Avengers Preferences and Imagines

SMAU: Open Book (Steve Rogers)

A/N: Couldn't decide between the skin idea or the special book so I made it both because why not? This is an AU after all. I don't love this one, but I'm posting it anyway, enjoy friends.

PROMPT: Anything your soulmate writes or draws on their skin appears on yours. On your 18th birthday, you receive a special book where everything your soulmate writes or draws in there becomes visible to you as well.

Despite living in the shadow of my parent's great love story, I struggled to believe that there was really someone out there, waiting for me to find them so that we could be together. My doubts were quickly reinforced after I got my notebook; as much as I wrote, no one ever wrote back. I wrote in my book daily, never giving up hope that one day I would open the cover to find a response waiting for me, scrawled in a script I didn't recognize. I wrote and drew all over my hands, my arms, my legs: anywhere really hoping that one day my soulmate would draw something for me. Years passed me by as I watched my closest friends converse with their soulmates, find them and fall in love. I could only watch in envy as my skin remained blank and the pages in my notebook told a one-sided story.

I was woken up by a strange, yet gentle tingling sensation gracing across my forearm. The feeling was foreign to me as I came awake, slowly becoming more aware of the feeling. In my groggy state, I noticed that it tickled. Almost as if someone was lazily tracing patterns across my arm. I couldn't help but wonder if this is what people felt when their soulmate drew on them. But I would never know, three years had gone by and I had yet to receive any correspondence from my soulmate. When I opened my eyes, I was astounded by the sight of my skin: nearly every inch of my arms was covered by sketches. I turned both of my hands slowly as I took in the various artworks covering my arms. The drawings were simple but each one was more captivating than the previous. Whoever my soulmate was, he was clearly very talented. As my eyes trailed along my arms, I noted pieces of poetry and messages littered amongst the various drawings. Realizing what all of this meant, I leaped from my bed, scrambling to find my notebook. I ripped the leather-bound cover open with fervor, as I anxiously flipped to my last entry.

I was in awe to find that my entry was no longer the last. The book was now filled with countless drawings, each one beyond beautiful. Various sketches of people, landscapes, monuments, and more now littered the pages of my once one-sided book. When the drawings stopped, I noticed that the next page was filled with unfamiliar, elegant handwriting. I couldn't believe that after all these years I was finally hearing from my soulmate. Curiosity consumed me completely as I got lost in wondering what he would be like.

My Darling,

Hi. I know that this letter is long overdue, and I apologize for that. Believe me when I say that I would have loved to have written you sooner, but there were a few things standing in my way of being able to contact you. I can only hope that you haven't given up on me yet, that I haven't left you waiting for too long. Hell, I hope that you're still waiting for me. My thoughts are fully consumed by you, and I don't even know you yet. The second I was given this book, I immediately sat down and got started. I must have drawn for hours, and hours before finally deciding to write you this letter. Honestly, I wanted to put the letter first but I didn't know what to say. I ramble a lot sometimes, so I decided to start with the drawings. I've never been the best with words, but drawing has always come naturally. God, I have so much I want to ask you, so much I want to learn about you. Like where you grew up, do you have any siblings? What was your childhood like? What's your favorite color? Honestly, I want to know everything about you and I can't wait until the day where you can answer every single one of my questions. I hope this reaches you wherever you are, but more importantly, I hope you'll write back. I'll be waiting.

Forever yours, -S

I held the book close to my chest as I allowed the shock to wash over me. After all of this time spent waiting, I had finally found my soulmate, or rather he had found me. I struggled to arrange my thoughts as I grabbed for a pen, desperate to reply.