#mxmxf

He had to have been the string across the Atlantic. The one who almost died.

Glancing higher, you were met with soft brown eyes; the kind that makes you feel warmth. There was another emotion there, one you couldn’t put words to, at least not yet. He was dressed in scrubs, with a lightweight hoodie on over them, a gold chain peeking out of his shirt collar. Your eyes locked on an ID badge still clipped to him. He was a doctor, a doctor at the same hospital that had hired you, PMTC. Somehow, that information had grounded you, pulling you out of the initial shock of your strings forming a glowing triangle.

“Um, hi?” you said hesitantly, trying not to immediately embarrass yourself, your face already warming under their combined gaze. Fuck, you knew you’d find your soulmates attractive, people rarely didn’t, but at a glance they were the definition of your type. From the stubble and grey curls of the veteran to the slight greying of the beard on the doctor, and his size compared to yours. It all, it all made you feel something. You tried to ignore the spark in your core from being near them. While it was perfectly normal for a soulmate greeting, it still made you feel a rush of embarrassment on the back of your neck.

“Hey,” the doctor exhaled, like a weight had been lifted off his chest. He gazes down at you with a warm smile, misty-eyed. His smile lines and crow’s feet widened your smile. You had always found creases that represented a life lived beautiful. When you glanced to your left, the soldier was already looking at you, seemingly done sizing you up.  

“I’m Jack,” he quipped before nodding to his left, “He’s Robby.”

It took you a second to process what he was saying, too caught up trying to quell your nerves. You quickly supplied your name, stumbling through it.

There was a beat of silence before your anxiety spiked again.

“Do you want to come in?” You asked, always a nervous talker. You stepped aside; they glanced at each other fleetingly before moving into your apartment.

“Sorry about the mess, I’ve only been in the city for-”

“Three hours?” The doctor, no, Robby supplied. “I noticed Jack and your strings overlapped at around 3ish.”

“Is that why you got off your shift on time?” Jack asked, quirking a brow.

“Yeah, but I was discreet, no one noticed outside of Dana,” Robby replied.

“You mean Dana was the only one to call you out?” Jack said, telling more than asking.

“I-Yeah, no that,” he sighed, running a hand down his face and took a breath, “That’s probably more accurate,”

“What department do you work in?” you asked.

“We both work in the emergency department.” Jack answered, “Attendings.”

You nodded, trying to school your face, as you debated if it was a good idea to tell them now that you’d be in the same hospital for work. You knew as soon as you told them your occupation that it’d click anyway. Their hospital was the closest to this apartment building, and this apartment building was the most affordable option in the immediate vicinity.

“What do you do for work?” Robby asked, segueing away from what, based on their tone, seemed to be a touchy subject.

“Oh, I’m an art therapist.” You answered, “I actually start PMTC on Monday.”

They shared a look that you couldn’t quite nail down. Hopefully it wasn’t anything bad.

“What department will you work in?” Jack asked.

“From what was explained to me, I would be flexing in different departments based on patient needs. Primarily, I’d be in the behavioral unit, inpatient rehabilitation, and pediatrics.” You answered. “While I start on Monday, I’m actually going to be going in tomorrow to get a tour and orientation so that I can hit the ground running on my first official day.”

“Okay,” Jack said, Robby and Jack shared another look, before letting out a breath/sigh. Normally, you wouldn’t pry, but the combination of your nervous mouth and quick observations had you blurting out your conclusion before entirely thinking it through.

“They don’t know about you two being soulmates, do they?” You asked. They shared yet another look, “Okay, you two need to knock it off with the looks.” You sighed, slightly frustrated, “I know we literally just met, and you don’t know me, but I’m not one to judge. I’d appreciate it if you’d let me into what’s going on so we can form a plan and set healthy boundaries.”

“Okay,” Robby replied, while Jack just nodded. Despite your age gap, it seemed like you were on equal footing, that being you were all equally at a loss.

“Are either of you hungry?”  You offered, hoping that a mild distraction would help make the talk go smoother.

“Have you already gone shopping?” Robby asked, confused.

“Oh, no, I just got way too much Thai takeout. I actually got so much to justify not going shopping til I’m unpacked.” You confessed with a laugh. Robby smiled in return, while Jack’s lip twitched, like he wasn’t all the way there yet to commit to fully taking off his mask. You smiled despite that. If your career had taught you anything, it was not to rush it. You could meet him where he’s at, at least for now. They both followed to the kitchen, not straying farther than an arm’s length away. You made quick work of unpacking the food. You were happy you got a soda and water bottles on the side to make packing it tomorrow easier. You heard a faint huff of a laugh behind you as you pulled out the third entrée.

“What?” you asked, giving Jack side-eye,

“Nothing, I just didn’t figure that you’d be feeding yourself and a small army.” He said, a smirk pulling at his lips.

“I may have been a little hungry when I was ordering.” You admitted pulling out an appetizer of dumplings and finally some Thai spring rolls, causing both of them to laugh, “Okay, maybe very hungry.” You said in your defense.

“I can see that,” Jack replied, smirk now fully present.

“Shut up,” you said, before he could comment as you pulled out five sets of plastic cutlery.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he answered, teasingly causing you to now be the flustered one.

“Are you ever gonna put on your shirt?” you said, trying to segue into something less embarrassing.

“Are you?” he shot back, causing you to pause and look down at your outfit.

“I’m wearing a shirt,” you said with a quirked brow, gesturing down at your crop top.

“Yeah, but it’s missing the other 60%,” he responded, taking a seat at your kitchen table, before sliding his shirt on.

You jokingly over dramatically rolled your eyes, before tossing him a water bottle and making a plate for him that he dictated from his spot, leaning his crutches against the table.

“Did you build all of this?” Robby asked, gesturing to your couch, coffee table, and TV.

“Oh, no, I just used a handyman that my friend Cleo knows. He was like half the rate of the guy the building manager suggested. Technically, my move-in date was last weekend, so he was able to assemble all the furniture over the past week, and he also helped me set up the TV and Wi-Fi. Which I’m grateful for because I’m terrible when it comes to tech stuff.” You answered, settling up next to Jack at the table.

“And all the plastic boxes?” Jack asked as Robby sat down across the table from you.

“Oh, since I was moving across the state from Philly, I hired movers. They use reusable boxes as a motivator to unpack everything. You pay a flat rate for two weeks, and then there’s a fine that gets added for every day you’re over. Which I definitely need. I was still finding boxes from the last time I moved when I was packing my apartment up.” You answered.

“Next time we move, you’re in charge,” Robby declared, before taking a large bite of one of the spring rolls. Only to stop mid-bite after realizing the implications of what he just said.

“I-I mean-” he tries to get out around the large bite, causing you to laugh.

“It’s okay, I know what you meant,” you said with a light smile. Jack bumps his shoulder into yours, drawing your attention.

“Next time let him sweat more,” Jack comments with a smirk, “He’s pretty when he blushes.”

“He could’ve choked,” you pointed out as Robby finally swallows his bite and takes a large swig of water.

“Never said he wouldn’t,” Jack paused to take a sip of his own water, “but for the record, he’s equally pretty when he chokes. You’ll never hear me complain about the sounds he makes.”

Robby choked on his water at the implication, causing a whine to pull from his throat, before he started coughing. Jack’s smirk widened. Your face heats up at how casual Jack is with it, especially considering they weren’t even out at work. But then again, you are their soulmate. Normally, you were apprehensive when men cop an attitude like that; it almost always felt like they were overcompensating. But Jack felt different, his personal brand of cockiness seemed earned; like he could back up his smugness in an instant. You wish he’d reel it in, though, as a flourish of warmth sparked in your core. It didn’t help that you were practically touching, to the point that you could feel the heat radiating off of him. You cleared your throat and took a beat to build up the courage to continue your talk, heart palpitating.

“So, does anyone else you know aware that you’re romantic soulmates?” you asked.

“Only Dana and Jack’s therapist,” Robby said, glancing at Jack for confirmation. he nodded in response.

“Whose Dana?” you asked.

“She’s the charge nurse on day shifts.” Robby started, “She’s also our friend, but even if she wasn’t, she’s smart enough to figure it out.”

“Do you both work day shifts?” you asked.

“No, I’m on nights. I just have today off, normally I’m Robby’s relief.” Jack replied.

“Is that on purpose to keep up appearances?” you asked.

“It doesn’t hurt, but I’ve always preferred nights, and he prefers days. If there’s short staffing or an emergency, we normally work together.” Jack explained, and you nodded as you took another bite, trying to process everything to set up the best system. While you still yearned to be close to them, to the extent that Robby across the table from you felt too far, you didn’t want them to out themselves at work if they weren’t ready.

“So, if I’m ever in the emergency department, I should act like I don’t know either of you?” you asked, causing a silent pause to wash over the table. This time, you let go of them, glancing at each other before responding. It was a loaded question. You shifted nervously in your seat at the lack of response, before giving them reassurance.

“I’m okay with it for now if that’s what you’re worried about.” You said, “I just met both of you, but I know the dynamics of working in an environment like an emergency department is crucial to best serve people. Throwing off that rhythm can cost lives. I just want us to nail down a plan now so we’re all on the same page.”

“Jesus,” Robby exhales the breath, a look of admiration on his face as he meets your eyes, “How are you only 33?”

You tilt your head slightly, confusion clear on your face. Prompting Robby to continue.

“I could never dream of being that emotionally intelligent at your age,” he clarified, “Fuck, not to date myself, but with a 13-year head start I only pull that off half the time.”

Jack hummed in agreement, a small absent-minded smile gracing his lips when he looked at you.

“How do you know how old I am?” you asked, confused.

“That’s when the second sting appeared,” Robby answered, before continuing, “I was at temple for Yom Kippur, September 18th, 1991. It felt fitting on the day of atonement to receive another motivation to better myself.”

“It was a Wednesday, around 3, I had just been dismissed from school for the day and was in the locker room changing for football practice. When I held my helmet in my hands, I only had one string, and then after putting it on and adjusting it, I had two.” Jack added, mirroring Robby’s look.

“Oh,” you answered, slightly embarrassed. Of course, since you were the youngest, the strings have always been there for you.

“I’m only two years older than Jack, so I don’t remember a time when his string wasn’t there.” Robby explained, “It makes sense for you not to think about that if they’ve always been standard for you.”

Jack nodded in agreement, but that didn’t help the heart palpitations from your nervousness.

“So,” you said, attempting to get the conversation back on track, “We’re going with the plan that we act like we don’t know each other?”

“Maybe we can go with that, you’re our new neighbor?” Jack said, “It’d be an easy excuse if we wanted to walk you home, or why we know you at a base level.”

“Do they know you two moved in together?” You asked, curious about what was and was not known to the ED.

“They think we just moved in together since we have opposite schedules to save on rent,” Robby explained.

“Oh, so you have two bedrooms set up?” you asked, knowing that your one bedroom on the corner of the building was cheaper than other units.

“Yeah, don’t use it, but it’s there.” Jack nodded.

“Okay.” You nodded to yourself, “So no soulmate talk, other than to Dana if she asks?”

“Yeah,” Robby said. Jack nodded in agreement.

“K, outside of my brother Ben, and my friend Cleo, no one I currently know knows I have 2-strings. My parents ingrained it in me to only say I have 1.” You added.

“You have a brother?” Robby asked.

“Yeah, he’s my twin. He lives in London with my brother-in-law Dante, and their five-month-old son named Atlas.” You clarified. “Do either of you have siblings?”

“No,” Jack answered, before adding, “We both aren’t close to either of our remaining family members.

“I am close with my ex-girlfriend’s son, Jake. Her name is Janey. While we were dating, Jake and I got close to the extent that we agreed it’d be detrimental to him to cut me out when we split. He’s not close with his bio-dad.”

“Oh, so you filled that role?” you asked, with a smile. Robby found himself also smiling in return. Your tone was neutral and judgment-free, and you genuinely wanted to learn about him. Despite the importance of your conversation, talking to you was easy. He knew you were soulmates, but your warmth filled a part of him he wasn’t aware he needed. It was like his heart had expanded more to now be fully filled with the love blossoming in his chest. He hadn’t felt this sensation since meeting Jack. He was only pulled back to reality by the tilt of your head, waiting for a response.

“Y-yeah, I guess I did.” He nodded bashfully. Your smile widened at the blush developing on his face. Jack was right, he was pretty when he blushed.

“Jake’s a good kid,” Jack added. Your heart rate sped up again as he rested his arm on the back of your chair. Not touching, but close enough to satisfy the urge to hold you.

“Are you close with any family outside of Ben?” Jack asked.

“Oh, no, actually Ben and I went no contact almost a decade ago with our parents. They weren’t on board with his ‘lifestyle choices’; they blamed Dante for putting ideas in his head.” You sighed.

“That’s terrible, at least you had each other,” Robby said. Jack nodded, his jaw clenched and unclenched.

“I mean, yeah, it did at first, but in retrospect, we had been dealing with our parents’ discriminatory mindset our whole lives. It was just time to move on. The fucked-up part is that our parents actually expected me to be on their side.” You started, “I mean, I shared an egg with the guy, how could I not love him unconditionally?”

“You shared an egg with him?” Robby asked, confusion clear in his voice as he attempted to process what you were saying.

“Yeah, we’re identical twins.” You clarified, “Ben’s trans.”

A look of realization flashed on both of their faces at your omission.

“So, your parents weren’t okay with him being trans?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, they never cared about our soulmate(s) gender, you can’t control that. But they did believe that Ben being trans was his choice.” You explained, taking a deep breath to quell the negative emotions that began to well up inside you. You were jerked out of your headspace when Robby lightly gripped your hand and began to rub his thumb soothingly over your knuckles. A small smile graced your lips.

“Ben doesn’t care whether or not people know he’s trans. His biggest goal in life was to become a dad. He sacrificed a lot to achieve that. He had some fertility issues, which in turn meant putting off his own comfort of being able to transition. Atlas is the only reason he hasn’t medically transitioned yet. He’s waiting until he’s done weaning to take that step.” You explained.

“He’s lucky he has a sister like you,” Jack said, leaning his weight against your chair, face inches away from yours. Warmth filled your chest at his opinion.

“I think it’s the opposite, you can thank him for giving me the push to move across the state." You spoke.

“Was that the only reason you moved?” Robby asked.

“There were a few factors. I had a bad breakup twoish months ago, but I’ve wanted to get out of the city for longer. I applied for jobs across the northeast; I was actually between a job here and in Boston. I only ended up here because my friend Cleo lives here.” You explained.

“How bad was the breakup?” Jack asked.

“Pretty bad. She had been cheating on me for the majority of our close to two-year relationship, before I caught her and her ‘platonic’ soulmate in the act. Apparently, that’s just a fucked-up routine they have to ‘spice up’ their sex life. On top of that, she rubbed salt in the wound by saying she was only with me out of pity, because I was too old not to have found my soulmate yet.” You answered. Robby’s grip tightened in your hand, and Jack had inadvertently pulled your chair closer, knuckles white from his grip on your chair.

“And what was her name?” Jack asked.

“And address,” Robby tacked on.

“Social security wouldn’t hurt,” Jack said, jaw clenched.

You began to smile thinking they were joking around, until making eye contact with Robby he looked pissed. Your smile dropped.

Oh, they were serious.

“As much as I appreciate the gesture. I’m more of a forgive-but-remember kind of person. I was just happy I found out before I moved in with her.” You started, “I was also glad Ben was in England, he’s always been overprotective. I just want to be done with it, hence moving here.”

Neither of them seemed satisfied with your dismissal.

“When did you guys move in?” you asked, trying to dodge another bomb in this minefield of a conversation.

“Last weekend,” Robby answered, in an attempted neutral tone, his anger still shining through.

“Are you still in the unpacking phase?” you asked.

“No,” a ghost of a smile on Robby’s face, “took Jack two days to build and organize everything. We’re so efficient that we even had our first argument since moving in.”

“What was it about?” you asked.

“Apparently, I can’t fold clothing,” Robby replied.

“I never said you couldn’t fold clothing. Your attempt at crumpling a t-shirt into a ball was spot on.” Jack responded, and Robby rolled his eyes at him.

“You told me to ranger roll it, and it was a ball. I completed the task.” Robby argued.

“What’s a ranger roll?” you asked.

“It’s a folding technique so the clothing takes up the least amount of space. It’s how I fold clothing for my work bag.” Jack explained, “I use the pinch technique for my clothing going into the dresser.”

“What is a pinch technique?” you asked at a loss.

“Exactly,” Robby said exasperated.

“If you get me a shirt, I can show you,” Jack replied.

“K,” you said, standing up, “Do you want a full shirt or a 40%-er”

A small laugh escaped Jack. “Surprise me.”

You walked to your bedroom, unaware of the two sets of eyes locked on you.

“Fuck,” Robby exhaled.

“She’s better than anything I could have dreamt up,” Jack agreed, “She might be too nice though.”

Robby hummed in agreement. Their quick assessment mirrors their speed and accuracy at work.

“We’ll have to keep an eye on that. I don’t know what I’d do if someone tried to take advantage of her.” Jack said, clenching and unclenching his fist.

“I think we both know what would happen if her ex were here,” Robby commented as you reemerged from your bedroom.

“Agreed,” Jack said, turning to face you. You tossed him an oversized T-shirt. He quirked at the size.

“It’s a sleep shirt,” you answered the unasked question.

“So, your shirts are either normal, 150% too big, or only 40% there?” Jack asked.

“For the most part, I got a few that are less than 15%, but they’re just for going out.” You joked. You laughed at Jack's ‘Are you serious’ face.

“So, how do you do a pinch technique?” you asked. You watched him do it a few times before getting it down. You took a seat as Robby attempted and failed to fold the shirt right.

“Is this what older people do for fun?” you joked. Robby immediately dropped the shirt in a heap, ironically his best attempt yet, before snapping his head up.

“Oh, sweetheart, I know you did not just call us old,” Robby said.

“I know you didn’t call me old.” Jack tacked on, while his tone was stern, he had an amused look in his eyes.

“And if I did?” you asked, teasingly.

“I can think of a few ways we could address it; Jack’s got no patience for brats,” Robby said, straightening up from his leaning position over the table.

“Probably let you off with a warning,” Jack started, smug look returning, “Wouldn’t want a good girl like you to be punished while figuring out your boundaries.”

You bit your inner cheek, trying your hardest to school your face, and not give away the warmth rushing to your face. You weren’t sure if it was just being called a good girl or Jack’s tone, but you could feel the spark in your core returning. Before you could respond, a yawn cut through you. Your eyes widened as you took in the time; what had felt like only minutes with your soulmates had been hours.

“Tired?” Robby asked.

“A bit,” you replied sheepishly, covering your mouth as you let out another yawn.

“When do you go in tomorrow?" Jack asked.

“I’m expected at 0700, I was planning on heading out around 0615 in case I get lost.” You explained.

“I can walk you in if you want. Unless I’m called in earlier, I normally start at 0700 too.” Robby offered.

“That’d be great,” you smiled, fatigue from your cross-state drive finally catching up with you, your eyes beginning to droop.

“Not to be presumptuous, but would you like to sleep over at ours?” Robby asked. You waited for a beat as you internally argued whether it’d be too clingy to want that.

“If it’s okay with both of you, I’d love that,” you replied.

“Of course that’s okay, fuck I think we’d both prefer it,” Robby said, glancing at Jack, who nodded.

“I don’t think I’d be able to sleep without having eyes on you,” Jack answered honestly.

“K, I’m just gonna brush my teeth and change clothing.” You said, pushing yourself back from the table. In what felt like seconds, you found yourself standing pensively at the foot of their king-sized bed. Jack was finishing up his nightly routine when you entered the bedroom. Would it be too presumptuous to think you were sharing the bed? Did they want something more, or were you just going to sleep? Before you could fully spiral, Robby interrupted your internal argument.

“Com’ere,” he said, pulling back the covers, “Do you have a side you prefer sleeping on?”

“Um, would it-would it be okay if I were in the middle?” you asked, looking up at Robby. His brown eyes softened, and a smile bloomed on his face.

“Of course, Honey.” He answered, fully folding back the covers so you could slip in. While you were getting situated, Robby stripped down to his boxers and passed Jack as he disappeared into their bathroom. Jack greeted you with a soft smile as he sat down and leaned his crutches in a nook between the bed and his bedside table. He slipped out of his shirt before maneuvering himself under the covers to face you.

“Is this okay?” he asked, his minty breath washing over your face. You nodded in response.

“Baby, when I ask you a question, I want a verbal answer.” He said gently, but firmly.

“Um, yeah,” you nodded, you could feel his eyes rake over you.

“Are you sure?” he asked again, and you broke eye contact.

“Could we cuddle?” you asked nervously. Jack gently cupped your face, forcing eye contact.

“Of course we can cuddle,” he said with a small smile, before pecking your forehead. Still flustered by the whole conversation, you rolled over facing Robby’s side. Jack’s arm snaked around your waist, pulling you back flush against his warm chest.

“Is this alright?” he asked into your ear. His hot breath fanned out onto the back of your neck. You contained a shiver, before nodding your head.

“Yeah,” you answered quickly, forgetting about the expectation he had just told you.

“Good girl,” he whispered into your ear. Causing your breath to hitch, face heating up once more, these men would be the death of you. A smile spread across Robby’s face when he took you and Jack in as he circled around to his side and slid under the covers.

“Is this okay?” he asked, front flush with yours, one of his long arms wrapped around Jack’s waist behind you.

“Yeah,” you replied quietly. You hid your face in his chest, not to give away how okay you were with it.

“Night,” he said, pecking the crown of your head.

“Night,” you and Jack echoed contently.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Thank you so much for taking the time to read ^-^

Very excited to write about the reader's first time in the Pitt in the next chapter. I'm hyped for them to meet Dana. Hope you're doing well wherever you're at 💛

I will have a master list for this blog made tomorrow, I just need to sleep first lol

She didn't know how she ended up in Gotham, she'd just hopped a bus to get away, get out from under her parent's thumb. It wasn't a nice place, she should have paid closer attention to the glowing red sign stating the location. There was a slight tug on her soul, that ever present tightness when you go without your soulmate, and she hadn't even found them yet. Surely they must be here though by the way her heart started to sing. She stopped off the bus readjusting her backpack and gazed up just in time to see batman and Robin fly. Her soul ached to the point of tears. She ran and ran, trying to catch the duo, surely he could feel it, surely this all consuming love and hope wasn't just on her end but he kept getting away. He was running from her, and the clear rejection sent a knife through her heart and she let out a scream, dropping to her knees in pain. The small string that had been tight her entire life fell slack. Loose inside her like he'd let go of his end.

He didn't come back.

The pain didn't die down, never so much as eased. She wondered the streets of Gotham, alone and in pain begging for her soulmate. Crying into the void for him to just pull back on his end, please just tighten the string, he didn't need to pull it closer, just get rid of the slack between them.

He ignored her.

So she dug, and dug until she found the name Dick Grayson and an apartment number in bludhaven. It took two days to work up the nerve to knock on his door.

"Hello," he asked, with wary eyes. She knew what she looked like.

"Your brother is my soulmate and he dropped the bond and I think I might die without him." He just stared at her.

"Please," she added. He stepped aside to let her in and busied himself making tea for them both. She sat on the ground to avoid dirtying his couch. He sat on the floor with her.

"He's mia at the moment sorry." And he was, she could feel it coming off of him in waves.

"That's ok, I've made it this long." The tea fell to the floor when she felt the string tug, tighter and tighter in her chest until it snapped. And she screamed. Screamed and thrashed and cursed. She was faintly aware of arms around her but they weren't his, they would never be his. He was dead, she could feel it. The pain radiating through her entire body like an explosion. She screamed until her throat no longer worked, until her eyes started to close and her body gave up against the pain.

"He's gone," she whispered before giving in and letting the darkness embrace her. Dick rocked her back and forth until his own tears stopped.

Bruce didn't call. Dick was floored. A teammate gave their condolences.

Its rare, so rare in fact its considered legend that if a bond is broken in death a new one can from between the living and someone close to the deceased.

The snapped string hung around her heart like an anchor. A new one formed a loose knot and she latched onto it like a vice. Sobbing in agony over the loss and gain.

Dick was shocked when he felt the pull. The crying girl (because she was years younger than him, the age of his brother he assumed) seemed to glow and the string around his own heart yanked as she pulled on it desperate for connection, she pulled and pulled while he resisted. Finally she relented and the string stayed taut before falling slack. A second rejection would kill her, so he scooped up the string and did some yanking of his own. Dick had never felt a soulmate, he assumed he just wasn't close enough to meeting them to ever feel the pull. But now he understood. His job was to keep her alive. The bond felt odd once it settled into place. He felt warm and content even through his grief.

He called Alfred a week later to ask about coming home. He couldn't get her to eat, he didn't trust her to be alone.

Alfred said no.

Six months after Jason's death she woke up screaming. Nightmares ever since. She won't talk to him about them.

A scrawny kid came to his door demanding he become Robin again, he felt the bond inside him ache.

Tim was a great Robin.

Dick was proud of the kid, he went to Gotham when he could desperate to do it right this time.

Bruce refused to meet his bonded she said it was fine.

He visited less as her pain grew. Even going to work he could feel her clawing at the string, terrified it would disappear too. He would tug back, he would always tug back. Then he would text her and ask if he needed to come home. She always said no.

The red hood hurt Tim. His bonded was waking up screaming each night. He took her to manner, he and Bruce had gotten on better terms. Bruce seemed to like the girl, she was twenty now, to Dick's twenty-seven. Against his better judgement over the last year he's fallen in love with her. She knows, she can feel it through the bond, she replies with hesitant love, he can accept that.

Jason Todd is alive. His brother and the original soul mate of his bonded is alive and seething in front of them. Y/n was shaking, silent tears running down her face and the string inside him burned from her insistent tugging. He tried to tug back but she wasn't paying attention to him.

"Why the fuck are you holding my soulmate." Jason was tied up in the cave riding out pit madness when Dick and y/n had gone down to see what all the commotion was. Bruce and Tim stood off to the side, Tim still in a few casts but walking with a crutch.

"You died," she said softly pulling away from Dick and slowly making her way to him.

"Yeah, and you're fucking my brother."

"Don't talk to her like that," Dick seethed yanking her back to him and behind him.

"I'm not," she squeaked.

"I can feel you panicking, the string..." Jay trailed off, he wasn't used to the feelings being so strong from proximity. He's been able to stay far enough away it only ached, this felt worse than the pit. His skin burned to touch hers, his entire being was raw with need. He could faintly, like a whisper, feel his brother mixed into the bond. His claim over her clear even through Jason's green filled mind, his soulmate wasn't his. And didn't that hurt like a bitch.

"You died. I tried to find you and you ran away and then you died. I would have died without your brother," she begged him to understand but the words meant less coming from behind the protection of said brother.

"How long have you two been a thing?"

"That's none of your-"

"We've been romantic for less than a year but bonded since the night you died," she filled him in ignoring Dick's protest. She owed him the truth even if he had stayed away for so long.

"So you didn't feel me claw out of my grave," he accused with venom.

"I thought it was phantom. I-I looked I swear I did. I dug up your grave by hand, it was untouched...the coffin," she paused to fight the bile in her throat," the coffin had a body in it. I'm sorry I didn't get it dna tested." She couldn't deal with this, even now she could feel him letting go of the string, rejecting her. Dick's pull only became tighter and she fell back onto his familiar strength.

"Jason, why didn't you come to her," Bruce asked. He couldn't fathom staying away from Selena.

"Don't you people get it? I'm a monster!"

"And why not before! I followed you as Robin, chased you endlessly through the streets, screaming in agony over you and you fucking left me there! You let go of the bond not me, fuck you!"

"Did it ever occur to you I did you a favor. Did it hurt when I died?"

"How fucking dare you," she screamed storming over to him and taking his head up by his hair to glare into his green haze of eyes.

"Imagine how it would have felt if we'd been together, I saved you needless pain-"

"That's not fair, I felt everything damn you, every hit, cracked bone, broken skin, beaten flesh, I fucking burned when the bomb went off, so don't you think for one second that it made it better!"

"I didn't know that," he conceded, unable to drop his head in shame from her grip on his hair.

"You died, and you left me. You came back and you still left me. My soul couldn't take it, when you died, it clung to Dick's and his clung back. He is mine and I am his. There's no changing that but dammit Jason I can fucking feel you letting go of me again. I almost didn't survive it the first time, it fucking hurts don't you get that." She was shaking him now, both hands on his shoulders and willing the sense to get knocked into him.

He tugged on the string. She tugged back. And faintly they both felt Dick tug on his.

"I gotta share you don't I," Jason said quietly.

"You didn't even want me. You hurt me beyond words. Either share me or fuck off. I can't take it again."

Dick didn't wanna share, he wanted to wrap her into his heart and never let her leave, but after finally getting Jason back he couldn't do that to her. He was the third wheel, he came second, he knew that but when she turned to look at him, nothing but love in her eyes, he didn't care.

___

It was awkward, sharing a room and a girlfriend with his brother. But Dick was already a touchy feely person and he'd been smothering Y/n in affection for years, there was no way the bond would let them go too long without physical contact. Oddly enough the bond between he and Jason craved nearly the same. His brother would hug him at random then look annoyed with himself, he would go to grab Y/n then backtrack like he wasn't allowed. Y/n of course noticed and would drag them both to the nearest couch, shove them down onto it and lay across them both until the bond was satisfied.

Dick had to go back to bludhaven to tie up some loose ends. You know like quitting his job. The second he was in the car headed to the train he felt it, the little tug on his string, he tugged back, and received two text messages wishing him well, and telling him to hurry up. The first day was tolerable, sucky but ok. The second he woke up with a fever and a quick call confirmed both his bonds in the same state. Day three he felt and looked like death. The near constant tugging on his string when he was trying to eat lunch forced him to excuse himself to make a call.

"It hurts," Y/n wailed through the line, not so much as a hello.

"I know baby. But you've got Jay and-"

"No! s'not the same, please I can't-" she cut herself off with a sob and the string in his heart was pulled so tight he nearly had a heart attack.

"Baby, where's Jay, go sit with him it'll make it better." Like he felt any better, he didn't have anyone to ease the ache.

"He's not here. I can't-Dick please, it hurts!" She kept pulling on the string tapping out freaking Morse code for sos and he couldn't take her anguish anymore.

"Give me an hour." He marched into his bosses office, and quit, screw his two weeks. He didn't even stop at his apartment for his bag, he was on a train and tugging quick 'i love you's' into the string. Jason was getting punched. The hell did he go, he knew she needed care. Her side of the bond had always been stronger, which he found odd since he himself was emotional but whatever he was feeling she got twice or three times as much so if the headache behind his eyes was anything to go by she was going through an agonizing migraine. To be fair they hadn't gone longer than 24 hours without touching each other since Jason died, even when he was patrolling he would always have to swing by to ease the ache in his chest a few times throughout the night. She was used to not feeling Jay, but she couldn't handle not feeling him.

The manor was empty, eerily so, but he didn't have time to dwell the string was still tugging, but it was coming farther and farther apart like she didn't have the energy anymore. He took the steps three at a time, curse long legged people, and made it to their shared room in under a minuted. No y/n.

"Y/n," he called though the halls, tugging at the string in worry.

Your room-Honeypumpkin

He frowned at that but hurried down the hall to his old room. She was laying on top of his blankets, in a pair of his boxers and Jay's shirt practically sweating through the mattress.

"Shit baby," he muttered placing his hand on her forehead. She was beyond burning up. She made a low keening sound at the contact but the fever stayed. He shucked out of his work clothes and curled himself around her. His soul buzzing in joy at the contact. She smiled at him and he was a gentle 'thankyou' tug on the string. she went to sleep and he texted Alfred wondering where the hell Jason was. Out. Is what the butler replied, and Dick had known him long enough to know that one word held more disappointment than imaginable.

At some point he fell asleep, and was woken up by a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder.

"Master Dick, I have brought some supplies."

"Thanks, Alf, she still have a fever?"

He hhmed and stuck a thermometer in her mouth, disturbingly she didn't budge.

"104, we need to get her in an ice bath I'm afraid."

"We need Jason to not be a piece of shit and leave her like this," he seethed standing up to scoop her into his arms.

"I'm afraid they had a fight and Master Todd stormed off," Alfred supplied, leading the way to the cave, where there was medical supplies more equipped. Though nothing could stop soul sickness but the touch of the one who hurt you, isn't that great.

"So he hurt her, again. If I didn't know it would mess her up I'd kill him again." They were quick but not urgent in their treatment, Dick cursed the air black and blue as he lowered them both in a tub of ice water. He didn't have a fever but if he stopped touching her the sickness would worsen he was sure. He kept tugging at Jason's string but the little fucker never answered so he asked Alfred to call and hand him the phone.

"Listen here you little shit," he said in favor of a hello.

"Uh oh."

"Yeah fucking uh oh, get your ass back here, I don't care if it's in one piece or not or so help me I will send a super or a speedster for your ass," he demanded then hung up.

"103," Alfred praised as Dick got them both out of the tub. He dried her off but left her in her wet clothes (hello boundaries) he would call one of the girls in a minute for help. In the time that it took him to get himself dry and in warm clothes her temp had gone up to 105 and sweat was pouring off of her.

"Shit," he exclaimed practically throwing himself onto the bed with her. He wrapped himself around her and pulled reassuringly on his string but she didn't pull back.

"Fuck fuck fuck, she always pulls back, even when she's asleep!"

He tried again, this time tugging out 'i love you's' over and over until he felt a reply. 'k' came a week tug and he nearly sobbed in relief.

"K, I tell you I love you and you say k," he asked her sleeping form.

104* (I cant find the degrees symbol)

Jason was back, Dick could hear his bike. He tugged at his string, Jason tugged back.

"What happened?"

"What happened is that she can't keep taking your rejection, she's sensitive and the bond makes it stronger," Dick explained, brushing her hair back.

"I'm sorry she didn't..."

"What tell you that you were ripping out her soul and killing her, well fuck you!"

"What do I do," he asked wringing his hands in rare uncertainty.

"Just touch her, tug on your string, she likes it. Three long pulls means 'i love you'." Jason grabbed her hand and gave the string three long tugs, over and over and over again until his real hands felt rope burned.

101*

She still wasn't awake, but she wasn't at risk of dying on them so Dick told Jason to 'hit the fucking shower you stink' and meet them in their room. Alfred trailed behind holding her IV bag, but made no move to keep her in the medical wing, after all the only cure was well...hugs, and soul string tugs. Which both Jason and Dick were taking turns doing, until it felt like a dance.

"What do you think he meant by using the guidance of the pendants?" Aurora asked, she was perched on Ratchet's shoulder plating as he studied the pendants.

"From the look of it, im not too sure." Ratchet said, subconsciously leaning his helm into the feeling of her palm against his audials.

"They look like the pendants the others in that one photo were wearing, could he be referencing for me to ask their spirits?" Aurora asked.

Ratchet pondered this for a moment.

"It's very well possible they may have died before Thermos, and their sparks, being pledged to him in undying loyalty, may be waiting to be awakened by the heir of their pack." Ratchet said.

"But how you'd activate them is beyond me."

Aurora furrows her brows.

"What if that energon in my system was meant to help me activate them? I mean, I didn't die when it was in my system it just shocked my nervous system because I'd never touched or ingested it before." Aurora contemplated out loud.

Ratchet hummed, before a risky idea came to mind.

"We could test it, but Optimus would need to approve it.." He pondered.

"I got this." She said, pulling her phone out and texting the Prime.

"When did you get his comm link?" Ratchet asked.

"When Daniel broke into June's house." She told him, typing out her message.

He doesn't respond and Aurora catches on.

"Ratchet?"

"Hm."

"I don't have my own comm link, can I have yours?"

Ratchet sputters before Aurora could feel the heat radiate from his face plates. Aurora smirked, knowing she'd flustered the poor medic.

"I- wha- uh- f-fine." He stammered before reading her his link number when she was ready.

"Made ya blush." Aurora teases, making Ratchet's blush intensify.

"Shut it." He grumbled as Optimus emerged from the hall, a very slight smirk pulling at his derma.

"You needed something, Aurora?" The Prime's deep baritone voice rumbled, both Aurora and Ratchet suppressing a shiver.

"I- uh- um- i- yeah-." Aurora stammered, guessing it was karma for making Ratchet flustered.

She nudged Ratchet to explain, and the medic quickly knocks himself out of his stupor and stutters for a moment before finally finding his bearings.

"Aurora- she thinks the pendants might- might hold the spirits of her sire's pack- but can't activate them without energon in her system." Ratchet explains, and Optimus hums.

"You... want to put energon back in her system?" Optimus questions.

"Only a little bit at first, given how my body and mind reacted when it formed naturally." Aurora answers for Ratchet, her hand gliding down from his audial to his gray neck cables.

Optimus nods solemnly.

"Have you spoken with Daniel yet?" Optimus asked, and Aurora shook her head.

"Not yet. Fowler is locating Korinthia so they can be questioned at the same time so we can find any lies and they can't communicate beforehand." She tells him and he nods in thought.

"Wait until she questions her foster parentals, and then you can try the energon infusion. Until then, I'll be going energon scouting." Optimus said, and Aurora perked up at that. It'd been a few days since she'd spent time with any of the bots outside the base.

"Can I go? It's only scouting." Aurora asked, and beamed when he nodded.

♡-                                                                 -♡

Optimus and Aurora had left Nevada state limits a while prior, Aurora's phone was plugged into the aux, and her playlist played at a soft volume as they sped down a highway. Optimus's holoform was activated, left hand on the steering wheel and right hand resting on the center console.

His black hair was fluffy and laid to the left, his curls tempting Aurora to run her fingers through them. His blue eyes were stern and almost didn't fit on his almost puppy like face full of freckles. He perfectly fit the role of a pretty boy.

A silver wedding band rested on his left ring finger, and Aurora smiled at the small detail.

"You and Ratchet are cute together." She commented randomly, and the Prime's stern dark blue gaze tore itself away from the road to meet her mismatched eyes.

A small smile teased his pale lips.

"You think so?" He asked, the smile turning into a small smirk.

Aurora could feel her cheeks alight with a small flame and she looked away to hide the blush.

"Yeah, you guys seem to have the type of relationship I could only hope for." She said, her left hand rubbing her right wrist.

"Ratchet mentioned you're poly? What does that mean?" He questioned.

"Polyamory is just a practice or desire for more than one partner or spouse." Aurora explained simply.

The Prime nodded.

"That is actually quite common on Cybertron. It's considered rare to only have one sparkmate." Optimus said.

"Really? So you and Ratchet are like a rare union." Aurora commented.

Optimus nodded, the smirk returning to a soft smile.

"Though, both of us long for our shared mate." He says, and after that they fall silent for a while.

-♡

The next day, Aurora sat in English when her phone buzzed on the desk. She lifted it and opened the lockscreen to see messages in the autobot group chat Miko had made that morning, and some messages from Ratchet, and a message from Fowler.

The groupchat made her snicker quietly as Miko was whining because she'd recieved another detention, the messages from Ratchet were kinda cute.

~

Docbot: The base is cold.

Aurora: Ratchet, you're a cybertronian. Cold doesn't effect you unless it's subzero and it's never subzero there.

Docbot: my shoulder is cold.

Aurora: omg. You're so clingy.

Docbot: sue me -_-

Aurora: PFT I'll be there after my EMT lecture, you'll survive.

Docbot: you're mean.

Aurora: You can pick me up if you want.

Docbot: fine.

Aurora: ok, Fowler texted me.

Docbot: he's actually calling the base.

Aurora: hah. Goodluck.

~

Aurora smiled and a small blush found itself warming her face at the playful banter between her and Ratchet.

She opened Fowler's message, noting that he'd told her to sign out of school early and he'd already spoken to her EMT teacher.

Aurora slid her phone into the back pocket of her black ripped jeans and put her notebook and pencil back in her book bag.

"I didn't say to pack up yet, miss Jameson." The English teacher, Mr. Rodriguez said.

Mr. Rodriguez hadn't liked Aurora since she had refused to have a non-professional relationship with him, but he couldn't fail her if she got perfect scores on everything.

"I'm leaving school." Aurora spoke up, fear was beginning to crawl up her spine, he'd harassed her before and wasn't against doing it in a class full of students.

"Well, I'm sure it can wait until I'm done." He said, glaring at Aurora.

Aurora bites her lip, pulling her phone out and pulling up Fowler's contact.

~

Aurora: My teacher won't let me leave class.

Fowler: which teacher? Why?

Aurora: Mr. Rodriguez, he's been harassing me because I won't sleep with him for a grade.

Fowler: I'll be waiting outside, Prime is coming in. His human name is Orion.

Aurora: got it. Thx Fowler.

Fowler: Anytime Aurora.

~

A few moments later, the classroom door opens, revealing Optimus. He wore nice jeans with a black button up. His curly hair was slicked back nicely. Aurora found it decently hard not to drool over his appearance.

The principal was with him, and Optimus didn't look quite happy.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" Mr. Rodriguez asked, displeased that he'd been interrupted.

"I believe miss Jameson needs to leave school?" The principal asked.

Optimus crossed his arms. Both him and Mr. Rodriguez had a stare down until the teacher broke his gaze, the Prime's dominance outweighed his own.

Optimus made eye contact with Aurora and snapped his fingers, causing Aurora to get up and sling her bag over her shoulder and go to stand next to him.

"You'll be lucky if I don't come for your job, Mr. Rodriguez." Optimus said simply as he took Aurora's bag and looped his arm around her waist just above her rear.

You never thought of this side of living alone. During the day, you were living in a beautiful cottage in the lush green forest, but at night it felt as though you were in a haunted cabin in the woods. You really couldn’t take it anymore. You had cried and whimpered all night when you felt you were being watched, and by the time the sun rose you had resolved to deal with this. 

You gathered some materials and made your way out of the house. After all, a summoning spell required a lot of concentration and you certainly wouldn't be able to do it in there. You found a nice clearing not too far from your home, and set up. You lit a few candles, did a few incantations, and waited. You were about to give up when, in a puff of smoke, a demon appeared. They were crouched down with blue flames dancing around them, but even still they seemed massive.

As the demon uncurled and stood himself upright, it seemed as though more and more limbs appeared. You counted six arms coming out of him, his whole body a gradient of black to white. His pitch black fingertips seemed as though they were covered in soot, and as you got closer to the middle of his body his skin was more and more milky white. Hooved feet clap on the ground. He had dark eyes and horns like a ram’s curled on the side of their head, with long black hair in between, and he towered over you.

He lowered himself and took your shaking hand in one of his large ones, his pure white eyes staring at you. 

“It is lovely to meet you, my master,” his voice is like velvet, and he flashes you his sharp teeth at you before placing a gentle kiss on the back of your hand. “They call me Siphorus. I cannot wait to be of service to you.”

You let out a bleating laugh, unsure what to make of this. You weren’t expecting such a large and powerful demon to come; you weren’t even out of the broom closet and this kind of thing should take years of real practice. 

“Um, master?”

He chuckled under his breath, “Yes, master,” he rose, “You summoned me and I am under your command. I promise to fulfil anything you ask of me.”

You ignored his suggestive promise. Smooth as he may be, you were out in the middle of the woods for a more important reason. “You can just call me Lily if you’d like? And well, I sort of need your help with something?”

“Like I said, I am under your command, master,” he prompts you, a clawed finger lifting your chin up. 

“There’s something in my house,” you tell him, clearing your throat and putting some space in between the two of you. “Something spooky and it...watches me I think. I don’t know how to make it go away by myself.” 

“A powerful witch such as yourself?” he frowns “No matter, I shall play the role of your gallant protector.” 

You fight the urge to roll your eyes. Honestly, who talks like that? For someone who looks so formidable, he’s a bit on the odd side. At least he is going to help you. 

He starts towards your house, although you aren’t sure how he knows the way.

“Ah yes, I can feel his presence here.” Siphorus opens the door for you with a flourishing gesture.

 As soon as one of his hooved feet lands on the other side of your doorway, chaos breaks out. Cabinets are slamming, furniture is being overturned, and the lights are flickering. 

“She is MY master! GET OUT!” A voice yells out as lightbulbs start to explode. You let out a scream as glass flies at you, covering your face and burying it in the stomach of the demon by your side. With a wave of his hand Siphorus halts the glass midair, something you probably could have done if you hadn’t been so panicked. You step away from him once again, your face hot. You try to convince yourself it’s from his inner hellfire, but you aren’t too sure. 

Siphorus clicks his tongue in a disapproving manner. “Now now, let us not make a mess of our sweet Lilians home, hm?” 

An angry hissing sound responds back, things slamming and shaking but nothing as messy. 

“This is quite the tantrum. Honestly, show yourself and be gone!” Siphorus calls out, and a figure starts to appear. 

White hot flames spiral out in your living room and from within it steps another demon. This one is almost as tall as Siphorus, but not quite. He is lanky, and his skin textured, light colored but red seemed to be pumping underneath, as if it was scar tissue. This one only has one pair of arms, and has no hair. His eyes are cat-like and stare straight at Siphorus, flames around him roaring even stronger.

“GET OUT!” the figure yells, and you flinch into Siphorus once again. 

The flames suddenly go out, and you turn to see the other demon looking at you now.

“What,” he paused, swallowing thickly. “What is going on? Did you...find a new demon?” He asked, his voice sounding distraught.  “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

You stand there confused at his words. He doesn’t sound scary at all, if anything he sounds heartbroken. The fear melts away, and you take a step away from Siphorus. 

“What do you mean a new demon? This one belong to you?” Siphorus asks, eyebrow raised. You just shake your head, and he heaves a dramatic sigh. 

“Of course I belong to her. I became attached to her weeks ago and she brought me home. She was walking in the forest and I felt her energy. It was lonely so I came with,” he hissed these words out, eyes turned to slits. 

“She was scared and I had to keep her safe! She was making protection charms and satchels and sticking them everywhere.” 

“From you, you nimwit! She didn’t even know you were in the house!” Siphorus admonishes him, “You should have at least presented yourself!”

His face falls further and the demon places himself on one of your dining room chairs, dwarfing it.

“But, she never asked for me? I was never summoned to do her bidding, or had any reason to show myself. I just thought she knew I was here, and would ask me if she needed anything. Since she didn’t ask, I just watched over her.” he sniffles, and you get a knot in your throat. 

A pitiful “Oh,” passes through your lips. You move over to him, letting him scoop you onto his lap.

“I just wanted to be a good demon, I’d never had a master that was such a nice witch,” he whines high in the back of his throat, nosing at your hair. You coo at him the way you would a scared puppy, doting on him with attention and sweet pets on his scarred and hairless head.

You then hear a scoff from Siphorus, both you and the new demon turning to look at him.

“What?”

“The two of you are absolutely pitiful, do you know that?” Siphorus asks, baffled.

You stay cuddled up, “Well, wait - what is your name?” you look up into his eyes, his fangs pushing into his soft looking lips. 

“Elow, master,” he replies into your hair, still trying to get as close as possible to you. 

“Elow, it’s nice to meet you,” you tell him, giving him a sweet smile he readily returns. “Well I’m absolutely fine with Elow staying. And I don’t think we’re pitiful.”

Siphorus sputters. “Well, I suppose we have a bit of a problem, then. You summoned me to get rid of him, and I cannot leave until your summons are completed.” 

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I just don’t feel good about making him leave now, Siphorus.” You tell him, and feel Elows long arms wrap even tighter around you.

“Yes, Siphorus. Please don’t make me leave now,” Elow asks him, eyes wide.

You assure Siphorus you will help him in any way that you can. 

“You can stay here until we figure out how to let you go back, of course. I- do you sleep?” you ask them. “I can get some rooms ready for you!” And you scurry off, hoping that the two demons get along.

You aren’t sure how to act now that you have both demons staying in your home. Firstly, you layout some ground rules as far as Elow touching your potions and leaving the fridge door open. He looks so sad after your gentle scolding, so you take some time to comfort him as well. The two of you snuggle up on your small couch and watch a movie. He’s informed you that he has been starved of contact for a long while, and he basks in your touch. You enjoy it as well, and his warmth lulls you to sleep. When the two of you wake, you are covered in a blanket. It’s soft and black, and not one you had seen before. It smelled slightly of fire. 

The three of you had settled into a routine. On the days you went to work, you came home to a clean house, and a meal. It was all so domestic, and occasionally one or both of your demons would produce a human glamour and come with you into town. They always kept on sunglasses, though, because they couldn’t change their eyes. You doubt the inhabitants of Talon Valley would mind. Siphorus had informed you that most of the people living here were some kind of supernatural being. As a witch, you fit right in.

So well, in fact, that you had befriended another witch already. She was much more confident in her abilities, and had already figured out a solution to Siphorus being stuck with you. 

Coming back from a visit with her, you had mixed feelings. You had a solution, sure, but you had grown so fond of your demon. You didn’t want to let him go, and already felt hollow just thinking about him departing. You creak the front door open while lost in thought and were unprepared for what you were seeing. Standing in shock, you take in the scene before you.

 Through the doorway, you can see Elow on top of Siphorus. His head is thrown back, and high pitched moans leave him. You can make out the deep bass of Siphorus encouraging him as Elow bounces on his cock, thoroughly impaled. Siphous is leaning back on one set of hands, with the others on either side of Elow’s hips and face. Elow’s own hardness bobs between his thighs, long and thick. It’s textured like the rest of him, but redder.  You feel your own face get hot, and the gasp that leaves your lips is what finally catches your demons’ attention. 

Elow is embarrassed and won’t look at you, trying to hide behind a tangle of sooty arms. Siphorus just smirks at you, taking in your doe-eyed appearance. You feel as if your heartbeat is between your legs. 

“Isn’t our Elow so beautiful,” he draws out, running his hand along the other demon’s flank. Elow shudders, still fully seated, and you nod. “So beautiful, so good for me. For us,” he purrs into Elow’s ear, his milky eyes still locked on yours. This time Elow actually moans, weather that be from the thickness spearing him open or the words alone, you are unsure. Siphorus beacons you closer, and you feel as though you are under a spell.

With a touch of your magic, the door is shut and locked. Your feet carry you closer to them, and Elow peaks at you, somehow both demure and debauched. He isn’t much smaller than Siphorus, really, but he looks tiny like this. He whispers a “Hi,” into your hand, kissing it gently. You return the sentiment, caressing his face. He squirms and whimpers, and you see his cock jump. “Oh, honey,” you coo, and pull him in for a sweet kiss. One of Siphorus’s hands tangles in your hair, while the other of the set is on Elow’s head, encouraging you two. He encourages you vocally too, his pleased throaty moans making your kiss turn feverish. 

“Join us, master,” Siphorus implores you, a hand wandering down your thigh.

Behind the lust you feel for them, a sense of nervous insecurity rises when you go to take your clothes off. You pull off your outerwear, taking your time. Your demons must sense your hesitance, as they pull you between their intertwined forms, Elow at your back.

“Shh master, just focus on my hands,” Elow tells you, ever so sweet. His hands move along your breasts, kneading the flesh there. One rises up, covering your throat. He doesn’t apply any pressure, just holds his hand there. His thumb comes up to brush along your lips, and you take it into your mouth without a conscious thought, sucking and wrapping your tongue around it, an action that draws moans from both of your demons. 

“Do not try to hide from us,” Siphorus’s voice is but an echoing growl, teeth pressing into your ear. “We can smell you, master. The air is thick with your want, let us serve you.” From where you rest on his torso, you can feel his hips moving, along with Elow’s hardness pressing against your lower back. You whimper around the thumb in your mouth, eyes rolling to the back of your head. 

Elow removes his hands, and you let out a pleading moan, not wanting them to stop.

“You have to tell us, master. Tell us what you want, and it’s yours, please,” Elow says, his voice a breath of a whisper.

“Yes, darling, just tell us,” Siphorus echoes the sentiment, and you feel dizzy with want.

“Please,” you breath out, “Please touch me. Take me,” you plead to them. 

No sooner do the words leave your lips their hands wrap back around you. You push your butt back onto Elow’s pulsing cock, rolling against it. He whimpers out, and you can only imagine how full he must feel. You use your magic to take your clothes off, not wanting to break the contact with your lovers. Feeling them against your skin is worth any nervousness you may have been feeling. Siphorus captures your mouth in a kiss, and although you may be his master, it is clear who is in control. The press of his teeth to your lips has your hips jerking, and you’re sure they can both feel how wet you are perched on Siphorus’s muscular abdomen. 

Siphorus’s hips are moving harder now, meeting Elow’s bouncing ass. A pair of Siphorus’s hands wrap around your hips and in one fluid motion, hovers you on top of his face. Your hands find his horns, steading yourself. He makes a loud, wounded noise at your grip, and Elow moans out at the particularly hard thrust that follows. You take that as a sign to loosen your hold, and pack his reaction away in the back of your mind for another day. You then look down and see Siphorus’s tongue, so very long and pink, seeking out your heat. 

He suddenly growls, and flips you around so that you’re facing Elow, and his tongue presses into you. It stretches you and you feel it press against your walls, long enough that it can still curve to press to your clit. The sensations are overwhelming, and you cannot help but rock against them.

You get to watch Elow being fucked, and you meet his mouth in a frenzied kiss. Both of you are being held tight by Siphorus’s hands, being pleasured by him. The hands around Elow are thrusting him up and down, and the peek you get of Siphorus’s member has you clenching harder around his tongue. He laps up the wetness spilling from you as if he is starved, the noises coming from him sound as if he is tasting salvation. Elow acts much the same, drinking from your mouth as if it is the finest wine. 

You feel all too much and not enough, and you wrap a hand around Elow’s cock. It’s hot and heavy in your grip, and Elow turns to putty, begging. 

“Please don’t stop, please master,” he whines, high in his throat. Incoherent noises keep coming, and you assure him you won’t stop, pressing yourself further onto Siphorus. 

“Not gonna stop honey, wanna make you feel good. Such a sweet demon, aren’t you? My sweet demon.” You praise him and his movements turn jerky. The noises leaving him become even more frantic and high pitched. He reaches a crescendo and spills into your hand, covering you in his thick white cum. You don’t stop until he is pulling away from your hand, a whimpering mess convulsing on your other demon's cock. Your other demon, who is now redoubling his assault against your cunt, seems close as well. You watch him tense up and with an animalistic grunt, fill up Elow with his seed. His tongue is still fucking into you, and the visual he and Elow provide is all that is needed to push you over the edge, tensing and jerking away as your climax leaves you breathless. 

The three of you pull yourselves apart, you considerably more out of breath than your demons, who are much quicker to recover. Elow is behind you while Siphorus leans upright against the couch, stretching out his many muscles and preening before you. You let your eyes rake over him, and you feel desire bubbling in your skin. 

His nostrils flare, and his eyes dig into you even harder, predatory. You feel your heart pound and you’re sure he can smell your want, just as he said. 

“Oh, Lily, you think we are done with you?” Siphorus asks you, reaching over to tuck a sweat soaked strand of hair away from your face. 

“I hope not,” you whisper out, ignoring how hot you feel your face getting. You gnaw on your lip, and feel Elow stretch his arms out. You lean into them, already feeling breathless. 

“C’mere master, please? Can I have you this way?” He asks, tucking you to his front. One hand moves to rest on your throat while the other goes to your leg. You nod eagerly, letting him hoist your leg up as he nudges his member against your opening. He ruts against you before seating himself inside in one lazy thrust. All of your nerve endings are ablaze, and your hands wrap around his forearm, keeping his hand pressed against your neck. He keeps a slow pace, and molasses runs through your veins. The moans that leave you sound desperate, and you watch as Siphorus fists his cock, his other hands tweaking his nipples and moving up and down his body. 

You can feel the magic he is putting off, and it’s as if his hands are touching you from where he is in front of you. He is content with watching this time, it seems. 

“Deeper, Elow. Give it to her deeper.” Not just watching then, apparently. He is giving orders as well. You moan out as Elow follows his direction and presses deeper into you, an eager “Yes'' leaving his lips. A phantom hand, courtesy of Siphorus, is circling your clit. The slow but persistent pleasure had you throbbing and jerking back into Elows arms, the two of you overstimulated together in the best of ways. More phantom hands ghost over you and go to Elow, who lets out a whorish moan at the feeling. 

“Good boy, just like that,” Siphorus praises and nods.

 You whimpered and met his milky gaze, “You too darling, you’re such a good girl for us. Such a good little master, aren’t you?” he asks, his smirk downright predatory. 

His words pull a noise out of you that you didn’t think you were capable of making. Between his words, phantom hands, and Elow’s deep movements massaging your inner walls, you don’t last long. You feel yourself tense again, sparks flying through your veins as you milk the cock nestled deep inside you. Siphorus is still talking to the two of you, praising you though you can’t make out the words. Elow finishes too, locking himself inside you as he fills you with his seed. He grunts and makes breathy sounds into your neck as he continues to fill you.The warmth of it has aftershocks rippling through you, and you lean your head back against his shoulder as the two of you enjoy your afterglow. He slips from you minutes later, and you feel his plentiful cum running down the inside of your thighs. You should feel a bit grossed out, but all you feel is sated and claimed.  

Siphorus must have finished with you as well, since you feel tendrils of his magic cleaning you up. They run up and down your body, prompting you to further melt into them. Your eyes peek open and he is there, smiling and pressing his lips to your forehead. “Shh, let me get us comfortable,” he tells you, before conjuring up a nest of blankets and cushions for you, all with a subtle fiery scent. You and Elow don’t even have to move, all the better since you still very much feel boneless. If Elow’s soft and content noises are anything to go by, he feels the same. Siphorus nuzzles himself in, the three of you tangled together. 

“May I admit something, my dearests?” he asks us, answered only with a humming affirmative.

“I- Well, I didn’t have to stay. I’ve been free to leave but I just really, really wanted to stay.” You had not heard him sound so vulnerable before, and you squeeze one of his hands. You’re surprised, but not upset by the news. If anything, it lifts a weight off of your shoulders.

“Pft, tell me something I did not already know,” Elow teases him, his eyes still closed and a smile on his face. 

Siphorus sputters, taken aback, but it turns into hearty laughter. 

“I’m glad you stayed,” you tell him, kissing him in your half - asleep state.  

You knew that you could only be mad at fate to a certain extent. You had chosen to be career driven and bet on sure things rather than chasing after strings that had been stagnant for almost your whole life. In a way, you wish you could be as carefree as your twin brother. Benjamin, ever the romantic, took what was supposed to be a gap year from undergrad to grad school to find his mate. He headed east to Europe and backpacked across the entire continent before finding his soulmate, now husband, in Sicily. He ended up settling in London with his soulmate, Dante, eleven years ago and never looked back. Your parents’ reaction to his “lifestyle choices” was the final nail in the coffin before you both went no contact. You were the only thing left trying him to the US. You visited him at least once a year and talked regularly. You always wished you could be as carefree as he was. Despite your own situation, you were beyond happy for your brother. If not a bit envious, which led you to now, you pulled off at a rest station off of Route 76 on the verge of a panic attack.

You had just passed Harrisburg, two hours into your journey west from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. For the first time ever both your strings were red, overlapped and darkening as you got closer to Pittsburgh. You didn’t know what to do or how to process this new information. Your strings had been overlapped for about two years now, and you had dealt with and accepted the fact that your soulmates had most likely found each other.  No, it was the darkening that threw you for a loop. This had only happened twice, the first time the string had gone from off-white to red only to turn back light pink within a few hours. That same string, pointing east across the Atlantic, had briefly turned black to grey back to light pink. You’d never forget that day one of your soulmates had almost died. Your sting had gone black for a minute and 57 seconds.

You shook your head, dismissing that thought; you were already stressed as it was.

You don’t know how Benji and your friend, a Pittsburgh native, had convinced you to take life by the reins and be impulsive. Between your recent breakup and a job opportunity across the state, you had made the improbable choice. You quit your job and got an apartment on the other side of the state. You regret it now, dread building in your gut. You weren’t spontaneous, no, you were practical and thorough. You didn’t take these kinds of risks.

Fuck, you felt like you were going to throw up. You quickly exited your maps app. Your thumb was over your brother’s contact info when your call screen suddenly took over displaying an incoming call from him. You picked up before the first ring had ended.

“You’re okay,” Ben’s voice rang out before you even had the chance to greet him. The wails of your nephew faint in the background.

“I-” You started, voice shaky, you paused before taking a breath.

“It’s okay,” he said once again, voice level.

“They’re red Ben, like properly red, like the ones in the movies.” You responded, you somehow managed to get the words out evenly, before taking another deep breath.

“Sis, that’s a good thing,” he responded, smile clear in his voice.

“No, I don’t know what to do,” you sighed, pressing your forehead flush with the top of the steering wheel, “I always know what to do Ben.”

“It’s okay to not know what’s to come, most people don’t know what’s going to happen before they meet their soulmate. You just have to lean on fate for a bit before going back to being a know-it-all,” he joked, hoping to lighten your mood.

“Okay,” you sighed, breathing going back to normal. “But what if I’m not what they’re expecting?”

“Then they’ll be pleasantly surprised,” He responded,

“What if it’s a bad time? Or if I meet them before making it to Pittsburgh?” You ask.

“There’s no perfect time to meet your mates, and if you meet them before Pittsburgh, you’ll figure it out. Like you always do.” He said comfortingly,

“What if-what if they don’t want me?” you said, finally voicing your deepest concern.

“Sis,” he replied softly, his voice just loud enough to register on his phone’s mic.

“I’m just-Fuck, I’m a mess, I start at my new job in less than two days, my apartment isn’t set up, and I definitely needed to do a everything shower this morning, but gaslighted myself into not washing my hair.” You sighed, “Just,” you breathed, “What if I’m not good enough?” Your voice wavered.

“Hey, watch your tone, I know you’re not bad mouthing my sister. Not the one that put herself through college, a master’s program, and a licensing process to become an art therapist. Not the woman who devotes everything to her patients within boundaries. Not the one who worked pro bono at a grief summer camp because of a staffing shortage. Or on top of everything is an amazing artist. Cuz she’s an empathetic badass, who is way too smart to say any of that shit.” Ben responded.

“Ben,” you said, sniffled, eyes watering.

“You’re going to be okay. They are lucky to be blessed with your presence and happy to meet you. If not, I’ll fuck them up.”

You let out a wet laugh, a single tear escaping each of your eyes as you blinked.

“Thanks,” you sniffled, a soft smile on your lips.

“No problem. What are big brothers for?” he asked, jokingly.

“Just cuz you cut in line does not make you older.” You responded to a lifelong debate with an eyeroll he’d never see, “Sorry for falling apart on you.”

“Sis, I’m sleep training a five-month-old, who is on what I hope is the tail end of colic. You were a much-needed break.”

“Tell Atlas his auntie loves him.” You said, taking one last deep breath. The weight gone from your chest.

“I will.” You could hear the softness in his voice shift, Atlas most likely finally calming down for Dante in the other room, “If you need anything, feel free to call.”

“I will, love you,” you reply.

“Love you too,” he responded before you clicked off the call.

You took a deep breath; you plugged your phone back into its charging port and clicked on maps and cued up a hip-hop mix. You shifted from park to drive and merged back onto I-76. You took one last stop two hours in, but it just made you more tired. You white knuckled it until you got to the parking garage adjacent to your building. Your strings continued to darken, color plateaued when you drove into the city’s limits. They weren’t overlapping anymore. On was pointing up, something you’d never seen before, and the other was pointing off to the right as you face your apartment building. You texted Ben and your friend who lived in the city that you got in safely. You unloaded your backpack and a single suitcase that held all your valuables. For the first time, you found yourself liking the annoying squeaks of its broken wheel. It was something familiar.

After you locked your car, the next half hour was a blur. You signed the final paperwork at the office and got your keys. You boarded the elevator and clicked on the tenth floor.

Your breath caught in your throat as the red string that was pointing upward started to move laterally down, while the other started to point down. The above one kept moving downward until it was back to the height of your palm. Was this it? Were you about to meet your soulmate? Despite bitching about not meeting them for the better part of thirty years you felt wildly unprepared. The ding of your floor snapped you out of your daze.

Were they living on the same floor as you?

You shook your head, turning left as the building manager had directed you. You slowly made your way down the hall; your suitcase’s broken wheel squeaking was the only noise. Your head snapped down as you passed the last apartment on the right before yours. The string was bright crimson, bolder than you had ever seen before. As you walked on, the string went through you, through the wall into that apartment.

You paused. But then there was nothing? Maybe they were asleep? It was four in the afternoon, but you weren’t really one to judge; you always loved a good nap. That or maybe they worked nights? After waiting for a beat, you slowly walked down to your apartment door, keeping an eye on the door as you opened yours.

Maybe this was okay? While you were desperate to meet them, you also had just completed an over five-hour drive, and you felt and you’re sure, looked like hot garbage. You gave yourself no time to take in the apartment before crossing through the sea of reusable boxes to your bedroom. You quickly tossed your backpack on the sheetless mattress resting on a built bed frame. You pulled out the lounge wear you packed along with a towel and washcloth from one of the totes before rushing to the bathroom. If you were gonna meet them today you were gonna have clean hair god dammit. You turned on the water as you stripped, your string remaining solitary to the one spot in your neighbor’s apartment. You unpacked your toiletries onto the shower’s ledges before jumping in. Your nerves got to you again, loitering in the shower as long as you could justify. After drying off, you did your full extended post-shower routine; eyes never straying far from the solitaire string.

While you tried to start to unpack, you couldn’t help but stare at the string. Should you just go and knock on their door? Before you could scheme any further, your stomach grumbled. It was already five and you hadn’t eaten since the last rest stop. Maybe going to grab something to eat wasn’t the worst idea ever. It’d get you out of your current impasse of staring at a wall. You picked a well-rated Thai restaurant around the corner, ordering way too much for a single person. The entire trip lasted about a half-hour, but it was a nice break. You got some fresh air and were able to stretch your legs as you took in the neighborhood. When you got back to the lobby, your other string started to darken quickly, like it was speeding towards you. You debated waiting for it or going back upstairs so that you could all be together. You opted for the latter and retreated back to your apartment. The string on your floor remained still, only starting to move as you closed your door.

Your heart began to hammer in your chest as you placed the food down on your kitchen counter. You were about to check in with Ben before a loud knock sounded off. Hesitantly, you approached the door, strings bright red, almost glowing. They formed a “V” shape as you wrapped your hand around the door handle.

This was it

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A/N: Thanks for taking the time to read! I am in the last month of my semester, so I don't have an update schedule as of now. Will hopefully be more consistent after mid-May. Hope you're doing well whenever you are 💛