The Soulmate Curse

PATCHOULI (for grounding) - Part 3

"...the engineer had more to say," continued the TV reporter.

"I could not have done this alone," said the engineer. "When I first realised what we had created and the fact that this was in the hands of a corporation based solely on profit, I knew that I couldn't leave it in their hands. I destroyed everything that I had created except for a pebble-sized piece of the metal. The first to aid me in bringing this creation to mankind was my son-in-law, Engineer Darren Whit who hid this metal..."

"Are you kidding me!" said Finn.

"He didn't steal it from the MechSoft Lunar facility!" Zhen said with a scoff. "He had it all along."

"...he was then able to pass it to the two only people on this planet who were interested in and actively working to bring MechSoft to justice. You have treated these two with malice and dangerous resentment when they really are the ones who have changed the course of humanity. They deserve nothing but respect and gratitude. To Engineer Finnegan Darrow and Engineer Zhen Roberts, I say thank you. It is because of you, I can now say this..."

"No freaking way..." Finn whispered.

"...Welcome to a new era of mankind!" the engineer finished, projecting that last statement as loud as he could.

Finn collapsed back into her seat. This was really happening. Finn's and Zhen's wrist-wraps were suddenly pinging like crazy. They shut them both off. The TV too.

They stayed silent for a moment, each of them processing what had just happened. Finn had been through so much the last few days. This was just another thing she had to try and keep from overwhelming her. Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy. She closed her eyes and felt the tears of frustration build up as her chest tightened. Maybe she just needed to go back into isolation again. Or maybe she was still there, and this was just a nightmare that...

Zhen kissed her. Finn opened her eyes.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"Stop," said Zhen. She pointed to her skull. "Whatever it is that you're doing in there? Stop. Just stop. Be here. With me."

Finn took a deep breath and slowly nodded.

"Good," Zhen said.

This time it was Finn who kissed Zhen. It was a slow kiss that Zhen responded to with the same sensuality. They kissed like this for a few long, slow moments. Finn reached her hand into Zhen's hair, gently pulling her head back so she could kiss her neck. She continued to trail kisses down her neck and back up to her lips until she wanted more. Zhen allowed her to pull off her T-shirt. She didn't have anything underneath. Finn moved her kisses down Zhen's neck, to her collarbone and the top of her breasts, all the while with Zhen gently grinding against her.

Finn took Zhen's left nipple in her mouth and used a hand to caress her right breast. She savoured every little moan that escaped Zhen's lips, eliciting more with each kiss and gentle tongue-play. She moved to the other breast, enjoying how Zhen writhed beneath her, pleading for more. Finn kept her play up top, ignoring Zhen's pleas. She stopped and sat up, straddling Zhen as they now lay on the sofa. She pulled off her own T-shirt, watching Zhen's eyes cloud over with need, then went back to making out with her. It was slow and lazy and languorous and wonderful.

Eventually, they had both built up enough tension to feel the need to lose all their clothes. Finn helped Zhen out of her sweatpants first, keeping her own pair of basketball shorts on. She kissed down Zhen's torso to the edge of her panties. She could feel Zhen fighting the urge to grind against her. Finn dipped her tongue under the band and gently ran her fingers along Zhen's inner thighs, making patterns that would end closer and closer to her core. She finally pulled off the underwear, lowered her head between Zhen's thighs, and gently kissed her lips. Another moan, deeper this time, stirring Finn's own need. She gently licked and stroked until Zhen shattered spectacularly, her body trembling for several moments after.

Finn tucked herself against Zhen's side and in her arms. She let the warm feeling of comfort and content lull her into slumber. She felt Zhen drape the fleece blanket that clothed the sofa over them. They fell asleep, napping through most of the afternoon.

*

"I cannot believe that I didn't see it before!" said Finn's mum. "Zhen's your soulmate, isn't she?"

Finn nodded sheepishly. It was a few weeks later. They were back at her mother's place, having a large family dinner. All the coven members were there. They were making a Wiccan event out of it, complete with candles and herb bundles, cauldrons, and anything else they could think of. The world was tittering at the precipice of either all-out war or world peace. It was a charged time. They could only hope that the leaders made the right choice. Hope and enjoy the little peace they had for now.

"How long?" her mum asked.

"Technically, almost a year," said Finn. "But I met her about four years ago."

"Why didn't you say anything?" her mum almost shrieked.

"We met and the curse played out in less than a week, mum," Finn explained, her cheeks heating up. "I was kind of embarrassed. Plus, I thought that since it was over, there was no point in bringing it up."

"Six days! That's some kind of record," said Keira, rubbing her big belly soothingly.

"Go ahead," laughed Finn. "Rub it in."

"You're the one who broke the curse," said Grandma, sitting in the corner, helping Finn weather the storm that was her mother. "Four years ago. That was when I made the entry in my book of shadows about the premonition of the curse breaking. It was you, not your mother."

"You think so?" Finn wondered.

"You fought for your love, even when it was an impossible task," said Grandma. "None of us did. We took the curse to be an immoveable truth. It became a self-fulfilling prophesy. You didn't."

Finn felt Zhen squeeze her hand. She smiled. Grandma was right. It had never occurred to Finn to stop loving Zhen. Only that she might have to put it on hold until she could, although even that had failed. Zhen was hers and she had never once willingly surrendered that fact to the curse.

*

Finn walked into Zhen's studio apartment and whistled. "That was an interesting family gathering."

"Right?" Zhen replied.

Zhen asked. "Are my dad and your mum really going to move in together as roommates?"

Finn laughed. "Yeah. They officially cancelled the wedding. For all intents and purposes, they are now just roommates in the eyes of the law."

"I also can't believe the first nuclear fusion machines are being rolled out in a week," said Zhen.

"Mmhmm," Finn replied. She stopped touring the open plan room and walked up to Zhen. "And I heard from a good source, aka Lola, that you're back on the list to be Mission Commander for the 2075 Mars mission. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to," Zhen replied, her smile wide. "Besides, you've been busy becoming head of the world's leading consulting firm. Helping old, profit-based entities switch to becoming open source and finding a reason to be other than profit, now that money is about to become utterly pointless."

"Looks like everything worked out in the end," said Finn.

Zhen closed the distance between them and kissed her, fuelling a fire that was already raging inside her.

"So, what should we do to celebrate all this good stuff?" Zhen whispered as she dropped soft kisses up and down Finn's neck.

Finn closed her eyes and gave a soft moan.

"I have a few ideas that I think you might like."