Solangelo Soulmate AUs

Maria

Bianca Di Angelo carefully lifted her newborn brother from his cot. "Mama, look!" She beamed down at the writing slowly creeping across the unaware baby's arm.

Her mother looked on with a watchful eye and a smile as she witnessed her second child's marking. Soulmarks were something of a miracle and occurred in almost everyone; a parent's greatest fear would that their child would be left out, destined to never experience true love like all their friends would.

"Blue eyes" Maria read out to her eldest, who was still learning to read. Until someone met their soulmate, they would only have the one description, always something vague but enough to get started on.

Nico couldn't've cared less, however, chewing on his fist as his tiny mind tried to figure out what the excitement was all about.

                              -------

Three years later and it was time for nursery. Bianca was already in Primary school and took great pleasure in having a younger sibling to boss around. This was why she was left behind when Maria and Nico went to visit some of the nurseries in the area.

When they got back she was excited to hear all about them but was astonished to see the words "blond hair" printed across her brother's wrist.

"I know! I didn't notice it until we were on the way home! I just wish I had realised sooner to search for another kid who had just gotten more writing!" Maria was clearly beating herself up about it, wondering how she could've let such an opportunity get away from her son. Her son who was currently inspecting his new words very closely.

"It's fine, Mama! Soulmates always find each other. Miss Potts said so, and she knows everything. Did you know that dolphins are warm blooded like we are? That means they can keep warm. Lizards can't, though. Do you think a jumper would help?" Bianca's convinced tone comforted Maria, even if she started on her incessant questioning again.

"Hmm, no dear, I don't think so." She answered absently as she picked up her son who seemed to have lost interest in the words he couldn't read and had now begun to hunt for his duplo instead.

Maria pondered to herself on how to approach the subject with her son. Bianca has still to meet her soulmate and had begun to learnt what new marks meant at school but clearly Nico didn't have that luxury. There was always the possibility they'd end up at different nurseries and wouldn't meet again for some time but Nico would surely have questions before then.

Not right now, she thought with a hint of a smile as she watched her son stick blocks together, very chuffed with himself.

                             -------

Nursery flew by with no more words- for Nico at least. Bianca met her soulmate at an after school club and they now shared regular play dates.

It was one of those play dates at their house when Nico finally asked his mama why Brian came over so much now.

"Well, dear, it's because he's your sister's soulmate."

"What's that?"

And thus began the long explanation of what a soulmate is and what his marks mean.

"So I have a Brian too?" Nico asked slowly, as if he was placing all the puzzle pieces together.

"Yes. Almost everyone has a Brian." He seemed satisfied with that and hopped off to go pester his sister to let him play too.

                             -------

Nico, like many children, grew from an adorable, chubby cheeked cherub into a moody, sullen teenager. Maria tried to stay positive, however. At least he only needs the one load of laundry, she thought as she added another item of black clothing to his pile of emo attire. She left it by his bedroom door, his permanent residence it seemed now, and occupied herself until the kids came home by catching up on a show.

Bianca was the first to come home. She was attending a local college as a stepping stone to university. Maria was cherishing every moment she had with her as she knew it was likely that her and Brian would get a place of their own soon.

"Hi, Mama," she slung her bag to the floor, "I had a great lecture today! Surprisingly good, even, for such a boring part of the course." Maria was so proud of her for following her dreams despite having to put in the extra time and effort because of her dyslexia. "What about you? What did you do today?"

"Oh, not a lot, really. Day off today so I did some chores and put my feet up. Your brother really needs a splash of colour in his wardrobe." She said the last sentence with a hint of humour and Bianca let out a wee laugh.

"I know right. I know what I'm getting him for his birthday!" She begun to shout through the doorway as she made her way to the kitchen to grab a snack.

It was at that point Nico burst through the front door, threw his bag at the floor and begun to speed to the stairs.

Both Maria and Bianca startled, the sound reverberating around the house. "Woah! Slow down there! We're discussing our days, why don't you join us?" The tentative question came without much hope of success but a determination nonetheless.

A now sixteen year old Nico's shoulders slumped in defeat and resignation as he turned around. Maria gasped, both surprised and overjoyed. Nico's face and arms were littered with words, a sign of meeting and getting to know one's soulmate.

He quickly began speaking before either could ask questions, "Yes, I met my soulmate; yes, we talked; no, I would not like to discuss it right now." And in true moody teen fashion, he spun and stalked up the stairs.

"I hope he wasn't that hopeless with his soulmate." Bianca filled the resulting silence. Maria threw a pillow at her daughter, trying to hold in her laughter and look stern.

                             -------

Eventually, they did meet his soulmate, a kind and sunny boy named Will. They were complete opposites as even the earliest soulmark had suggested but seemed to compliment each other well and Maria couldn't have been happier.

So. It's been over two years but I thought I'd write another cause people kept asking me to update (I read every comment, they're really lovely, thank you :) ). I like to think my writing has improved a bit, at least plot wise. Hopefully my habit for very large plot holes has gotten better...