Chapter Text
Staring at the screen, Poppy’s eyes flew over the words on display for the third time in mild disbelief. At twenty one, she’d felt like she’d been waiting for this email for eternity. In reality, it’d only been five years. She’d signed up hopefully at sixteen, as soon as the law would permit, thrilled by the idea of finding her soulmate, her twin flame, her other half. She could almost feel the cotton swab in her mouth again before she’d shipped off her DNA to a company that promised everlasting, intense love.
Then she’d waited, days at first, then weeks, then months. After six months, she’d called the company, asking if they’d received her sample. The woman on the other side of the line had placated her, saying that her match might be younger than her and to be patient as teens often had longer to wait than adults. Perhaps her match just hadn’t reached the legal age of permission yet?
She had been assuaged by this explanation for roughly a year. Then, as time went on and her friends were all matched, she began to sink into the cold arms of disappointment, fearing she might be among the unfortunate few that would remain…unmatched. That’s when Julri had come along with pretty words of traditional love, seemingly offering her his heart on a platter, explaining that he didn’t believe in matches, in the one, that love was a choice, not a predetermined genetic condition. She couldn’t say yes fast enough.
They’d been happy at first, at least that’s what Poppy liked to tell herself, but there was something that was never quite right with Julri. She was never truly…comfortable around him, as though he were hiding parts of himself from her, and whenever she grew suspicious, he belittled her, making her question her commitment to their traditional love, a love of choice, a choice riddled with self-doubt. She wasn’t sure why it was so wrong, but even holding his hand felt erroneous. Like they were trying to force a square peg through a circular hole, they just didn’t fit together.
When she’d walked in on Julri with Mimi, she couldn’t really say it’d been a complete surprise. Finding out that Mimi was his match though, that had just been depressing. After all, how could she compete with that? Not that she wanted to. Most of her didn’t even blame Julri, she was happy he’d found his other half. She just wished he’d broken up with her first instead of disrespecting her like that. Confusing her like that. Lying to her like that.
Biting her lip to the point of drawing blood, she let her eyes flit over the screen for a fourth time. You’ve been matched! Please click the button below for further match details! Her finger hovered over her phone’s touch screen in indecision. She’d wanted this for so long but now that it was here she was reluctant to admit she was terrified. Was this what she really wanted? To put her heart on the line again? Julri wasn’t her match, in fact she wasn’t even sure if she’d felt anything for him other than slight attraction and friendship. Yet, the pain his betrayal had inflicted had cut her deep, leaving a nasty scar on both her heart and her self-esteem.
This was her match! The person she’d been born to be with, the person that had been crafted genetically to be her other half! She’d read stories, about what it was like, about the deep connection, the intense, passionate, fiery love. She’d also read the horror stories, the ones of people who had met their match only to be informed they had terminal cancer, or that their match died in a tragic accident, or when they…Poppy shook her head, trying to clear it. No matter the situation, she knew her match had the power to destroy her, to kill her with grief and overwhelming loneliness if something happened to them. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for that; then again, the thought of being alone and never knowing a love like that frightened her just as much. The tang of blood on her tongue surprised her enough that her thumb slipped, pressing down on the button.
~ ~ ~
Ignoring the vibration coming from his pocket, Tora tapped his thumb against his steering wheel as he eyed the exit of the strip club. Trailing Scharch was not his idea of a good time. Vince was convinced the man was sleeping with his mistress though and wanted Tora to catch both of them in the act. The way Vince had emphasized the word ‘catch’ had left Tora with no doubt as to what Vince wished him to do if his suspicions proved to be true. Sighing, he glanced down at his passenger seat, picturing the glock he had strapped beneath the chair before returning his gaze to the door as a pretty blonde woman approached it from the shadow hiding the far side of the building. “Don’t do it,” he whispered to no one, “just turn around and go home,” he insisted, his fingers tightening on the steering wheel as he gripped it.
Tora watched in disappointed annoyance as Scharch pushed open the door and beckoned in the bonde, “oh for fuck’s sakes!” he hissed to the empty car, reaching beneath his passenger seat for his weapon. Unfolding himself from the car, Tora slammed his door shut before stalking towards the backdoor of the bar, continuing to ignore the rather insistent buzzing now coming from his pocket. Pushing open the door he stomped his way past the bouncers and made his way up the flight of stairs leading to Scharch’s office. Without bothering to knock, Tora kicked open the door and slammed it behind himself, glaring at the couple fondling either on the loveseat opposite him. “Are you that a slave to ya cock or just plain stupid?” he spat angrily at both the man and the woman who were staring at him in horror. “Of all the women ya could screw, ya gotta pick her?” Tora barked, his eyes trained on Scharch as the woman hastily tried to right her dishevelled clothing.
Scharch stared at him wide eyed, his gazed filled with panic, “you don’t understand Tora, she’s, she’s…she’s my match!” he cried in desperation. “We tried to fight it at first but, we couldn’t. We knew Vince would kill us…but,” he trailed off, the blonde who’s name Tora had never bothered to learn taking over for him.
“I love him! I belong with Scharch, I’d rather die than go back to Vince!” She screamed passionately.
Tora furrowed his brow in frustration, “well congrats on having ya wish come true,” he murmured, slipping the gun from his waistband. He turned his glare onto Scharch, “I’m supposed to kill you just for breaking protocol if what you’re telling me is the truth. You know we’re not allowed to register,” he spat coldly.
Scharch blanched, “Tora, Tora wait! Please!” he pleaded, “we’ll disappear! Forever, never come back, it’ll be like we’re dead; you don’t need to do this, please! Please don’t hurt her!”
Lowering his gun, Tora hesitated, taking in the pathetic desperation on the faces of his victims. “Why the fuck should I? If Vince finds out I allowed that he’d have a target on my back too,” he replied calmly.
Nibbling his bottom lip Scharch thought on his feet, “because you don’t really want to kill us, if you did we’d already be dead! In all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never hesitated,” he communicated calmly, forcing the trembling from his tone, “you pity us.”
“Please, just let us be happy,” the woman begged, silent tears rolling down her face.
~ ~ ~
“Tora, male, 26, 6’3”, Narin City,” Poppy read aloud to herself as she sat cross legged on her bed staring down at her phone. She absentmindedly licked her wounded lip, the sting making her cringe. Twenty six, her brain screamed angrily. Five years her senior and he’d waited till now to send in his DNA? She wanted to scream in frustration. They could have been matched the day she’d turned sixteen! Sighing, she navigated her way through the payment process in order to receive his contact info; she wasn’t wasting another minute, let alone another five years. If she was opening herself up to a world of pain, so be it. This man had been made for her. It was about time she met her other half. Have him show her what love was; for him, for her, for them. Don’t ever let me let you go Tora, she thought, annoyed with her momentary feelings of doubt. She smiled, knowing she would finally have a hand to hold again, the right fit this time, the part of her that’d been missing.
~ ~ ~
Quincey relaxed back into his Jacuzzi tub, enjoying the way the hot water and jets soothed his muscles. Humming to himself he carefully brought his martini to his lips, the liquid narrowly avoiding the face mask he’d draped over his handsome visage. Shuttering at the unexpected sound of his phone vibrating on the edge of the tub, Quincey scowled, vodka seeping into the mask at the side of his mouth. The bottom of his martini glass hit the side of the tub with a clatter as he reached for the offensive device. “I can’t even have five minutes to myself,” he muttered in annoyance, before his eyes widened in surprise, his back suddenly ramrod straight, his mask slipping off his face and into the bath water. “Well I’ll be damned,” he murmured, “she does exist.”