Hyacinth || dreamwastaken

36

On the count of three the chain link fence that once separated us from the outside world hits the ground. The rattle of the metal travels for miles. It's carried through the valleys and scares off creatures not afraid of us.

"Is it really this easy?" I look at Clay. "No fight at all?"

"When your parents run the government... it is that easy." Clay's voice shifts cold for just a moment, but his body holds the warmth he now conveys.

My mouth drops. His words shock me. I can't believe he's dropped words so nonchalantly like that.

Clay hooks his finger under my chin and closes my ajar mouth. "Only took them ten plus years to get where we needed them to be."

Clay closes the distance between the two of us. People rush past us and off into once uncharted lands. Lands that we had already spent so long exploring. They didn't need us to guide them. The world was now their oyster. They could go and see whatever they wanted however they wanted to. If they wanted to return to eat and sleep they could. Life was going to be whatever they made of it. No more rules and boundaries.

"Did they put us together?" I tap my fingers against Clay's palm as I wait for his answer. I'm scared to hear about manipulation. I don't want our love to be false. I don't want to be used for my hardhead. I want to love and be loved. Nothing more. Nothing less.

"Get out of that head of yours." Clay tone is teasing. His powers must be working in overdrive. It's the only way he's able to get inside my mind.

Every time I try to speak he cuts me off. He tells me I cannot continue until the thoughts leave. The problem was they were trapped. They were running in a loop that was never going to end.

"Hyacinth," my name breaks past his lips. I watch the way his tongue curls as he says my name. I focus on the way he wets his lips before even letting the word fall. But the words that follow erase my focus.

"We might have been specifically made for one another. Planned and manipulated from birth. But that doesn't make our love any less real. Numbers mean nothing when feelings like what I have for you exist. You are mine. I am yours." A part of my heart breaks.

We aren't true soulmates. We are manipulated soulmates. Soulmates given the title by misconduct and false testing.

As my mind wanders these thoughts. It clicks. It all fucking clicks. It's like a red flashing warning sign telling me all the answers at once. Everything I have ever wanted to know flashes before me in bright fucking red.

"I'm Nick's true soulmate." I look up at Clay. My eyes connecting with his for the first time since the fence hit the ground. "That's why him and I see the light you do not see. That's why I glow with him and not just you. You stole his soulmate for yourself. You felt guilty and gave him George as some consolation prize."

Clay's eyes shift over to our best friends. The two men who are stood hand in hand watching the happy faces of everyone around. Basking in the glory that they were able to give to our people.

"It's why you never believed in true soulmates because you knew your match didn't exist. Well, maybe it did. You just knew from the start that you'd never really get them. You were stuck with me." As much as I want to back away. As much hurt as I feel. I loved him. I loved Clay. I didn't want Nick anymore. This was all set in stone. And even if I was hurt. I was happy. Happy with Clay's hand in mine.

"I was never stuck with you. Because I could never be stuck. Stuck means forced. And I would never feel forced to love such a girl as you." Clay reaches up and cups my cheeks in his palms. His touch is so featherlight and tender. It's almost as if he touches any harder I'll shatter. He's delicate and kind. His ice cold heart has melted entirely right before my eyes. Such simple sentences making the coldness vanish in a flash.

"Even if you hate me 95% of the time?" I ask almost mutely. The words brushing past my lips so lightly.

"Even if I hate you 95% of the time." A slight smile pulls at the corner of Clay's lips.

I lift my head slightly and place my lips against his. I let the green glow form. I let the green glow take over me. I let it travel along every inch of my skin. I let it burn through me like a fire raging through an arid land.

"It's there. And I wish you could see it." I say softly, my breath hitting hot against his lips. I hope deep inside of him he feels just as alive as I do. I hope I set him a light in just the same way.

Clay closes his eyes for just a second. He takes a few long breaths before opening his eyes again. His eyes burn green. They glow like my skin normally glows from his touch. And before he even speaks, I know he can see it now.

"Soulmates. Complete and true soulmates." Clay travels the glow that lays upon my skin with the pad of his index finger. When I glance toward Nick and George their glow is gone. I no longer see it at all. I don't see the glow of anyone. I see his glow, and his glow alone.

"Manipulation, though terrible, can give great results. It can turn true statements into false ones. We have done that." Clay holds me tightly against him. My body flush with his. "You're my nightmare in a flowered disguise."

"Touché." I giggle as we depart a once fenced land.

We walk slowly toward our friends. Our group is together. We're just missing one. The bee. Tubbo.

***

A week passes. A week of making our way toward Tubbo's commune. When we arrive the fence is down. The place looks abandoned, but we know it's not. It's not because, out steps Tubbo, his hand laced in his soulmates.

"I can't believe you've done this!" Tubbo raises his voice, his eyes narrowed.

Ranboo teleports. It's not because he wants it. It's because his body acts before his mind has time to catch up. We all blink and Ranboo's gone from beside us to across the field at Tubbo's side. His powers are still broken, because he is broken.

"Tubbo!" Ranboo exclaims excitedly. Always so short, always one worded. He hasn't changed in the months I've known him. He's always the same. Always on a high. Or always on a low. There is never an in between with him.

"Ranboo..." Tubbo lowers his voice, the daunting tone doesn't fear Ranboo. It's almost as if the tone doesn't even register. All Ranboo sees is Tubbo. All he realizes is he's got his best friend back.

"Back away Ranboo." Tubbo warns. But Ranboo's body doesn't listen. It approaches and approaches until... bang.

We all drop to the ground, hands clasped over our ears. My entire body rings in pain. I hear screams and cries but they sound so distant. It's a sensation I've never felt and honestly, I never wanted to feel this way again.

"Sam!" After trying to focus I hear Clay's voice cut through the air like a bullet slicing through the wind for its target.

"We have rules for a reason and you destroyed them!" Sam's voice tries to compete with Clay's. "You are the reason I had to." I watch Sam closely as he directs his attention to Ranboo.

"You just fucking shot him!" Clay barks and I want him to stop. It's clear Sam has no conscience. He doesn't have anything to fear. He was put on the Earth to follow rules and protect. He was only doing what he was brainwashed into believing was right.

"One less person I have to detain." Sam's cold features don't shift as he speaks. He just stares through Clay with his gun in his hand. The sight aimed right as Clay's head. One slip and my soulmates a goner. We've already lost one life, it's not worth losing another.

"Clay..." I beg, pulling on his hand to stop him. His limbs go limp. His tense state vanishes. His head drops to look at me. "We've won the battle. Don't let me lose you."

Bang.

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guys... this is the last chapter. don't hate me. there is an epilogue. this isn't the end quite yet. i hope you've all enjoyed. i hope you don't hate me for what i've done. 🥺

much love, Ashley