Luc Is A Little Awkward But Who Wouldn't Be - Tumblr Posts

My Cute Nose?

a vds one shot. you can find more on my ao3. 

( @ apolloswords )

feel free to comment/message me any suggestions for one shot ideas!

Lucas and Isa go for a spontaneous outing for a new piercing. But what Lucas doesn't expect is how nervous he now feels.

trigger warning: mentions of needles (mostly just poking at the skin, no mention of blood or anything gory)

this one shot was inspired by some fan art done by @alexaneskam ! 

check it out here!

And all of a sudden, Lucas felt nervous.

Sure, he should've felt nervous way before now. Like when he walked into the tattoo and piercings shop and saw the abundance of needles. Needles being sterilized, the buzzing of the tattoo needles poking and prodding skin and over all, needles all together. It wasn't that bad, he had thought. He'd already gotten some ear piercings done, two on his left lobe and one on his right. So he wasn't completely inexperienced. Which is why when Isa dragged him to the shop to go get another nose piercing right next to her first one, he agreed to go. It didn't sound like a big deal. In fact, he had been wanting one anyway. And now just felt like the perfect time to do it.

But maybe, a little too perfect.

Because right now, Lucas was sitting down on the bench of the small room and trying to keep his leg from shaking and bouncing. He was trying to keep his hands in his pockets to avoid chewing on his nails, but that instead resorted to him biting and chewing too hard on his lips. He envied how calm and collected Isa looked in the chair, even smiling a little as she waited. He only hoped he would act half the way she did. Even a quarter.

His nerves could only be blamed on one thing. On one person.

And that person was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen in his entire life.

Lucas didn't expect to come in on an average weekday afternoon and meet someone he was now claiming to be the love of his life. Isa didn't even warn him about this guy, and when he grabbed her aside before they followed him into his studio and gave her a startled look, she only furrowed her brows and tilted her head.

"What?" She had whispered, so the guy was out of ear shot.

"You never told me your usual piercer looked like this." He hissed and she snorted.

"What? Jens isn't my normal piercer. I don't even have a normal piercer." She defended, trying to stifle a laugh.

"How do you know his name then?" He whispered a little, hoping Jens a few feet away wasn't paying much attention to them.

"Because while you were looking at him all frozen up from being star struck, he actually introduced himself." Isa teased, flicking his forehead lightly. "I'm surprised you didn't even notice the rather adorable Belgium accent he had."

Before Lucas could open his mouth to reply, Jens had appeared in the door way and gave them a smile. "You guys ready?" He asked, adorable Belgium accent and all.

Which is how Lucas found himself practically shoving Isa to go sit down on the chair first so he could give his heart a second from racing so fast. Isa didn't miss his lack of subtlety, and even winked at him as Jens lead her to the chair. Lucas only playfully scowled as he tried not to let his eyes shift from her over to him.

That quickly proved to be inevitable.

Now he was studying Jens as he pulled on a pair of gloves over his sturdy and strong hands and Lucas had to physically restrain himself from gawking. He couldn't help but eye Jens up and down as he focused on getting everything ready for Isa. Lucas took note of his fluffy dark hair falling gently on the side on his head, his brows and eyes focusing on the small diamond stud Isa had chosen and the fitted black shirt that still managed to hang loosely off his body. But Lucas could still make out the broadness of his chest and shoulders as he moved about, hovering over Isa gently as he began sterilizing her nose gently before marking where he would pierce it. She seemed to giggle at his light and gentle touch and Lucas began to panic as he thought of how bright red his face was going to turn the second he was in her position.

Jens had his back faced towards him now, and Lucas could make out the lean muscles on them as he felt his nerves escalate with each second. Even though Isa had her eyes closed and couldn't see him trying to contain his internal panic, the teasing grin she had on her face was enough to poke fun at Lucas. He was just glad Jens was focusing on Isa right now, because there was no way Lucas was going to impress him with all his nerves.

"And you're done." Jens exclaimed and Lucas perked his head up. His mind had been spiralling so much that he didn't even notice how quickly Jens had finished up with Isa.

He rolled over on his chair to the small counter and brought Isa a small handheld mirror so she could look closely at it. For a split second, Lucas felt Jens catch his eyes and he felt his heart stop. Jens let his dark eyes sparkle at the sight of Lucas' crystal blue ones and gave him a soft smile. Lucas tried not to squirm as he gave him a small smile back. Jens subtly eyed him up and down before nodding slightly and turning back to Isa.

"Look good?" He asked, grinning widely at her.

"Yeah, wow!" She exclaimed, admiring the way the new stud sparkled beside the nose ring she already had in. "This looks so cute!" She looked over at Lucas and he gave her a quick thumbs up.

Huffing out a light laugh, Jens rolled around to the other side of the room and grabbed a small bottle of solution. Rolling back, he gently handed it to Isa.

"Here," He said. "Make sure to rinse it out at least twice a day for the next few weeks to avoid any infections. I don't suggest you change the jewelry until it's completely healed, though I'm sure you already know that. If there's anything you think is unusual, like your body rejecting it or something, or any other questions and concerns, just come back here. I'll take a look at it and see what I can do."

"Thanks Jens." She said, a wide grin and a glisten in her eyes. Isa hopped down from the chair and walked over to wear Lucas was sitting.

He awkwardly got up and switched spots with her. His legs felt like jello underneath him and he was hoping they wouldn't give out. Isa gave him a wiggle of her brows as he side eyed her. Jens was busy sanitizing the chair and getting new supplies so he wasn't paying much attention to their silent interactions. Isa reached out to pinch Lucas's leg and Lucas retaliated by gently hitting her leg with his foot.

"It's your turn." Jens finally said, turning around. Lucas felt himself freeze up but somehow his legs managed to head over to the chair and sat down. Isa was looking at him rather menacingly, and he couldn't figure out why.

Giving her a confused look, Lucas felt his eyes widen as Isa picked up her phone and pretended to take a call.

"Liv? Hi, what's up?" She said as Lucas realized what she was doing. She brought her phone away from her face for a second and pretend to smile apologetically at both of them. "Sorry, I have to take this. I'll be right back Luc."

Lucas was about to protest but before he could, she was already gone. He had to give her some credit for giving him some alone time with Jens. But Lucas felt his heart beat begin to race again as he turned to face Jens.

Jens had an eyebrow raised and a rather soft smirk on his lips. Lucas took in the little details of his face. Dark long lashes were made a bit vibrant with the touch of red eyeliner that was lined right above the rich dark brown colour of his eyes. A small mole laid below his right eye and his lips were a little more chapped but that didn't hinder the dark pink mauve shade that rested on them. Lucas also noticed he had a few piercings, multiple on his earlobes and even an industrial bar through his right ear. On his nose was a simple stud. It seemed to sparkle just as much as his eyes, which Lucas was beginning to get lost in.

If Lucas was starstruck before, he had no idea how to even describe what he felt now. Even though he thought his heart was beating far too fast to be considered normal, he still managed to feel a sense of ease as Jens gazed at him.

"So your name is Luc?" Jens asked, interrupting their silence.

He shook his head but then shrugged. "It's Lucas. But, a lot of people do call me Luc instead." He didn't know how he managed to say that without stuttering, but he mentally thanked himself for sounding a little bit normal.

Nodding with the same smirk on his face, Jens rolled over to some of the cabinets and began pulling out some supplies. "I like Luc, so I think that's what I will call you."

You can call me whatever you want, Lucas thought.

Coughing, Lucas shook away his thoughts. "That's fine. I like Luc anyway."

And he did. Especially when his closest friends called him that. But there was something a bit more endearing about the boy in front of him calling him that. It sent flutters of warmth through Lucas's body and he could feel small shocks and tingles solely based on the way Jens allowed the name to roll off his tongue.

"So Luc," Jens said, rolling back to him. "What are you getting today?"

"A septum." Lucas replied, steadying his voice.

"Oh that's fun." Jens got up from his chair and headed over to the small glass cabinet. He made a few clicking sounds with his mouth as Lucas watched him look for something. He turned his head and jutted his chin towards Lucas. "Do you know what size you want?"

"Just the standard. 16 gauge I think."

"Got it."

He came back over holding a small silver septum jewelry with two small bulbs at the end. It looked fairly tiny in his hand and he held it for Lucas to see.

"This good?" He asked and Lucas nodded.

"Good."

Laying it carefully on the tray, Jens walked over to a small sink, washed his hands and slipped on a new par of gloves. Lucas didn't want to watch every movement the other boy made, but focusing on the bright colour of the auburn walls in the room was still distracting. His eyes then marvelled at the photos that Jens had hung up, mostly of city skyscrapers and graffiti on buildings. They were rather artistic and Lucas was surprised. He didn't really read Jens as the artistic type.

"Did you take those photos?" He asked and Jens whipped his head up.

Wrinkling his nose as he smiled fondly at them, he shook his head. "No, I'm not that artistic." He said, disproving Lucas' assumption. "My friend back home took them. He and his boyfriend walked all around the city and I asked for some of them to be printed out before I moved here."

"So where is home?" Lucas asked as Jens took a seat back down in his chair. His hands were playing with the loose threads on the sleeves of his pink sweater, trying to still settle his nerves. The pink of his sweater matched the small brush of pink eyeshadow he put on the inner and outer corner of his eyes. And soon, they would match the colour of the blush on his cheeks.

"Belgium. More specifically, Antwerp. Though I go back and visit it a lot so it's not like I'm that far away from home."

"So much for moving to a whole new country." He teased.

Smiling widely, Jens let out a loose laugh. "That's what my friends said. They were really upset when they found out I was leaving Belgium, but after learning I was only going to be an hour away on the train, they told me I was being dramatic."

"They do have a slight point."

Huffing out a small laugh again, Jens leaned closer. Lucas felt Jens place his fingers gently under his chin to tilt his head up. He couldn't help but hold his breath as the shocks and tingles began to elevate with the slight touch.

"Nervous?" Jens asked as he gently poked at Lucas's nose as he marked and measured where he would poke the needle.

If only he knew.

"A little." Lucas admitted, his breath hitched. He flinched his body a bit, knowing his nerves weren't for the actual piercing but rather the piercer.

"Don't be." Jens softly said. "It really doesn't hurt that bad and I promise I will be gentle."

"Will you really?"

"Yes? I always am." He laughed. "Your friend didn't even flinch and just giggled her way through. I don't think I've ever had someone so happy about getting stabbed."

"Stabbed does not exactly help with trying to trust in you being gentle."

"Just relax." Jens assured, marking the inside of his nose which felt like a small tickle. He playfully brushed the tip of Lucas's nose gently and Lucas finally felt the blush on his face grow warmer and more vibrant. "I wouldn't ruin your cute nose."

Somehow his face managed to get even warmer and a brighter pink at the compliment and Lucas hated how he couldn't just act calm.

"My cute nose?" He choked out as he brought his head down and gave him a questioning look.

"Yeah," Jens said lightly. He tilted Lucas's chin back up and held a needle and clamp in his other hand. "Goes along with the cute pink blush on your cheeks. Kind of matches your eye shadow."

Now he fully wanted to gawk at him. His cover was definitely blown and he was internally panicking again. He would much rather deal with the nerves from the needle stabbing him than his crush noticing how unsubtle his feelings and reactions were.

"Okay Luc, I'm going to clamp this around your septum. And then when you're ready, you're going to match my breathing okay?"

"Okay."

Lucas felt the squeeze from the clamp on his septum and he winced at the foreign feeling. It didn't hurt, but it felt rather weird and uncomfortable. He remembered the second part of Jens' explanation and tried to slow down the internal workings of his body so he could feel Jens' breathing pattern. It took a few seconds but he was able to regulate his body and calm it down for the first time since seeing Jens.

"Okay, when I tell you to, I need you to take a deep breath for me. You might feel a slight pinch but it really shouldn't feel like anything more than that. It might be a bit more of a pinch than when you got your ears pierced so don't be surprised about that." Jens assured.

When Jens felt that Lucas' body was at a relative ease, he leaned in a bit closer.

"You can keep your eyes closed but on the count of three I need you to take a really deep breath and just hold it okay." Jens instructed.

Nodding slightly, Lucas waited as Jens counted down. On the count of three, he held his breath and winces his eyes slightly at the sudden pinch he felt. But it was there for barely a second and then it was gone.

“You did great." Jens assured. "I'm going to pull out the needle as you slowly breathe out. And then you'll have that septum on your cute nose.

Lucas nodded slightly again and breathed out, feeling the needle be removed as he sighed contently. He didn't open his eyes right away as he felt Jens gently screw the small ball on the end of the jewelry. His body was more relaxed than before, but he still felt the flutters in his chest.

"Alright and you are done." Jens exclaimed.

Opening his eyes, he was faced with Jens smiling widely as he held up the mirror. Lucas slowly reached out for it and couldn't help the small smile on his face when his fingers brushed against Jens' own. When he looked at the new detail on his face, his smile grew wider. Slowly, he poked at it and while the slight pressure was uncomfortable, he was beginning to really like how it looked.

"Cute huh?" Jens asked proudly as he took off his gloves and tossed them aside. He began putting away all his tools before he got up from the chair.

"Yeah, you kept your promise. I could hardly feel a thing." He replied, following his movements across the room.

"Here, same thing for you. Rinse it out with the solution at least twice a day for the next few weeks. And if there's anything else you think is a bit off with the healing process, you can just come in and see me." There was a pause, a hesitation in his sentence as Lucas listened to him.

Tilting his head and raising his brows to gesture Jens to continue, he noticed the sudden change in his behaviour. Jens was slightly averting his eyes away from Lucas' and chewing on the inside of his cheek. There was a slight clench in his jaw and his body was a bit more tense, showing off its broadness even more. Jens awkwardly scratched the side of his face and Lucas finally caught onto why his behaviour had changed.

Now, it was Jens' turn to be nervous.

"Uhm, listen, I know this may not be the most professional of me but, in the most non-professional way, you are really cute. And if you would be interested, I'd love to take you out sometime." He nervously mumbled. "It'd be nice if I saw you again for non-piercing festivities."

A grin came onto his face as he placed the mirror down on his lap. "You're cute when you're nervous."He noted with a teasing look, which just made Jens snort.

"I could say the same about you."

They both smiled at each other and Lucas knew his grin was now from ear to ear. He could see the slight pink flush appear on Jens' cheeks, bright against the darkness of his all black clothing and complimenting the tiny line of red above his eyes. He figured his cheeks were probably even more pink, so he couldn't even poke fun at Jens.

Instead, he dug into his phone pocket and unlocked it. Opening up a new message thread, he passed it over to Jens.

"Place your number in and I'll text you." He said with a wink.

As Jens began to type in his number, Lucas' eyes were drawn back to the doorway of the studio. After a second, Isa popped her head back in with her award winning smile.

"Sorry," She said, now gaining Jens' attention. "Liv called and I couldn't get her off the phone."

Lucas rolled his eyes, knowing that was far from the truth. If anything, Isa had probably just waited outside at the shop's lobby until she figured she had given Lucas enough time to awkwardly and shamelessly flirt with Jens. Though, he hadn't really done much of that.

However, he did get some of that from the boy still putting his number into his phone.

"Luc!" Isa exclaimed, and they both remembered she was there. "Your piercing looks so good! You look so cute."

And before Lucas could reply by thanking her, Jens whipped his head up again with another smirk on his face.

"I agree. He does look very cute." Turning his head away from Isa and back to Lucas, he eyed him up and down before winking at him. "But I'm sure he knows that already."

One In Seven Billion.

a vds one shot. you can find more on my ao3.

( @ apolloswords )

feel free to comment/message me any suggestions for one shot ideas!

A soulmate au where everyone is born with the mark of where they first touch their soulmate. Everyone, except for one.

Everyone was born with a soulmate. A person who was an extension of your own being, representing someone you had no matter what life or universe you existed in. Everyone was born with a soulmate.

Everyone was born with the touch of a soulmate. A mark, the same colour of plush lips after being kissed endlessly, a burning passion of admiration and a declaration of love for the far and near. Everyone was born with a mark, symbolizing the first place your soulmate would touch you. However, this mark didn’t appear until one turned sixteen, where they would wake up one day, look in the mirror and figure out the endless possibilities they would soon be meeting their soulmate. And then when their soulmate was to finally touch them for the first time, a soft warm glow would appear. It was both like the light of a candle and the brightness of the sun in one touch.

Everyone had a mark of a soulmate’s touch.

Everyone, except Lucas.

It wasn’t like everyone’s mark was visible. Some were on their chests, thighs or the dips of their backs. These could easily be hidden but everyday clothing and nobody would ever know where their mark was. But Lucas simply didn’t have a mark. And when he had turned sixteen, he tried to look for all the possible reasons. Maybe his parents had messed up his birthday. Maybe he would get it a bit later, some people did. Maybe he couldn’t see it in the mirror and it was on his shoulder blades or back of his neck. But after trying so hard to even find the touch of a mere fingertip, he realized he was one in the seven billion people with no mark.

With no soulmate.

It was a hard thing to accept. To go your whole life knowing that there was nobody there for you. Nobody who was searching for your soul to complete theirs. There was simply nobody for Lucas. And as he went on life watching his friends cozy up beside the one who had touched them with the warm glow, his heart felt colder and colder each time.

So eventually, he gave up and refused to believe love even existed in the first place. What was the point of it anyway? People avoided anyone who wasn’t their soulmate and only fell for those who were. Is it really love if one only feels obligated to feel that way?

Nothing in Lucas’ heart or mind seemed to prove otherwise. So after two years of trying to deal with the loneliness, he figured the whole thing was a hoax and some dumb fairytale. Surely there had to be someone without a mark either. Maybe they would be his soulmate.

“You’re being pessimistic.” Kes once told him.

Lucas didn’t tell much people about it and certainly not his parents. They didn’t need to think there was something else “wrong” with how he was “created”. They were already paranoid enough when they found out bipolar disorder could be genetic.

“Well what else am I supposed to be?” He said with a huff.

Kes shrugged. “Hopeful.”

“Please Kes.” He rolled his eyes. “You knew your soulmate right away. I won’t.”

The night after Kes had turned sixteen, his mark appeared and he excitedly showed Lucas. Since he was older by a few months, he hoped his mark would show up and match his. But it didn’t. In fact it never came. And a few months later, he was very sure that Kes wasn’t his to begin with. He recalled that moment. Even while he knew Kes would never be his, that didn’t meant he didn’t stop having feelings for him. But it was very much like loving someone from afar. Kes had nudged nudged Isa with his elbow at her sixteenth birthday party. It was a gesture he did often, but this time was different. Upon his elbow even brushing against the back started up the warm glow between them. Their eyes looked at each other in surprise, but the smile on their lips seemed assuring, like they had expected this.

But just because Kes’ moment was practically perfect, that didn’t mean they didn’t have their own troubles. The whole mark of a soulmate didn’t always mean a perfect relationship. Though it was never abusive, there were certainly ups and downs presented. And when Lucas witnessed that from Kes and Isa, once again, from afar, he realized that maybe the whole thing wasn’t worth it.

Yet, that didn’t stop him from feeling the rather lonesome pain from knowing there was no love for him in this universe.

“Jayden?” Lucas then asked, grabbing the attention of the other boy in his room. “Do you have a soulmate?”

“Well I have the mark.” Jayden answered as he exhaled the smoke from the joint. “But I haven’t met them yet.”

“I’m surprised your fingertips haven’t glowed whenever you touch weed.” Kes teased as he was offered a hit.

Jayden snorted. “If that were the case maybe I’d be married by now.”

Kes offered the joint to Lucas, and he shook his head at it. Both of them looked at Lucas in shock, as if he had just turned down the equivalent to a million dollars.

“What? Are you not smoking before the party?” Kes huffed with a laugh.

He shook his head. “Nah, not tonight.”

“Did you give up weed in the last few days or am I missing something?” Jayden added.

“Didn’t give up.” He replied with a a shrug. “I just feel like drinking tonight and I don’t really want to get cross faded either.”

A few snickers escapes the boys in front of them, and based on the context of the situation, it wasn’t solely from the effects of being high. Lucas narrowed his brows at them in confusion.

“What’s so funny?”

“You and alcohol?” Jayden snorted. “Not a good combo.”

“It’s like watching a wrestling match.” Kes laughed. “And you’re never winning.”

Rolling his eyes, Lucas scoffed at them. “I’m not that bad.”

“Well you’re certainly not good.” Kes teased. “I didn’t think there was someone out there who was the worst when wasted after Isa. But then you got absolutely shit faced at her sixteenth birthday and I was wrong.”

Right, Lucas thought to himself. Isa’s sixteenth birthday party. The sixteenth birthday party.

“Besides,” Jayden shrugged as he took another hit from the joint. “You can’t hold in your liquor.”

“Yes I can.” He defended.

“No you can’t.” Jayden laughed. “You always end up throwing it all back up later in the night. And it’s never a pretty sight.”

“Well this night is going to be different.” He muttered.

-

By the time Kes and Jayden were high enough and Lucas had pregamed just a little, the party had taken over the house and was livelier than expected. Lucas and Kes looked over at Jayden, wondering how he even knew of this party. Jayden had explained that Noah and his new friend Sander from his art school and Belgium had decided to throw a party for the end of the school year. Most people they knew were going to be there, especially Liv and the other girls. And they knew Noah decently enough so maybe they weren’t so out of place.

Upon entering the house, the bass of the music and cheers of people echoed loudly throughout the house and Lucas figured there was not one room that wasn’t being occupied. His hair was in his face, long curls he had been growing out for a couple of months now, and it was hard to make much within the darker lighting. He relied heavily on the motion of Kes and Jayden moving along, walking under the vibrant party lights that provided some guidance.

Most people at the party were heavily intoxicated. And while the three of them weren’t exactly sober, they still had way more comprehension and awareness of their surroundings. Lucas could already spot Isa in the corner of the room, hanging off of Liv who was talking to a girl with short blonde hair and one in a dark green hijab. He didn’t seem to know who they were, and figured they must be some of the Belgian kids that this Sander knew of.

“I’m going to head off to the kitchen.” Lucas whispered lowly to Kes and Jayden. “You can meet Isa and them without me, I’ll catch up.”

“Sounds good.” Kes replied as Jayden gave him a thumbs up.

Even though the house was unfamiliar, only having been here maybe once or twice, he quickly navigated his way to the kitchen. From there, he spotted Ralph near the kitchen island, hosting what seemed to be a makeshift bar. There was another guy beside him, about his height, a collared pink shirt and light brown hair.

“Hey.” He greeted Ralph, while politely nodding at the other guy.

“Lucas!” Ralph exclaimed, walking away from behind the counter and placing his hands on the sides of his face. He felt Ralph kiss the top of his head and the smell of alcohol wafted over him, indicating that Ralph was definitely not sober.

He stepped back with his wide grin and gestured toward the other guy, who waved at him. “Lucas,” Ralph began to explain. “This is Milan, he’s from Belgium. Milan, this is Lucas!”

“Nice to meet you.” Lucas said politely.

“It’s nice to meet you too.” Milan said back. He gestured to Lucas’ hair and grinned. “You have lovely hair, it’s so long and the curls are so softly done. What do you do to it?”

“Oh uhm,” Lucas patted his hair and shyly smiled at the compliment. “Nothing really. I just kind of started to grow it out.”

“He’s truly blessed with being pretty.” Ralph told Milan, before grabbing onto Lucas’ shoulders snd shaking him. “Luc, you will not believe what happened to me! I found my soulmate! We met a few days ago!”

Even though he was more than happy for his friend, there was no mistaking the way he felt his stomach do a flip. He was happy for Ralph, he really was. They had spent hours together looking at Ralph’s dating apps, trying to figure out which one matched the birthmark on his forearm. It felt good to know that the search was over.

“That’s great.” He said, hoping his tone sounded sincere and genuine enough.

It didn’t seem to come off like that, because suddenly Ralph’s face fell and he was squeezing Lucas’s arms.

“Oh I’m sorry Luc, I forgot you didn’t have a mark. I don’t mean to rub this in your face.” He apologized.

“He doesn’t have a mark?” Milan said in surprise.

“Uh, no.” Lucas replied, swallowing hard. “But it’s okay, I’m fine.” That was a lie and the three of them knew it. He turned to face Ralph and mustered a smile. “But I’m happy for you, I really am.”

“Awe, thank you Luc.” Ralph said, patting his face gently. “I’m sure you have someone out there for you. But for now, can Milan and I fix you a drink?”

“Yes please.” He said. “And I’ll probably need a lot.”

-

Lucas felt terrible.

That was an understatement. Lucas felt sick to his stomach and he wanted nothing more but to crawl under some covers and stay there until the noise around him wasn’t so loud. And until he didn’t feel so nauseous and uneasy.

Jayden was right. He couldn’t handle his liquor. At all. By the time in the night, he had lost track of how much he’d had to drink but it was surely way too much. There was no way he was going to tell Kes and Jayden either. He would choose another time to deal with their “I told you so” and relentless annoying teasing.

His feet managed to carry him to the second floor of the house and the second he reached the top of the stairs, he felt a little better. It wasn’t that crowded and there was room for him to take some slow deep breaths. But that didn’t mean he still didn’t feel terrible. Before he could throw up everywhere, Lucas ran around trying to find a bathroom.

The first two doors he tried were locked and he heard a few annoyed reactions from the other side. When he pushed on the third door, it swung open and revealed an empty bathroom.

Or what he assumed was empty.

The smell of weed hit him as he took in the boy sitting on top of the second. The lights were off and Lucas could hardly make most of his features, aside from the tall built frame of his body and the silhouette of a few hair strands falling in front of his face. Due to his impaired vision from all the drinking, Lucas turned on the light.

And realized how beautiful the boy in front of him looked.

For a second, they looked at each other. There was something so knowing in the other boy’s deep brown eyes. Like Lucas had seen them before but not in real life. Like a dream or a past memory. But he knew that he once knew them. Lucas couldn’t help but hold his breath, taking in the boy’s golden tan skin, high cheekbones and defined jawline, with a silver hoop earring that twinkled when he looked closer. The boy was without a doubt, so easily to fall in love with.

It made Lucas feel hopeful.

But the sick feeling came to him again and he hated what he was about to do next.

“I’m sorry.” He breathed out, his voice static as he panted. “I’m going to throw up.”

“Fuck.” The other boy said worriedly under his breath.

Rushing over to the toilet, Lucas fell to his knees. Soon enough, the alcohol finally caught up to him and once again, he had lost this round. It was probably really embarrassing for him to be throwing up in front of a potential crush, but he would have to face that music later.

As Lucas began to continue hurling, his body felt a bit lighter and a little less sick. He began to feel more of his surroundings, like the cold tiles against his knees and the way his hair was hanging in his face. There was no way he was going to be a pretty sight after this.

But then Lucas felt something else.

A warm glow.

It was right on the top of his head, where a bunch of his curls laid messily about. Lucas could feel fingers stroking through them, eventually pulling the hair out of his face and being held back.

At first he thought that maybe it was only coming from the gesture itself. That maybe his body reacted warmly to the assuring touch. But even in his delirious state, Lucas knew it was much more than that.

He could feel the glow everywhere in his body, from the top of his head and the tip of his toes. Flashes of past lives seem to run through his mind in a whimsical swirl, colours and expressions of happiness and love spinning through him that he almost felt dizzy. And each time he could make something out of the colourful mess, only deep brown eyes appeared, looking at him with the same knowing look that Lucas had seen a few moments ago.

Finally, when Lucas figured all the contents in his stomach were gone, he got up and splashed some cold water in his face. His body felt tired as he hopped up on the countertop, where the boy once was.The boy followed and jumped up as well, since the countertop was big enough for the both of them. He waited quietly until Lucas caught his breath and finally mustered the courage to look at him.

“Sorry.” He murmured. “That probably wasn’t the best first impression.”

The corner of the boy’s dark pink lips turned up into a smile. “It was memorable though.”

The both of them sat in silence for a bit, not really knowing where to go from here. They had just met- what were you supposed to do with a person you just met? Let alone the soulmate you had just met. It wasn’t until Lucas noticed the boy playing with his hand, more specifically the one with all the marks.

Lucas had never seen marks like these. They were all over his fingertips and palm of his hand, like a map of the world. They appeared in his left hand, and that was when Lucas realized that was the hand that first touched him.

The boy snorted as he continued to look at his hands. “You know, I thought it was pretty unfortunate my soulmate mark was on my hand.”

Looking at him confused, Lucas replied. “Isn’t the hand the most common place to first touch someone?”

“Well that’s why I hated it.” He smiled to himself. “It’s the easiest way to touch someone and when people see it, they always think that something could happen the second I touch them. Even if it’s a stranger at a coffee shop handing me my coffee. It’s so simple and so obvious.”

“That’s probably better than me though.” Lucas shrugged. “I didn’t even think I had a mark.”

“What do you mean?”

“I never saw my mark. And then I thought I was a late bloomer and even after a few weeks, it never came. So I started believing I just never had one.”

Reaching over, the boy took his left hand and brushed some curls out of Lucas’ face. He felt the familiar fuzzy feeling spark though his body at the touch, as the boy smiled admiringly at him.

“It was just under your mess of curls.” He said lightly, and Lucas felt like his voiced was dipped in warm honey.

“I’m Lucas.” He said, reaching out to shake his hand. “I’m your soulmate.”

Smiling, the boy dropped his hand from Lucas’ hair and shook it. “I’m Jens.” He squeezed Lucas’ hand and a soft glow seemed to emit from their held hands. “And I’m your soulmate.”

And with that, Lucas finally understood what it meant to have someone meant for you. Someone he would soon see as an extension of himself, someone who made him better and who made him feel like he had the world in his hands. Someone who was his, in every lifetime and in every universe. Someone who indeed, was his soulmate.

He had finally found his one in seven billion.