Chapter Text
It’s Valentine’s Day.
It hits him as he wakes up in Charlie’s – his soulmate’s – arms.
He managed to go back to bed last night after his nerves no longer felt fried, and he was pretty sure he wouldn’t get overstimulated again, and he knew he’d sleep better in his own bed with Charlie than he could alone on his sofa. And now, he can see that it was worth it.
He’s with his soulmate on Valentine’s Day.
Of course, growing up in a hippy, Reconstructionist Israeli-American family as he did, Rolf’s never really celebrated Valentine’s Day. Not really. His parents have always celebrated Tu B’Av instead of Valentine’s Day, as they prefered celebrating an actual Jewish holiday over a commercialized Christian one.
He went to a Jewish day school, and… after a certain age, the awkwardness and annoyingness have tended to mean that people think he’s weirder than he is. Not that he thinks there’s anything wrong with him. He knows there isn’t. But, in his experience, neurotypical people tend to find him a lot to handle.
Something tells him Charlie won’t, though. He hopes that feeling is right. If he’s totally honest, he’s not totally sure Charlie is even neurotypical, for that matter. It’s kind of difficult to imagine having a neurotypical soulmate. But that’s something they can discuss later.
“Morning,” Charlie whispers, and god, Rolf could just melt. Charlie’s accent is unbearably sexy. He’d always hoped, when he was a kid, that his soulmate wouldn’t end up being another American, and look at him now.
“Morning.”
“It’s Valentine’s Day.”
“I – yeah. I just realized that, too.”
What a way to start the most widely celebrated western love-related holiday: waking up in his soulmate’s arms. Even if he’s never celebrated the holiday before. And he hasn’t told Charlie they’re soulmates.
He should probably do that.
He kisses Charlie (his soulmate; god, that’s so strange to think). “Maybe we should shower? I know a great place for breakfast.”
Charlie smiles. “Sounds like a plan.”
After they shower (and go for another quick round, though it’s just swapping blow jobs this time), Rolf takes Charlie to one of his favourite vegan cafes – one that actually serves breakfast.
It’s not really French culture to have a full, hot breakfast, but Rolf doesn’t think Charlie will mind that it’s not French. It is, in his opinion, the most delicious place to eat in Paris.
Rolf orders a veggie scramble with herbal tea, and Charlie orders vegan French toast and coffee.
“So,” Charlie says over his coffee. “Valentine’s Day.”
“Valentine’s Day.”
“I, er, I should probably tell you…”
Rolf braces himself for the inevitable: he has a boyfriend, he’s moving somewhere remote, something that means they can’t be together. It’d only be too good to be true to actually get to be with his soulmate.
“What?”
“There’s a reason I texted you. Beyond, er, the really great sex. And the sex is – really great.”
“Uh, okay… I mean, I think the sex is great, too, but… okay…”
“It’s just… I sort of… I have reason to believe…” Charlie takes a deep breath. “I think you’re my soulmate. I have – I use the app, and, er, last time, after – I mean, even before, I’d had an idea, because so much of what you said matched up! But – last time. The next morning, I’d got my alert, and it was – er, it was something you’d said. The night before. So.” He clears his throat.
Rolf really can’t quite say anything. For once, he’s speechless.
“I didn’t – I didn’t tell you. I’m sorry. I didn’t know how. And you were only in London for the weekend. And I needed to sort out my feelings, and – that’s not the sort of thing you just say over WhatsApp, you know?”
“It’s okay,” Rolf says. “I, uh. I know we’re soulmates. I mean, I thought you were, but this morning, I got my alert on the app, and that… confirmed it. And full disclosure, my best friend Penny is a huge fan of your brothers’ videos. And, uh, sometimes we watch them together, and I was – I was in London for a conference, so I stayed with Penny rather than book a hotel, and, uh, we ended up watching the Mumble video, and – I mean, a lot of the stuff you said about your soulmate kind of – made me think. But then you said something my soulmate had said two weeks before, so I thought – I mean, it wasn’t finite proof, but…”
Charlie smiles. “Glad we’re on the same page, at least.”
“Yeah,” Rolf agrees.
“What would you have done if you hadn’t found me on Tinder?”
Rolf picks at his tofu scramble. “Probably just waited for something more finite. I mean. I know I could have at least contacted your brothers.”
“Oh, they’d have insisted on having you on the show. They probably still will, if I’m honest.”
“Maybe we can hold off a little for that,” Rolf says with a laugh.
“Trust me: I absolutely intend to put it off as long as possible. They can smell blood. It’s not something I want to submit anyone to. Least of all my soulmate.”
Least of all his soulmate. They’re soulmates.
Rolf manages a laugh. “Understood.”
After much discussion on being soulmates and their future, they decide to take things slow.
No one needs to relocate just yet, and they both love their jobs. They’re both doing good in the world, and a relationship, even with their soulmate, isn’t necessarily a good enough reason to move to a different country.
They see each other at least once a month, and text (and video chat) regularly. The sex, when they have it, is fantastic. They don’t need constant contact to feel secure and comfortable in their relationship.
They have all the time in the world, after all.
Or at least until Charlie’s brothers find out and force them both on their YouTube show.