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“Go,” THEY cried, with a voice like thunder, yet as sweet as a bird's song. Idrila’s tears bathed all the worlds THEY passed, painting the skin of any being it touched in the most curious and lovely of colours. “Go, and spread beauty, find the one that matches your soul! Let your hearts collide, and sing its beautiful song for all to hear!”
Cries of confusion quickly turned to shrieks of joy at Idrila’s proclamation. The chaos that ensued could only be described as catastrophic, as all of creation responded by abandoning home and planet in search of…
- Shown above is an excerpt from an ancient text, detailing how Idrila blessed the universe with soulmates. The author is unknown.
- (Finding: there is little evidence to support the claims of this text. Conclusion: this is likely fiction and will be regarded as such, until further evidence is found to support its claims.)
Aventurine's soft breathing mixed with the pitter-patter of rain that fell against the windows, adding to the peaceful silence of the moment. Ratio found himself studying the blooms upon Aventurine's arms instead of the book he held, his focus caught again and again. It made reading a chore, and when he found himself reading the same passage for the third time, the turning of pages halted, ending with a snap of the book closing.
Placing it on the sliver of empty couch remaining next to them, Ratio picked up Aventurine's arm, gently so as not to wake him. The unusual chill that had clung to his skin had dissipated slightly, the warmth of the room doing a good job of warming Aventurine up.
Hah, worried about me, doctor? Aventurine had said not that long ago, too gentle to come across devil-may-care as he usually did; his eyes a little wider, a touch of vulnerability easily seen within their depths. Though the wounds of the dreamscape could not follow them into reality, the aftershocks were another matter. Phantom pain, the mind remembering what the body had forgotten. Compounded with breaking his cornerstone, Aventurine had been quieter than he would usually allow himself to be in public, his exhaustion clear though he had tried to hide it. Aventurine had fallen asleep almost immediately when Ratio finally dragged him back to his room, even if he'd forgone the bed in favour of Ratio’s lap.
It's more comfortable here, Aventurine had said with a grin, his eyes closed already as he nuzzled the back of his head into Ratio’s thigh. I can sleep here, can't I, doctor?
Do what you want, Ratio had said, and just cracked open a book and left him to it.
Ratio's fingertips glided over Aventurine’s skin, following the edges of the flowers closely. Lately, whenever Ratio caught even the slightest peek of Aventurine's marks, he couldn't look away, even though he held the exact same marks on his own skin. He couldn’t help but find it annoying. No matter how many times Ratio saw the flowers react to his touch, the lines filling in with colour wherever his fingertips went - it made his breath catch, his chest tighten with a feeling he struggled to put a name to. A curious position to be in, when before meeting Aventurine, Ratio had barely paid them any mind outside of studying the history of them.
It was a strike of fancy most went through, since there was evidence of a clear divide before soul marks ever existed and after they’d spread across humanity like a particularly infectious disease, albeit a welcome one. Although most attributed the phenomenon to Idrila for the beauty of the marks, there was a large group that swore only Aha could have been responsible for the carnage it wrought. The miscommunication a simple flower could cause had fueled a history full of drama for eons now.
“Myrtle,” Ratio murmured, tracing the flower slowly. It peeked out of Aventurine’s comfortable pajama sleeve, wrapping around Aventurine’s bicep delicately. As with most flowers, it held many meanings across multiple worlds - but whenever Ratio looked at it, the only one that came to mind was good luck. A moment in time forever remembered, a memory etched onto skin.
Ratio had scarcely been able to look away when the mark had first appeared on his own skin, his fingers following the lines as they started to form, devoid of any colour without his soulmate. But it was the flower that grew alongside it that had almost made Ratio call upon his plaster bust when it first started to grow, wanting to calm his mind as he’d gripped his own bicep hard enough to leave an imprint of nails. Cyclamen: the brightness of the orange was eye catching, a stark contrast against the soft white of the myrtle.
Goodbye. A simple enough meaning, but it had haunted Ratio until Aventurine had returned.
Aventurine shifted slightly, and his fingers twitched. Ratio held his fingers steady for a few moments, waiting to see if Aventurine had awoken, a flash of irrational guilt shot through him that Ratio ruthlessly repressed. Ratio hadn’t meant to disturb Aventurine’s slumber; he’d merely wanted to take advantage of studying the mark without Aventurine’s soft eyes, the quirk of his mouth, distracting him. Ratio’s last attempt had gone awry when Aventurine had said it was only fair if Ratio removed his clothes, too.
(The study had gone… a little off-track after that.)
Aventurine let out a satisfied sigh and, impossibly, tried to go even more boneless, his head turning to nuzzle higher up on Ratio’s thigh. Aventurine's eyes opened ever so slightly; he grinned, slow and mischievous, at the pink that painted Ratio’s cheekbones. “See something you like?” Aventurine asked. The dim light added a mystery to his features, the unusual glow of his eyes a focal point to draw attention.
“Go back to sleep, gambler. I doubt you have had much sleep these last few days,” Ratio said, voice quiet, his hand stilling at the base of Aventurine's elbow.
“Hmm,” Aventurine yawned exaggeratedly, “well, I was trying to, but someone keeps feeling me up.” Aventurine trailed his fingers lightly over Ratio's neck, over his jaw. The feather light touch sent a shudder through Ratio. “Are you done with your little inspection yet? Or is there anywhere else you want to touch ?”
Ratio lightly swatted his fingers against Aventurine's skin, making Aventurine let out a giggle at the ticklish sensation. “I did not mean to wake you. I was merely…” Ratio trailed off, his eyes flicking from the soul marks back to Aventurine.
Aventurine jerked his head to the side dramatically, facing away from Ratio. The effect was ruined by the twitching of his mouth, and the sly look he couldn’t keep off his face., “I see how it is. You only want me for my body, doctor!” Aventurine sounded fond, genuinely happy. If it wasn't for the bags under his eyes, and the way he struggled to keep his eyes open, Ratio could imagine it was any other day. Though clearly it would take more than taking a gamble with his own life to stop Aventurine's glib tongue, it was almost enough to abate the worry that still lingered in the corners of Ratio’s mind. “Well, sacrifices in the name of love are the best kind, don't you think?”
Ratio scoffed. “Clearly, exhaustion had made you delirious.”
“Delirious on love?” Aventurine answered cheekily, and tangled his fingers with Ratio, his hand trembling slightly. “Why, doctor, I don't need to be tired for that. You do that to me just fine.”
“Damned gambler. Save your flirting for when you can actually keep your eyes open,” Ratio snapped, tapping the space between Aventurine’s eyes.
Although Aventurine barely looked awake as it was, he still turned his attention from Ratio to their hands or rather, to the flowers that had reached to the palms and fingers.
Aventurine tightened his grip on Ratio’s hand, lifting it and turning it slightly left and right to look upon the flowers - a delicate twining of forget-me-nots that stopped just at the palm, slowly replaced by a simple, cheery chain of daisies that circled around the ring finger. Ratio often caught Aventurine studying it with a soft look, hand outstretched to the sky, thumb slowly circling it.
Do not forget me, was the near universal understanding for forget-me-nots, one of the few flowers with a fixed meaning. It was the daisies that had given Ratio the most pause, eventually Ratio tentatively settled on new beginnings.
Aventurine liked to tease him with loyal love , due to the placement.
Reaching up with his free hand, Aventurine pulled Ratio down, pushing himself up just enough to kiss Ratio’s forehead. The moment held, Ratio still easily startled from the ease of affection Aventurine gifted him. The touch against his skin was akin to a raging inferno, the burn pleasant and keenly missed when Aventurine leaned back only for a moment, just to return to bump his forehead against Ratio’s.
“Stay with me?” Aventurine whispered, his eyelids lowered, sleep coating his voice. Aventurine had turned to curl around Ratio even further, and the hand not pillowed beneath his head was wrapped loosely around Ratio’s thigh.
I like to feel you , Aventurine had whispered once, every word like spun glass, fragile and liable to break from any wrong movement. Ratio had kept quiet, letting Aventurine get out what he wanted to say on his own time, only gently pulling Aventurine closer to him. To feel you when I wake up and know that you're there. Still…
Aventurine hadn't finished his thoughts in the end, but Ratio had received them just fine, adding them carefully to his understanding of all things Aventurine.
Picking up his forgotten book, Ratio opened it to where he’d left it off, his free hand brushing a lock of hair from Aventurine’s forehead and lingering on his skin, gently stroking Aventurine’s hair. Ratio felt Aventurine’s soft laugh against his stomach, the sound bringing a smile to his lips despite himself. “You do not have to ask, Aventurine,” Ratio murmured, his voice soft and gentle. “I will still be here when you wake again.”
Gently tilting Aventurine's head for better access, Ratio leaned down to place a chaste kiss upon his lips. The curve of Aventurine's eyes, the softness of his expression, gave Ratio the illogical urge to pull him into a hug and never let go.
“Have pleasant dreams.”
A soft hum of agreement was Ratio’s only response.