#fpskwite

Henry called shotgun, which I'm slightly glad about.

I have a feeling that Henry and Brandon are soul mates.

I didn't see Brandon's, but Henry's mark is red and he seems extra happy.

"Yo, hoodie, are you deaf?"

"Huh, wha?" I looked around confused, my fins fanned.

I zoned out again...

It's been happening a lot lately, I don't really know why.

"I asked about your mask."

Right, real life is happening now, c'mon brain, focus.

"What about it?" I asked, not fully remembering what he even asked.

"Are you ever going to take that thing off? I don't think any of us have even see your face." Diesel went on, picking at a bandaid on his wrist.

My mask and glasses...

It's the literal mask I use to hide my emotions. Not to mention my weird eyes.

I have one super dark green eye and one super light blue eye. I'm pretty sure it's the only hetero thing about me.

I chuckled at my own joke.

"I've seen his face." Anï butted in.

"Really? Is he massively scarred like deadpool or something?" Diesel said surprised.

"Nah, but he's pretty." She said, leaning against me and stretching.

"Sorry Anï, but I think I'm a little too old for a twelve year old." I said, my voice a little hoarse.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, sitting up and swatting at me.

We all laughed and Henry piped up from the front.

"Little too gay, I'd think." He said, still staring at his phone.

"Yeah, that too." I said, readjusting my wings.

"Hah, imagine Tyler dating a girl." Diesel said, as if it was impossible.

"I could If I wanted to!" I said, smacking him with my wing.

"Pfft"

"Oh hey, we're here." Henry announced.

~~

We were standing in the lobby, getting our rooms.

"Alright, there's three rooms. Each room has two beds and a couch." Brandon said.

"I get dibs with Aksel!" Alex said excitedly.

Aksel laughed, holding Alex's hand.

Those two are soul mates, they've known for awhile.

I'm happy for them, they seem perfect together.

Henry snuck over to Brandon at some point and was now leaning against his arm, nuzzling it. Brandon was blushing, but seemed like he was trying to ignore it.

I felt like throwing up.

I turned away, not wanting to look.

"I want the room with Tyler." Anï piped up.

"Really?" Hoover asked.

She stepped over to me, bumping her hand on mine.

"You don't sleep with your mask on, I'm assuming." She whispered.

Oh.

Oh.

She took the room with me so I'd be comfortable with my mask off..

I felt like tearing up again, people normally aren't that nice to me.

"Thank you." I whispered back.

She bumped her hand against mine again, this time curling her fingers around mine a bit.

I gingerly tapped my hand back, seeing if she was doing it on purpose.

She slotted her fingers in between mine, and I did the same.

I looked over to her, she was sparkling as usual, but her ears were drooped a bit, not perked like normal.

She squeezed my hand a bit, I was surprised at how... reassuring it was.

I wasn't paying attention, but everyone got sorted into rooms.

Brandon, Henry, and Diesel in the biggest room. Alex, Aksel, and Hoover in the other room. And me and Anï in the last one.

"Why do I have to be in the room with those two?" Hoover complained, gesturing to the love birds.

"Fine, be with Anï and Tyler." Brandon said, his arm now being completely held by Henry.

"No." Anï said.

"What?"

"I said, no." Anï repeated, a sweet smile on her face.

"Why?" Brandon asked.

"Cuz I said so." She replied, squeezing my hand slightly.

"Okay, okay, fine!" Hoover said, seeming scared by a possibly mad Anï.

We all headed up to our rooms and started to unpack.

"Hey Ty?" Anï asked.

She's the only one I let call me that. It's what my dad used to call me before... well, that's not important right now.

"Hmm?" I hummed.

"I'm sorry."

"About what?"

I was startled, what could she have to say sorry about?

"I know what happened." She said.

What?

"With your soul mark, I mean." She clarified.

Oh.

I blanked, recalling the events from earlier in the day.

It was like reality finally set in.

I don't have a soul mate.

I will never find "true love".

I'm gonna be alone for the rest of my life.

I don't know how long I just stood there, but when I came back to reality I was sitting on the couch.

"Tyler?" Anï asked, her voice sounding distant, like I was underwater.

My face felt wet and dry at the same time.

I felt cold, but not physically.

Suddenly, I felt a warmth on my cheek.

My eyes refused to focus, only seeing blurry darkness.

I leaned into the warmth, trying to reach my arm up, wanting more.

My limbs felt like lead, but I managed to lift my arm enough for the warmth to come closer.

My eyes refocused, and my limbs seemed to become less numb.

Anï was holding me, her tail resting on my leg.

I weakly wrapped my wings around her torso, tucking my head into her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly.

"I don't know." I mumbled.

"Hang on a sec, lemme grab something." She said, starting to get up.

I grabbed weakly at her, but she pulled away.

"I'll be right back, promise." She said, her light footsteps thumping through the room.

After about a minute, she came back, draping a blanket over my legs.

"You feel really cold." She said, setting something on the table beside me.

I heard a click and then she was sitting next to me.

I pulled my legs up on the couch and covered myself with the blanket.

"There's some cool water on the table if you want it." She said, keeping her voice low and gentle.

I blinked, noting how dark it was. Anï had turned all the lights off except the two bedside lamps, giving the room a cozy atmosphere.

I took off my shoes earlier, preferring to be in socks.

Anï curled up next to me, reaching up to touch one of my fins.

It flicked involuntarily when she brushed against it, she giggled.

I leaned my head to the side, shifting so my shoulder was pressed into the couch and I was facing her.

Anï shifted, leaning down under the couch and pushed a switch. The recliner wooshed up and nearly hit her in the face.

"Careful." I said quietly, reaching my wing over to touch her shoulder.

She pushed the back of the couch so that we were both laying down.

She pulled her hair back and clipped it before laying down.

"Is this okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, definitely." I breathed.

She squirmed around a bit before settling and reaching her hand over to lay on top of mine.

"Tyler, deep breaths."

"Follow my voice."

"Breathe in."

"And out."

We went through breathing exercises for a couple minutes before I started drifting off.

I fell asleep to the sound of Anï's voice guiding me, her hand on my waist, and her tail on my leg.

1300 words

I hope y'all enjoyed Anï being a precious bean and helping out our anxious hoodie boyo.

I got off the plane and texted Anï that I was here.

"Tyler!!! Over here!" A high pitched voice called.

I turned to see Anï waving at me, tail wagging like crazy, with Brandon standing next to her looking at his phone.

My heart skipped a beat.

I walked over to them.

"Hey guys-" Was all I was able to get out before Anï tackle hugged me.

"Oof, hi Anï." I said, patting her on the back lightly.

I wrapped my wings around her as she hugged me.

I pulled away after a bit and smiled behind my mask.

"Hehe, hi." She giggled.

"Henry should be here soon." Brandon remarked.

My fins drooped a bit.

"Yo, you even gonna acknowledge me?" I asked.

He looked up, locking eyes with me.

This is it, this is it, this is-

I felt a warmth shudder through my body and my wrist started to pulse.

He looked at me weird, "What?"

My fins, which were previously fanned, dropped completely.

I glanced at his wrist, which still had a black heart on it.

I turned around and shoved my hands in my pockets, trying not to cry.

"I, I uh, gotta use the bathroom." I mumbled before running off.

I got to the bathroom and locked myself in a stall, trying to keep my sobs to a minimum.

I took off my glasses and rubbed my eyes.

"Pathetic, you thought he'd ever love you?"

I sniffled, pulling my mask down so it wouldn't get wet.

My wings curled tightly around my shoulders, cradling me almost.

I could feel my soul mark still warm on my wrist, a constant reminder of rejection.

I often thought about it, the rare occurrence of one sided soul marks.

I'm just unlovable, no one wants me.

I rubbed at my already red eyes, willing them to stop tearing up.

I looked down at my arms, beginning to regret wearing a t-shirt.

You could faintly see the marks, but they were still there.

I scratched at them, not sure whether I wanted them to go away, or to come back.

I picked at a scab on my arm, but it was to healed to bleed.

I had stopped crying, settling for a depressed numbness.

I got up and dusted myself off, wiping my face one more time before pulling my mask back up and fixing my glasses.