THIS ONE'S FOR YOU KAY!
Prompt: you can see all the colors until puberty, then you only see in a color that corresponds to your soulmate's mood
Michael:
"How are you today Y/N?" Rosie, the nice sophomore you were tutoring in precalculus asked you as you sat down at your usual table in the library.
"I'm alright," you smiled politely, "have you started the new unit yet?"
"Yeah we started it yesterday," Rosie said offhandedly. Clearly she was distracted. You loved tutoring her, and it was a good way to help pay for rent, but sometimes it was hard to get her to focus. Especially when you could see the excitement burning in her eyes.
You gave in and asked, "anything else that's new?"
"It happened! I only see green right now!" Rosie squealed and promptly got shushed by a fellow patron.
You reached over and patted her on the shoulder, "I'm so happy for you! I told you there was someone waiting for you." Rosie was somewhat of a late bloomer, usually girls started seeing in monochrome in the eighth or ninth grades, she had told you before that she was worried she didn't have a soulmate at all.
"I know! But I was still so worried! Oh Y/N, it's wonderful isn't it? Knowing there's someone out there made just for you?" She dreamily grinned and sighed. You watched as your charge leaned forward and propped her chin on her hand. It seemed likely that her soulmate was seeing pink; Rosie looked lovestruck. You doubted you'd be getting any work done at all.
"So, if we open the book to 321, I'm sure we'll find-"
"What color do you see right now?" Rosie asked. Obviously she wasn't listening to anything you were saying.
"If I tell you will you focus?" You sighed. You weren't getting paid to babysit her, her parents would be upset if she didn't do well after all the time the two of you spent studying.
"Sure," she nodded and looked at you expectantly.
You somewhat doubted she actually would, but it was your best hope in the moment, "blue," you said curtly. Honestly, you had been seeing blue too often lately, and you were starting to worry, not that you'd tell Rosie.
Rosie's face fell, "blue? Doesn't that mean sadness?"
"It might," you shrugged, "different colors mean different things to different people."
Either way, Rosie looked a little put off, "so green could be sadness instead of health and safety?" Her bottom lip poked out and you could see her starting to become distressed.
"Oh Rosie, I don't know what it means, you might be able to figure it out if you see what colors are most common during what parts of the day, but you can't let it get to you, at least not right now," you rubbed down her back. Now you were both distracted and she was nearly in tears.
"You're right," she sniffled and wiped at her eyes, "they're probably fine. I shouldn't worry." She took a deep breath, "precalculus."
You nodded and opened the textbook, "precalculus," you confirmed.
...
Michael tried not to be so sad, but it was hard when all of his friends had their soulmates and were building their lives together while he was alone. He was happy for them of course, he enjoyed their company and seeing them so happy together, but he couldn't help feeling small and alone when he got home and walked into his empty house.
Luke suggested getting a dog to help him out, Calum would make a point to spend time just the two of them, and Ashton would always tell him how it was just a matter of time but Michael still felt alone. He wanted to know where you were, and what was taking so long.
...
A flash of yellow, a bit of purple, but mostly blue and a little green. You sometimes liked to pretend that blue meant happiness and green was amusement. When you opened your eyes in the morning to a blue ceiling you'd tell yourself that meant he was happy, not sad, and when your bowl of Froot Loops was all green, you'd ignore the fact that green was the color of jealousy. The balance of colors used to be much more healthy, sometimes you'd get whole rainbows in a day, but mostly they were orange and yellow, actual happiness and amusement. You were pretty sure purple was non-romantic love, and red was anger. Occasionally you'd get gray, which was commonly confusion, or brown for fear. Sometimes the colors mixed together into an ombré haze.
"What're ya seein now?" Your best friend spoke with his mouth full of popcorn. You were binging out on Netflix and pretending not to be worried about your upcoming exams.
"It was blue earlier, but now it's starting to turn purple, so maybe he's feeling better," you smiled a little as your friend scrolled through the movie options.
"That's good, my soulmate must be very amused at something because everything is highlighter yellow, and it's giving me a headache," he complained, stopping in the rom-coms.
"Is that your way of trying to guilt me into letting you pick the first movie?" You snorted.
"Maaaaaybe," he grinned and stuffed more popcorn in his mouth.
"Fiiiiine," you teased as he hit the button to start the movie.
"You love it," he teased, passing you the popcorn as the opening scene started.
"You know it," you reclined back and snuggled into the couch.
...
"OHHHHH MIIIIICHAEL!" Calum burst through his friend's front door, "I BROUGHT DUKE!" He tried when Michael didn't respond right away.
Immediately there were footsteps on the stairs as Michael came down to greet the dog. His day was always brightened when Duke, and Calum of course, came to visit.
"How's my favorite good boy?" Michael made a kissy face at the dog and lifted him out of Calum's arms.
"Good," Calum replied brightly, "how are you?"
Michael didn't bother correcting him, "better now," he giggled as Duke licked his face.
"Well that's good because we come with news," Calum rubbed his hands together and grinned, "okay so you know how Cassie, Allison, and Maria are going on that girl's trip in a few weeks?"
Michael nodded, it was all that they'd been talking about. They were going to some resort spa and enjoying some R&R.
"Luke, Ashton and I were wondering if you wanted to go to Vegas, you know, blow off some steam, kick back, guys weekend just like old times," Calum clapped Michael's back and Michael smiled weakly.
Old times? Back before he felt so left behind? It certainly was a tempting offer.
"I'm in," he said without thinking about it further. He wouldn't psyche himself out again, he was going to go out with his best friends and have fun.
"Great! Plus who knows who you'll meet? Anything can happen in Vegas," Calum winked and scratched his dog behind his ears.
Michael really hoped he was right.
...
"Y/N!" Y/BFF/N yelled.
"Huh? What?" You lifted your head and found that a page from your textbook was stuck to the left side of your face.
"You were drooling," he chuckled, peeling the paper off of you.
"Sorry, I've been cramming so much I haven't been sleeping enough," you winced at the bright light of the University library.
"I know how you feel, really deathy right?" He groaned and shut the book he had been taking notes out of.
You were going to say something snarky about how an English major probably shouldn't use words like "deathy" but he kept talking.
"We deserve a break. Your birthday is in a few weeks right? Let's go somewhere," he smiled that smile that he always had when he was formulating a plan.
"No, what? No!" You shook your head, "If you mean a club to get wasted that's fine, but I'm trying to put myself through graduate school, we can't just plan a trip somewhere."
"One weekend," he puffed out his bottom lip like Rosie often did, "you deserve it Y/N, come onnnn."
You rubbed your face, a trip certainly did sound nice. You had been so stressed lately...
"I'll be your best friiiiend," he poked your arm.
You swatted his hand away, "you already are you dork."
"Then listen to me, I'll take care of everything don't worry," he assured you, "just say you'll go."
You bit down on your lip, this was an impulsive decision, but you were only young once.
"Okay fine," you caved, "one weekend, and only because it's my birthday."
"Yes! You won't regret this, I'm a great party planner." He stood up suddenly and started packing up his things.
"Where are you going?" You furrowed your eyebrows. It was still early, the library would be open for a few more hours.
"To look at hotel reservations, we're going to Vegas baby!"
...
Michael's vision was some weird greyish brown when he met his band mates at the airport and he agreed with his soulmate's feeling. He was a little apprehensive about this whole trip. His hopes were really high for meeting her, and he wasn't sure what would happen if he didn't.
...
"Why did we drive again?" You rubbed at the kink in your neck that formed from the odd angle your neck dangled at while sleeping during the long trip. At least your soulmate was faring better than you, he seemed to be content as you were seeing orange.
"Because we're cheap," Y/BFF/N reminded you as you rode up to your room on the elevator.
"Right, one day when we both have good jobs let's come back here, but fly," you sighed.
Y/BFF/N chuckled, "when I'm your Man of Honor your bachelorette party is going to be right here, and we're flying. You can count on that."
He sounded so sure that you'd pick him as your Man of Honor it would be funny if he wasn't right. You finally got off on your floor, and Y/BFF/N led you down to your shared room.
Once the door was open, you dumped your bag and ran forward to collapse on the soft bed, "unnnngh let's stay here."
"Uhm no," Y/BFF/N dropped his stuff too, "we have two and a half days and we're not wasting them. Get dressed, we're going out."
"I thought it was my birthday trip," you looked over your shoulder to glare at him.
"Which is why I'm not letting you waste it," He waltzed into the bathroom and you separated from the bed. He was right of course, you shouldn't waste your short trip staying in the room.
"Okay but don'T TAKE TOO LONG IN THERE!" You pounded on the door as you retrieved your bag.
"NO PROMISES!"
...
"Are you excited? We're in Vegas!" Ashton had already started drinking. He was sitting in Michael's room as Michael got ready to go out clubbing.
"Yeah, and a little scared, I mean what if she's here?" Michael pulled out his favorite jacket and laid it down on the bed. He knew it wasn't actually yellow, but his vision was starting to shift and it was making his things look weird. Not that he minded, he wondered what she was excited about.
"You worry too much about your soulmate. You can't speed up fate, you'll find her, don't worry so much about when." Michael appreciated Ashton's advice, he really did, but sometimes he felt like he didn't understand. Michael was an anxious person and seeing all of his friends be so happy made him want the same. He needed to find her, he couldn't just lounge about until she magically appeared on his doorstep.
"I guess," is all he said.
...
"WOOO! SEEEEX ON THE BEEACH!" Y/BFF/N raised his glass and knocked it, pretty forcefully, against yours. Some of your own drink sloshed out and down your arm. "Party foul," he giggled as you glared.
What a lightweight.
"See anybody cute?" He slurped and looked around the crowded club. It was hard to tell, the place wasn't very well lit and you were currently seeing orange which was not a very helpful color.
"No, do you?" You raised an eyebrow and saw he was almost done with his drink already.
"I think I see someone tall dark and handsome over there," he winked and waved at someone on the dancefloor you couldn't pinpoint in the churning mass of bodies.
"No strangers in our hotel room," you threatened as he got up. He grinned at you and set down his cup. You didn't get a formal response, but watched him walk away.
"What a birthday," you groaned and turned back to your own drink at the bar.
"Birthday huh?" A male voice asked from next to you. You didn't want to be rude, but you didn't feel like dealing with anybody else right after your best friend abandoned you. You much preferred brooding in peace.
"Birthday eve technically," You frowned and pushed the straw around the circumference of your glass with your pointer finger.
It was silent for a moment and you vaguely realized that the color of your vision was slowly changing from orange to pink. Your mood soured even more. Pink meant romantic love, you'd never seen it before, but now your soulmate was loving someone that wasn't you. A terrible birthday gift really.
"And your friend left you all alone on your birthday eve?" The man sounded genuinely confused. He clearly had never met your best friend.
"Probably just for like ten minutes," you shrugged, "then he'll be back." Y/BFF/N had ridiculously high standards, you didn't envy his soulmate there.
"Still sucks though right?" The guy continued the conversation.
Your vision turned completely pink and you felt like crying honestly. You just wanted to get Y/BFF/N and go cry and eat junk food in your hotel room.
"Really really really sucks," you sniffled into your drink, "worst birthday ever."
The guy didn't speak for a minute, and you figured he'd left the "weird crying girl" at the bar to go find someone in a better mood.
You weren't expecting a soft hand on your shoulder and a gentle tone, "are you alright?"
You noticed some grey work it's way into your view. Good, he was confused too.
"No," you finally looked up into the face of the person you'd been talking to. As soon as you saw his eyes your whole world burst into color. You saw multiple colors at once, the blue club lights, your red dress, his green eyes. "Yes," you corrected yourself.
The pink, the pink was him! He was looking at you.
You hopped off of your stool and threw your arms around him, catching him off guard for a moment as he stumbled back.
"Nice to meet you too," he chuckled into your hair, wrapping his arms around your waist.
"Hey!" It was just like Y/BFF/N to pop up at the worst time, "what happened to not bringing any strangers home?" He looked pointedly at you and you giggled, letting go of your soulmate to hug your friend as well.
"He's not a stranger Y/BFF/N, he's my soulmate," you corrected him.
"Oh," you watched as your friend's jaw dropped, "oh. I see, I see. Wow. We've been here like an hour and you've already found your soulmate."
"It really is fate isn't it?" You sighed in happiness and moved back to tuck yourself into your soulmate's side. He wrapped an arm low around your hip and held you to him.
"More like, I am the king of party planning hello, I got you here AND to this club wow I'm lucky," he rubbed his hands together and turned around, "let's see if I'm lucky enough to find my soulmate too!"
"Wait!" You tried to grab him but he was already gone. Oh well, it just meant more time with your soulmate.
"Wait!" You looked up into the face of the man holding you, "I don't know your name!"
"Michael," he smiled at you, "and yours is?"
"Y/N," you grinned back, "and that was my best friend Y/BFF/N, don't mind him he's drunk."
"I thought he said you'd only been here an hour," Michael raised an eyebrow and chuckled.
You shrugged, "at least he's having a good time. Where are your friends? I assume you didn't come here alone."
"Honestly," Michael looked around, "I have no idea, they were dancing together when I left to go to the bar. They all have found their soulmate's though, so I'm pretty sure they're still here."
"Should we find them or-?"
"LUUUUUKE! DID YOU SEE THAT? I GOTTA TELL CASSIE!" You and Michael turned and watched as a trio came stumbling out of the crowd. One was holding his pants and you were a little concerned until you saw that it was because his jeans had torn from the crotch down to his knee.
"Found them," Michael sighed and waved them over.
What were you getting yourself into?
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