Soul Bound

Chapter Three: Slumber Party Secrets

"Did you kiss?" Joan asked teasingly as they laid on Thomas's bed next to him.

"No, Joan," Virgil replied from the desk chair as he idly swivelled it back and forth. "We just talked, that's all."

"Did you wanna kiss them?" Thomas asked with a shit eating grin, Virgil rolling his eyes.

"Guys, we just met!"

"Hey, we haven't met our soulmates yet," Joan said. "We don't know what it's like or if there's that instant temptation to... take things quickly."

"That's probably subjective," Virgil pointed out.

"True. So... you didn't wanna kiss them?"

Virgil broke eye contact and blushed. "I... didn't say that."

Joan and Thomas both squealed in delight. "I love this new ship!" Thomas declared, Virgil laughing shyly.

"Fuck off, Thomas. I hope you know I'm gonna tease the shit out of both of you when you meet your soulmates."

"Assuming we actually do sometime this century," Joan said somewhat jokingly.

"I think we will," Thomas said hopefully. "Although I... mostly hope that so I can meet their cute otter and fox animali; they're the cutest things. Not sure what that says about me, honestly."

"So what do you think? You think your soulmates are guys?" Virgil asked him.

"I mean, I hope so. It'd be kinda awkward if my soulmates were girls and I'd have to explain to them that I... kinda prefer... not girls."

"Well articulated, Thomas," Joan teased, Thomas playfully shoving their shoulder as they laughed.

"I doubt any of my soulmates are girls," Virgil said. "I wouldn't be disappointed if any of them are; really, I don't have any preferences. Either way, soulmates aren't always romantic."

"Good point," Thomas agreed, pointing a finger at him. "See that? That was a really good point to you. Also, valid argument, Virgil."

"Thomas, I say this as endearingly as I can, but I fucking hate you," Virgil said with a grin, Thomas and Joan both laughing.

"Wait, Virge, how many soulmates do you have again?" Joan asked.

"Including Janus, I have four. Why?"

"Dude, what if they live in all sorts of different countries? Like... all over the world? How cool would it be to have a soulmate from, like, Japan or something? Like, you could learn more about Japanese culture to... understand your soulmate better or something, I dunno. I think it'd be neat."

"I... worry about that a lot, honestly," Virgil murmured. "I mean, yeah, it'd be cool, I guess, but... if any of my soulmates do live in a whole other country, odds are, I'm never gonna meet them. I mean... at least I know... two of my soulmates live in America."

"Two?" Joan repeated.

Virgil didn't respond. He merely stared down at his hands as they fidgeted in his lap. He hadn't talked to Joan much about his past experience with a soulmate. How it ended with him leaving a year later. How he tried keeping in contact with him only for the letters to slowly stop arriving. He should have tried harder.

"I've heard of soulmates meeting each other on school field trips," Thomas said. "I know one guy online who met his soulmate on a senior trip to Germany."

"Dude, there's no way that happened," Joan denied.

"Why not? It could've happened. I'd love to go to Germany. I hear they have good food."