Warning: mentions of abusive past

The eyes are the window to the soul, everyone knows that. Virgil would always think he wasn't meant to have a soulmate, but he was always proved wrong when he looked in the mirror. His regular eye color, a very dark-almost black-brown right eye, and a yellow, snake-like left eye. He's been an outcast for all of elementary school and most of middle school, then he made friends with the new kid, Roman, in seventh grade. From then on, his friendship with Roman grew and he was aquatinted with Roman's brother, Remus, who Roman dislikes greatly.

Virgil never bothered to put a contact over his snake eye, there were many things that could go wrong. What if he pokes his eye out? What if he damages it? Some people at school thought his snake eye was cool and interesting, while others bullied him. They would always tease him, asking him if a snake was his lover, but Roman would always come to his rescue.

During February break Virgil was notified that Remy was coming in from New York to celebrate Patton's 42nd birthday with his agender significant other. They were taking the bus, so Virgil had to drive to the bus station and wait there, then drive them to the house once they arrive. Remy's agender significant other went by the names Emile/Em/Emily, Remy told Virgil ahead of time that it was a non-binary day, so their name was Em. As Virgil was waiting a boy his age accidentally bumps into him and Virgil, being the tiny kitten he is, gets knocked over.

"Sorry." The boy mumbled, holding out a yellow gloved hand but not looking at Virgil. He took the boy's hand and the boy helped Virgil stand up, still not looking at him. Virgil felt his chest constrict and his stomach knot as he awkwardly shifted from one foot to the other, wondering why the boy wasn't looking at him. Did he see the snake eye Virgil has from his soulmate? Was he freaked out by it? Was he disgusted? Virgil would usually keep his head down in public, but he was alert and glancing at the boy from time to time. Virgil has noticed that the boy's left eye was, well, it looked black. But no eye can ever be black, usually it would either be a very, very dark blue or brown.

'My right eye is dark brown...could he be my soulmate?' Virgil didn't have time to dwell on the thought because the bus had arrived, and, by the looks of the bags the boy had, he was leaving. Virgil didn't see Remy yet, so he rushed to the boy, who started walking towards the bus, and grabbed onto the fabric of his jacket and did a small tug.

"Wait," the boy turned his face so that the left side of his face was visible to Virgil. It seemed that, for a second, there was something about him that seemed afraid when Virgil lightly tugged on his jacket. Virgil didn't make eye contact with him and really was regretting his decision, there could be tons of people with his eye color, what makes Virgil so sure the boy's left eye matches Virgil's actual eye color.

"I, um, I noticed that, uh, that-that your left eye is, um, the-the, uh, color of my right. I-I mean, maybe it's not, plenty of people could have that eye color. Maybe it's-maybe it's not me. Sorry, it's probably not me." The boy stood there with Virgil stammering while people went around them as if they weren't there.

"Let me see your eyes." The boy spoke up, Virgil found himself blushing, his voice was attractive. Virgil hesitantly raised his head and looked at the boy, who looked surprised for just a second, before turning his head so Virgil can fully see his face. Shock and happiness ran through him, Virgil had found his soulmate. The boy seemed ashamed of his face, where Virgil had the snake eye on the left side of his face, the boy had it on the right side. It seems that it wasn't the eye the boy was ashamed of, but the scales on the entire right side of his face.

"You're beautiful." Virgil murmurs, his eyes widened and felt heat rise to cheeks as he realized he said that out loud, "I-I mean, um, it's cool-but it's also beautiful-erm handsome, um, wait-" Virgil's babble was cut off by a genuine laugh from the boy, who smirked down at Virgil.

"You don't look too bad yourself." The boy said in a flirty tone, "I go by Deceit, but it can be Dee for you, if you want." Deceit introduced himself to Virgil, bending down a little while raising Virgil's knuckle to his lips and kissing it. When he stood up, a head taller than Virgil, he chuckled at how flustered Virgil was.

"I'm, um.. my name is Virgil." Virgil had definitely fallen hard, which was unusual for the darkly dressed teen. It took him one and a half years to open up to Roman, who he's known for three years now, but with Deceit it was only a minute.

"What are you doing here?" Deceit asked Virgil.

"I'm picking up my brother and his enbyfriend." Virgil replied, glancing down at their intertwined fingers and found himself blushing again.

"Aren't you going to ask what I was doing here?" Deceit questions with a raised brow, smirking again at his adorably blushing soulmate.

"Well it's-it's obviously not my-my business to ask." Virgil stutters, glancing at the bags by Deceit's feet and unconsciously squeezed his hand. Deceit felt his heart flutter, no one was ever considerate to him. No one ever talked to him except to spit insults, no one touched him except to hurt him, no one except Virgil.

"My family made it clear they didn't like me, I'm going to find a place that might." Deceit said with a straight face, but his fear and sadness showed in his eyes.

"You could stay with me." Virgil blurts, feeling his stomach knot at the way Deceit skeptically looked at him.

"Hah, I'm sure your parents would be thrilled." Deceit's smooth, suave voice dripped with sarcasm.

"You never know. You're doing what one of my fathers would call jumping to a conclusion, my other father would prove you wrong by showering you in love and cookies." Virgil lightly smiled to himself, thinking of his two fathers, Patton and Logan.

"You really think so?" Deceit's voice was soft and hopeful, he looked at Virgil like he wanted to believe it, but couldn't. Virgil's heart figuratively melted, because if it literally melted then there would be a problem.

"Definitely." Virgil smiles at Deceit. He texted his fathers, having to sadly let go of Deceit's hand to do so, asking if a friend that's in a bad home situation stay over for a few days. First they asked if he found Remy, Virgil said not yet, then they agreed to let Deceit stay.

"They said you can stay." Virgil says, nervously scanning Deceit's face as he processes the information. After a minute Deceit let a grateful smile grace his face, tears sprung in his eyes as he hugged Virgil.

"I-uhh, I don't say this often, but-well, thank you, Virgil." Deceit whispers, a warmth spread through the both of them as they clung onto each other. They eventually had to let go, but would always be close to each other. Virgil helped Deceit place his bags in Virgil's car and they waited for Remy and Em to arrive.

Deceit was welcomed into the household with open arms (and a lot of squealing from Patton), Patton would always playfully tease them when he got the chance and Logan, with Virgil and Deceit's permission, did a bit of scientific research on the scales on Deceit's skin. If he's being honest, Deceit couldn't feel more at home; there were people who loved him, who didn't hurt him, and he didn't think there would be anyone capable of that. Deceit remembers all this as he's kneeling in front of Virgil, at the same bus station they first met and wearing the same black suit with yellow highlights, a black band that had a purple outline inside a sleek, black box and said the words.

"Will you marry me?"

1400 words
I think I did pretty good, I mean, later I'll look back on this and probably deeply regret it, but I feel good about this now. There is always someone who loves you, know that if there doesn't seem to be anyone now, there will be later, just hold on and keep going till then.

Love you all~
Xxx