Everything Will Be Okay

Beginnings

Depending on who you ask, the science behind soulmates vary. Some believe that your soulmate is chosen based on how compatible you are. Others believe that the universe assigns you to someone for your life. And then, there are those who believe it was all just a scam, that there was no significance behind the marks you are given. The way it worked was whenever a mark was left on your soulmate, it would appear on your skin as well. This includes tattoos, writing or drawing on themselves, or even injuries that leave marks or scars. Sykkuno always felt bad for his soulmate because of how clumsy he was as a child. Scraped knees, cuts from thorns or branches, papercuts, and so much more. But for a while, he believed he didn't have a soulmate because nothing ever appeared on his skin. It was either his soulmate was super careful and never got hurt or he just...didn't have one. The first time he found out he had a soulmate was in the worst possible way and his closest friends were there to witness it.

It was like any other day, he was 18 and hanging out at his childhood buddy's house, Toast, with their friends Rae, Poki, Charlie, Lily, Jack, and Felix. They were messing around, playing Super Smash Bros when he felt slight tickling traveling along his wrist and his forearm. He paused the game, earning confused glances from his friends as he pulled up his sleeve. Sykkuno's anxiety skyrocketed as he watched in absolute horror, thin lines forming on his skin horizontally but as they got closer to his wrist, they were more prominent which could only mean they were deeper there than further up his soulmate's arm. The room fell silent and no one seemed to be able to take their eyes off of his arm.

"Syku-" "G-Get me a pen." He felt bad for interrupting Poki but he had to write to his soulmate and make sure they didn't go any further. He couldn't allow that. Jack placed a sharpie in his hand and, with a shaky grip, he wrote 'Please stop. Are you okay?' on the back of the hand where they were no doubt holding the knife. He hoped they would be able to see it and he knew that was a stupid question because they were clearly not fine but he was hoping they would be willing to talk to him. To his relief, the marks halted and he sat there for a minute with his breath held. It was nearly painful as he waited, barely feeling the hand rubbing his back. Then, after what felt like forever, a very slow and sloppy looking 'I'm sorry' appeared on his empty wrist. Sykkuno immediately scrawled out a 'No need to apologize' and tried to ask what was wrong but after an hour, he gave up on getting a response. But, he was relieved that they were no longer harming themselves.

"They're fine now, Sykkuno. It'll be okay." Rae's voice broke through his thoughts and that's when everything just broke. He sat there, on the floor, sobbing into his hands as he felt his friends surround him in a hug. This is not how he wanted to find out he had a soulmate and it pained him to know that there was no way he could possibly help them. He didn't know who they were more or less what was happening in their lives to guide them through it. And he felt so stupid for sitting here crying when it was his soulmate that needed the comfort, not him.

For months, Sykkuno tried to get an answer out of his soulmate but he wouldn't receive a single response in turn. 2 months after the incident, the brunette woke up to a 'Sorry for making you worry, I'm okay' on his thigh. He was a little appreciative; his soulmate was kind enough to write it somewhere he could easily hide it but more than anything else, he was relieved to see they were, in fact, still alive. However, even after that reassurance, they fell silent once again, and slowly, days turned into months, and months turned into years. Eventually, Sykkuno stopped trying to write to them daily. Now, he would occasionally draw something insignificant just to remind them that he was still there when they were ready. He figured that's why they hadn't made an effort to communicate anyway. They were probably nervous or just weren't ready.

The third time Sykkuno heard from his soulmate was 5 whole years after the last time they wrote to him. This time, he was enjoying dinner on the campus greens with his closest friends much like the first time. The only exception was Felix's and Sean's soulmates were now integrated into the group. Their names were Marzia and Evelien respectively and they were absolutely wonderful to be around. Honestly, Sykkuno had been a bit jealous that they had found their soulmates so easily. It wasn't even a planned meeting, they had met the first year of college and immediately knew. It was like a scene out of a movie.