I never understood the full effect of it until it happened to me. I sat in the cafeteria beside my friends on the first day of school, happily a sidekick after showing Boomer my ability to take on wolf like features, however not showing him the speed and strength that comes with it, not to mention the teeth and claws that rip through steel. I left it all out so that I could be with my friends.
Hundreds of years ago when the first supers were gifted their powers by the gods they were also gifted soul mates. The moment you met you would begin developing a mark that identifies you to each other, sort of like matching tattoos, something between you and your fated. To touch another's mark is to touch their soul, it's the worst thing you can think to do, and odds are is the last thing you'll do as their mate would kill you for it. I've never heard of someone not finding their mate as soon as they developed the mark, however legend has it that if you didn't find them, you would slowly deteriorate and eventually die...I was about to learn what that felt like. I began developing the marks at lunch, I noticed as they were on my wrists, tattoos like fire from my wrists to forearms and I quickly pulled on my hoodie, eager to hide it as it started.
My father was a horrible man, he was an abusive drunk who didn't believe in the existence of soul mates, said it was against god and he would rather die than have one, and I know he would rather me be dead too. I took great care in making sure that no one saw them for the remainder of the day until I got home and was able to cover them up with makeup. I knew that by hiding my marks I was giving up my mate but I didn't know what else to do. I laid in my bed that night, snuggled in my Batman footie pajamas, wrapped in my blanky with my paci between my lips just thinking about what my mate would have been like.
It went on like that for several days, I would cover my marks every day before I went to school, and every day when I got home to keep my father from finding out. I was already amazing with makeup since I needed to cover my bruises before school as well. I had not the least little idea who my mate was until 3 days later when Will tripped and spilled his food on Warren Peace. The guy was obviously gorgeous, but he looked like hell the last few days, and I think Will falling into him was the final straw. I didn't notice until we were close up to him, Warren on a table about to set us ablaze, the tattoos on his wrists were just visible under his leather jacket and in that moment I knew who he was and I hated myself a little more for making him as ill as he seemed to be...as ill as I was. I was very good at hiding it, but I was tired and barely able to think anymore as sleep continued to escape me every night. I gasped loudly when Will tossed him across the cafeteria after gaining his powers. I was slightly ashamed to admit I spent the rest of the day dreaming about what kind of daddy Warren would be, and in every scenario he was perfect, making me hate myself that much more.
It was the next day that I began to truly break down, I was taking some papers to the office for Mr. Boy when I saw them, Warren and his mother speaking to the principal. "In all our years of Sky High this has never happened before, I don't understand how you haven't met her yet." Principal Powers said worriedly, inspecting Warren's marks without really touching them, I had to resist the urge to growl with just how close she was to them.
"Whoever she is, she doesn't want a villain as a mate, I understand. I just don't know what to do anymore, I feel like I'm dying." I felt my heart snap in that moment as his mother spoke with Principal Powers.
"Please, come to my office and we'll discuss this. Miss L/n!" I jumped as she screamed my name and I looked over abruptly. "Will you be so kind as to walk Mr. Peace to the nurse please?" I nodded, walking out the door and holding it open for him before walking down the hall way.
"Are you alright Warren?" I asked. Stupid question and he just grunted. I was forced to wrap my arm around his waist half way there as he staggered and almost fell. I made sure to keep my hands away from his marks, or he would know immediately who I was. "It's okay, I won't let you fall." The nurse pointed to a room as we walked in and I helped him to lay down.
"I'm going to die in a school nurses office, this is just awesome." He mumbled and I sat in the chair beside him.
"Don't say that, please? You're going to be okay." If I thought I felt horrible before, now I feel like a monster for taking him with me into this terrible ill state. I felt like death, but I go to school all the time covered in bruises with no sleep the previous night, I've learned to deal a lot better than he seems to have, I applaud him for not screaming in pain as he seemed to be in agony at the moment.
"Why are you still here? Aren't you going to run and tell all your sidekick friends what's happening?"
"Of course not...I wanted to make sure you were alright..."
"I'm not, and I'm not about to be either so forget about it and go back to class, I don't need your pity."
"I'm sorry." I sniffled and he looked at me startled as I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. I hadn't even noticed the tears falling down my face as we sat here and now I felt like full on sobbing. "I don't want to hurt you, I really don't."
"What are you talking about, please stop crying...I-" I cut him off, reaching out and wrapping my hands around his wrists, touching the marks for the first time, making him gasp. The color returned to his face quickly and he looked much more alert as he sat up and looked at me.
"Why? Why didn't you tell me?" He pulled up my sleeves and drug me to the sink, washing the makeup off and touching the marks for himself. The relief that washed over my body was instantaneous before he sat me back down.
"I was scared..."
"Of me? I would never hurt you princess." I shook my head, feeling chills at the nickname he had used for me, wanting nothing more than to snuggle into his arms right now.
"My dad...he hates the idea of soul mates, thinks it's against god, and he said he would rather kill me than see me have a mark...I don't think it's possible for him to hurt me more than he already does but I don't want to find out..." He pulled me to his chest and held me tightly, kissing my head and letting me cry it all out.
"I won't let anyone hurt you Y/n. I thought you just didn't want to be mated to me, I'm so glad that's not the case. You don't need to be afraid princess, I promise you're safe with me." He pulled my legs up and held me tighter so he was now leaning against the wall with me curled up on his lap. "I'm gonna go get the nurse to look you over-"
"Don't leave me daddy! Hold me, please, don't let go?" He seemed stunned but held me closer than I thought possible. Kinks are almost always shared between soulmates so I took a bit of a shot saying it, he already called me princess so it wasn't much of a gamble.
"No ones leaving, daddy's right here baby girl, he's never leaving you again." I rested against my daddies chest and allowed his breathing to calm me, half asleep by the time his mother and principal powers came in.
"Oh my! I guess we can stop looking then, huh?" His mom asked sweetly, coming over and brushing some of the hair from my face to see me better.
"Her father said he would kill her if she ever came home with a soul mark, he did this to her, he hurts her all the time and she was terrified if she told someone he might actually kill her. Mom, she can't go back home, please? We can't let her, we-"
"Hush, oh honey, calm down. Shh, just relax. It's alright, We'll take care of it." She hugged him to her, in turn hugging me as well. "Your mate is safe, that's all that matters."
"I'll get a counselor for her to talk to." Principal Powers spoke, leaving the room.
Warren "woke me" a few moments later so a counselor could ask me a bunch of questions, she then made me take off my shirt so she could take photos of all the bruises and injuries to make a complaint to child services, child services of course having a secret branch for super children. They made quick work of my situation, my father in jail by the time I got home to get my things.
I was currently sat on my daddies bed with him while he looked through my little bag, where I keep all my gear. I had been given my own room but even Warrens mother knew exactly where I would be staying. I yawned, leaning back into the head board before feeling the blankets moved from under me and my body being moved to lay on the pillows and making me whine. "I think my princess needs a strict bed time if she's going to be fussy, 11 is way too late for you. Open." He held one of my pacis up to me and I saw it was my stitch paci as he tucked my stuffie under my arm.
"I sowwy Daddy. I be a good guwl." I mumbled around my pacifier as he pulled me into his chest and he grinned.
"I know you will baby. Sleep little one, it's been a long day for you. Daddy will be here when you wake up and we'll have a lazy day. Full of Netflix and pizza and cuddles." I squealed, snuggling into his chest tighter and soaking up his body warmth.
"I wuv you daddy."
"I love you too princess. Sleep tight."
I know I promised a Daryl Dixon story next but this was stuck in my head. This is for everyone who wanted another Warren Peace story. Comment and tell me what you think please?