into your skin. 

He blinks, trading a look with your mother, but then he smiles softly. 

“After dinner,” he tells you. “Okay?”

You nod.

It’s your mother who reads it to you later, the two of you whispering together on the engawa surrounded by the flicker of the summer fireflies. You curl tight into her side, a rib returned. 

“There you are,” she reads softly, stroking a thumb gently over the kanji. “I’ve been waiting.” 

Her voice is a honeyed drip, sweet and steady, and though she is smiling, you think she sounds sad. She shifts to press a hand tight over her stomach as if it’s the only thing holding her together, as if she’s suddenly too big for her body. You know her mark is there. The kanji has gone sour and black, an eclipsed moon. 

“I don’t know if I want them to wait for me,” you whisper to her. 

She presses a kiss to your hairline. “You don’t have to know, tadpole.”

You bite the inside of your cheek. 

She shifts beside you. “You don’t have to wait for them, you know,” she tells you.

“Really?”

“Really,” she says.

“Do you think I’ll meet them?” you ask, kicking your feet and looking out into the night. A firefly flares bright, and you consider running to catch it. You’ve always been quick enough. The fireflies have always been trusting enough. 

She nudges a knuckle against your cheek. “The chances are low,” she admits, because she has never lied to you about soulmates. “And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

“Why?”

She sighs. “You’ll understand when you’re older.”

She still has her hand pressed hard against her ribcage. 

You bite your lip and don’t ask anything else. 

The two of you stay curled together under the stars, watching the trucks trundle down the road as the late-working farmers return from the paddies. Eventually, she ushers you inside, and when she thinks you aren’t looking she knots her fingers in your father’s shirt. The fabric winds tight around her fingers, cutting into the softness of her skin. Her shoulders are trembling. Your father cups the back of her head and brushes a kiss to her hairline. 

You go up to your bedroom without a word because even this young, you know there are things you aren’t meant to see. 

Not long after that night your mother and Abe’s mother publish the study. It’s a culmination of years of grueling research on soulmates, of half-written notes on napkins when you go out to restaurants, of simmering arguments between her and Abe’s mother, of death threats and poisonous words. 

It covers the concept of soulmates like kudzu, winding over the romance of it and smothering it beneath statistics and a dissection of societal impact alike. 

It gets a nickname soon after publication, and your mother’s smile is a melon rind curve, bitter at the edges. 

They call it the Heartbreak Study.

***

Summer comes to an end.

You leave Toyooka on a rainy afternoon, the light drizzle sending water droplets racing down the train window. The storks huddle together in the paddies, their wet feathers gleaming like the moon. Abe is warm at your side curled into you, already half-asleep from the underlying hum of the train. It picks up speed and the rolling green of the countryside blurs like a watercolor, smearing across the horizon as you head back to the city.

It feels like you’re leaving more than the countryside behind.

Still, the city is a comfort, the bustle of it a familiar song, and you’d missed the neon lights that dot the streets like little flowers. With the return of school just around the corner it’s nice to settle back into the rhythm of city life, so different from the steady, unyielding heartbeat of Toyooka. 

You unpack your clothes and yourself too, slotting everything back into your city life, trying to fit back into it like a well-worn pair of shoes. 

“Oh,” Yoshikawa says lazily the next day, when you and Abe find her sprawled out on a bench by the conbini, sucking on a popsicle. She peers up at you, her long hair flowing around her shoulders like weeds in the current, softly swaying with each little movement. “You’re back.”

“She got her soulmark!” Abe says, dragging you forward by your wrist to display your mark. 

“Natsu,” you groan, ignoring the way she tugs at your wrist to pull you even more into Yoshikawa’s space. “Really?”

“What, you weren’t going to tell her?”

“Yeah,” Yoshikawa drawls, her dark eyes sly. “Were you not gonna tell me?”

“Shut up, Yocchan,” you say. “You know I was going to tell you.”

“You sure?” she asks, propping herself up on her elbows. “Doesn’t quite sound like it.”

“Yocchan.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll stop teasing. Can I see?” 

You hesitate for a breath. 

“You don’t gotta,” Yoshikawa says, biting into her popsicle with a loud crunch. Her lips are blue with it, the same color as the mid-morning sky. It drips down her elegant fingers, catches on the small scars littered across them. She licks at them absently, but her gaze is keen.

“It’s fine,” you say. “I’m just…still getting used to it.”

She hums. 

“Great,” Abe says, using her grip on your wrist to tug you forward again. “Look, look, look!”

Yoshikawa pushes herself the rest of the way up slowly, tucking her popsicle between her teeth as she reaches for your arm. Her fingers are sticky against your skin. She’s quiet as she reads your mark, her brow slightly furrowed. 

She lets you go after a minute, and you try not to fidget.

“Romantic,” she says. She lays back down on the bench.

Abe makes a strangled noise. “That’s all?”

Yoshikawa blinks slowly, but there’s a smug curve to her lips. “Is there something else to say?”

Abe stamps her foot. “There’s so much to say! She got her mark! The first of us! The first in our year!”

“Nah, Sasaki got his right before the break.”

“He did?”

“He did?” you echo. Relief blooms in you, rooting in the cracks of you, and you let out a tight breath you didn’t know you were holding. 

“Yeah,” Yoshikawa says. She closes her eyes and raises her face to the sun. It bathes her, turns her golden, an offering at the ending summer’s altar. “Our moms are friends. Heard them talking about it.” 

“Oh,” Abe says, pursing her lips. She glances at you, and you don’t know what she sees in your face, but her eyes go soft. “I guess it’s better that way. It won’t be as big of a deal. It’ll be fine.”

“You think so?” you ask. It comes out smaller than you meant it to. 

She nudges you with her hip. “Yeah,” she says, her voice gentle. There’s a promise in it. “I do.”

Yoshikawa hums her agreement as she bites off the last of her popsicle, ignoring Abe’s wince. She sucks the stick clean and glances at it. “Oh,” she says mildly. “I won.” 

“What?” Abe cries out, practically clambering on top of her to grab the stick. “How do you always win?”

Yoshikawa grunts under her sudden burden, stretching out one long arm to keep Abe from grabbing the stick. “S’not my fault you have bad luck.”

“C’mon, you already had a popsicle today!”

You watch them struggle, Abe doing her best to blanket Yoshikawa’s lanky frame with her tiny one. The laughter bubbles out of you, spills from you like an overflowing urn, loud and unrestrained. 

They turn to you in unison, brows raised. 

“Let’s go to the park,” you say, laughter still sweet on your tongue. “Don’t want to waste the day.” 

They eye you for a moment. They look at each other and shrug. 

“Conbini first,” Abe says. “I want something.” 

“You can’t have my popsicle,” Yoshikawa says.

“I don’t want your stupid free popsicle!”

“You were just trying to grab it!”

“Well I don’t want it anymore! I want mochi instead!”

This time you swallow down your laugh, let it spread warm through you like bottled sunshine. You follow the bickering pair into the conbini. They wait for you at the door, and you link pinkies with them both so they can drag you down the snack aisle.

For the first time since getting your mark, it feels like everything is going to be okay.

***

School starts up again.

It’s still warm, the last dregs of summer lingering in the air as you walk languidly to school with your friends. Abe flits ahead, her dark hair shimmering under the morning sun, and you think of a little darting fish on a reef, a quicksilver flash of scales. She greets other classmates easily. They always have a smile for her, and she falls into step beside them for a moment, chattering away. 

But in the end she always turns around and waits for you and Yoshikawa.

She’s off in the distance when Yoshikawa glances down at the silver peeking out of the crook of your elbow, exposed by the summer uniform’s short sleeves. 

“No wrap?” she asks. 

“No wrap,” you say.

You’d thought about it, but wearing a wrap screams that you’ve gotten your mark. With yours tucked tender into the crook of your elbow, you might be able to get away with it. At least you hope so. You know how many eyes will be on you when people realize, and you shift on the balls of your feet, pressing closer to Yoshikawa.

She hums. “Alright.”

You know that tone.

“Do not cause any problems,” you warn her.

She blinks slowly, like a smug cat with a patch of sunshine all to itself. “I would never. Do you want some toast?”

“Do I what—”

She pulls a handkerchief filled with toast out from her bag, little oily spots of butter bleeding through the hand-embroidered cloth. “Toast,” she says, holding it out.

“Don’t try to distract me,” you say irritably, but when she nudges the toast in your direction you slip a piece free of the handkerchief. You’ve eaten breakfast but no one makes bread like Yoshikawa’s mother, a hobby she’d picked up in her year abroad as a teen. Any of her loaves crackle perfectly under the bread knife, each slice thick and hearty, woven through with herbs and spices. 

“I would never.”

“Liar,” you mutter, sinking your teeth into the toast.

“So mean,” she says, but she’s smiling.

“Hurry up!” Abe shouts back to you both, her hands cupped over her mouth to unnecessarily amplify herself. 

Yoshikawa ignores her, sauntering along as your fellow students pour past you both. She moves like a river current, languid and flowing, and immoveable from her path. 

“You’re the worst,” Abe tells her a few minutes later, when you’ve finally caught up to her. 

“Uh huh.”

“Don’t ignore me, Yocchan!” 

“I’m not,” Yoshikawa says, holding out the toast again. She always brings enough for all three of you. “You just say it so much that it’s lost all meaning.” 

Abe grumbles, but she snags a piece of toast. It crunches beneath her teeth, a crackling symphony. “This is bribery, you know,” she says through her mouthful, scrunching up her nose. 

Yoshikawa shrugs. 

“C’mon,” you say, poking at them both. “We’re gonna be late.”

Abe links arms with you. Your mark flashes bright with the movement, glimmering like snow in the moonlight, all prismatic ice. 

She hums, shifting her arm just enough that your elbows are interlocked, hiding your mark as she tugs you towards the school gates. “Let’s go then,” she says. 

Yoshikawa falls into step on your other side. She leans over and softly bonks her head against yours, her long hair a veil for you both. You press together for a breath, then she pulls back and links her arm through your other arm as you enter the school grounds.

You make it two whole periods before someone notices. 

It’s Hasegawa, of course, her deep brown eyes going wide as you reach into your bag for your textbook. She says something to her seatmate, and Honda’s eyes snap to you.

You keep arranging your supplies. You set your pencil down next to your notebook and line them up as precisely as you can, nudging it back and forth until it’s perfectly aligned as they whisper to each other. They keep glancing at you until Yoshikawa leans back in her seat and flashes them a razor-edged smile. Honda squeaks, and they both go quiet after that.

But there’s no escaping it. You can feel eyes on you all day, and murmurs follow you everywhere. You barely eat at lunch, pushing the pieces of your bento around as Abe and Yoshikawa crowd you on either side. 

You almost make it to the end of the school day, but then Ueda and Nakajima stop you in the hallway. You bow to your seniors as they look you up and down. 

“We heard you got your soulmark,” Nakajima says, swaying in place just slightly, like kelp caught in a current. “Is it true?”

“Yes,” you say, trying not to fidget with your sleeve.

“When?” Ueda asks, frowning.

“Over the break.”

“Early to be getting your mark,” she muses. She doesn’t have hers yet, you think. Only a handful of people in her year do. 

“They say the earlier the mark manifests, the stronger the soul bond,” Nakajima says. 

It’s a common belief, one of the oldest wives tales there is, but you’ve spent too long listening to your mother. You know better. Still, your stomach twists.

“What does yours say?” Ueda asks.

You bite your tongue; the pain flashes through you like lightning, bright and sharp and bitter. The bitterness lingers, fills your mouth until you have to swallow it down. It stings the whole way. 

Ueda waits.

When you tell her, it feels like each word is being torn from you, as if they’d rooted into your very flesh. 

(You suppose they have.) 

For a breath, Ueda’s face twists. You think of the first hint of rot in ripe fruit, when the scent goes too sweet, a promise of decay. It isn’t the first time you’ve seen jealousy over a mark, but it’s odd to have it directed at you. 

I didn’t ask for this, you want to tell her. I don’t know if I even want this.

“Oh, how lovely,” Nakajima murmurs, moon-eyed. “You’re lucky to have such a devoted soulmate.”

You smile, but you think it’s a poor imitation of one, soured at the edges as it is. “Yeah,” you say, because she’s looking at you expectantly. “I am.”

“Well, congratulations. Right, Machi?”

“Yeah,” Ueda says, flashing you a tight smile. “Congratulations.” 

“Thank you,” you say, the words ash on your tongue. 

Nakajima tilts her head, bird-like, but Yoshikawa comes to your rescue, calling out your name from down the hall. You bid your seniors a quiet goodbye before hurrying to her.

She slings an arm around your shoulders, squeezing lightly. 

“Okay?” she asks.

“Yeah,” you say. “I’m fine.”

She hums her disbelief but leaves you be.

With her by your side, smiling pleasantly and radiating danger, the day passes without anyone else approaching you. Abe joins you again, looking proud of herself in a way that means she caused a problem, and you wonder what you did to deserve both of them. 

They come home with you when school ends, waving to your parents as you head up to your room. You collapse face-down on your bed and Yoshikawa laughs, low and deep and a little bit sad. 

She and Abe curl up around you like cats. They talk about everything and nothing, filling up your room with their presence until you start to go lax against them. They shuffle closer as you do and they’re warm against you, like sunbaked stone. You sink into that warmth and breathe out deeply.

The next few weeks will be filled with questions, with murmurs behind your back, with everything that comes with getting your mark so early. You know that, but there’s one other thing that you know, too.

With them, you know you’ll make it through. 

***

The school year blurs past in a watercolor of seasons. Fall gives way to winter, curling up under the biting cold; spring chases away winter in a riot of color, the sakura buds unfurling as your upperclassmen graduate, each bloom inset into the branches like a little jewel. As summer beckons, the days warming as the promise of rain hangs heavy in the humid air, Kimura gets her mark.

She’s only the third person in your year to get hers and she’s coy about it, wrapping it in a ribbon, the burgundy silk luscious against her skin. It’s as eye-catching as she meant it to be. 

It’s elegant in its own way, though the ribbon wilts slightly as the day goes on, mostly from the way she keeps touching it. She strokes along the ribbon as she talks with her friends. You’re not sure she realizes it.

A few people glance your way, their eyes flickering to your elbow, but their attention is as fleeting as the first snow. Their gazes return to Kimura, to the bruised burgundy of her ribbon.

Something loosens in you, unravels from where it’s been knit tight around your ribs. 

Honda gets hers next, and then Watanabe gets his. 

Slowly, mark after mark comes into being, words unfurling across skin. As more of your classmates receive their marks, yours fades into the background. It becomes common and you sink into that commonality, having long waited for the spotlight on you to cease.

Your mark fades into the background, like a star just after dawn—known only to those who know where to look. You try not to think of it. Sometimes you even succeed.

In your second year of high school, there’s Takao.

He’s a quiet boy. Stoic, even, his face almost stony as he introduces himself as the new transfer student. But he has a dandelion tuft smile, downy soft and fleeting, carried off by the wind not long after it blooms across his lips. 

You like it, his smile. 

You watch Kimura—your class rep, a position she’s held since middle school—get to her feet. Takao is setting up his desk when she approaches, methodically laying out his supplies. He keeps them in neat rows and you can’t help but smile when you see that his eraser is a battered little Keroppi, its round eyes almost flattened into a straight line on one side.

The class’s chatter softens, a few people glancing towards Kimura and Takao. You can’t see her face, but her fingers are trembling, just a bit. He looks unbothered. There’s not a trace of nerves in him, until you realize that the tips of his ears have gone faintly pink.

Kimura’s voice doesn’t carry when she greets him so you don’t hear what she says, but you see the tension bleed from her after Takao speaks. 

Not soulmates, then.

She relaxes, and from the way her hands are moving she’s starting to outline the classroom expectations. You shift in your seat, starting to turn away, when a flash of movement from Takao catches your eye.

He looks at you from beneath the fan of his eyelashes from across the classroom. He has a small spray of fading freckles, you realize, speckled over the bridge of his nose like a cluster of stars. He gives you that smile again. It takes a moment to realize you’re staring, and you look away, your cheeks hot.  

“You’ve got a crush,” Abe sing-songs at lunch a few days later, jabbing her chopsticks into your bento and stealing a piece of pickled daikon. 

“I don’t,” you say, moving your bento away as she tries to steal another piece. 

Yoshikawa snorts. She’s sprawled out on the grass next to you and Abe, her long skirt caught up around her calves. There’s grass caught in her black hair, the verdant blades swaying as she moves, as if floating in the whirling eddies of the darkened sea.  

“If you’re gonna lie,” she says, turning over onto her stomach, “at least do it well.” 

“I’m not lying!”

“Liar.”

“Such a liar,” Abe agrees. “You stare at him all the time.”

“No I don’t!”

Abe’s grin goes sly. “I didn’t say who,” she tells you. 

“I—it doesn’t matter who, I don’t stare at anyone!”

Yoshikawa raises an eyebrow. “So you don’t stare at Takao.” 

You scowl down at the ground, ripping up a small chunk of grass. You rub the blades between your fingers until they’re a fine pulp, and the scent of a freshly mowed lawn permeates the air.

“See?” Abe says. “Told you.”

“Are you going to talk to him?” Yoshikawa asks, peering up at you. She’s sly-eyed, her gaze keen despite the way she yawns. 

“Not yet,” you say. It takes you a moment to realize that you’re cupping a hand over your mark, rubbing your thumb over the thin skin just above it.

Yoshikawa smiles, warm and soft and knowing, and doesn’t say anything else. Instead she moves closer to you, curling around you like a crescent moon, her head padded on her discarded blazer. You settle into the cradle of her.

Abe is grinning wildly. “I knew that you had a crush,” she says, popping another bite of your rice into her mouth. 

“Oh, like we haven’t seen the way you moon over Takeda!” you say.

She shrugs. “She’s cute.” 

You huff and reach over to steal some of her tamagoyaki. She yelps, scrambling to pull her bento away as you snatch at the last piece. “Mean!” she says, watching as you eat it, the fluffy egg practically melting on your tongue. “I want the rest of your daikon!”

“Get your own!”

She reaches for your bento and you swat at her. The two of you bicker for the rest of lunch, only ceasing when you return to the classroom and take your seats.

Out of the corner of your eye, there’s a flicker of movement. When you glance over, Takao is already watching you. There’s a smile tucked sweet into the corner of his mouth, a sliver of a thing. 

It’s you who looks away first.

You’ll talk to him eventually, you think, cupping a hand over your soulmark once again. 

Just not yet.

***

Not yet lasts longer than you thought.

You and Takao trade glances across the classroom for one week, then another, and then another still. Each look is a fleeting thing, like a shooting star streaking across the sky. 

But you don’t speak to each other. 

You learn the sound of his voice through others when he speaks to your classmates and teachers. It’s quiet, steady, with a warm rasp to it that makes you think of billowing smoke. He blushes to the tips of his ears when it cracks. It’s cute in a way that makes you ache.  

You learn the sound of him, but never for yourself.

Still, you gravitate towards each other. He offers you a tangerine one morning, his smile small, soft, and earnest. When you nod he uses his fingernail to split open the peel, unfurling it in a smooth motion. The peel curls bright around his hand. He separates out a segment and gives it to you, his fingertips damp with sticky juice. They leave shy little imprints across your palm. 

The fruit bursts across your tongue like sunshine, golden and warm. Takao is watching you with hopeful eyes. You grin, and hold your hand out for another.

He sits down next to you to share it. The classroom is full of chatter, but the two of you are quiet, wrapped up in your own world. Suddenly, it’s not so much that you’re scared of speaking, but that maybe you don’t quite need it. Not yet.

It would be nice, you suppose, but as time passes, you and Takao find ways to fit together without speaking. Instead, you learn the tilt of his mouth and the crinkle of his nose and the way his fingers run through his hair. 

It works. It’s not quite enough, but it works.

And so not yet lasts just a little bit longer, the two of you steering away from the cliff’s edge looming in the distance. 

Another month goes by. 

You spend hours with Takao, the sight of you together a common thing to the point where your classmates ask you where he is when they’re looking for him. You can usually tell them. You’re incredibly aware of each other, caught in each other’s gravitational pull. 

Sometimes it feels like you’re destined to only orbit each other, to never truly touch. 

But sometimes you almost speak.

It’s a golden afternoon, the wind rustling through the leaves like a lullaby, filling the space between you both. You’re tucked together on one of the benches in the school’s yard watching the flow of students as they head to their clubs. 

Takao is sunstruck, haloed in gold, and it makes his dark eyes even deeper, an obsidian sheen. You’ve seen it before, but there’s still something about it that makes your stomach flip. 

He shakes his head, trying to get his hair out of his eyes. It doesn’t work, and he does it again. You think of a wet dog and try to stifle your laugh. 

When he does it for a third time, you reach out and brush your fingers through his hair, sweeping it back from his face. He turns into the touch, just slightly.

Someone shrieks out a laugh, and you look up to see one of the girls in the other classes batting lightly at her boyfriend. He murmurs something to her, and her smile grows wider. 

Your stomach twists, coiling tight as you watch them banter with each other. The gaps between your ribs seem to grow, until the empty space is what you’re made of. 

You want, you want, you want. 

You wonder if you’ll ever have.

Takao senses your change in mood but you say nothing, and the two of you separate not long after. 

Your father is watering the plants when you come home. They fill the windows of your home, the sun streaming through the verdant leaves, leaving emerald patches of light on the floor, nature’s stained glass. 

He’s quietly humming to himself, each note off-key, but he stops as soon as he sees you. He eyes you for a moment. 

“What’s wrong?” he asks.

“Nothing,” you say.

“You were better at lying when you were little,” he tells you.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Now what’s wrong?”

You tell him. It spills out of you like an oil slick, coating everything it touches. You tell him about Takao, about the silence, about it all. You hadn’t realized how much the quiet was eating away at your bones. 

“So what is it, exactly, that you’re worrying about?” your father asks when you’ve finished. It’s a sharp question, razor-edged, but his eyes are soft.

“What if he’s not my soulmate?” you ask him.

He blinks. “Does that change how you feel about him?”

You take a moment to consider. You think of Takao’s smile, and the way his fingers linger against the palm of your hand when he hands you the erasers to clap; the way he lets you take pieces of his bento, all without a word. 

“No,” you say. “I don’t think so.”

“There you go, then.”

“But if he’s not my soulmate—”

“You know the statistics as well as I do,” he says.  “If Takao isn’t your soulmate, that doesn’t mean you can’t be with him.”

“They’re waiting,” you whisper.

“That doesn’t mean you have to,” he says gently. “You’re allowed to make your own choice.” 

You’re not sure that you are.

“What if he is my soulmate?”

Your father puts down the watering can. You see a flash of his soulmark. It’s blackened, a charred smudge against his skin, and when you glance up at his face, there’s something old in his expression. For a breath, you don’t know him at all.

It’s gone as soon as it came, like a shadow beneath the summer sun. He smiles at you. “Then your mom and I will have to meet him, won’t we?”

You balk. 

He laughs, a sound that shimmers in the air. “I’m joking, tadpole,” he says. “And if he is—you’ll figure it out. There’s no point in guessing before you even know.” 

You fidget with your sleeve, rubbing your thumb over the fraying hem of it. 

There are worse things than losing something you never had, you think.

“Okay,” you say. “Okay.”

But things are easier said than done.

It’s not easy, not with Takao. It’s hard to find the words when you’ve spent so much time living in the space between them. 

You find yourself on the rooftop with him during lunch. It’s unseasonably warm, thick puffy clouds sitting high in a robin’s egg blue sky, and you’re sitting side-by-side, close enough to touch. Close enough, but not quite.

Takao hands you some anpan; you give him one of your onigiri, peeling the packaging open for him. He nudges against you, a silent thank you, and something in you breaks. 

“This is stupid,” you blurt out, loud enough that a few heads turn your way.

You clap your hand over your mouth immediately. 

He blinks, staring at you with his lips parted, and your cheeks start to heat. And then he laughs, the sound like woodfire smoke, billowing out of him in low, slow tones. It sweeps over you, settles on your skin, and though your cheeks heat more the sight of him sparks something in you. 

He laughs freely and warmly, his eyes crinkling at the edges. It doesn’t stop; if anything, it flows more strongly, like a river to the ocean. You find yourself swept up in it, laughter bubbling up inside you. 

When it spills out of you and joins his, it sounds like a song. 

“I cannot believe that’s what you said,” he says, and oh, you’ve ached to hear his voice when it was meant for you. You drink it in, swallow it down, something for you alone. “Of all the things.”

He laughs again, short and sharp with delight, but your smile is wilting, going brittle at the edges.

You finally have Takao, only to lose him a moment later.

You’re not soulmates. 

***

It changes things. 

You don’t mean for it to happen, but it does. Suddenly, the language between the two of you is different. Too used to speaking without words, neither of you are prepared for actual speech. You stumble over conversation, the words caught in your mouths like pebbles in a wave, spinning over and over until they’re worn down to nothing. 

“You’ll figure it out,” Abe says, lounging upside down on your bed, tapping away at her controller, her brow furrowed as she smashes at the buttons. “You just gotta adjust, that’s all.” 

You sigh. It’s not something you can explain, really. How one space was filled and another emptied. It leaves something in you aching. 

Yoshikawa hums from where she’s sprawled on your floor, barely paying attention to the tv as she hits combo after combo, much to Abe’s annoyance. “Soulmate stuff is weird,” she says. “But it’s up to you.”

“It’s up to him, too,” you remind her. “Not everyone wants to date someone who isn’t their soulmate.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about that.” 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Abe says. “He likes you. It’s kinda gross how much.”

Your cheeks heat. “Shut up.”

She sticks her tongue out at you. “Make me.” 

You throw a pillow at her face, relishing her little yelp as she tries to scramble out of the way and almost falls off your bed. 

“Brat,” she says, tossing the pillow back. “He does, though. Like you.”

“I know,” you say, something vast filling you.

“Is this about the waiting thing?” Yoshikawa asks, putting down her controller and turning to face you. She hooks her chin over your knee, looking up at you with knowing eyes. 

You bite at your bottom lip. 

You know the rates better than anyone; you’ve spent your whole childhood hearing a language all its own. Percentages, probabilities, and all manners of complicated academic jargon, all focused on stripping away the whimsy of soulmates. 

Your mother has only ever wanted to understand. But in that coveting, that hunger, she pressed understanding upon you as well, until you’re caught up in yourself, a tangled skein, so knotted that the beginning can barely be found. 

“What if I do meet them?” you ask. “And they really have been waiting?”

Yoshikawa hums; it reverberates through you. “Dunno,” she says. “But what if you don’t meet them?”

You glare. “Thanks, that’s helpful.” 

“Yeah, Yocchan,” Abe pipes up. “Super helpful.”

Yoshikawa tosses another pillow at her. “I don’t see you offering anything!”

“I already said it’ll be fine!” 

“No you didn’t.”

“Yes, I did!” 

You laugh, the sound light but loud. Your friends pause, looking incredibly pleased with themselves. 

“Oh good,” Abe says. “You’re back.” 

“What do you mean?” you ask.

“Nothing,” she says, but you think there’s a bit of sadness to her, in the waning moon of her smile. “Are you gonna play with us now?” 

She shoves a controller at you and you take it with a huff. “Get ready to lose,” you tell her.

“What else is new?” Yoshikawa asks, moving away from you to grab her own controller again.

“Shut up, Yocchan,” Abe says, scowling. “You’re the worst.”

“Love you too.” 

You ignore them both to pick your character, but you can’t help the smile that plays across your lips as they continue to argue with each other. Abe curls herself around you, sticking her tongue out at Yoshikawa. You shift to give her room and your mark catches the light, reflects it back like morning dew. 

For a moment you stare down at the words that have already changed your life so much. Sometimes you wonder how much more they can take from you.

“It’s my choice,” you say. You freeze, not having meant to say it out loud, but Yoshikawa just hums, settling warm on your other side

“Yeah,” she says with a little hum. “It is.” 

But it isn’t just your choice.

You can’t quite understand Takao’s smile anymore. The nuances are lost in the space between the two of you, a language half-forgotten. The structure is there, but you’ve lost some of the words. 

You can’t quite understand his choice, either.

“I’m sorry,” he tells you, a scant few weeks after you realize you aren’t soulmates. The tips of his ears are pink, the color of the early dawn, and his eyes are glassy. “It’s just that—”

“We’re not soulmates,” you finish for him. Your heart is thrumming behind your ribs, a hummingbird battering against its cage. “Right?”

He winces. “Yeah.”

“I didn’t think it would matter.”

Maybe you should have known that it would.

He winces again; his hands tighten on the strap of his school bag. He stares at you, looking helpless, and you hate that you want to cradle his face in your hands. That you want to make it better for him. 

“It—”

He cuts himself off. His lip trembles, wobbling like a spinning top, and it comes to you all at once. It’s written in the space between you, in a language you’ve both been speaking for months, one that’s all your own.

Takao’s lying.

“Tell me the truth,” you demand, clenching your fists. 

He looks away. “We’re not soulmates,” he says. “That’s all there is to it.”

“Liar.”

“Please don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” he says. “Please.”

“Then tell me the truth.”

“I’m telling you the truth.”

“Fine,” you say. “Fine.” 

When you walk away, he doesn’t come after you. 

***

You hide yourself away among the hydrangea bushes that line the library, settling yourself in a sea of powder-blue petals. You curl up, pulling your knees up against your chest, and cry quietly until your uniform skirt is damp. 

“Well, that’s not good,” Abe says.

You glance up to see her and Yoshikawa leaning over the hydrangea bushes, looking down at you with tender expressions. You immediately cry harder, starting to sob aloud.

“Oh shit,” Abe says, pushing through the puffball clusters of flowers and dropping to her knees beside you. “Don’t cry, don’t cry, it’s okay.” 

“Takao?” Yoshikawa asks.

You nod. 

She smiles, sharp and mean. “Abe, stay with her. I’ll be back.”

You shoot to your feet, grabbing her by her uniform sleeve before she can take off. “No!” you yelp. “No, Asako, don’t do anything!”

“Why not? He made you cry.” 

“He just—it’s okay.”

“It’s not.” 

“He doesn’t want to be with someone who isn’t his soulmate,” you say softly. “That’s…he’s allowed to make that choice.”

She clicks her tongue. “He didn’t strike me as the type.”

“Me either,” you mumble. “I think he’s lying.”

“Why would he lie?” Abe asks, tilting her head.

“Don’t know,” you say. “But it just…it just seemed like he was. Please leave him alone.”

You don’t know how to explain it. You’re not sure you can. It’s a strange little language, the language that forms between two people who haven’t spoken to each other, and you’re not sure anyone who hasn’t created that language between themselves and another could even begin to understand the alphabet of it. 

Yoshikawa hums; her sly eyes are narrowed, the deep brown of them darkened to almost black. “Fine. But if he makes you cry again, all bets are off.”

“Yeah,” Abe says, nudging you up to your feet. “And we know where you hide, so no point in trying to keep it from us!”

Your laugh is watery, but it’s light as it leaves your lips. 

Abe loops her arm through yours. “Let’s go,” she says. “It’s lunchtime and Yoshikawa has a good bento today.”

“And it’s not for you,” Yoshikawa says lazily, stuffing her hands in her pocket as the three of you start to walk. “So don’t even try it.” 

You laugh again and they bicker all the way to the classroom. You’re in the middle of grabbing your own bento when you feel eyes on you and when you look up, Takao startles, looking away quickly. You bite your lip as the tips of his ears go pink once more. 

He glances at you again, and his eyes linger on your face. When his lips curl down into a small frown, you realize he knows you’ve been crying. He looks away as the twist of his lips goes pained. 

Yoshikawa steps in front of you, blocking your view of him. “C’mon,” she says softly, chivving you towards her desk where Abe is already sitting. “Let’s go.”

You follow her after one last glance in Takao’s direction. 

It develops into a routine over the next few weeks. You get used to the feeling of eyes on you all over again. Takao’s gaze feels silken against your skin, and though you shouldn’t, you bask in it. Maybe you’re too used to it; it reminds you of the beginning, when all you had was fleeting looks and quiet gazes. 

But now he looks away every time you look up, though his ears always give him away. 

Still, there’s a comfort to it. It doesn’t go away, even as you simply circle around each other, caught in each other’s orbit once more. This time, at least, you know that you’ll stay this way. 

Except two months after you go your separate ways, you’re assigned to work on a project together.

Your hurt has waned; it’s a healing bruise, now, only flaring to life when you press on it. The hopeful look on Takao’s face barely even causes an ache. You stay in your seat, but he gets to his feet and comes to you as the teacher leaves.

“Hi,” Takao says, fidgeting with the strap of his school bag. “I’m—if you want to switch partners to someone else, I understand.”

“Do you want to switch partners?” you ask.

“Not really,” he blurts out, and this time, his blush is bright, the apples of his cheeks dusted in heated red. “I mean, no. I don’t.”

“Okay,” you say slowly. It feels nice, somehow, looking at him, at his small, timid smile and the way the sun catches golden on his skin. “I guess I’m fine with it.”

“Okay,” he says. “Okay, I’m—I’m glad.”

“Let’s talk after clubs,” you say. “We can figure out our topic then.” 

He nods. He stands there for a moment; it’s only when you raise an eyebrow that he jolts and heads back to his desk. When you look over, he’s got his hands pressed against his face. You think you see him mutter “idiot” to himself.

The smile tugs on your lips without you even realizing it. 

***

“I miss you,” Takao says, fifteen minutes into your third project session. “I miss you so much.” 

You go stiff. 

The project has gone well so far. You’ve found yourself falling into easy communication with Takao, but you’ve kept it strictly to the project, rarely going into your lives outside of school. Still, it’s easy in a way it hasn’t been in a while. You find yourself smiling, and sometimes he even makes you laugh. 

“Okay,” you say, sounding wooden even to yourself. “I—I don’t know what you want me to say to that.” 

He winces. “You don’t have to say anything,” he says.

You mean to say okay, but what you say instead is—

“I miss you too.”

Takao blinks. And then a smile is spreading across his lips, slow like the dawn and just as warm. “Really?” he asks.

Your cheeks heat, but you nod. 

“Do you think we can be friends?” he asks, almost shy.

You bite your lip. “I think…I think we can try.” 

“I’d like that,” he says softly. “I’d really like that.”

You smile at him, slow and sure. “Me too.”

He smiles back, and the two of you turn back to your project.

You find that it takes time to learn how to be friends with Takao. It’s not like Abe and Yoshikawa with the fluid ease of childhood friends, forged by years and years at each other’s sides, memory after memory built into a firm foundation. Nor is it like your other friends.

Takao seems to inhabit a space all his own. Maybe he always will. It seems right that he would; it doesn’t surprise you that he carved himself a place in your world without even trying. 

It takes time. Eventually, even Abe and Yoshikawa warm up to him, until the four of you are spending summer nights together, popsicles melting down your fingers in the heat. You laugh through sticky lips and sit side-by-side despite the heat.

It feels good to have him back in your life, and high school goes by in a whirlwind of seasons, the years melting together until you graduate. He’s by your side when you do ,along with Yoshikawa and Abe, the four of you taking pictures on the school lawn surrounded by your peers. 

The four of you spend as much time as you can together before you head off to college, just a few scant weeks after graduating. 

It’s easy with Yoshikawa and Abe; the three of you are woven together, a tapestry of home. College is just another stitch, with the three of you attending the same one. You find a cute apartment just off campus, in a slightly worn building with wisteria dripping down the sides like honey. Yoshikawa and Abe like to hang laundry from the balcony; they says it comes back with a floral scent. The dishwasher is broken more often than not, the rooms are tiny, and you love it. So do they, and the three of you build a home together.

With Takao, it’s harder. You drift away from each other in college, pressed in on all sides by classes, studying, and local friends. It feels hard to find the time to breathe, let alone text Takao anything other than a fleeting check-in or a picture of something that reminded you of him.

Unlike before, it feels natural. It isn’t without its edges but they’re dulled, so that they press against your skin instead of cut. He simply fades from your everyday life until the ding of his text message is a surprise instead of a given. 

When he walks back into your life in your third year of college, it’s like getting hit by a lightning bolt.

***

The izakaya is tucked away at the edge of the city, sandwiched between two small apartment buildings that have ivy spidering up the side of them. You watch as a sheet billows on a clothesline, rippling like water, the clothespins holding firm despite the strong breeze. 

The fat tabby lazing on the edge of the izakaya steps doesn’t even lift its head to look at you. It’s sheltered under a verdant fern frond, part of the little forest of plants clustered around the entrance. Some of the plants are spilling out of their pots, sprawling out in great clusters of leaves, the tiny flowers dotted in them barely visible in the light of the nearby vending machine. 

You crouch down by the cat unable to resist, and it blinks itself awake slowly, turning slate gray eyes your way. It sniffs at your knuckles when you reach out to it. It rubs its cheek against your hand once, and then gets to its feet, stretching mightily as your friends laugh from just inside the entrance. You try to pet it again but it pointedly turns away and curls up again under the frond, further in than before, a little forest deity hidden amid lush scenery. 

You stare at it for a moment longer, looking at how its cheeks squish up against its paws. 

“Pouting doesn’t affect Momo,” someone behind you says.

You look up, and then go still.

“Hi,” Takao says, warm like the early morning sun. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too,” you say, as if he hasn’t knocked the breath from you. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been good. You?”

“Are we really going to do this?” you ask, standing up from your awkward crouch. 

He smiles, and you think he might be swallowing down a laugh. “Do what?”

You scowl at him. “You know what,” you say. “The small talk.”

“It’s polite.”

“Is that your main concern? Politeness?”

This time, he does laugh, low and sweet. “No,” he says, his eyes glittering. “You are.”

Your cheeks heat. “You can’t just say that.”

“Just did,” he says. “Are—are you here by yourself?”

“With friends.”

“Do you think I could steal you away for a drink?”

“Yeah,” you say softly. “I think you can.” 

He smiles at you. “Good.”

He ushers you into the izakaya. It’s warm inside despite the open windows, and the scent of fried food lingers in the air. People’s chatter fills the room up to the rafters, little laughs peppered in like champagne sounds, little pops of joy. There’s another cat curled up on a barstool tucked away in a corner, a ball of white fluff that makes you think of dandelions. 

Yoshikawa sees you first; when she sees Takao behind you, she raises a single elegant brow before turning back to your group of friends. She says something with a lazy roll of her shoulders, and suddenly, all of your friends are trying very hard to not look at the entrance. 

“Oh my god,” you mutter.

Takao laughs, the huff of air stirring against your nape. “They’re pretty obvious,” he says. “Should we go say hi?” 

“Later,” you say.

He follows you to the bar. He’s close, and under the scent of fried food you can make out the faintest hint of his woodsy cologne. 

You sit side by side, close enough to feel each other’s warmth but without touching. The bartender brings you your beers, and you look to Takao as he taps the neck of his bottle against yours. 

“It’s so good to see you,” he breathes, his dark eyes soft.

“Yeah,” you say. “It is.” 

One drink turns into two until you’re both sliding closer to each other in your seat, pressing into each other’s sides. You barely keep yourself from curling into him. He leans in close when you’re speaking, so that his voice is rumbling low in your ear. 

You share some takoyaki and then one of the biggest okonomiyaki you’ve ever seen, the pancake stuffed to the brim with filling and heavily topped. When the food arrives, so does the white cat, meowing quietly at your feet as it winds its way around the rungs of your barstool. Takao holds you steady when you lean down to pet it, his hand firm on your lower back. 

By your third beer, Yoshikawa and the rest of your friend group leaves. She gives you a little wave on her way out the door. 

“Sorry,” Takao says. “I didn’t mean to take up your whole night.” 

“It’s okay,” you say. “It’s been…really nice.”

“Just nice?”

“Great,” you admit. “It’s been great.”

He smiles, and it’s that same dandelion fluff smile you remember, sweet and fleeting. 

“Good,” he says, taking a sip from his beer. You watch the way his forearm flexes. “Listen, do you want to meet up again?”

“Yeah, I would.”

His eyes crinkle. “Great,” he says.

You bite down on your smile. 

The two of you finish your beers between lazy chatter. It’s comfortable, as if you never fell out of touch. 

When you leave, Takao waits as you pet the white cat once more, delicately bumping your knuckles against its cheek as it rumbles out a purr. It meows pitifully when you stop, opening its blue, blue eyes with a disgruntled look on its face, and you laugh to yourself, kneeling to give it a few more pets. 

You look for the tabby as you exit the izakaya but it’s gone, likely curled up amid some of the planters further back. You and Takao both stop at the sidewalk, carefully making sure you’re out of the way of any pedestrians, and for a moment, you just look at each other.

“See you soon?” Takao asks.

“Yeah,” you say. “See you soon.” 

“Good,” he breathes, with his eyes so soft that it makes your cheeks warm. 

You say goodbye, and each of you heads home. When you glance back Takao is already looking back at you from the street corner. You give him a little wave, and he jolts before hurrying off.

You smile your whole way home.

***

“It’s so hot,” you complain, flopping down next to Takao on the park bench. “Can we go to the conbini?”

“Popsicles?” he asks.

“No, I want onigiri.”

He raises a brow. “How does that help with the heat?”

“It doesn’t,” you tell him. “The aircon does.”

He laughs. “Oh, of course.” 

You head to the closest conbini, practically swimming through the humid summer air. The air is so thick that you could cut it; there’s rain on the horizon, promised in the encroaching gray-blue clouds hanging low in the sky. 

Inside it’s blessedly cool, the aircon hard at work. The two of you scour the aisles, picking out varying snacks and pointing out new flavors to each other—you try to make him buy a cream stew Gari Gari Kun popsicle, but he refuses—before you head to the cashier.

You settle in at one of the tables, opening your drink as Takao unwraps one of your onigiri, handing it to you before he busies himself with his own food. He gives you a little swat when you reach out for his snacks, making you retract your hand with a laugh. As you pull back, you wonder when the two of you fell back into rhythm.

It’s close to the one you had in high school, but not the same. There’s something new twining through the rhythm, a swirl of notes that resonates through you. It’s an easy flow, a soft ebb and tide, like the calmest of seas. 

“Hey,” Takao says gently. 

“Hmm?”

“Where did you go, just then?” 

You blink and take a sip of your peach tea. It lingers sweet on your tongue as you meet his stoic gaze. His mouth tilts, just slightly, something tucked up secret in the corner of his soft lips. 

For a moment, you just look at him. He meets your gaze easily; he lets you look your fill, as patient as ever.

“Sorry,” you say. “Nowhere important.” 

“Okay.”

You shake your head. “You’re so—” you break off.

“I’m so?”

You bite at your lip. “You,” you say. “You’re so you.”

His smile is small, but it grows, as steady and sure as the sun’s rise.

“I hope so,” he says, almost flippant, but there’s something soft in his gaze; it brushes over you like silk.

“Shut up,” you tell him.

He just laughs, quiet and low.

The two of you chat as you eat, talking about Yoshikawa’s upcoming art show at a trendy new gallery. You’ve been waiting patiently ever since the curator first picked her up as a featured artist. It’ll be nice to go with Takao, for the four of you to be side-by-side again, something that’s becoming as constant as it was in your high school days. 

When you’re finished Takao takes all the wrappers and folds them up neatly, creasing them until they’re practically origami. You bite down on your smile.

The summer air rolls over you as you step back into it, licking across your skin as only wet heat can. You shudder with it. 

Still you meander through the nearby park, ducking beneath low-hanging branches hanging heavy with fruit, the citrus of them permeating the air. It’s quiet, with just the distant shouts of the playground and the whisper of the leaves in the stirring breeze to accompany you both. 

You find yourself at the koi pond without meaning to and Takao wordlessly heads to the food meter as you settle yourself on the rock wall that edges the pond. The surface ripples, orange and gold scales muted in the murky water like a sunset covered by clouds. You trail your fingertips over the surface, and giggle as they mouth at them. 

Takao presses some feed into your palm when he comes back; the heat of him lingers there. Your mark glimmers in the light as you toss in the feed, a needlepoint flash of silver. You can feel Takao’s eyes on it. But then the koi come up in great, arcing splashes, the quiet pond roiling like the angry sea in their fervor, and you laugh as you dodge the worst of it.

Takao chuckles, and he settles down next to you to hand you the last of the feed.

You curl into him despite the heat, skin against skin, a slick slide of a touch before you fall still. The koi are still churning up the water, their gaping mouths breaking through the surface, and you give them what they want. Scales flicker by, a mesmerizing firework show caught beneath the surface, and so it catches you off guard when Takao suddenly says—

“I’m sorry.” 

You go still.

“For what?”

He shifts beside you; when you glance at him, he’s staring into the distance, his dark eyes caught on something that only he can see.

“For high school.”

You breathe out through your nose. “So you’ve said.”

“I was scared.”

“So you’ve said,” you repeat.

He glances at you, then, and his eyes remind you of the vastness of the unending night sky, dark and glittering.

“I’m not scared anymore.” 

You suck in a sharp breath. He waits, ever patient.

“Me neither,” you say, curling your pinky around his, twining around him like thread. 

He cups your cheek, his touch almost reverent, and presses his forehead to yours. “Okay?” he asks.

“Okay,” you breathe.

He leans in and kisses you. It’s careful and sweet.

It feels like coming home.

He breaks the kiss when you’ve stolen each other’s breath away.

 “Our soulmates—” he starts.

“It doesn’t matter,” you say breathlessly, kissing him again. He’s smiling against your lips.  Warmth floods you. You love him, you love him, you love him. That’s all there is. That’s all you need. 

“It doesn’t matter,” you say again.

He presses his forehead against yours. “You’re right,” he says. “It doesn’t.”

Until suddenly, it does.

***

You and your soulmate—Shinsuke, you think, still tasting the honey of it on your tongue, Shinsuke Shinsuke Shinsuke—watch each other. 

The only sound is the steady fall of the rain. 

It’s picked up again, sending the hydrangeas eddying, spinning in a lazy current as their puffball blossoms catch the droplets. More petals flutter to the ground. The blue of them is stark against the dirt, and you think of what a storm leaves in its wake.

Shinsuke lets out a deep, slow breath, and you wince. His amber eyes have dimmed and the last of his smile has washed away, leaving just the dregs of emotion behind, too faint for you to read. 

You feel too small for your skin; your heart is fluttering, a hummingbird thing, trying to press through the gaps in your ribcage. You take in a shallow breath. It tastes of the earth, of drenched soil and summer heat. You choke on it. 

Shinsuke’s brow furrows as you take in another breath, even shallower than the last, and your heart is thrumming, and his eyes are so sharp, so knowing, so kind. You’re caught in the amber of them, the resin of his gaze pouring over you. 

Even the rain seems quiet now. 

His lips part.

Your ribs start to crack; your heart thumps harder against them. Too strong, too fast, too loud. 

His lips part, and you do the only thing you can.

“I’m sorry,” you gasp.

You run.

[akela-nakamura]

Fic Stats Game

Rules: Give us the links to your fic with the most hits, second most kudos, third most comments, fourth most bookmarks, fifth most words, and fic with the least words.

Most Hits: We're Longing for Daylight - A DPxDC fic in which Jason discovers Tim has been affected by an unknown malady that has put most of Gotham to sleep. Jason, guided by a thin thread of connection, goes to his own grave to find answers. (Complete)

Second Most Kudos: Lock the Last Open Door - A DPxDC fic in which Tucker escapes an Amity Park under siege. He finds himself in Gotham, and manages to get Batman to agree to help. Batman soon discovers that Amity Park doesn't exist, not unless one goes digging. They make it to Amity Park in time for things to go to bad to worse. Mind the tags! (Ongoing)

Third Most Comments: We're Running for Midnight - A sequel to We're Longing for Daylight. Jason's just getting used to the whole halfa thing when he's attacked by men in white suits. He's not the only halfa in danger, though, and soon things spiral out of control.

Fourth Fifth Most Bookmarks: Fumbling (The real fourth most was We're Running for Midnight, so I dropped it down one). A Fairy Tail fic featuring Natsu/Gray in a soulmate AU. A sweet one shot with ridiculous boys.

Fifth Most Words: To Quench the Fire (Sometimes You've Got to Bleed - An ATLA fic set in an AU where the Fire Nation starts a rebellion after word of Prince Zuko's horrific banishment is spread amongst the people.

Least Words: With Nimble Feet - A Fairy Tail featuring Levy and a thunderstorm and a lot of personal introspection. At 1,000 words it's the shortest thing I have ever posted lol.

Tagging whomever would like to do it. All function went to getting links lol. Thank you @summerssixecho for the tag <3

[miyamorana]

Miya’s 2023 Fanfic Recs Part 2

Here are all the cool, complete fics I’ve read this year. Separated into 5 posts because there’s nearly a hundred of them.

PART 2: OTHER ANIMES AND CARTOONS (20)

Avatar the Last Airbender (1)

Fullmetal Alchemist (1)

Haikyuu!! (13)

Jujutsu Kaisen (2)

Sk8 the Infinity (1)

Voltron: Legendary Defender (2)

Part 1: Boku no Hero Academia (33) Part 3: Television (16) Part 4: Video Games, Movies and Books (16) Part 5: Crossovers (11)

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender Title: hey, isn’t this easy Author: WitchofEndor Pairing: Sokka/Zuko, Aang/Katara Rating: Teen Word Count: 20,649 Summary: Zuko doesn’t have time to deal with pressure for an arranged marriage, especially since he isn’t even sure he likes women that way. (A realisation that has absolutely nothing to do with Ambassador Sokka - shut up, Suki.) Katara and Aang have broken up again, and the Northern Water Tribe are pushing for a match between the North and South. Which leads Zuko and Katara to develop a genius, foolproof, only slightly drunken plan: they can pretend to date for the length of Katara’s stay in the palace, giving them both a brief reprieve from political pressures on their love lives. What could go wrong?

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist Title: Serenade Author: akaparalian Pairing: Edward Elric/Roy Mustang Rating: General Word Count: 3,271 Summary: There’s no hurry to return to reality tonight, Roy thinks, laying his cheek against Ed’s head. For now, it feels just right to stay like this — the two of them, alone together, with a promise of forever ringing in both of their heads.

Fandom: Haikyuu!! Title:Strings Attached Author: pancakewars Pairing: Semi Eita/Tendou Satori Rating: Explicit Word Count: 6,128 Summary: Tendou doesn’t know whether Eita considers them friends after he accidentally spikes a ball at Eita’s face, but their arrangement sure as hell has benefits.

Fandom: Haikyuu!! Title: no matter what they tell you Author: Slumber Pairing: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu Rating: Teen Word Count: 9,817 Summary: “But how do you know when it’s real or not?” Atsumu presses Hinata, frowning. “What if you’re not in love, what if you’re just infatuated?” “Hah!” Osamu says from the kitchen. “Like that’s ever stopped you from accepting someone’s confession when they’re the only ones who’ve rung your Love Alarm!” “You don’t know if feelings can develop from that!” Atsumu argues, turning to the rest of the table to see if anyone would back him up on this. “Love’s about chances, right?” In a world where an app that can tell you when someone loves you, all Atsumu wants is to be told he’s in love with someone who loves him back.

Fandom: Haikyuu!! Title: eventually you’ll see Author: Slumber Pairing: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu Rating: Teen (Part 2 is Explicit) Word Count: 3,251 Series: Part 1 of atsuhina age swap au (Words: 23,415 - Works: 2) Summary: There is no way out of this. Atsumu’s in line for a postgame meet-and-greet like one of those idol fans, only it’s for volleyball players so is that worse? better?, clutching a HINATA 21 jersey so it could get signed. He’d hesitated, ya know? Thought maybe, oh, what if he’d picked Iizuna’s jersey instead, he’s on the team and actually a setter, even, wouldn’t that have made more sense? In which high schooler Atsumu develops a crush on pro volleyball player Hinata.

Fandom: Haikyuu!! Title: glitter & gold Author: comehomenezumi Pairing: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu Rating: General Word Count: 10,331 Summary: What I saw on the stage that night was something no one else could see. You know what that means, right? Your color is gold, Atsumu-san. Even the fates think of you as their star. Miya Atsumu is a rising star among idols—at least, that’s what Natsu told Shoyo as she begged him to take her to his concert when her friend bailed. As Shoyo gazes upon the stage that night, eyes drawn to the glimmering golden trail Atsumu leaves behind with each step he takes, Shoyo comes to realize that his soulmate and Miya Atsumu are one and the same.

Fandom: Haikyuu!! Title: Sleeping Together (in the euphemistic sense) Author: Esselle Pairing: Kageyama Tobio/Ushijima Wakatoshi Rating: Explicit Word Count: 5,341 Summary: “Kageyama Tobio,” Wakatoshi said. In the seat across from him, his setter looked up from where he’d been glaring at the menu. “I should inform you—I invited you to dinner in order to seduce you.” “Oh,” Kageyama said. He folded the menu to give Wakatoshi his full attention. It reminded Wakatoshi of the moments just before he decided who to toss to during a game. “Thank you for telling me.” – No one is more surprised than Ushijima and Kageyama to realize that they are, in fact, dating.

Fandom: Haikyuu!! Title: Better Late Than Never Author: Esselle Pairing: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio/Sugawara Koushi Rating: Explicit Word Count: 8,054 Series: Part 1 of Better Late Than Never (Words: 22,620 - Works: 5) Summary: ’ “Excuse me,” Shouyou says, sounding frustrated. “When exactly did Kageyama get all sexy?” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Tobio demands. “You used to be all weird and awkward and now you’re like all—guh and unnngh and stuff!” “I have never made either of those sounds in my life,” Tobio deadpans. “Yes, you have,” Koushi says. Tobio scowls. ’ – Four years after Koushi graduates, two years after he and Tobio started putting together the puzzle that is their relationship, the last piece finally falls into place.

Fandom: Haikyuu!! Title: First, Last Author: boomturkey Pairing: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi Rating: Explicit Word Count: 8,199 Summary: Atsumu and Sakusa find out that Hinata has been telling little white lies about how experienced he is. They are determined to find something they can finally be first at when it comes to Hinata.

Fandom: Haikyuu!! Title: A Time Like Eternity Starts To Move Author: hgowff Pairing: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu Rating: Mature Word Count: 14,432 Summary: With the death of their parents, Shouyou gave up his future career to focus on looking after Natsu. Years later, Onigiri Miya Sendai is opening up and Niiyama Girls Volleyball Club has a pair of new coaches, one being a burned out V League pro trying to find his love of volleyball once more.

Fandom: Haikyuu!! Title: when you smile Author: Slumber Pairing: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu Rating: Explicit Word Count: 2,443 Summary:

“Beach volleyball?” Atsumu echoes, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah,” another guy says, nodding toward the first guy who spoke. “You can pair up with Hinata over here. You don’t need to know how to play—he needs the training, anyway.”

In a world where Inarizaki never faced Karasuno at the Interhigh, Atsumu and Hinata run into each other at a beach in Okinawa, and a summer fling ensues.

Fandom: Haikyuu!!Title: Beach House Author: spideywhiteys  Pairing: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu Rating: Explicit Word Count: 7669 Summary: Atsumu falls in love with Shouyou the same way he falls in love with volleyball. Immediately, suddenly, and obsessively. It just takes him a lot longer to accept, especially in a world where loving a man could end his career.

So he loves in secret, in the remote quiet of his head and over the long distance separating him and Hinata Shouyou, a man who probably doesn’t think of Atsumu at all. He dreams of a future he’s not sure he can ever have.

Or: Atsumu pines for five years.

Fandom: Haikyuu!!Title: royal regalia Author: celestialshellfish Pairing: Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru Rating: Explicit Word Count: 2,939 Summary: Oikawa cannot believe this shit.

Okay, okay. Actually, he can. Because Kageyama Tobio is the exact type of clueless jock to show up to a wedding in an Adidas tracksuit.

Fandom: Haikyuu!!Title: Atsumu’s Courtship for Dummies Author: spideywhiteys Pairing: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu Rating: General Audiences Word Count: 1,604 Summary: Secret Prince Atsumu has been running from responsibility for a while now. Since leaving Inarizaki, he’s grown as a person—as a Prince. But before he can admit to himself that he’s ready to return, he needs to admit his feelings to someone who matters a little more.

Fandom: Haikyuu!!Title: i’ll promise you a moment Author: spideywhiteys Pairing: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu Rating: General Audiences Word Count: 2929 Summary: Soulmates are….weird, Shouyou thinks. It’s not really like in the movies at all.

Fandom: Jujutsu Kaisen Title: My Cute Student Needs Help... And I'm A Hands-On Teacher! Author: benicemurphy Pairing: Fushiguro Megumi/Gojo Satoru Rating: Explicit Word Count: 5,089 Summary:  Three times Gojo tries to teach Megumi a lesson, and one time Megumi nails it on the first try.

Fandom: Jujutsu KaisenTitle: when heaven’s a mindset away Author: bitadori (mochirou) Pairing: Itadori Yuuji/Sukuna | Ryoumen Sukuna Rating: Explicit Word Count: 3445 Summary: Itadori wakes up in Sukuna’s domain after passing out from fever. But the curse is nowhere to be found, leaving the entire room unnervingly silent. So where the hell is he?

Fandom: Sk8 the Infinity Title: Serious Author: benicemurphy Pairing: Hasegawa Langa/Shindo Ainosuke Rating: Teen Word Count: 3,007 Summary:  Nanako comes home early from a trip and is very surprised by what she finds there.

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Title: Observations in Xenobotany Author: akaparalian Pairing: Keith/Shiro Rating: Teen Word Count: 8,333 Summary: Shiro and Keith take an impromptu vacation mission to a lush planet with a reputation for hospitality, and over a decade of mutual pining finally comes to a head.

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Title: In the Stolen Silence of Sunset Author:breakaway71 Pairings: Keith/Lance, Acxa/Veronica Rating: General Word Count: 634 Summary: A moment shared with a friend, years after the war.

[mysterylreader]

October Prompt list

Here is my list of prompts for kinktober and flufftober. Here’s hoping I can get them all done in October. Wish me luck.

Kinktober

* Body Modification Piercing/Tattoo (RenjixByakuya) Byakuya loves Renji’s tattoos wants to leave his own mark

* Rimming (Gojo x Nanami) Nanami likes to tease Gojo

* Bukkake | Sex Toys | Spanking (Adam X Tadashi) Naughty time at the office

* Praise Kink (Erza x Jellal) Reminding Jellal he’s good

* Public Sex | Gangbang | Voyeurism | Exhibitionism (Connor x Hank) Fuck doll

* Temperature Play (Natsu x Lucy x Gray) Natsu and Gray balance out their temps during sex with Lucy

* Uniform (Athena x Bobby) The one scene from when May walks in on them but a new time

* Masturbation (Kojiro X Sohma) Sohma has a crush and is horny

* Double penetration (Momo x Shoto x Endeavor) Momo has a thing for Endeavor

* Breath play ((Will and Hannibal) choking

* Deepthroating (Dick x Slade) Dick likes taking all of Slade

* Frottage (Geralt X Jaskier) Quickie in the woods

* Intercrural Sex (Eddie X Buck) quickie before shift

* Hate Sex (Zoro X Sanji) Thin line between love and hate

* Mirror Sex (Vanitas x Noé) Showing Vanitas he’s pretty

* Medical Play (Will X Connor) fake checkup lots of kissing the others body and touching

* Dom & Sub (Matt X Frank) Matt needs to give up control

* Pregnancy | Breeding (TBD)

* Orgasm Denial (TBD)

* Sex Toys (TBD)

* Overstimulation | Edgeplay (TBD)

* Body Worship (TBD)

Flufftober

* Heartbeat (Peter and Tony) arc reactor calms Peter down

* Morning Person (Bruce x Clark) Clark rises with the sun

* Shooting Stars (Kyo x Tohru) on the rooftop making a wish

* Movie night (Avengers and Steve pop culture)

* Game Day (Haikyuu) hyping each other up

* Hot chocolate (Matt X Serveride)

* Bedtime stories (Trunks & Vegeta) telling about planet Vegeta

* Reunion (Kuroko x Kagami) Kagami returns from America

* Blankets (BSD) blanket fort

* Love language (Makoto x Laurent)

* Animal shelter (Spy x family) picking out the dog

* Picnic (Yuuri x Victor)

* All the hugs (Dick Grayson 5 times he hugged Bruce one time Bruce hugged him)

* Leaves (TK X Carlos)

* Soulmate Au (Xie Lien x San Lang)

* Reunion (Tiger & Bunny) when tiger rejoins the a team

* Sweet Treat (Sasaki and miyano) giving each other candy

* Wearing Each Other’s Clothes (TBD)

* Carving Pumpkins (TBD)

* Fairy lights (TBD)

[ao3feed-gratsu-brotp]

Take a bite of my heart tonight

by akisun

Natsu learns just how rude a Violinist can get when you barge into her practice room. And after Lucy Heartfillia unintentionally transfers into his school, she learns that, much like an elephant, Natsu Dragneel never forgets. Because of him, they both are forced to spend the rest of their day in detention. Accompanied by a temperamental Erza and an innocent Gray. But when they stumble upon mysterious artifacts sought by a vengeful ghost, they're thrust into a supernatural battle that forces them to work together and maybe form an unlikely friendship in the process.

TLDR; Lucy, Natsu, Gray, and Erza start a food fight, become ghost hunters, get thrown into detention, and discuss the complexities of Romeo and Juliet. I’ll let you decide what order it all happens in.

A Ghost Busters Au (of sorts)

Words: 4231, Chapters: 2/5, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of I Need Humanity

Fandoms: Fairy Tail

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Gray Fullbuster, Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu Dragneel, Erza Scarlet

Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu Dragneel & Gray Fullbuster, Natsu Dragneel & Erza Scarlet, Natsu Dragneel & Gray Fullbuster & Lucy Heartfilia & Erza Scarlet

Additional Tags: Humor, Fluff, Near Death Experiences, Sort Of, Natsu says eat the rich, he's also kind of a douche in the beginning sorry, Erza loves the performing arts, Spirits, Alternate Universe - High School, Nalu soulmates, because I say so

Source: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56737600

[miyu-writings]

Wtf?

Why is it that every time I plot a small thing, it could be a novel in length?

This thing is some 250 words of plot but it could be developed into something long and meaty. And with added favourite tropes (soulmates - heaps of them!).

This was supposed to be an oneshot.

Natsu and Gray... wtf is this AU?

Only these two to give me these kinds of ideas. And, okay, given the fandoms I'm in, this was bound to happen. 😅

Still, j'accuse!!!

[fairytail-multishipper]

Chapters: 8/8

Fandom: Fairy Tail

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lisanna Strauss, Juvia (Edolas)/Lisanna Strauss

Additional Tags: Angst, Self-Harm, Blood, Blood and Injury, Injury, Destruction, Fire, Amputation, Amputee Natsu Dragneel, Graphic Description, END Natsu Dragneel, Burns, Fluff and Angst, First Kiss, Childhood Memories, Previous Relationship(s), Wheelchairs, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Soulmates, Original Character(s), Future, Pregnancy, Twins, Nonbinary Character, Agender Character, Agender Lisanna Strauss, They/Them Pronouns, They/Them Pronouns for Lisanna Strauss, Acespec, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Sexuality Crisis, Mentions of Sex, No Smut, Naked Cuddling, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Goddess Lisanna Strauss, Demigod Natsu Dragneel, Monsters, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Monster Seliah (Fairy Tail)

Series: My Attempt at Making NaLi Popularized, Months/Weeks/Challenges

[bmarvels]

Our Soulmate Chapter 2!

It’s finally here. If I remember correctly, forgive me if I’m wrong, but I believe @doginshoe @mccnfairy @kaychawrites @shadyhydrathesnekqueen had requested quite eagerly for the continual and now here it is. Hope you lovelies enjoy!

For the first part you can read it here on Tumblr or check out my AO3!

Gray and Natsu set the blonde, Lucy, on her feet and try to steady her.

“Umm...what exactly did you mean?” Natsu was the first to ask.

Lucy looks down at her feet for a curiously long time, then takes in all the sights around them, including the numerous people forming a crowd around them to see the girl that came to life from a statue.

“Yeah… And how exactly are you alive right now?” Gray adds on as the blonde seems more interested in the sights than what either man has been asking.

“I suppose I should explain, shouldn’t I?” Lucy muses to herself before her eyes widen and shimmer with glee.

Before either could ask her anything more, Lucy bolts to her feet and hurries past the pair, through the crowd, and towards the landing as she leans over the granite railing. Her pale, slender hand covers her eyes from the glaring sun as she looks out over the city.

“Incredible!” she breathes, scanning the horizon. “So much has changed and there are so many people!”

Lucy spins around, the white silken drapes of her dress billowing out around her like an angelic deity as she faces the two men with shimmering, amber eyes. 

“What’s the time here?”

Natsu and Gray look at each other with baffled expressions until Gray peers down at his watch.

“Just after 3...why?” he asks.

She giggles, holding her hands in front of her mouth to muffle the melodious sound.

“No, silly. I want to know how long it’s been since I was last here!” Lucy turns back around with a soft sigh. “Time sure has changed, nothing is as it once was.”

The men walk up to either side of her to see her soft, pink lips quirked into a small smile.

“I never expected it to be this beautiful when I woke up, though.” Her eyes smile before her lips stretch further, blinding them with a dazzling smile. “And I have you two to thank for that!”

“Wait… you mean to say you’ve been sleeping for over 2,000 years?!” Natsu exclaims, his jaw dropping.

The maiden just shrugs nonchalantly. “It’s a bit more complicated than that, but I guess essentially...yes.”

Gray rests his back against the stone railing and faces her. “So, what happened, then?”

Her smile softens as she turns to face him, her eyes losing a bit of their shine. “Let me tell you a story.”

Long ago, there was a country ruled by two kings who happened to be the best of friends. One bore a daughter and the other a son. There had been hope that the two would grow close in their younger years and blossom into a fruitful relationship which would change their government as they knew it, but for the better. However, that was not to be the case. 

The prince had no care for the young, whiny princess just as she didn’t care much for the haughty toddler. So, their parents never pressured the two and carried on in their own districts.

As time went on, the princess became one of ethereal beauty and grace. Everyone who crossed her path fell captivated by her. Her beauty encapsulated her entire being, inside and out. She excelled in all her studies, ruled with love and kindness to her people, and had the strength to never falter. Even the prince could not dispute or escape the princess’s influence. He watched from afar and soon made it his personal goal to obtain her.

However, the princess fell into a deep love with one of her warriors. What had started out as flirtatious glances across the courtyards and training fields turned into longing, passionate passes, unable to separate. It was then they realized they were destined to be together, that fate had tied their souls together.

The king and queen were overjoyed at their daughter’s announcement of finding her true love, her soul mate, but there was one who did not look as kindly on the pair. Someone who had wished the king to forbid the relationship and favor one that paired his daughter with someone else of royal blood, a prince.

He made pleas and logical arguments to their highnesses but they could not be swayed. They looked on at the prince with pity and wished him well to rule justly alongside their daughter and her chosen king-to-be just as they had done so for many years with his parents.

Enraged, the prince stormed out, cursing under his breath and determined to get exactly what he wants or be sure no one would leave happy. He would make them all suffer if they chose to not oblige him. So, he made a deal with a witch.

One evening, the princess and her warrior laid bare together in her chambers under the brilliance of the moonlight. Light and happiness filled their hearts with love shining in their eyes. Surely, nothing could be better than this moment, but they both knew a future together would hold more precious moments than they could ever imagine. A future they didn’t know would be taken from them.

The skies turned red as if the world was bleeding as the princess held her lover. Stabbed through the chest from behind, staining the front of her the same dark red as the sky. She sobbed into the night, promising to see him in the afterlife, but the prince would make sure that would never happen. If he couldn’t have her, then no one would. A curse was placed on the lovers, the warrior’s soul split in two and the princess turned to stone to watch over her precious land. She was commemorated and remembered forever, frozen in time unless reunited with her true love. But what were the chances the two pieces of one soul could find her at the exact same time?

Natsu’s eyes widen in amazement at the story. Her telling enchanted him as if the scenes were playing before him like a movie. Nearly speechless, he leans back and looks towards the bright blue sky above them.

“Wow…” is all he could manage, but Gray is more skeptical.

“Hold on. Are you trying to say that you’re that princess and that your past lover’s soul was split in two and now inside us?” Gray asks incredulously with a raised eyebrow.

Lucy gives him a soft smile, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Remembering the day she lost him still feels fresh as if it happened mere minutes ago and not thousands of years.

“You know, I didn’t believe in the mystical or supernatural either until that day. And all I’ve told you is my story. If you two are the ones who broke the curse and revived me from stone, then I can’t help but believe you’re him.”

Her voice nearly breaks as tears fill her eyes, but her smile never wavers.

Natsu elbows Gray hard in the side and glares at him. “You didn’t have to make her cry!” he hisses.

Lucy chuckles, the sound ringing like soft bells to their ears. She wipes at her eyes before the tears could fall. “No, he didn’t make me cry,” she sniffles, looking up at them with shimmering cocoa eyes. “I can’t tell you just how happy I am.”

 The two men smile at her and extend their hands towards her.

“Come on, let’s get you something to eat, and maybe some better clothes to change into,” Gray offers.

“Yeah, you must be hungry after being a statue for over a thousand years!” Natsu beams at her.

Lucy feels the tears well up in her eyes again and nods as her smile grows. “I would love that.”

Taking their hands, she walks between the pair as small electric currents travel up her arms from their connection. Never did she think she would be reunited with her warrior once again, and now she is.

Gray and Natsu, however, didn’t know what to think about their new situation just yet. What they were beginning to realize, though, is having Lucy between them feels more natural than they could’ve imagined. They might not fully believe in the old tale, but something in them wants it all to be true because somehow it just felt right.

[manjimelody]

Rebel the Status Quo

Pairing: NaLu  Soulmate AU *This fic follows the American school system. 

Natsu never cared for soulmates. He found it ridiculous that so many people obsessed over finding out who their soulmate was. There was so much more to life than just romance. There was no point in searching since people meet their soulmate when they are destined to. Some people meet their soulmate as early as middle school like his friends Erza and Jellal did. Others might not meet their soulmate until they are almost 30 years old. There were many different ways to meet your soulmate in this world. Some people could not see color until they met their soulmate or others meet their soulmate in their dreams until they meet in person. Natsu was born with a red tattoo of a fairy with a tail on his upper arm. He had met a few others who have the same tattoo except they were located on another area of their body and were a different color. He figured that was a sign to find his soulmate.  

Natsu never cared for soulmates. Until he met her.

***

The irritating shrill of the school bell woke the pink-haired boy from his slumber. Natsu yawned and rubbed his sleepy eyes as he tried to process his surroundings. He closed the textbook he propped up on his desk to shield him from his teacher’s view, and stuffed his notebook into his backpack. Natsu didn’t hate English class, but the book they started to read was boring so he dozed off.  

“Wow. First week into our junior year of high school, and you’re already sleeping in class.”

Natsu raised his eyebrow and glared at his dark-haired friend. “Shut up Gray. I saw your eyes closing too!”

Gray smirked. “Yeah but I didn’t fall asleep.”

“Yeah yeah. Whatever,” Natsu muttered as he stretched his arms and got up from his seat. Natsu’s friendship with Gray mostly consisted of the two of them roasting each other. However, they were both fiercely loyal to each other.  

“I’ll see you at lunch,” Natsu waved as he walked out of the classroom.

“Later.”  

Natsu dragged himself to his next class, feeling groggy from his nap. His next class was AP Chemistry. He enjoyed the subject, but he wished that one of his friends shared that class with him. Most of his friends opted to take Psychology or Economics instead. Gray was his only friend who also took Chemistry, but he was in a different class. When he reached the classroom, Natsu threw his backpack on the ground and slumped in his seat. He rested his head in his arms and closed his eyes to relax for a bit until class started. The second bell rang, signaling that class has started. The other students stopped chatting with their friends when the teacher began to speak. Natsu raised his head and leaned back in his seat.

“Okay! Today you are all going to pair up to work on this lab together,” Mr. Conbolt began to explain as he handed out the lab worksheets. Natsu scanned the instructions on his worksheet. It didn’t look very difficult to complete. Natsu’s thoughts were interrupted when he felt a light poke on his shoulder. He turned his head to meet warm brown eyes.

A girl with long straight blonde hair smiled at him. She was very pretty. “Uh..hi! If you don’t mind, can you be my partner for this lab. I’m new here, so I don’t really know anyone.”

“Yeah that’s fine! I don’t have any friends in this class anyway,” Natsu agreed, grinning at the blonde.

“Thank you! I’m Lucy Heartfilia,” she introduced herself.

Natsu held up a peace sign. “I’m Natsu Dragneel. Nice to meet ya!”

“Likewise!”

Natsu was about to return his attention to the teacher until he noticed the tattoo on Lucy’s right hand. She had the same tattoo of as him. A fairy with a tail. However, he noted that the color of it was pink unlike his red one. Natsu released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He almost thought that he met his soulmate, but he figured that the tattoo would have to match in color as well.

Lucy raised her eyebrow in confusion, snapping Natsu out of his thoughts. He smiled awkwardly at her and turned around to face Mr. Conbolt in order to listen to him clarify any questions about the lab. After Mr. Conbolt answered all the questions, the class got up and shifted to the back of the classroom to the lab stations. Natsu grabbed a pair of goggles for himself and Lucy as she tied up her hair into a ponytail.

“Thank you!” Lucy smiled as he handed the goggles to her.

Natsu returned the smile. “No problem!”

Lucy glanced at the worksheet. “So how do you want to divide this?”

“I can set up the bunsen burner while you grab the equipment and chemicals we need,” Natsu suggested. Lucy nodded and walked to the back table to grab the materials they needed. When she returned, they started working immediately.

“Sooo...you’re new here?” Natsu asked in order to break the ice.

“Yeah. I used to be homeschooled, but my dad allowed me to attend public school this year,” she explained. Natsu noticed the hint of sadness in the tone of her voice when she mentioned her father.

“How are you liking public school so far?”

“It’s nice so far, but I’m not used to being around so many people my age. Thankfully, I was able to become friends with a girl named Levy.”

Natsu’s eyes lit up at the sound of the familiar name. “I know her! She hangs out with my group of friends sometimes.”

“Really?! That’s cool!” Lucy exclaimed. Natsu could tell that she starting to become more comfortable around him.

“Do you have lunch next period?” Natsu asked, and Lucy nodded in response.

“You can sit with me and my friends if you want,” Natsu suggested.

Lucy grinned. “I would love to! I’ve been sitting alone these first few days.”  

“They can be crazy, but I think you’ll like them,” Natsu chuckled.  

Natsu and Lucy chatted away for the rest of the class, talking about their favorite tv shows or games they liked to play. After they finished their lab, they cleaned up, answered the questions on their worksheet, and turned it in. When the bell rang, Natsu waited for Lucy to pack up her stuff so they could walk to the cafeteria together.  

When they got closer to the cafeteria, Natsu noticed that Lucy started to slow down. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just worried. What if they don’t like me?” Lucy admitted.

“Nah! They’ll love ya. You’re pretty cool,” Natsu assured her.

As he expected, Lucy was able to fit in right away. She didn’t talk a lot in the beginning. He figured she was intimidated by the energy of his friends at first. However, she gradually opened up and it felt as if she was always part of his friend group by the end of the lunch period.

***

As the months passed by, Lucy grew closer to Natsu and his friends. He was able to see different sides to her personality. She was a sweet girl, but she was also scary when she was angry. She was also very intelligent and talented. Natsu wasn’t the biggest fan of reading, but he enjoyed reading all the stories she wrote. Lucy aspired to be an author one day, and he was confident that she would be successful since even a guy like him enjoyed reading her stories.

Natsu was friends with a lot of girls, but his relationship with Lucy was not the same as the others. They had their differences, but they also had their similarities, which allowed them to work well together. There was this pleasant feeling Natsu couldn’t identify whenever he spent time with Lucy. He never felt it with anyone else.

He didn’t understand what he was feeling until it came crashing down on him that day.

***

Natsu leaned back against the tree, sighing in satisfaction. He had just stuffed his face at a buffet with Lucy as a way to celebrate AP exams being over, and they decided to stop by a local park before heading home. Natsu closed his eyes and relished in the feeling of the cool spring breeze. After a few seconds, his eyes fluttered open and he was captivated by the sight in front of him. Lucy was standing a few feet in front of him, sniffing a rose. Her long blonde hair flowed with the wind while her soft pink lips were pulled into a sweet smile. The sun’s rays made her look radiant and serene. Natsu always thought that Lucy was pretty but in that moment, she looked absolutely gorgeous.

He wanted that image to be ingrained in his memory forever.

The sound of his name snapped him out of his trance. He noticed that Lucy was looking at him with a confused expression on his face. He turned his head to the side to hide the blush forming on his cheeks.

“Natsu, what’s wrong? You seem to have zoned out,” Lucy asked as she sat right next to him against the tree.

“N-nothing. I thought saw something weird behind you. That’s all,” Natsu lied.

“Hmm if you say so,” Lucy said, stretching out her legs.

“So what do you want to do afterwards? We could go over to my house and play Smash Bros,” Natsu suggested in order to change the topic.

“Sure! That would be fun. I’m not in a rush to go home anyway,” Lucy agreed.

Even though they’ve known each other for a while now, Natsu knew very little about her family. Lucy never spoke much about them besides a few stories from her childhood. He was curious.

“So Lucy...you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I noticed that you never seem to talk about your family. I’ve never been to your home either,” Natsu asked, letting his curiosity get the best of him.  

The blonde stiffened at his question, causing Natsu to immediately fill with regret until she relaxed and let out a melancholic sigh. “I don’t really like to talk about it, but I trust you.”  

Lucy turned her head to face him, tears poking at the corner of her eyes. “My mom had been ill for a while. Last summer, she succumbed to it. I knew that she did not have that much time left to live, but it was still so sudden. My dad couldn’t handle the pain. He closed himself off to everyone. Even me. He hardly ever talks to me anymore. I don’t have any siblings, so I f-feel r-really lonely whenever I’m at home.”

Lucy sniffled as she wiped the tears that cascaded down her cheeks. Natsu felt his heartbreak at the sight. He had an inkling that her home life wasn’t very happy, but he had no idea she went through all of that.

“I’m so sorry to hear that..” Natsu whispered. He slowly lifted his hand off the ground and placed it on top of hers, squeezing it. Natsu was bad at responding to these kind of situations with words, so he hoped he could convey how he felt through his actions.

“Not a lot of people know this, but Igneel isn’t my biological father. My parents died in an accident when I was 4 years old. I barely remember them. Igneel adopted my brother Zeref and I afterwards,” Natsu shared. He was very happy that Lucy trusted him enough to open up about her family, so he felt that she deserved to know about his.

Lucy looked at him in shock. “Wow, I never would have guessed. You guys are so similar.”

Natsu smiled wistfully. “I’ve never thought of him as a step-father though. He will always be a father to me.”  

Lucy returned the smile before she leaned her head against his shoulder and turned her hand, so she could lock her fingers with his. “Thank you Natsu. I’ve always kept this to myself. Telling this to someone else is so satisfying. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest.”  

Natsu rested his head against the top of hers. “I’m glad. Remember that I’m always here for you.”

The two of them remained in that position for a while. Natsu didn’t want to let her go. He finally understood the pleasant feeling he felt whenever he was around Lucy.

I get it now. I’m in love with Lucy.

***

Is it possible to fall in love with someone who is not your soulmate?

Natsu found himself asking that question everyday ever since he realized that he was in love with Lucy. He heard that some people would hook up with people they find attractive prior to finding their soulmate, but dating someone who wasn’t their soulmate was rare. Lucy had the same tattoo as him on her body but hers was a different color. Normally, people would have the exact same tattoo or birthmark on their body.  

Natsu covered his face with his arm to muffle his groan, earning a weird look from his neighbor. He didn’t care though. He felt frustrated with his newfound feelings. He never really cared about love and meeting his soulmate before, but now he is in love with a girl who is most likely not his soulmate. He wondered if Lucy already met her soulmate but hadn’t told him. However, he knew she would have definitely told him if she did.

The sound of the dismissal bell ringing snapped Natsu out of his thoughts. All of the students rushed out of the classroom, eager to go home or go to their after school clubs. Natsu grabbed his backpack and walked to the library. He planned to meet Lucy at the library, so she could help him write his final essay for English. When he walked in there, he saw her standing by the bookshelf closest to the door. Natsu was about to call out her name until he noticed that she wasn’t alone. Lucy was talking to a dark-haired boy who wore glasses. Her cheeks were tinted red and she was avoiding eye contact.

“So do you wanna grab a coffee later?” He heard the boy ask.

“Sorry I can’t. I promised a friend that I would help him write his essay,” Lucy replied.

“That’s okay. Maybe another time,” the boy smiled before he took out his phone from his pocket. “Can I get your number?”

Lucy took out her phone from her pocket. “Sure.”  

They exchanged their phone numbers while Natsu stared in shock, trying to process the scene that just occurred. Natsu quickly hid behind the other shelf when the dark-haired boy turned towards his direction. He watched him leave the library before he took a deep breathe and decided to approach Lucy. She was staring at the pink tattoo on her hand as if she was in a trance.  

“Hey Lucy!” Natsu greeted, causing her to flinch.

Natsu saw a gleam of sadness flash through her eyes before she regained her composure. “Dammit Natsu! You scared me. I told you not to sneak up on me like that!”

“You were zoned out. Not my fault,” he retorted, crossing his arms. “So...who was that guy you were talking to?”

Lucy’s eyes widened briefly before she turned her gaze away from him. “His name is George. I bumped into him while I was looking for a new book to read. I-I g-guess he’s my soulmate since we have matching tattoos.”

Natsu felt his heart sink. He knew that she was most likely not his soulmate, but the confirmation hurt more than he expected. He pushed away his feelings and mustered a wide fake grin. “That’s awesome Lucy! Why waste time on me? Go spend time with him.”

Lucy stared at him with wide eyes for a second before she finally spoke. “O-oh. I see. Are you sure?”

Why does she sound so disappointed?

Natsu turned his head away from her, pretending to look for a book. “Yeah I’ll be fine. I’ll just ask Erza to help me instead or figure it out on my own. Go have fun.”  

“Um alright. I guess I’ll see you later,” Lucy waved before exiting the library so she could call him.  

Natsu groaned and staggered to the nearest table, so he could sit down. He placed his backpack on the table, so he could rest his head against it. He wished he had never developed feelings for Lucy. Life was easier when he did not care about love.

I guess Lucy and I were just meant to be friends.

“Natsu?”

The pink-haired boy raised his head at the sound of his name. He saw Erza looking back at him with a worried expression. “Hi Erza.”

Erza grabbed the chair next to his, so she could sit down. “What’s wrong? You look upset.”

Natsu contemplated on whether he should tell Erza or not before finally speaking up. “Erza...did you ever like anyone else before you met Jellal?”

Erza raised her eyebrow. “No. I thought some boys were cute, but I never had feelings for them. What’s up?”

“Is it possible...to fall in love with someone who is not your soulmate?”  

“Hmm I think it’s possible. Most people don’t fall in love with people other than their soulmate, but there has been some rare cases,” she explained.

Natsu frowned. “I see.”

Erza placed her hand on his shoulder. “Natsu...I’ve been wondering. Are you in love with Lucy?”

Natsu jumped in his seat. How did she know?

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she said in response to his reaction.  

“Is it obvious?” he whispered.

“I don’t know about that. I understand how it feels to be in love, so it’s probably easier for me to notice compared to others.”

Natsu nodded. That made sense. Erza was the first one to find her soulmate in his group of friends after all.

“Well I just found out that she met her soulmate, so I guess this is one of the rare cases,” Natsu lamented.

“Honestly.. I think she feels the same way,” Erza admitted, causing Natsu to stare at her in shock.

“Please don’t be saying that to make me feel better. She met her soulmate,” Natsu pleaded.

“I’m not. I don’t want to give you false hope.. I’ve been observing you two, and I think Lucy is in love with you as well,” Erza reassured.

“Even if she is, she’ll probably fall in love with her soulmate now.”

Erza rubbed his back. “Was she happy to find out he’s her soulmate?”

Natsu crossed his arms as he recalled the events that just occurred. “She was blushing, but she seemed disappointed when I told her to spend time with him.”

Erza smiled. “See!”

Natsu felt his mood lift. It was highly possible that Lucy returned his feelings.

“You love her, right?”

“I do!”

“Tell her! If she’s in love with you too, there’s got to be a reason behind all of this,” Erza encouraged.

Natsu grinned in determination. “I will!”

***

Natsu waited by the tree in the park. That tree has become special to him since that is where Lucy and him opened up about their families. That is where he realized that he loved her.   

He was anxious and the feeling got worse when he saw the blonde approach him. However, he knew he needed to reveal his feelings. He had to know.

“Hey Natsu! What’s up?” Lucy greeted while flashing a peace sign.

“Lucy…how are things with George?”

“We got coffee yesterday. He’s pretty cool. He likes reading and writing as well! He gave me advice on how to improve my writing,” Lucy responded.

Wow he sounds perfect for her. Maybe I shouldn’t do this.

“Is everything alright?” Lucy asked, smiling sweetly. Natsu felt his heart skip a beat at the sight.

Screw it. I need to know!

“Lucy…”

“Yes?”

Natsu tried to speak, but the words would just not come out.

“I’m sorry, but I have to know,” he apologized before he cupped her cheek and wrapped his other arm around her waist.

Natsu closed his eyes and pressed his lips on top of hers. He felt her stiffen for a moment before she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Her lips felt soft and warm against his own. He slowly moved back, pressing his back against the tree. She prevaded all of his senses. All he could think was Lucy, Lucy, and Lucy.

He slowly let go of her, and his eyes fluttered open to meet hers. She was smiling widely with tears poking at the corner of her eyes. She cupped his face with her hands and rested her forehead against his. “Natsu. I can’t believe this. I’ve been dreaming of this for a while now.”

Natsu closed his eyes, relishing in the warmth of her body. “Really?”

Lucy pulled away but she didn’t remove her hands from his cheeks. “Yes! Oh my god. Yes! I love you so much!”

Natsu grinned and and placed his hand on top of hers. “Lucy, I love you so much! I’m so happy that you feel the same way.”

Lucy sighed in happiness before she kissed him once again. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest. Natsu returned the gesture and rested his chin on top of her head.  

“What about George?” Natsu spoke up, breaking the silence.

“I don’t care. He’s nice, but I want to be with you!” Lucy exclaimed.

Natsu kissed her forehead. “I do too, and I’m not planning on letting you go.”

After a few moments of basking in each other’s warmth, Natsu reluctantly let her go. However, he froze when he noticed something was missing.

“What’s wrong?” Lucy questioned.

Natsu pointed at her hand. “Lucy your tattoo is gone!” He rolled up the sleeve of his shirt to find that his own tattoo disappeared as well.

Lucy gasped. “You’re right. It’s gone.”

Natsu gazed at her in confusion. “What does this mean?”

“I checked out a book about soulmates from the library recently. I read that there has been cases in which some people’s sign to find their soulmate is a red herring. That they had to rebel against the norms of society to be with their actual soulmate,” Lucy explained.  

Lucy laughed in joy. “Natsu. You were my soulmate all along. These tattoos were a red herring!”

Natsu grinned from ear to ear before lifting her off the ground and spinning her around. “I’m so happy that it’s always been you. I love you!”

Lucy giggled and rested her forehead against his again. “I love you too, and I will never let you go!”

[satyrykal]

Departure Chapter 2 - Back from Hiatus!

Title: Departure

Author: Satyrykal

Pairing: Natsu x Lucy

Genre: Romance/Fantasy

Rating: M

Spoiler Warning: Not in the canon-verse, but pays homage to ideas in the Alvarez arc.

Summary: Natsu has been by her side for years - her faithful guard and the man she was never supposed to fall in love with. Lucy is bound by duty and custom, promised to another - yearning for freedom outside the confines of her grandfather’s court. So when the drums of war throw the kingdom into disarray, they make their move – consequences be damned.

Read the story here, or preview the excerpt below!

Running Chapter Timeline:

1 - 2nd July, X494: Lucy 23, Natsu 25

2 - 2nd July, X484: Lucy 13, Natsu 15

CHAPTER 2 Excerpt – The Beginning

"Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering." – Nicole Krauss, 2005

2nd July, X484

Once upon a time – not yours or mine – lived a girl spun from stars and sunshine.

This is her story.

The sun beat down from overhead as she raced across the field, wind pulling her hair free from its braid in strands of gold. Meadows of summer daisies and lupines passed by, shaded by the thick canopy above as the King's Wood gave way the high grass of the garden green. Her hands were tight and sweaty against the reins as she leaned forward, fingers digging into the fine leather as she urged the gray spotted mare onward.

"Come on Nikora, it's you and me now. Till the end." She whispered, her thighs straddling the horse, savoring the familiar burn in her quads as they galloped faster. She was answered by a thunder of hoofbeats as clots of dirt flew behind them as they tore through the tree line.

Lucy gave a whoop of laughter and charged past the crop of ancient oaks that hid the castle from view. Her eyes flashed amber as she took in the grand turrets, the palace's marbled façade imposing as it loomed ahead.

The gates grew closer as she sped through its arch, giggling at the calls of the sentries that greeted her as her pace slowed to a canter – still fast enough that some raised their voices in warning. Still, it wasn't until the stables were in sight that she reared the mare.

"Slow girl, gentle." She coaxed, lightening her hold until Nikora had geared to a trot, a gentle double beat as she wove her way past the other evening riders.

Smiling softly at the passersby, Lucy kissed her horse's mane – brushing the coarse white strands through her gloved fingers. She breathed deeply, taking in the earthen scent of grain feed and wood before wrinkling her nose at hint of manure that hit her last.

As they came up the walkway, a handler met her to lead her to the mount's stall.

"I've got it Igneel, I can get her ready and comb her down on my own." She told the older man, trying and failing to keep the reins away from him when he reached them.

Igneel cut a tall figure, with broad shoulders that stretched the leather of his jerkin. His hair was pulled sharply back, cascading down his back like liquid wildfire. Lucy had always thought the older man was handsome, though the long scar through his right eye and cheek below it gave him a menacing aura. It had taken some time for her to warm up to the former warrior.

She'd met him shortly after he'd taken over as the royal beastmaster half a decade ago, gaining his attention when the young royal continuously snuck out to the stables when she should have been minding her lessons. However, instead of returning her to her governess as was expected, he'd simply boom with laughter – allowing her to bob between the various stalls as she played hide-and-seek with some poor, harried palace guard on her protection detail.

He'd always had a soft spot for the princess, indulging her love for riding and the measure of freedom it afforded her.

When she continued to whine and fight his grip on the horse's lead, he just grinned shaking his head at her, a piece of hay anchored between his teeth.

"Off you go then Princess, not worth my time to convince you otherwise." He chuckled, patting her leg as he went back to his tack, wiping dirty hands on his stained smock. It wasn't his job to act as a common stable hand, but he'd always doted on the girl.

She beamed at his idle dismissal; teeth white and lips pulled wide as she dismounted – directing her horse back to the corner stall. Grabbing a bucket, she placed it by Nikora who dipped her muzzle into the water immediately, long tongue slurping as she drank greedily.

A few minutes later, Lucy heard a rattle on the path outside as another couple of mounts came into view.

In front was a young girl of about thirteen with a head of smooth blue locks, tied back neatly though a few wisps brushed her pale cheeks. Her legs were looped through the horn of her side saddle, covered by the folds of her sapphire skirts. The newcomer frowned, scanning the space until her gaze landed on a pair of guilty brown eyes peeking out above the corner booth.

"Lucy you promised you would stay with us this time!" The blunette called out, glaring at her friend.

The blonde smiled sheepishly when she was caught, gesturing to her mare.

"I meant to, but Nikora wanted to go faster, and I couldn't tell her no. She's wind-blown." Lucy answered, placing a sugar cube under the horse's mouth. The mare licked it up unhurriedly, tickling the girl's palm.

"Don't yell Juvia, we're already here." The third rider scolded as she too, came to a stop – expression exasperated.

The girls blushed slightly at reproach in the older woman's voice, her own aqua locks held back by a laurel braid that started at her temples, nostrils flared slightly as she peered down at her errant charges.

"Sorry Aquarius, I will keep that in mind." Juvia apologized bobbing her chin down once in respect before dismounting with a nearby page's help. Unlike her friend, she followed decorum as befit her station. She thanked the boy absently, not noticing his stuttered reply as she walked over to the young royal, lifting her skirts up so they did not drag across the mud.

"We saw you riding astride, you know your father would be upset if he found out." Juvia told the princess quietly when she reached her, resting her chin on the wooden divider of the stall as she watched her. Lucy shrugged, still brushing her horse down in broad strokes.

She found the action calming, loving the warmth radiating under her palms.

"Then don't tell him. Beside, I only ever do it on castle grounds – never when it really counts. I just love being able to fly over the hills. The whole world just blurs into colours." She breathed softly, dreamily. She fumbled with her gloves monetarily before yanking them off so she could feel Nikora's coat beneath her fingers.

Juvia nodded once, shoulders slumping.

She had expected as much. Like Igneel, she knew little changed the blonde's mind when it was set.

"You know I never do. I'm going to go back to my rooms to clean up. The representatives of the Mermaid Heel Corps will be arriving by supper. The king says we're to join them at the table." The blunette trailed off, hoping to entice the other girl to come with her.

Her words had the intended effect.

Lucy's ears perked up; her dark irises bright in the light streaming in through the rafters.

The Corps were warrior priestesses of the faith. They had guarded the Temple of Nirvana – deep within the Woodsea – for millennia. Though women were scarcely allowed to join in battle ranks within the borders of her own nation, sacred rights kept them outside the scope of the king's jurisdiction.

"I'll finish up quickly too then." Lucy promised, her cedar eyes shining as her hands indeed flew through Nikora's fur with renewed vigor.

Growing up, she adored hearing about the holy maidens – their exploits transcending fact to legend. They were named for the Nirvana of the Sea who had sent her daughters above on land, changeling sprites who created the first temple order.

Lady Aquarius, her governess, had grown up north of the great Eastern Forest in a township marking where the Clover River spilled into the ocean. When her village had been slaughtered in a raid, the priestesses had taken the older woman in until reinforcements arrived from the capital.

A childhood friend of the late duchess, the stoic blunette had shifted to the palace a decade prior, quickly settling into the role of guardian for the motherless princess. Sometimes when her charge begged, she would display some of the fighting forms she had learned whilst living in the Grand Temple for the little girl.

Lucy was torn from her musings when Juvia waved a manicured hand in front of her face, catching her attention. Eyes crinkling in laughter, the blunette twiddled her fingers in farewell before turning, petticoats still lifted carefully to keep them from the dirt. She sped up the hill to the main castle, Aquarius following at a more sedate pace.

Across the stable, some groomsmen were feeding their horses and putting away the ladies' gear – they movements practiced. Lucy preferred to do it herself, she liked the smell of the hay and the shine of her mare's coat when she was properly brushed down. She liked how this corner of the palace ground made it seem as if she were beyond its towering walls.

As she finished, she wiped her hands on a washcloth a squire had offered her, smoothing flyaways on her head the best she could – her appearance bedraggled. Still, she wasn't too worried, knowing she would be required to change her clothing once she returned to her chambers prior to dinner.

She was latching the mare's gate when she heard neighing coming from a stall near the exit.

Until recently it had been empty.

Curious, she patted Nikora's velvet nose before making her way to the noise. Inside was a tall, beautiful creature with a rick black hide, a single white stripe dabbed its nose and pooled at its feet. Sensing her, the stallion snorted jerking its muzzle in a circle.

Lucy paced back. She pressed her lips together, rocking on the soles of her boots before shifting closer step by step.

"What a gorgeous fellow you are." She breathed, stretching out her palm so he could sniff her. He whinnied loudly in response, as if unsure whether to trust the stranger in front of him. When he didn't bite however, the girl tried to reach further, stepping up on an old crate in order to lean over the railing.

His reaction was immediate.

The stallion reared its head and pawed the ground at her approach, gnashing its teeth. Startled, she lost her footing slightly, catching her riding gear on the lumber and throwing her balance. She grabbed for the side wall, only to miss, her palms grazing the splintering wood in vain.

For a moment, it was as if time stopped.

End of Excerpt

Read the rest at Fanfiction.net!

Chapter 1, 2

[ayumichi-me]

NaLu Fluff Week Prompt: Soulmate 💑💏

I’ll definitely come and save you!

AAAAAA I’m so late for the Fluff week. I apologize. U_U

[unashamed-shipper]

Match

Nalu soulmate commission for @itsthatonepunnyguy! Thanks so much for working with me! It was amazing to write something inspired by Black Mirror! :)

word count: ~2k

rating: t

pairings: nalu, mention of jerza

It had been only two years since he met her, but it only felt like minutes. The words that her voice uttered when they first met echoed inside his head like a bell, and he craved to hear that sound again.

To see her smile, her hair, her eyes, everything. She was beauty in and of itself, and he knew that the system would keep them apart but wished that it wasn’t so.

But it would. And that was what killed him inside.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!”

That first sentence out of her mouth sounded so melodic and beautiful that he could listen to her voice for the rest of his life and never get bored. She could read textbooks and he would listen, which was something that was amazing for him to even think.

Her blonde hair trailed behind her in a ponytail, which was one of his favorite things on a girl. They looked so cute and sporty when they wore it even when they weren’t participating in a sport, and he loved how it swished behind them when they ran. The next thing that caught his attention was her big brown eyes that searched his as she stared at him.

“What’s your name?” she asked, holding out her hand. It was delicate looking and dainty while his was large and engulfed hers while he shook it.

“Natsu Dragneel,” he barely squeaked out, which was strange. He had been on so many matches from the system before but never had he ever felt so amazed by one woman. How was she so beautiful and graceful at the same time? It was like he was a clumsy mess around her and she was an elegant creature who could do no wrong. Even as she picked up her wine glass to drink, her fingers curled around it softly as if it were one of the most intricate things she had ever touched.

“I’m Lucy Heartfilia. Pleasure to meet you, Natsu!” Lucy replied with a smile, and it felt like all the air had been sucked out of his lungs. It would be an understatement to say that it lit up the room, no, it was the only one in the room. Most couples around them, Natsu realized as he took a drink and peered around the room, wore frowns or looked anxious as they sat with their matches. Sadly it was the norm to be sat next to someone who you despised or didn’t get along with in general. Thankfully Natsu didn’t have to deal with it this time.

“Ready to see how long we have together?” Lucy asked, and Natsu grinned softly before nodding eagerly. Most matches he had gone through wouldn’t ever want to know how long they had with him out of dread, and Natsu was glad that he didn’t have a match like that again.

Together, Natsu and Lucy clicked on the system together after creating the necessary calibration.

“Ninety minutes,” Natsu said in shock, and Lucy’s eyes met his for a moment. Continuing to eat their dinner quicker, they then made their way to the car where they would spend the remainder of the night together.

Natsu inhaled as he got into the car as it drove he and Lucy to the destination where they would stay, mind racing a mile a minute. Did that mean he had to…? Did she even want to? They would both need to consent to do that, and he didn’t even know her that well other than that she was absolutely stunning.

“We don’t have to, you know,” Lucy said, breaking the silence. Natsu’s eyes snapped over to hers, searching as if trying to find something.

“We don’t?” he asked, and Lucy giggled.

“No,” she said with another smile that seemed to suck the air out of the atmosphere. “You’re not comfortable with it, and neither am I.”

A few moments passed by, and Natsu grabbed Lucy’s hand. Surprised, Lucy stared up at him with a confused look on her face.

“Thanks, Luce,” he said, putting a hand on her head and embracing her for a moment. The sudden contact from someone she barely knew shocked Lucy, yet she leaned into him with a flutter in her heart that she hadn’t felt before with anyone else.

Even though they had barely spoken and only had ninety minutes together, both Lucy and Natsu hoped that they would end up together.

Once the match ended, Natsu went home and took a shower like normal and changed into his pajamas, thinking of Lucy once more. His whole being ached; he just wanted to be near her again! She was so pretty and graceful and knew exactly how she felt on certain things, which really attracted Natsu to her. And he hoped that she felt the same way.

Was he really supposed to get another match right after this? He was probably going to get another ping from the system tomorrow, and he was definitely not looking forward to it. He hated wearing a monkey suit more than most things, but meeting with a few different girls in the span of only a few days was more aggravating than wearing a tie.

Natsu really wished he could choose his match, but that’s not how the system worked. It had a 99.8% success rate, and as much as he hoped it wouldn’t tell him about another match, it probably would. The thing seemed to find him matches quicker than most people, which left him scowling each time. Why did it have to happen to him?

Natsu growled, falling into bed and rolling over. He softened, however, when he thought of Lucy and how she was probably dealing with the situation. Sleep threatened to close in, and he let it. The last thing on Natsu’s mind was Lucy and her beautiful smile before he succumbed to sleep at last.

“I’m Erza Scarlet. It’s nice to meet you, Natsu,” the woman across from him said, cutting up her steak with a vigor and biting into it quickly. Her eyes glared into his as if challenging him to do something stupid, which he probably would.

“N-Nice to meet you, Erza,” he replied, and her eyes snapped up to his.

“You’re afraid of me, are you?” she asked, and he shook his head violently although all he wanted to do was run away.

“N-No,” he said, his eyes darting away. Biting at his chicken, he forced a grin at the terrifying woman.

“Hm. Care to see how long we’ve got?” Erza asked after he introduced himself, and Natsu nodded slightly. He really wanted to get out of there, but the system would find out and it would mean consequences for him. How bad could it be, really?

When the system prompted, they both clicked the screen in unison. Erza gasped and covered her mouth with her hand while Natsu ran a hand through his hair.

One year.

Spending time with Erza wasn’t all that bad. They both told each other in their first conversation that sex was off the table, and that they’d spend time getting to know each other as friends. They definitely weren’t compatible in any way, so why try to be?

In the course of the year, Natsu was more exhausted than he’d ever been. Erza had an energy about her that was much different than Lucy’s. While Lucy was charming and had a quiet grace, Erza seemed to steamroll over everything in her path but still attract other men...somehow. She began dating a man named Jellal in their sixth month, and after she and Natsu’s match had ended, Erza and Jellal got married and escaped the system together. If only it were much sooner, Natsu could only wish. The dark bags under his eyes from his previous match waking him up at four in the morning to go running weren’t going to heal themselves, and it meant that Natsu was in for some heavy slumber before his next match arrived.

A week later, Natsu met another woman named Yukino who he felt he could get along with alright. She was beautiful in a quiet way, with big brown eyes that reminded him of Lucy’s. She spoke so gently that Natsu could barely even hear her most of the time, which was definitely different than Erza’s shouts. It was starting to get confusing with all of these previous matches in his head, but thankfully only Lucy stood out to him.

After Yukino fell asleep, he held her in his arms as she shook with fear in her dream. He had found out during one of their conversations that she had night terrors, and she needed someone to keep her stable during those times. Thankfully Natsu was there, but all he could think about was how Lucy felt in his arms.

He really should find her, he thought in the back of his mind, and hopefully they’d be matched again. All he could do was wait for her to find him again, and that was all he wanted. Their unrequited love would be the talk of the town, and the system, but Natsu didn’t care.

All he wanted was for her to be in his arms again.

Weeks later, after Yukino’s departure from his life, Natsu received a ping from the system.

‘Congratulations,’ it read, ‘The system has found your one.’

Practically jumping out of the hot tub in which he sat, Natsu practically demanded more information.

“You have one day before you meet your final match and leave this world for a new one. The system has granted you to meet with someone before you go to get ready for your departure--”

“Lucy Heartfilia,” Natsu blurted, and the system was quiet for a moment before approving his request.

“Well,” Natsu looked in the mirror, seeing himself in his swim trunks and no shirt, “I better go change.”

Lucy walked into the restaurant Natsu requested they meet in, sliding into the familiar seat once again. It had only been two years since she’d seen him, yet the excitement of her first match with him still reverberated throughout her body. She was practically pulsing with energy, but had to keep her smarts about her.

“Hey,” Natsu said above her, and Lucy jumped but smiled when she saw him.

He was wearing the same button down and jacket that he was in when they met two years ago.

“Do you only have one outfit?” Lucy teased, and Natsu chuckled with a nod. The two sat down to enjoy their dinner and had light conversation until they knew no one was around to hear them.

“You got your perfect match today, right?” Lucy asked, lifting her fork to tap the circular system that each of them left on the table.  

“Yeah, and we only have a day until both of us bust outta here,” Natsu bit into his chicken, leaving a bit on his shirt, and Lucy grinned softly.

The two were quiet for a moment before an idea seemed to strike both of them at the same time.

“What if we were to fight it?” Lucy questioned, and Natsu’s face covered in a wide language.

“You’re speakin’ my language, Luce. Let’s get outta here.”

Promptly dropping their systems in their water glasses, Natsu and Lucy headed out the door despite the security system guards going after them and sounding the alarms to grant a search warrant for the two. Escaping the system and fighting the police had never been as fun alone as it had been with the one they were in love with for the past two years.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed, and thank you again to my good friend for commissioning me! :)

[isabellafoster13]

Oneshots

Laxus x Lucy

Leave Her Alone (Modern A/B/O AU. TW) Slow Down, Lightning Bolt! (Soulmate AU) Golden Key to Your Heart I'll be Your Woman Dragon Mating Season (ft. GaLe) A Room Full of Lucy Ships (TW) The Red Bitch is Back (TW) You’re Laxus! Laxus’ Soulmate (ft. Levy, Thunder Legion, Loke, and Makarov) Protective Spirits (ft. Lucy’s Spirits) The Red Bitch is Back Part 2

Invel Yura x Lucy

Masquerade Stranger (Masquerade Ball AU)

Gray x Lucy

Gender Roles, Who? Let Me Tell You a Story (ft. Romeo) Creating a New Couple (ft. Romeo and Mirajane. TW) A Room Full of Lucy Ships (TW) I Died Inside Everyday  I’m Not Leaving You

Freed x Lucy

Light and Dark Thunderstorm Comfort Lucy One and Lucy Two (ft. Wendy) Rune Mage to the Rescue (TW) A Room Full of Lucy Ships (TW) Running Up That Hill (ft. Bixlow, Natsu, Gray, and Mira. TW) I Want to Hear You Sing Auction Gemi and Mini’s Plan (ft. Gemini)

Sting x Lucy

Operation: StiLu Remember Me?  Remember Me? (Part 2) I’m Happy with Them!  A Room Full of Lucy Ships (TW)

Rogue x Lucy

Are You Jealous? Frosch’s Plan Too Far, Minerva I’m Happy with Them! A Room Full of Lucy Ships (TW) We Wanna Ruin our Friendship!

Erza x Lucy

Finally Together Two Helping Hands and Blooming Romance (ft. Laxus) Two Helping Hands and Blooming Romance Part 2 Stop Flirting With Her! Lucy’s Protective Girlfriends (ft. Natsu, Lisanna, and Gray) Mating Season and Jealousy (ft. Mira and Aquarius)

Rufus x Lucy

I Quit for You A Room Full of Lucy Ships (TW) Making Love Out of Nothing at All A Guy that I’d Kinda be Into Auction

Cobra x Lucy

Found You You Stood Up for Me? A Room Full of Lucy Ships (TW)

Gildarts x Lucy

Older Men

Romeo x Lucy

One-Sided

Juvia x Lucy

Love Born from Heartbreak Let Me Tell You a Story (ft. Romeo) Bride Succubus Lucy (Part 2) Birthday Kiss Bride Succubus Lucy (Part 2: Alternate Ending) Fan vs Card and Water  The Nightmares of Iron and Water Fun at Ryuzetsu Land  Here Comes the Brides

Levy x Lucy

Mira's Truth or Dare Scheme The Bunny Babysitters (ft. Romeo) Two Helping Hands and Blooming Romance (ft. Laxus) This is the END (TW) Two Helping Hand and Blooming Romance

Zeref x Lucy

The Cute Barista (Coffee Shop AU) Fairy Meets Dark Wizard  Drawn to Her (TW) A Room Full of Lucy Ships (TW) Drawn to Her Part 2 (TW) Lucy? Is that You? (Reincarnation AU. TW) He’s My Soulmate! (ft. Natsu, Gray, and Happy. Soulmate AU)

Bixlow x Lucy

Saving My Cosplayer (TW) Lucy One and Lucy Two (ft. Wendy) A Room Full of Lucy Ships (TW) Spirits and Babies

Gajeel x Lucy

Please, Forgive Me Please, Forgive Me (Part 2) Apology and Confession A Room Full of Lucy Ships (TW) We Wanna Ruin our Friendship! The Nightmares of Iron and Water

Orga x Lucy

Unexpected Partner

Mira x Lucy

When the Matchmaker Falls in Love You Will Pay (TW) Reunited at Last (ft. Elfman and Lisanna) A Sudden Confession from the She-Demon (ft. Jude) I’ll Nurse You Back to Health Amusement Park Prize  Stop Trying to Kill Him! Lucy’s Protective Girlfriends (ft. Natsu, Lisanna, and Gray)

Vidaldus x Lucy

Bride Succubus Lucy Bride Succubus Lucy (Part 2: Alternate Ending)

Cana x Lucy

Get it Off Your Chest Please, Remember  Get it Off Your Chest (Part 2) CPR (ft. Brandish) Cuddles and Protective Teammates (ft. Team Natsu) Father Problems Fan vs Card and Water Cuddles and Protective Teammates Part 2 

Elfman x Lucy

You Don’t Need Her 

Jellal x Lucy

Secrecy and Jealousy (ft. Erza) Jellal and Lucy?! (ft. Team Natsu)

Evergreen x Lucy

Gifts from Layla Heart Fun at Ryuzetsu Land

Millianna x Lucy

The Cat Caught the Fairy (ft. Mirajane, Erza, Cana, and Levy) The Cat Caught the Fairy Part 2: Prequel  The Cat Caught the Fairy Part 3 (ft. Mirajane, Erza, Cana, and Levy)

Lisanna x Lucy

Mate of a Take-Over Mage (ft. Natsu) Fiery Rival (ft. Cana, Mira, Levy, Wendy, and Genderbent Natsu. TW) Comforting a Damaged Star (TW) Mating Season and Jealousy (ft. Mira and Aquarius)

Midnight x Lucy 

A Room Full of Lucy Ships (TW) Go Talk to Her Time After Time (ft. Mira) You Look Really Cute in that Sweater (Modern Reincarnation AU)

Loke x Lucy

A Room Full of Lucy Ships (TW) A Lion’s Pride Shut Up and Kiss Me I Will Live for a Million Years (ft. Aquarius)

Lyon x Lucy

A Room Full of Lucy Ships (TW) Rescuing Gray (ft. Gray) Snow Day Romeo! Stop! (ft. Romeo and Wendy) Want to Have Coffee with Me? (Modern Reincarnation AU)

Minerva x Lucy

Falling in Love with an Old Enemy (ft. Natsu) Demon Lucy (TW) Falling in Love with an Old Enemy Part 2 Demon Lucy Part 2

Jura x Lucy

Falling for the Rescuer 

Kagura x Lucy

Swordsmanship Lessons

Meredy x Lucy

You’re as Intimidating as a Butterfly