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To say Lumine was pissed to get a soulmate tattoo when she turned sixteen was an understatement. She didn’t understand how the laws of the universe worked to pair her with someone it deemed perfect for her. Shouldn’t she have a say in who she loves?
Once, she tried to burn it off her skin. Aether found her burning her flesh in the bathroom days after their birthday. He was quick to pull the hot curling iron from her arm, but despite the burn, Lumine’s soulmate tattoo shone through.
“Why?? Why would you do that?!” Aether had cried, hugging his sister close to his body as she cried.
“I don’t want this, Aether!”
The second time, Aether saw her picking and scratching at her skin. The tattoo seemed to glow on her skin afterwards, so that was out.
The third time wasn’t any better, either. She’s covered it with makeup. The fourth time, bandages. Every single thing she tried failed. Whether she liked it or not, she was stuck with this damn soulmate tattoo, and she didn’t have a say in the matter.
Fast forward five years.
“It still amazes me to see you wearing long sleeves in this heat, girlie.”
Ajax was one hundred percent not Lumine’s type. Sure, it’s not like anyone really had a type in this predestined world, but she knew she’d never be with someone like him. He was flirty and obnoxious, not to mention a dumbass. She felt bad for the poor girl who was his soulmate; she wouldn’t take kindly to him flirting with other girls if she was his.
Lumine gave Ajax her best annoyed glare. “Are you serious? You’ve been saying this every day since the weather got warm. Do you have short-term memory loss that you have to say this every day?”
Ajax put a hand to his heart, dramatically flopping his head back. “Ouch, girlie, you wound me.”
“Fuck off. Your antics aren’t funny anymore.”
Ajax’s other hand flew to his heart as he sat back up. “You mean I was funny to you before??” He sounded so hopeful.
Lumine wanted to smack that damn smile off his face. “No,” she said decidedly, flicking his forehead and spinning her chair back around to focus on what felt like the millionth paper she had due.
Summer was rapidly approaching, evidenced by the heat, and that meant the spring semester was drawing to a close. They only had a week left before the end of classes, and then it was time for finals. Lumine still had another four papers due, including this one.
“If you don’t let me finish this paper before midnight, I’m going to kick your ass into the sun. He’s deducting five percent for every day it’s late, even at 12:01, and I don’t have that luxury in my grade right now.”
“Okay, okay,” Ajax raised his hands in surrender spun back around in his own chair, staring at the piece of paper before him with countless math problems worked out. He decided to take the easiest math class to fulfill his math credits, but he still unfortunately needed to show his work. How annoying.
The study lounge in their dorm hall was vacant aside from them at two of the desks, and Ajax was tired of the monotony of college. His classes were basically finished already aside from one, so college life had become boring.
“Okay, girlie, I have a proposal; you finish your paper, and I try drawing what I think your soulmate tattoo looks like.”
Lumine snorted and glanced over her shoulder at Ajax. “That’s a stupid idea. You don’t even have any clues as to what it looks like!”
“So? What if I’m right?” Ajax challenged, crossing his arms.
Lumine looked skeptical. “Every soulmate tattoo is unique; you know that. You can’t just get ideas from online, and I’m sure you don’t know what other people’s tattoos look like.”
“Just let me try.”
“Will that make you leave me alone to concentrate?”
Ajax’s face brightened. “Yes!”
Lumine huffed out a sigh and looked out the window at the moon and stars before refocusing on her computer screen. She was too tired to argue, and her mind was foggy from the paper. “Fine. Good luck.”
—
“Ugh, it’s finally done.” Lumine slumped over her computer tiredly after pressing submit, glancing blearily at the clock on the wall. 11:53, it read. ‘Thank the archons. If I’d submitted it late, I’d definitely end with a C in that class,’ she thought to herself.
Ajax perked up. He’d been dozing off in his chair for at least a half hour, but now, he looked completely alert. “Good job, girlie! Are you ready to see my drawing?”
“Yeah, let’s see it.”
Ajax turned over his notebook and showed Lumine a sketch of the stars in the constellation Viatrix.
Lumine’s jaw dropped. “How did you-“ She started, and Ajax turned his inner arm towards her, a serious look in his deep blue eyes.
“Because this is my soulmate tattoo.”
Lumine wanted to accuse Ajax of lying, but the proof was there - his forearm had the same tattoo as hers, clear as day.
Her mouth felt dry as she tugged her left sleeve upwards, revealing the same tattoo to Ajax.
“I knew I was right,” he whispered, sounding almost as if in disbelief.
“Why…why would you think that?” Lumine asked after a while, finally finding her voice.
“Because that night when you were drunk at the bar, I caught a glimpse of it. Your clothes were all disheveled before I carried you back to your dorm. You’re lucky some creep didn’t take advantage of you.”
“I had you with me to keep me safe. And that’s beside the point. How long have you known?”
“That was a month ago, girlie. But I couldn’t just spring that news on you. You were so stressed from a speech you had to give, and then you had an important exam, and no time was the right time after that.”
“What makes you think now is the right time?”
“Because I can’t hold back my feelings anymore. I’m in love with you, Lumine. These tattoos didn’t make me fall for you; I just did that on my own. It was coincidence to see your tattoo last month. I fell for you before that.”
Ajax had never looked so serious. Lumine knew he wouldn’t use her full name if he was kidding around. He took her hands before she registered what was happening. “I don’t want you to be with me because of our soulmate tattoos. I want you to be with me because you love me back. The only question is…do you?”
Lumine’s heart hammered in her chest. Did she love him? He was an idiot all the time, constantly flirting with her, fighting with her brother, flunking tests…and smiling at her. That smile was her weakness. Despite his antics, she really couldn’t help falling for him, too. And as much as she cursed the idea of soulmates, she realized she wasn’t upset at the prospect of spending forever with Ajax.
“I…I do love you too.”