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Ever since he was younger, Tom’s clock had been much shorter than all of his friend’s.
Edd always reminded him he was just luckier, able to meet his soulmate earlier than anyone else they knew of. He was always fascinated with the whole soulmate thing. While Tom… couldn’t help but be anxious about the whole thing. What if he didn’t like the person he was paired up with? What if they didn’t like him? It really did send shivers down his spine. Of course, his parents were soulmates. Nearly everyone’s were, aside from the people that purposely split apart from their soulmates, saying it was ‘evil’, or ‘satan’s work’. Other bullshit. But his heart really started to pound faster when his bright blue clock hits mere weeks instead of months.
Days instead of weeks.
Hours.
He was walking in the park with Edd one day, seeing if they could find any more lucky cans, like the one he had stumbled across a week before. He hadn’t exactly told Edd about how short his clock was becoming. They were only sixteen after all, Tom wasn’t sure he was ready for all this soulmate stuff. But it was going to happen anyway if he was ready or not. He felt each tick of another second gone off his clock. He clenched and unclenched his fists. It wasn’t even an hour anymore. Far from it.
Ten minutes.
Nine minutes, 59 seconds.
Nine minutes, 58 seconds.
Nine minutes, 57 sec-
“Tom?”
He looked up, staring at his best friend who had a worried look on his face. He was a few paces ahead. Tom had stopped walking. “Are you alright?”
“Y.. well..” He trailed off, rubbing his left arm. He felt the ticking go down.
Nine minutes, 32 seconds.
“How close are you?” Edd asked, starting to walk back towards his friend. Tom shut his eyes, taking a deep breath.
“About, uh, eight minutes, 40 seconds.” Tom said, voice wavering. Edd’s eyes grew wider, his mouth starting to gape.
“Tom! You should have told me earlier! I would have prepared more!” He gasped, shaking from excitement. Tom had to look away. Edd’s excited mood dropped, noticing his friend’s uncomfortableness. “Oh, oh, I’m sorry. Do you need a hug, or, uh, something?” Edd stammered. Tom sighed, and gave a small nod. Wrapping his arms around his taller friend, he gave him one of the tightest hugs he could have. “It’ll be alright, Tom. You two will be great together!”
Seven.
They stood there for who knows how long. Tom listened to the birds, and grasped onto his friend tight. Edd rubbed his back soothingly.
Five.
Edd backed away from his friend, wavering from foot to foot. Tom wasn’t all that clear about how he felt about physical contact. Edd hoped he wasn’t making Tom too uncomfortable, he knew all too well how scared he was about this stuff. Tom sighed, rubbing his arm as the ticking became clearer. He couldn’t tell if it was just nerves, or if it was actually happening, but he could swear that he could hear the ticking.
“You want to keep walking?” Edd asked, concern obvious in his voice. Tom nodded his head.
“Yeah, yeah I’ll be fine.”
“Wanna go around back to the river?”
“In a minute.”
Three.
It was a pretty nice afternoon. He could hear a few people behind them, laughing and walking towards them. Edd took Tom’s wrist gently, tugging him out of his zoned-out state. “You know, we have to go forward to get to the river, not standing completely still.” Edd smiled, easing up the bit of tension between them. Tom chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Yeah, right, right.” Shoving his hands in his pockets, he started walking forward with his friend, making some small chatter on the way, until he noticed a certain emptiness in his pockets.
One.
“Ah, shit, I think I dropped my phone somewhere back.” Tom cursed. Edd shook his head, laughing.
“God damn it Tom, we were having a moment!”
“Correction, we were having a moment, like a minute ago. I don’t think I dropped it far.” He said, turning around. Instead of walking forward, he was met his a strangers chest, and his heart drop as his clock gave a final, sharp tick.
Zero.
“Oh, fuck, sorry-“ He started, stopping as he looked up at the ginger he’d run into. He was…
He was beautiful.
The stranger was much taller than the eyeless boy, but was definitely around the same age as Tom. His face had a sculpted jaw, his face sprinkled with freckles. His eyes, minty green, glittered, wide as he gaped at Tom.
It was then that Tom realized the ticking stopped.
He gripped his arm tighter, taking a step back. The stranger’s shocked face turned into a nervous smile as they stared at each other for a few seconds.
“So, uh..” Tom started, gulping, his mouth going dry.
“Hey,” The beautiful stranger said quietly. He raised his hand, and hesitated before outstretching it to Tom. “I’m Matt. Matt Harleen!”
Tom watched the hand carefully, and slowly took it in his own. Matt’s hand was warm. “I.. I’m Tom.”
“How old are you, if I may ask?”
Tom blinked. That was the one thing Tom had always worried about asking, and here was Matt, this strange, handsome man he just met, was asking it for him.
“..16.”
The stranger let out a sigh of relief. “Thank god! Here I was, worried you’d be, like, 20 or something.” He smiled, giving his hand a firm shake. “I’m 17!”
“Oh.” Tom said quietly.
The man beside the ginger, who had started whispering to Edd, nudged Tom’s shoulder. “‘Ey. What’s up with your eyes?”
“Tord!” Matt hissed, pouting. Tom cringed, pulling his shoulders closer into him.
Then he realized.
“Wait, wait- holy shit.” Tom said suddenly, gaining everyone’s attention. “I’m gay!?”
Edd rolled his eyes. “Wow, I think I figured that out before you, Tom.”
“I…” Tom took the hand that Matt held and pressed it to his forehead. “Hot damn.”
“Well!” Matt interrupted, slinging an arm around Tom. I think we need to get to know each other, eh?”
“Yeah,” Tom said, shaking a bit. He relaxed quickly though. Matt was nice. “We really do.”