Chapter Text
Senior year starts next week and Taako is dreading it. He hasn’t gotten any signs that he has a soulmate yet and he isn't even sure if he wants one or not. Though it's mostly due to the fact that he had dated someone over the summer for a short time, thinking that it would work out when it clearly wouldn’t.
He and Sazed were not made for each other. Quite literally, actually. They did not get anything when they wrote on their arms.
Those who do not get the marks of their soulmates by the end of high school usually never get one. Those who try to date someone who isn’t their soulmate, it ends horribly.
Taako wishes he had known because his last relationship ended with him feeling broken.
He’s almost hoping he won’t ever get one, but he doesn’t want to be alone for the rest of his life either.
Well, technically he won’t be alone. He has his friends and adopted fathers, but it will never be the same as having a soulmate.
So right now, he's listening to sad songs and moping in his room.
There's a knock at the door.
“Hey Ko? Can I come in?” Lup asks.
He pauses his music, “yeah” he says.
Lup comes in an sits on the edge of his bed, he can't help staring at her arms. The fading messages and hearts that are written across them and feels a pang of jealousy.
“How’re you feeling?” she asks.
“Fine,” he lies and sits up.
His twin is silent, she opens her arms for a hug and he throws himself into them.
“What if I never get a soulmate?” he whispers, tears on the verge of falling.
“You'll get one, I promise,” she says comfortingly, “now cmon, Dav made dinner. You can come and get some if you’re hungry.”
He nods and sniffles, he lets go of her. It would be nice to get out of his room for a bit.
Lup takes his hand and takes him down the stairs to the kitchen where Merle and Davenport are sitting at the table waiting for the two of them.
“Oh look who decided to come out of his room!” Merle jokes, “feeling any better, kid?” He asks.
Taako stares at the symbols and writings on their arms and the jealous feeling resurfaces. “Fine.” He says almost bitterly.
“Do you two have everything ready for school? Need any supplies?”
Lup nods and takes a bite out of her food, “got everything thing, yeah.”
Taako just shrugs and picks at his food, taking a few occasional bites.
“Taako,” Davenport says softly, “I know you’re not really looking forward to senior year. Please try though, you have a whole support system behind you. We’re here for you.”
“Yeah, kid.” Merle takes a bite out of his food, “Dav and I didn’t find each other until after high school. We’re one of those rare cases who happen to find their soulmate late.” He says, a serious look forming on his face, “I went through what you went through, but I got a fucking kid out of it and I can’t even see him.”
Taako is silent, Merle never really talked about his past before Davenport. He didn’t know that he was like him, or that he had an actual kid.
“I didn’t realize that he wasn’t your soulmate until it was too late, I didn’t have a support system of friends or anything. But you do and we’re here for you.” Merle says seriously.
“Yeah, ko! You got me!” Lup says with a smile, “and Maggie, Lucy, Barry, Carey, Ren, Killian and basically everyone else."
He feels the tears start to fall again, and he can’t help it. Maybe he doesn’t have to worry. Maybe everything will be alright.
“Aw,” she smiles, “are these happy tears?” lup teases.
“Fuck off, lLulu” taako hiccups, and smiles.
“Oh shit! A smile!” Her smile widens.
“Shut up!” He buries his face into his arms, face burning in embarrassment.
Davenport chuckles, “alright, I think that’s enough you two.”
“Aw cmon Dad'n'port!” Lup whines, “this is the first time I’ve seen him smile in a while.”
Taako lets out a loud sigh and lifts his head, “Why you gotta do me like that Lulu.”
“Do what? Cheering you up? It worked.”
“Guess it did.” He smiles, “Merle?”
“Yeah, kiddo?”
“Thank you for that, uh, I guess.”
“No problem.” Merle smiles warmly.
~~
Kravitz stares out the window of the car and watches the scenery go by.
“Are you excited to go to a new school Kravitz?” his mother asks.
He shrugs, “dunno.”
“Maybe you’ll find your soulmate here, wouldn’t that be nice?”
“I guess?” He shrugs again.
“Kravitz,” his mother sighs, “I know you don’t like that we’re moving, at the start of Senior year as well, no less. But I had gotten an offer for a job that I couldn’t pass up. Can you at least be happy for me?” She asks.
“Yeah, I’ll try.” He says giving her a smile.
Kravitz didn’t really want to do this, He was leaving a life behind a whole state away.
Though he didn’t really have many friends back home either so this will be a new beginning and the potential for new friends.
And the soulmate thing? He’s unsure if he actually wants one or not. There has been no writing on him yet, aside from the little marks he writes on himself in case of his soulmate ever responds. So far? Nothing. He almost wants to give up on trying to find them.
His mother had a soulmate. But he disappeared when he was young. Nobody knows what happened. His supposed father left without a trace.
“Thank you, dear, moving here will be a good opportunity for both of us.” She smiles and the car goes silent except for the obnoxious pop music playing on the radio that he really doesn’t care for.
Kravitz pulls out his phone and untangles his earbuds from his pocket, he plugs them in and turns on his music.
The rest of the way to his new home is spent listening to MCR and once again starting out the window of the car like he’s in some sort of sad music video. Not really looking forward to starting school in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people and the possibility of having no soul mate.