Sure, the whole soulmate thing is nice in concept. Knowing who is destined to be your partner forever takes some pressure off at least one aspect of life. Some people don’t like being so restrained, but Ashton doesn't really mind.
He just kind of hates his soulmate mark.
Everybody is born with lyrics from their soulmate’s favorite song tattooed somewhere on their body. It is, of course, normal for the lyrics to change over time. As new songs are released into the world and people's tastes change.
Ashton is actually considered to be pretty lucky. His mark has been the same for as long as he can remember. There are people whose marks change frustratingly often as their soulmate cruises through a wide variety of music.
But while his mark is consistent, it's consistently embarrassing. Written down the inside of his left forearm in curly font is, 'Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are...'
It was cute when Ashton was like, six. But he's twenty years old and still walking around with a damn lullaby etched into his tanned skin. He can't even hide it, especially not in the constant blazing heat of Los Angeles. Long sleeves are practically extinct. Ashton supposed it's better than his old home in Australia.
Sometimes Ashton forces himself to look on the bright side. It's a cute song, he guesses. A classic. It is a pretty unique mark too, everyone knows Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, but it's pretty much no one's favorite song.
Then the second Ashton finishes convincing himself that his mark is great, his friend Michael steps in to tear into his future soulmate.
"You two are gross," Ashton insists as he uses a long-fingered hand to shield his innocent eyes from his best friends swapping spit on his couch. "get out of my house,"
"This is our house," Michael breaks away from the kiss momentarily to reply. A line of spit disgustingly strings along between the plump lips of Michael and his soulmate, Calum.
Said soulmate whines and pulls Michael's bright red locks until they are kissing again.
"What did I do to deserve this?" Ashton asks no one as he tried to navigate out of the living room and into the kitchen without removing his hand from his eyes. He loudly yells out a line of swear words as he inevitably jams his bare foot into the leg of the TV stand.
"This is the end!" Ashton screeches, dramatically falling to the ground and clutching his injured toe. "I'll never even get to meet my soulmate! Tell them I loved them!"
"Should I tell them they're like a diamond in the sky?" Michael asks with a smirk.
Ashton jolts up and covers his arm defensively, "Don't make fun of them!"
"It's not my fault your soulmate is a five year old girl!"
"They just have a taste for classic songs!"
It's obvious they've had this fight before, the lines are well rehearsed. Calum rolls his eyes, "Don't fight," He offers weakly.
"Not everyone has perfect soulmates who have awesome favorite songs, Michael! Not everyone can be as lucky as you and Calum!" Ashton rants, trying to keep the bitter tone out of his voice.
He remembers the day Michael excitedly came up to him in school and pulled up his shirt to reveal that the words on his stomach had changed to 'Give me one good reason why we need to be like them…'
“It’s my favorite Blink song! My soulmate’s favorite song is my favorite song!” Michael had practically shouted, still holding his shirt up.
