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She bumped into him at a bus stop. It was pouring rain, thunder and lightning, the whole package. Cars drove by fast, their headlights a mere blur in the fog, all the streetlights like ghosts in the night.
He sat down next to her, hair dripping onto his shoulders, backpack soaked and resting between his knees. He left as much space as he could between them, which Millie appreciated. Then a distant screech of tire on asphalt had her jumping, all the factors aligning at that very moment for his sleeve to have been rolled up, for her wrist to be bare, for a simple brush of skin that had the bright red lightning bolt of a soul mark on Millie's collarbone burning like the moment it had first appeared.
They stared at each other, the man having jolted at the touch too, before Millie started to laugh, shaking her head.
"Yeah no, this isn't going to work."
- - -
"And that's how it went?"
Millie just nodded, pouring the cups and handing one to Enna, sitting down with a sigh borne of a long awaited break from the rain.
Enna just stared at her, hot chocolate going cold on the table, lips slightly parted in shock. They were chapped, Millie noticed, because the whole week had been cold and wet, and Enna didn't use chapstick for some damn reason, and yet always got lemon chapstick for Millie during the rainy season, just because she knew it was her favorite.
"That's how you met your soulmate?" She said faintly, chair groaning under her as she leaned back. "And you told him no?"
Millie shrugged, picking up her own mug and taking a long sip. "Fulgur already has a boyfriend, and he said he wasn't looking for anyone else." She made a face. "Also he looks lame."
"His name is Fulgur?" Enna asked, skipping over the last bit Millie said.
"His name is Fulgur, he has a dog, his boyfriend is named Uki and also hasn't found his soulmate, and he really likes rom coms." Millie listed off before smiling softly. "He feels more like a brother to me than anything."
"You just met him," Enna retorted, stoically not drinking from her cup because she'd rather not choke if Millie dropped another piece of life shattering news. "How-"
The witch shook her head, standing up and taking her drink to the couch, where she nestled into a blanket and turned on the television. "Blame the magical soul mark, babu, I don't know."
Enna's hand tightened around her mug, finally taking a sip because she knew the conversation was over.
It burned its way down, and remained an ember in her stomach.
- - -
It was raining a little, which sucked because Enna had decided to walk. It drizzled into her hair and made her feel uncomfortably damp and cold, wings fluttering as they tried to tuck themselves underneath her hat. She pulled her jacket tighter around her and kept her head down, speeding up her pace as she finally caught sight of the apartment building.
She didn't know why she was making this trip, only that Millie had gone off to see Fulgur to talk with him more
This one was different; more squat and stout, walls smoother and pattered with nice wallpaper. It made Enna kind of jealous that she didn't live here, but the feeling was quickly squashed at the thought of leaving Millie alone.
The elevator always smelled the same, vanilla and something fruity. Low music would play, the same song from the last time Enna came over, and she had to restrain the urge to tear the speaker out of its place.
When the elevator dinged and opened, Enna breathed a sigh of relief, ready to smell something other than the essence of an average scented candle.
"Didn't think you'd be that happy to see me." Elira Pendora stood in front of Enna, apparently having waited for the elevator. Her smile was bright, wings flicking happily, and Enna couldn't tell if it was because she had a date with Pomu or because they bumped into each other.
She had low hopes on it being the latter.
"You know me," Enna said, stepping out. She was greeted by Elira's perfume and whatever they used to clean the carpeted hallway, a welcome respite. "I defy all expectations."
Elira inclined her head towards her, tail brushing against Enna's ankles in a friendly gesture. "That's true." Then her face fell, tiredness seeping into the corners of her eyes. "Got to go home though, I think Pikl is sick."
Enna made a noise of concern. "Damn, then go. Don't let me waste your time." She tried to shoo Elira through the elevator door, which was making a noise that almost sounded irritated as it tried to close and was blocked by Elira's outstretched arm. She barely made the dragon move an inch.
"You never waste my time," Elira told Enna, pecking her on the cheek and bumping her gently with her hip. "Pomu will be happy to see you," She added as she waved at Enna, the doors finally closing with a relieved chirp. Enna waved back with a slightly confused grin, not willing to look any of her feelings in the eye, not when she already had a whole knot to unwind already.
Enna continued on her way, taking the familiar path down the hall, just one left, then turn the corner, and knock on the first door on the right. She waited a moment before it opened, mouth opening to say hi but Pomu just barreled right over her.
"Did you forget something Elir- oh." Pomu stared at Enna, looking slightly frazzled. Her hair was a bit of a mess, tied into a messy ponytail. Her stained shirt was falling off of one shoulder, two holes by the neck baring her defined collarbones. A calm settled into Enna's bones, the soulmark that bloomed on her ribcage warming at the sight of her partner.
"Hi Pomu," Enna said weakly, hoping she didn't look that bad, because Pomu's face immediately fell into one of concern. "Don't worry, nobody died."
Pomu let out a deep breath, and Enna tried not to smile. "Oh thank god, that was my first guess." She tugged Enna in, door closing behind her, before Enna found herself on Pomu's ratty old couch with a chipped mug of tea shoved in her hands. "Why are you here then?"
"Can't I just say hi to my girlfriend? Jeez." Enna rolled her eyes, taking a sip so she didn't have to say anything else, even as it scalded her tongue.
She should have expected Pomu to see right through her.
"Something happened." The fairy leaned forward, squinting, so Enna leaned back, eyes as wide and innocent as she could make them. She squinted until it was like she had closed her eyes and fallen asleep. "Something happened with Millie."
"Fucking-" Enna put the mug down, trying to temper her irritation as best she could, but the cup still went down a bit hard. "So Elira came by?"
"Don't deflect," Pomu wagged a finger at her. "I invented that, you know."
"I believe you."
It kind of went quiet after that, and Pomu let it stay that way, which Enna was thankful for. She looked around the room, the pictures all over the walls, the record player in the corner, the beat up television that was more of a place for flowerpots than entertainment, the hint of stovetop that Enna could see through the doorway that led to the small kitchen. It was so Pomu that it hurt, that Enna only felt shame at her selfishness coiling up wickedly in the marrow of her ribs at the thought of even having more than this, wanting more than this. She found herself weakly reaching for her mug again.
Pomu handed it to her, lilac soulmark gleaming on her wrist, hand pressing down on Enna's knee to ground her as she took a shaky sip of tea.
"She found her soulmate," Enna murmured, tongue darting out to wet her lips, feeling the chapped skin.
"Ah."
"His name's Fulgur."
"Hmm."
"He has a boyfriend."
At that Pomu just chuckled, scooching over to press herself against Enna's side. Her weight was comforting, her touch warming the mark on Enna's chest until it finally pressed past her skin, melted away the shame because fuck that, she had this, and Enna would make that be enough.
"Give me his folder already," Pomu joked, intertwining their fingers together, letting Enna trace the vague outline of a heart out of the lilac on her wrist. "I want to know everything."
"Millie's meeting him today," Enna said. The words dropped out of her mouth and landed in her lap. Jealousy made them burn. She tried to smother that too, turning towards Pomu with her arms outstretched in a silent request.
Enna couldn't see it, her head was down, but Pomu's smile was tender and small, resolving to not hold this over Enna's head like she usually would have, and she brought Enna into her arms.
"Is he nice?" Pomu asked.
"Think so."
"Does Millie like him?"
Enna just grunted at that. Pomu sighed, rubbing Enna's back, wondering when she became the voice of reason.
"You know how we're soulmates, right?" Pomu started, pressing Enna back a bit so she could ghost a hand over her ribs to press over where she knew the mark was. She could feel it like a heartbeat behind her own, always there, stalwart and stubborn in the way only Enna could be.
A small noise of assent.
"But I'm dating Elira too," Pomu said softly, hand cupping Enna's cheek, "because-"
She did a strange cross between a giggle and a hiccup then, a mixture between her 'about-to-laugh' face and her 'this-is-so-fucking-embarrassing' face making her eyebrows furrow and her cheeks redden.
"When I asked you if I could," Her voice was soft, so soft, Enna felt like she was drowning because goddammit she knew what was about to happen and she wanted to run out of the room. "You said yes. You told me my heart was obviously too big for one person, and that you didn't want to be the one to make me feel like I was selfish."
Enna could feel Pomu's hand, cold against her cheek, because her face was heating up rapidly and Pomu's hand wasn't big enough to hide her face in.
"It's not selfishness, Enna," Pomu said fiercely. "You fucking told me that right afterwards, and made me cry, so don't pull this bullshit on me."
Enna stood up fast, tearing away from Pomu, heartbeat going double time because Pomu's was too, and she could feel it like an echo in her lungs. "It is!" She hoped she wasn't screaming. "Because she won't want it. So one, it won't happen, two, it won't happen, and three, it won't happen."
"Enna, you absolute-" Pomu was standing too, and dear god, did Enna fuck everything up again? But, oh, she was kissing her, oh, she was kissing her. Enna's brain went through a factory reset. She hoped she wasn't crying. Millie would ask her about it, and then Enna would have to blame it on the rain and Millie would immediately know she was lying.
But Pomu tasted like lemongrass and sleep, so that was all Enna was thinking about.
"It's alright, love," Pomu said into the nape of her neck, later, much later, when it was dark out and they were curled up in bed. Enna didn't know when it was decided that she was staying the night, but she wasn't complaining. "I'm not going to leave. You're going to be fine. And Millie-"
Enna really wished she wasn't so tired so that she could catch that last part.
- - -
Pomu made her breakfast and sent her on her way. She got a kiss for luck and one more for good measure, so Enna felt like her day had already peaked. She was now ready for it to collapse, because she had woken up to forty-eight missed texts from Millie and twelve missed calls.
Pomu had already given her permission, a mischievous little smile being Enna's farewell, but now that the feeling of contentment had faded, her soulmate now rather far away, the nervousness creeped back in.
She would be happy if they remained friends. If it became more? Fuck yeah. Enna just hoped Millie wouldn't reject her and kick her out onto the street. And Enna knew she was probably going too far with that prediction, but the door to their apartment was right in front of her and all the blood was in her head instead of her heart.
The door opened before she could knock. Millie stood there, heavy bags under her eyes, arms crossed and fingers nervously tapping on her elbows.
"You're late," Millie said. She looked down at a non-existent watch, just to rub in how sarcastic she was being. "By a day."
"Better late than never," Enna replied. Millie's left eye twitched, and for a moment Enna thought she was going to slam the door on her. Instead, Millie just sighed and stepped aside, gesturing Enna in.
For the second day in a row, Enna found herself sitting on a couch with a warm mug in her hands, steeling herself for an awkward conversation.
"Let me start," said Millie pleasantly, dragging a kitchen table chair over with more violence than was necessary. "What the fuck?"
Enna smiled weakly. "How's your soulmate?"
Millie crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "He's cool." Then, "Don't deflect." Her grin held a kernel of humor in it and nothing else. "I basically invented that."
A pulse of deja vu. "I have a type, don't I?" Enna muttered to herself, but Millie picked up on it, leaning forward slightly.
"What did you say?"
"You know Pomu, right?" Enna smoothly changed the subject again. This time Millie left it alone, and instead nodded her acknowledgement.
"Yeah, she's cool." Millie's eyebrow rose again. "What does she have to do with this?"
Enna's mouth opened, but she had no idea what to say after that. Millie just stared at her, waiting.
"Can I kiss you?" Enna blurted out, and decided that passing out would not in fact be a great solution to dealing with the aftermath of that statement, because Millie already looked like a brick had just been thrown at her face.
Her mouth was opening and closing like a fish gasping for air, pupils contracting up into pinpricks, fingers digging into her elbows. "Wha-?" was all Millie could muster in a breathless tone. "You- you're-"
"Dating Pomu yes," Enna stood, hands waving around in the air, wings fluttering madly as Millie just watched her pace, slack jawed. "And we're soulmates and all that shit. But! She's also dating Elira. And she's fine with me dating you."
Millie looked like another brick had been thrown at her. Enna just turned back to her after having dumped all that on her, stepping up close to sit on the coffee table so that she was slightly closer than she had been when she was on the couch.
"So," Enna hadn't realized she was breathing so hard, "can I kiss you?"
"Ask me out on a date first," Millie said automatically, her last line of defense when their teasing went too far, when tenderness threatened to be revealed by what was supposed to be a joke.
"Okay," Enna did not like how her voice had gotten so shaky, how her hands had to steady themselves on the warm, bare skin of Millie's knee. "Go out with me?"
Millie wetted her lips, teeth flashing behind them in a weak smile. "Of course."
Enna grinned, lungs inflating until they lifted her up up up, somewhere warm and safe above the clouds. "Then can I kiss you?"
To that, Millie did not respond. Enna just leaned forward, wrapping her arms tight around her and closing her eyes. This was familiar territory, the hugs they would give each other. Millie smelled like usual, spice and honey, singed with flame. She was warm, and her ribs were too prominent through her shirt, and her heartbeat was jackrabbiting from where Enna could feel it. But this was a normalcy that Enna settled into, that she craved, that she someday woke up and realized she couldn't do without.
"It's alright if you don't want to," Enna said softly into Millie's shoulder, and somehow, it was. Getting it off her chest felt like air was finally in her lungs, like Enna hadn't been truly breathing at all this whole time. Enna hadn't noticed that Millie smelled like tea too.
Millie looked stunned, arms falling helplessly to her sides, body limp in Enna's arms. Still, she managed to speak, albeit very quietly, lips brushing against Enna's cheek. "I do. Want to, I mean." She added at the end, voice doing its awkward wobble that Enna so loved.
Again, Enna was at a loss for words, joy and surprise warring inside her until her usual bluntness found the answer for her. "Okay," She said in a way that was almost flippant, happiness making her feel floaty as she giggled.
Her nose brushed against Millie's, then their mouths, a careful, testing touch. Millie still reacted like she had been punched in the gut, eyes screwing shut as she gasped. Enna stared at her face, the contours, the shadows, the peach fuzz on her cheeks.
"Fuck it," Enna declared, and as Millie's eyes fluttered open to ask what was going on, Enna kissed her again; hands in her hair, teeth clicking together, too much force behind it. She tasted like spices and sweets, magic arcing on Enna's tongue like she'd licked a power outlet. Then it all felt like they were falling over, Enna assuming it was only in the metaphorical sense until they hit the floor.
Enna managed to cup the back of Millie's head in time to protect her, laughing breathlessly as they lay tangled up on the ground. It was more of a wheeze on Millie's end, breath puffing out hot onto Enna's chin. Enna's knee ached something fierce and Millie groaned when they tried to get up, so they stayed on the floor, laughing, tracing random shapes onto each other's arms as they made soul marks of their own.