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It was unusual, the fact there were two sets of words on his arms. Most people only had one soulmate but apparently that wasn’t Toye’s fate. He remembered looking at the dark ink that crossed his skin on his sixteenth birthday, tracing the letters.
Hey Joe! was scrawled down his left forearm in something not far above chicken scratch. It made him frown, knowing a phrase like that would be far too common. Toye was right of course. It had taken him a long time not to react with something like hope every time someone said those words.
On his right arm was a set of looping letters, as rough as the words themselves: What’re you lookin’ at? Being something of a street kid, Toye was used to hanging around tough characters and the idea that one of them could be his soulmate hadn’t escaped him. In fact, Toye was rather welcoming of the idea that at least one of his soulmates was likely a bit rough around the edges as he was.
Toye still hadn’t found his soulmates by the time he decided to enlist for the Airbourne and he certainly didn’t expect to find either of them during his training or when they went off to war. Hopefully his soulmates were safe wherever they were and could wait for him to return- if they weren’t over in the war already themselves. After all, he had long ago accepted the fact that at least the one was a guy; and where he had seen some women with horrendous writing, the chicken scratch was indeed more likely to be a man as well.
He got off the bus at Toccoa, taking in the sight of where they’d all be living for the duration of their training. Another bus was offloading as well, although his gaze was drawn to a few of the officers that appeared with clipboards. Names started being called off, assigning them barracks, and Toye didn’t pay any attention beyond his own.
He hefted the bag on his shoulder, going off in the direction of where they had directed, not really feeling up to talking with anyone else at the moment.
Of course that would be when he heard someone yell “Hey Joe!” from behind him. A smaller man rushed up to pace him, fumbling a little with his bag. “Looks like we’re in the same barracks.” The guy had a bright smile. “George Luz,” he introduced, holding out his hand.
It must have been his mood- but then his Ma claimed he was usually short to temper- but Toye grunted out, “You’re gonna be annoying, aren’t you?”
The man froze, Toye traveling a few more steps before stopping to look back at him. Luz’s eyes were big, mouth moving without actually saying anything. “What?” Toye demanded.
“Did you say-?” Luz dropped his bag, clearing the space to grab Toye’s arm. Of course Toye realized then he must have said the words Luz wore, surprise filling him at the possibility he may have finally found one of his soulmates.
Luz had gone for his right arm though, so when he looked at the words scrawled there his face fell. “Oh…” The man was so crestfallen and Toye felt his chest tighten. Luz was just staring at those black lines like a betrayal.
“Think you might be looking for this one,” Toye mentioned, shrugging his bag off his left shoulder so he could reveal his other arm. Hey Joe!
The simple words made Luz brighten immediately, flinging himself into Toye’s arms. Toye grunted at the impact, taken off-guard. When he pictured actually meeting his soulmate, he hadn’t expected quite that reaction. Honestly though, he couldn’t find it in himself to mind.
Everything about him softened as he wrapped his arms around Luz in turn. Toye found himself running his hand up and down Luz’s back, sinking further into his embrace. It felt all too comforting to be held by his soulmate of all things.
“Can I see?” Toye asked, managing to pull back enough to look at Luz.
The man seemed hesitant to unclasp his hands from around Toye’s neck but he did, offering his own left arm. Toye’s unique scrawl stared back at him: You’re gonna be annoying, aren’t you?
“Admittedly I might have taken that as a challenge,” Luz mentioned, laughing as Toye shook his head.
“Yeah, well,” Toye leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Luz’s temple, “just don’t try too hard, alright?” He wasn’t usually so affectionate but he found he couldn’t help it. Besides, Luz didn’t seem to mind, even snuggling closer.
He picked up Luz’s right arm out of curiosity and ended up barking out a laugh. “Right?” Luz asked rhetorically. “I’d say we have a real peach on our hands.”
“Well, ‘m sure we’ll manage,” Toye replied, chin falling on top of Luz’s head.
For the time being all Toye really cared about was the soulmate he’d already found by chance before bootcamp had even started.
* * *
Luz laid half on top of Toye. The beds in the barracks were shit and were certainly not made for two but they were making it work. It had taken less than thirty seconds after Toye had picked out a bed that Luz dropped his bag right next to his soulmate’s and pushed him down to the bed for some good old fashioned cuddles.
Toye indulged him, an arm hooked around him, palm resting on Luz’s lower back. Luz knew he probably had the stupidest smile on his face, nose tucked against Toye’s throat. He could feel as much as hear the rumbled smokey quality of his soulmate’s voice as he spoke about his home and family. Luz almost hated to return the favor, not wanting Toye to stop speaking.
There was a steady influx of men into their barracks, all with the same confused reaction to their position. Toye answered them all the same way- without words as he held up his arm to flash the script there. No one needed any more explanation than that. Some of the guys just put them on ignore, others congratulated them, and still more gave them knowing smiles.
“You are sickeningly adorable,” the man who’d just introduced himself as Joseph Liebgott mentioned. He plopped down onto the bed next to them, apparently laying claim to it.
“My mother likened me to a puppy when I was younger,” Luz replied matter-of-factly.
He could hear the smile in Toye’s voice as he commented, “You’re too damn cute.” His hand came up to card through Luz’s hair and he was gone. Luz sighed in contentment, snuggling even closer.
“I picked the wrong bed,” Liebgott muttered but he flashed Luz a smirk with a wink when he looked over at him.
Of course that would have been when their commanding officer burst in, ordering them to stand at attention at the end of their beds. “Someone oughtta tell this guy bootcamp ain’t started yet,” Toye grumbled, Luz groaning in annoyance at having to be removed from his soulmate.
Couldn’t they at least have the rest of the day? The remaining men wouldn’t be in until the next day. Apparently the answer was no since their CO, Captain Sobel, deemed fit to give them all a welcoming speech. Oh, this man was going to make their lives hell; Luz could already tell.
Thankfully Sobel didn’t go on for very long. It was all orders about lights out and chow and… alright so Luz stopped listening at some point. He figured they would only hear about it again the following day when the rest of their barracks filled out. And the odds of any of it being all that important was slim to none.
The moment they were allowed to get back to what they were doing, Luz shoved Toye back onto the bed and returned to snuggling. Fuck Sobel. Luz had a soulmate to memorize.
* * *
Bill was already hating the food. Could you even call this shit food? At least Malarkey and Perconte were looking dubiously at it as well. “We’re all gonna die,” Perconte informed, staring at what was supposed to be a breakfast of eggs and bacon. Except the eggs were rubbery and tasteless and the bacon… well, Bill was pretty sure the bacon wasn’t from any pig he knew of.
He had pretty much decided he was probably living on toast the rest of his time in bootcamp when his attention was drawn to the table across the aisle and down one from theirs. A whole group of guys was laughing it up. At the center of which was a tall, dark and handsome type, arm slung over the shorter guy next to him that was clearly the cause of said laughter.
It could have been a casual thing but it didn’t escape Bill the way the shorter man was leaning into the touch. No, it was much more intimate than that. Sure enough, the little one turned and pressed a kiss to the other’s jaw, causing tall, dark and handsome’s lips to tick up at the corner. His smile was affectionate as the smaller one went back to jammering on about whatever it was.
That was of course when Bill was caught looking. The big guy had one scary scowl. Bill, quick to fight and not known to hold his tongue, snapped, “What’re you lookin’ at?” He scoffed, biting into his toast.
“Fuck you too pal.”
Bill froze, toast in his mouth, brows shooting up. There was no way in hell…
Apparently there was though, because the smaller man laughed, looking between them. “Heya Joe… lookie what we found.” He dislodged himself from Joe, walking over to the end of the table. Bill swallowed his toast with some effort due to his dry mouth, looking up at that sunny smile and bright eyes. The guy set his palms on the table, leaning forward. “Looks like we’re soulmates.”
Bill felt his heart stop for the second time. “You’ve gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’ me,” he blurted without thought.
By the way the guy threw his arms up in triumph, turning to face Joe who had also joined them, Bill was willing to bet not .
“Joe Toye,” the guy introduced. It turned out he also had a voice of pure sex to go along with the looks. Toye clapped his hand down on his- their - soulmate’s shoulder. “And this little bundle of energy is George Luz.”
It took a moment for Bill to stop staring and actually use his words. “Bill Guarnere.”
Luz wasted no time shoving him over so he could fit at the end of the bench beside Bill. “What’re the odds we managed to find you here too?”
Bill looked up at Toye, the man thankfully providing, “We met getting off the bus yesterday.”
It was then Bill caught sight of the words peeking out from Toye’s sleeves, partially pushed up his forearms. Two sets of soulmate words- just like Bill; just like Luz sitting next to him in a plain white teeshirt. He also didn’t miss the way their eyes traveled to his arms in turn.
Bill shrugged out of the light jacket they’d all been issued without prompting. Turning his arms over he revealed the words there. Fuck you too pal , stood bold as could be on his left arm, while Looks like we’re soulmates adorned the other.
Luz grinned, reaching out to trace the words that belonged to Toye. “You two have the worst mouths ever. I mean look at what you’ve stuck me with all these years.” He flashed his own arms pointedly. “Ma swore I was gonna shack up with two sailors.”
“Nah,” Toye replied, deep voice sending a chill down Bill’s spine, “just two paratroopers.” He scruffed the back of Luz’s neck, giving him a little shake.
“Hey, if you're done with this crap,” Luz mentioned, motioning to the half eaten breakfast, “wanna get outta here?”
“Definitely.” Bill grabbed his jacket, waving off Perconte and Malarkey’s questions.
Walking out, he found himself between his soulmates. “I say Hershey bars and cuddling,” Luz mentioned.
“You got Hershey bars?” Bill raised a brow and his stomach gurgled a little still wanting to get fed.
“Got ‘em stashed in my footlocker.”
“Whose footlocker?” Toye asked, amusement written on his face.
“Alright, our footlocker.”
“Yours is the next bed over,” Toye reminded.
“Details.” Luz waved it off. “Speaking of…” His arm slipped around Bill’s waist, pressing them together along their sides. “How are we fitting three on a rack?”
Toye slung his arm casually over Bill’s shoulders, pressing them together next. “Guess we’ll have to push two beds together.”
“Sure Sobel will like that.” Luz snorted. Apparently he shared Bill’s opinion of the man after the first impression he’d made.
“Fuck ‘em,” Toye replied easily.
Bill found himself smiling. It felt so natural to be between these two men, listening to their easy banter as though they’d known each other all their lives. Bill wrapped his arms around either of their waists, feeling completely content.
Luz looked over at him, grin showing teeth. “We’ll have to get you transferred into our barracks before the rest of the guys show up.”
“I’d like that,” Bill admitted.
Not that they were in any hurry to let each other go. In fact it was one of the officers that came to them , apparently having heard through the grapevine. Winters found them curled up together, Luz sandwiched between them on the pushed together beds.
He gave them a gentle smile of understanding. “Don’t let Sobel find those beds like that. I suggest separate beds at night.”
“Noted sir,” Toye replied, all of them sitting up to give Winters their full attention.
“I’ve already gotten Guarnere rehoused here. But … don’t give Sobel a reason to reassign any of you to another Company. If being together affects your performance, you’ll be seperated.”
“Understood sir,” Bill assured. It was more than fair. Although if he thought Winters was going out of his way to accommodate them, he would have been wrong.
It turned out that a lot of the men were discovering their soulmates, and not just in their Company but throughout the entire 101st. Perhaps in peacetime they would have been reassigned but it would be far too hard to deal with all of them. Thus Colonel Sink had passed down the order to the officers that as long as their training didn’t suffer they would be left alone.
Once Winters was gone, Luz flopped back onto the bed with a goofy grin on his face. “Sounds perfect to me.”
“Me too.” Bill leaned down and pressed his lips to Luz’s in a brief kiss, not even thinking about it. Seeing the light blush accompanying that smile afterward was worth it.
Toye reached out, taking hold of Bill’s chin then and locking their mouths together in a biting kiss of their own. Toye was rough, all heat and coiled violence which turned Bill on to no end. Watching as Toye repeated the claiming kiss with Luz didn’t hurt either.
Bill just grabbed hold of them both, utterly refusing to let them go. His soulmates held him in return, peace washing over him and making him drunk on emotions foreign to him.
None of them had counted on meeting their soulmates during the war- let alone basic training- but there was no way they were going to argue with fate.
/End