Chapter Text
“Most Unattached find themselves drawn to their element. Don’t fight it. Your need to be near the ocean or dig your hands in the garden is the same feeling that calls to your Bondmate. Follow the calling and it will open you up to the possibility of Attachment.”
Elizabeth Goodall, Attachment and the Modern Single (2007)
Aaron Dingle was many things, had always been so many things, yet under it all he was flame. He’d never wanted to admit it, even if he couldn’t avoid it. He had done his best to hide it most of his life.
He was surrounded by Earth and Water, destined to destroy or be destroyed by everyone around him. It wasn’t like any of them had a choice in it all. It didn’t stop his fear or the constant burn in his chest.
He’d hated the moment in grade school when he and his classmates sat across from the Crown Classifier, their destiny set when their element was revealed. He remembered girls being excited, daydreaming of mermaids and flowers. The boys pretending to be pirates and war heroes. Aaron just sat alone, always alone, flicking the Zippo lighter he’d nicked from his dad. He felt comfort with every spark.
He knew he wasn’t like anyone else. His father was Earth; his mother, from what he remembered of her, may have been Water. He couldn’t place it for sure. She was a floating memory, a figment more than a person.
He’d sat across from the Classifier, a matronly looking woman with a severe bun and the Maker tattoo on her wrist. It was the mark of those who renounced their Soul Bond in service to the Maker and to the Crown. They bound themselves to an ideal instead of a person. It sounded lonely, or lonelier than the feeling Aaron was used to.
Aaron knew that when he was classified he’d be even more isolated. Fire was rare, an Attachment with another element rarer still. He had been born into solidarity and in a way he welcomed it. He was only 15; he still had time before he would ever have to worry that a touch could reveal his bondmate. Historically they never showed before you were 18. Not that it was that easy these days. Attachment was no longer the norm, more the exception. It didn’t stop the fairytales that everyone spun, or the Crown sponsored gatherings where people walked around rooms, offered skin in the hopes of finding their bondmate.
It could happen. It did happen. Just not to those marked by Fire. Not to Aaron.
He’d watched his friend Paul come out of the room, showing off the black bubbles that had appeared on his wrist. A proud Water who had a chance of so much more than Aaron ever would.
“Do you have an inkling young man?” The Classifier’s voice was soft, like she knew the answer but asked simply out of politeness.
“Fire.” He tried to hide the tremble in his words, he felt like a fraud. How could someone like Aaron be special?
She smiled, nodded her head. Her eyes shone with understanding.
“I’ve only seen this once before in my 20 years, but let’s find out for sure shall we?” He watched her find the right instrument, a thin piece of metal, blackened and charred. He offered up his hand but braced himself, as if it touching his skin could scar him or cause him pain. In a way it did both.
It hardly grazed his wrist when the black ink of flame danced itself into existence, his eternal mark, his element. The piece of Aaron that had been since the beginning of time, maybe even before. He wanted to feel pride, instead it was dread that filled his throat.
The Classifier hummed, a smile on her face. She scanned his wrist, typing into the tablet beside her. “You’re the first recorded Fire in this part of the country in over a decade.” She said it like he’d done something to be proud of, like he had any real choice at all.
He just stared at her mark, covered by the Maker symbol. It was unreadable, who she had been destined to be. He wondered what her classification had been, before she became someone else. She caught him looking and offered him another smile.
“See, you always have another path to take, Aaron Dingle, even when it doesn’t feel like it. We are never without options.”
It would be another decade before Aaron understood what she meant.
“All Attachments are to be registered with the Crown within 60 days of reveal. This is to ensure legal bonds and prevent illegal or counterfeit markings. The Crown only wishes to encourage healthy Attachment and record them for posterity and future generations. In the event that your markings appear and you have not identified who your bondmate is, you can be connected via the Registry Department after the 60 day period.”
United Kingdom Registry Office, Attachment Rules and Regulations (Updated 2010)
Aaron shut off his gas line at the sound of insistent knocking, flipped up his mask and grunted loud enough to allow entrance. It was Victoria with a sunny smile on her face and a takeaway container in her hand.
“Chas sent me down with a meal, she figured you hadn’t eaten in days.” She plopped the container on the workbench and crossed her arms. He watched her take in the progress he’d made on his newest piece, a commission for a rich couple overseas. They’d given him carte blanche, and he was making good headway with it.
“What’s it gonna be?”
“Art.” He never could keep from teasing Victoria, one of the few people in this world he liked, loved actually. She was Air, windswept and fresh, light and feeling. She’s been the first friend he’d made in Emmerdale all those years ago, the only one who stayed a friend.
Once he’d been classified, his father had taken one look at the mark and shipped him off to his mother. He’d ended up on a bus to Emmerdale, seeing her again for the first time in 10 years.
“Fire destroys Earth. Your mother can control you.” His dad hadn’t even attempted to hide the contempt in his voice.
She was a Water after all, and they clashed over most things. She never gave up on him though, even when he begged her to. He’d lost count of how many times he had. Until she’d thrust him into Old Man Forrest’s hands and set him on his path to figuring it all out. A semblance of peace he was eternally grateful for.
Victoria rolled her eyes at him, then rocked onto her tiptoes. Aaron knew what that meant, a favour was coming.
“Whatever it is, the answer is no.” He flipped his mask back down but her hand was on his tank before he could switch it back on.
“Please, you know I hate going to these things alone.” Even through the darkened visor, he could make out the pleading in her eyes.
“Then don’t go, it’s a waste of time, you know that.”
She bit her lip and he sighed. It was always the same with her.
She was one of those that believed in the Soul Bond, didn’t think marriage and a family was truly right without Attachment. It was stupid really, they’d both come from unattached parents. Sure those marriages hadn’t worked out but no one could blame that on anything other than the pigheaded people involved. Most marriages these days weren’t from Attachment and they lasted. Some of the time.
“Please Aaron, there are over 20 Airs signed up already. I have to try.” She always did, and when she walked away without anything she was never deterred.
“And?”
“And not one single Fire in the mix!” She knew he wasn’t looking, didn’t want to find, knew there was no point. He’d only ever met one other Fire in his life, and that had been more of a gift than he’d ever hoped to have.
“When is it?” He braced himself for the shriek of delight he knew would come. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders in a happy embrace.
“Next Saturday. It’s in Hotten.” She squeezed him tighter before stepping back. “Thank you Aaron, you’re the best.”
He mumbled his response and didn’t bother waiting for her to leave before he started up his torch again, losing himself in his work.
“The last recorded mixed Attachment was in 1976 in Boston Massachusetts, USA. The pairing was Air (Male, age 40) and Earth (Female, 32). Two children were born of this union, both identified as Air at Classification. This finding, as well as other studies of historical mixed pairings has lead to the factual assumption that Fire and Air are the most dominant, and therefore the oldest, of Elements. However, Earth and Water are the most prevalent, making up over 75% of current recorded population.”
Dr Garrett C. Powell and The Element Advisory Board, Elements in Society (2002)
They’d taken a cab into town, the one good thing about these mixers being the free alcohol. It was all on the Crown’s dime.
Attachment was good for the government; it meant stability and prosperity. Fancy words that glossed over their true meaning: control. Bonds had been fading out over the last 30 years, and everyone knew it was the population that was doing it. What were the actual chances of meeting your match down the road? Or across the country? Pretty nil.
They could be an ocean away. Even further than that. Governments had funded travels and even offered monetary bonuses if you chose to settle in your home country with you bondmate. It was bureaucratic bullshit sold as a love story.
Aaron didn’t bother looking at the offered armbands. He had his own. They never had a Fire symbol on hand, rare as they were. He stuck out like a sore thumb, the red of the fabric stark against the black of his jumper. Victoria wore a pale blue dress, her white bracelet letting all the Airs know she was one of them.
She squeezed his hand and left him to his own devices. He’d keep an eye out for her while he propped up the bar. He got a lot of lingering looks, from men and women alike, all with the same green Earth bands. Even a few blue Waters looked his way. It was always the same. Water wanted to consume him, Earth wanted to be ravaged by him. He’d have a better idea after some more pints which he was in the mood for.
He watched people clasp hands, hopes heightened and dashed in the same moment. He’d only ever witnessed one Attachment at a gathering like this. The man had smiled and the woman cried as they watched the mark bleed up their wrists to almost their elbows. It had looked like vines, ivy to symbolize their Earth connection. They were a mid-range match, there was no way to tell how many lifetimes before they had found each other. It wasn’t an exact science. All the Crown knew for sure was the further up you arms the markings went, the older the elemental bond. Or at least that was all they were telling.
Everyone knew a story, some even made the news. Just a few months ago in India, a Water match had caused a rainstorm inside a hall by the sheer force of their Attachment. They married a few hours later. If history repeated itself, they would die within days of each other. Once bound there was no other way.
The thought made Aaron sick.
Victoria wasn’t having any luck, though there was one man, another Air, chatting her up. She could do worse. Even without Attachment, elemental pairings were usually a good fit, the core of them in harmony.
Aaron didn’t want harmony. He wanted fire. It couldn’t be helped, it was who he was.
But for now, a warm body would do.
He found it in an Earth, tall with brown hair, nice arms and lips worth kissing. He’d been tracking Aaron since he’d walked through the door, gaze fixed on the red band, hooded eyes running him up and down.
He glanced over Victoria’s way, saw her shrug her shoulders and nod to the door, her question clear. He shook his head, prompting a crinkly smile in return and a wave of her fingers as she headed out. They’d done this many times before. She’d make her own way back and text him when she was safely home. They rarely left these things together, and he rarely left alone.
Not much later, he had a mouth around his dick as he braced against the stall door. He didn’t bother asking the Earth his name, just dug his fingers into the mess of hair and thrust his hips. It was in Aaron to consume, to take, it was all that was ever asked of him. Probably all he was good for. Maybe all he ever would be.
He left alone a short while later, content with the aftermath and a number in his pocket he would never call.
Attachment United Kingdom, Advertisement (2018)
His piece was complete, two days of no sleep and a few more spark burns on his arms. He got lazy with protection when he was in the moment, twisting and burning metal to his whims. It was a raven, wings aloft in mid-flight, eyes glinted copper and claws around a fish, water still dripping from its scales. Air and Water, the couple who wanted a piece for their summer cabin in the Alps.
It was alive in it its jagged lines and symbolism, beautiful in its opposition. Elements that warred against each other, and yet kept the balance of the world they lived in.
He pulled a beer from the small fridge in his studio, looked out into the night sky and allowed himself a moment of relief for a job well done. Then he raised his can and said his thanks, like he did every time. Like he always would.
“I miss you Old Man. Hope she’s with you.”
“All unattached pairings must have a plan for the future. If you decide to marry, join property or have children, a legal contract should be in place in case Attachment presents itself later on. Accepting this in the beginning will make your eventual separation easier on all parties. Remember, without Attachment, there are no guarantees.”
Living Unbound Magazine, Unattached and Married: What You Should Know (November 2015)
After about 12 hours of sleep and a long hot shower, he showed his face at the Woolpack, thankful for the warm spring evening. Even though Aaron ran hot, he always wore long sleeves, preferring to conceal the flame on his wrist from the looks it inspired in others.
He took a seat at the bar, it was busy enough for a Thursday evening. His Mum shot him a wink from across the way, pouring his Nan a glass of red. It wasn’t long before she was patting his arm and sliding a pint his way.
They’d had a rough go 10 years prior when Aaron had shown up on her doorstep, bags and attitude in hand. Fire and Water, it amazed him that he could be her son at all in the beginning. Instead of trying to squash the spark in him like his father had, she’d pushed him to let it out. She’d begged Old Man Forrest to take Aaron under his wing, promised him he’d never have to pay for a pint again if he could set her son to rights.
Aaron would never forget the first day he met the man who would change his life, make him feel understood. He had deep laugh lines, a settled nature to him that Aaron never thought a Fire could possess. It calmed him, gave him hope.
He’d looked Aaron up and down, nodded his head and offered up a hot calloused hand for a shake. An hour later Aaron had the torch in his fist for the first time, his path firmly set. His element happy to have found a place to smolder.
Forrest had taught him to weld, to create and shape, to use his natural gift with ease and patience. He never pried, never batted an eye when Aaron shared his sexual orientation. Attachment came in many pairings, it was the way of the world. The Maker created you as you should be, from the elements that sustained the soul and gave you life. Still Aaron fought with the Fire inside him, pushed at it, tried to channel the intensity of who he was.
“Aaron, Fire is just a part of you, you are made of so much. There is beauty in all of it if you let yourself see it.” How many times had Aaron heard Forrest say those words to him? What he wouldn’t give to hear them on more time.
It had been over two years since they’d lost him to cancer, the kind he could have fought if he’d wanted to, battled for a few more years of living. Still Forrest had his reasons, and Aaron couldn’t deny the man his right to choose. It was one of the few they were given.
Forrest had left Aaron everything, his home, his studio, all he had in the world. Aaron lived every day to make him proud, but he always felt like he was falling short of the mark. His greatest fear was that he always would.
“Vic working tonight?” He asked Marlon when his burger was delivered. His cousin, an Earth that did wonders with ingredients, could make anything taste like heaven.
“Nope, date I believe.”
Marlon slipped away and Aaron frowned to himself. He knew she was getting antsy, wanting to start a family and settle down. No matter how he teased her, he didn’t want her to give up on finding her bondmate entirely. If anyone deserved it, if anyone was worthy of it, than it was Victoria Sugden. Then again, he was glad she was facing reality.
He’d keep watch over her, he always did.
“Fire Elements are known for intense emotion and loyalty. Do not betray the Fire in your life, or try to control it. It’s a game you cannot win.”
Daniel Wilkinson, The Fire Within (1999)
“What do you think, Son? Worthy of the sale?” Forrest crossed his arms over his chest, gave a lift of his eyebrows.
“They’re willing to pay what you’re asking, don’t see the harm.” Aaron had never understood Forrest’s need to find the right buyer for his work. If they wanted it, were willing to spend, what more was there to it?
“You’re young yet, you haven’t put your soul into it all. You can’t just give the pieces of yourself away to anyone, no matter the price.”
Forrest ended up donating the piece in the end, to a park attached to a home for troubled youth. The kind of place Aaron would have ended up if not for the influence of the man himself. A place Aaron sent a hefty sum to every year in the Old Man’s name.
Everyone should have a place to feel safe and accepted.
A choice.
“Water is in every facet of life and existence, the base element of us all. Everyone of us has water, but only Water Elements have the traits to soothe and calm, rage and roll over. Harmony can be found with all other elements, though Attachment outside your classification is almost entirely non-existent. Love, however, is in your veins. Don’t fear it.”
Felicity Kahn, Live Like Water (1978)
Victoria’s text had stated it was urgent, so Aaron hadn’t bothered to change out of his sweaty tee and jeans covered in char. He walked into her place like he always did, slamming the door to announce his arrival. He found her curled on the couch, steaming cup of tea in hand. She’d been crying, and he tapped down his rage.
“Vic, what happened?” He tugged her into his chest, let her rub her face against his shirt, hoped she didn’t get smudge marks on her cheeks. “Who do I have to murder?”
“Gregg mentioned marriage, wants to draw up a contract.” Her sniffles confused him; they’d been seeing each other for months. Aaron had even vetted him one night over dinner. Gregg was an alright bloke, maybe a little bland, but that was an Earth for you.
“I thought that’s what you wanted. It’s okay to change your mind.” He’d have her back, always.
“I thought it was too, but I told Robert and he went crazy. Said he’s coming home, that he has something to show me. Said I can’t give up, and that he’d prove to me why.”
Robert Sugden, the black sheep of the family who’d left Emmerdale before Aaron arrived. He’d heard enough about the man, how he’d broken hearts before he left, how he traveled around the world and broke even more. Victoria adored him, and Aaron didn’t have a right to judge, at least not until this moment. Not until he was making Aaron’s best friend a muddled mess.
“You know your own mind Vic, he’s just being an arrogant prick. He can’t make you do anything you don’t want to. I’ll make sure of it.”
He pulled her close, made a plan to set Robert Sugden straight. Victoria’s love was a gift that Aaron Dingle didn’t deserve. Neither did Robert from the sounds of it.
“Earth is it’s own worst enemy. You yearn for stability but wish to be molded, shaped and cherished. Allow yourself to be grounded, do not reach for the things you know will do you harm. Play with Fire, and you will burn.”
Dr. Paulette Le Roux, Earth Unbound (2015)
Victoria had been a bundle of nerves, putting off Gregg and preparing for Robert’s arrival. It sounded like the idiot was planning to come back to Emmerdale for a long while, probably to keep Victoria under his thumb. It pissed Aaron off, evident in the metal he was currently twisting, creating jagged spikes protecting a cloud, thin delicate brass surrounded by iron.
Aaron got as much info about Robert as he could before his arrival. He needed a loaded arsenal. He had money, though Victoria wasn’t entirely clear on how he made it. Something to do with computers and the stock market. Sounded risky to Aaron, just as risky as putting your life on hold for a chance at Attachment.
Aaron had attempted to find Robert on social media but all his accounts were private. The only photo he’d seen was half a face concealed by windswept blond hair and dark sunglasses, the sky blue and clear behind him. Victoria said he was into extreme sports, skydiving, even mountain climbing. Robert loved exhilaration, the chase.
Not the kind of Air sign that Aaron preferred. He’d met a few over the years, they could be unpredictable sometimes. Aaron would have to be prepared for anything. It was no matter, he’d put this one in his place. It was something he was actually looking forward to.
Vic had texted him earlier and insisted that he meet her and Robert for drinks. Her brother wanted to get an eye on the friend who supported his sister in her logical conclusion to give up on Attachment.
Was that why Robert Sugden was always traveling the world? Was he one of those blokes who wouldn’t settle without a Bond? It was probably an excuse. So many refused commitment, stating Attachment as the reason. It was an easy game, take without expectation, empty promises because of predetermined markings on skin.
Yeah, Aaron hated Robert Sugden on principle.
He was Fire and had yet to meet an element he couldn’t control to his liking. So he dressed the part, fitted black jumper with his best black jeans. Hair in place, scruff cleaned up. He sat at the bar with his sleeves up his forearms. For once he wanted his mark on display, wanted Robert to see who had the power here.
He watched the door and waited, ready to turn his bemused smile into a scowl at the appropriate moment. He heard Vic’s nervous laugh before they walked in. As soon as he saw the tall blonde with broad shoulders and a lazy smirk, he knew.
He knew.
“Air Elements are the least predictable, and the hardest to pin down. They can be steadfast or flighty. They can be strong minded or weak willed. Each Air is their own person, and nothing but time will reveal their intentions.”
Ishmael Terrif, The Unexpected Element (1986)
“She’s out there somewhere.” Forrest coughed, the man who had always been larger than life now a shell of himself. Aaron had snuck in some beers and a takeaway from the Old Man’s favourite fish and chips place in town. He’d barely touched it, there wasn’t much time left.
“You don’t know that.” Aaron didn’t want Forrest to have any regrets, not after all he’d done for him. Not after everything.
“Saw her once, 30 years ago. She had long black hair, a little baby on her hip. I heard a laugh and I felt it, before I saw her face I knew.” He sipped his beer, wiped at his mouth, his eyes far away.
“Didn’t seem right, she’d made her choice. Had a ring on her finger and a child in her arms. I didn’t want to take that from her. It was enough, knowing she existed. She never saw me, I made sure of it. We’ve been together before, we’ll be together again. We don’t win every round do we, Son?”
Aaron had said nothing, knew his mentor’s mind wasn’t clear, not with the pain meds they gave him to keep him as comfortable as possible. Aaron let Forrest have his daydream. It was the least he could do.
“The current information on mixed elemental Attachments is seriously lacking in modern times. Such pairings are rare, and have been throughout history. Most all mixed elemental pairings contain one Air Element and never a Water Element. Our goal is that with current registries we can hope to better understand. Were these elements one before splitting? Does this prove the Hierarchy Theory currently being tested in the United States? Hopefully we’ll have those answers in the future.”
Dr Miles Kirkpatrick, Modern Science (2018)