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Jamie never knew what the color blue was.
He could see every color other than blue. But it always felt like there was something missing. He never knew what the sky was meant to look like, how beautiful the ocean was supposed to be, how vibrant Kimberly claimed her blue spray paints were. All he knew about the color blue was that it was the color of his soulmate’s eyes.
It wasn’t a big deal for him, living without blue. People said it was the color of sadness, mourning and despair, that maybe it was a good thing that he wasn’t able to see it. But Jamie couldn’t help but think otherwise. Yang, Yun’s twin brother and one of Jamie’s idols, proudly called himself the Blue Dragon. His grandmother loved to lounge outside of their cottage and gaze at the clouds in the afternoon sky, claiming it was a beautiful view. Jamie could only wonder what they saw in the color. Surely, it must be gorgeous to be held in such high regard by the people he trusted most. But, he figured, it was up to fate if he could see it.
It wasn’t until he was patrolling Chinatown one afternoon that fate deemed him ready. He had just been minding his own business, keeping an eye on the Canary Crates roaming the alleys. Suddenly, a larger man had bumped into him, almost knocking him off balance. He turned to berate the man, only to see the most stunning shade of blue melt into the man’s irises.
It was soft yet determined. Soothing yet joyful. Gentle yet strong. It was blue.
It made him speechless.
He and his soulmate - a man with blonde hair shining from the sun high in the bright blue sky, his vibrant blue snapback and jeans, adorned with his beige army jacket and boots and white muscle shirt - could only stare agape at each other in that crowded alleyway.
“It’s you.” The blonde man whispered, starstruck.
“You’re my soulmate.”
After that moment, they made plans to hang out to get to know each other. His name was Luke Sullivan. He worked at the Buckler training center as a coach. He loved eating pizza and couldn’t stand mushrooms.
Jamie never thought his soulmate would be so…dorky. He was loud and annoyingly cocky if Jamie had to be honest. But…
He was so, so blue.
Luke was the bright blue of the afternoon sky his grandmother loved. He had a loud, boisterous laugh that made Jamie’s heart flutter every time, leaving him wanting more. He was optimistic and motivated, encouraging his students to keep moving forward in their journey of strength. He was energetic and joyful, always itching for a chance to fight a strong opponent or play the latest video game that would have him hooked for weeks.
Luke was the deep blue of the Blue Dragon. He always lent a hand or a shoulder to cry on when Jamie needed it most. He had a strong sense of justice and loyalty, siding with Ken Masters after the Nayshall incident and supporting Ken’s son, Mel. He was laid back yet disciplined, preferring to keep the good vibes unless somebody really overstepped their boundaries.
Luke was the soft blue of his eyes that captured Jamie the day they met. He was the calming embrace that relaxed Jamie after a rough patrol night. He was the soothing voice that comforted Jamie after a draining phone call with his father. He was the gentle kisses that made Jamie fall more and more in love with him. With his shades of blue.
Jamie couldn’t imagine a life without the color blue, now. Without Luke.
But it seemed fate had other plans for them.
It was a normal day. He had just been minding his own business, keeping an eye on the Canary Crate gang members roaming the alleys. Luke was supposed to get off work early today and they were supposed to go eat at Jamie’s favorite noodle shop.
He had just cleared out a group of thugs attempting to rob a civilian when he noticed the navy blue of the civilian’s jacket started melting into dark gray. He looked up to see the bright blue sky dimming into a dull gray. Panic coursed through his body, making him tremble as he made a mad dash toward Buckler training center. The blue of Beat Street’s signs were disappearing. The blue of the cars were gone. The blue of skyscraper windows faded. It was all gone.
But Luke couldn’t be. He couldn’t possibly be gone.
That was when he saw it. A once-blue bus crashed into the side of a red brick building, lined by charred black soot. People frantically hovered around the site, trying to see what was happening, blocked by the neon yellow tape the MCPD had haphazardly put up.
Luke couldn’t be…
He spotted a group of EMTs kneeling down next to a gray gurney. Each step he took felt dizzying and weak. The sinking feeling in his stomach grew stronger the closer he got. Then he saw it.
His beloved Luke with his dirty blonde hair, bloodied white shirt and beige army jacket, and charred skin.
And his eyes were gray.
The days, weeks, and months after that day were a lifeless gray blur. Jamie could still see other colors, but none of it mattered when his favorite was gone. None of them brought light to life quite like blue.
The memory of Luke was the dark blue that people had always told him about. He was the grief that clouded and drained Jamie’s mind every day when he woke up and before he slept. He was the sorrow that broke Jamie’s heart when he held Luke’s belongings and the memories came rushing back. He was the despair that filled the other half of Jamie’s soul, where Luke had previously filled it with his beautiful shades of bright, deep, and soft blues that Jamie missed so, so much.
And yet, despite all the pain it brought him, Jamie still loved the color blue. He would always love those sweet, bold, determined, and gentle blues that graced his life and made everything so much more beautiful.
He would always love Luke Sullivan.