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Soul Marks, something every living SOUL in the world had somewhere on their bodies. Human or monster, these black marks signified where your destined mate would first touch you.
Manifesting on the body in the shape of a hand as soon as the person reached maturity. The black marks were often proudly displayed in the hopes that “the event” would happen.
Silly name yes, but what else would you call something so life changing?
The mark would burst into an array of colors, dancing across your skin like the aurora itself as soon as your Soul Mate touched you for the first time.
Usually, marks were found on the hand. People often found walking around offering their hands in greeting. Most mates found each other after shaking hands, high fiving or even casually brushing knuckles as you walked by only to notice hours later they had just missed their mate.
Some had Marks in odd places such as their chest. There was an amazing story, an injured man had found his Soul Mate in the EMT that had saved his life while performing CPR.
Or even around their waist where a Soul Mate had lifted them up to reach something.
Some were in places that well...didn’t often sit well.
Blue had thought he was one of the extremely rare and unlucky few who were born without a mark until he had seen his lower half. There across his sacrum was a large hand print. Exactly where he left butt cheek would appear if Blue manifested his magic.
The very first place his Soul Mate would touch him would be right over his rear end. Blue pleaded with himself that maybe it was all a misunderstanding. Maybe his mate had tried to give him a boost, or even had fallen and tried to stop himself. He really hoped that it wasn’t something untoward.
For now he had let it go.
It wasn’t like he could go around offering his pelvis for everyone to touch!
Blue had other things to worry about besides a possibly inappropriate mate, such as schooling, work, and taking care of his incredibly lazy brother. Stretch while the oldest of the two, often didn’t take care of himself and it left Blue with picking up the slack.
Blue kept the house clean, fridge stocked, and table full in between classes and his part time job. They weren’t hurting for money, really. Stretch had a decently paying job at the local University giving lectures on Science and theory. The same school Blue went to but for a different subject.
Blue was passionate about baking. He himself didn’t enjoy overly sweet things but he loved to cook and watch people enjoy eating his food.
His inspiration had been his brother and their family friend Muffet. She had taken him into her kitchen when he was just a tiny baby bones and showed him how simple ingredients could become the most decadent of sweets.
She had explained to him how sweets, while yes unhealthy in large amounts, would nourish the SOUL just as much if not more than any other food. How one bite of chocolate cake could bring a smile to a person's face or a simple cookie could stop a child from crying.
And that’s what Blue wanted. He wanted to make people smile and be happy.
If it meant he could tempt his brother to stay home a bit more often than all the better. Stretch had been in a funk lately. He was quickly bypassing the age where most people found their Mates.
Stretch didn’t have a common mark or a rare one like Blue did. His mark was on his shoulder. Not usual but not out of the norm either.
It was late one evening when Blue had come home from working out over at Alphy’s house, only to find the house empty again which could only mean one thing. Stretch was at Muffet’s drinking himself into a stupor with his spike honey and probably eating any sweet he could get his hands on.
A quick text to Muffet even confirmed it.
Blue was now making his way over to the bakery/ bar. An odd combination, but sweet, confectionary drinks were all the rage now and the money savvy Muffet capitalized on it quickly.
It wasn’t actually very far from their home, being that where they lived wasn’t all that large in the first place. More of a rest stop between two larger cities. A place to fuel up and get some sleep before continuing your journey. Everyone knew each other, so it was to many jubilant, and slightly slurred, greetings Blue arrived to.
All the regulars taking their usual spots with a small spattering of new faces. Front and center being a very familiar orange hoodie surrounded by patrons telling some other story or joke. Even from the doorway Blue could see the drunken flush on his brother’s cheek bones.
Blue made his way across the floor saying his own hellos and warding off some good natured ribbing at his current outfit. He hadn’t changed clothes before he left the house. He was still wearing his exercise outfit that consisted of a tank top and shorts, which usually hung a bit off his frame but Blue’s magic was still summoned making the clothing just a bit tighter. (he liked to summon his magic when exercising, it made him feel confident to see the muscles flex with each lift or pose).
Blue was so distracted he didn’t notice the bright scarlet eyes watching him hungrily.
Blue arrived at his brother quickly, nodding at Muffet’s soundless ‘thank you’. It wasn’t that Stretch was a violent drunk or anything like that. He was just...a bit clingy and loud.
“HEY BRO!” Stretch practically shouted at Blue, grinning once Blue got close enough. His usual mild mannerism nowhere to be found. Blue had little time to brace himself when Stretch leaned forward, nearly falling over his own feet, to grab Blue in a bone squeezing hug. Stretch was already twirling him around to introduce him to his new “friends” from out of town.
“...and this guys name is Edge!” Blue tuned in at the end. Stretch was now pointing at a skeleton monster standing next to him. The darkly clad skeleton looked like he would rather be anywhere but there and certainly didn’t deem himself a friend. Considering the tray in front of him, the poor guy was probably getting some drinks before he had been accosted by the overly friendly drunk.
“Greetings” the newly introduced Edge told him dryly which Blue waved somewhat nervously. The guy looked like he could eat them both for dinner.
“Eeep!” Blue squeaked when Stretch pretty much dropped him so he could drape himself over Edge’s shoulder with said skeleton bringing up his hands up to catch the teetering Stretch.
“Aaay come on lighten up budd...oh hell”
Every color of the rainbow began to undulate and swirl brightly from under both of the taller skeletons hands. They stared at each other slack jawed before all hell seemed to break loose.
Everyone in the bar was calling out congratulations, Stretch was nearly climbing Edge happily and Edge? Was blushing furiously trying to keep his newly found mate from falling off.
Blue stepped back smiling. Well maybe it wasn’t so bad that his brother was here so often then! Especially if it meant Stretch would beam like that more. His poor brother really deserved the happiness.
Again he was so distracted that he didn’t notice not only scarlet eyes on him but the owner of said eyes approaching him.
“Looks like we’re gonna see a lot of each other from now on huh? Well it’s sweet to meet ya”
Blue had begun to turn around so we could face the person speaking behind him when he felt a hard force against his butt followed by a loud resounding slap.
The world seemed to move slowly. Blue’s normally bright eye lights guttering out and his hand on instinct lashed out. Swinging it against the strangers face with a slap very similar to the one he felt just a moment ago. The force sent the person flying on to the floor with a sharp yelp and a crash attracting everyone’s attention.
“RED!”
“Ho shit, Blue what happened?”
Both of the taller skeletons called out in alarm pushing through the crowd of well wishers. Stretch coming to Blue’s side with Edge running over to the sprawled form.
“He slapped my butt and oh stars I hit him!” Blue covered his mouth in shock before running over to Edge and the fallen Red before stopping wide eyed.
Across Red’s face was a wave of colors, like the ocean on a bright sunny day. Red’s Soul Mark had changed meaning…
Blue whipped around and nearly pantsed himself in front of the entire bar to check his left butt cheek. There in mixing shades of red and purple was his own wave of colors.
“I just knocked my Soul Mate out”
Blue really hoped his Mate would forgive him!
He was barely coherent when his brother ushered him out and toward home with Stretch’s Mate behind them carrying Red over his shoulder.
At home Blue offered his bed up so that Red could rest and he would take the couch.
Once both of the shorter skeletons were situated and Blue warded off his brother’s mother henning they disappeared into the second bedroom.
Blue almost had to force himself to sleep. There wasn’t anything he could do now and he really didn’t want to be awake for much longer considering the heated looks Stretch and Edge had been exchanging.
He closed his eyes and snuggled deep into the lumpy couch. His last coherent thought was that Red had really pretty eyes even if he only saw them for a moment and they were widened in surprise and pain.
Damn, the bed under him was comfy. His bro must have found a good hotel after Red passed out at the weird sugary bar. The only bar in town and all they had were frou frou drinks! No one could get drunk on those...wait a minute…
With his tolerance there was no way he would of even got tipsy much less blackout drunk and there was no way in the all the layers of hell that a hotel would have a bed this comfy or clean if the lack of crumbs or suspicious hard spots were anything to go by.
He also knew for damn sure that Edge didn’t hum or sound so soft.
Red cracked an eye open slightly, squinting at the sunlight streaming in from a nearby window.
Most of the sunbeam was blocked by a figure sitting on a chair next to him.
Last night came back to him in a rush. Stopping in a small town to spend the night after driving the entire day. Convincing his hard assed brother to get some drinks with him and relax only for a overly friend skeleton to latch on his little brother like a limpet. A shorter but muscled skeleton monster walking in and smiling brighter than the sun.
Red damn near drooling after the perfectly shaped bubble butt, before noticing the spectacle going on by his brother. The calls of congratulations and the sea of orange and wine.
Grinning in happiness for two reasons. One his brother found his other half and the dude seemed pretty cool but also that the beanpole was related to the mini Adonis and thus Red’s in for a little “celebration romp”.
He remembered approaching behind and well, heh, slapping said behind and the sting on his hand soon followed by a sharp bone rattling smack across his face. Dark sockets on a brilliantly blushing face, tile, then darkness.
“Ya got one hell of a right hook” Red murmured sitting up and wincing at the remaining sting on his face. He side eyed his cute little mate. The myriad of emotions not even somewhat hidden. Startled, flustered, angry then possibly the world’s most adorable pout.
“Well you have wandering hands but I do apologize for what I did. It’s very nice to meet you and I hope we can get to know each other better. My name is Blue! Now let’s go down stairs, your brother made breakfast!”
It was hella fucking cute watching the little guy try to scold him before all but running right out of the room. Well he wasn’t gonna turn down his brother’s cooking or let that cute butt out of his sight again, not when it was attached to an even cuter skeleton.
The kitchen wasn’t actually that far and all of them were already seated leaving one seat open for him next to Blue.
Red noticed that the orange clad skeleton looked smug and Edge was perched gingerly at the front of the chair with a grimace.
Red turned toward Blue with a smirk, “ Can we ‘get to know each other’ the same way they did?” Well better Blue got used to him now rather than later right? They had the rest of their lives together after all.