Chapter Text
Brian didn’t think about his soulmate a lot. His dad always told him that soulmates were useless, not that he ever put much effort into finding his own. From time to time, Brian would write an interesting derivative or historical figure on his arm while he was reading, just to let his soulmate know he was still alive.
His soulmate, on the other hand, was hyperactive, to say the least. She respected his wish to avoid personal information, but the writing on his body was everpresent. Good morning wishes, weird stories, and colorful doodles littered his arms and occasionally his legs since he was young. He responded to the first message (a simple “hi! :)) with an impersonal “hello” and from then on kept quiet.
She never complained about the lack of writing from his end, so he continued as he was: quiet, for the most part. If he was quiet, she wouldn’t notice how lacking he was as a soulmate because she could project as much as she wanted. If he talked, she might figure it out. This way was better for everyone.
Well, okay. Maybe it was not actually the best plan. Halfway through sophomore year, a serious message appears on his hand. “Do you care if I date someone else?” Huh. He hadn’t thought of that. “I’m not your keeper,” was his less than eloquent response. That’s really what he thought, but he possibly could’ve worded it better. Nora, when consulted, had said that if he restricted a woman from dating before she met him, then he was a sexist pig with an overinflated ego.
Honestly, he wasn’t sure what he thought; he was much more concerned with the impending Area convention. His soulmate, fortunately, went a bit quiet after that, so Brian was able to focus exclusively on dead Roman men rather than a soulmate who he may never date because she’s in love with someone else. Whatever. He doesn’t care.
Still, he kept his habit of writing interesting historical facts on his arm.
About an hour into his studying, he felt a tickle on his arm. Looking down, he saw the colorful script of his soulmate.
“No. Way. I’m reading about that right now!!! Do you study Latin?????”
Perhaps his brain was fried by his deep dive into history because he decided to respond.
“Yes.” Perfect.
“:O!!! What level are you in?? Assuming ur in high school lol. Do you compete???”
“II. I am in high school. I compete in Certamen as a history specialist.” Why the hell was he responding? She’s probably perfectly happy with her boyfriend.
“OMG!! Me too!! Well, I’m in 3, but details.”
This back and forth continued for a bit longer.
“Jeez, it’s getting late, lol. This was fun!! Who knew you weren’t a fact-of-the-day-on-my-arm machine ;P”
Brian blinked and looked at the clock. 1:38. Well, shit, he had a test today.