Words Have Two Meanings

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Lydia goes to the Halloween party. There were a few days of contemplation where she flipped back and forth trying to decide which would be best for her heart, but ultimately, it was her decision that he should go.

Pash may have also yelled at her to get her head out of her arse and go.

Though Mila most definitely is not her soulmate, there was flirting. There was an abundance of flirting, and Mila just has to be into Lydia. Lydia's never been one to shy away from dating someone that isn't her soulmate. She loves love and a simple soulmark won't stop her from pursuing other options.

Lydia's a bit of a one-trick pony when it comes to Halloween. Ever since she was twelve years old and heard her favorite song on the radio, she's insisted every year to dress as an angel. Wings, halo, and all.

It started when she was twelve and wanted to incorporate her favorite song into her life in every way imaginable. She had Led Zeppelin posters lining her walls and always made sure her white and lavender pillows were fluffed to emulate the clouds surrounding heaven. It's normal, her mum always reassured her. Many want to feel closer to their song, especially because there's such a significance behind the music.

As Lydia got older, she continued to dress as an angel every Halloween as way to embrace soulmate culture. There was a bit of malice for her Highway to Hell counterpart included as well, but she tried not to let that show.

Now she does it out of tradition. It's become habit to put on the wings every October. Regardless of whether or not she has any plans, the halo makes an appearance every autumn.

Lydia has a plan to romance Mila. There was obvious chemistry between them, something Lydia couldn't have imagined. Each moment they spent together was peaceful and wonderful. It felt like dewdrops on a rose petal - unmoving, sweet, and full of wonder. Lydia knows there was something between them.

She doesn't have a complete plan, there aren't steps written out and a grand scheme of things that ends with the two of them driving into the sunset, hands held tightly over the center console, their silhouettes dark yet lively as they fall in love against all odds.

She doesn't have a plan that large. She's only thought of two things. The first being that she and Mila are something special, and the fact that they aren't soulmates has to be a mistake. The second being that nothing is going to stand in the way of them. She doesn't have a step-by-step guide of how to go about things, but she has her heart, and her heart knows that everything is going to work out.

It has to.

"Is that Stairway Lydia?" Lydia startles when Danny pops in front of her only a few short minutes after entering the party.

"Hey Danny," Lydia greets, trying to ignore the amusement darting across Danny's features. "Is Mila around here?"

"Yeah she should be." Danny's response sounds distracted and the corner of his mouth is ticking up. Lydia feels like she's missing out on some inside joke. "Nice costume."

Lydia's not sure if Danny's being honest with his compliment or if it's meant to be mocking, but Lydia doesn't care. It's tradition and Lydia loves it. "Thank you. I wear it every year."

Danny nods, his eye not yielding in their exploration of Lydia's costume. "Does Mila know about this?"

"I don't see why she would."

"Hm..."

"What?" Lydia asks immediately, not sure what to make of Danny's reply or the way his gaze seems to be returning to the halo perched effortlessly upon Lydia's curls. "Why are you humming?"

Danny drags his eyes back to Lydia's face as slowly as help. "No reason," he answers, a cryptic grin on his face. "Enjoy the party, Lydia."

Danny wanders off into the crowd, greeting different party guests as he goes, and Lydia's left standing in the middle of a sea of different characters. She can immediately tell who the soulmates are. It's not a difficult task when Minnie and Mickey are grinding on the dance floor or Thelma and Louise are playing beer pong together.

Lydia usually would be sad about that, about being the lone angel in the middle of all this love, but she's here for a reason. She's here for Mila, and despite the two of them not being soulmates, Lydia knows that one day, they can be on the level with these pairs.

But first she has to find Mila.

She wanders around the party, trying to locate Mila, but unsure of how to find her. She doesn't know what he's dressed as, so it's a confusing and difficult task. She almost runs into Danny, but turns away quickly, not wanting to experience another moment of the weirdness from before.

She's walked the grounds of the party twice, no positive results coming from her quest, so she grabs himself a seat in the living room against the wall, and waits, hoping that Mila will locate her eventually.

She's stood up, about to do another lap, when to her right, she's greeted with, "Trick or treat!"

Lydia knows that voice, has become quite familiar with it these past few weeks, and turns around excitedly.

"Hey - "

She's cut off by the sight of Mila. Standing there, a couple inches shorter than Lydia but still standing tall, is Mila - her Mila - in a bright red costume.

Head to toe, impeccably dressed, is the devil. There's a burgundy trident in her hand and horns resting atop the fluffy mess that is her hair. Her blood red skinny jeans and matching top go perfectly with her mischievous smile and squinting eyes, completing the evil look in its entirety. Honestly - Mila looks like the embodiment of every single one of Lydia's wet dreams.

But that's not what shocks her speechless.

Lydia's dressed as an angel, an homage to her favorite song. Mila is a devil, something that could easily be referencing Highway to Hell. Something that could easily tear Lydia's heart to shreds.

"Nice costume." Lydia's voice cracks halfway through her short sentence when her brain finally gets moving.

"Thank you. You look lovely as well." Mila's smile is pointed, his teeth showing subtly. Lydia could melt under the heat of her gaze.

"I'm uh... I'm an angel."

"You are," Mila laughs. "I guess you could say we go together."

"Yeah."

Mila is dressed as her counterpart. They're opposites, and Mila is playing the part.

Where Lydia is lanky and graceless, Mila is compact and lithe. Lydia's soft taste in life is only rivaled by the edges Mila expresses interest in. They're vastly different, polar opposites. The fact that they fit so well together isn't a surprise at all. It makes sense.

They make sense.

The fact that they aren't soulmates is a goddamn tragedy.

"Can I get you a drink?" Mila asks after noticing Lydia's odd reaction and following silence. "You look parched."

"Yes." Lydia nods eagerly. "Please."

It's a tease, is what it is, to see Mila as a devil when they aren't soulmates. It's as though the universe is mocking her, standing at the top of the world, looking down on her, and wondering just how far it can push her before she breaks.

It's all a prank, it has to be. Just when Lydia thinks she can forget about them not being soulmates, that they can move past it and fall in love in spite of what's written on their bodies, this gets thrown at her. This is a cruel joke that she's over.

She's sick of the games being thrown at her. She just wants to be in love.

Lydia lets herself get completely and utterly obliterated. She doesn't need Pash's permission for this one.