#soulmate au

[neonghostlights]

The Soulmates Part Eight

A/N: Hi! Still sick but managed to get some writing done. If it’s bad don’t blame me blame the Covid.

Summary: Eddie Munson never thought he would be one of the lucky ones. Him being the only one in his family to be given a soulmate mark was a miracle. What happens when his soulmate is not the one he wanted? Will he be able to give up his dream girl to be with the one he’s meant to be with? Or will he just have to learn to ignore the other half of his soul?

Warnings: Police interrogations, bad cop, cussing, not really proofread, special appearance by Chief Jim Hopper himself, if I missed anything please let me know. As usual for all of my work, 18+ only Minors DNI.

Word Count: 2.3k

Eddie Munson x Fem Reader

Series Masterlist

You, Eddie, and Taylor shuffled awkwardly into the Hawkins Police Station. 

You and Taylor looked completely out of your element and probably stuck out like sore thumbs. Unlike Eddie who was smirking at any worker who happened to stare at him. He acted like he owned the place by the way he waltzed in. 

The building was pretty much what you had expected for a small town police station. Brick exterior with dingy white walls stained yellow from excessive cigarette smoking from overworked officers. Rows of wooden desks and chairs took up most of the room.  

An older woman with gray curly hair sat at the front desk eyeing you all with skepticism, especially Eddie. 

“Interesting seeing you here not in handcuffs, Mr. Munson,” she said in a monotonous tone. 

Eddie gave her a quick wink. “Missed you so much I just had to come back and visit you, Darla.”

“You’ve been arrested?” You turned to Eddie in disbelief. 

“It was one time and it was more of a warning.” Eddie waved his hand like it was no big deal.

Darla’s loud scoff made you believe it definitely wasn’t a one time and it probably wasn’t a warning either. 

“We’re gonna talk about that later,” you muttered to him before turning to the lady at the desk. “Hi, I need to speak with my dad.”

Before you could even tell her who he was you heard your name called from across the station. 

Your dad rushed towards you worried as he eyed Eddie beside you. “What are you doing here?” 

Suddenly nervous you shuffled your feet awkwardly as your dad waited for you to tell him what was going on. You felt a comforting squeeze on your arm from Eddie, telling you that it was okay. 

“I’m ready to tell you how I got hurt,” you rushed out before you could lose your nerve. “I need to make a statement.”

Chief Hopper took you each back one by one to gather a statement from each of you. You wished they would’ve kept you or Eddie with Taylor to make sure she told the truth but she seemed pretty determined on the ride over to take Chrissy down. You and Eddie had both pushed for her to be interviewed first due to being scared if she sat here thinking any longer that she would change her mind. 

Eddie seemed as cool as can be as he leaned back on the bench outside of the interrogation room with his arms crossed behind his head . 

“Are you serious right now?” You grumbled at him. 

“If I start freaking out then you’ll start freaking out, sweetheart. And none of us need that right now,” Eddie said with his eyes closed like he was going to take a nap in the middle of the police station. 

You didn’t have the chance to process the new pet name or even give a smart remark back. The interrogation room's door opened to reveal a tearful Taylor being escorted out by a stern looking Chief Hopper. Taylor took a seat on the bench across from you and Eddie. You couldn’t get a read on her face due to the fact that she refused to look at either of you.

“You’re next,” he said as he pointed at you. 

You looked at Eddie who nodded encouragingly before walking into the room behind Hopper. 

Interrogation room may have been a generous word for the room you walked into. The four walls were blank. The only items in the room was a metal table surrounded by four chairs. It didn’t even have that cool two way mirror that you saw on every cop show on TV. Based on the thick layer of dust that covered every surface, it wasn’t hard to come to the conclusion that they never had to use this room often. 

You sat across from Hopper and another cop while your dad sat beside you. Your dad wasn’t allowed technically on the case due to a conflict of interest, but Hopper was letting him listen in anyway. 

“Alright, kid,” Hopper said as he placed a file down on the table. “I already got some of the story from Taylor. Now, I need you to tell me your side.”

The other cop at the table had his arms crossed as he gave you a hard look. It made you feel like you were the one in trouble. 

Your dad gave you an encouraging nod before you took a deep breath and set into the story. You started with the note in your locker, the details of the attack, and ended with you confronting Eddie and finding out he wasn’t actually in on it. You even handed them the note that you had received in your locker telling you to go to the woods in the first place. 

“And how are we so sure that the Munson boy wasn’t actually in on it?” Asked the cop that you now know as Deputy Callahan. 

You reared back like you had been slapped. “If he was in on it then why would he be here? And why would he actively seek me out after it happened? Why would he want to see his soulmate hurt?” 

Hopper and your father both silently watched for Callahan's rebuttal.  “Because he’s a guy and maybe he liked having two girls fight over him. Just because he’s your soulmate doesn’t make him a good person. The sooner you realize that then the better for you in the long run.” 

You laughed in disbelief. “I didn’t fight over anyone. I didn’t even really like Eddie when this happened. He was just a guy who I had to work on a project with. Also, I would hardly call being brutally attacked by five people a fight.”

Callahan shook his head at you. “Regardless, I think we should question Eddie too. Really figure out the extent of his involvement in this. Right, Chief?” Callahan turned to look at Hopper for some back up. 

Hopper rubbed his chin as he contemplated for a moment. “I think we need to talk to Munson. We really need to get everyone's side of the story.”

You opened your mouth to argue back but your dad put his hand up at you and shook his head no. Telling you to shut up. 

Your father and Callahan escorted you out of the room and back to the hallway. Eddie, for the first time since being in this building, looked nervous. He promptly stood as you approached him, his eyes looking you up and down to try to gauge your distress. 

“You okay?” He asked urgently. His eyes cut to Callahan in a glare. 

“I’m fine. Where’s Taylor?” You asked. 

“She was really upset so her mom came and picked her up.”

You nodded, trying to think of a way to warn Eddie that the cops may not be on his side.

“Alright, Munson. You’re up,” Callahan called from the interrogation room doorway with a snarky tone. 

“You saved the best for last, Callahan!” Eddie said with a smirk as he looked over and shot you a wink. 

If he was nervous you couldn’t tell. You wanted to be able to go in there with him so badly. You wanted to be able to protect him from these people who only ever saw him as trouble. 

If what you knew about how Eddie was treated by this town was correct, then this might turn out the way you wanted it to. 

They kept Eddie in that room for two hours. 

Fear gnawed at your gut as you sat on the hard wooden bench and stared at the shut door that had no window. No way to see what was going on in there. 

Were they going too hard on him? Trying to pin this on him even though he was completely innocent? Even though he wasn’t even there in the woods that day. 

Maybe this was all a mistake. Maybe you should have left Eddie at home and not mention him at all. 

Maybe this was all pointless anyways. Who's to say that the second they get Chrissy in here that they won't take her word over yours once she sheds some tears? 

You had to remember why you were going through this though. Not just for you, but also for Eddie. You wanted nothing more than for him to see some peace and to be able to thrive.

When the door finally slammed open, your father led Eddie out of the room. He pulled him off to the side, speaking to him too quietly for you to hear what they were saying. 

An angry looking Callahan stomped past you and disappeared around the corner. 

“We’re gonna take a look at everything and if we have any updates or any questions we’ll be in touch with you and Eddie,” Hopper said. 

You couldn’t tell based on his mood whether he was taking you and Eddie’s side or not. 

“Thank you,” you said politely. He looked you over with scrutinizing eyes before nodding and heading off to his office. 

“Eddie’s gonna take you home. I’ll see you tonight,” your dad said as Eddie approached you. 

Eddie slung an arm around your shoulder offering you some comfort. A reminder that he was okay. “Yeah, I’ll see you later.”

You wanted to stay and ask him what he thought about all of this but he left towards Hopper's office too quickly for you to grab him. 

Eddie kept his arm around you as he led you to his van and held the door as you climbed into the seat. 

“What did they say?” You blurted out before he even had a chance to start the van. 

“It’s obvious Callahan is not my biggest fan. He tried to say I was in on it. It’s clear they believe your side of the story but he tried his best to make sure that if Chrissy was going down then I was too. He basically laughed in my face when I told him about how she was harassing me.” His forced monotonous tone was so you couldn’t tell how much it was affecting him to not be believed. But you knew better. 

“I’m so sorry, Eddie. I tried to tell him but he wouldn’t believe me.”

“Yeah, well he seemed to believe your dad,” Eddie turned to face you with a grin. 

“What do you mean?” You sat up in the seat confused. 

“I mean your dad stood up for me in there. Called Callahan out on his bullshit right in front of Hopper. Your dad told him all these nice things about how respectful I am and how much he can tell I care for you…” Eddie’s voice trailed off like he was lost in thought. 

“Holy shit. I thought he would hate you,” you exclaimed. 

“I mean I still don’t think he likes me but he doesn’t want to see me go to jail over something I had no part of so that’s gotta mean something.” He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road as he pulled out of the parking lot. 

“So, that’s why Callahan looked so pissed,” You recalled, thinking back to the angry look on his face as he walked out of the interrogation room. 

“Well, that…and the fact that I reminded Chief Hopper that Callahan is dating Chrissy’s older sister so it’s probably best he wasn’t on the case.”

“What?!” You practically screamed, causing Eddie to jump in surprise. 

“I kept trying to remember where I knew him from. I mean obviously he may have arrested me once or twice,” he looked over to gauge your reaction. You met his stare with an unimpressed look that made him laugh. “Anyways, I kept thinking and then I remember he came over for dinner one night when I was there and he kept making comments about me during dinner. And of course her parents took the chance to tell Chrissy how she should find a nice young man who’s gonna be on the right side of the law.” Eddie rolled his eyes at the memory. 

You couldn’t blame Eddie for bringing up his memories with Chrissy. They had just broken up after all. There would always be history there, whether he had you as a soulmate or not. But you couldn't help the sick feeling of jealousy making its way into your mind at the sound of her name. Eddie was your soulmate, technically you were two halves of the same soul. Your connection was deeper than a cellular level. You had no reason to be jealous, although despite being soulmates, your relationship status was set to ‘friends’.

“You good?” He asked when he noticed you were still quiet. 

“Yeah, just ready for this to all be over,” you smiled. 

Eddie dropped you off at home with the promise to pick you up for school the next day. He seemed mostly certain that he wouldn’t make you late to class. 

Dinner with your parents was awkward. You could tell your dad had probably filled in your mom on what he had learned at the police station. She was basically shaking with the need to ask you about it, but to your relief she left you alone. 

After dinner you found yourself lying in bed thinking about how much your life had changed since you had moved to Hawkins. Who knew that when you arrived here you would have new friends, enemies, and a soulmate. 

You drifted to sleep, hopeful that everything would work out in the end. 

The phone ringing from your nightstand pulled you out of your dreamless slumber. You groaned as you looked at the clock saying it was only one in the morning. You picked up the phone and placed it to your ear without even thinking about it. 

“Hello?” You answered groggily as you rubbed the sleep out of your eyes. 

“Hey, it’s Eddie. I’m really sorry to wake you up but a lot of shit just happened.” 

You sat up in the bed with the phone still clutched to your ear. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“I’m okay. Chrissy just got arrested.”

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[alienzil]

The Red String of Fate Hits a Snag

Chapter 1

(TW: Swearing and some abuse, implied drug use)

“Mama! Mama!”

“Jason, shhh. You know Daddy doesn’t like when you shout.” Catherine said, grabbing her little boy’s hand and tugging him closer to her and out of reach of her husband. 

“But Mama! I was a baby!” Jason exclaimed, his eyes bright with childlike wonder. 

“Damn idiot brat,” Willis growled in irritation. “Course you were a baby, had to come from somewhere didn’t ya? Expensive as fuck little shit you were with all those diapers.”

“No Daddy! I was a baby now! I was playing but then I was somewhere else and I was a baby!”

“What the hell is he babbling about now?” Willis asked. 

Catherine winced, hoping this wasn’t going to start a fight. “What do you mean honey? Did you see a baby out the window?”

“No Mama! I didn’t see a baby! I was a baby! But the baby was there too?” Jason’s little face scrunched up in thought. “I was there and the baby was there but we were both the baby. There was a lady there too…that must’ve been his Mama! She called him Danny.”

“Oh,” Catherine said a bit breathlessly. She hadn’t expected this… Jason had a soulmate?

“You tryin’ to say you had a vision?” Willis scoffed and stood up, crossing the room to loom over Catherine and Jason sitting on the couch. “You lyin’ to us boy?”

“No Daddy! I’m not lyin’”

Catherine held her breath as Willis’s face contorted in anger. He reached out and roughly grabbed Jason’s arm.

“You’re makin’ it up you little brat!”

“But”

“No! You listen here!” Willis shook Jason slightly. “Crime alley kids don’t have soulmates ya hear me?! None a that fairy tale shit happens to us so I don’t wanna hear any more lies outta you. You got it?”

“But Daddy…”

Willis gripped his arm bruisingly tighter. “Crime Alley kids Don’t. Got. Soulmates. Say ‘yes sir’.”

“Yes sir,” Jason said quietly.

“Good, now get”, Willis released Jason’s arm and went back to his chair, popping open another beer as he sat down.

Catherine quietly herded Jason towards the kitchen and picked him up to sit on the counter while she grabbed an ice pack from the freezer.

“Wasn’t lyin’ Mama’” Jason said sullenly as she pressed the ice pack to his arm.

Catherine swallowed and glanced at the door hoping Willis wasn’t listening. They were running low on money again and he’d been stewing about it all day. She didn’t want to set him off again.  “It’s not a lie if you’re playin’ make believe baby.” 

“I wasn’t playin’ make believe Mama! It was real!” 

“Shhh Jason, you don’t want to upset your Daddy do you?…it’s okay to play make believe…you’ve got a real good imagination and Mama’s proud of you okay?”

“But…” Jason wavered looking confused. “Mama…it was real.”

“Shhh honey, lotsa things seem real when they aren’t. Now why don’t you be a good boy and go play in your room? Mama’s gotta take her medicine.”

“Okay…” 

Catherine lifted Jason down from the counter and patted his head as he walked towards his room. She felt guilty for lying to him but it was all for the best. This way Willis would be happy and Jason would be safe. Besides, he was so small he probably wouldn’t even remember this and he’d have other chances to find his soulmate someday.

[zepskies]

Never Say Goodbye - Part 11

Pairing: Dean x Female Reader 

Summary: The first time you and Dean sensed each other’s thoughts and feelings, you were just kids. It would take years to realize that you both were bonded for life, and even longer to finally meet. [Soulmate AU] (Rated M for eventual scenes – 18+)

**To start at the beginning: PART 1

Word Count: 4,900 Warnings: Angst, peril, fluff. Oh yeah, and more kidnapping.

Part 11: Soul Bond

You had nothing. 

Absolutely nothing on where the Yellow Eyed demon had taken Sam. You and Dean had been working on it with Bobby at his house for hours, but out of hundreds of ancient books on the shelf, not one had the answer on how to locate the demon.

And over the past month, none of the omens that were typically associated with demons revealed anything either.

You and Bobby were frustrated. Dean was pissed. 

Until he got a call from Ash—the resident hillbilly tech genius at Harvelle’s Roadhouse. He had something big, but not something that he could share over the phone.

You all needed to get your asses to the Roadhouse.

It took a fair amount of convincing, but Dean reluctantly let you come with him and Bobby in the Impala to Nebraska. About four hours later, you arrived to scorched earth where the Roadhouse once stood.

The building had been all but burned to the ground. Only part of its wood frame remained. You covered your mouth with a hand against the smoke fumes as you carefully stepped through the debris to find any sign of Ash, Ellen, or her daughter Jo. According to Sam and Dean, Jo was just a little younger than you, but she was shaping up to be a great hunter herself. 

Right now though, you were glad that you hadn’t found her. Bobby shook his head at the carnage, while Dean stopped short. He found Ash’s charred arm, identifying him by his watch.

He grimaced. “Oh, Ash. Damn it.” 

He glanced up at you and Bobby. You didn’t need the bond to know that Dean felt helpless. And he was thinking the same thing you were.

What the hell do we do now?

The three of you headed back to the car after Bobby called this in to 9-1-1. 

“What the hell did Ash know?” Dean said. “We’ve got no way of knowing where Ellen is, or if she’s even alive. We got no clue what Ash was going to tell us. Now how the hell are we gonna find Sam?”

“We’ll find him,” Bobby said. 

Just then, Dean flinched as images flashed painfully through his mind. You gasped as his pain echoed in your own head, making you press a hand to your temple not unlike how he was right now.

“What’s going on?” Bobby asked. He looked between you both in confusion, and an edge of concern. “What was that?”

You looked over at Dean with a frown. 

“It started with you,” you said.

He gave you an apologetic look before he answered your uncle. “I don’t know. Headache?” 

“You get headaches like that a lot?” Bobby asked skeptically. 

You laid a hand on Dean’s back, as you sensed he was still reeling. He shook his head. 

“No,” he admitted, catching his breath. “It must be the stress…but I could’a swore I saw something.”

“What do you mean, like…like a vision?” Bobby asked.

 “What, no. Like what Sam gets?” Dean asked.

“Like what Sam gets?” you echoed. “Sam gets visions?”

Your hand dropped from his back as you regarded Dean sternly. He gave you a more sheepish, apologetic look. 

I’ll fill you in later, he said through the bond. You frowned at him. Even now, he was still keeping things from you.

“Not like that. I’m not some psychic,” Dean said to Bobby. 

And then it him again—a piercing pain that resonated through his skull, and through the soul bond into yours. Both of you clutched at your heads in pain. It actually brought Dean to his knees against the Impala while you nearly lost your footing in the gravel road. Bobby came to your side first, holding you up right while his free hand went to stabilize Dean. 

You didn’t see what Dean saw, but in his vision, he saw Sam. And he saw a large old bell with a tree engraved on it. An oak tree, Bobby helped confirm. 

“I know where Sam is,” Bobby said. “Cold Oak.”

“Where the hell’s that?” Dean said. 

“Back home,” Bobby said. “South Dakota.”

The only thing you could do was drive. 

Well, Dean did the driving. Bobby was out for a nap in the backseat. You sat in the passenger seat and tried to soothe Dean’s worry. 

“We’re going to find him,” you said. Dean glanced at you with a frown. 

“That’s not all I’m worried about,” he said. 

“What else?” you said. His lips pressed into a line, and his gaze was firmly on the road, but you knew him by now. You sensed he was thinking about the pain his vision caused, and that you had felt it too.

“It’s just the bond, Dean,” you said. “We’re both fine—”

“Yeah, well, next time we might not be,” Dean said. He let go of a sharp sigh. “Damn it, you should’ve stayed home. When we get there, you’re definitely staying in the car.”

You huffed, crossing your arms. 

“You’re not the boss of me,” you muttered. 

Dean shot you a warning look. “Hey, don’t you get snippy. This is serious. It’s dangerous beyond freakin’ belief.”

“I know, okay! I’m not an idiot,” you retorted. “And by the way, thanks for filling me in about Sam’s psychic powers. Talk about the 11th hour.”

Dean made a sound of frustration as his eyes rolled heavenward. 

“Look, it’s Sam’s thing. Not mine,” he said. “Not my secret to tell.”

A valid point, though at the moment, not one you cared about. 

“The one thing I asked from you was not to lie to me, and you can’t even do that,” you snapped. “Omission is still a lie.”

Dean kept his eyes on the road while his mouth was set in a firm line, choosing to stew in silence rather than raise his voice at you. 

You felt his anger, still twisted with worry for his brother, and it shot a lance of guilt through you. You knew you weren’t making things any easier here…

But you were angry too. So you sat back in your seat and looked out your window instead of at your boyfriend for the next ten miles. 

Dean hated to stop for any reason, but he eventually pulled off the highway at the nearest pit stop to gas up the car. 

You got out of the car with your purse at the same time Dean did, but he grabbed hold of your arm as soon as you tried to get by him.

“Where’re you going?” His question sounded more like a demand. You gave him an odd look.

“To the bathroom,” you said. A bit of snark colored your tone. “Unless you want to reupholster your seats.”

Dean didn’t appreciate your attitude. He set the gas handle to fill up his car automatically and signaled to Bobby to keep an eye on it. 

“You don’t have to come with me. I’ll be right back,” you said. But it was like talking to a brick wall. 

Dean followed you into the gas station, through the snack aisle, all the way to the women’s bathroom. His shoulders and spine were tense, his gaze alert.

“All right, I think we can part ways right here,” you teased, trying your best to be less snarky this time. Dean wasn’t laughing. 

“Just make it quick,” he said. 

Fine, Dad, you thought in annoyance. You could tell he heard it by the way his lips pursed. With a frustrated sigh, you went into the restroom by yourself. 

You realized Dean was just trying to keep you safe, but that sort of overprotectiveness really did remind you of your dad, and how he’d wanted to wrap you in bubble wrap since you were a little kid. And that was annoying as hell. 

Once you’d used the restroom, you set your purse down on the counter and washed your hands at the sink. 

A creaking sound echoed from your left. You paused, wondering if Dean had cracked the door open on top of waiting outside for you. But when you didn’t hear him, you shook your head and finished washing your hands.

Briefly you looked up into the mirror—and you saw him. 

You jolted with a gasp as a tall man with eerie yellow eyes smirked over your shoulder. 

“Hey, sweetheart,” he drawled. 

You whirled around, but before you could scream, the man grabbed your shoulder. The moment he touched you, you felt cold and darkness climbed into your mind, washing everything else away. 

Dean’s fists clenched in the pocket of his jeans. He frowned, both impatient and annoyed. What the hell was taking you so long?

He had half a mind to go in there and check on you. But just as he was about to ask you mentally what the hold up was, he felt a tendril of your fear through the bond. Then, your terror. 

Sucking in a breath, Dean drew his gun from the waistband of his jeans and burst into the women’s bathroom. 

Your purse was sitting on the counter, the faucet in the sink was still on, but you were nowhere to be found. He called your name as he entered. You didn’t answer. 

Dean looked around, and his panic rose when he knealed down and found traces of sulfur on the bathroom floor.

“Damn it!” 

Dean sprinted back to the car, where Bobby had already filled up the Impala with gas and had been waiting. Once he caught sight of Dean, he perked up in alert. 

“What happened?” he asked. “Where’s—”

“Yellow Eyes got her,” Dean said. His expression was pained. “He took her right out from under me, goddamn it!”

Dean raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. Bobby came around and rested a hand on his shoulder. The older man was also worried about his niece, his insides gone cold and his heart squeezed like a vice. But he knew that Dean didn’t need to see it right now. 

“It’s okay. We’ll find her,” Bobby said. 

“It’s not okay, Bobby! I shouldn’t have brought her out here. Fuck.” Dean rubbed a shaking hand over his mouth. You were in the hands of a demon, and it wasn’t some low-level backup dancer either. It was the demon.

One horrific scenario after another played through Dean’s mind—on a loop. It threatened to turn his stomach.

“It’s my fault,” he said. He felt that down to his bones. “And Sam too. I was distracted when he needed me…and now who knows what that sick fuck is gonna—”

“Dean, calm down. We know where Sam is. We can at least get to him first,” Bobby said. “Yellow Eyes obviously wants us, mainly you, chasin’ your tail…which in a way is good for us.”

Dean shot him an incredulous look. “How?”

“He sees you as a threat,” Bobby said, his gaze knowing. “To whatever he’s got cooked up for Sam.”

You woke up lying on a dusty ground with dead leaves in your mouth. 

You spit them out and groaned at the dull ache in your skull. What the hell…

When you were able to look up at your surroundings, you were disconcerted to find you were in the middle of the woods. Where that was, you had no fucking idea. 

“Evening, sunshine,” came a droll voice. You gasped as you realized who it was, and what exactly had taken you. You whipped around and found the Yellow Eyed demon watching you, smirking lightly in amusement. 

You scrambled to your feet and put as much distance as you could between him and you, which was only about a few feet, considering the small clearing he’d brought you to.

You were freezing, missing the jacket you’d left in the car. Your breath came out in visible puffs, and a demon, the demon, was watching you. This was the thing that had killed Sam’s girlfriend, and Sam and Dean’s mother. This was the creature John Winchester had bargained with for Dean’s life.

You were terrified. 

But you tried to channel Dean’s focus under pressure. You couldn’t feel him, so you assumed they were far from the gas station in South Dakota. Though you also didn’t know how much time had lapsed between then and now.

“What do you want?” you asked, hating how tremulous your voice was. “Why’d you bring me here? Where’s Sam?”

Yellow Eyes crossed an arm and rested his chin in his other hand. 

“You ask a lot of questions,” he mused. “Which one’s most important to you?”

You blinked, took a breath to steady yourself (though that didn’t really work), and you forced yourself to think.

“You could’ve killed me,” you said. “But you haven’t yet.”

He shrugged.

“Still could,” he pointed out. You swallowed. Fair enough.

“Separating me from Dean is…you probably want him going crazy,” you reasoned. And thinking of Dean made you ache. 

This is exactly the kind of thing he’d feared, you realized. And if we make it through this, he’s going to be pissed.

Mainly at you, probably. And that thought intensified your guilt.

But the only real question you had left was, “Where’s Sam?”

The demon straightened and took on a new smile, one you decided you didn’t like. 

“You really want to know?” he asked. He moved towards you, but you moved in the opposite direction. Cat and mouse. 

You somehow managed to keep a stubborn tilt to your chin. “That’s what I said, isn’t it?”

“Lippy.” He nodded. “That’s cute.”

In a few swift, inhuman steps, he crossed the distance and took your throat in his hand. You gasped and grabbed at his wrist, but he didn’t squeeze. He just framed your jaw with his hand and looked down at you like he was considering breaking your neck. Just for fun.

“Do you want to see Sam?” he asked, tilting your face up to him. “I’ll take you to him.”

You worked to find your voice. You were trembling. “Why?”

He looked mockingly surprised. 

“Why? I thought that’s what you wanted.”

You stared up at him in fear, breathing shallowly, but you wanted to know his motivations. Why would he help you?

“I’ll put it like this. I’ve got a little bet going,” the demon said. His thumb drew back and forth along your jawline. A tear streamed down your cheek. 

“Right now I’ve got two main contenders: a bear and a lion,” he said. “I’m rootin’ for the lion. At the end of this little trial, we’ll see which of my children comes out on top.”

He finally released you. You gasped and rubbed your throat—not because he’d hurt you, but because his touch felt cold. Like the clammy hand of death. 

You let out a shaky breath.

“So either Sam wins, or he dies,” you concluded. The demon smiled.

“You want to help Dean, right? You want to matter in his life, beyond being a convenient bedwarmer,” he taunted. You glared back. 

“The question is: do you think you can make a difference?” Yellow Eyes paced behind you, like the devil on your shoulder. 

If this was your chance to help Sam, then you would take it, even if it cost you. You cared about Sam too, and you refused to be the reason Dean lost another member of his family. 

“Take me to Sam then,” you said. 

The demon appeared at your side. He dropped an icy hand on your shoulder, and your world fell into darkness again. 

This time, it cleared faster. You gasped as if you’d been holding your breath. You felt dizzy and wrong, but when you next opened your eyes, you faced a dark, empty town bordering on a wilderness. The demon had disappeared.

But you heard a shout. Your head snapped to the sound, and you saw Sam! He was fighting someone just a few yards away: a young Black man in what looked like an army uniform. 

“Sam!” you called out, and you raced towards them. Sam was kneeling on the ground, nearly spent, maybe even hurt. 

But the other man was behind him. As you got close, your eyes widened as you saw the knife. 

You had no time to think, you just had to stop him.

You jumped onto the attacker’s back and wrapped your arms around his neck. You managed to pull him back with your weight alone, though you struggled to stay on as he grunted and stumbled back. 

He soon twisted and threw you off—hard onto the damp ground. So hard that you hit your head on the gravel, and your vision sharply cut to black once again.  

Sam was exhausted. Pain radiated from his dislocated right shoulder, but he could’ve sworn he’d heard your voice. He saw Bobby and Dean in the distance, coming from the south. But your voice had come from the opposite direction.

“Sam, watch out!” Dean shouted.  

Sam twisted to look behind him, but his eyes widened at what he saw.

He saw you grappling on Jake’s back. Sam scrambled to his feet and grabbed the crowbar he had given up earlier, just in time to watch Jake all but throw you to the ground. Anger burned in Sam’s veins.

He used his left hand to once again slam the crowbar across Jake’s face—twice, three times more. Even with Jake’s superhuman strength, it managed to push him back a few steps. But he still didn’t go down. His obstinate face and his solid stance said he wasn’t giving up. It was him, or Sam. One of them wasn’t walking out of here alive.

Jake took one step forward.

And then he found three bullets in his chest. 

Slowly he looked down. Blood spilled from his wounds, and Jake stumbled and fell back into the dirt. The light drained from his eyes as his heaving chest stilled. Sam could only stare at him in shock, until Dean ran up at his side. 

Dean debated one more shot to the head, mostly out of anger and relief that he’d made it in time… 

But after a moment, he lowered his gun and looked over at his brother. Sam gave him a grim, thankful look. 

Dean returned it, but his expression soon fell. He looked past his brother, where Bobby was kneeling down to your sprawled body on the ground. You were out cold. Dean sheathed his gun as he and Sam also went to your side. Dean’s insides went cold, but he quickly checked you over with his eyes and his hands. 

“Baby, can you hear me?” Dean called to you, but you didn’t respond.

Overall, you didn’t seem hurt anywhere else but the knot probably forming on the back of your head. But you’d been missing for hours. You’d been with Yellow Eyes all this time…

Dean took your face in his hands and was gentle in raising your head from the ground. He didn’t find any blood, but he still had to hold his fear and desperation inside as he called your name, trying to rouse you. 

He held the side of your face, brushing his thumb against your cold cheek.

“Come on, sweetheart. Open your eyes for me,” he muttered. For a moment, all three men waited with bated breath.

Then, you inhaled more sharply and started to wake up. Dean let out a deep breath, sharing a look of relief with Sam and Bobby. He brushed your hair away from your face and pulled you into his arms. You were slow to come around, but then you opened your eyes. 

When your gaze found his, you smiled at him. “Dean?”

“There she is,” Dean said with a grin. “There’s my girl.”

He carefully checked the back of your head again.

“I thought we said no more heart attacks,” he quipped. You just sighed and held onto his jacket, too relieved and spent to volley back. Dean looked down at you and tried to hide the true depths of his concern (and lingering worry). 

“You okay?” he asked. “Did Yellow Eyes…are you hurt?”

You met his eyes again, and though tears swam in yours, you shook your head. But you smiled at Bobby when he set an almost fatherly hand on your shoulder. 

“I’m okay,” you replied.  

“Did you crack your head again?” Bobby asked. You tried to sit up, and Dean helped you.

“Don’t think so. Damn.” You winced at the ache at the back of your head. Dean also grimaced; you hoped he couldn’t feel this too. “Maybe I’ve got a weak skull.” 

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Sam said. “Jake was strong.”

You looked over at Sam and saw how he was holding his right arm. And he had a stream of blood drying down the side of his face.

“Are you okay?” you asked him in concern. 

“It’s just dislocated,” Sam said. 

Dean nodded. “Yeah, let’s fix that before we go.”

He released you once he was satisfied that Bobby was supporting you, and then turned to his brother. It wasn’t pleasant, and you had never seen this done outside of the movies, but in a quick countdown from three, Dean set his brother’s shoulder. On two, Sam’s strangled yell rang out throughout the ghost town.

You winced and gave Sam a supportive rub of his back. 

“Okay, Sammy.” Dean laid a hand on Sam’s good shoulder. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“Absolutely,” Sam agreed with a grimace.

Dean helped you to the Impala, despite you telling him that you were fine. He wasn’t babying his brother like this. He just gave you a look, and he eased you into the Impala’s backseat while Sam climbed into the passenger seat.

Bobby went on ahead in his car, while Dean proceeded to drill both of you on what happened. Sam explained his part—being kidnapped, ending up in this town with a handful of others his age who had been sought out by the Yellow Eyed demon. It had turned out to be gruesome survival of the fittest, in which they were picked off one by one, then forced to fight each other to make it out alive. Sam and Jake had been the last ones standing.

There were some details that Sam was leaving out, you noticed, even though you didn’t know exactly what they were. Like why this group had these powers to begin with, and why the demon wanted them to fight one another to the death.

But right now, you were too exhausted to pursue your usual curiosity. 

“Why did Yellow Eyes take you?” Sam asked, glancing at you over his shoulder to the backseat. Dean’s expression tightened.

“Maybe he wanted to distract Dean, but it was more than that,” you explained. “He wanted to help you win, Sam. He figured I’d be a monkey wrench in the game.”

You want to help Dean, right? You want to matter in his life, the demon had taunted. 

And you’d played your part. You were glad you had though. If you hadn’t thrown yourself onto Jake, who knows what he would’ve done to Sam…but you did regret one thing.

“Dean,” you said softly. He looked back at you over his shoulder. 

“I’m sorry about…about today. You warned me this was dangerous, and I was stupid about it.” You let out a shaky sigh. “Not to mention a selfish jerk. I promise, it won’t happen again—” 

“All right, that’s enough,” Dean said. He reached back and grasped your knee. His eyes flashed to yours through the rearview mirror.

Your lips trembled. A few tears escaped and rolled down your cheeks, but you were quick to brush them away and grab his hand. 

You were just grateful that he didn’t seem to be angry at you. Nor did you sense that from him through the bond. What you felt most was his concern, his desire to soothe you, and his goal to get you and Sam home.

“Don’t worry about it, okay? I’m not mad,” he promised. “You’re safe. Sammy’s safe, we’re all good.”

Sam’s head turned towards you, offering a smile as well. You tried to smile back at both of them. You sniffled, squeezing Dean’s hand one more time before you let go so he could concentrate on driving. He still kept an eye on you through the rearview. 

“You okay?” he asked. You nodded, but you also couldn’t hold back a long yawn. 

“All right. Get some sleep, baby. We’ll be home soon,” he said. 

You nodded and relaxed in the backseat of the Impala. You always got sleepy in moving in cars…

Dean smiled as he watched you fall asleep out of the corner of his eye. Poor girl. Been through the ringer.

The same could be said for his little brother. He looked over at Sam, who had dried blood down the side of his face. All of you had made it out of this in one piece though, and Dean was as surprised as he was grateful.

He noticed Sam rub at his aching shoulder.

“You get some sleep too,” Dean said, though he held back a yawn of his own. 

Sam looked over at his brother in concern. Dean almost looked as bad as him, even with Sam’s injuries. Dean looked like he’d been through hell. Likely from the stress of trying to find Sam, and you. 

All thanks to Yellow Eyes.

“Dean,” he said, earning his older brother’s attention. “He knows we’re going to find him. We’re gonna kill him.”

Dean’s mouth raised at the corner. “Damn straight.”

“Have you thought again about what comes after?” Sam asked. “Last year, you seemed to think there was always going to be something out there to hunt.”

Dean hesitated. Again, he glanced back at your sleeping form. 

“Yeah, well. That was last year,” he muttered. Before their dad died. Before he got a taste of what losing you and Sam felt like. 

“I’m gettin’ tired of this,” Dean admitted.

Sam smiled a little. There was one thing he had agreed with John about. He wanted better for his brother. He wanted Dean to have a home too. 

With that thought hovering at the surface, Sam let out a sigh and closed his eyes. He didn’t remember drifting off.

But when he next woke up, it was still dark outside. Sam blinked and yawned. “Dean, how far are we—”

When he looked over, it wasn’t Dean in the driver’s seat. 

It was Yellow Eyes. 

Sam jolted in his seat and leaned back in shock. He turned and saw you in the back, still sleeping, but it was Yellow Eyes next to him with a grin. Sam was dreaming. 

“Hey, Sam,” the demon said. “Congrats on winning my little beauty pageant. I was always rootin’ for you.”

Sam seethed with barely controlled rage. 

“You’re the one who’s going to lead the troops,” said Yellow Eyes. “You’re gonna be the Million-Dollar Man, Sammy.”

“Cut the crap,” Sam said hotly. 

“You’ll be like a prince in the new world order, you know,” the demon continued. “You and your family will be safe…well, what’s left of it anyway. You’ll all be set for life, my friend.”

Sam glared back at him. “You think I’m an idiot?”

After a moment, the demon rolled his eyes and sighed. 

“Yeah, you’re right,” he said. “That was a tough sell, even for me.”

Sam opened his mouth to reply, but the demon beat him to it. 

“How about this. You’ll do exactly what you’re supposed to,” Yellow Eyes said. “You’ll follow orders, like a good soldier. Or, I’ll eviscerate Dean like a kid’s piñata.” 

Sam knew that wasn’t an idle threat. But he swallowed his fear and stared defiantly into the demon’s face.

“Good luck,” he retorted. “You should’ve learned from our dad. Winchesters don’t die easily.”

Yellow eyes smirked. “Bold move, considering I got your daddy. Hook, line, sinker.”

“It took a shitty deal for you to even get a hand on Dad,” Sam snapped back. 

After a moment of consideration, Yellow Eyes conceded that. 

“Okay,” he said. But then, his eyes shifted towards the rearview mirror. Sam followed his gaze—to where you were sleeping peacefully in the backseat. Sam’s insides chilled.

“Now, I know Dean’s pretty protective of his things,” said Yellow Eyes, his lips curving. “But after today, I think we both know. Even he can’t be everywhere at once.”

He watched Sam hesitate. 

“I wonder, just how much pain can be communicated through a soul bond?” the demon mused. “Do you think he’ll taste her blood in his mouth? Or will he eat a damn bullet just so he doesn’t have to hear her scream…and cry…and beg for death.”

Sam’s glare was fierce…

But he wavered. He looked out to the miles of dark, open road ahead. In his mind, he considered all the ways they could fight, and all the ways the demon would be able to get to you.

“I’ll break him, Sam,” said Yellow Eyes. It was both a warning and a promise. “Then I’ll break you.”

Sam took in progressively deeper breaths, stealing himself. 

But he couldn’t. He couldn’t do that to Dean, or to you. He couldn’t take away his brother’s happiness. Not when Sam knew what it was like to lose it.

Sam looked back over at Yellow Eyes. Defeated.

“What do you want me to do?” 

The demon grinned.

AN: *Cue Law & Order "dun dun"*

Not what you were expecting, was it? We've got a few more twists and turns to go before the big finale...

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[chubbydino]

mr. invisible and the thing | chapter 12

“What are you doing?” Max asked, annoyed.

“Admiring you,” Charles murmured.

buy me a coffee?

[metalhoops]

The Five Times Eddie Wondered Who His Soulmate Was  and the One Time He Didn’t Have To

1. 

The worst thing about knowing your soulmate was in trouble was understanding there was nothing you could do about it. 

As a whole, Eddie thought the concept of soulmates was bullshit. He thought all that fate and destiny crap was a scam to sell the idea of monogamy or co-dependence. If people were too busy fretting over when they’d meet ‘their person’, they’d forget that actual shit was going on in the world. Who had the time to care about systemic oppression when they were busy trying to work out if the cute girl across the corridor was their one true love? 

That being said, sometimes Eddie got curious about who they were. Not many people found their soulmates. It wasn’t as obvious as you’d think. When they were in pain, you would feel it. Two people could live across the world from one another, feeling each scraped knee and broken wrist but never meet. Hell, you could live across the street from someone and unless you were there to watch them get hurt and feel the same old pang of shared pain, you’d never know. 

It wasn’t like Eddie had never felt his soulmate before that day. They’d twisted an ankle when Eddie was twelve and sprained a wrist when he was fourteen, but he’d felt no pain from them so strong as when he was sitting in detention during his junior year. 

He was counting down the minutes left until he could get out of the high school, hell hole when a sharp and sudden pain flooded his jaw. He gritted his teeth and cradled it with his palm, feeling as though the wind was knocked out of his body. Eddie knew what being punched in the face felt like, and that was it. Just when the ache started to fade, another thud of pain to his cheek made his vision swim. From there, Eddie held his breath, waiting for the pain to end. He rested his head on his desk and felt his heart in his throat as the blows kept coming. 

He missed Mrs Click telling him to go home, too busy gripping the desk for dear life, his fingernails digging into the poorly carved desk graffiti, slicing a line through ‘RB 4 TT.’ He was elated when the pain finally stopped. 

Eddie kept his head down the whole walk home, trying to tell himself soulmates were bullshit, and that he didn’t care about his, but his thoughts kept returning to visions of them. He hoped they were okay. 

Eddie never wanted to know who his soulmate was until that moment. They’d had a hell of a day and Eddie wanted to be there with them, tell them he knew what it was like. He wanted to hold their head in his lap and tell them everything was going to be okay, that if it were up to him, no one would hurt them like that again, but he couldn’t. For all he knew, they could be a hundred miles away. 

2.

The next time it happened, Eddie was at home alone in the trailer. Uncle Wayne was working a night shift, and he was watching a horror movie marathon on the T.V. It was shaping up to be a good night, with him curled up on the couch watching a schlocky creature feature when he felt all the air knocked out of his lungs. 

For a moment, he was worried something horrible was happening to him. When Jeff had appendicitis, he’d reported the same kind of pain. Eddie rolled up the hem of his shirt, watching a black-blue bruise bloom and fade in the span of a second. Sometimes, if the pain was great enough, you’d get what they called an ‘echo’ of the injury. It only lasted a moment, invisible ink fading on pale paper. 

The pain had been so strong that Eddie hadn’t been able to tell if it was theirs or his. From there, it got worse. He felt a sharp pang crash over his head, then another series of blows to the face. It was always the goddamn face.

When it was over, Eddie was left feeling lightheaded. The sensation faded quickly, but he knew his other half would be stuck with the ache for the rest of the night, if not longer. 

There was a lot of conjecture when it came to soulmates. It was hard to conduct scientific studies on something based entirely on sensation, and any research that had been done was less than ethical. All the same, for the rest of the night, Eddie curled his arms around himself, holding his body in the hopes his person could feel it, that he could give them some comfort. 

“I hope you’re okay,” he whispered, burrowing his face into the crook of his elbow. 

Back at school, Eddie floated through the halls feeling less than himself as thoughts of his person swirled. The school was abuzz with rumours of a fight between Billy Hargrove and the former king of Hawkins High, Steve Harrington. Eddie couldn’t care less about some pissing contest for the highest rung on the social ladder, as he still felt the echoed ache of his soulmate’s pain throughout the day. 

He ditched gym, opting to hide beneath the bleachers and smoke. To his surprise, he wasn’t the only one with the idea. When he arrived, he found the overthrown king sitting cross-legged, cradling his still-bruised jaw. Eddie wasn’t a fan of the jocks, but they were the biggest contributor to his wallet, so he tried to play civil with them. Plus, Eddie wasn’t one to kick someone when they were down, and boy was Steve down. He sat beside the man, examined his face, and thought for a fleeting second. Maybe he was the one, but that was crazy talk. The Freak and the King. In what world? 

“You look like you’ve had better days,” Eddie noted. 

“I’ve had worse,” Steve replied. Eddie had a pit in his stomach. 

The two lapsed into silence, hiding out until the bell sounded for the end of gym. Eddie gave the boy a half-hearted salute as he stood.

“Hey, Steve?” Eddie spoke before he left.

“You okay?”

Steve gave Eddie the ghost of a smile, all charm drowned out by Steve’s two black eyes. 

“I will be.” 

3.

Eddie had been worried about his soulmate before, but he’d never thought he’d lose them until the summer vacation after his failed attempt at senior year. He and the rest of Corroded Coffin had just finished their set at The Hideout. Eddie and the boys were carrying their instruments back to the van when the feeling hit. 

He fell to the asphalt. The whole scene sounded all the more dramatic as the hi-hat he’d been holding fell with him. He really wished his soulmate would learn to keep their head down and stay out of trouble because this was getting ridiculous. He got ready to hunker down and wait it out, having gotten morbidly used to their annual beatings. Only this time the pain didn’t stop. 

He was hit with wave after wave of agony. This time, it wasn’t just the face. He felt blows to his jaw, his stomach, and his side. He also felt a sharp spike of pain in his hand, as though someone was trying to peel his nails from his skin.

He could hear his friends around him, desperately trying to get something coherent out of Eddie, trying to work out if it was soulmate bullshit or if the guy was having an aneurysm. By the way he was acting, either seemed possible. When the pain subsided, Eddie felt foggy, like he was going through the worst goddamn high of his life. The neon signs of The Hideout and the street lamps danced before his eyes. Hundreds of little halos clouded his vision. He couldn’t think straight. 

He managed to prop himself up against the wheel of the van and pulled his knees to his chest. He knotted his hands in his long hair and tugged, trying to remind himself what his own pain felt like, though stopped when he realised he’d also be hurting them. That was the last thing they needed. 

“You okay?” He heard Gareth ask when the world came swimming back into focus. Eddie shook his head. Far from it.  

“Are they okay? Are they... alive?” Eddie hadn’t let himself entertain that idea until it was brought up. 

He felt the last flush of colour drain from his face. He could still feel them, but there was something wrong with the connection. Maybe he was dying. Eddie couldn’t help but think of his soulmate as ‘he’. He just knew. 

Eddie kept trying to tell himself he didn’t care about them, but the fact that he could die without Eddie ever having met him made his heart ache. People thought the reason you felt your person’s pain was to protect them, to know when something was wrong. Eddie had done a bang-up job at that. 

“For now, but it’s weird. I don’t... I don’t know how much longer-,” Eddie didn’t let himself finish. 

The rest of the band suddenly took on a sombre mood. Jeff and Grant finished packing up the van while Gareth offered to drive. The boys stayed at Eddie’s trailer for the rest of the night, holding their breaths and waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

Eventually, Eddie dropped off to sleep and when he awoke hours later, he was relieved to realise he hurt all over. He was still alive, still waiting for Eddie to find him and god did Eddie want to. 

His uncle came home at the crack of dawn and let out an elongated sigh of relief at seeing Eddie and his band of merry men curled up together on the living room carpet. Wayne greeted Eddie with a tight hug that still hurt like hell.

“I was worried something happened to you,” His uncle stated in his gravelled tone.

“Why would something have happened to me?” Eddie asked, perplexed. 

“The mall burnt down last night. I was worried you were close by.” 

Eddie shook his head and let his uncle hold him as his mind ticked away. He wondered if it was possible his soulmate was in Hawkins. Eddie wasn’t sure he believed in coincidence.   

4.

Eddie started seeing spots during his lunchtime speech. By the end of his rant, the room had started to tilt. He felt unsure on his feet as he clambered from the top of the jock table to scamper back to the hellfire group. He must look worse for wear because he noticed one of his new recruits watching him.

“Eddie, you good?” Dustin questioned, sounding further away than he should. The lights in the cafeteria were too bright and his head was killing him. 

He felt close to throwing up and wondered where the pain had come from before realising the familiar distance from the sensation. It wasn’t his pain. Eddie didn’t want Henderson to butt into his love life any more than he already did, so he gave the kid a tight-lipped smile that more closely resembled a grimace. This wasn’t the first time he’d felt this sensation from his soulmate, but they were growing more frequent.  

Again, sweetheart? Eddie thought, knowing it was the second migraine that week. 

“Migraine,” Eddie hissed through gritted teeth. He could feel his band members' eyes on him. They knew exactly who the ache belonged to. 

To Eddie’s surprise, Dustin passed him a cool glass of water and barked orders at Mike, getting the kid to remove the ugly Hawaiian over shirt, before throwing it over Eddie’s head, blocking out the light. It wasn’t Eddie’s pain, so it didn’t help but he could appreciate the sentiment. 

“Did they teach you first aid at science camp, Henderson?” Eddie guessed offhandedly. 

“Nah. Steve gets migraines all the time. Helps to know how to deal with them.”

Eddie would never understand how a kid like Dustin came to know Steve Harrington, let alone worship the ground the guy walked on. Usually, Dustin had such good taste.  

“Eddie’s soulmate gets them too,” Gareth spoke unhelpfully. 

Even without looking, Eddie knew he was shooting him a shit-eating grin, knowing the rest of the afternoon Henderson would ask him about his soulmate. Just because the kid found Suzie, he thought the whole world deserved to find their one true love. Instead, Dustin came out with the most bullshit statement Eddie had ever heard. 

“Maybe Steve’s your soulmate.” 

Yeah, right. On what planet would that happen? 

5.

With everything that had happened to Eddie in the past few days, he hadn’t had time to think about his soulmate. He’d watched Chrissy die before his eyes, learnt the existence of another dimension and was walking through said dimension after witnessing Steve Harrington take a bite out of a demon bat’s tail. It’d been a weird ass day.  

He wished he’d been like Robin and Nancy, able to jump in and rescue Steve on a whim, but as Steve disappeared beneath the black water of Lover’s Lake, he’d felt his throat close and his lungs ache for air. It wasn’t a good time for a panic attack. Nevertheless, he’d managed to get his ass in gear and follow the rest of the group down into Watergate. 

He’d dropped back to walk with Steve and found himself complimenting the man. Steve was nothing like he imagined. He was not only kind, but as Dustin had put it, a total badass. 

Once the adrenaline faded, Eddie found himself lifting the hem of his shirt, examining his side. He felt a dull throb of pain. It’d be his luck to bleed out without noticing, but he found there was nothing there. 

“You good?” Steve asked.

Eddie couldn’t help but let his gaze settle on Steve’s bleeding side. He held his breath. He thought about pushing his hand against Steve’s wound, hurting him more just to check, but Eddie couldn’t hurt Steve. Not now. Especially if he was who Eddie thought he might be. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. You okay?” Eddie asked, gesturing to Steve’s side. The boy nodded.

“I’m fine, just a scratch. Can hardly feel a thing.” 

If Steve was his soulmate, he was full of shit. If Steve was his soulmate when everything blew over, they had a few things to talk about.

+1

Something was very wrong. Vecna was going down in a blaze of flame when Steve’s body started to ache. He felt the familiar sting of interdimensional bat fangs digging into dermis flesh. Robin and Nancy were cheering, wrapping their arms around Steve, whooping, hollering and panting while Steve was busy feeling like he was being torn apart. 

He was pulling away from the girls and turning on his heels before he had the chance to explain, running from the Creel House to the trailer park as fast as his feet could carry him. There was only one person this pain could belong to. 

Steve had spent his whole life searching for his soulmate, desperate to know who they were, and he’d been under his nose the whole time. The fact that Steve’s soulmate was a boy hadn’t surprised him as much as it should. That’d been a crisis bubbling away in the background of his brain since he’d gone to his first swim meet. He’d seen a boy in tight swim trunks, with tan skin and felt the familiar heart-pounding, crush he’d experienced on pretty girls he’d passed in the school hallways. 

By the time he got to Eddie, he’d hardly been able to fight through the pain surging through their connection. Dustin was wailing, holding Eddie in the wake of a bat graveyard. He looked up in alarm at Steve’s figure, noticing his pale skin and sweat-slicked brow. 

“Harrington?” Eddie’s weak voice came from Dustin’s lap. 

Steve was busy removing his clothes, trying to stop the bleeding. Dustin didn’t need to show him where the man was hurt, he could feel it. 

“I really must have got some brownie points in the end,” Eddie murmured. 

Both boys hissed as Steve shoved his shirt into a wound at Eddie’s side. That was when Dustin appeared to catch on, his eyes swelling wide as they darted between the two boys. 

“What’re you talking about, Munson?” Steve asked, trying to keep the guy talking. 

“Must’ve got into heaven after all,” He hummed, his deep brown eyes gazing beyond Steve at the distant red sky. 

“Hey. No. None of that. You aren’t in heaven because you’re not dying,” Steve hissed, using what little strength he had left to lift Eddie’s body. 

“Gotta be in heaven, if you’re here,” Eddie spoke, giving Steve a lopsided grin. Steve felt Eddie’s pain beginning to fade and panicked, not ready to let things end before they’d even had the chance to begin. 

He hoisted Eddie up through the portal and waited to do the same with Dustin. It wasn’t long before the distant sound of sirens once more surrounded the Munson trailer and Steve found himself passing out from the pain as red-blue lights swallowed the world whole. 

Eddie woke in pain, his whole body humming with a familiar dull ache that was unarguably his. It took time for him to make sense of the scene. He was in the hospital. Steve was slumped over at the far edge of the room, sleeping in an uncomfortable plastic chair, his head thrown back and his mouth agape. Eddie’s eyes trailed to his bedside, where he met Dustin’s. 

“Holy shit, you’re awake,” the boy gasped, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. 

Eddie cringed as he felt a rush of pain swarm through his body. He must have gasped, because Steve sprung to life, waking with a start as his eyes trailed from Dustin to Eddie. Steve’s eyes were a storm of quiet conflict, punctuated by deep purple bruises. 

“Eddie,” Steve breathed, standing to hover beside the bed, unsure of what to do next. 

He was surprised Steve was there at all. He wouldn’t say the two were close. Though Steve had probably found some way of twisting Eddie getting hurt into some fault of his, ever the damn hero. 

“Thought I was a goner for a second there,” Eddie admitted, trying to shake some of the strange tension from the room.

“If Steve hadn’t gotten there in time, you would’ve been,” Dustin spoke. Eddie watched as the boy’s hands trembled. He leaned over, fighting through the pain to ruffle the kid’s hair. Steve’s shoulders hunched over, doubling into himself. 

“I’ll get the nurse. Your uncle left for his nightshift, but he should be back in a few,” Dustin muttered as he made a beeline for the exit. It seemed strange the boy was extracting himself from the scene.

Henderson called over his shoulder. “I told you so.” 

And just like that, Eddie knew. 

He looked up at Steve with wide-eyed alarm, only to find his look mirrored.

“How’d you know we were in trouble?” Eddie asked, though thought he knew the answer. 

“After we killed Vecna, I felt... I could feel you. I knew you were hurt,” Steve explained. 

“How’d you know it was me?” Eddie pushed.

“Thought it was too much of a coincidence that it felt like my soulmate was getting eaten alive by giant bats. I’d call it an educated guess.” 

Eddie gritted his teeth and nodded. Surely, as far as soulmates went, he hadn’t been what Steve imagined. 

“I’m sorry,” Steve said, surprising Eddie. 

“For what?”

“Not being the person you wanted me to be, I guess,” Steve spoke so candidly, it made pain and panic swell in his throat. How could Steve think Eddie was disappointed that he was his soulmate?

“I’m not disappointed, Stevie. Why would I be disappointed?” 

“You had to have known,” Steve reasoned. 

Eddie didn’t know how long he’d been unconscious, but it sounded like Steve had been overthinking every second of it. 

“You give me more credit than I deserve. I didn’t know it was you, sweetheart. Cross my heart,” Eddie admitted, surprised at how quickly the term of endearment he’d used for his soulmate slipped off his tongue when talking to Steve. 

He hadn’t worked out shit. He’d had hunches, as though his heart knew, but the logical part of his brain kept overriding it. In what world were he and Steve perfect for each other?

Eddie threw caution to the wind as he saw the genuine look of affection and excitement painting its way across Steve’s face. He looked hopeful. Eddie cringed, sitting up and trying to lean closer to Steve.

“Come here before I hurt the both of us,” Eddie grumbled.

Steve shuffled closer to Eddie’s bed, crouching down, so the two were at eye level. Eddie wanted to kiss the boy so damn bad, and Steve was sending him all the signs that he should, but there was something he had to do first. He took Steve’s face between his hands, running a thumb over the purple bruises beneath his eyes.

“No more playing hero, okay?” 

Steve nudged his face into the palm of Eddie’s hand and nodded, letting out a weak chuckle. 

“I think I can agree to that.” 

Eddie crushed their lips together and despite the pain, it felt like everything was right in the world. 

[stevesbipanic]

Soulmate Marks Steddie AU but instead of like a guitar or dice or something for Eddie they get a nail bat and a nail shield.

Steve had grown up very confused with his soul mark. The crudely made shield with nails wasn't like anything he'd ever seen, normally soulmarks were something that represented his soulmate and helped him find her. People had flowers and sports equipment and things like their name. Tommy had a Christmas Tree for Carol and she had Tommy's favourite car. So what his soulmate was a Viking??? Maybe she was super into history, he signed up for AP history in hopes of finding her, but no luck. His parents hated that he didn't want to cover it up, it's not very feminine, what will people think Steve, but he didn't care He loved his soulmark and his soulmate, whoever she was. He knew Nancy wasn't his soulmate even though she matched the warrior personality he'd created in his head of his soulmate and he wasn't surprised her camera matched Jonathan's notepad and pen.

He kind of forgot about his mark for awhile. Too busy with Upside Down stuff and the kids and Robin and work and his parents always being away. He had a bisexual crisis in the Family Video bathroom with Robin when she said it was ok to like both, eerily reflecting Starcourt.

When it all came back again he swore that he felt something for a brief moment when Eddie pushed him against the boathouse but then there was the lake and Eddie talking about how soulmarks aren't everything if he truly loved Nancy and the chaos of getting out of the Upside Down.

Maybe if Eddie and Dustin weren't always so loud, their laughter cutting through the gloom of the situation, Steve wouldn't have noticed what they were doing. But there they were, battling each other with shields that Steve was all too familiar with. He almost dropped the makeshift molotov.

There was no time to confront this though, they had a job to do, a Hawkins to save. Eddie had stopped him for just a moment and he almost said it then. Oh how he wished he'd said something then, when he'd come back to Dustin's screams, a rush of bloody bandages, a slurring dying Eddie in his arms and a speeding van to the hospital, police be damned.

Steve didn't move from his bedside for a whole week. By then the party had seen the soulmark on Steve's hip, they knew why he was there. Steve had never seen a more beautiful sight than Eddie finally opening his eyes.

"Those bats bit off half my bat tattoo those ironic bastards" was one of the first things Eddie said. Steve couldn't help but laugh, Eddie was still being Eddie despite everything.

"shit they better not have-" to Steve's alarm, Eddie was pulling on the edge of one of his bandages, "oh thank fuck it's still there," and there it was, Eddie's soulmark, Steve's nail bat.

Guess Steve's soulmate was a warrior after all.

[tireduniversityscam]

DCxDP: Soul confusion

Soulmate AU! Where their first words to you appear on your body. Dick/Danny.

Danny’s are “No metas in Gotham.” He was terrified that he’d be tied to Batman (he's so much older than me and his anti meta rule has caused so many hate crimes)

Later he learned that the Bat had children.

Dick’s are “You aren’t the boss of me, who do you think you are Batman?”

And Bruce almost had an aneurysm the first time he saw them.

Eventually Danny ends up in Gotham while chasing a ghost and they meet. It’s an interesting first interaction, maybe it’s during a time while Dick is covering for Batman and Danny panics that his soulmate might be the actual Bat until he notices he looks smaller and younger then the original.

They end up laughing after their words are revealed. “I’m Danny Phantom, I haunt Amity Park. I'm a half interdimensional being that was declared non-sentient by the American government. And I like weird milkshake combos.”

“Hi Danny, I’m Nightwing though I’m out as Batman tonight, the eldest child of the Batfamily. I used to be an acrobat and compete in gymnastics even today.”

“Like the circus? I don’t like circuses. I’ve had bad experiences.”

“Haven’t we all?” Nightwing barked out a bitter laugh.

"Find me later. I'm sure a vigilante like you can break the firewalls around info about Amity park." Danny winks and goes invisible flying away as he giggles.

Nightwing flicks on his com

"Guys it looks like the government's attempting to go against the Meta protection acts and declared a whole species of being non-sentient. We need to look into Amity park. And my soulmates soulwords were 'No metas in Gotham' which I feel the need to apologize for. Also he isn't human" and the comms explode with noise

[tofuingho]

I've been reading sad prompts again and need some happy:

Soulmate AU Jason/Danny

In this universe, on the youngest soulmates 18th birthday, the two people swap bodies for an amount of time. I think typically in this type of soulmate story, it's supposed to happen when they're asleep (they wake up in the other's body), but the chaos of it happening when they're awake/in the middle of something is too funny. Maybe they switch at the exact minute the youngest was born?

Anyway, imagine:

Danny is suddenly in the body of tall muscular beefcake Jason and Jason is in the body of is-this-a-child-? Danny (short twink king Danny).

1) They switch when Jason is in the middle of family dinner at Wayne Manor.

2) They switch when Red Hood is in the middle of kicking the shit outta someone.

3) They switch during Danny's daily ghost battle. (Danny was flying when they switch, so Jason immediately falls 50 ft to the ground)

4) [Angst] They switch while the Fentons are in the middle of vivisecting Danny.

5) They switch while Danny was in the Ghost Zone and Jason is very stressed about being in some sort of Lazarus realm.

6) The switch while the Batfam is in the middle of fighting Joker. Danny throws Jason's gun in the Joker's face and then just starts pummeling him. Danny does NOT like clowns and this one's clearly an asshole.

7) They switch while Jason's in the middle of making dinner and Danny does NOT know how to cook.

8) Jason is the younger and the Batfam decides to try to look as normal as possible, so they set up a birthday party for Jason. When they switch Danny has a moment of 'Oh fuck no' because his soulmate is rich.

9) Jason is younger and Danny is very concerned about how shitty his apartment is. Were those gunshots?!

[sparkle-fiend]

Eddie is six years old, the first time he hears the voice. 

It wakes him with a jolt – sends him tearing through the house, searching under every bed and behind every door for the boy he hears calling his name.

Mama finally stops him. “Sweetheart, what did you lose this time?” (Eddie is always losing things.) She looks impatient, standing with a laundry basket balanced on one cocked hip, curly hair spilling out of the messy bun on top of her head.

“I heard somebody saying my name! I gotta find him, I think he’s hiding.”

Mama’s whole attitude changes, all at once. She sets the laundry aside and drops to her knees in front of him, squeezing his little hands between her own. “Oh baby. That voice means you’ve got a soulmate!”

She smiles bright as the suncatcher hanging in the window, and presses sloppy kisses all over his face until he screams with laughter, squirming to get away. 

“My lucky, special boy!”

Eddie’s never been lucky before. It’s exciting.

———

In school, they learn all about soulmates. About how rare they are. Uncle Wayne is the only other person Eddie knows that has one. 

When he found out about Uncle Wayne’s soulmate, Eddie was so excited – bubbling full of questions, like a bottle of fizzy pop. But whenever he tried to talk about it, his dad got real mad.

“You keep your mouth shut about soulmates,” he said. “Don’t talk about that shit in front of your uncle.”

It’s hard. Eddie starts staying over at Uncle Wayne’s trailer more and more when Mama gets sick. And Eddie’s never been good at following rules; especially when he’s curious about something.

“Uncle Wayne?” Eddie finally asks one day. “Where’s your soulmate? How come I’ve never seen her?” You have met her right? is what Eddie’s really asking. He can’t imagine waiting until he’s as old as Uncle Wayne to find his soulmate.

His uncle goes sort of brittle, tensing up like every joint is made of glass. His lips press together behind his beard, and his denim blue eyes go shiny and wet – like he’s trying not to cry.

If Eddie could take the question back, he would. Suck it right back into his mouth, like the smoke from his uncle’s cigarettes. This is why you gotta listen better baby – that’s what his Mama would probably say.

“My Lorretta died a few years ago. Before you were born.”

Eddie never considered that. In all the movies, soulmates die together. The thought of it leaves a queasy feeling squirming through his stomach.

“I still hear her though,” Uncle Wayne says, with a terribly soft look in his eyes. “Still hear her singing our song.”

“Like a memory?” Eddie whispers.

His uncle shakes his head. “Time don’t matter for soulmates – no more than distance. I can hear her still, across the years.”

Like a ghost, his uncle doesn’t say. A ghost that will haunt him forever. None of the dry textbooks in school ever mentioned that part.

It starts to worry Eddie. As he gets older, his soulmate’s voice starts to get clearer. He always hears the same thing – a desperate, grown-up voice screaming at him to “Run Eddie! RUN!!!” 

It must be from the future. But his soulmate sounds so scared. What could possibly happen, to make his soulmate sound like that?

Eddie starts to listen to music more. Loud, heavy stuff to drown out the frightened voice. 

Late at night, he curls up under the covers and softly sings his Mama’s favorite song – hoping that somewhere, somewhen, his soulmate will hear him.

That it might help, the way it helps Eddie when Mama sings him to sleep.

———

Eddie is twelve years old, the first time he really listens to the voice.

Mama's been dead two years, and his dad keeps pulling riskier and riskier jobs. Tonight, he's decided to try and break into the pawn shop on Fifth street. 

Eddie is the lookout, stationed on the opposite corner with a pistol weighing heavy in the pocket of his coat (just in case, Ed). 

He doesn't want to be here. He tried to argue with his dad. Said, "I've got a test tomorrow. I've got homework and..." and I hate this life. (He doesn't say that part.) I don't want to steal cars or break into buildings or mug people. I don't want to be like you.

His dad just gripped him by the arm hard enough to bruise, and said, "You like to eat, dont'cha? Well, lookouts get to eat. Lazy little shits don't." 

So Eddie is standing on a street corner in the middle of the night, watching his dad furtively attempt to pick the lock on the front door of the pawn shop, when a cop car slows down at the end of the street.

Fear floods his bloodstream so fast it leaves him dizzy. The cop has clearly noticed something. Eddie can see the shadowed figure inside the car reach for his radio. 

Eddie has two choices.

He could pull the pistol out of his pocket and fire a few shots down the street, forcing the cop to take cover long enough for his dad to get away (which is what his dad would expect him to do). Or he could... 

"Run!"

The sudden loud voice, echoing between his ears and behind his eyes and inside his heart, startles him into flinching. 

"Run Eddie, RUN!!!" His body obeys before his brain has a chance to process the words. He's halfway down the street when the siren shrieks to life. 

Later, as he sits in the backseat of the social worker's car on the way to his Uncle Wayne, he can't quite believe he did it. He bailed on his dad - left him to get arrested and go to prison. This is Frank Munson's third strike; he'll go away for life this time. 

I'm such a coward, Eddie thinks numbly. Such a chicken piece of shit. He digs his ragged nails into the soft flesh of his palms, squeezing hard enough to draw blood. 

As if he'd spoken aloud, a soft voice responds, "You're not a coward. You're one of the bravest people I've ever known. Running isn't always a bad thing, okay? Sometimes it's just the smart thing to do."

His soulmate sounds so fierce, so certain. Eddie blinks hard against the hot burn of tears. The smart thing to do.

———

Eddie holds onto those words, like magic talismans. They provide comfort, not just in the immediate days after his dad's arrest, but other times too. Every time he runs away from a bully or a cop or a deal gone bad, Eddie thinks to himself - I'm not a coward. I'm just smart.

It works... until the night he stumbles out of his uncle's trailer, leaving Chrissy Cunningham's broken body on the living room floor. He's so terrified he doesn't have time to think, not until after he's ditched his van and taken shelter in Rick's boathouse. As he leans against the splintered wall and catches his breath, it hits him.

I left her there. What if she was still alive? (She wasn't. She couldn't have been. Not after... not after that.) He grabs fistfuls of hair and tugs until his scalp aches. Wracks his brain trying to figure out what happened, what he could have done to stop it.

He's never felt so ashamed before, not even when his dad was cursing and screaming and calling him a coward through the thick glass of the visitation window. 

His soulmate's words whisper in his ears, "...sometimes it's just the smart thing to do," and Eddie pounds on his skull with his fists to drown the voice out. "Not this time," he snarls. I should have done something. I should have tried to save her. 

He doesn’t feel smart this time. He feels like a cowardly piece of shit.

His soulmate’s voice falls silent. 

Through all the craziness to follow – finding out that monsters are real, running for his life from an angry mob, fighting alongside Steve Harrington in an evil Upside Down version of Hawkins – Eddie doesn’t hear his soulmate again.

Not until he’s staring up at Dustin Henderson, realizing that he can’t run away again. As he hesitates at the bottom of the rope, Dustin calls out nervously, “Eddie, what are you doing?”  

“I’m buying more time,” he says. He ignores Dustin’s screams as he cuts the rope and slides the mattress out of the way – making sure the kid can’t follow him. 

And then he hears his soulmate say, “Wait, wait a second. Eddie?! Is that you?” 

Eddie is twenty years old, the first time he recognizes his soulmates voice.

He pauses at the door of the trailer and squeezes his eyes shut tight. “Hey Stevie.”

“Holy shit, it’s you,” Steve whispers in awe.

It’s the first time they’ve been able to speak to each other like this, responding in real-time. Eddie wishes it could have happened in different circumstances.

“I’m so sorry Steve.” 

“Eddie? What are you doing?” Steve sounds alarmed.

Eddie doesn’t answer. He slams his way out of the barricaded trailer and grabs one of the discarded bikes, hoping to lead the swarm of bats away as far as possible. 

He makes it halfway across the trailer park before one of the bats knocks him off the bike. He grunts and rolls, gaining his feet quickly. Chest heaving, charged with adrenalin – Eddie hesitates. He could keep running… or he could stand his ground and fight. 

Maybe Steve can hear the hitch in his breath in that moment, because the other boy seems to have worked out what’s going on, even from miles away. Steve screams, “No!!! Run Eddie, RUN!!!!”

It’s like the night his dad got arrested. Eddie doesn’t even have time to think - his body reacts to that voice and he runs, worn Reeboks slapping the pavement.

(In another world, Eddie would have turned to face the swarm. In another world, Eddie would have died.)

He’s fast. He’s always been fast. He buys himself a few precious moments, before the bats drag him to the ground. They start to rip through his clothes, through his flesh, and he tries to hold back his screams – he doesn���t want Steve to hear this…

Those extra seconds save his life. It’s bad - but not as bad as it could have been. The bats start to drop from the sky, writhing and shrieking; they’re dying, although Eddie has no idea why. Hopefully, it means Steve and the girls were successful. 

He struggles to sit up just as Dustin reaches him, crying and frantic. “Eddie!! Oh my god, are you okay? Jesus, there’s so much blood…” the kid moans. 

“Yeah, yep. I’m good,” Eddie pants through gritted teeth. “Help me up okay?”

Dustin insists on binding the worst of his wounds first, using strips of fabric torn from the ghillie suit. The pain makes Eddie want to scream all over again, but he allows it. It is an awful lot of blood.

They lean against each other and limp back to the trailer, where Dustin knots t-shirts and jeans and flannel shirts into the remnants of their rope until it’s long enough to reach the other side again. 

Eddie manages to haul himself up the rope and through the gate – and that’s where his strength runs out. The pain of landing on the thin mattress knocks him right out.

———

When Eddie wakes up, he’s in a hospital bed. 

Holy shit I’m alive, he thinks. He honestly wasn’t sure he would make it.

He moves gingerly, testing each limb, turning his head against the stinging pull of a bandage along the edge of his jaw.

The room isn’t empty; Eddie apparently has a roommate. He clears his throat and the person in the other bed stirs, turning to look at him. 

It’s Steve.

His soulmate.

Eddie feels a funny little swoop of exhilaration in his stomach. “Hey Stevie.”

Steve’s face goes soft at first, like he’s experiencing the same fizzy warmth that Eddie is feeling. Then he blinks, and his brows draw down into a scowl. “What the hell was that, huh? What happened to ‘I’m no hero’?”

Oops. 

Eddie tries to make light of the situation. “Maybe I wanted to try it out,” he says flippantly. “Not too sure it suits me though. Think I might stick to being a coward from now on – it’s a lot less painful.” 

Steve doesn’t smile. He fixes Eddie with a serious look, hazel eyes blazing in the sallow light of the hospital room. “You listen to me Eddie Munson. You're not a coward. You're one of the bravest people I've ever known. Running isn't always a bad thing, okay? Sometimes it's just the smart thing to do."

Eddie’s breath catches in his throat. Those words – once a gift from the future, now an echo of the past. He never should have ignored them. “Maybe you’re right.”

Steve’s mouth is already open to continue the argument. “I…” he stops, clearly caught off-guard, face scrunched in adorable confusion. “Yeah. Yeah, I am right.”

Steve runs a faintly trembling hand through his hair. The angry expression melts into something gentler, almost unbearably soft. “I’m glad you listened to me in the end, at least.”

Eddie shifts his weight, pressing his cheek into the scratchy hospital pillow so he can keep his eyes on Steve. 

He’s so beautiful. Even bloody and bruised, with dirt still smudged along his hairline and dark circles under his eyes – he’s the most beautiful boy Eddie has ever seen. And Eddie almost gave this up – if he’d died in the Upside Down, he would have left Steve alone, with only the echo of Eddie’s voice left to haunt him.

“Yeah,” Eddie says hoarsely, “me too.”

He still feels guilty over Chrissy’s death - he probably always will. But he’s coming to realize that proving himself a hero wouldn’t have been worth the pain his death would have caused.

Eddie’s got a second chance… and he plans to make the most of it.

[nelkcats]

Clownmates

Danny and Jason both hated clowns, that really wasn't a secret to any of their friends or family; but for that to be what connected them with their respective soulmate was just ridiculous.

You see, the way you can recognize your soulmate is by the distinctive mark that appears anywhere on your body, since the moment of your birth you receive what will be something significant to both people engraved on you, in Danny & Jason case the mark was in their arm.

That's why after came back to life, Jason wasn't amused that his soulmate had anything to do with clowns, the obviously recognizable smile gave him chills, and for a while he couldn't sleep at the simple thought that the damn Joker was his soulmate.

Something similar happened to Danny, when he was little he loved circuses, thinking that his destined person would be there, but after all the trouble with Freakshow he didn't even dare look at his arm, how could the person destined for him be associated with those vile creatures?

That was the trick that nobody bothered to clarify, significant did not mean positive; honestly they both should be thankful they didn't have some 4, or other reference to death marked on their body.

Because of that reason they both hated Valentine's Day, they didn't dare to look for their supposed soulmate out of horror of discovering them in a circus, it was simply cruel. Danny couldn't stand the reminder of love because he associated clowns with bad things, and he didn't want to think that his soulmate was bad.

So when both Danny and Jason found themselves in Gotham, about to sneak into the clowns dressing room and probably ruin their makeup and decorations out of pettiness, they found themselves looking at each other in concern, and stared before backing off.

Before either of them had a chance to say anything, a clown found them and frowned at Jason claiming his Valentine decorations, Jason grunted and handed them over as Danny watched the scene annoyed "I really hate clowns" he muttered as he watched the scene, when Jason delivered the decorations his shirt sleeve went up a little and Danny noticed a peculiar...smile.

Getting a horrible hunch, the halfa rolled up his own shirtsleeve, revealing the same smile that he had been seen on Jason's arm.

"This must be a joke"

[spectrum-spectre]

I'm having steddie thoughts again

soulmate au (my achilles heel) where you see in black and white until you and your soulmate touch, then you're finally able to see in color

but ALSO - rockstar eddie and normie steve!!!

steve won the tickets for dustin through a radio giveaway, including backstage passes, and they get to be first in line for the meet and greet 👀

cue steve insisting that this is all for dustin and he doesn't wanna "ruin the moment" and embarrass him during the meet n greet because he thinks he isn't cool in comparison to a literal rock star but dustin BEGS him to come so that he won't be as nervous meeting 1 of his heros

so steve goes with to get their picture taken, (dustin is practically vibrating out of his skin with excitement) and right as the photographer tells them to smile, his arm brushes eddie's, and everything bursts into color - the exact moment they realize what happened is captured on film

honestly I've imagined a few different ways this could go: Steve goes to shake his hand right before the photo, or they brush arms, or Steve trips on the little rug mat while walking in and Eddie goes to catch him (insert Eddie making a "falling for me" joke, he's such a fucking sap)

idk I just had the vivid mental image of the photos being taken-the first one is when they make contact, the second pic is when they turn to each other with the "oh shit" looks on their faces, and the third one being them smiling/hugging/making out while dustin is LOSING IT

[steddieas-shegoes]

Eddie looked around the school cafeteria, wondering how the hell he was supposed to believe his soulmate was here.

Hawkins didn’t exactly have a surplus of queer men, at least not any who would be willing to actually kiss Eddie on the mouth.

When he turned 18, two freckles appeared on his neck. Everyone he’d known that got their soul mark already had gotten much more obvious marks in places they could hide. But of course Eddie got something that didn’t make any fucking sense.

He’d known he was gay for years, and he’d honestly thought he wouldn’t have a soulmate because of that.

Fate must not be as homophobic as he thought.

He’d been so focused on scanning the cafeteria that he didn’t notice when someone sat down next to him. Someone different.

When he looked down to take a bite of his sandwich, he was shocked to find Steve Harrington sitting to his left.

“Uh.”

Smooth, Eddie.

“I need to talk to you.”

Eddie just stared at him, then gestured for him to continue.

“In private.”

Eddie gulped.

Steve seemed stressed. Maybe he just wanted to buy drugs.

Eddie didn’t usually deal during school hours, but for The King, he could probably make an exception.

“Listen, uh. I can’t sell during lunch, too many eyes. But meet up with me during the next class…”

“No! No. Not. It’s not that.”

Eddie was beyond confused.

Not only was Steve talking to him in front of other people, it wasn’t about buying drugs?

Maybe he was high. That had to be it.

“So…can we…”

Eddie shook himself out of the weird comatose situation he was mentally in and nodded.

Steve stood and nodded his head outside. Eddie immediately knew where he was going to want to talk.

There was a spot under the bleachers that had become known as the soulmate spot. Ironically, only two pairs of soulmates had ever managed to make it there. It was a make out spot, and occasionally, Eddie’s place of business. How it came to be known as the soulmate spot was beyond him.

Even knowing that’s where they were going didn’t deter Eddie from following Steve wordlessly out of the cafeteria. It’s not like Steve was going to murder him, and he had it on good authority he could probably take him in a fight if necessary.

They walked in silence to the bleachers, going behind them and finding the small cutout that allowed access to the soulmate spot. It was the worst kept secret at Hawkins High, but Eddie had never actually seen anyone else there when he needed it.

As they settled into the small area, Eddie couldn’t help noticing that Steve was wearing a jacket. It was an unusually warm February day, so warm in fact, Eddie had gone without his usual winter leather jacket.

“I have a question.”

Eddie had never heard Steve speak so softly, and it was more than concerning.

“Okay?”

Steve was playing with his hands in his lap when Eddie glanced down and noticed it. The start of a scar on the back of his right hand. The same as Eddie’s.

Eddie had broken his arm in seven places when he was seven years old. Suffice to say seven was not his lucky number. He’d needed surgery to repair a part of his wrist and the scar ended up being nearly four inches long for reasons his parents hadn’t bothered to clarify with the surgeon.

Eddie looked at Steve’s neck.

Two freckles.

What the fuck.

“So. Don’t panic, okay? But I noticed that you have a scar on your right hand and my birthday was last week. So. I got a new scar in the same place.”

Eddie gawked. There was no other word for the way he was staring at Steve.

“I just wanted to compare them and see.”

“See what?”

“If we’re soulmates.”

Eddie laughed in disbelief. Steve flinched at how loud he was, but he couldn’t hold back if he tried.

“There is no possible fucking way I’m your soulmate.”

Eddie could see the two freckles on Steve’s neck that matched his own, but he was still in denial that Steve was anything other than straight and would possibly feel anything for Eddie beyond general tolerance.

Steve’s brows furrowed.

“Maybe someone else has a scar there. Did you check all the cheerleaders?”

Maybe that was harsh. Steve flinched like he’d thrown a physical punch, leaving Eddie feeling a bit guilty.

“Just. For my sake, could I check your arm? Please? If it doesn’t match, I’ll leave you alone.”

“And if it does?”

“Then I’ll ask you what mark has been hiding on you for a year.”

Eddie slowly started rolling the sleeve of his plaid button down, ignoring the way Steve was staring between his face and hands intently.

When he shoved his arm toward Steve for him to inspect, he closed his eyes.

Steve would be disgusted that he’s his soulmate. Steve wasn’t gay, probably hadn’t even thought that it was a possibility. Even if he were, there’s no way he’d be interested in Eddie.

He felt fingers tracing up the scar line, just ghosting over his skin. He shivered and looked up to see Steve staring in awe.

“Where’s yours?”

“Um. My neck. Freckles.”

“Wow. You get freckles and I get a whole scar. That doesn’t seem fair.”

“Of all the things going on here, that’s what doesn’t seem fair?”

Eddie finally made eye contact with him, biting his lip when he realized Steve was already staring at him.

“I guess it’s also not fair that we’re stuck in Hawkins instead of, like, San Francisco or New York.”

“What.”

Eddie wasn’t sure what was happening anymore. He was more lost than he’d ever been, and he had little to no hope of catching up.

“Those are the places where it’s a bit safer right?”

“Safer for what?”

“For us to be together.”

That’s it, Eddie was done. He was throwing in the towel.

“Together?”

Steve rolled his eyes, but squeezed Eddie’s hand where he was still holding it.

“If we’re soulmates, I’d assume that’s the next step?”

“Harrington, I hate to break this to you, but you’re not gay.”

“No I’m not.”

“Exactly! So, this whole conversation is…”

“I like both.”

“Both?”

“Yeah. Guys and girls. Both.”

“Huh.”

And then Eddie did the riskiest thing he’d ever done in his life.

He kissed Steve Harrington. Tongue and all.

And they sometimes say that soulmates have an instant connection, one so powerful you can’t question fate anymore. But Eddie had never really believed it; he’d had no reason to or any examples of it.

But now, with the way Steve was climbing into his lap, metaphorical sparks flying around them, he knew they had it.

And when Steve kissed his freckles before leaving, and when Eddie traced along the fake scar of his hand, they both knew this was the best thing they never could have expected.

[palalife]

Soulmate AU, from some times in November til that day in February

“I don’t have a soulmate.”

“Now, your turn”

[withacapitalp]

On the first day of school, Eddie had stood on their table in the cafeteria and declared that this was going to be his year. 

Well, ‘86 was going to be his year. Technically it was still ‘85 for three more months, but semantics semantics.  The rest of the club was confused, not exactly sure why he felt like this year was going to be different to the years of torture and mayhem that had proceeded it, but they appreciated Eddie’s insane amounts of optimism. 

Then two weeks later, Eddie spotted a group of lost little freshmen sheep. The one wearing a Weird Al t-shirt introduced himself as Dustin Henderson when Eddie came over to offer them refuge amongst the freaks of the school, and there was no doubt in the world that Eddie had been right. 

‘86 was going to be his year. 

Because it wasn’t like Dustin was a super rare name, but Eddie had never met a Dustin in Hawkins before that day. Meeting Dustin Henderson wasn’t just a fantastic coincidence, it was fate in action. 

Because Dustin Henderson was going to be the reason Eddie met his soulmate. 

Eddie had never shown anyone but Wayne his words. They had always been something sacred, special, no one else needed to know. There were people who showed everyone in the world, always looking for the person that might be the one to complete them, the one who would have words that matched their own. Eddie wasn’t one of those people. 

Even Gareth didn’t know.  

But, every night before bed, Eddie would carefully unwrap the bandage he always kept wound around his upper arm, looking down at the words and carefully tracing them with a single fingertip. 

Yeah. On Dust-Dustin’s mother. 

Dustin’s mother. They were so distinctive, so unique. It wasn’t the thing everyone dreaded- ‘How are you?’, ‘How can I help you?’, or even the worst, ‘Hi’. Eddie’s words were special, and that meant his soulmate was special too. 

Eddie had no idea what to expect from that first conversation, but he knew it was going to be wild. Probably some long winded crazy debate with laughter and sharp quips, and finally those words pushed out between giggles, which was the reason they would be shuttered. 

What Eddie never would have expected was to hear those words come out of Steve’s Harrington’s mouth. 

He never even thought that the words might be stuttered in fear, not laughter. Fear because of Eddie. Fear because of the broken bottle being held against his neck by his own damn soulmate.

Except no. No it couldn’t be him. Steve Harrington was not his soulmate. Steve Harrington was a jock douchebag, the kind of person Eddie had spent his entire life campaigning against. Steve Harrington was the epitome of everything Eddie wasn’t, and there was no way the universe or fate or god meant for them to be together. 

There had to be someone else in the room, someone he hadn’t seen who was going to appear out of the darkness and repeat exactly what Steve said.  

“Did you just say the words Dustin’s fucking mother to me?” Eddie growled out, desperate to be wrong, watching as Steve’s face grew impossibly whiter. There was a sharp burn on his upper arm, and he shakily dropped the bottle, hearing it shatter on the ground between the two of them. 

No doubt about it. Steve Harrington was his fucking soulmate. 

“Oh my god,” Robin Buckley said faintly from the background, but Eddie didn’t turn to face her. He couldn’t turn away from Steve, who was staring at him with the widest, most beautiful set of brown eyes Eddie had ever seen. 

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” Steve offered, his voice barely more than a whisper. 

Eddie stumbled backward, the back of his thighs hitting up against the boat he had been hiding in. He roughly jerked at the right sleeve of his shirt, pulling it upward until the deep black words were visible, standing out against his pale skin. 

Steve fell back against the side of the boat house with a shaking sigh, slowly pulling off his jacket and peeling back one side of his stupid button down polo. He had left the top three buttons undone which made it easy for Steve to expose his soulmark to the rest of them. 

And there, sitting right over Steve’s heart, were the words he had just said.

Did you just say the words Dustin's fucking mother to me?

The first words Eddie Munson had ever directly said to Steve Harrington. 

[bobtheartking]

for @schrodingersbabe’s soulmates au where you and your soulmate’s periods sync up after you meet ❤️

[fangirlingpuggle]

Bowuigi soulmate AU where humans and Koopa’s have different ways to tell Soulmates, humans have first words their soulmate speaks to them and Koopas tell at first touch.

So Luigi knows they are soulmates first time they meet Bowser and he threatens them and is freaking out at the time because 1) Bowser is trying to kill them and 2) He’s his soulmate!

After Luigi stops freaking out he starts thinking if he should say something, what he should do? He’s not sure how this works especially when 1 knows and the other doesn’t. He’s thinking about telling him but then Bowser kidnaps Peach again and talks about marrying her and Luigi thinks that maybe it’s a non-requited bond that Bowser clearly loves Peach.

So Luigi doesn't tell anyone not even his brother and is just quiet about it.

Bowser has no idea as he has never touched Luigi he always fights Mario and the green one is nearly always hiding or dealing with his minions.

That is until one fight where he decides to use the green one as a hostage... or throw him at Mario and then leave in the chaos... only as soon as he grabs the green one a mark appears on his palm and he just kinda blue screens... Mario knocks him down but also sees the mark and suddenly is freaking out. Luigi has already disappeared just realizing the bond is requited? But that can’t work Bowser loves Peach.

Mario of course talks to Luigi and is shocked he could think his bond was unrequited he’s awesome! and when Luigi starts talking down on himself Mario is instantly like Nope not happening your awesome and you deserve to happy. 

Basically wing man Mario who just wants his brother to be happy with his soulmate. No matter who his soulmate is. He is ready to storm the castle to tell Bowser to take his brother on a date.

Bowser freaking out and going into denial while Kamek is torn between so happy Bowser has a soulmate and shocked over who it is (And then after looking into him very approving) Bowser Jr finding out and goign to give shovel talk to Luigi but Luigi ends up going dad mode.

Mario comes in to check on his brother and sees Jr at kitchen table eating snacks and drawing happily. While Luigi is making them hot chocolate.

Bowser Jr: Hello stupid Mario I came here to threaten the green one.

Mario:Ah yes I see that.