Soulbound (Final Space. Jackspeed fic)

Ch 1: The Other Half of His Soul

Note: In this story, Jack refers to himself as 'Jaxx.' I hope that doesn't confuse anyone. It seemed like the perfect fit for this story.

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Until that moment, Jaxxtrixxriiandraneek had no true knowledge of color. Everything was white or black, or varying shades in-between. His parents always spoke of soulmates as a wondrous thing, and Jaxx had grown up dreaming of the moment when he and his soulmate would gaze into each other's eyes for the first time, and color would fill the world.

But the years had passed, and life continued to be grey for the Greytrexian. Instead of moping about, Jaxx decided to apply for the Intergalactic Guard. Very few Greytrexians even considered leaving their home planet, but he was determined to see the universe.

This new planet, Earth, was amazing to behold – even in monotone. The air was fresh, the animals were delightfully unique, and the humans were all so tall and extraordinary to look upon. It helped that Jaxx found himself rather taken with the broad-shouldered aliens of his new planet. He wouldn't mind finding his soulmate among them, even if the thought made him blush.

And then, out of the blue, it happened. Recently promoted to pilot, with honors, Jaxxtrixxriiandraneek found himself attending the Captains' Gala. It was the one time each year that all of the captains in the Intergalactic Guard returned to Earth to mix and mingle with their current and future crewmates. Junior trainees were given the night off, but every recently promoted member of the guard was expected to attend. You never knew which captain you would be assigned under, and it was the chance to make a good first impression.

As Jaxx gazed around the room, he caught sight of a small group of senior staff members gathered around a particular human. At first, he seemed the same as all the rest, but the moment their eyes met, everything changed. The world, beginning with the Captain's dark eyes, blossomed into vibrant colors. It was an awe-inspiring moment that left Jaxx speechless and giddy at the same time.

The man turned away to talk to the woman next to him, but the Greytrexian didn't care. He'd finally found the other half of his soul — and in a HUMAN, no less. What would his parents think? It was so unusual. The little alien clutched his cheeks, unable to stop the smile brimming across his face.

"Someone is happy," his friend Trishika said. He turned to see that her skin was no longer a dull shade of metallic grey. Instead, her avian features were in full, colorful display. A lovely blend of colors that Jaxx didn't have the words for, as of yet.

"You're beautiful, Trishika," he whispered, staring at her in amazement.

"Thank you, dear. But I know for a fact that you like guys," she replied, a smile quirking across her beak.

"No, I mean I can see you — you're so colorful!" Jaxx nearly squealed.

"You found your soulmate," she hissed, grabbing him by the arms to pull him close. "Who is it?"

"He's amazing, but I don't know what his name is. He definitely noticed me, too. Do you think he knows I'm his soulmate?" Jaxx wondered aloud.

"Humans are a weird species. Once they reach maturity, the name of their soulmate appears on their wrist. We should go see if he has your name," the Avianrian said, perking up as she began to search the room. "What does he look like?"

"He's right over there," Jaxx said, pointing to the man standing between Sergeant Roscoe and a Ventrexian captain.

"The guy with the big shoulders, brown hair, and a very pronounced chin?" his friend asked, her lips curving down into a frown.