backyardbbq | Soulmate AUs

[Aunt Mimi just stepped out for like, five minutes. Chuuta missed all the details of exactly where she was going (something about a book club? or a coffee shop?) but that's not really a big deal. And normally, watching the shop isn't a big deal either. Chuuta restocks the displays, makes sure everything looks nice and clean, and then hangs out behind the counter, sewing a dishrag while waiting for customers.

The door opens and he puts down his work and bows, introducing himself (you always introduce yourself when you meet a stranger, names happen before anything else).]

Hello, I'm Kokonose Chuuta, how may I help you?

[It's just politeness, of course, just how human culture works. Somebody on the bridge had mentioned it before, which had resulted in a (way too much like some kind of nature documentary) explanation of human soulmates from Dr. Love and a lot of really inappropriate questions from the alien officers, who didn't really get how asking to see The Name was rude.

That was like, a week ago or something, and Chuuta hadn't really thought much about his soulmate since then other than one brief moment when, at night as he was lying in bed, he took off the bracelet covering his left wrist and looked at the name written on his skin in his soulmate's handwriting.

[You don't like him.]

"I don't... not like him."

[You like Sonokata.]

"W-w-well yeah but!! you can like somebody who isn't your soulmate. Everybody does."

[She said she doesn't have a soulmate. I think she's lying.]

"It doesn't matter if she's lying, I'm not her soulmate."

[What if she finds her soulmate first?]

"Sh-she won't! Even if she met them, she wouldn't tell them! We can't tell anybody. If they found out about all this alien stuff, that really wouldn't be any good!"

And that had basically been that. And that was like, last week and Chuuta isn't thinking about it at all when he greets the boy walking into the shop.]

[Rin was just out of school, and given that it wasn't a cram school day, he had the whole afternoon to himself! Mostly. He just had to get some supplies to cook dinner with, and then he could head home.

Not that he had much to do after that, all of his friends were busy that day, but whatever. Rin would make due.

At that point in his life, the name on his wrist meant pretty much nothing to him. He isn't one to worry about the future, he's got too many problems in the present. He figures he will think about what to do if he ever does meet his soulmate, but until then he's just going to focus on his day-to-day life.

This has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he has a crush on a girl who is not his soulmate. Nope. Nothing at all.

He doesn't cover up the name, either. It's freely visible on his left wrist, especially now in summer because he's wearing his short-sleeve uniform.]

Hey! Where's the lady who's usually here?

[Not the most polite of introductions, but Rin is one to get right to the point.]

[Look he goes to True Cross Academy! That's their uniform! That's a good school, it's interesting! You should try to get in there next year! You'll probably fail the entrance exam, but you should try!]

[Drew's voice may be completely inaudible to every other living creature in the universe, but for Chuuta it's like the Monitalien is yelling directly in his brain. It's hard to ignore, and throws him off for a minute as he stammers.]

S-sorry, my aunt isn't here right now. I'm Kokonose Chuuta, can I help you?

[Hey, Chuuta, you said that twice!]

N-no I didn't! [He says, barely aside.

Sorry, Rin, this kid just... talks to himself.

Chuuta glances up at the stranger, and yeah, there's the uniform Drew mentioned. And bags of groceries, but ingredients, not pre-made stuff.

Some rich kid running an errand for whoever cooks at his house, stopping in here to grab a pastry for the way home. Chuuta would have gone to the candy store down the street, personally (but then again, he literally lives here so his pastry saturation is constantly high).

Two bare wrists. Either this guy already found his soulmate, or he doesn't care. There's writing, but Chuuta doesn't look too closely.]

[Yeah, that side-talk there gets an eyebrow-raise from Rin. A weird kid who talks to himself? That sounds like...well, most of the kids in the cram school class, actually. Rin takes a moment to see if there's a demon anywhere nearby, just in case. But he didn't hear anything, so maybe it's not a demon? Maybe this kid is just weird?]

...er, yeah. I just need to buy these things, and the lady who runs this place has a special order for me. It's under 'Okumura'.

[Rin usually just uses his last name when he puts in special orders, since Yukio's more famous around here than him and most people are willing to give Yukio that kind of special treatment. There's no need to correct people on the fact that it's for Okumura Rin until he actually picks it up.]

Okumura? [He double checks, turning to look through a shelf of special orders. Okumura... Okumura...]

[Chuuta! It's The Name!]

[

oh.]

O-Okumura, you said?

[There it is, his aunt's familiar writing of a very familiar family name. The world slows down a bit, like he's in the middle of a fight with the light of activated SPH flashing around him.

Like falling off a cliff.

He reaches out, picks up the bag, feels his hand on the paper and the weight when he lifts it. He doesn't take off his bracelet. When he turns around, he looks the older boy in the eyes. He doesn't look down at that exposed wrist.

He holds the bag out, but doesn't let go. His hands shake.]

I'm Kokonose Chuuta. [A third time. There wasn't any kind of recognition before, but he tries again. Maybe... maybe it's the wrong Okumura. But this guy is the only Okumura he's ever met.]

Chuuta's written like "space is big". Do you know someone named Okumura Rin? W-with Rin written as "phosphorus"? [He'd looked up the kanji in elementary school, traced out all seventeen strokes of the name and memorized them.]

[You're being really forward, Chuuta! Do you think he's the one?]

[He looks the other boy in the eyes. He doesn't let go of the bag. His hands shake.]

Well yeah, that's-

[He pauses there. This guy- Chuuta- he's said his name three times now. It has to be significant, he has to be trying to tell him something.

If Rin had ever tried to read the kanji on his wrist, he would have gotten it the moment Chuuta said the meaning of his name. But Rin, like the dork he is, never even looked up the meaning. He isn't like Yukio, who memorized the meaning of his soulmate's name the moment he was able to look up the kanji. He takes things as they come, and he just never bothered to look it up.

Rin shifts the bag in his left hand to his right, and he holds up his left arm, wrist-up.]

Is that what this says? 'Kokonose Chuuta?'

[He doesn't look down. He just looks Rin in the eyes, wary and cautious like the social outcast he's been for years, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Drew has no such hesitation, and reads that outstretched wrist.]

[That's your name, and it's your handwriting too! This guy's your soulmate, Chuuta.]

... Yeah.

[He can't do this. He can't. He drops the bag, slams his hands on the counter and looks down at where the brown paper crumpled from the pressure.]

S-so do you need help with anything or is this it?

[They can both just pretend this doesn't matter.]

[Nope, not at all.

Because as soon as Chuuta confirms that, Rin's going to set down his bags and then give Chuuta a big, happy hug.]

[Well, in that case, Chuuta flails, caught off guard and gasping in surprise. He's not actively trying to get out of the hug, he's just startled.]

Ehhhhhhhhh?

Ah... um... c-can you let me go? [It's... actually kind of nice, that sort of excited hug. It reminds him of---

]

[He smells bad.]

No he doesn't!

Edited 2018-01-04 02:55 (UTC)

[Oh right, most people don't like being suddenly hugged like that.

Well whatever, Rin hugs him extra tight for a second before letting go.]

Sorry, it's just- I never thought I'd find you.

[Even if this guy is a little weird and says weird stuff sometimes, Rin can overlook that. Because soulmates.]

I didn't expect you to be a guy though! I've always liked girls, so- well I guess it's different with soulmates, huh?

[He didn't even know how to read your name!]

Yeah... [Chuuta says, more to Drew than to Rin.] Um, I... I mean, I like girls too. There's a girl at school I like right now so maybe we can just be friends? I've heard of some people who are just friends with their soulmates. N-not that I don't think you're probably a really great guy, I've just never liked a guy before and I don't think I'm ready to--

[He realizes he's rambling and cuts himself off, looking down.]

Sorry.

[Honestly? Rin's pretty into girls. He hasn't really considered boys before, and while the idea doesn't gross himself out or anything, he'd need to do some soul-searching first. Because sexuality is weird like that.]

Sure, I guess. Besides, I'd rather get to know you anyway. C'mon, tell me about you!

[Because even if it's a just-friends thing they're still SOULMATES so they need to get to know each other.]

hey Rin

hey you

no subject

no subject

1/2

2/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Hey Shiro~

ayyy

ayyyyy

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject