soulmates lovers and other useless human relations

xxxiv

[a/n: I hope y'all are ready lol.]

The match, for the most part, had been going smoothly up until the second cipher popped and Freddy - the fastest decoder in your team - was downed. For the most part you tried your hardest to focus on decoding, helping Mike quicken his decoding with a 10% buff and your own closing into a good 75%. As Freddy was picked up on the kiting area beside you, Mike's voice rang out.

"Don't move! I'm coming!"

Despite being but a kiter, Jose was half way across the map and would need to cross the red church to reach the chair. It was more than obvious that he would not reach the decoder before the halftime limit was up - leaving us at a disadvantage.

Freddy called out a sorry as he was placed on a chair, and only then did you realize the harsh beating that pounded on your chest.

He was right behind the wall beside you, and before you could even comprehend what was happening, a hook dig into your back and harshly tugged you away from the cipher.

Thankfully, you had let go of the cipher just in time to not get terror shocked, but deciding earlier is better than a failed rescue, you took advantage of the animalistic hunter cleaning his hook to untie Freddy and run off.

"Okay! Or you could save him!" Mike laughed as he ran out from around the corner, using his body to shield you both from the hunter.

Splitting up, you took a shortcut towards a pallet Freddy was directly running to - deciding a sneak attack was probably the best plan right now and your pallet stunning buff would assist him in getting away. With a huff, you vaulted a broken wall and hid behind a large box beside the pallet - listening as Freddy's ragged breathing neared you along with the growing speed of your beating heart. Your body was sweating profusely, drenching the collar of your white shirt, but you could care less right now as Freddy rushed through the pallet and bane appeared behind a wall.

"I got this!" You exclaimed as you jumped up just in time, beginning to pull down the piece of wood. However, what you weren't expecting was the forgotten skill this game gifted the hunters; bane's being blink as a flash blinded you and the hunter was suddenly behind you, continuing his hunt for the male decoder.

Your body flinched and you made your way to turn and continue chasing after him, but were stopped by the panicked shouts of Mike who mid-jump had thrown down the most dangerous one of his three balls.

The red ball smacked down on the pallet and exploded - hugging your body with a stinging burn that tortured your skin and scorched your consciousness off. Your body fell, smacking the dirt floor with a loud thud - Mike's worried shouts wishing you a painful goodnight.

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Fiona nodded, quickly adding. "The whole soulmate concept is honestly not talked about enough. It's not as straightforward as being born and magically having someone perfect for you, there are a lot of different methods to getting soulmates and how you and your soulmate progress."

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"Can soulmates fall out of love?"

When Michael's tear stained cheeks shone under the light of the orange-tinted sun, his eyes were at full display to you; his vulnerability was placed on the palms of your hands and despite being but a child, you admired the strength he had to have survived alone this long.

Running a hand through his tattered hair, you argued within yourself to what your reply should be. 'Yes, they can fall out of love and find another' or 'no, soulmates will forever secretly love each other even if separated'. It was such a complex question as you could never respond on behalf of all the soulmates in the world who have loved, smiled and laughed but then hated, cried and forgotten.

So you stayed quiet, stroking his hair and wiping away the salty liquid that ran down his sun-kissed skin.

"I'll always care for you." You whispered, knowing it's not what he wanted to hear but rather something he needed to know. "It's alright to cry. It's alright to break sometimes. You're alright, not because you're safe now but because you're crying."

"Boys aren't supposed to cry."

"Oh but you're human sweetheart. Humans, we need to cry. If you cry, you know you're strong because you're safe - because you made it out alive."

His eyes scrunched up painfully, brows knitted together in an upset expression. He had been so strong, so lonely, so when you open your arms for him, he hesitates.

"You're strong, but you aren't alone anymore. Come here and cry, break and let me hold you together. Let me care for you." You cooed. He was no baby, he was old enough to know that he was now a 'big kid' but right now he wanted nothing more than for you to baby him. For you to wrap your arms around him and carry him and sing him to sleep.

Slowly, almost unsure, he reached out and grazed his chubby fingers on your outstretched arms - nearly as if testing the waters. Testing to see if you were real, if you would disappear and fall to the ground alone again if he really let himself tumble into your warmth.

But you didn't. You merely smiled and let him wrap his two small hands around your arms to anchor himself first - to be strong for just a few more seconds before meeting your gaze. And upon seeing that soft, understanding gaze that was void of pity and instead filled to the brim with love, he finally cracked.

The tsunami of oppressed emotions wasted no time to rush out and flood over his small, shaking body. The body you held close to you with such carefulness.

"Cry. You're home now, michael. Cry." You whispered into his ear as his wails rang through the garden of your home.

How long had he been building this home? Building a place for him to feel warm and away from harms reach within the restricting walls of his parent's home? Where every night it became a war zone with screaming and hitting not only directed towards each other, but himself too?

The injured marks that would decorate the bodies of his parents - once looking like beautiful renaissance paintings became a map of hatred and disgust. He prayed with every inch of his body that the universe had graced him with the miracle that he did not have a soulmate; never being able to handle the idea of causing them pain by the hands of the two that were supposed to love him.

But now the bruises were healing under your caring touches, light like feathers and sweet like sugar. He was healing. He was safe.