Chapter Text
“Oops! Sorry!”
Could she be- no. The wording is off. But maybe the soulmark got a little confused? That could happen right? Bess wasn’t the worst option for a soulmate- a cute brunette with a penchant for selfies and dropping things? He could do worse.
Some part of his brain starts ringing with self-awareness, cluing him into the fact that he’s just staring at Bess while she manically gathers pots on the floor. He smiles as he bends down to help her. Who’s to say his soulmark didn’t get the wording off? Only one way to find out.
His brain doesn’t quite register the kitchen door swinging shut or the fading footsteps of a person leaving.
“Hey, let me help you with that.” Bess sends a grateful look up at Ace while he collects dishes. Her smile, though charming in its own right, incites nothing within Ace. Maybe he just needs to try harder.
“So… come here often?” Okay, maybe not that hard.
Bess looks more amused than anything, and chuckles before answering.
“Yeah, every day actually. What about you?” They finish gathering the pots and stacking them neatly. Ace stands and puts them on the kitchen counter, where they usually reside when Bess wasn’t on shift.
Reaching down, he helps her up to a standing position. Now that her hand is in his, he can safely say that he still doesn’t feel anything . A pity.
“What about me?” He asks, a bit preoccupied with his thoughts to really follow their conversation. She smiles and dusts off her apron before locking eyes with him. With a smirk and a surprisingly good southern belle impression, she says:
“What’s a nice boy like you doing in a diner like this?”
Okay so maybe Bess wasn’t his soulmate, but she was definitely someone he could get along with.
Ace gives up on his subconscious search for a soulmate. Constantly facing near death by the hands of supernatural forces tends to shift priorities a bit. Anyways, he's too busy helping Nancy to really think about anyone anything else.
Besides the obvious downsides to spending most of his free time fighting off vengeful spirits, Ace relishes his newfound purpose. He went from being a spy (that title made him sound a lot cooler than being a mole) to having a good group of friends and getting to help others. There's not a lot more you can ask for, in his opinion.
Yet, on the nights he would go home alone and see his mom and dad passed out on the sofa after watching Downton Abbey together for the umpteenth time, he couldn't help but crave his own partner in life. Not just someone to fight off evil spirits with, but also someone to come home to, someone who understood him without speaking, to gravitate towards in times of uncertainty, to batten down the hatches with in anticipation of the next inevitable storm.
And so hearing his soulmark spoken aloud once again sparked the fire of hope that past-him had tried so hard to put out.
He was in some hotel known for being haunted, had come running the second Nancy called. He blames his desire to get away from those college girls (he's not gonna look too hard into why he came running all those other times, though). He hasn't caught sight of her bright red hair in the lobby, but figures he might as well ask the receptionist if she left a note or room number for him.
"I'm sorry." He wishes those words wouldn't make him feel so anxious. It really doesn't help ease his first meeting with his soulmate.
She's pretty, and nice, apologizing to a guest for a towel incident that wasn't at all her fault. He stumbles over his words talking to her, too excited over what this could mean.
This is different from the Bess incident. For starters, Amanda clearly likes him, too. And she got the words right! The cherry on top was that everytime she smiled, he felt his heart flutter a bit. She's his soulmate and he's finally gonna be whole.
Nancy interrupts their awkward conversation. She seems tense and agitated, he doesn't know what happened but he hopes she's okay. She calls him over to help and, of course, he follows. He would help her in any way he could, she's one of his best friends.
If he's being honest, he feels more comfortable around her than most others. Something about her presence eased him, he didn't feel the pressure of acting any type of way. He existed and she appreciated him for it. He appreciates her a lot too, for giving him purpose and for not expecting him to be anything but who he was. You don't get that type of effortless acceptance very often.
That feeling of comfort with each other seems to be on both ends, thankfully. Otherwise he would feel weird about always taking the seat next to her, or always offering to accompany her on her adventures. But he knows she feels the same. He can tell every time her hand subconsciously drifts to his arm and rests there for longer than necessary. He can't really focus on what she's saying when she's touching him, but it doesn't matter since he would say yes to anything she asked of him anyways. But everytime her fingers skim his right bicep, he feels his soulmark flare up and a fire spreads throughout his whole body. That's a bit more of a distracting sensation than he can handle, God forbid he try having a conversation through it.
He assumes the burning sensation means that his soulmate wouldn't like another girl touching his mark, but he honestly doesn't mind. He gets an oddly warm feeling in his chest everytime she does it, a feeling he can't help but miss when the feeling of her touch fades away… that's not really something he knows how (or wants) to explain.
When she pulls her hand away from the window and it's smeared with blood, he panics. He feels absolutely grotesque on the inside, like he's one second away from puking. The hand that gave him warmth so many times is now warm with blood . Ace is gonna be sick.
Nancy says she's fine, but his mind won't stray from the image of her blood. The idea that she could be hurt, in pain … it's a terrible thought. He wishes he could wrap her up and keep her inside because, although she loves sniffing out danger, he loves… her being alive a whole lot more.
She's fine, though , he tells himself, which is good. It's great, even. He doesn't want anything bad to happen to his friends.
Him and Amanda get along great. He hasn't brought up the whole soulmate thing, he doesn't think he needs to just yet. They're just getting to know each other. They have the rest of their lives to discuss their bond, no need for added pressure.
His friends all seem to like her, too! Well, most of them. Nick doesn't seem to care either way, though he is more focused on George than anyone else. Not that Ace blames him, he would be just as enraptured as Nick is with George if he found his soulmate. Or, he means, he will be just as enraptured. It probably just takes time for the bond to fully form.
George and Bess both seem to like Amanda, too. Bess wasn't a surprise, considering she's one of the most friendly people he knows, but George liking Amanda came as a little shock. Especially considering how long it took her to warm up to Nancy.
Speaking of whom, Nancy isn't really giving a clear read as to where she stands on the situation. She seems to respect Amanda, but liking her is a different story. He didn't think she had a problem with her until he saw her face when he talked about Amanda putting his heart in bloom. He was just excited to meet the person he was gonna spend the rest of his life with! Why wasn't she happy for him? It was like he could feel her discomfort and distress. He didn't know what Amanda said or did to make her react so badly (it wasn't her fault her brother was an overbearing dick who read her messages), but he knew whatever she was feeling was definitely not a positive emotion.
Seeing her face, he knew now probably wasn't the best time to mention Amanda being his soulmate. He could hold off on that little revelation until Nancy cooled off from the stolen shroud incident, until she and Amanda got along how he knew they would.
Ace just wishes she would spend more effort getting to know Amanda instead of whatever she's doing with Gil. After all, this is the woman he's supposed to be spending the rest of his life with, and Gil is just… a temporary lapse in judgment.
And it's not like anyone can blame Ace for not liking the guy, he was literally going to kill George because of petty vengeance! Nancy doesn't need a guy like that.
Gil is temperamental and selfish and inconsiderate, Nancy needs someone cool-headed, someone who respects her, who thinks things through and puts her first, someone who is actually capable of keeping up with her insane intelligence and is supportive of all of her risky endeavors. She needs a metaphorical partner in crime, not a career criminal . He's not her soulmate.
But what if he is?
No. That's a stupid thought, he knows they're not soulmates. He can just… tell.
But Ace isn't going to get involved. He told her his two cents and she didn't listen. He'll be there for her when the inevitable downfall hits, but he won't support a relationship that's doomed to fail. Their fate is so clear, they are so incompatible that the thought of them together in any way makes him laugh (and his stomach churns and his head pound). For someone so smart, he really wonders how she can't see the obvious truth right in front of her.
He was wrong, she wasn't smart. Because smart people don't make deals with the devil.
What was she thinking? Making him responsible for all those innocent lives, trading one for the many, who does that ?
"I couldn't lose you."
Okay, so maybe he would have done the same for her, for any of his friends really, but that doesn't excuse anything. He's trying not to think about how much of a hypocrite he's being (but with his arms around her, not thinking isn't that hard).
For some reason he can't look her in the eye. She hands the tape back and he hears the hopeful tone in her voice, singed with the desperation they both felt all day, but he can't quite bring himself to look up. He knows once he sees her normally striking blue eyes gone sad, he would break. Her eyes always reminded him of the color of the sea on a clear and bright day, but when she's sad they're more like twin comets heading for earth. He doesn't want to be stuck in the crash zone (he knows he already is).
He can't quite forgive her just yet, or is it himself he can't forgive? He doesn't know. He hasn't figured out why he's angry yet, he just knows that Nancy is at the center of it all.
He hasn't realized that, while dangling off the platform, not a single thought was spared to Amanda. His mind was focused on the girl 10 feet away, the one with comets in her eyes and fire in her soul who would do anything to save him. To be fair though, he does his best not to think about that moment at all (because all he really remembers is how right it felt to have Nancy in his arms).
As time moved on, he and Nancy grew apart. It killed him, but it was probably for the best. He still had so much anger inside him that he couldn't identify the source of, it was really harshing his mellow.
Nancy started… hanging out with Gil. She stopped calling him when she needed help. He stopped waiting up at night for her call (that was a lie).
She was different. He couldn't explain it, but she didn't feel right. Okay, so she always felt right, but she didn't feel okay . He wanted so badly to reach out and tell her that she was. You're okay , he would say. But he never got the chance, because anytime they would talk she would find a reason to leave. Or worse, she would shut him out.
He takes the time away from Nancy (if it can really be classified as that with her on his mind every day) to try and strengthen his bond with Amanda. He doesn't know why but he still doesn't feel whole with her. He has always felt like a part of him was missing, had assumed the hole would be filled when he met his soulmate, but what if he was just broken? What if Amanda couldn't help him. How sad is it that she got saddled with a defective soulmate…
He doesn't figure it out until his second week of practical radio silence from Nancy (or his second week anniversary with Amanda). It's the morning after and she's getting up to take a shower, stark naked and fully confident as she searches for clothes. He sits against the headrest of her bed, watching her open cabinets. He catches himself wondering where her mark is.
As she moves around the room, his eyes follow, roaming her body up and down. He stares at the side of her neck for a while. He doesn't know why but he thought it would be there… if not there then
"Where is it?" Oops. He hadn't really meant to ask that outright. They're still new, it's probably weird to ask such a personal question.
She pauses in the doorway to the shower, looking confused.
"Where is what?"
Quick Ace, think of something else. Ask her where the bathroom is! Wait, that doesn't make sense, she's standing right next to it… Ask her where-
"Where is your soulmark?"
Dumbass.
You've gotta hand it to him, at least he commits to his stupidity. Amanda doesn't look quite as impressed with his commitment skills. She quickly turns uncomfortable and throws the towel she was carrying for her shower around her body instead.
"Why do you want to know?" What kind of question was that?
"Why else?" Didn't she know they were soulmates? He would have thought she had the same realization when he did.
She hesitates before walking in his direction, sitting across from him on the bed. She slowly reaches up to his right bicep, where her fingertips graze his mark before-
" Ow! Shit! " He yanks his arm away as blinding white hot pain clouds his vision. What the fuck?
" What the fuck ?" He was confused and hurt and nearing panic when he saw the look of resigned disappointment on her face.
"Ace… we aren't… I thought you knew." He's suddenly angry. She thought he knew? She thought he knew?"
"What do you mean we're not- you said my words! I heard you! I felt something when I heard you!" He's up now, pacing the floor and running his hands through his hair, not caring as they aggressively tore through the knots. She stares up at him from the bed, her eyes filled with tears that haven't yet fallen. She looks just as disappointed as he feels.
"Your mark is common, Ace. I'm sure you've heard people say sorry more than once in your life. Just because you had a crush on one of those people, doesn't make them your soulmate." The words were harsh but considering they were choked out through tears, he gives her a pass.
He stops pacing and realizes what this might be like for her. She thought he knew they weren't soulmates, thought he was with her regardless and was willing to settle down with her in spite of fate. She thought he knew .
Looking at her, tears streaming down her face and desperation filling up her eyes, he can't help but feel sad. She thought he was- and he thought she was- this is a mess.
He sits back next to her on the bed, placing an arm around her shoulder and comforting her while the tears fall. So they weren't soulmates, that didn't mean he was a dick.
Oddly enough, the realization that they aren't fated to be together for all of eternity brings about some relief. Not because he's happy to not be tied down, but because of what it means for that hole he feels inside him.
Maybe he isn't broken, his soulmate is still out there and with her is the hope that one day he will finally feel whole . The knowledge that he still has to go through the effort of finding her deflates his hope pretty fast. Maybe he should take a break before trying again.
After her tears dry up, they sit together in numb silence for a while before she breaks it.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
She shifts a bit, breaking free of his arms and staring at him with dried tear tracks and a look that screams 'I know something you don't'.
"What about Nancy?" This again. He sighs and sends her a pointed look to which she responds with a defensive one.
"No, hear me out. I always felt this, like, vibe between you two. Are you sure it's not her?"
He doesn't want to tell her that a part of him wishes it was, that it would make things a lot more simple between the two of them. That the idea of them together makes so much sense in his head that his heart hurts every time he thought about their first conversation and was reminded that they weren't meant to be anything more than friends.
Instead he forces himself to retell the story of when they first talked to each other. He explains how it was the morning after a really bad day, how he spent the previous night getting high and crossed to forget about his worries and instead ended up with a killer headache.
*
He opens the door to the Claw, the ringing of the bell atop the doorframe an unfriendly reminder of the marching band in his head. He briefly pictures a monkey clapping cymbals together.
He has one hand on his head, messaging his temple, and the other on the strap of his backpack. He slowly makes his way to the kitchen door, thanking God no customers decided to show up at 6 in the morning and cursing George for making him be here anyways.
But his path to the door is suddenly blocked by a red headed waitress. She's carrying a tub of fully cleaned dishes on her right hip. When his foot scuffs the floor as he abruptly stops, she looks up and realizes he's there.
"Oh, hey Ace."
He briefly wonders when they acquired this newfound familiarity that she seems to be talking to him with, but pushes that thought aside as he points to the clean dishes under her arm. She looks to what he's pointing at and a flash of embarrassment crosses her face for the briefest moment before she settles back into her usual expression.
"The dishes? Oh, I ended up staying later last night and when I saw you didn't do them, I figured what better way to kill time."
She did the dishes for him. Why? They don't even know each other, and to be honest he didn't think she cared to get to know him. But he wasn't the type to look a gift horse in the mouth.
"Thanks. That's really cool of you." If he thought he saw a faint blush pop up on her cheeks, he was imagining it.
"It's really no problem." A loud crash sounds from the back, accompanied by yet another apology . Ace loves Bess, he really does, but he wishes that maybe she didn't have to work this morning.
Seeing the wince on his face, Nancy steps closer to Ace. Resting a hand on his right bicep, she looks concerned and wholly unaware of the newfound heat spreading through his body at her touch.
"Are you okay?" He stares for a bit. He can't help it, it feels like he's trying to learn how to speak again. He briefly glances down at her hand on his arm, something she notices. As if realizing who she was talking to, she quickly yanks her hand away and backs up a good foot, this time the look of embarrassment stays a while. Sadly, the warmth does not.
He wants to tell her it's okay. That she can do it again, if she wanted to. But his desire to not sound like a creep asking a girl to touch him wins out, and he uses his returning verbal abilities to say
"Yeah, I'm fine, nothing a Tylenol won't fix." He sends her a smile and when she reciprocates he feels like maybe waking up at 6 am isn't so bad.
"I've got some stashed in my locker. Don't tell George but this place is like ground zero for headaches."
"I heard that, Drew!" George's loud voice calls from her office.
Nancy purses her lips like she's holding in a laugh, and her eyes water a bit at the sheer effort. They get this sparkle in them that makes him think of two comets headed straight for him. He doesn't mind that when their eyes meet, he can feel their impact.
He wants to tell her it's okay to laugh, he wants to hear it so bad. He doesn't know where the urge comes from, just that he wants to see her happy.
"Let me put these dishes down and then I'll bring you something for your headache."
She leaves before he can tell her he doesn't need it anymore.
*
When he tells Amanda about their first conversation (minus the internal dialogue), she looks sad again. This time he knows the sadness is for him instead of because of him.
"I'm sorry, I really thought…" He smiles a little, completely understanding where she was coming from.
"It's okay, I understand why you would think that. We are really close." Or at least, we were. Shaking that thought away, he puts his arm around her again and they lay back against the headrest. Though she wasn't his soulmate, he did still appreciate the quiet companionship she offered. It's a while before she speaks again.
"You guys just seem so well suited to each other…" She still hasn't let it go. He doesn't understand why she keeps bringing it up, he doesn't exactly want a reminder that the girl who wasn't even speaking to him right now was probably the best soulmate he could have asked her.
Instead of expressing his frustration, he just rubs her shoulder and says
"She's just a friend."
He doesn't want to think about whether he's trying to convince Amanda or himself.