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Kasius had watched the numbers counting back on his wrist all his life, both disappointed that they were much too high for his liking and delighted that he had them at all.
No one could tell him for certain what they might be but the old books - truthfully, the old fairy tales - all said it counted to the time of your first encounter with your soulmate.
Some said it marked the time of his death. Kasius thought that rather foolish. As everyone died, surely that would mean everyone would have a mark?
He rethinks that stance with his generals closing in on him, knowing that the numbers must almost have reached zero by now.
They raised their weapons.
Instead of cold, harsh metal, a spray of warm blood hits Kasius’ face.
He blinks against it, wipes his face on his sleeve, and finally can make the soldier out properly.
Her head is cocked to the side like he’s some mildly interesting curiosity.
“Thank you,”he says.
She nods, offers her hand to help him back to his feet. He catches a glimpse of her wrist, four red zeros emblazoned there.
He covertly slides up his own sleeve as they head for the ships. His own are no longer the black he has known for as long as he remembers but a red to match hers.
“You never told me what you think the numbers mean,”Kasius asks one evening, much, much later.
Sinara glances at him, shrugs, and continues eating.
Kasius smiles. It’s sweet how little she cares for romance and how much she’ll still allow him to indulge.“Not denying you’re my soulmate, then?”
“On Nux, we think they’re fixed points,”Sinara says.“Could be anything. Dying, starting a war, saving a life.” Her mouth quirks into a smirk.“Meeting someone, I suppose. Just something that’s in the fixture of the universe.”
“That -” He blinks at her, having to swallow around the sudden lump in his throat to continue,“You realise that still sounds like us meeting was destiny, right?”
“Guess so.”
“I think I might like this even more. A fixture of the universe. Fated by the fabric of life’s very existence.”
She rolls her eyes, unable to hide her indulgent smile.“Can you shut up about it and pass the wine, fixture?”
He does, leaning in to kiss her cheek, too.
The universe really meant well for him.