Hello everyone! I wanted to apologize for the long wait, almost a year, between chapters! 2020 has definitely been a year to remember, and not always for good reasons. I hope everyone is safe and healthy this holiday season. In such a crazy time, I hope these updates bring a bit of light back into your life! Thank you so much to everyone for the reviews and kind words. I've been lucky so far that COVID has only affected my work for the next few weeks as Alberta locks down to contain cases, but that also means I have this time to give you all the chapters you've been so patiently waiting for.
This chapter's a bit of whirlwind, but I'm sure you can handle it; after all, you have been asking for it! Thank you again for your patience and support. Happy Holidays to each and every one of my wonderful readers!
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Iris hummed happily as she took a bite of the carefully prepared lasagna. Luke smiled from his place across the table, watching as she took her first bite before even starting on his. When he'd first pulled off the foil covered the dish, he hadn't known what he was looking at—all he could see was red sauce. The word 'meatloaf' had been on the tip of his tongue before Iris peeked around his shoulder and chirped 'oh! I haven't had lasagna in forever!', offering to help him set things while he put it in the oven.
Glad to have dodged the moment of embarrassment, he gladly handed the plates and utensils to Iris.
"So I'm assuming Patricia does most of the cooking?" She cut her section of lasagna carefully, trying to keep the layers from separating as she ate.
Luke hummed for a moment in consideration. "I wouldn't say the most. A few of the others love to cook, like how Felicia is with her make-up and Barry is with his sketches. Don't tell them, but I'd say-" he stopped just shy of speaking the name, knowing that he and Iris hadn't met yet and didn't know if he should say it.
The small woman seemed to understand the reason for his pause and smiled in assurance. "You can say names. I already know Jade and Hedwig, haven't met them yet. They may be soulmates I've yet to meet, but that doesn't mean you can't bring them up. Just gives me something to know about them in advance." She took another bite as Luke sighed in relief.
"Heinrich," he finished. "I'd say Heinrich cooks the best. Honestly, he should be the one on grocery detail; the guy uses most of the food anyway."
Iris smiled as she listened to him, loving how he spoke of the other alters affectionately. Like family. "What's your favourite dish?" she inquired. "I mean overall, not just cooked by Heinrich." Saying the name made her tongue feel thick, as it did whenever she said the name of someone she was yet to meet. Originally, she wasn't sure if she should speak with one of her soulmates about another, but so long as they didn't mind bringing them up she would be happy to continue the conversation.
Luke sat back as he chewed, looking off to the side wall as he pondered. "That's a hard one."
She knew it, too. Whenever someone asked her what he favourite thing was—book, movie, pastime—she always had trouble answering. "How about....what dish are you craving lately?"
The look that came to his face was almost dreamy, and Iris knew he was playing it up for her. "Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo." Iris made a soft sound of agreement, remembering the last time she had made some for herself when she'd had a day off and a fresh batch of groceries. "Yours?"
"Can't say a favourite, but I've been craving a pulled-pork sandwich," she admitted, getting a surprised look from Luke. Clearly that wasn't what he had been expecting. The look made her giggle, covering the bite of food she had just eaten. Once she finished chewing, she elaborated, "I had one at the little deli restaurant some years back called Sweet Meats. They ended up moving to a new location, bit too far for a cab ride, so I haven't had it in a while. But their sandwiches were to die for. It's not often I get takeout, but they were definitely one I went for quite often."
Luke stopped eating as she spoke, leaning his chin on his fist as he smiled at her. "We'll have to make a day of it sometime. Go up for sandwiches, find something to do while we're there. That way it's not a waste of a ride just for something to eat."
Flushing with happiness, Iris nodded in agreement and busied herself with another bite.
"Even if she doesn't cook as often as I thought, Patricia makes excellent lasagna."
Luke flashed another brilliant smile. "I'll be sure to tell her!"
The small conversations continued as they finished off their plates, Iris immediately declining a second. She had eaten more in one sitting than she normally would in an entire day. The sleep lull had returned to her eyes, however, and Luke immediately refused her offer to wash their dishes in favour of soaking them in the waiting sink.
The original plan was for Iris to head home that night. However, as she grew sleepier with food in her belly the thought of her walking home made him feel sick with worry. It was such a short distance he knew she would refuse to take a taxi, so the compromise came to allow her the chance to sleep over again. Iris had become accustomed to the routine after the several nights she had stayed following the incident at the store.
An open invitation from Felicia gave her a place to sleep, her meagre toiletries still in the bathroom for her use. Barry had an early start the next day for work, and Iris had a later shift that would have her closing the store the next day. It was already nearing midnight by the time Luke walked Iris to Felicia's room, now wearing a set of her own pajamas that had been left behind.
Iris approached him first, wrapping him in a tight hug as she leaned her cheek in against his pectoral. "Thank you, Luke. It was a wonderful date."
"We'll have to do it again soon," he responded, the smile he wore apparent in his voice.
Returning her tight embrace, cheek resting on the crown of her head, Luke didn't want to let her go. He wanted to be selfish and keep her with him for as long as he could. But they both had work and he would get an earful from Barry if he did not get to sleep at a decent time. His next exhale came out like a sigh, Iris letting out an answering one before she started to draw back from him.
"I'll message you tomorrow, okay?"
"Mhm," she hummed with a smile, before she gently cradled his jaw in her small hands, lifting onto her tiptoes and pressing the ghost of a kiss against his cheek. Her lips lingered, spreading their warmth, and drew back too soon for Luke's liking.
Her cheeks were flushed a warm pink as she retracted her hands. "Sleep well."
Catching her chin between his fingers before she could flee, Luke returned her kiss with one of his own, high on her cheekbone and closer to the sensitive skin at her ear. "You too, Sweet." He swore he could feel the heat from her blush warming her skin, making him grin with the knowledge that he had been the one to put it there.
She slipped into Felicia's brightly coloured room, shyly casting him one more smile before the door was closed between them.
Neither were able to keep the smile off of their lips as they tucked themselves in for the night, wishing it had not had to end.
Iris had been so tired from the day, she did not dream or wake again until a weight suddenly landed on her legs, one of which had been curled up on top of the blankets to expose her sock-covered foot to the air. Jerking in surprise at the sudden contact, she tried to sit up, but a weight caught around her waist and pinned her in place. An instant of panic seized her heart before she looked down at the familiar shaved head of her soulmates' body, but which soulmate was perched atop her was an answer she did not have.
Her erratic heartbeat steadily calmed as she leaned to prop herself up on her elbows.
She had only opened her mouth to speak, still unsure what words would come out, before her soulmate rolled abruptly, looking down at her feet. Rendered silent from the sudden and erratic movements, she watched as he moved until his feet were next to hers, revealing they were wearing nearly identical blue socks, hers of a slightly fuzzier quality.
"Look, look! We have matching socks!"
The familiar, and often confusing, words brought a smile to her face as she looked from her small feet to his larger ones. The lisp in his words hinted that she might be speaking with the one named Hedwig, but she didn't want to make any assumptions and instead wiggled her foot to tap her toes against his.
"Look at that, we're soulmates and we match," she responded sweetly, sleep thickening her voice just slightly.
The smile he turned on her was one of pure childish happiness. It warmed her heart to see and, even as tired as she was, she could not help but to return it. Similar to how he must have arrived in the room, he pounced again; bouncing up beside her, Iris threw her hand out to stop herself from tipping off the bed. The antics of her newest soulmate set her off in a fit of giggles. Once she was sure she was not going to overbalance off of the bed, she rolled to face him. He was wearing a tracksuit—black with white and blue accents—and his blue socks.
"I'm Hedwig." Inches separated them, the light from the hall allowing her the chance to see his face in the otherwise dark room. He looked at her so excitedly, like she had hung the moon. It made her feel so special just from that look alone.
"It's wonderful to meet you, Hedwig. I'm Iris."
He made a soft scoffing sound, more of a laugh really, and ducked his head briefly before he looked to her eyes again. "I know that, silly!"
Patiently, Iris smiled back. "I'm sure you do," she assured. "It's just polite when someone introduces themselves to return the favor."
Hedwig made an 'oh' face as he nodded along. "I also have red socks," he blurted out suddenly. Iris blinked before she nodded.
"I don't think I have any red pairs. I'll have to buy some."
"Yes!" Then he made a face that Iris knew well; he was trying to repress a yawn.
"It's awfully early to be awake." Shifted slightly, Iris laid her head down on the pillow. "Aren't you tired?" While stopping herself from falling off of the bed, she'd glanced at Felicia's alarm clock and caught the time that glared 4:12 in bright red. It was too early, even for Barry to have to wake up for work.
Hedwig shook his head rapidly, making an 'uh-uh' sound.
She wasn't sure how old Hedwig was, but she did know that telling a child to go to sleep was often the wrong choice and could be met with resistance. "I'm sleepy," she said instead, hoping he would give in and go back to sleep as well if he knew she wanted to. "I'm not usually awake this early."
Even in the minimal light provided, she could tell when he started to pout.
When she had originally caught the hints that one of her soulmates was going to be a child, she had been worried that there might be trouble distinguishing him or her from the adults that made up her other soulmates. However, the comfort came to her just as easily as it had when meeting Patricia and Felicia, embracing the knowledge that some of her soulmates were going to be women. Having so many soulmates, she was sure quite a few were going to be platonic but she honestly could not say whether all of the female ones would fall into that category of not.
Soulmates were not always romantic. They were meant for each other simply because that it what someone needed in their life. A mother or father figure, a child, or a dear friend. Soulmates were whatever someone needed to complete themselves.
Hedwig was still so new to her, and already she could feel the unmistakeable urge to hold him close and protect him from everything the world would use to hurt him. Being a child in a man's body, she was sure there were times he and the others were ridiculed simply for not understanding.
That protective feeling must have been lacking with her mother and father.
"Would you like to stay here with me? A few more hours of sleep will be good for both of us." His pout lifted, becoming a shy grin before he nodded his head. Opening her arms, Iris let him shuffle closer and come to rest with his head on her chest. He must have been able to hear her heartbeat with his ear resting over her breast. Wrapping him in her embrace—the broadness of his shoulders making her adjust her hold just slightly—she gently rubbed on hand up and down his back as the other came to cradle the back of his neck.
God, he was like a living furnace. The heat that bled from his body would easily keep her warm.
She could tell when Hedwig drifted to sleep, the soft snores were the dead giveaway, as he cuddled in closer and tucked his hands up near her stomach to keep them warm. She continued to lightly stroke her hand up and down his back, listening to his light snoring and taking in the warm breath that seeped through her clothes to her sternum. Gradually, she lessened her soft stroking until her hand was simply resting on his back
Knowing that Barry had to be awake for six-thirty, the sleep she fell into was a light one. Sometimes she dozed more deeply, but even the faintest shift from Hedwig would wake her again. Occasionally she would crane her head back to see the time, but the hours passed slow until the time Barry's alarm would have sounded.
It was when she was in one of her dozing states that the body she held suddenly jerked, pulling away. It startled her back into consciousness as well, her eyes wide and her hands lifting to allow her soulmate the chance to move back.
Not Hedwig, then.
With a quick glance down at what they were wearing, her soulmate groaned suddenly and dropped back onto the bed with a hand clapped over their eyes. Iris remained lying in silence, trying to gauge if this was someone she had met before or if this was a new soulmate. "Hedwig," he mumbled. "I'm so sorry, Iris." Ah, someone she knew.
"Barry, it's okay. I found him very endearing." Propping herself up on an elbow, she offered a smile even as Barry groaned again. Reached out, she slipped her fingers under his palm and drew his hand back from his face. "What's wrong?" This could not have been because he had snuck in while she was sleeping. He was a child and judging by the lisp he was still too young to think anything more of sleeping beside her than simply sleeping beside her.
There was a twisted feeling in her stomach that she came to realize was not hers. It made her realize just how strong the connect between her and her soulmates was becoming; this was the first time she had felt something from them.
Barry's lips pursed, like he was fighting the urge to lash out for something. He refused to meet her eyes for a moment, but she waited patiently—still holding his hand in hers—and he finally shifted his focus to her. "He's nine," he started. However, as long as Iris waited, nothing else followed the abrupt declaration.
"So?"
"So?" he repeated as his face coloured with surprise. "He's nine! I share this body with a child."
His discomfort became clear in an instant and Iris felt her heart clench for him. Was this something he'd been worrying about for long? Was it a concern shared by the other soulmates?
"Barry," she started carefully, shifted closer and wrapping an arm around his torso so he had no chance to move away from her. "I have twenty-three soulmates. You all share one body. Some are women, some are men, and apparently there's at least one nine-year-old mixed in. Having Hedwig as one of the others in this body doesn't change my view of you any more than Felicia or Patricia. You're all unique to me. I look at you and I don't see Hedwig or anyone else. Just you."
He still looked hesitant, but he at least turned his head to look at her.
Smiling with reassurance, she leaned forward to press a soft kiss to his paled lips. "Have you been worrying about this, all this time?"
Barry's silence was her answer. Her response was to lean over him and kiss him again, lingering this time. He softened under her lips. One of his hands remained in hers, the other lifted to cradle the back of her head. This kiss was different than the one shared under the falling snow. It was not as tentative, like a careful first step into water to test the temperature. This was assurance, proof of feelings for someone that words lack the ability to convey.
His lips were softer than she had been expecting. Parting from him for a moment, she shifted to catch his bottom lip between hers and let the tip of her tongue tease the soft skin gently. The sharp intake of breath told her that her boldness paid off, followed by the increased pressure on the back of her head pulling her closer.
Only when air became necessary did she finally pull back; Barry's grip loosened until she had no trouble putting the slight amount of distance between them.
"You're all here with me, Barry. But I don't look at you and see them as well. I promise. I don't care what anyone else says, you're each your own person."
If she saw his eyes glisten with tears, she didn't say a word. "Thank you, Iris. Fate couldn't have given us a better soulmate."
Her weight leaned onto him again, lips seeking his, when an alarm clock down the hall sounded and shattered the quiet between them. Iris jumped slightly at the sudden sound, then burst into soft laughter at the sour look that briefly coloured Barry's face.
"Time for work, hun."
Signing, his head dropped back down onto the pillow.