Another Life

Chapter Four

In 2010 Alex is 20 years old. Ever since remembering his previous life, Alex had spent his life searching for Eddie. Every school that he went to, every area around his home, every area around his apartment when he moved out on his own. Desperate and searching, he never gave up.

Finally on a slow Thursday afternoon he spots it. A tattoo parlor called Aces and Spades. What caught his attention was the person in the window. Alex looked slightly different, but mostly the same as when he was Steve. He still loved his hair just as much, though it was a lighter color, blondish brown. His eyes were more amber gold than anything, but the rest of him remained the same.

And standing at the counter inside the tattoo parlor was a man that had plagued Alex's dreams his whole life. He looked exactly the same. Same wild brown curls down to his shoulders. Same beautiful vibrant chocolate brown eyes. Same style in fashion, though this man added eyeliner and black nail polish.

Alex's heart leapt to his throat. He'd vowed in his previous life to find Eddie in the next one. And he had. The shop didn't seem to have any customers and immediately he knew what to do. He was going to get a tattoo. He prayed that Eddie remembered just like Alex did. Taking a deep breath Alex opened the door and stepped inside.

And the second Eddie's head lifted and that beautiful smile appeared, the wind was knocked out of him. He was just as beautiful as Alex remembered. This Eddie had much more tattoos and different tattoos than the previous life's Eddie, but he still looked gorgeous. Eddie stuck out his hand.

"Hi, I'm Jayden. What can I do for you?"

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Alex shook Jayden's hand.

"I'm Alex. Um. I was. Wanting to get a tattoo."

There was no recognition on Jayden's face, just a kind smile that lit up when Alex said he wanted a tattoo.

"Sure thing, you have an idea?"

"Oh, yeah."

Together the two of them worked out what Alex wanted and Jayden drew it up. Then Alex was sitting in a chair with his shirt off. Jayden shaved half his chest so the tattoo could go right above Alex's heart. The two chatted throughout the long session, easy conversation. And Jayden was much the same as he had been when he was Eddie.

"So. The 80's look," Alex says.

Jayden's face lit up.

"Oh yeah! I really like the look. My dad was a big 80's metalhead fan so I kinda grew up with it."

Alex couldn't help but smile.

"It suits you."

Alex kept throwing out hints of their previous life, hoping Jayden remembered something. But nothing came of it. When Jayden finished the tattoo it was beautiful. Exactly what Alex wanted. Eddie's Warlock guitar crossed with Steve's nail bat.

He hoped the tattoo would stir something. And now that Jayden was actually looking at the finished tattoo, he was frowning.

"These look familiar. Don't know why, but they do."

Alex sucked in a breath.

"You don't remember your previous life, do you?"

Jayden's eyes lifted to meet Alex's, his eyebrows shooting up.

"I don't think anybody remembers their previous life."

"I remember mine. I was born in 1966. Lived in Hawkins Indiana. Rich parents who were. Pretty shitty actually. I played basketball and baseball, was on the swim team. And after high school. I met you. I mean previous life you. This," Alex says tapping on the Warlock guitar tattooed on his chest.

"Was your guitar. You were in a metal band, Corroded Coffin. A year older than me, but still in high school. And the nail bat was mine. Because we fought against an alternate dimension, supernatural creatures in 1986. That was. That was the year you died. And I died two years later. Fighting the same thing."

Jayden was staring at him now, blinking and trying to process this information.

"I. This sounds. It sounds crazy."

"I know. I know it doesn't make sense, but I remember. I remember everything. I remember vowing. That I would find you in another life. The next life. And maybe that vow is why I remember that life, I don't know."

Jayden's eyes were wide, mouth opening and closing.

"How do you know it was me? I mean in this life, how do you know it's me?"

"You look the same. Nothing about you has changed. Maybe your life and your family, but your soul. Your soul has remained the same, who you are has remained the same. What you look like has remained the same."

Jayden blinked again.

"If all of this is true. Why. Why would you make a vow like that, I mean what was I to you?"

Alex's mouth went dry.

"We never got the chance to figure that out. We never got the chance to talk about it. We were dealing with bigger things, scarier things. But I. Jesus, I fell in love with you. And I never got to tell you and then you. You died. So I vowed that in another life I would find you again."

Jayden sucked in another breath.

"How am I supposed to believe any of this?"

"I don't know. And even if you never do. I just. At least I got to tell you this time. What you mean to me."

Alex could tell Jayden needed time so they awkwardly finished up, Alex paid, left his address and phone number just in case. And then left.

(Incorporated part of the one shot into this little fic to tie everything together and make everything make sense)