𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴||𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘶||

𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘦

Trigger Warning- Homophobia, Swearing, Violence

Race rubbed a weathered hand across his nose, the black splotch seeming more evident by the day. He knew that the black would lead him to his soulmate, but who would want their first interaction with the person they're supposed to spend the rest of their life with to be a punch? Sure, everybody had the black, or in some cases rainbow, stains, but they were never this on the nose. Literally.

"Race, you need to go outside sometimes," Jack lamented to his friend. He understood that as days past, the mark became a deeper black, but that wasn't a good thing in his case. Who wants to be counting down the days until they get punched in the face by their soulmate?

Race brushed his blond curls out of his eyes as he sat up, turning to face Jack. He watched as Jack staggered back slightly, and he couldn't blame him. Anyone would be surprised by a huge black splotch dancing across their friend's face.

"Yeah, I know. I think it's today."

"Isn't that a good thing? Meeting your soulmate?"

"IsN't ThAt A gOoD tHiNg? Getting socked in the nose by the person I'm supposed to fall in love with?" Race leaned up against a bedpost, wrapping his hand around it and resting his cheekbone against his knuckles. Jack's expression softened slightly, and he moved to sit next to his friend.

"I'm sorry, Race. But, this is just how it is." Jack reached up to brush Race's blond curls out of his face, and Race swatted his hand away. He huffed, and stood up, briskly walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Race didn't answer. Really, he didn't know.

<><><>

Spot ran a calloused fingertip over the black that ran across his knuckles, the stain becoming more and more apparent by the day. He rubbed against the stain harder, feeling it tingle from the pressure.

"Spot?" Ace, Spot's second, asked from the doorway. "Someone's here to see you." Spot covered the black on his knuckles with his other hand and followed Ace outside, where Race was waiting for him. Spot turned to walk behind a stack of crates and motioned for Race to follow.

"What are you doing here?"

"Jack's being an asshole, so I needed to get away. Why?"

"You're lucky everyone else here knows who you are." He glanced back up at Race, his eyes tracing the black that covered his nose. He reached up to touch it without even thinking and Race turned away quickly. "What was that for?"

"You'd be upset too if the person you're supposed to fall in love with is supposed to punch you in the nose when you first meet."

Spot held up his hand, the deep black running across it. "You think I'm happy about this?"

Race stood, frustrated, "What, the almighty Spot Conlon is too scared to touch someone?"

Spot didn't know what came over him. He didn't even remember lifting his hand up or seeing his fist collide with Race's nose, but he did see Race stagger backward, clutching his bleeding nose. That now had the rainbow running across it. Spot looked back at his knuckles, the rich black now painted pink, purple, and blue.