Soulmates ✓

seven

It was a mistake returning. Tine ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, tears streaming down uncontrollably. He shouldn't have accepted his parent's request to return. He shouldn't have told Sarawat everything was going to be fine when he got into his car - the two parting for the first time for more than a day since they met.

Because now everything was not fine. He knew his parents didn't necessarily accept non-humans, but never to this excent. Like how they prayed he would become like other humans, he prayed they'd be different.

A knock came from his door, and he was greeted by his sadden mother who no longer bothered to give him a fake smile as she had tried to earlier.

"May I come in?" she asked softly, and with growing hesitation.

Wiping his tears in a violent manner, he nodded. She walked into his room and took a seat next to him on the bed.

They sat in a short silence, neither knowing how to voice out their words.

"Why?" Tine's voice cracked, too weak and shaken to look at his mother.

She sighed sadly. "I...truthfully there's no excuse. I had believed they deserved it because their son was someone who vouched there was goodness in non-humans. But then you grew up. My wonderful, little boy, Tine, grew up to be so alike to him - the nephew I abandoned onto the streets because I simply didn't think I could handle raising such a child.

"Your grandfather and the rest of the family didn't want to adopt him either because of the same reason. So we let the government take him, knowing very well humans in orphanages have a higher chance of dying before getting adopted.

"But compared to my sister, I didn't want death to be the way out. I was stronger than that. So I tried. Every year after putting you into homeschooling, and slowing into isolation, I tried to make you change. Not forcibly, of course. As a child educator, I know better than that. But the more we tried to teach you, the more you made us question if what we believed in was right.

"But the pride and guilt stopped us from fully seeing the wrongs in our beliefs. And then you left. And somehow, your absence gave us all the more time to talk about everything. It allowed us to truly sort out our thoughts and beliefs that we tried not to touch upon while you were still present, because we didn't want to appear so wavered."

Tine clenched his fists, taking in a deep breath, "And now? What are your thoughts now?"

She gave him a wistful smile, "I believe...it's time we found him and made up for it."

Tine cried, harder than he had done previously. His mother wrapped her frail arms around him, letting out tears of her own. His father came in not too long after with some food and drinks, joining them on their first step to finding his long lost cousin - Type.

They knew his name, but they needed his exact location. The last time he was seen was four years ago, and was said to have been reported to live together with a friend by the name Techno, a medical witch. But witches are said to be tricky, and if Type doesn't want to be found, Techno could easily help him hide.

So Tine would need either the help of another non-human, or in specific, a witch. And luckily, he happens to be mated to a werewolf.

~

Sarawat grinned as he received a call from Tine. It's only been four days, yet it feels so much longer than that. He regretted not insisting on going back with Tine to his hometown. But he knew Tine needed time with his family.

"Hey-," before he could let out another word, Tine's voice interrupted him.

"-'Wat, could you come here?"

His voice dropped at the sound of Tine's strained voice. He listened enough to his mate to know the differences in his voice when it came to different emotions. Tine had been crying. And he wanted to rip apart whatever, whoever, made his mate cry.

"What happened?" He asked, his voice demanding an answer.

"I... I went through my parent's stuff yesterday, and happened to stumble upon a picture...and well..." Tine sighed, and it broke Sarawat's heart at how tired he sounded.

"I'll explain more later. But do you think you could come over?"

"Are your parents..." Sarawat paused, trying to find the right words. "Are they aware of our relationship? Who I am?"

There was silence on the other line before he heard the soft hum of Tine's voice confirming his question. "They know. I told them last night."

Sarawat felt his heart swell in joy. His Tine told his family about them. He knew what a step it was considering the things Tine repeated to him about some of the stuff his parents tried to engrave into his brain.

"Alright. Send me the address," he said, excited.

"Mm."