MICHAEL

I've never truly understood the whole soulmate bond thing. Ashton told me about how it felt when he saw Calum for the first time, like his bones were on fire and every single ounce of worry and pain left his body on impact. All he could see was Calum, and that was all he ever wanted to see, and he felt like he was happy for the first time in his entire life.

They met while they were both still in high school, a little earlier than when people usually find their soulmate. They went to different schools, but they met when they were both walking down the street and happened to use the same shortcut to get to the store. Calum switched schools so he could be with Ashton more, and that's how the three of them met. It had always been like that, AshtonandCalum, always together. With me tagging along beside them.

After high school came and went and I never met my soulmate, Ashton insisted I would during college. I got halfway through before I figured it was useless and focused mainly on my fighting instead. I never met my soulmate there either.

There is a range where people meet their soulmate and it is generally between late high school years and their entire college years. But I never met him. He never showed up and I never saw him, so I figured that the whole soulmate fate wasn't for me. The universe saw my red knuckles and bruised bones and thought, "Hey, let's not pair this guy up with anyone."

Ashton and Calum were the only ones who didn't lose faith, and I'm glad they didn't. Because sitting beside Luke in the park yesterday when we met was like sitting with someone who you've known for thousands of years, but only seen for the first time.

Luke. I never thought of myself as a people person, and I certainly never thought I'd ever depend on someone to be happy, but being with Luke is so effortless. I'm addicted to the feeling of his presence.

Today, I'm bringing him to meet Ashton and Calum down in the fighting range. I'm a bit nervous to see how he'll react to the place, but it's a part of me. A package deal. I'm not sure what I would do if he walked in and told me he didn't want to be with me if this is what I do.

I pick him up from his apartment at six in the evening, considering that's when the club is most interesting. He walks out wearing a plain white t-shirt and black fitted jeans, so tight across his skin that it looks like they might as well be painted on. He wears a silver necklace that disappears under the neckline of his shirt and wears a grey baseball-style hat backwards on his head, flattening his blonde hair.

"Hey!" He says, giving me a wide smile as he locks his door behind him. I can't help but smile back at the sight of him, and he steps beside me, holding his hands together in front of him.

"Hi," I say, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as we walk back down the steps. Pink creeps onto his cheeks. "I'm going to take you to where I work, alright? And I want you to meet my friends."

Luke glances up at me, crystal blue eyes looking into mine. He offers a smile, but I can tell he's a bit nervous. "Okay," he says, trying to sound upbeat.

"Don't worry, there isn't a fight going on tonight. People will just be there to hang out today," I tell him. This seems to calm him down a good bit, and he relaxes under my touch.

"Good," Luke says, his voice growing soft. I smile a little at him as we walk, my arm comfortably around his shoulders. I can't begin to describe how amazing it feels to have him close to my side, his skin against mine, his bright blue eyes glancing over at mine with such earnest honesty that it makes me want to throw away everything I have just to be with him forever. I've never felt anything like it.

It's overwhelming in a way. I went from not relying on anyone for my happiness, not even Ashton or Calum, to seeing Luke's face and suddenly mentally and physically needing him. Needing him right beside me, or it feels like I'll disintegrate into nothing.

I've grown up knowing people with stones in their chest acting as hearts, with minds controlled by a poisoned brain. I dreamed of a normal blissful childhood as a kid, and what I got in return was bloodied fists and bruised skin. I knew better than to believe the serpents who hissed promises of a happy life.

I can't help but feel a bit overwhelmed also at the fact that my soulmate turned out to be a doctor. Or at least, in training. What am I? Just a bruised up boy with a career made out of slamming fists? I know it gets plenty of money from bets, but Luke is too good for me. He deserves someone better, I'm sure of it. I almost feel bad that he ended up with a guy like me.

But as we turn towards the entrance of the club, Luke looks at me with an excited look on his face, and all my worries go away.

I hold the door open and help Luke find his footing on the unstable stairs leading down the the club. Noise fills the air and Luke's wide blue eyes are the only things penetrating the darkness before we get deep enough that the room comes into view.

It's crowded tonight, but the spotlight that normally illuminates the center ring is dark, making it clear that there aren't fights tonight. It smells wet and musky, like always, and I feel Luke's warm hand slip into mine as we stand at the entrance.

He doesn't say anything as I lead him to the back of the room, where Ashton and Calum stand leaning against the wall, drinks in their hands.

My friend turns to me as we walk up, and his green eyes brighten. "Michael! Good to see you," Ashton says.

Before I can open my mouth to introduce the blonde, Luke's eyes widen and he says, "I know you!"

I turn to him in surprise, and so does Ashton. Then my friend breaks into a smile and says excitedly, "You're the guy who gave me stitches! In Doc's office!"

Luke nods, recognition and joy sparkling in his eyes. I smile lightly and wrap an arm around his waist. Luke leans comfortably against my chest. Ashton stares at us in awe, his smile still bright.

"Luke is your soulmate?"

"Yep." I kiss the top of Luke's head and Luke closes his eyes contently. Ashton grins again, dimples sinking into his cheeks.

"That's awesome, man," he says. "I'm super happy for you."

The four of us take a seat against the wall and Ashton gets Luke and me a drink. I hand a beer to Luke, but he turns it down with a shake of his head.

"Alcohol can help cause or increase gout, hypertriglyceridemia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and problems with the liver," Luke says to me. "Not to mention too much can lead to alcohol dependence and neurological conditions."

I blink at him.

Ashton sets down his drink and turns to me with a grin. I glance down at the beer in my hand.

Luke absentmindedly pulls a medical textbook specialized on the central nervous system out of his bag and starts reading, his blonde hair falling into his eyelashes. Calum leans over his shoulder to look at it with him.

"Why are you reading about..." I look at the passage he's on. "... the spinal cord?"

Luke tears his eyes away from the book long enough to look at me with a smile. "I have an exam on it in two weeks. Gotta study."

He returns to studying, his blue eyes skimming over the page so quickly that he must have already memorized the information. I can't help but bite the inside of my cheek as I watch him in admiration.

Ashton nudges me. "How does it feel?"

I press my lips together, shaking my head. "Don't know how to describe it. Good, I guess."

The boy smiles, taking a sip of his drink. Mine stays unopened. "I get what you mean. Meeting Calum was the best day of my life."

Calum and Luke sit side by side, both pointing and commenting about the textbook in Luke's lap. I can hear Luke rambling facts relentlessly and Calum earnestly asking about facts, their voices nearly drowned by the loud atmosphere of the underground room. The voices bounce off the rock walls, making it almost unbearably loud.

We sit for a little while longer, up until I notice Luke getting a bit uncomfortable at the loud noises. I can see him trying to focus and concentrate on his studying, but he clearly isn't used to this kind of atmosphere.

I touch his arm lightly, leaning in so he can hear me. "Wanna get out of here?"

Luke scrunches his nose apologetically. "It's a little loud."

I just smile and offer my hand, and Luke closes his textbook and stuffs it in his bag before intertwining his fingers with mine. Calum takes my spot beside Ashton as we say goodbye, and then we push through the crowd to get to the door.

Once we are outside, Luke takes a breath of the fresh air in relief. His eyes flutter closed happily. "I like your friends," he says.

I nod, glancing around the empty clearing. I can hear the distant chatter of the city in the distance, the occasional train sounding somewhere along the tracks. "I like them too."

I turn and search among the group of bikes and vehicles surrounding the area, covered among the underbrush. I spot my motorcycle where I left it before I went and got Luke, parked to the left of the train tracks.

"Do you want to go for a ride?" I ask the blonde. Luke opens his eyes, looking at me with confusion before noticing the motorcycle. His eyes widen, a small smile covering his face.

"You have a motorcycle," says Luke. "Don't you know how dangerous those are? The lack of protection on motorcycles increases fatality immensely."

I stuff my hands in my pockets, rocking back on my heels. I smile at him. "Your vocabulary continues to amaze me," I say. Luke rolls his eyes. "Really though, we don't have to ride it if you don't want to. I understand."

Luke's breath catches. "No, I--" he stops. "I want to."

I raise my eyebrows at him. "Are you sure? We really don't have to."

"I know. I want to. I'm sure," Luke says honestly, looking at the motorcycle with interest.

"Alright," I say after a moment. Luke follows me as I walk to the bike, and I grab the helmet from the handle bars, fitting it over my head. I grab the spare and hand it to Luke. He takes it with cautious hands, putting it over his head and making sure it fits.

I slide on, and Luke slowly sits behind me. I kick the stand up, starting the bike. It hums loudly in response.

I can feel Luke tense behind me. I glance back at him. "Here," I say, pulling his arms around my waist. Luke holds onto me tight once I do, his chest pressed against my back and his chin resting on my left shoulder. I can't see his face through the helmet, but I can tell from the excited fidgeting that he's okay.

"You ready?" I ask, slowly steering towards the road. It bumps over the train tracks and damp grass.

Luke nods. "Yes."

He holds onto me tighter as we reach the main road, the streets mainly empty. I steer onto the concrete, picking up speed and letting the wind fill our ears. Luke's fingers grab at my jacket, hugging me close as we drive down the road.

The streets are quiet, only the wind and the hum of the motorcycle filling the air. Luke's grip relaxes a bit as I drive further down the road, and I'm relieved to see he's getting more used to it. He keeps his head on my shoulder, his head leaning against mine.

I slow down once I reach an empty intersection, the stoplight glowing red. I stop to wait it out, and Luke sits back, taking off his helmet. I twist in my seat, turning around so that I'm facing him, and I pull off my own. Luke hair is sticking up all over the place, his blue eyes and wild and happy in the sunlight.

A huge smile covers his face. "This is amazing!"

I laugh at his happy expression. "Yeah?"

"Yes!" Luke says. His eyes soften, and he looks around us in awe. "It feels... free."

The sun hits his face in the most beautiful way, his eyes glistening and skin shining in the light. I shake my head, wondering how on Earth the universe thought I deserved him. I reach up and comb through his hair, and he leans into my touch.

Slowly, I tuck my hand behind his neck, leaning in and pressing my forehead against his. The light flashes green behind us, but we both ignore it. Luke's nose touches mine and I gently lean in, pressing my lips against his.

What feels like electricity sparks through my veins as we kiss, Luke relaxing visibly. I've kissed other boys before, back when I believed I wouldn't even find my soulmate. I must have been in high school. But soon enough everyone was finding their soulmates and I was still left empty handed, alone in a world filled with matches. I felt unworthy.

But kissing Luke is different than anyone I've ever kissed before. His arms wrap around my neck comfortably, his eyelashes fluttering against my skin as my lips move against his. He was made for me, and I was made for him. I never believed in perfection until I met him.

As Luke embraces me with sincerity, my head resting on his shoulder, I send a quiet thank you to whatever angel might be listening for bringing Luke into my life. For the first time, I feel complete.

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A/N: this used to be just another chapter in a series of many, but I have decided to make this a short story and finish the story here. a happy cute ending to a happy cute story.

i know many of you wanted this to be longer, but I have lots going on and am planning to focus on my other stories so I can finish them and be done.

thanks for understanding! hope you enjoyed this happy little short story.

thanks for reading. comment and tell me your favorite part or character!

love you to the moon.

bye