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James never expected himself to fall in love again. Especially after his failure with Thomas, the entire system of soulmates never appealed to him. At least, until Alexander.
Some people said that you can feel it in you when you meet your soulmate. Something changes. James felt it when he first talked to Alexander. It was a slight tingling in his chest. James had been eighteen for a long time. It was a new feeling now. Every day, he looked for any signs of aging he could. Nearly screamed when he saw bits of a beard forming about two months later.
Alexander was passionate and heated and James absolutely loved it. He loved the moments when he could calm Alexander down enough that they’d be able to talk freely about their opinions. He loved how they would debate every little thing they disagreed on, paired with teasing comments and little shoves.
They made each other better.
James still looked every day to see if Alexander was aging. Alexander said he didn’t feel anything like what James felt when he first talked to Alexander. James supposed some people felt it and some didn’t. Still, Alexander looked exactly the same as he did when James first met him. Even his hair wasn’t growing.
James had been eighteen longer than Alexander, though. Maybe that was a factor?
“I don’t think so,” Thomas said.
(James had just finished relaying all his doubts to his best friend. They were sitting in the back of a coffee shop, meeting up for breakfast tea and lattes.)
“I mean, I know people that have known their soulmate from childhood, and they seem to age at the same pace as people who have been eighteen for years,” Thomas continued. “Hamilton probably just shaves a lot.”
“You think so?” James asked, running his fingers over the little bit of stubble on his chin. James and Thomas had once thought they were each other’s soulmates. It ended up being untrue. Neither of them aged. They were still friends, though.
“Yeah,” Thomas said. “Based on the way you talk about him, I think you two are pretty much made for each other. I wouldn’t worry about it.”
James nodded. “Thanks, Thomas.”
“Anytime, Jem. I’m mad you haven’t introduced me to him yet,” Thomas said.
James chuckled. “It’s because I don’t want my furniture getting thrown across the room when you hear each other’s opinions.”
Thomas rolled his eyes. “He’s your soulmate, Jemmy.”
“Fine. Come over for dinner tomorrow?”
“Food fight!”
“Shut up.”
“I’ll be there,” Thomas said. “All my friends are growing up so fast.”
“You’ll find someone, Thomas,” James said, chuckling. “You’re amazing.”
Thomas smiled and gave James a quick wave before heading off.
James smiled and headed back home. Alexander was still sleeping. Good. James left a cup of coffee by Alexander’s bedside table before heading downstairs and starting on lunch.
Most people seemed scared of James when they first met him, but Alexander didn’t seem afraid at all. He liked talking, and James was bad at human interaction, but Alexander didn’t seem to mind, tagging along with him anyway. James ripped all his arguments to shreds, and Alexander built new ones, enjoying the mental work out.
James figured out he liked talking too, but only if it was Alexander.
Dinner the next day rolled around fairly quickly, and Thomas was at the door, knocking at 6:00 sharp. “I bought wine!”
James rolled his eyes and let Thomas in, pulling him to Alexander. “Thomas, this is Alexander. Alexander, this is Thomas.”
Both of them blinked at each other, looking at the other as if they both knew something James didn’t. Thomas was the first to recover. “Uh, nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” Alexander said, forcing a smile and shaking Thomas’ hand. Thomas led them to the dining room and James shot Alexander a wide range of looks that asked one question: What the fuck just happened? You better tell me or you’re not getting sex for eight years.
Alexander looked a little pained, but he gave James another look back. I’ll tell you, but I’d rather not start drama with your friend around.
Fine.
They had both gotten very good at communicating with glances.
Someone mentioned politics five minutes in, and it was instantly a war zone. Thomas and Alexander were both launching several barbed insults at each other, and the debate was a lot different than debates between James and Alexander.
“No no no, now listen here, you absolute son of a bitch- pass the peas, please- and if you think that for even a fucking second-”
It was all passion and barely any reason, and both Thomas and Alexander were waving their arms everywhere and shoving food containers at each other. James would’ve counted it as a failure except for when Thomas came to him afterwards, asking to be invited for dinner again.
“It was fun, Jem,” he explained, grinning. “Trashing Alexander is going to be a fun pastime.”
James rolled his eyes. “I’m glad you had fun.”
Thomas kissed James’ cheek, shot Alexander a final glare, and left.
James turned to Alexander. “Explain what happened at the beginning.”
“You remembered,” Alexander muttered.
“Yes, I remembered. Spill.”
Alexander sighed, pulling James over to the sofa. It was plush and cozy and a comfort area for both of them. He cuddled into James a bit. “I love you.”
“I know,” James hummed, softening a little. “I love you too. Is everything alright?”
“I felt something,” Alexander murmured. “When I talked to Thomas.”
“Something?” James asked, fear starting to build in his chest.
Alexander seemed to notice and pulled James closer, holding him against his chest tightly. “I love you.”
“What was it?” James asked softly, curling into Alexander a bit. He wished his emotions weren’t so apparent to Alexander, but they were in tune with each other, seeming to know almost every thought the other had.
“It was… what you said you felt,” Alexander murmured. “When you met me. The tingling in your chest?”
James pulled Alexander’s phone out of Alexander’s pocket. “I’m going to call Thomas, alright?”
Alexander nodded his consent, and James dialed Thomas’ number, letting Alexander hold him. “Speaker,” Alexander said.
James nodded, setting the phone on speaker.
Thomas’ voice came in from the other end. “Who is this?”
“It’s James,” James answered softly. “I’m with Alexander. You’re on speaker.”
“He told you already?” Thomas asked.
“I did,” Alexander murmured. “You felt it too?”
“Yes,” Thomas said.
James buried his face into Alexander a little more. This was the second time this had happened. James had thought he was meant to be with Thomas, and that turned out not to be true. Now the same thing was happening with Alexander.
Alexander kept holding him close. “Hey, Thomas, how far away are you?”
“I’m already on my way back to your place,” Thomas answered.
“Okay,” Alexander hummed. “You can cut the call, baby. We can talk through this together.”
James nodded, cutting the call. He dropped the phone and stayed in Alexander’s arms for the next few minutes while Thomas drove back over. Alexander kept rubbing his back, whispering about how much he loved James. James’ fingers threaded into Alexander’s shirt and stayed there, keeping his grip on.
He thought about it.
He loved Alexander, and he loved Thomas too. He wasn’t going to keep them from each other. He wanted both of them to be happy, even if it was at his own expense.
There was a knock at the door.
“Can I carry you over? Or would you rather walk?” Alexander asked.
James would’ve let Alexander carry him if it was just Thomas at the door. Right now, though? He was about to end this relationship. He couldn’t do it. “Let go of me,” he murmured.
Alexander nodded and complied right away, walking with him to the door. Alexander opened it, and Thomas stepped right in. “I brought some of the emergency chocolate from the car,” he said, offering it to James.
James shook his head. Thomas didn’t pressure him, just slipping it into the pocket of his jacket before closing the door behind him.
James sighed. “You two are made for each other,” he murmured. “I can’t get in the way of that. I can’t get in the way of your happiness.”
Alexander looked down at James softly. “You make me happy, James. I love you.”
“Thomas can make you happier,” James muttered. “He’s your soulmate.”
“So what?” Thomas asked. “I’ve never seen you happier than when you’re talking about Alexander. Ever think I care about your happiness as well?”
“Besides, Thomas and I are probably soul… enemies,” Alexander said, smiling a little. “The one I’m destined to battle. My intelligence is matched by his stupidity.”
Thomas snorted. “Because you have no intelligence and I’m not stupid.”
James looked at the two of them. “No.”
“James, you told me you hated the soulmate system,” Thomas murmured. “It’s probably just the system messing up, not you.”
“I just said that because I wanted to hide how much it meant to me,” James muttered. He ran his fingers over his stubble again. “I’m going to my house for the night. You two should talk a bit, get to know each other.”
Alexander shook his head. “I’m not letting you stay alone tonight.”
“Newsflash, you can’t make me do anything,” James said. “I love you, but I want some time alone. We can talk in the morning, alright?”
Alexander sighed and nodded. “Fine. Stay safe, okay?”
“Both Alexander and I are just a phone call away,” Thomas added.
James nodded, forcing a smile that felt bitter on his lips. “I’ll see you guys later.”
Alexander gave James a final kiss, somehow knowing it’d be their last. “Tomorrow,” he murmured, as if it would change things.
“Tomorrow,” James agreed.
Alexander and Thomas showed up on James’ doorstep with a bunch of pick-me-ups the next morning, but James was nowhere to be found.