Word Vomit

Why You? // Soulmate AU

Nicholas sat on the steps outside of school,  ticking off all the lessons he'd had today. Today just hadn't really gone right for him.  At all.
He'd been shoved into lockers, almost given a detention for talking  back to a teacher.  But that was his fault.  It didn't count.

His silver eyes wandered down to the piece of paper in his hands and he noticed something strange.  The handprint over his arm had changed to an emerald green.  It glowed and pulsated as he began to realise what it was.

The world was quite helpful in some ways.  One of those ways was the soulmate system.  It was a mark left on your body,  coloured black,  where you'd be touched first by your soulmate.  Once they'd touched it,  it would change into their trademark color.

But only one person came to mind.

'Oh no.'

His mind raced,  thoughts bouncing off the walls of his mind and the consequences echoing in his skull.

The name rang in his ears like the aftermath of an explosion.

Blake Blamore.

He'd saved him from an ass whooping in PE. The green eyed boy had grabbed his arm and ran away with him.

He was his soulmate

But  he was his best friend, Leila's ex. And if she knew,  he'd be dead.  They'd never talk again. He didn't want that.  She was his best friend. Just getting with her ex was practically a crime. It went against the friend code. He couldn't break the friend code!

No.

He wouldn't.

Nicholas took a deep breath and folded the paper and slotted it into the small breast pocket of his shirt, letting it hide away.

His feet swiftly tapped against the ground and up the steps, into the building. He walked through the corridor and into the cafeteria, only to see his dear best friend and her ex talking. They seemed happy. And close. And as time went on, they got closer. And closer. Until he couldn't bare to look any longer.

Nico's heart stopped. He felt like his world was shattering.

That was his soulmate. His best friend. And everything was wrong.

The male rushed out, stumbling into the bathroom and locking himself in a stall, leaning up against the cold white door.

The tears came quick, flooding his face and clouded his vision. His back slid down the door and his rear hit the tiled floor. It was cold. His skin was hot. He felt happy for them. But he felt awful for himself. His soulmate, his best friend, her ex. What was he to do?

---

The bell had rang and the building was silent. Only one thing could be heard: the echo of shallow, quick breaths bouncing off the walls and filling one stall in particular.

Nico must've been there for an hour now, just sobbing into his knees until his eyes were dry and he could cry no more.

He felt relieved to have got everything out of his system.

The only question was--

"Is somebody in here?"

An Italian voice asked, raspy and sickly. It was one he'd never forget: Blake Blamore's.

How could he forget that green-eyed, freckled, tan, raven-haired boy.

How could he forget he was his soulmate.

Nico took in a breath and responded in a raspy voice. "It's me. Sorry."

The other knocked on the stall door, "you in here, Nico? You good? Everything alright? You've been missing since lunch."

Nicholas hesitated. "I'm fine! What're you doing here?" He asked, rising to his feet and clearing his throat.

Blake responded, "my mark turned grey." He sighed and propped himself up against the sink. 

"Mine turned green." The other murmured. 

"I love green."

"I love grey."

There was a minute of silence.

Blake spoke up.

"Where's your mark?"

"My forearm. Yours?"

"My hand."

"You grabbed my forearm earlier."

"Nico..."

The black-haired boy unlocked the stall and stepped out to look the freckle-faced teen in the eyes. "We're soulmates." He said solemnly, his body growing stiff and his breath hitching out of fear.

"I gathered that, Captain Obvious."

No response.

"Nico, are you okay? Is it because I'm a guy? Or are you scared of--"

"You're Leila's ex. She's my best friend. I can't-- she'd never speak to me again!"

Blake frowned and stepped towards him, "hey, shh. Calm down. Don't panic. She won't hate you--"

"She will!"

"Nicholas, please, calm down and listen to me!"

The distressed male let out a groan and moved towards the sink, turning on the tap and sticking his arm beneath it, letting the cold water burn his skin. He frantically scrubbed at the emerald green hand mark over his skin, trying to erase it.

Blake watched and felt his stomach churn.

"Nico, I'm sorry--"

"Get out! This is wrong! You can't be my soulmate! We're not meant to be with each other! You're not mine!" He yelled and there came the tears, gushing down his cheeks. He turned the hot water tap on and tried rubbing away the green patch of skin, sobbing hysterically. "You're hers! We're not meant for each other."

"Nico, if that's how you feel, then--"

"No! I love you, for God's sake! But you dated my best friend and she still loves you. She doesn't have a soulmate and you were the closest thing to being one! Why can't you see how much I love you!"

His wrecked voice bounced off the tiled walls and racked Blamore's brain. He hated the heartbreak in his voice.

"Blake, I can't...I can't do that to her. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, Nicholas."

"I love you."

The room fell quiet, only the sound of broken sobs and running water filling the air. Blake had left. Nico was alone.

He leaned over the porcelain sink and turned off the taps, pulling his arm away and looking down at the mark. It was blotchy and red yet still green.

But it'd changed.

The colour was faded, grey-ish, and it pulsated slower, more like an old heartbeat.

"I did it..." he whispered and a smile formed on his lips. "I changed my fate."

---
Word count: 1022