Prompt: Names

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The rules of the Tower's gift are simple enough; everyone has a soulmate. The Tower, being a cruel power that can give you whatever you desire but chooses not to, grants you a lead. A simple name on your forearm. You get your soulmate's and they get yours. However, given that it's only the first name, it's a challenging task.

It's a, according to most, flawed trial and therefore not everyone marries or even try to find their soulmate. For instance, the wives of Khun Eduan—minus Khun Maschenny—had not been his soulmates but had chosen him and his power instead of their destiny. With this example in mind, Aguero not believing in soulmates wasn't unexpected.

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"I'm Khun." Khun says at the boy with the golden eyes as they sit on top of a rock. The boy smiles. A sign he didn't recognize the Khun family name. "Khun Aguero Agnis."

The boy furrows his eyebrows and instinctively checks his covered arm. Although the move itself happens within seconds, Khun notices. "I have a tattoo with your name on it." Bam tells him "I don't know why though."

Khun opens his mouth slightly at the statement. Not so much because of the name—Khun isn't Bam's soulmate, his arm says Viole—but because every Regular knew of the soulmate mark. "It's to help you find your soulmate."

"What's a soulmate?"

"It's supposed to be the person you'll love the most." Bam looked at him thrilled at the idea of a soulmate. Khun almost found it cute. Almost. "Your soulmate will be an Aguero like me and they will have your name on their own arm."

"And how will I find them?"

Khun shrugs. "The Tower doesn't let you escape destiny."—Bam seems delightful, Khun thinks this is the first time he sees someone so happy about the idea of a soulmate—"Um, Bam?"

"Yes?"

"Did you bring a pet with you?"

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Falling in love with Bam, Khun finds, is surprisingly easy. He didn't realize when curiosity and slight admiration turned into devotion. Sometimes, loving Bam—despite knowing that he belongs to someone else—is cathartic. Khun was bound to go against the Tower's rules, was bound to ignore the soulmate rule, and since it was meant to be he was glad it happened with Bam. After all, the boy was the most irregular person in the Tower. Who better to break the rules for?

However, what was never easy, was Bam's relationship with Rachel. Bam adored her. He would follow her to the deepest oceans. The knowledge alone made Aguero's blood boil. And the worst part was that she wasn't Bam's soulmate, she was just his dearest friend, the only family he had known. It made Khun wonder what he would feel when Bam would eventually meet his soulmate.

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"You've gone to great lengths to ensure he wins." Hwa Ryun tells him one day. She doesn't have to specify. Khun knows what she's implying. He feels the need to defend himself, explain that he is merely helping a friend. Then again, he doesn't have to justify his actions to the girl who almost got Bam killed. "He has your name on his arm."

"I know," Khun says in a whisper. It's the most ironic, most painful, part of this ordeal. "But I don't have his."

Hwa Ryun hums and turns to leave. She stops as soon as she reaches the exit door and turns to face Aguero again. "Watch out for Hoh, Aguero Agnis."

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Bam dies and Khun is certain no soulmate could ever fill the gap in his heart.

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Ran doesn't believe in soulmates for several reasons. First of all, his mother is married to her soulmate and he sucks. A lot. Ran doesn't particularly like any of his family members but Khun Eduan is high on his annoying list. Secondly, he isn't interested in devoting his life for the other half. He has his own ambitions and the 'find the half that makes you whole' is an idea that doesn't sit well with him. Thirdly, as a Khun, the idea of a soulmate is unrealistic and certainly not a priority. Finally, and Ran would deny it to anyone who made the connection, Khun didn't believe in soulmates and Ran trusted his judgement.

(And if he had seen him mourning someone who wasn't his soulmate so passionately, that was just another reason why the idea of forced love wasn't good.)

Still, when he and Novick are in a fight—with who is apparently FUG's new Slayer Candidate—he can't help noticing the 'Aguero' written on his enemy's arm. It doesn't necessarily mean something since AA isn't the only person named Aguero, but it makes Ran think for a while. It's enough time for the Slayer to knock both him and Novick out. Ran mentally curses himself for failing.

"Excellent work, Mr Grace!" a girl with rabbit eyes exclaims happily. Ran makes a personal note to kill her first when he's out of this mess.

"Where is—" the Slayer starts but the sound of footsteps makes him stop.

"Ran! Novick!" Ran lifts his gaze and sees AA.

"You took your time." Ran mumbles and clenches his side. A sharp pain runs through his entire body. Maybe he should save his breath.

"I was almost assassinated."

"So?"

Khun lets out a small laugh. "Hey, where is my Lighthouse boys?"

Novick covers Ran's mouth. Fine, they're even. The rabbit girl stomps her foot on the ground. "Are you done?" she asks "Don't you dare take another step or everyone here dies!"

A very flawed plan in Ran's opinion since the rabbit girl would also die. And if she did want to die, she could do it privately. Ran valued his own life and he, in his opinion, deserved to keep it. The rabbit girl continued explaining her 'devious' plan and Ran noticed the FUG Slayer trying to move behind her. Maybe he wasn't crazy like her.

However, when he saw something in his Pocket, his eyes widened and he stopped. Ran began accepting his inevitable death, crashed by even more rocks, what a heroic way to go. He sincerely hoped AA would have a plan to get them out.

"Cassano, come out!"

"Darn it! Who are you guys?" Khun asked annoyed "Why are you doing this? Who is your target?"

"We're just ordinary Regulars who live in this tent village." The rabbit girl smiles innocently before grinning "But not this man."—she points at the Slayer—"His name is Jue Viole Grace. He's going to be the newest FUG Slayer in the near future."

Viole, Ran repeated his mind. Okay, cool, they were going to die and Khun's soulmate is most likely a FUG Slayer. Wonderful. Perhaps he should have stayed with Dan.

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"The God has come here to kill you himself! Khun Aguero Agnis!" Maybe, if Khun wasn't busy thinking that the Tower dared to pair him off with a FUG Slayer, as if he didn't have enough troubles already, he would have been scared. But, with the new information, Aguero couldn't let himself be scared. Frankly, he was angry. How dare they have fooled him like that? All this trouble to offer him to the FUG Slayer—his soulmate—to kill. Not only that but the Slayer must have been hopeless enough for FUG to not only hand him Khun but to also take hostages to ensure he wouldn't try anything. So yes, if things were different, Khun might have been scared. But right now? Now he was pissed off.

"Yes, what she says is true, son of Khun!" the Slayer yells at him. It's the first time Khun hears his voice. It's almost familiar. "I tried to kill you. That's why I laid this trap and waited for you." The man had a nice voice, Khun was willing to give him that. "But I've changed my mind after seeing you. I seek to be the embodiment of your greatest fear. I would enjoy seeing you run away in fear more. I will be merciful this time and let you go for my amusement."

The anger inside Aguero burned away, all replaced by simple amusement. The Slayer's acting was horrible. Almost as bad as Bam's when he had sent him to sweet talk Endorsi into signing Hatz's and Shibisu's friend list. The memory brought a sad smile to his lips just as Viole spoke.

"Run away, Khun Aguero Agnis." He tells him "And wish that we will never cross paths again."

Khun watches him turn away. He smiles to himself. "Hey, Slayer Nominee." He calls "I don't know where you're from but you should practice more to seem like an evil king. Your evil act is like right out of a lame novel. It's too obvious that you're acting. What was that? Your acting made me cry."

The Slayer cowers his head. Khun knows his assumptions were correct. "You're letting me go on purpose, aren't you? Why?" Viole doesn't answer him.

"Now!" Novick shouts as Ran shoots lightning at Cassano freeing them both. It gives Khun enough time to run up to the Slayer, grabbing his arm before he can react. The rabbit girl begins shouting at Cassano but Novick knocks her out quickly.

Viole growls at him "Let go,"—Khun wants to tell him that he never does what he's told—"Don't be foolish."

Khun ignores him and rolls his sleeve slightly. He sees the beginning of his name on Viole's arm. "Is this why?" Viole doesn't answer, but Khun is certain he's right. But then, as his eyes examine the name once more, written in slightly crooked letters—meant to represent the way your soulmate would write your name—in a way that is so acquainted it hurts, Khun realizes he has never been more wrong.

"My mother named me like that." Viole—no, not Viole, but Bam—says "That's what they say."

"You're alive." Khun's voice comes out as barely a whisper. It doesn't matter. It's only for Bam to hear. "You're here."

"The Tower doesn't let you escape your destiny," Bam whispers back, slightly worried, Khun knows he isn't worried because of him. He's afraid of FUG. FUG, the bastards, Khun notes, he's going to kill every single one of them.

"No, I guess it doesn't." he leaned in and kissed him. Bam pulled back and blinked. "I'm sorry this was—" Bam shut him off with a kiss. Okay, Khun could get used to the entire soulmate thing.

("Ran."

"Yes?"

"Boss is fraternizing with the enemy."

"Yeah,"—Ran smiles and looks at Novick—"it's gross.")