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He’s 17-literally one day from being 18 when he takes Amar’s hand and has his life changed forever.
He’s 17 and he takes the first hand ever reached out to him and he sees-
Warm lights, with a glass of whiskey set out to his right. Amar smiles at him, warm and smug, and despite his hair long going gray the man still seems to hold the youthful mirth that Ajax has come to associate with the man.
“So Mr.Starchild, how's Missus?” Amar looks a little too proud at this statement, and Ajax feels a bubble of light annoyance cross over him but then he’s-
Back. He’s 17, cold, and apparently soulmates with his savior.
Then Amar lets out a laugh that’s close to a sob and pulls Ajax into the warmest embrace of his life so far.
It’s nice, it’s home. He doesn’t ever want to let go.
He’s 18, 3 months later, and trying very hard not to curse at the drunk 16 year old in front of him.
She’s shaking like a leaf, which of course doesn’t make his mood any better. Still he’s not really in a place to lecture her, what with his own late night escapades these days.
He really wants a cigarette but settles for a long exhale. “Okay kid, do you have anywhere to stay for the night? Preferably where someone would be watching over you?” She starts crying more as she shakes her head, and this time Ajax cannot stop the swears that slip past his lips. “Alright then, do you want to follow me? I can’t guarantee you’ll like it more than your actual bed, but it'll at least be inside?”
She thinks on it for a moment before nodding very slowly, drawing a relieved smile onto Ajax’s face. He holds his hand out to her, hoping that she won't wander off in her drunk haze.
But when he does he’s back in that feeling. The drunk girl stands in front of him with a wide smile on her face as she drags him down the street towards a destination he was not privy to.
“Luna,” He says with fond exasperation, his chest full of what he can only peg as the love and annoyance that siblings have for eachother “where are you taking me?”
“Lunch!” She cheerfully replies, looking back at him with eyes full of mischief. “And after that I’m stealing you away for the day! We’re going to have a blast!” He’s sighing in that annoyed but fond way again, and Luna is laughing like this is normal, like this is what they’ve always been.
He’s crying when he comes too, the girl, Luna is too, but she rushes forward and hugs him nonetheless.
It’s nice, having another piece of home click into place. He finds himself hopeful for the rest, (because some how deep down, he knows there are more people just waiting to meet him)
He doesn’t even need to touch Keri Starchild to understand that she’s his soulmate, somehow from the second she meets his gaze in the alleyway behind Amar’s bar he knows that she’s meant for him, or that he’s meant for her.
She however seems to miss this, and dodges out of his grasp, spark twisting out of his finger tips.
Amar finds him 3 days later just in time to stop him from beating a man to death. It’s not pretty (none of Ajax’s fights ever have been), but Amar (his first soulmate, his closest friend), knows something is wrong.
“Get your shit together Ajax” is all the man grumbles out before dragging him by the ear back to the bar “for fucks sake kid. You’re better than this.”
“I’m not,” Ajax rasped out “I lost her.”
“And you’ll find her again” Amar sighs out pinching the bridge alone “but only if you’re alive by the time you two find each other.”
Amar’s right of course, and 2 months later Ajax stands in front of the two members of Kerosene and dodges shaking Keri’s hand because at the end of the day, he’s not ready to see what his future with her is. (Keri Starchild and future Ajax’s jab, and the mentioning of a missus.)
He doesn’t think he can handle his hopes being crushed if he’s wrong
“I can’t be your drummer at a professional level.” Ajax finally admits after a particularly rough practice session. “It’s my worst instrument, and that’s bleeding into the music.”
“Well then what’s your best instrument?” Griffin grumbles out glaring at Ajax for what he assumed to be one of the less graceful drum solo’s he’d pulled off.
“Bass.” Keri answers for him, pulling off her own bass and handing it to Ajax. He somehow avoids their fingers touching “Give it a go.”
An hour later he is Kerosene’s bassist, and everyone is in a better mood. Griffin hands him a shot glass, filled to the brim with some unknown but surely strong concoction when their fingers brush and
He’s in a park surrounded by kids, there's a breeze blowing and it brings forth a familiar shiver.
“Uncle Jax!” A young voice screams, and he turns around and opens his arms, bracing for the upcoming collision. A young boy, Axel his mind supplies, collides with his chest and Ajax spins the boy around before placing him on his shoulders, both him and the young boy giggling without a care in the world.
“Axel!” He hears a voice that can only be Griffin call out. The man runs up a few seconds later, a child no older than two strapped to his chest. “I see you’ve located the very exclusive Unclesaurus.”
Both Ajax and the child on his shoulders groan at the joke, and Ajax leans forward to mess up his friend's hair, both him and Axel laugh at the squawk of insult that comes out of Griffin’s mouth.
“Thanks for inviting me, idiot.” He smiles out, just before the vision peels away, and Ajax suddenly becomes very aware of the shot glass laying in pieces beneath his feet.
They don’t talk about it as Ajax cleans the floor beneath them, but Griffin catches him before he leaves and pulls Ajax into a bone breaking hug. He can’t help the laughter or the tears that color his expression afterwards.
Indigo is a surprise, a welcome surprise but a surprise. Keri brings her over after one of their performances all smiles and Ajax knows that this is a welcome addition to the group.
“I’m going on a drink run.” He calls out to the group as they all sit stupefied by their current writing pace. “I need a stretch”
“I’ll come with” Indigo calls out, stretching her arms before she stands up and follows Griffin through the door. They both stay silent up until the shop.
“What do you want? He turns to her with an expectant stare and she goes to protest him paying for her drink too before he raises an eyebrow and stares her down.
She sighs. “Hot chocolate.” Indigo’s annoyance at Ajax’s antics clearly written across her face. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”
“I want to!” He says smugly, going into to pat indigo on the shoulder only to freeze as an all too familiar feeling washes over him.
He’s holding a phone against his ear in a too cold room, it’s raining, and deep down Ajax knows that melancholy is the only tone this call can have.
“What are your plans?” Indigo’s askes through the phone, and deep down he knows that that question goes beyond what was said. “While you’re… gone?”
“I don’t know.” He murmurs back, and tears brim at the corners of his eyes. “Try to live I guess?”
Neither of them say anything after this, both just soaking in the silence.
“I’ll call back soon.” Ajax announces taking a long inhale, before exhaling and letting the tension in his shoulders go.
“Good luck.” Is all Indigo says in response. It’s really all he needed to know.
There’s tears in his eyes when he comes too, and Indigo pulls away from him tearing out of the building. They don’t talk about it when Ajax arrives in the studio later, but when he hands Indigo a hot chocolate she smiles at him softly and sadly as his gaze passes over Keri.
She knows what he’s avoiding when he refuses to let their hands meet as he hands Keri her drink.
He almost expects Neon to be his soulmate. An unusual train of thought given that for most soulmates are a one maybe two at most time appearance.
Not the 4 he knew about (the 5th he was to scared to chase)
So he shakes Neon’s hand when she first joins and expects them to be soulmates.
And is shocked when she’s not.
“You keep looking at me.” Neon starts leaning into Ajax’s space after a studio session turns into a screaming session as Keri’s stress hits an overdrive, and Ajax steps up to take the blows. “Why is that?”
“I thought you’d be my soulmate.” He says honestly, drawing a look of surprise from Neon. “Everyone else in the band is.”
“Even Keri?” And he knows she’s asking because of the screaming, the avoidance, the way Ajax can’t really look her in the eyes because he’s terrified that he’ll give up how much he just- feels for her.
His silence is enough of an answer for Neon and she properly sits down beside him and extends out her hand
“Let’s start over.” She says with an easy going smile, extending out her hand “Hi, I’m Neon. I don’t have any soulmates and I’d like to be your friend.”
“‘Ajax,” he responds back, taking her hand in his own “I have 5 soulmates, and I want to be your friend as well.”
(later he calls Neon his chosen soulmate, and she laughs saying “Soulmates isn't a cool enough term to describe our friendship.”)
“Do you hate me?” Keri askes before their first show of the night, stage makeup painting her as something out of this world (something out of his reach). “I just- you keep avoiding me and dodging me and I just- I can’t handle it anymore.”
“I want to hold your hand.” He answers honestly, taking a step forward. “I want to go on long walks, and talk to you about nothing and everything and I just-” He stares at her lips, 2 years of avoiding touches and longing bursting out of his chest all at once. “I’d really like to kiss you Keri.”
She’s flushed and paired with the glitter sprinkled on her face she turns a lovely shade of Rose gold under the weight of his gaze.
He’s never wanted something more in his entire life. Ajax, under normal circumstances, never gets what he wants, so he waits for a rejection
What he gets instead is Keri Starchild, the five foot four girl of his dreams pulling him down by the collar of his shirt and kissing him breathless.
And finally after two years of waiting the static beneath his skin bleeds out and gives way to
Another kiss that feels just like the first one. Ajax pulls back, flushed and breathless and a little giddy, staring at Keri as she rests her forehead against his.
“You’re an idiot.” She grumbles out, drawing a breathless chuckle from Ajax’s lips
“I’m your idiot.” He smirks out bringing his hand up to eye level, where a gold wedding band sat nicely on his ring finger. “For life.”
This draws a giggle from Keri’s lips as he leans back to a more comfortable position in their bed.
Keri lays her head on his chest and gives a happy sigh, soaking up her husband's warmth.
“Will you have me?” She softly asks as she traces shapes into his chest. “Despite all I’ve done?”
“It’s only ever been you.” He admits leaning forward to kiss the top of her head. “It’s only ever going to be you.”
He’s breathless when he breaks the kiss, and he stumbles back light headed and giddy. Keri is laughing, or crying, he can’t really tell anymore, and he dives in for another kiss, and another.
Margo finds them a couple of minutes later, faces fully flushed and completely ruined. She merely sighs, nailing the pair with a glare of annoyance as she calls for a quick fix so the pair can at the least be seen on stage.
Ajax couldn’t care less, it’s his 22nd birthday and the love of his life is his. The final piece of his puzzle filled and empty feeling chased off.
He goes out on stage with Keri, Griffin, Luna, Indigo, and Neon, his family, and he fucking kills it with them
(people who were there at the concert, speak of the smile worn on his face for years to come.)