Chapter Text
In a world where the name imprinted on someone’s body at some point in their life, is the nickname that most people refer to their soulmate by, it can be difficult if the name isn’t an actual name. Many choose to hide their names. And soulmates can find themselves with their soulmates stage name. It was all far too tedious for anyone to really think too hard about.
The bond grows stronger the more a pair of soulmates interact with the bond. The sharing of feelings tends to be the most used way. A bond becoming complete once the pair of soulmates touch their nickname. Some would say it feels like fireworks, warmth, and sunshine.
Though, in the expert opinions of Lyra and Grayson, they’re story has always been a bit different from those more commonly told.
________________________________________________________________
‘Queen of Hearts’
Grayson never put too much thought into who he was bonded to. He has distant memories of interacting with his soulmate when he was a child. A lot more than he did now at least.
When he first got the mark on his chest, he dedicated a lot of time to sending random feelings to his soulmate. Annoyance at Jameson, fondness for Xander, or the occasional proud feeling he felt when he got one over on Nash. It took him a little bit longer to realize the true meaning behind “Queen of Hearts”. He never put too much thought into it, until he was playing cards with his brothers. And once he did come to the realization, he’d dedicate a good amount of time to research… Namely watching Alice in Wonderland. That adaptation of the Queen of Hearts had caused him to feel uneasy. Especially given the film’s popularity, it was more likely to be on the forefront of someone’s mind when it came to the nickname.
“Off with your head!!!” That was the only warning he got before he was tackled by Jameson.
“Really Jamie?” Grayson was once again annoyed.
Jameson grinned his signature “I’m going to fuck up your entire day” grin, before suddenly he seemed to calm down. Grayson snickered, this was commonplace when it came to Jameson, he would go looking for some adrenaline boost only to be met with his soulmates calm in response. Whether she did it out of annoyance or worry, the boys didn’t know. But they couldn’t help but be somewhat grateful for the ever-mysterious Cinderella. They in this case, didn’t include Jameson. In fact, he seemed to be more annoyed at her meddling than grateful.
“When I find her. I’m gonna tell her to stop doing that.” Jameson frowned, grumbling.
“When I find her for you, I’ll kiss the ground she walks on and create songs and poems in her name.” Grayson knew, somehow. He’d probably end up having to bring all his brother’s soulmates to them. He was simply responsible like that.
Avery raised an eyebrow at him, snapping him out of the past, “Emily didn’t have a mark?”
Grayson nodded slowly, “Amongst other things, yes.” It was awkward, talking about the girl both he and his brother had previously sought after with his brother’s supposed soulmate.
It was Hawthrone house’s worst kept secret, and neither his brother nor Avery seemed to be rushing to confirm the obvious.
Avery nodded slowly, “You think it has anything to do with why your grandfather chose me?” She was looking down at the mark on her wrist, rubbing it with the thumb of her other hand.
Jameson had wanted Emily, a girl without a mark. A girl who wouldn’t live long enough to find her soulmate. He brought his real soulmate — Avery— to him.
Grayson closed his eyes, “If my grandfather had a reason to choose you, perhaps Emily may be a part of the reasons behind it. One last fuck you to his more troublesome grandson.”
Avery smiled at him, the kind that made him feel warm inside and made his heart flutter, and he could feel the ever-present nagging in his head that here he was, once again betraying his brother, “Because he had to have a reason to choose me, what other reasons could he perhaps have?”
Grayson shook his head, sighing, “Since you're so convinced he chose you for a reason, and even more so, stubborn to find out,” Grayson felt his eyes narrow on instinct, “Why don’t you figure it out, Cinderella.”
Avery blinked, huffing, “If I get called that one more time, I’ll set this house on fire and dance on top of your burning bodies.”
“Graphic. Are you still trying to convince me you're not a scammer?”
Avery smirked, “You still trying to convince yourself I am?”
She got him there. She’s exactly what he’d expect from a soulmate for his brother. Cheeky, smart mouthed, stubborn, and strong willed. Avery was a breath of fresh air at times. However, crushing on his little brother’s soulmate was the very last thing he needed.
On another note, he realized that ever since Avery arrived, his soulmate seemed to be uncharacteristically quiet. Given that they had become in tune to each other’s emotions over the years through constant sharing with one another, their bond was strong enough that he didn’t need to be physically touching his soulmate mark to feel her anymore. Not like his brother and Avery seemed to need to. It was odd to feel nothing but cold from a bond that had always brought nothing, but warmth, even when they were both doing their own thing. He didn’t send anything to her anymore. At least, not like he used to. He wasn’t one for sharing his emotions with her. But she always did. A constant distant loving hum in the back of his mind as if to say someone out there was looking out for him. Cared about him. And that brought him some comfort.
Queen of Hearts
Only some.
___________________________________________________
‘ Mr. Heir Apparent’
From the moment those words appeared on Lyra’s hip when she was 10, she knew her soulmate would be nothing but trouble. She had always been able to feel him there. Even without the words appearing physically on her body, she always felt his interaction with their bond.
She was considered a late bloomer when it came to the adaptation of his supposed nickname, or rather more accurately, ‘title’ on her body. An heir was the last thing she needed. But, the boy she had come to know and cherish was sweet, cunning, and rather funny when he wanted to be. At least when they were younger. Not as much now. She interacted with him nonetheless. He was there for her through the first crushes, first boyfriends, and first heartbreaks. He was her best friend. And a part of her came to believe that they’d be a platonic match. The last thing Lyra had ever wanted to do was plan parties and banquets. Which is what she supposed she’d have to do alongside her own job, as the wife to an heir.
Lyra was 12 when she got her first phone, and it didn’t take long for her to discover just who her soulmate was.
“Mom!”
Her mother had run to her faster than she could really blink, her eyes widened as she looked at Lyra in pure horror, before realizing Lyra was completely alright, and the girl just seemed to be in a state of innocent shock. She sighed, shaking her head at her dear daughter’s antics before smiling softly, walking over to the young girl sitting on the bed, “What’s wrong you?”
Lyra groaned, turning the phone to her mother to show her mother just what she had been looking at. Her mother blinked, taking the phone gently from the girl, as she stared at the lone comment in the comment section of a post, the comment section took up the entire screen, blocking the post itself, but there it was, “Mr. Heir Apparent and the Ticking Time Bomb are at it again it seems”. Gently, her mother scrolled upward, pulling the comment bar down to see the photo of a blonde boy with gray eyes, frowning next to a brown-haired boy with forest green eyes who was holding a green… calico?
“I- …. Why is that cat green?”
“Oh, my soulmate just created an alien cat,” Lyra replied sarcastically. Something she was sure she picked up from her mother.
Her mother pulled a face, before looking at the post itself. She clicked out of Instagram, going to google and searching up the soulmate title that had appeared on Lyra’s hip just 2 years prior. The two had decided against looking him up, but her mother truly couldn’t seem to help herself this time. A soft giggle escaped her mother, the woman grinning as she turned to Lyra, “You got yourself a troublemaker… Or at least, a troublesome in-laws.”
Lyra huffed, “Let me take an educated guess, they harassed the poor cat and dyed it green.”
“Close," her mother replied fondly, "It would seem, a little prankster had been putting a number of cats onto their property with cameras. So, the two boys had decided to do this in retaliation. Or at least, Jameson Hawthorne had decided to do that.”
“Why’d the cat have to suffer,” Lyra grumbled.
Lyra heard her mother laugh once more, “In the little interview, it would seem the reporter had managed to catch your soulmate mutter the same thing.”
Lyra flushed red at that, her fingers slipping to the mark on her hip, sending a wave of mock disappointment through the bond. What she got in return, was obviously, pure confusion. How rare it was to receive something from him.
Huffing, Lyra rested her chin on the palm of her hand as she looked out the window. Closing her eyes for a brief second, though it was brief enough to get the flashes of that night. Grayson Hawthorne. A Hawthorne did it. She truly didn’t wish to think about her soulmate. She needed to stop.
She felt bad of course, she hadn’t been interacting with their bond, in fact she’d blocked it off. Something that neither of them had done since around the time she heard that Emily Laughlin, the girl that news reporters claimed Grayson was dating, died. Grayson had completely blocked her out after a failed attempt at comforting him. And while she’s sure he could technically still feel her, she couldn’t feel him. The same thing, she hoped, was happening now.
She found it hard to control her emotions at the moment, especially with remembering what happened when she was 4. The last name Hawthorne appearing all across the news ended up triggering the helpfully blocked out traumatic event. She was sure her disdain was leaking through the bond despite her best efforts to hold it back, so she felt it was a need to just completely block it. That being said, she could feel her soulmate’s growing crush. A familiar feeling she knew from Emily. She wanted nothing more than to tease him as she normally did, but she couldn’t find the energy to do even that.
Grayson had just been disinherited in favor of Avery Grambs. It was an odd feeling, but a part of her was glad that she wouldn’t have to deal with the “heir” part of his nickname once they finally met.