Red Thread || Sheith

Red Thread

Keith looked down at the thin, red thread wound tightly around his index finger. He gave an experimental tug at it, raising an eyebrow when he realized the string was completely slack.
Keith took a step forward, deciding to find the other person on the end of his thread. He concentrated his line of vision on the strand of twine, weaving himself between the crowd of people bustling around him and following their own paths to their soulmates.

Shiro didn't believe Adam was his soulmate.
They fought too much. Weren't soulmates supposed to understand and listen to each other, not bicker and argue?
Shiro shook his head, picking up the pair of scissors from the counter. He looked down at his thread.
How far down the string should he cut? He wanted to be able to participate in another relationship at some point, but how could he do that? Should he tie his string to a different person's line and pray to God that they don't notice the tiny knot?
That's what Shiro would do.

Shiro shut his eyes, letting out a quiet exhale. No more fighting to stay with Adam, no more arguing over Shiro's illness and what he could say and do about it. His eyes flew open as he cut the string, the loud "snip" accompanied by the other end of the thread falling to the kitchen tiles.

Keith nearly tripped over a lump of knotted string, catching himself by clinging onto a stranger's shoulder. He mumbled an apology before carrying on with his quest.
Keith didn't believe he had a soulmate. It just didn't seem possible for a guy like him to be connected to some other person in the world.
Besides, what if his soulmate spoke a different language? Keith would never be able to cope with a language barrier.
What if he didn't like his soulmate...? Keith hated a lot of people (Lance), so it felt likely he'd be unable to get an emotional attachment to the one on the other end.

Keith tugged at the string once more, eyes flying wide when it went taut. Maybe he did have a soulmate, after all. Keith felt tears well in his eyes. He blinked them back, instead continuing to follow the red line.

Keith held in a gasp when he saw his soulmate.
Tufts and locks of white hair, dark gunmetal gray eyes, and a winning, yet slightly sheepish,  smile.
He had to resist squealing in fanboyish delight when his soulmate cleared his throat and spoke.
"...Hello?"
Keith gasped and threw himself into the man's arms. "Holy crap, I didn't think I had a soulmate. You're so beautiful,"
The small, red knot of thread that connected them both went unnoticed by Keith's eyes, and Shiro felt guilty. He had cut Keith's string and tied himself to it, forever changing Keith's future.

Meanwhile, a Cuban boy glared at his soulmate thread, holding up the severed end.
"Somebody cut my string!"