#luke split

One hand lifted her cellphone to her ear as the other passed off the clipboard of papers. “Hello?” she greeted professionally, waving to the man as he disappeared out the back door—which Jessica was quick to close and bolt shut behind him. The back stockroom was cold enough that both women had donned their coats and closed the door leading out to the store.

“Is this Iris?”

“Yes, how can I help you?” she continued, stepping aside to let Jessica start on the lengthy process of organizing the many boxes they had removed from their skid delivery.

“I work for Mark Sans,” the man on the other end continued.

Iris paused at the familiar name. Even though she was unsure where she knew it, her stomach clenched with dread; she knew it was not the name of a friend. Actually, the more she thought about it the less it sounded like a name at all. Mark Sans?

Didn’t the word sans mean-

“I have a message from Howard-”

Iris ended the call so abruptly she nearly knocked her cellphone out of her own hand. Her throat went bone dry as she tried to swallow the uncomfortable lump that had accumulated there. She could feel the familiar tightening in her chest, panic swelling to the surface so suddenly it was like someone was trying to smother her.

Mark Sans. Without Mark.

She had read that name in an article about a radicle Anti-Mark group that was steadily growing in numbers through the years. Several homicides and assaults had been linked to the group and its volatile members. Many of the convictions had shown a connection through an alias name; Mark Sans. However, it was the name of her father—Howard Mayfair—that caused her heart to hit the floor.

Rasping out a quick excuse to Jessica, she slipped into her office as her vision swam and blackened around the edges. It was terrifyingly similar to how she felt after discovering her father’s note. She was almost desperate not to pass out this time, however, and quickly shook her head even as she picked up a binder from the desk and began waving it at her face. The cool air was a welcome relief against her heated cheeks—which probably had no colour in them.

Falling into her desk chair for her own safety, Iris continued fanning herself. She only stopped for one brief moment to shuck off her coat, which took several attempts.

This couldn’t all be a coincidence. Her parents are back in her life right in time for someone to throw a pipe through the window of the store, then a phone call with an entirely private ID drops the name of her father and an Anti-Mark group’s well-used alias. And it was all after she had started to meet her soulmates. Were her parents following her for so long that they were able to tell when she met one of the twenty-three marks?

Did they hate the marked so much, they were now a part of that awful group?

Her soulmates!

The connection they shared was getting stronger each time Iris met a new identity within Kevin’s body. It had come to the point that she was able to feel Barry’s discomfort after realizing Iris had met the child among them. They had mentioned to her that her fear from the night she saw her father’s note caused them discomfort, and the night she had experienced the vivid nightmares from her past had actually drawn Patricia in at a run.

She had no doubt they could feel her panic now.

The realization that she was not the only one affected helped to draw her back to the present a bit more, continuing to fan herself as she took deep, steadying breaths. The binder shook between her hands, but her fingers were clenched so tightly, there was no concern it would fall. Her vision steadily cleared, the fogginess receding from the edges of her sight while her laboured breathing began to normalize. Even though she had her bottle of water sitting on the desk, she didn’t trust her hands to reach for it. She would probably end up wearing most of the water if she tried drinking now.

Her phone buzzed on her desk, causing an instinctual flinch, before she spotted the name.

Kevin Crumb.

The fact that they were calling using Kevin’s cellphone showed the importance of the need to contact her. Otherwise, she would have gotten the alert for an email. Dropping the binder to the desktop, she scooped up her phone in both hands—one handed probably would have resulted in it hitting the floor and smashing.

“I’m alright,” she assured immediately, not even bothering with a hello. She knew why they were calling. She pondered briefly in an attempt to remember who was supposed to be working. “I’m sorry, BT, did I interrupt your work?” She was sure the rough sound of her voice did nothing to assuage his concern.

“Screw work, work can wait. What happened, Doll? Felt like you were having a heart-attack.” She could detect the slightest tremor in his voice. It made her heart clench, both with displeasure at her own panic episode causing them distress and because she knew she was cared for so deeply by someone—by many.

Leaning back in her chair, she used her shoulder to better support the phone as she tucked her ice-cold fingers between her thighs in an attempt to warm them. “I got a call. Jessica handed me the phone, I didn’t even really register the private contact information before I answered it. The man said he worked for ‘Mark Sans’ and had a message from Howard. I hung up before he could continue.”

BT swore on the other line. “Mark Sans, that’s a name that group of psychos use, right?”

“Yes. And my father’s name is Howard Mayfair.”

“Iris,” BT sighed, worry dripping from that one word. “Doll, you gotta call the cops. What’s the name a’ that guy who did your statement?”

“Montez,” she answered quietly. The adrenaline was bleeding out of her system and leaving her body feeling like lead. “Officer Montez. He gave Barry his card, I don’t think I have it-”

BT grunted. “One sec,” he murmured, before shuffling came through the phone like static. “It’s in our wallet.” Much like the cellphone, it did not make much sense to have a different wallet for every alter—the cards for the bank account, ID and other important pieces of information were kept in one simple wallet. How it was carried varied person to person, but it made their lives easier when the credit cards or work ID weren’t switching to a new wallet every day. “You got a pen?”

Iris looked to her desk. She had a pen and a stack of post-it notes. However, the tremor was still running down her arms; she doubted her hands would be any better if they were removed from where she was pinning them. “Yea, but I think I’m shaking too much right now. Give me another minute?”

“All the time in the world, Doll.”

To distract her, he began telling her about his day in a soft, soothing voice. It never raised, even when she could tell something had frustrated him or he was mocking someone who had yelled at another worker—a mother throwing a fit about something being closed. Iris was sure that if it had been a better day, he could very well have soothed her straight to sleep.

Thankfully, it was enough to calm her nerves.

So long as she was able to write down the number, that was all that mattered.

“What time’re you off today?”

“It’s a later one today. Jess and I have to break down the shipment, double-check everything’s correct. Probably until six. We’ve gotten pretty good at it.”

“Six it is,” he confirmed.

“What? BT, no! You don’t-”

“Aw, shush. I’m gonna be there whether you want me or not. Come on, we’ll make a little date out of it. Stop for hot chocolate or something.” The guilt returned. She was always throwing them off their schedule because she wasn’t able to handle her own life—past or present. “Besides, this means I get to see you again. Good luck keeping me away.” The happiness in his voice was enough to ease the clench in her chest just a little bit.

It was impossible not to smile along, even if only a small one. “Alright, BT, you win. I’ll see you at six. Come on inside when you get here. It’s way too cold to have you waiting out on the sidewalk.”

“Yes, Ma’am!”

Iris took a few minutes more to collect herself, finally able to take a drink from her water bottle without sloshing the liquid everywhere. She was half-certain that Jess was worrying herself out in the stockroom, but she knew that going out while sheet-white and shaking would do nothing to improve her opinion. Scrolling through her phone to the call she had received just before BT, she found the ‘Private Name’, ‘Private Number’ listed and quickly blocked any future calls or messages from that specific contact.

She knew it wouldn’t be enough to stop them, but it gave her just a bit more peace of mind.

BT arrived slightly earlier than he had discussed with Iris, stepping through the front door shortly before six. There was a younger woman, possibly even a teenager, manning the front cash. She looked at him with such wide, innocent eyes. Actually, it reminded him of Iris.

“I’m here to see Iris?” he offered, unsure, as he stood with his hands in his pockets. The girl’s eyes widened before she nodded.

“BT?” she asked hesitantly. When he nodded, her expression softened a bit and she stepped out from behind the desk. “Iris told me to bring you to the back once you got here. She and Jess should be just about done, so you’ll probably just have to wait in the office.”

He was brought to the back door of the store, a sign declaring ‘Employees Only’ with ‘Alarm will sound’ directly beneath it. Sarah, as her nametag dubbed her, entered a passkey into what looked like a new panel just to the right of the door. She didn’t enter with him, just opened it and stepped aside. He was sure she headed right back to the front desk once he was through the door.

It opened into a decently sized stockroom, tall shelves piled with boxes that carried labels and writings in permanent marker. A few carried Iris’s familiar cursive—he was sure he could pinpoint her writing from hundreds of other cursive samples by this point. He could see a small office to the far left. Next to it was what appeared to be a break/staff room.

“So, these weren’t damaged during shipping?”

The female voice, one he recognized from the day he had met Iris, spoke up from amongst the shelves. Walking slightly further into the room, he was able to peek around the metal shelving to spot Iris and her co-worker Jessica. Iris was standing on a ladder, hefting boxes over her head and onto the higher shelf like they weighed next to nothing. From what he knew the store to sell, he was fairly certain those were boxes filled—or at least damn near it—with books.

He knew Iris was stronger than she looked. Physically and mentally—though emotionally she carried a lot more scars that were still tender from the years of abuse and hardships. However, he had not expected to see her lifting what had to be fifty to seventy-five pounds over her head. And when she was up on her tip-toes—which, had it not been even more dangerous, he would have called out a scolding after seeing.

“The box is fine,” Iris answered Jessica’s previous question. Resting a box on her hip, held in place with on hand, she used the other to shove another one to the side in order to make room. Then, again, lifted the books into their new place with ease. “It must have been damaged during packing. Mark it for return and stack it with the other one.”

“And the paperwork?”

Hopping off the ladder, Iris carefully folded it and tucked it to the side—then secured the metal monstrosity to the shelving with a chain.

“I’ll do that, it only takes a second!” Her voice hitched on her final work as she turned around and finally caught sight of BT. Her entire body jerked with her short yell, halting in her stride. “BT!” she scolded a moment later, her hand flying to her chest as Jessica jumped from the sudden yelp her manager released.

He shrugged his free shoulder. “Sorry, Doll.” His amused expression said otherwise.

Nodding to Jessica, who was giggling away, he opened an arm to Iris. She sighed at him like a scolding, but there was a faint smile on her lips as she stepped into his embrace. Her arm was tight when she wrapped it around his torso, the hand at his back fisting in the material of his coat like she was seeking a lifeline. “Thank you,” she breathed into his chest—too quiet for her friend to hear.

She didn’t want the younger woman to know. He wasn’t sure why, but Iris was a very personal person so he could assume it’s hard for her to open up to others.

“You guys all finished? Or I can go and wait in your office?”

Iris opened her mouth to speak, leaning back from his chest to look him in the eye, but Jessica beat her to it. “You’re in luck, we just finished!”

“What?” Iris blurted out, turning to look at the woman who had a splitting grin spread across her face. Iris had forgotten for a minute that Jessica had—somewhat—met BT before. “I still-”

Jess shook her head again. “You said so yourself, the paperwork only takes a second. I’ve done it before; I promise not to mess up your carefully organized system.”

BT’s arm tightened around her shoulders, drawing her in against his chest again. “Perfect! Where’s your coat, Doll?” Looking down at Iris, he could see a pinch to her expression that had never occurred before. It was like she had sucked on a lemon. At first, he thought it looked cute, but the more he looked at her face the more he realized that it was irritation and fear that caused that look. “Hey, come talk to me,” he prompted quietly, drawing her toward the office he had spotted earlier.

She went willingly but pulled herself from his arms on their way.

Closing the door for privacy, BT watched her pace toward her desk but refuse to sit down. “What did I do?” he asked quietly. He knew it was him. Her co-worker had only been helping him to his end goal—getting her home as soon as possible.

“I won’t change my life again because of them.” BT went to speak but the words caught as she turned to look at him. The bleakness in her gaze silenced his argument. “My parents made all of my decisions for me; what to dress, what to eat, what to say, when to say it. I have work to finish; and it’s my decision to stay here and finish it. I know you care, and I love you for it, but please don’t take my choices away.”

BT’s heart broke as he took in her words—and everything she left unsaid. They hadn’t spoken much about her parents, but it was easy to guess the trauma the left behind. It made him think about when she had finally gone back to her apartment. They all tried to coax her to stay, but no one made the decision for her. She was never forced.

“I’m sorry, Iris. I didn’t…I wasn’t trying to-”

“I know,” she assured quietly, finally returning to him and wrapping her arms around his broad frame. She was soon cocooned in his arms and coat, folded up in the fabric like a security blanket. “I’ve been on my own for so long I don’t think I’ll ever be used to people wanting to care for me, or protect me, but I’m trying. And all I ask is that you leave the decision up to me. Don’t make it for me.”

Ducking down to inhale the scent of her hair, he nodded against the crown of her head. “You’ve got my word.”

The smile she gave him was less sad, but he could still see the fatigue and strain in and around her eyes. The day was taking its toll on her. He was sure that the emotional strain alone was a weight on her shoulders, like trying to carry the world.

“I just need a few more minutes. Mind waiting here?”

Smoothing back the bit of hair that had loosened to fame her face, BT caught her soft eyes and smiled as encouragingly as he could manage. “Take your time, I’m in no rush.” Watching her leave the office felt like he was letting her step into the wolf’s den. But he let her go.

The small woman seemed to understand the reason for his pause and smiled in assurance. “You can say names. I already know Jade and Hedwig, haven’t met them yet. They may be soulmates I’ve yet to meet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring them up. Just gives me something to know about them in advance.” She took another bite as Luke sighed in relief.

“Heinrich,” he finished. “I’d say Heinrich cooks the best. Honestly, he should be the one on grocery detail; the guy uses most of the food anyway.”

Iris smiled as she listened to him, loving how he spoke of the other alters affectionately. Like family. “What’s your favourite dish?” she inquired. “I mean overall, not just cooked by Heinrich.” Saying the name made her tongue feel thick, as it did whenever she said the name of someone she was yet to meet. Originally, she wasn’t sure if she should speak with one of her soulmates about another, but so long as they didn’t mind bringing them up she would be happy to continue the conversation.

Luke sat back as he chewed, looking off to the side wall as he pondered. “That’s a hard one.”

She knew it, too. Whenever someone asked her what he favourite thing was—book, movie, pastime—she always had trouble answering. “How about….what dish are you craving lately?”

The look that came to his face was almost dreamy, and Iris knew he was playing it up for her. “Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo.” Iris made a soft sound of agreement, remembering the last time she had made some for herself when she’d had a day off and a fresh batch of groceries. “Yours?”

“Can’t say a favourite, but I’ve been craving a pulled-pork sandwich,” she admitted, getting a surprised look from Luke. Clearly that wasn’t what he had been expecting. The look made her giggle, covering the bite of food she had just eaten. Once she finished chewing, she elaborated, “I had one at the little deli restaurant some years back called Sweet Meats. They ended up moving to a new location, bit too far for a cab ride, so I haven’t had it in a while. But their sandwiches were to die for. It’s not often I get takeout, but they were definitely one I went for quite often.”

Luke stopped eating as she spoke, leaning his chin on his fist as he smiled at her. “We’ll have to make a day of it sometime. Go up for sandwiches, find something to do while we’re there. That way it’s not a waste of a ride just for something to eat.”

Flushing with happiness, Iris nodded in agreement and busied herself with another bite.

“Even if she doesn’t cook as often as I thought, Patricia makes excellent lasagna.”

Luke flashed another brilliant smile. “I’ll be sure to tell her!”

The small conversations continued as they finished off their plates, Iris immediately declining a second. She had eaten more in one sitting than she normally would in an entire day. The sleep lull had returned to her eyes, however, and Luke immediately refused her offer to wash their dishes in favour of soaking them in the waiting sink.

The original plan was for Iris to head home that night. However, as she grew sleepier with food in her belly the thought of her walking home made him feel sick with worry. It was such a short distance he knew she would refuse to take a taxi, so the compromise came to allow her the chance to sleep over again. Iris had become accustomed to the routine after the several nights she had stayed following the incident at the store.

An open invitation from Felicia gave her a place to sleep, her meagre toiletries still in the bathroom for her use. Barry had an early start the next day for work, and Iris had a later shift that would have her closing the store the next day. It was already nearing midnight by the time Luke walked Iris to Felicia’s room, now wearing a set of her own pajamas that had been left behind.

Iris approached him first, wrapping him in a tight hug as she leaned her cheek in against his pectoral. “Thank you, Luke. It was a wonderful date.”

“We’ll have to do it again soon,” he responded, the smile he wore apparent in his voice.

Returning her tight embrace, cheek resting on the crown of her head, Luke didn’t want to let her go. He wanted to be selfish and keep her with him for as long as he could. But they both had work and he would get an earful from Barry if he did not get to sleep at a decent time. His next exhale came out like a sigh, Iris letting out an answering one before she started to draw back from him.

“I’ll message you tomorrow, okay?”

“Mhm,” she hummed with a smile, before she gently cradled his jaw in her small hands, lifting onto her tiptoes and pressing the ghost of a kiss against his cheek. Her lips lingered, spreading their warmth, and drew back too soon for Luke’s liking.

Her cheeks were flushed a warm pink as she retracted her hands. “Sleep well.”

Catching her chin between his fingers before she could flee, Luke returned her kiss with one of his own, high on her cheekbone and closer to the sensitive skin at her ear. “You too, Sweet.” He swore he could feel the heat from her blush warming her skin, making him grin with the knowledge that he had been the one to put it there.

She slipped into Felicia’s brightly coloured room, shyly casting him one more smile before the door was closed between them.

Neither were able to keep the smile off of their lips as they tucked themselves in for the night, wishing it had not had to end.

Iris had been so tired from the day, she did not dream or wake again until a weight suddenly landed on her legs, one of which had been curled up on top of the blankets to expose her sock-covered foot to the air. Jerking in surprise at the sudden contact, she tried to sit up, but a weight caught around her waist and pinned her in place. An instant of panic seized her heart before she looked down at the familiar shaved head of her soulmates’ body, but which soulmate was perched atop her was an answer she did not have.

Her erratic heartbeat steadily calmed as she leaned to prop herself up on her elbows.

She had only opened her mouth to speak, still unsure what words would come out, before her soulmate rolled abruptly, looking down at her feet. Rendered silent from the sudden and erratic movements, she watched as he moved until his feet were next to hers, revealing they were wearing nearly identical blue socks, hers of a slightly fuzzier quality.

“Look, look! We have matching socks!”

The familiar, and often confusing, words brought a smile to her face as she looked from her small feet to his larger ones. The lisp in his words hinted that she might be speaking with the one named Hedwig, but she didn’t want to make any assumptions and instead wiggled her foot to tap her toes against his.

“Look at that, we’re soulmates and we match,” she responded sweetly, sleep thickening her voice just slightly.

The smile he turned on her was one of pure childish happiness. It warmed her heart to see and, even as tired as she was, she could not help but to return it. Similar to how he must have arrived in the room, he pounced again; bouncing up beside her, Iris threw her hand out to stop herself from tipping off the bed. The antics of her newest soulmate set her off in a fit of giggles. Once she was sure she was not going to overbalance off of the bed, she rolled to face him. He was wearing a tracksuit—black with white and blue accents—and his blue socks.

“I’m Hedwig.” Inches separated them, the light from the hall allowing her the chance to see his face in the otherwise dark room. He looked at her so excitedly, like she had hung the moon. It made her feel so special just from that look alone.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Hedwig. I’m Iris.”

He made a soft scoffing sound, more of a laugh really, and ducked his head briefly before he looked to her eyes again. “I know that, silly!”

Patiently, Iris smiled back. “I’m sure you do,” she assured. “It’s just polite when someone introduces themselves to return the favor.”

Hedwig made an ‘oh’ face as he nodded along. “I also have red socks,” he blurted out suddenly. Iris blinked before she nodded.

“I don’t think I have any red pairs. I’ll have to buy some.”

“Yes!” Then he made a face that Iris knew well; he was trying to repress a yawn.

“It’s awfully early to be awake.” Shifted slightly, Iris laid her head down on the pillow. “Aren’t you tired?” While stopping herself from falling off of the bed, she’d glanced at Felicia’s alarm clock and caught the time that glared 4:12 in bright red. It was too early, even for Barry to have to wake up for work.

Hedwig shook his head rapidly, making an ‘uh-uh’ sound.

She wasn’t sure how old Hedwig was, but she did know that telling a child to go to sleep was often the wrong choice and could be met with resistance. “I’m sleepy,” she said instead, hoping he would give in and go back to sleep as well if he knew she wanted to. “I’m not usually awake this early.”

Even in the minimal light provided, she could tell when he started to pout.

When she had originally caught the hints that one of her soulmates was going to be a child, she had been worried that there might be trouble distinguishing him or her from the adults that made up her other soulmates. However, the comfort came to her just as easily as it had when meeting Patricia and Felicia, embracing the knowledge that some of her soulmates were going to be women. Having so many soulmates, she was sure quite a few were going to be platonic but she honestly could not say whether all of the female ones would fall into that category of not.

Soulmates were not always romantic. They were meant for each other simply because that is what someone needed in their life. A mother or father figure, a child, or a dear friend. Soulmates were whatever someone needed to complete themselves.

Hedwig was still so new to her, and already she could feel the unmistakeable urge to hold him close and protect him from everything the world would use to hurt him. Being a child in a man’s body, she was sure there were times he and the others were ridiculed simply for not understanding.

That protective feeling must have been lacking with her mother and father.

“Would you like to stay here with me? A few more hours of sleep will be good for both of us.” His pout lifted, becoming a shy grin before he nodded his head. Opening her arms, Iris let him shuffle closer and come to rest with his head on her chest. He must have been able to hear her heartbeat with his ear resting over her breast. Wrapping him in her embrace—the broadness of his shoulders making her adjust her hold just slightly—she gently rubbed on hand up and down his back as the other came to cradle the back of his neck.

God, he was like a living furnace. The heat that bled from his body would easily keep her warm.

She could tell when Hedwig drifted to sleep, the soft snores were the dead giveaway, as he cuddled in closer and tucked his hands up near her stomach to keep them warm. She continued to lightly stroke her hand up and down his back, listening to his light snoring and taking in the warm breath that seeped through her clothes to her sternum. Gradually, she lessened her soft stroking until her hand was simply resting on his back

Knowing that Barry had to be awake for six-thirty, the sleep she fell into was a light one. Sometimes she dozed more deeply, but even the faintest shift from Hedwig would wake her again. Occasionally she would crane her head back to see the time, but the hours passed slow until the time Barry’s alarm would have sounded.

It was when she was in one of her dozing states that the body she held suddenly jerked, pulling away. It startled her back into consciousness as well, her eyes wide and her hands lifting to allow her soulmate the chance to move back.

Not Hedwig, then.

With a quick glance down at what they were wearing, her soulmate groaned suddenly and dropped back onto the bed with a hand clapped over their eyes. Iris remained lying in silence, trying to gauge if this was someone she had met before or if this was a new soulmate. “Hedwig,” he mumbled. “I’m so sorry, Iris.” Ah, someone she knew.

“Barry, it’s okay. I found him very endearing.” Propping herself up on an elbow, she offered a smile even as Barry groaned again. Reached out, she slipped her fingers under his palm and drew his hand back from his face. “What’s wrong?” This could not have been because he had snuck in while she was sleeping. He was a child and judging by the lisp he was still too young to think anything more of sleeping beside her than simply sleeping beside her.

There was a twisted feeling in her stomach that she came to realize was not hers. It made her realize just how strong the connect between her and her soulmates was becoming; this was the first time she had felt something from them.

Barry’s lips pursed, like he was fighting the urge to lash out for something. He refused to meet her eyes for a moment, but she waited patiently—still holding his hand in hers—and he finally shifted his focus to her. “He’s nine,” he started. However, as long as Iris waited, nothing else followed the abrupt declaration.

“So?”

“So?” he repeated as his face coloured with surprise. “He’s nine! I share this body with a child.”

His discomfort became clear in an instant and Iris felt her heart clench for him. Was this something he’d been worrying about for long? Was it a concern shared by the other soulmates?

“Barry,” she started carefully, shifted closer and wrapping an arm around his torso so he had no chance to move away from her. “I have twenty-three soulmates. You all share one body. Some are women, some are men, and apparently there’s at least one nine-year-old mixed in. Having Hedwig as one of the others in this body doesn’t change my view of you any more than Felicia or Patricia. You’re all unique to me. I look at you and I don’t see Hedwig or anyone else. Just you.”

He still looked hesitant, but he at least turned his head to look at her.

Smiling with reassurance, she leaned forward to press a soft kiss to his paled lips. “Have you been worrying about this, all this time?”

Barry’s silence was her answer. Her response was to lean over him and kiss him again, lingering this time. He softened under her lips. One of his hands remained in hers, the other lifted to cradle the back of her head. This kiss was different than the one shared under the falling snow. It was not as tentative, like a careful first step into water to test the temperature. This was assurance, proof of feelings for someone that words lack the ability to convey.

His lips were softer than she had been expecting. Parting from him for a moment, she shifted to catch his bottom lip between hers and let the tip of her tongue tease the soft skin gently. The sharp intake of breath told her that her boldness paid off, followed by the increased pressure on the back of her head pulling her closer.

Only when air became necessary did she finally pull back; Barry’s grip loosened until she had no trouble putting the slight amount of distance between them.

“You’re all here with me, Barry. But I don’t look at you and see them as well. I promise. I don’t care what anyone else says, you’re each your own person.”

If she saw his eyes glisten with tears, she didn’t say a word. “Thank you, Iris. Fate couldn’t have given us a better soulmate.”

Her weight leaned onto him again, lips seeking his, when an alarm clock down the hall sounded and shattered the quiet between them. Iris jumped slightly at the sudden sound, then burst into soft laughter at the sour look that briefly coloured Barry’s face.

“Time for work, hun.” Sighing, his head dropped back down onto the pillow.

The shout of her name drew her attention away from the sidewalk, turning to look toward the main gates to the Philadelphia Zoo. Luke was making his way toward her with a blinding smile on his face. He was dressed down compared to her, wearing his jacket from work that had a nametag clipped over the left side of his chest.

Smiling, Iris stood up from her seat and reached over to where she’d kept Luke’s preferred coffee in the cardboard tray. “Hey, Luke. Black, as you requested,” she started, holding out to tray. He reached forward to take both and stepped in closer until he was able to lean forward and ghost a kiss across her chilled cheek.

“Thanks, Sweetie. Hope you weren’t waiting for too long?”

Iris flushed at the caress of lips across her skin, the sensation steadily becoming familiar. “No worries, only a few minutes. It was nice to get some fresh air away from work. How was your day?” she inquired as she reached up to gently tug on the collar of his work coat. The coat itself had the name Kevin stitched into the fabric, but the alters also had an additional clip-on name tag whenever they were working and covered over Kevin’s name so as not to confuse anyone that tried to read it.

“Pretty quiet today,” he shrugged, turning to face the entrance he’d appeared from while holding his arm out to her. She smiled as she looped her arm through his snugly while taking a sip of her perfectly cooled down tea, saving her tongue from scalding. “Middle of the week is always a good catch-up time for us.”

“It’s usually the same at the store,” Iris responded casually as Luke tried to wave at the man operating the entrance gate, still holding his coffee cup and making it more of a ‘cheers!’ gesture. “Jess went home sick this morning so it was a bit short staffed, but it couldn’t have worked out better than on a quiet day.”

“Aw, she alright?” Luke asked immediately, concern colouring his tone and drawing his brows down. he hadn’t even met her and he was already concerned for the young woman that worked with his soulmate—who clearly cared for the other woman.

Iris smiled at his worry and squeezed his arm comfortingly, and happily. “Just a start of the flu, I think. She tried to work but I think she was starting to turn green so I called her a cab, told her to take off tomorrow and let me know if she needs more time.”

Luke leaned down suddenly and pressed a soft kiss against her hair. “I’m glad you’ve got a friend there, Sweetie.”

Iris smiled against the warmth that took over her cheeks. She turned her face in to press her cheek against his shoulder, inhaling the delicate smell that clung to his jacket. It was an interesting mix of scents—some of which she recognized from her time with BT and Barry. Finally, she forced herself to turn away from his chest and looked at the many pathways that split away from the main area of the park, leading to the various enclosures.

“So, where would you recommend first?” she asked instead, looking up at him through her lashes as she smiled invitingly.

“Oh, the Tigers! No brainer!” he answered immediately, motioning to a path to her right.

Smiling at his enthusiasm, she allowed him to guide her along through the quiet Zoo. The combination of a weekday and a cooler day had most people staying away—occupied with work or preferring the warmth of the indoors. It gave them plenty of space and allowed them to linger in front of the enclosures as Luke told her stories from the past decade working at the Zoo. She listened avidly as she leaned against the railings, or into his side when the wind drew her to his warmth.

Some of the other people working at the Zoo paused in Iris’s peripheral when they spotted them. She wanted to look, wondering what could make them pause, but she forced herself to remain with her focus on her soulmate. She was sure that her soulmates’ situation made it impossible to date so it may make for a strange sight to see Luke—or any of the alters—with a woman pressed into their side tightly.

“I mean, I love animals—they’re beautiful, and Barry loves to sit and draw them when he can—but I’d never try and crawl in with them,” Luke was saying as they were sitting at the bench in front of the large Gorilla enclosure.

Iris’s eyes widened as she looked away from the enormous beasts to where he remained to her left, an arm draped over the back of the bench to encircle her shoulders. “Someone tried to what?” she demanded, shock colouring her tone as clearly as her expression conveyed.

“Oh, yea,” Luke answered, looking over with a matching look of disbelief. “We have to make regular rounds along the perimeter fence because kids come along and cut the locks, thinking they can sneak in sometime through the night. Nothing’s happened while I was here, but I’ve heard horror stories of kids sneaking in, thinking the animals were tame and getting badly hurt.”

The look of horror on his soulmate’s face had Luke paling, immediately tightening his arm around her shoulders so he could draw her in closer. “Not here, Iris. We’re really careful about preventing that.”

Nodding slowly, she tried to remove the mental image of some poor teenager getting mauled by a tiger because they thought the animals were somehow tamed. “That’s terrible,” she mumbled, looking back toward the Gorillas. They were huge, and easily capable of harming some unsuspecting kid that might wander into their domain.

“Sorry,” Luke winced. He hadn’t meant to say something so horrifying; it was just a constant concern for them at work and had slipped out. “Iris, I’m sorry.”

He slipped his hand under the hefty weight of her braid, his hands somehow still warm even against the windy chill, to wrap the comforting weight of his hand at the back of her neck. Iris didn’t acknowledge him right away, still looking over to the animals she had previous thought majestic. However, once the warmth registered and settled, she leaned back against the comforting weight as she heaved a long sigh. “It’s not you, Luke. Nothing you did.”

Turning into his hand, she smiled in reassurance while scooting herself closer to him on the bench.

Luke ducked his head bashfully. “Can you tell I’m not very good at this while dating thing?”

She had suspected at her soulmates had as little amount of dating experience as her. It was heartbreaking to have it confirmed, though. Even those with soulmarks would date the odd person or two before the met their destined one—or multiple. “Luke.” Her stronger tone drew his focus, meeting her eyes with the beautiful blue against whiskey. “I’ve never dated. Not once.” Admitting it aloud pulled a burden from Iris’s chest that left her smiling at his shocked expression. “With how I grew up, I never wanted to open myself up to the chance that someone would hurt me. BT was the first person to ever take me out to dinner—on a date or otherwise.”

Luke’s lips parted to speak, but words seemed to escape him and he simply gapped at her for a silent moment.

“I’m just as clumsy at the whole dating thing,” she assured, angling herself on the bench to face him better while she placed a hand on his chest. “So, we’ll fumble along together. And if someone messes up, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

He continued to stare at her in shock for a moment more before his expression transformed with the blinding smile that he sent her way. It lifted the weight that had settled over her chest and Iris was powerless against smiling back.

“So, where would you recommend we go next?”

“Aviary?” he proposed, still smiling brilliantly.

Iris bounced where she sat, her smile growing from reassuring to pure happiness. “I love birds! Yes!”

Luke stood quickly and hauled her up to her feet, getting a chirp of a laugh from Iris before he was turning them in a new direction and walking her down another path that led toward some of the housing structures.

Majority of the birds were tropical, requiring a warmer climate. Iris was quite pleased by that since she was able to shuck off her coat and chase the chill from her bones. Luke stuck close by, but he let Iris flit from display to display, reading the plaques in front of each enclosure as she looked in at the brilliantly coloured birds. Iris smiled as she watched the birds fly around their habitats, darting in and out of the trees.

There was an option to go in and stand among the birds, but she opted not to—unable to shake the thought of the birds flying overhead and possibly messing her coat.

“Do you have a favourite?” Luke asked when he came to stand in front of the Rainbow Macaws, the large parrots currently preening as they pulled their feathers delicately through their beaks. She stared in awe at how gentle they were with such large, sharp beaks.

“Hm, I don’t think I have one. They’re all so beautiful. Such magnificent colours. Do you have a one?” She glanced at the tall man over her shoulder, seeing that his soft blue eyes were settled on her rather than the enclosures. The attention made her cheeks warm.

Smiling down at her, he gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her over to another exhibit. He’d noticed it when he’d been in a few days before to replace a rusting hinge on one of the employee access doors. The enclosure was a bit smaller, as were the birds inside, with bright balls of gold fluff flitting about inside.

Iris leant into Luke’s side as she looked down at the placard. Golden Palm Weaver was titled above a small summary of the birds. The picture showed a smaller bird with beautiful golden feathers and a crown of whiskey reddish gold encircling the face of the bird.

“The reddish hue around the face reminded me of your eyes,” he answered semi-sheepishly.

Iris blinked in surprise for a moment, looking at the picture of the bird then up at the little creatures inside the enclosure. She hadn’t noticed the similarity before. It brought the flush back to her cheeks as she fought against the bright smile that wanted to break across her features. “They’re beautiful,” she mumbled bashfully. His arm tightened around her shoulders, pulling her in closer to his side as he repressed the urge to chuckle at her timidity.

“So why do you like birds so much?”

Her head came to rest against his chest as she continued to watch the small birds in the enclosure, her expression soft.

“They can fly,” she answered. “Their wings and their feathers are so beautifully composed, it’s amazing to think that something like that happens naturally.” Her head bowed slightly in the next moment, obscuring his view of her face. “And their marks are beautiful. Everyone always talks about the brilliant or intricate colours and marks being so pretty and attractive.”

Luke’s heart broke a little.

Turning to press his lips to the top of her head, he inhaled the soft scent that wafted off of her hair. “I can’t teach you how to fly, but I can assure you that your marks are gorgeous; we all love them. Scars and all.”

They spent the next thirty minutes looking over each of the individual bird enclosures and the plaques situated in front of each. Luke never let her stray too far from his hold, keeping his arm around either her shoulders or her waist as she read the plaques to him or gushed about the beautiful colour of each of the birds.

The staff that passed them by would greet him with either a silent nod or a brief shout in greeting on their way passed. Iris always ducked her head down or turned away to pretend as though she was reading or marvelling at the birds. These were his coworkers, people who saw him day after day, and she wasn’t sure they even knew he had met his soulmate.

“They know about you,” he finally declared when he’d noticed her duck her head down the third time.

Whiskey eyes snapped up to him, coloured with her surprise.

“I mean, how can a guy not brag a bit when he finds his girl?” he admitted bashfully, then stuttered when he realized what he’d said. “Not that…not that you’re mine or anything but-”

Iris took pity on him and gently snagged the edge of his coat, tugging him down just enough to ghost a kiss against the corner of his jaw. “Only if you’re mine, too.”

His cheeks flushed against his will, but the smile that lit up his face made it easy to ignore the burning in his cheeks. “Every bit of me, Sweet.”

Again, Iris ducked her head down bashfully. However, Luke could still see the beautiful rose colour that had taken over her cheeks. At least they matched, blush for blush.

Continuing to tour throughout the rest of the Zoo, Iris’s hand stayed fitted snuggly inside Luke’s. He never relinquished it, even when he would move to point at something, he lifted their joined hands and only freed one finger with which to point. It made Iris’s pulse speed erratically, her happiness manifesting with the simple gesture.

Her fascination with the colouring of the birds continued on to the snake enclosure as well; although, she refused politely when the handler told them it was nearly feeding time. They were beautiful animals, but she was not sure she could stomach seeing a baby bunny—dead or not—being fed to the long, elegant creatures.

They finished their journey back at the front entrance where they had started, Iris smiling tiredly as she leaned heavily into his side. Starting the day with work and then following it up with several hours of walking throughout the Zoo had leeched away the last her strength. Luke had no complaints, however, and leaned down to press a kiss against the top of her head whenever the desire struck him. The city was dark around them when they stepped through the front gate—Luke sharing a short wave with the guard watching everyone come and go—and Iris made an adorable attempt at supressing a yawn.

“It got colder,” she mumbled into her coat collar, leaning into him more.

“Nice and warm downstairs,” he assured, leading her to the entrance she had used the past days when staying with her soulmates. The entrance she and Barry had shared their kiss in front of as the snow blanketed them. “Patricia cooked something for dinner, left me instructions to throw it in the oven but warned me about peeking under the lid.”

Iris laughed softly to herself, imagining Patricia’s neat, meticulous writing expressing her warning clearly. She had no problem picturing what the letter would look like. Her mark had appeared so many years ago; she has since traced her finger endlessly over the words on the back of her palm. Iris was sure she could identify all of her soulmates’ printing at a glance by this point—whether she knew the name to each mark or not.

“So you didn’t peek?” she teased, tipping her chin up so she could meet the softness of his gaze. He looked so happy, the streetlights catching his dimples in shadow as he smiled down at her.

“And call on Pat’s wrath?” he joked, recoiling slightly as though the very thought was frightening. “I’m not that curious.”

Iris laughed again, ducking her head to press her temple against Luke’s shoulder, welcoming his warmth and feeling his body shake with his own mirth.

The thought of having him over caused a blush to rise to her cheeks, so Iris hurried down to the coffee section and looked over the shelves to try and find the tin of coffee that she had bought in the past. A huffing sigh passed her lips when she noticed that it had been raised up to the top two shelves, making it impossible for her to reach even when on her tip toes.

 Taking a step back for a better reading on the height difference, she only ended with another sigh. It was probably just out of reach of her fingers if she stretched.

 “Damn.”

 “You look like you could use a hand, Sweetie.”

 Gasping in surprise and turning quickly, Iris nearly dropped her basket as the words that were across her back were spoken in a deep, accented voice—was that a Southern accent?—that was shockingly familiar. A hand darted out to catch the basket as it slipped precariously on her arm, nearly losing some of its contents. Iris’s attention lifted to the familiar face of her soulmate, but one brief glance confirmed her assumption that this was not Barry.

 A pair of slightly worn black jeans and a soft looking blue shirt was exposed through an open leather jacket, startling Iris into leaning back slightly. Having the image of Barry still quite fresh in her mind, she hadn’t really been prepared for the appearance of another personality. This one was more casual, less focused on fashionable clothing while still looking extremely attractive in what he was wearing.

 “Wow, hello,” Iris blurted out before she could think of her words. Her cheeks immediately grew hot as she realized what had come out of her mouth, while the man before her laughed heartily, the laugh lines on his face more prominent than they had been with Barry. Iris immediately pushed the thought of Barry aside, feeling bad that she was thinking of him while another soulmate was standing in front of her now.

 “Hello to you, too, little one. So, need a hand?” he motioned to the coffee tin that she had been stretched for a minute ago, causing Iris’s eyes to finally flick away from him as she glanced back to the shelves.

 “Oh…yes, please.” Ducking her head in embarrassment, the man deeply chuckled before he stepped up beside her and easily grabbed the tin and offered it to her slowly, as though he didn’t want to startle her.

 “Iris,” he began carefully, taking the encounter very slowly. Did she look like a frightened animal? Those whiskey eyes finally looked up at him, the soft rose in her usually pale cheeks making his smile grow. “I believe I have you at a disadvantage. My name’s Luke,” he introduced, holding his hand out to her. Iris dropped the tin into her basket and reached out to shake his hand as a timid smile touched her lips.

 “Nice to meet you, Luke.”

 “That looks heavy,” he commented as he motioned to the basket. “Give it here, Sweetie. Barry’ll have my hide if I make you carry that.” Surprise must have shown on her face, because another laugh sounded from him as he gently extracted the basket from her hold. “He makes sure we all stay in line, and he’s absolutely smitten with you.”

 He must have enjoyed watching Iris blush because he was on a roll at this point. “Well, do I need to bring up that you were following me or is this a coincidence?” Iris retorted, courage in her words showing more confidence than she actually felt.

 Luke, however, seemed greatly amused with her comment and the smile on his face grew. “Rest assured, Sweetie, this is a complete coincidence.” Luke motioned behind, turning the small woman’s attention over to where there was a shopping cart piled with food. “I haven’t done the groceries for a while, so I was forced out today.”

 Amusement flittered across Iris’s face as she took stock of the cart. There was such a mixture of things that it was easy to tell it was for many different people’s preferences. “Wow, that’s a lot of candy,” she commented offhand, noticing the amount of chocolate and sugary goods that were piled at the foot of the cart.

 Luke rubbed the back of his buzzed head bashfully as he nodded in agreement. “I wasn’t given a list, so I kinda just grabbed everything that I’ve seen in the place before. Hedwig’s gunna be running around like a lunatic, though, so Patricia’s gunna kill me when she finds out I bought all this.” The introduction of two new names made Iris look back at him with shining eyes, filled with curiosity.

 “Hedwig and Patricia?” she repeated. The way he spoke about them made Iris all the more curious about the many different personalities within this body. Hedwig sounded like he was much younger than Barry or Luke, and the fact that Patricia was distinctly female was another interesting thought.

 “Yea, they’re quite the pair. You’ll understand when you meet them,” he dodged, looking mildly worried that he had said more than he should. “So, are we finished or do I need to rescue anything else from top shelves for you?” he teased instead, walking them over to the cart that he had stocked full.

 “Nope, coffee was the last thing on my list,” she answered easily. She technically needed more, but she never bought too much at once since she always carried it home. “What about you? As someone as small as me, I can make it easier to get things from the bottom shelf.”

 “Aren’t you clever today? I was just gunna make a stop in the cereal aisle, then I’m off.” Placing her basket of food in the top section of the cart, Luke began to push it as Iris stuttered behind him. Was he actually holding her groceries hostage? “You did offer your help. For all I know, Hedwig’s cereal is on the bottom shelf!”

 “You’re terrible,” she stuttered, hurrying to catch up to him.

 Admittedly, Iris had researched Dissociative Identity Disorder after she had found Dr. Fletcher’s articles and essays on the topic. However, she hadn’t been sure what to expect when it came down to actually meeting someone who had many identities for one body; especially now that she knew for certain that Kevin’s body housed men, woman and possibly children. Barry and Luke were already drastically different, so it made her a mix of excited and nervous to meet the other soulmates that she was sure was ten-fold what normal people felt when meeting their soulmates.

 This was one face, twenty-three different ways.

 The twenty-forth mark hadn’t developed any further since it first appeared, stuck as a blurry one-word mark that looked like a black smudge beneath her collarbone. While thinking of the mark, Iris’s hand came to rub over the spot subconsciously.

 “Hey, you alright?”

 Luke’s sudden question drew Iris from her thoughts as she looked up at the concerned blue eyes that were level with hers. She’d stopped walking mid-aisle and was staring into space, prompting Luke to turn around and bend in front of her so they were the same height. “Yea, sorry,” she mumbled out while dropping her hand from the mark. “Just got lost in my thoughts for a second; I used to worry that I was…broken, or there was some kind of mistake with my marks and I would never actually meet any of my soulmates. Now, in little more than a week, I’ve met two of you and learned the truth of why I have so many. It’s very…”

 “Overwhelming?” Luke supplied with a soft look of understanding in his eyes; seeing that look relieved the tension that had built in Iris as her thoughts progressed.

 “Yea,” she breathed.  “But I am happy, so that definitely makes it worth it.”

 Luke’s expression immediately brightened before he was reaching for Iris’s hand, tugging her after him as he made for the cereal aisle. Iris went silently this time, her expression growing soft as Luke began to rant about how much he hated when he was the one who had to go and get groceries. She listened closely the entire time, wanting to absorb all of the information that she could about the alters.

 “And Barry, love the guy, but he is so picky,” he groaned, snatching box of Lucky Charms—even though it was on the bottom shelf and he had to bend to get it. Iris was half surprised that he hadn’t followed through and made her get anything that was lower on the shelves.

 “He didn’t seem picky when I was with him,” she admitted, “But I’m not the one who’s lived with him so long,” she added a moment later, absentmindedly adjusting some of the items on the shelves near her—something she’d picked up from all of her years of retail.

 “Lucky you,” Luke retorted with a snort, glancing up and down the aisle as though to make sure that he wasn’t forgetting anything.

 “What about you? If I asked Barry, would he say you were picky?” Iris asked in return, pulling at her sleeves as she glanced back to him. With Barry, she had allowed herself to relax when it came to her marks, but that was in her home. Now, in an open place, it was very different. She wasn’t wearing gloves, so it made things very different about her comfort level and who was looking at the mark on the back of her hand.

 Even if people thought it was her only one, there were still unmarked out there who would be violent or rude toward those with marks.

 Luke didn’t seem to notice the movements, beginning to push the cart—and her basket—toward the cash registers. “Oh, I’ll eat anything,” he admitted with a broad grin. “Patricia’s happy about that, at least when it’s good food; isn’t always happy that I’ll go for just about any junk food out there.”

 “I don’t blame her,” Iris admitted. “Please tell me you don’t eat fast-food.”

 Turning to look at him with a slightly desperate look in her eyes, Luke opened his mouth as though to deny it, but then snapped his jaw shut and looked away sheepishly. Iris’s eyebrow quirked up as she paused at the end of the aisle, while stepping aside as an older woman squeezed past them to get into the cereal section.

 “Only sometimes,” he finally admitted quietly, peaking at her from the corner of his eye.

 “Mhm,” Iris hummed in understanding, though still sounding doubtful. “Barry might be picky but you’re junky,” she blamed, pointing at him while turning the corner to continue on without him. Luke’s jaw dropped as she walked away, somehow not having expected her to actually tease him. As someone who had run off when Barry first met her, he hadn’t thought she would be so comfortable with the rest of them right off the bat.

 Following after her, he fought a smile as he saw a flash of her true colours. She was definitely a quiet person and much more timid than either him or Barry, but there was a bold streak within her that he definitely wanted to see more often.

 Glancing down at the basket of her things that was still sitting at the front of his cart, Luke wondered if that was really enough for her. She’d told Barry that she didn’t have any food left in her apartment, and this sure as hell didn’t seem like enough to fill a kitchen. Knowing as little about her as he did, he could definitely say she was a practical person, so she was probably only getting enough to get by that she could manage to carry.

 He barely knew her, she was very new to having people to rely on, so he wouldn’t say anything about her meager shopping. There was a specific way she was used to doing things. Barry had said that she may seem underweight, but she was actually just really skinny; her arm was rather muscular beneath the skin. Looking at her, he found it somewhat hard to believe, but Barry wasn’t known to lie. Sometimes, he was brutally honest.

 When he turned the corner to find Iris, she was standing in front of a display of flowers that were already prepared in individual bouquets. Her fingers traced over the petals of one, feeling the silky texture as she looked over the pale violet of the bloom. He didn’t even know what the flower was, looked like some kind of daisy, but it brought a smile to Iris’s lips as she took in the details and feel of the delicate plant.

 “Any chance your favourite flower is an Iris?” he asked as he came up behind her, leaning over her shoulder to see the flower arrangement better.

 The woman in question laughed, releasing the bloom from between her fingers. “No, I think those flowers look rather strange, if I’m being honest. I used to like lilies most when I was younger, but then I successfully grew marigolds and they kinda got a special place in my heart.”

 “Aw, still room for the rest of us, I hope,” he teased, leaning on the handle of the cart.

 Iris’s cheeks flushed at the question while she looked back at him over her shoulder; even leaning as he was he still had a couple of inches on her. “No one else is so close to me,” she answered softly, looking up at him with those whiskey eyes. It damn near melted his heart. “I was made your soulmate for a reason. Maybe that’s why my heart’s been kept empty for so long; to provide more room for more people in my future.”

 Luke’s expression softened as he just watched her for a moment. There wasn’t heartbreak or sadness in her expression as she spoke of her lack of family, or love in her life, but it still pained him to know that she’d been alone for so long. Barry had chosen not to share all that he knew with everyone, saying that it was her story to tell. And in time, when she met them, she would tell them, too. So, Luke only knew basics, but it was easy to know that someone with her timidity and fear had been through hell. Abused by parents, as Fletcher had suspected, was something they were aware could leave serious damage behind.

 Reaching out for her, Luke wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew in her against his chest. Iris looked surprised at the suddenness of the action, her head tipped back to look him in the eye. “Sweetheart, I promise your heart will never be empty again.”

 Her somber expression faded with a smile as she leaned into him just slightly, accepting his embrace. “I’m coming to understand that truth.”

 Giving her another tight squeeze, pulling her in close to his chest as her tiny form nearly disappeared into his leather jacket. “So, let’s go check out,” he offered instead, not one to stick to serious topics if he could help it.

 Nodding in agreement, Iris stepped reluctantly away from him.

 Luke and Barry may have shared a body, but they definitely were different people. Even their smell was different, and she knew that it wasn’t because of differing brands of cologne. Barry had smelled clean, like crisp clothing and a fresh shower. Luke had more of a musky smell to him, like leather and wood-smoke. It was an interesting comparison, yet it suited their personalities perfectly as well.

 Luke didn’t let her wonder too far away from him, instead he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and drew her in closer to his side as he pushed the cart with one hand. Even though a blush warmed Iris’s cheeks, she was relieved to be near. Being with to a soulmate was the greatest comfort she could ever have; that anyone could have.

 “You stay close to me, Sweetie—you’re so tiny someone could carry you away from me.” Somehow, Iris wasn’t surprised that he combined a tease with a protective action and statement. Even having only been around him for a few minutes, the backwards complement/tease was right up his alley.

 “I haven’t blown away by wind yet, so I’m sure I’ll be okay,” Iris teased back. The laugh that she received in response warmed her heart and had a smile blooming across her face.

 Luke smirked down at her and squeezed her shoulders as he parroted, “Yet.”

 “Oh, shush you,” she laughed, nudging his side with her elbow as she turned her attention ahead of them to see which of the check-out lanes was free, or almost free. “Come on, so I can have my groceries back.”

 “I dunno, those crackers are calling to me, I might have to-”

 Before he could even grab them from the basket, Iris’s small hand snapped up and slapped the back of his with surprising force. He jerked back and stopped walking as he looked down at the small woman in shock—the back of his hand actually stung slightly with the suddenness of her slap, and the force behind it. Her cheeks were still flushed but there was a faint upturn to her lips that made her look like she was smirking coyly.

 “No touching my crackers.”

 “Yes, Ma’am.”

 Luke was definitely looking forward to knowing Iris better over time; and if how relaxed Barry had been when he’d returned the night before had been any indication, she was going to be good for all of them. Her judgement of his food already reminded him of Patricia, but much less…scary. Even though her eyes held a haunting past in them, he was sure that they were all going to make one big weird, perfect family. Hedwig was already spending most of his time out of the light raving about her, but they all knew that he wouldn’t meet her until she was comfortable enough to come to their home—body of a man or not, they would never allow a nine-year-old boy out on his own. Regardless of how badly he wanted to meet Iris.

 “Although, I may have to hold your groceries hostage a little while longer,” Luke continued a moment later, pulling himself back to reality as he snatched Iris’s basket before she could.

 “What?” the small woman stuttered in surprise; she had not been expecting him to continue the whole charade now that they were checking out.

 “Until I have safely walked you home, I will not let you have your groceries.”

 Iris frowned faintly at him. “I can’t let you do that, Luke. You have a ton of things yourself, and I’m just down the block. I’ve done this a million times before.” Her eyes scanned over the cart, knowing that Luke was going to have several more bags than her and as strong as he seemed, she didn’t want to cause any trouble for the man.

 “Well, good thing I was planning on calling a cab—and Barry spilled the beans, I know that your place is near that little café that Jade loves, which means you’re on my way home. So, we’ll take a cab and both of us are saved from that.” As he finished speaking, he pointed to the front window of the store. Iris followed the direction of his finger and gasped at the sight of the absolute downpour that was happening outside. The few people out there had umbrellas or bags over their heads and they were madly rushing for the nearest cover. It was enough that she nearly missed his mention of another name. Jade.

 “Oh, no,” she grumbled, already dreading the simple thought of walking through that.

 “By that tone, I’m guessing I win,” Luke whispered dramatically, bent forward so that he was right next to her ear. Iris sighed while her shoulders dropped, defeated. “Ha! Victory!” he called, celebrating.

 Iris couldn’t help but to laugh at his antics, shaking her head while she moved forward to place a divider on the cashier’s belt, then reach out for her basket with a strict, no nonsense look that was usually reserved for rowdy children that were brought into her store. Luke grinned somewhat sheepishly and finally returned her basket so that she could empty it out onto the belt, placing another divider to separate their things.

 The simple, everyday routine allowed them both to relax after the initial excitement of meeting. Luke had nearly fled the aisle when he’d first seen her, having thought that there was no possible way that it could really be her. He’d never had such amazing luck before, but it seemed that it was finally his time because she’d been just as Barry had told them.

 The mark on the back of her hand, and the trace of another on her wrist like Fletcher and Barry had explained, just confirmed everything.

 Iris, on the other hand, was already reeling from having spent time with one soulmate, who even slept over at her apartment, and now she was meeting another. It almost made her dizzy, especially since they wore the same face but had such differing styles and personalities. It made her wonder if it would get easier with each of the identities, or if she would always feel that strange mix of familiarity and nervousness that boiled over into timid excitement when she met them.

 “Oh, yea,” Iris stuttered a moment, before she rattled off her address. It was only a few minutes down the road, but the downpour that was pelting the car was a pretty good excuse for taking the cab.

 She’d barely finished telling the driver when Luke opened the door on Iris’s other side, sliding in as quickly as he could to avoid further rain. It was rather useless, however, because he was already soaked to the bone from the few short moments he had been in it. “Wow, cats and dogs,” he gasped as he shook his head, water trailing down his face. At least his leather jacket had prevented the rain from getting to his shirt and making it all the more uncomfortable for him.

 The driver pulled away from the curb in that instant, jolting Iris to nearly slide into the door. “You’re dripping everywhere,” Iris mumbled, reaching out to catch a raindrop that was a moment away from dripping off his nose. “I hope your door is close to the curb,” she added on, glancing out the window at the rush of water that was caused by the heavy rain and wind.

 “Yea, not really,” Luke reluctantly admitted. “But, I’ve done this before,” he assured with a smile, bringing out his dimples. “Not in an all-out downpour, though.”

 “I’d been hoping I would beat the rain. That didn’t really happen.”

 “Bet you’re happy you ran into me?” he prodded with a teasing smirk. Iris huffed a laugh as she reluctantly nodded. She couldn’t imagine having to walk home while it was pouring rain outside. That paled in comparison to her having met her second soulmate in little more than a week. She never thought that it would happen so quickly.

 She wanted to say a bit more to him, to express her happiness about meeting him, but it concerned her that they were in a car with someone they didn’t know, even if he was the driver. Before she had any further time to think on the matter, the car slowed to a stop at the curb outside of Iris’s building. The familiar white stones were her only warning before the driver glanced back at the two of them, as though silently bidding her out.

 “I’ll help you,” Luke immediately offered, giving no room for Iris to argue before he had popped open the door and slipped out with her bag of groceries in hand. The small woman stuttered in surprise, getting a muffled chuckle from the driver as he quickly diverted his attention to the front window again.

 “Thank you for the ride,” Iris called up to him, her voice still timidly quiet before she turned to the door as Luke opened it for her.

 “I’ll be just a second,” Luke assured the man before he helped Iris from her seat and helped her to rush for the entrance of her building, a supportive hand against her back while the other carried her bag. “I’m real happy I met you, Iris,” he said as he leaned down to her level and tightened his arm around her waist. “Everyone else is gunna be jealous; I got to meet our soulmate.”

 “Don’t brag too much,” Iris warned with an answering smile. Taking her bag from him and wrapping another arm around his shoulders, making Luke lean down to her height so that she could hold onto him more easily. “I’m happy I met you, too, Luke. Get home safe.”

 “Promise,” he mumbled back, leaning against the crook of her neck for a moment. Then he was pulling away, taking the warmth of his body from Iris as he stepped back, and rushed to the cab that was waiting patiently for him. Iris lingered at the door long enough to wave him off, then stepped into her building quickly to escape the chill.

 Slipping into the stairwell, she was left with a smile brightening her features as she steadily climbed up to the top floor. One of her neighbours was making their way down passed Iris on her way from the second-floor entrance, giving her a strange look when she realized that Iris was smiling. There were very few people in the building that had actually met Iris, rushing or hiding as she normally was while inside.

 The look of bewilderment wasn’t even enough to dampen her happy mood or expression, letting the woman step into her warm apartment as her smile remained. The fatigue of the morning had faded, leaving her to thrum with energy as she routinely put her groceries away before moving over to the small bookshelf that held some of the textbooks she liked to read slowly. Because of the lack of sleep from having run from Barry, she hadn’t even been able to find the interest to pick them up let alone take the time to read them.

 Singing softly beneath her breath, Iris placed the book on the counter and began the process of making a tea. The coffee she’d purchased was calling her name, but it was already too late in the day for her to submit to that desire otherwise she would be awake the entire night. Having met her soulmate assured her that she would be sleeping better, but it would be for naught if she drank a cup of caffeine.

 Once her tea was finished, Iris pushed her pillows up against the headboard of her bed and shuffled around a moment to get comfortable. Just as she was about to crack open the history book she’d steadily been going through, her cellphone pinged from the nightstand to her left. Stretching over to retrieve it, the small notification of a new email made her blink in confusion and tap on the little icon.

 At the top of her email list, Barry was written in bold in the subject line, signalling it as unread. Iris’s lips twitched with a repressed smile as she quickly selected the email and waited as patiently as she could for the page to load. Barry had given her his email instead of a cellphone number, explaining that it was easier for each of the personalities to have a personal email account rather than a cellphone for each of them. They had one main phone that was registered in Kevin’s name, mostly used as a means of emailing rather than texting or calling.

 Immediately, the first sentence made her laugh once the page had loaded.

 Luke won’t shut up. He only got home a few minutes ago and I think at least one person is debating on smothering him with a pillow. I hope he wasn’t too energetic; he’s always been a bit more on the rowdy side. I am glad that he didn’t let you walk home in the rain, though.

 Iris found herself smiling as she read along, the happiness that came with the simple method of communication surprising her. There were few things that could brighten her mood so easily, so this was yet another thing about the soulmarks that were changing her life very suddenly, and very drastically.

 I’m real glad that you got to meet him, though. Luke would do just about anything for someone if they asked. And you, Iris, deserve only the best.

 I’ll talk to you again soon; have a nice day off tomorrow!

 -Barry

 Iris licked at her lips nervously while leaning back into her pillows comfortably, tapping on the reply icon and staring at the blank page in thought. She had no idea whether she was supposed to answer back about Luke or not, since Barry had assured her that he wouldn’t tell the others anything personal that she had told him unless it was what she wanted. He wanted her to tell them only when she was ready, just like what she had done with him.

 Was talking about her time with Luke appropriate when she was speaking with another soulmate?

 Sighing softly, she decided that pushing aside her second-thoughts and overthinking had worked for her so far, so she could continue to do so.

 Good evening, Barry. I hope he’s not getting on everyone’s nerves too badly; although, he did seem quite excited about bragging rights. I think it was his way of getting back for having to do the groceries—which, by the way, you might want to hide some of because there was an awful lot of sugar in that cart.

 Please thank him again for me about the ride home, I definitely would not have enjoyed walking through that storm, even if it’s only a few blocks. If you guys keep this up, you’re going to spoil me.

 I promise I’ll enjoy my day off. Have a great shift, and get a good night’s sleep!

 -Iris

 Hitting send before she could let doubt creep in, Iris released the breath that she had been holding as she reread her message for any errors. Her phone alerted her that her message had been sent and she let herself drop the phone onto the mattress and turn away from it, knowing that there was no going back. There was no reason for her to second-guess the message; it was simple, friendly, and polite.

 Retrieving the book she had put aside, Iris allowed herself to relax into the pillows again as the happiness from meeting Luke was joined with the content feeling of having heard from Barry.

 Barry’s expression was soft as he read Iris reply, his footsteps carrying him to the kitchen as he moved the email into his ‘Iris’ file, wanting to keep her messages private from the rest of his work/Fletcher related emails. Entering the kitchen with a smile as he slipped the phone into the back pocket of his pants, he moved over to one cabinet that usually housed their snacks and let out a laugh when he was faced with a shelf full of chocolate, chips, and other assorted candies.

 “Luke, you suck at this, man,” he mumbled to himself and began taking some of the packages out. He’d have to hide them temporarily and let Patricia know, she’d be a lot better at hiding them than him. A ping on his phone drew him to pause, however, and he immediately drew it out to see if Iris had perhaps sent him another email after the first.

 Instead, Dr. Fletcher’s name in the subject line relaxed his excitement as he selected the unopened email, reading over the simple message that she had sent, hoping him and Iris well and confirming that he was going to show up for their next session. She also asked if he would like for her to invite Iris over for another meeting with her; she was offering to better explain D.I.D to her.

 Barry leaned against the counter as he looked down at the phone, contemplating whether or not he wanted for her to learn about their disorder from another person.

 However, that was not up to him. Iris was a smart woman, she was probably already researching about the disorder on the internet. Typing back a quick response that said it was up to Iris, not him, he returned to his original task of hiding the sweets before Hedwig took the light and binged on them for the better part of the evening.

 Heading for his room afterword, he made sure to set his alarm to be awake in time for work, Barry settled down at his desk as he pulled one of his larger sketchbooks over to him. This one in particular he always kept away from the others, and never showed to Fletcher.  It was his personal sketchbook, one that housed the faces of the alters, or the animals that he drew at the zoo. This sketchbook didn’t have any of the dresses or other articles of clothing that he normally drew.

 Flipping to a fresh page, the previous one housing a drawing of the tiger that he had done from the zoo, Barry pulled his tin of pencils closer to him and selected a simple 2H. It would be easier for him if there was a picture or the real thing to look at, but there was still a strong image of her in his mind. And Luke, too, had seen her. Somehow, that seemed to strengthen the memory of her.

 Beginning with the outline, basic shapes of her hair and face; he made sure to get the correct angle of her cheekbones and the deep set of her eyes. He almost wanted to rush through the prep-work, just so he could get into the details of her eyes, her hair, her lips. He wanted to begin giving her true justice, but to rush through the beginning stages would hinder his work on the overall portrait.

 He used the memory of her from their morning, smiling to him as she sat beside him while they were eating breakfast. Her hair had been slightly mussed from sleep, yet to be brushed, and the shadows from lack of sleep had lessoned drastically from the one solid night.

 Once he was certain that he had gotten all of her angles correct, he pulled out a B pencil and began to work on the shading instead. Iris’s eyes were the first thing that he started to work on, filling in the soft shadows around her eyes from how deeply set they were, darkening the crease from her eyes being open, and starting along the line of her eyelashes.

 Starting from those mesmerizing eyes, she was beginning to come to life on the page.

 If they weren’t so new to one another, he’d have asked her if he could take her picture before he’d left.

 Barry wasn’t sure for how long he worked, but it was well past midnight when he finally put the last of his pencils back into the metal case from which he had gotten them. Iris’s portrait was finished, her timid smile just as he remembered, when Barry finally leaned back and propped the sketchbook up to get a proper look at it.

 Smiling in satisfaction, he wondered briefly if he should use her as a model for his later drawings. She didn’t have to wear the clothes, but he could design them in a way that they would fit someone of her tiny frame.

 Her thin arms and delicate joints were attractive in the proper clothing. It broke his heart to see her wearing the baggy, oversized clothes that hid her marks—and her form. She was left to swim in the clothing that she wore, hanging past her hands and draping at her shoulders. He’d only seen her in a few different outfits, the first time having been obscured by her coat, and he remembered that her shirts and sweaters almost always went down to mid-thigh.

 It made him wish he could see her in high pants, accentuating her thin waist, and a tucked in blouse that would show off her arms—which were not nearly as weak as they appeared.

 Selecting a piece of tracing people, Barry tucked it gently between the pages and covered over the drawing he had just done. He didn’t want it smudging from closing and opening the book, and he was fresh out of fixative spray that would prevent any damage from touch. He didn’t want to tarnish the drawing of her, if only because it was Iris, not some random woman that he had decided he wanted to draw because of their attractive bone structure.

 Iris’s bone structure put everyone else’s to shame, of course.

 Tucking the sketchbook back into place on the shelf, he sighed softly when he glanced at the alarm clock next to his bed. He couldn’t bring himself to regret staying up to finish her drawing, but he knew that it was going to come back to bite him in the ass when he had to get ready for work in the morning. As much as he’d rather sleep in, enjoying a fitful sleep for the first time in a week, he knew he’d have to get out of bed when the alarm went off.

 And then, after his shift was over, the light would be passed to someone else for the rest of the evening. He wasn’t sure who, yet, but he knew that he couldn’t keep denying Dennis and Patricia for much longer. He’d kept them from the light for the past two months after they’d convinced Hedwig of the fictional being they had created, and he could tell they were starting to get antsy to be back in the light.

 He figured they must have learned their lesson, since they hadn’t mentioned the Beast to anyone since Barry had reprimanded them for putting such beliefs in a child’s head. And Hedwig, desperate for the approval of the others, had lapped up their stories like a sponge.

 Dr. Fletcher had gotten Hedwig to draw the Beast after he had rushed into an explanation of it. Barry had mentioned his concern in the previous session, so when Hedwig went in for the next one she had immediately begun the slow, delicate process of calming him and coaxing out the information that they sought. Barry’s main concern was that Hedwig was growing closer to Patricia and Dennis, especially after their tales of the Beast subtly scaring the boy into favouring them, and Hedwig was the only identity in Kevin’s body that was capable of stealing the light from Barry whenever he wanted.

 Hedwig had never disobeyed Barry before Patricia’s whispered stories, her quiet promises of protection from the Beast, of praise for his work when he went against Barry.

 They had not been rewarded for their behaviour, and Barry only hoped that the problem was now behind them. As much as he appreciated what Dennis had been able to do for Kevin when he was younger, taking over to make sure that everything was where it should be and hopefully protect them from a punishing beating, he did not know what to do with the man that Dennis was becoming.

 Sighing softly as he began the routine process of changing into his clothes for the night, Barry tried to push the concerns from his mind.

 They had met Iris now, and he only hoped that having her around meant that they would stay on their best behaviour in order to be able to meet her. She was someone who was delicate and sweet, too fragile for stories about a Beast that lived in the train yard. It was his greatest hope that Iris could draw them back to the peaceful, safe memories they had made together—leaving behind the nightmarish tales of the Beast.

 She needed them to be safe, to be loved and welcomed with absolute devotion. They could not offer devotion to something else and their soulmate, as they were meant to do.