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The ice cold water did nothing to quell the burning, itching sensation that overtook Jannik’s arm as he furiously scrubbed at his skin. He knew the drawings weren’t going to come off, not when they weren’t drawn on his own skin to begin with, but that didn’t stop him from trying. Red blossomed over his pale skin and only the sound of a knock at the door stopped Jannik mid-scrub.
“Jannik, hurry up!” Mark called. Jannik huffed and reluctantly placed the sponge to one side before he turned the tap off. Patting his arm dry with the hand towel, he pulled the door open, glowering at his older brother. “Oh. More drawings?”
Jannik didn’t respond, just pulled the towel from his arm and showed the chaos that was overtaking his skin. The two watched in silence as a badly drawn sun appeared, just below the crook of his elbow. “It’s never ending.”
“Is this why mamma keeps getting calls from the school?” Mark asked. Jannik huffed and nodded, scrubbing at his dry arm with the dampened towel. “Stop that already, you’ll make yourself bruise.” Mark’s fingers plucked the towel from Jannik’s hands.
“When I find my soulmate, I’m going to give them a piece of mind,” Jannik grumbled. Mark smiled in response and ruffled Jannik’s curls before gesturing for him to move. Jannik huffed once more before heading back to his bedroom.
His final year of school started soon and Jannik was dreading it. He loved the learning and the studies, but knowing he’d have to mingle with all the people that wanted to poke fun at him and his soulmate? That was hellish. And it wasn’t like the bullying over his accent had stopped, either. That was still going as strong as ever.
But Jannik wouldn’t complain. He wouldn’t make a fuss and force his parents to consider a different school for him. He’d get through the final year of compulsory education and then he’d be free to do whatever he pleased.
Assuming his soulmate didn’t get him kicked out before then.
With a sigh, Jannik stared down at his arms. Doodles and drawings in an array of colours and designs littered his skin and whilst Jannik knew they’d disappear later when his soulmate inevitably showered – the marks disappeared every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday at 8pm like clockwork – he also knew that they’d be renewed the following day with an almost overeager ease.
And that was the issue. Jannik spent most of his days at school (weekends included) being chastised by teachers and sent out of class to go and wash his skin. Each and every time without fail, he came back with burning, bright red arms and the exact same, if not more, number of doodles on his skin.
They never learnt from it either. It was soon to be his fifth year at that school, and they still didn’t understand that he wasn’t to blame for the state of his skin. More than once his parents had gone in and explained that no, Jannik wasn’t drawing on his skin, it was the unique way his soulmate bond manifested itself.
That was another thing Jannik hated. Why couldn’t his soulmate mark have been something easier, simpler? Mark had the red string of fate, and his parents had timers that went off the second they made eye contact. And Jannik? He was stuck with transferable doodles. He wanted to scream over it most days. (He never did.)
A soft knock at the door pulled Jannik from his thoughts and he hummed loud enough for the person outside to hear. His mother’s head peered around the door seconds later, but Jannik didn’t look up at her face, he just continued to stare at his arms, skin tingling from his insistent scrubbing mere minutes ago.
“Are you all packed?” His mother asked before she frowned. The door opened wider, and she walked into the room, settling on the bed beside Jannik. “Are they doodling on you again?”
“Yeah…” Jannik muttered. He craned his neck to look up at his mother’s face, smiling softly when he saw her faint frown. “But it’s fine. Maybe the teachers will remember that it’s not me this time.”
“Oh, I hope so, otherwise I’ll have to say something again and I really wouldn’t like to,” his mother said with a sigh. Jannik smiled at her before sitting up and glancing around his room. Nothing was out of place, and all of his packed bags were neatly stacked by his desk. He gestured towards them.
“I’m all good to go,” Jannik said. When he turned to face his mother once more, he frowned. Tears shimmered in her eyes and before he could ask what was wrong, she was pulling him into a hug, a soft kiss being dropped atop his head. “Mamma?”
“You’ve grown so big, it’s unreal,” she muttered. Jannik sighed and let her hold him. She’d been like this when Mark had finished school, and now it was Jannik’s turn. He couldn’t deny that he welcomed it, though. Sometimes he really did just want to freeze the world and remain a fifteen-year-old forever.
“Don’t worry, you won’t get rid of me that easily once I finish school,” Jannik said. His mother pulled back with a laugh before she wiped at her tears, moisture clotting her lashes together. She pressed one lass kiss to the top of his head before she stood up and crossed to the desk.
“Are we ready to go?” She asked. Jannik took one last look around his room before he nodded and stood up.
“Ready.”
--
“You’re bad at this,” Carlos muttered under his breath. Ben poked his tongue out at him before he continued drawing along Carlos’ arm, adding to the doodles that Carlos had already drawn himself. Amongst Ben’s doodles were two wonky tennis rackets, more than a dozen barely passable stars, and one thing that Carlos had spent too long trying to figure it out, only to come up with nothing beyond ‘badly drawn poodle’.
“Mr. Alcaraz, Mr. Shelton, would you like to share the interesting news with the rest of the class? After all, you’ve clearly determined it’s more important than paying attention to my lesson,” Carlos jolted as his teacher’s voice cut through his and Ben’s whispers. He glanced at Ben, but the older boy was resolutely avoiding his gaze.
“Um, nothing?” Carlos chanced before wincing at how grating his voice was. The teacher raised one eyebrow before she sighed and shook her head.
“Carlos, go take a break outside, please. Wash the drawings off your skin whilst you do so,” she said. Carlos blushed softly and glared at Ben before he exited the classroom, all too aware of the eyes following him.
The hallway was silent as he entered it and Carlos made sure not to scuff his feet or bump into any lockers. The last thing he needed was more attention being shot his way right now. He soon entered the bathroom and started half-heartedly scrubbing at his skin, mind in a daze as he thought about the upcoming joint sporting event he was taking part in.
His school, Foxworth High School, would spend one week competing against the posh boarding school on the other side of town, Foxworth Academy. Whichever school had accumulated the most points at the end of the week would take home the shitty plastic trophy.
Foxworth High always won. It was the only thing they beat Foxworth Academy in.
Carlos would be playing tennis (it was his specialty, after all), but he knew he’d get dragged into doing other sports once someone pulled out or got injured. It had happened every year since he’d first started at Foxworth High, and he could already tell this year would be no different.
He could only hope his opponents weren’t terrible this time.
--
“Mr. Sinner, how many times have I asked you to go and wash those drawings off your arms?”
Jannik huffed and rolled his eyes. The teacher before him was new and hadn’t bought into Jannik’s answer that the drawings weren’t his, they were his soulmates. Henceforth why Jannik had left the classroom three times to go and wash his arms, only to come back in the exact same condition he’d left in.
“Sir, I’ve already said, it’s not me.”
“I don’t believe you,” the teacher responded. He was glaring Jannik down and Jannik was about to snap back when he noticed that the marks were fading, ink disappearing from his skin in the tiniest of increments. He lifted his arms for the teacher to see.
“Do you believe me now?” Jannik said. The teacher’s eyes widened as he watched the ink disappear from Jannik’s skin, patchy and half-successful, like his soulmate wasn’t paying attention to what they were doing.
“I… I see. My apologies, Mr. Sinner, you may sit down once more,” the teacher said. Jannik huffed and sank into his chair. Flavio caught his eye from across the room and winked, a wide smile gracing his features moments later. Jannik ignored him and turned to the back of his notebook. A small slip of paper containing a tally greeted him and he quickly added one more notch. The title of his tally simply read ‘got told to wash arms’.
Turning back to the main page, Jannik shifted his gaze towards the window. The lesson was a recap of things Jannik had already studied, therefore he didn’t feel the need to pay attention. Leaves skittered and danced in the wind outside, carrying his thoughts along with them.
Next week, Jannik and the rest of his school, along with all of Foxworth High, would be cooped up in an oversized campground, cabins all rammed full of overeager teens desperate to win a shitty plastic trophy that no one would care about once the winter set in and exam season started to formally get underway.
To say Jannik wasn’t excited would be a slight lie. The chance to show off his tennis prowess? That was something he was excited for. The opportunity for more people to see the lowkey awful doodles that covered his skin, appearing and disappearing as and when they pleased, however? Jannik couldn’t say that was particularly appetising.
As he shifted his gaze back towards his textbook, he had to swallow down the urge to curse. A small star was being drawn on his skin, much better than the ones that had lingered there before, swiftly followed by a tiny dog face. In spite of himself, Jannik smile and picked up his pen.
A shakily drawn fox soon sat on his wrist, and Jannik found himself proud of his artwork. It wasn’t his best skill, but he was still content with what he’d drawn, especially when using his own skin as the canvas. Two exclamation marks appeared next to the fox’s head and Jannik had to look away before he laughed and started drawing all over his skin.
Flavio caught his gaze once more, an eyebrow raised, but Jannik ignored him, eyes focusing on the whiteboard at the front. Within seconds, he found himself glancing down at his wrist again, but nothing had been added to the inky mess since the two exclamation marks. Jannik +tried not to frown, before frowning anyway when he realised what he’d done.
How far the mighty had fallen was perhaps too dramatic of a reaction, but it was exactly how Jannik felt. He’d drawn on his skin, something he swore he’d never done, nor would he ever do, and all because a moment of rare sentimentality had led him to do so. What was happening to him?
Without hesitation, Jannik licked at his thumb and scrubbed the fox away. No one had to know.
--
A noise of shock slipped from Carlos’ mouth as Jakub snatched up his wrist. The younger boy was staring at the rapidly disappearing ink and Carlos frowned when he realised what was happening. “They’re erasing the fox.”
“Wow… maybe you were right, and this person hates having ink on their skin,” Jakub said. Carlos frowned, head tipping to one side as he thought it over. That would’ve made much more sense if he hadn’t watched the fox slowly come to life on his arm during his Maths class.
“I don’t get it… why go through all the drama drawing that on, just to erase it less than an hour later?” Ben asked. Carlos turned to face him before shrugging. “That makes no sense.”
“Maybe… maybe they were just trying to be nice?” Carlos said. A look passed between Jakub and Ben’s faces and Carlos huffed. “I don’t know. It makes just as much sense to me as it does to you.”
“Maybe they got caught?” Jakub suggested. Carlos hummed at that before nodding.
“That could be it.”
“Great. So, your soulmate doesn’t actually hate having ink on his skin, he just doesn’t want to get in trouble,” Ben said. He took a bite of his sandwich, eyes wide as he peered over the top of it.
Carlos sighed and looked down at the half-ruined drawing on his wrist. Before he could think it over, he tipped some of his water onto his skin before scrubbing the drawings away as quick as he could. Once his skin was bare of drawings and flooded with a red hue, he turned back to his friends. They were both staring at him in shock. “What?”
“Why’d you erase them?” Ben exclaimed. Carlos shrugged and took a bite of his food, ignoring the questions and the looks his friends threw his way. The two continued bombarding him for a while until Jakub winced and clutched at his head. “Jakub?”
“Soulmate pain. Ow…” Jakub muttered. Carlos grimaced in sympathy and gently rubbed up and down Jakub’s back, offering the minimum level of comfort he could. Jakub wasn’t a fan of comfort, so Carlos did what he could without pushing the younger boy over the edge.
“Sometimes I’m so glad my soulmate mark is simple,” Ben said with a huff of laughter. A single name lined his wrist and whilst Carlos had never seen it, he caught Ben gazing at it sweetly more than once. It was cute, but Carlos wouldn’t admit that.
“Yeah, lucky you…” Jakub muttered as he slowly lifted his head, and Carlos huffed out a breath of laughter. He agreed with the younger boy, of course. Sure, Carlos could just have a conversation with his soulmate, but that felt wrong, somehow. Like if he wrote his own name on his skin, the universe would pull a gotcha and erase it before he’d even finished writing. It wasn’t a pain he was willing to risk.
He'd just have to keep his eyes peeled for identical drawings on another person’s skin instead.
--
Jannik squinted as the sun flashed in his vision. He lifted his hand up to shield his eyes, ignoring the way Flavio chuckled at him from the next seat over. “I told you to wear a hat,” he chided.
“It’s in my bag,” Jannik muttered. The bag that was stowed in the storage compartment of the coach he was in, and therefore, out of his reach. He sighed and slumped down in his chair, closing his eyes against the golden glare that threatened to blind him. “We’re almost there, right?”
“Yep,” Flavio said, popping the p. Jannik hummed appreciatively before he let one eye slip open.
“How’s your head?” Flavio had taken a tennis ball to the head when the two of them had been practicing with Lorenzo, and he’d missed a couple days of school because of it. Jannik had been concerned, but Flavio had repeatedly reassured him he was fine.
“Ah, it’s fine. Doesn’t hurt anymore,” Flavio said. Jannik hummed and stretched his arms above his head.
“That’s good then.”
“Can you believe they’re making us room with Foxworth High students?” Jannik sat up at that, eyes wide as he turned to face Lorenzo, the older boy sat alone on the row of chairs behind them.
“What?” Flavio exclaimed and Jannik nodded in agreement. What, indeed.
“Look here,” Lorenzo said, holding out the small booklet that explained the details of their week-long challenge. Both Jannik and Flavio had thrown theirs to one side, assuming there’d be nothing new in them. “It’s a new change, that’s for sure.”
“Oh great. I’m gonna be stuck with some loser,” Flavio whined playfully. Jannik huffed and shook his head, a soft smile on his face.
“What if it’s your soulmate?” Jannik said. Flavio instantly perked up before deflating moments later. Jannik couldn’t keep up with him.
“I’ve gotta apologise for the headache, then,” Flavio muttered. Jannik and Lorenzo exchanged a look before laughing, both of them falling back against their seats. Flavio huffed and whined before he joined in their laughter. “I’m such a shit soulmate.”
Jannik tensed at that. If Flavio was a shit soulmate for being caught up in an accident, Jannik didn’t want to know what he was. He still felt guilty over wiping away the fox drawing, especially when the other drawings had disappeared moments later.
Before he could sink too far into his guilt-laced thoughts, a sharp voice cut through them. “Gentlemen, we have arrived at the campgrounds. We will line up outside the entrance and do a head count before we enter and find out the sleeping arrangements. Just one friendly reminder before we leave, though – no sneaking into the girls’ cabins.”
A crowd of students playfully booed before they were silenced by the trip leader’s sharp glare. Once everyone was settled, the man turned to the door and gestured for students to exit. With a sharp sigh, and a gnawing anxiety lingering in his gut, Jannik stood up and headed towards the doors.
Time for what was probably going to be the worst week of his life so far.
--
“They’re here~!” Ben sang playfully. He was wedged onto the windowsill of Carlos’ room alongside Jakub, the two of them watching as the boys of Foxworth Academy approached the various cabins that lined the forest edge.
“Stop watching them like a creep then,” Carlos said. Ben turned to him with a glare before his eyes startled wide open in time with the door moving. A figure walked in with his head down before freezing in place once he looked up, meeting the three gazes that were already fixed on him.
Carlos wasn’t sure how Ben and Jakub were feeling, but he was staring at the boy with pure, unadulterated attraction. Tall and skinny, but not lanky, Carlos couldn’t look away. The boy before him was gorgeous. Freckles dotted his pale skin and tousled waves of ginger curls framed his face. Carlos swallowed thickly before he jolted upright and held out his hand.
“I’m Carlos, your roommate. Don’t mind these two, they’re just hiding in here like cowards for now,” Carlos said. Ben and Jakub protested over his shoulder, but he ignored the two of them. The boy before him went to respond before his eyes narrowed and he clasped at Carlos’ arm, turning it over so he could look at the wrist.
“You,” he hissed. Carlos tensed and shot a concerned look at Ben and Jakub before focusing on the boy once more.
“Uh… me?” Carlos said. A huff came from the boy before he lifted his right arm up and showed Carlos his wrist. There, on his skin, was the exact same drawing that lined Carlos’.
“You keep getting me in trouble with all these drawings, so can you stop?” The boy asked. Carlos was shocked into silence before he nodded softly, the action staggered by his confusion. “Good.” He pulled away at that, but the warmth of his fingers on Carlos’ wrist remained, haunting and alluring all at once.
“So, um, what’s your name?” Ben asked. Carlos shook himself from his stupor and mouthed a quick ‘thank you’ in his direction.
“Jannik,” the boy responded. He dropped his bags to the spare bed before he looked down at his phone, eyebrows drawn together. Jakub let out of a grunt of pain at the same time that Jannik muttered, “oh, not again.” Carlos looked back and forth between the two before turning his attention to Jannik, Jakub dismissing him with a shake of his head.
“Everything alright?” Carlos asked. Jannik lifted his head, confusion on his face, before he sighed and nodded.
“Yeah, sorry, my friend caught his ankle on a cable and fell over,” Jannik said. “I’ll be back later. Ciao.” He stalked off, head buried in his phone, and Carlos followed him with his eyes until the door shut with a bang.
“Um… did he forget that this means we’re soulmates, or am I imagining that?” Carlos said. Ben snorted with laughter.
“Oh, he definitely forgot,” Ben said. Jakub groaned next to him and the two boys cursed, darting forward to help their friend. “Shit, you alright?”
“I think Jannik’s friend might be my soulmate,” Jakub muttered.
“Does it feel like you got your foot tangled in a wire and fell over?” Carlos asked. Jakub nodded and Carlos couldn’t help but laugh. “Could be worse, you could be rooming with your totally oblivious soulmate like I am.” Jakub laughed at that, shaking his head playfully.
“That’s true.”
--
(When Jakub entered his room that night and saw the prettiest boy of his life, he wasn’t prepared for the way his heart raced. It was made even worse when the boy, Flavio, mentioned his injuries and his friend Jannik.
Unsure of what to say, Jakub merely hummed. Until he smacked his head off the desk whilst plugging in his charger and heard the matching hiss that fell from Flavio’s mouth. Then, and only then, did he deign to speak.
It went better than he expected.)
--
“If they keep hugging and giggling and acting all cutesy, I might actually have to go and be sick,” Lorenzo muttered under his breath. Jannik looked up from his book before laughing and shaking his head. Flavio had spent all day with his newfound soulmate, and whilst Jannik was happy for him, he could understand Lorenzo’s dislike.
“Stop watching them then,” Jannik responded, eyes dropping back down to his page once more. Lorenzo grunted half-heartedly in response but didn’t say anything further. Jannik settled back into his chair and prepared to continue his book when a yell caught his attention.
“I found him!” It was Ben, the other boy that had been in his room yesterday. He was dragging along Jannik’s roommate, Carlos, and he showed no signs of stopping until the pair of them reached whoever it was they were heading towards.
And whoever just so happened to be Jakub, their other friend and Flavio’s new soulmate.
Jannik sighed and tucked his bookmark between the pages before he sat up, feet meeting the floor. Lorenzo shot him a look, but Jannik shook his head. No point explaining everything now when the younger boy would probably put together the details himself within a few moments.
“Think you’re better than us because you’ve found your soulmate now, huh?” Ben said. He let go of Carlos’ wrist and slumped down in his seat. A pen twirled dexterously between his fingers and Jannik couldn’t help but glare at the offending piece of stationary. Carlos must’ve caught his expression before he choked off a laugh, turning it into a faux cough.
“And you are?” Lorenzo drawled. Ben perked up at that and smiled, holding out his hand. Jannik could tell this boy radiated confidence in a way Jannik probably never could, and he admired him for it.
“Ben Shelton. Second best tennis player in all of Foxworth High,” he proudly proclaimed. Jannik perked up at that, ears catching on the word tennis. Was he to play against Ben at some point?
“And who’s the first?” Flavio asked. He turned to face Jakub with a bright smile. “Is it, perhaps, you?” Jakub blushed softly but shook his head and pointed towards Carlos. Jannik’s interest only strengthened, his eyes meeting Carlos’ momentarily.
“Carlos is the best. I’m the third best,” Jakub said.
“May we meet in the finals and best all these fools,” Flavio said, a dramatic lilt to his words. Jannik grimaced and rolled his eyes, another laugh falling from Carlos’ mouth in response. He smiled and winked at his roommate before turning his attention back to the newly formed couple.
“Does that mean you’re the best at the academy, then?” Jakub asked. Flavio ducked his head at that, shaking it imperceptibly. Lorenzo snorted and leant forward, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder in Jannik’s direction.
“Jannik’s our best.”
“Really?” Carlos asked, his voice seemingly breathless and awestruck as he looked at Jannik. Jannik couldn’t help but blush before he coughed to clear his throat and nodded softly.
“I’m technically unbeaten,” Jannik muttered.
“Technically?”
“I had to retire from one match this year. I came down with a fever,” Jannik explained. Carlos frowned softly before he stood up and walked over, towering above Jannik’s still-seated form. He was looking at Jannik with a determined look on his face, and Jannik wasn’t sure what was happening. “What is it?”
“You have to remain healthy, okay? I want to play you in the finals,” Carlos said with a giggle. “And I’d like to beat you, of course.”
“Who says you’re going to beat me?” Jannik said. He sat upright and rested his chin on his hands, eyelashes batting coyly as he teased the handsome boy before him. Carlos laughed, the sound rich as it rang through the air. Jannik’s heart stuttered at he listened, but he ignored it, just as he ignored the way Flavio and Lorenzo were looking at him. He knew what their stares meant, and he didn’t want to think about that.
“You’ll see. Once you’ve seen me play, you’ll know you stand no chance,” Carlos responded. The smile that lined his face was wide and gummy, teeth on display, and Jannik couldn’t help but smile along, as wide as he could and wider still. Carlos’ energy was infectious, and Jannik wasn’t upset to realise that he’d caught the disease.
“Bring it on.”
--
(“Does he want to flirt any harder?” Flavio muttered. Lorenzo huffed out a breath of laughter and shook his head. Stood together on the tennis court, Carlos was helping Jannik learn how to perform a stronger dropshot. An innocent enough endeavour that Lorenzo knew all too well only came about because Jannik was attracted to Carlos and wanted the chance for skin-to-skin contact.
“Has he still not connected the dots that they’re soulmates?” Lorenzo asked. Jakub, who had been silent up until this point, huffed and shook his head.
“Jannik’s more concerned with avoiding trouble than with realising that the trouble only exists because the two of them are soulmates,” Jakub explained. Flavio’s eyes widened at that before he blew out a breath and quirked his head to one side.
“That’s insane.” Jakub hummed in agreeance and Lorenzo turned back to face the two boys before him. They’d stopped touching but that didn’t mean the flirting had ended. Lorenzo had turned just in time to catch the tail end of Jannik’s wink, and he grimaced.
“They’re fucking disgusting.”)
--
“I can’t believe you still haven’t said anything to him,” Jakub said. He took a swig of water, droplets straying down his chin, and Carlos huffed as he waited for the younger boy to say something else. Nothing followed.
“How am I supposed to? ‘Oh yeah, by the way, that thing you hate me for? It’s actually a sign that we’re soulmates.’ Like, yeah, that’s going to go down well,” Carlos huffed. He snatched up his own water bottle and gulped down a mouthful before spitting it out with a grimace. “Fuck, it’s gone warm.”
“Don’t you like warm things down your throat?” Ben said, laughter breaking through before he could even finish speaking. Carlos shot him a glare that was soon overridden by the excitement at hearing an already familiar voice.
“I guess I came a second too late?” Jannik said. Ben and Jakub exchanged a look before they started laughing again, and Carlos couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face. It was an unfortunate choice of wording for that particular moment in time, but Carlos didn’t have the heart to tell Jannik that.
“They’re being idiots, ignore them,” Carlos said. He crossed to the entrance as Jannik approached before slowly following him back to the bench. Jannik shot him a look before laughing softly.
“I don’t need an escort, you know that, right?” Jannik said. Carlos blushed, heat overtaking his body, and he ducked his head. One hand rose to awkwardly scratch at the back of his neck, and he didn’t look up until Jannik muttered a soft apology. Even then, he barely lifted his head.
“It’s okay…” Carlos muttered. He darted off before he could embarrass himself further and picked up his racket. An unopened tube of balls sat on the ground next to his feet, and he picked them up too. “Do you, um, want to practice together?” Carlos asked. Jannik looked up from his bag with wide eyes before he smiled and nodded his head.
“It’ll be fun.”
--
(When Carlos slept that night, he dreamt of dotted skin, of sun-kissed curls, of racket-roughened hands gripping his wrist and accentuating the badly drawn dog that lined the skin there once upon a time. He dreamt of softly muttered Italian, tender laughter, and the sweet way in which Jannik Sinner’s mouth formed the shapes of his name.)
--
Jannik couldn’t tear his gaze away. Carlos wasn’t kidding when he said Jannik might not stand a chance. Not only was the younger boy lightning quick on his feet, but he had good flexibility and a larger than normal power level. It was jarring and exhilarating all at the same time.
And Jannik couldn’t wait to be on the receiving end of it.
“You’re drooling.” Jannik looked up, meeting Flavio’s eyes. He ignored the younger boy’s taunting and shifted across the bench, giving Flavio space to sit. Silence blanketed them for a few minutes until Carlos won the first set, an exclamation of ‘vamos’ filling the air. Jannik smiled in spite of himself. “Still drooling,” Flavio whispered.
“Shut up.”
“Why? I’m telling the truth, aren’t I?” Flavio said. His elbow nudged gently into Jannik’s ribs before he laughed. “Have you spoken to him about the doodling yet?” Jannik huffed and rolled his eyes at that.
The only bad thing about Carlos Alcaraz (at least from what Jannik knew of him) was the fact that he kept drawing on his skin without washing it off until after his matches or practice sessions. And it wasn’t like Jannik hadn’t asked him to stop – he definitely had – Carlos just kept forgetting that Jannik had asked.
And sure, it was fine, finer than Jannik would’ve previously thought it to be, but it still bothered him. Even now, half-removed doodles lined Jannik’s skin, smudged away due to Carlos’ sweat and nothing else.
“I’ve tried speaking to him. He just… keeps forgetting,” Jannik explained. Flavio shot him a confused look before looking back towards the court.
“Him? Forgetting? I doubt that very much.”
“What do you mean?” Jannik asked.
“Jakub. He told me Carlos has an almost impeccable memory,” Flavio explained. Jannik sighed wistfully and turned to stare at Carlos, a gasp slipping from his lips as the two made eye contact. Carlos smiled and shot him a wink before turning back towards his serve. A blush splayed itself across Jannik’s face and he ducked his head.
“I’ll try speaking to him again soon…” Jannik muttered but he knew Flavio wasn’t focused on their previous conversation topic anymore. It wasn’t like Jannik was, either. The two were well and truly on the topic of Carlos and his wink now, but no one knew how to bring it up into actual words. Flavio broke the silence with a laugh.
“You do that.”
--
Carlos was subjecting himself to being Ben’s canvas once more when the door to his room opened and Jannik appeared, eyes narrowed as he looked around the room before settling on Ben and Carlos, the two sat together on Carlos’ bed.
“You.” Déjà vu washed over Carlos at that, and he answered before he could stop himself.
“Me?”
“No, him,” Jannik responded, pointing at Ben. Ben flashed Jannik a smile before he continued on with his drawings. Carlos felt the shape of a heart being drawn and when he looked at his arm, his eyes widened.
“Ben, what the fuck?” Carlos licked his fingers before smudging away the drawing, rubbing at his skin until a tinge of red peered through his tan. Once he was confident the ink was gone, Carlos turned to face Jannik once more and shot him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I let him have free reign.”
And Ben had taken that free reign to mean he could write Jannik and Carlos’ names and initials and draw hearts around them. Because he was an immature brat. Jannik huffed before settling on the bed, knee mere inches away from Carlos’.
“Can you please stop drawing on him? I got yelled at by one of my teacher’s again today,” Jannik said. Carlos shifted his leg forward, his knee gently pressed against Jannik’s, before he hummed thoughtfully.
“Have you tried telling them that it’s–”
“Yes. They all know it’s my soulmate, not me, but they don’t listen,” Jannik grumbled. Carlos’ eyes widened and he turned to face Ben before looking back at Jannik once more. Jannik seemed to show no indication that he was sat in the same room as said soulmate, and Carlos had no idea how to proceed beyond that. “So, that’s why you have to stop. Because I keep getting in trouble, and it’s not fair on my soulmate to keep taking the blame for your actions.”
“Right, I, um, I’ll try and stop,” Carlos said. He’d heard Ben’s choked off noise behind him, but he didn’t turn, too afraid that some baffled exclamation would fall from his lips if he did. But Carlos was confused, well and truly, the feeling thick in his stomach. How the hell had Jannik not connected the dots?
“Perfect, thanks,” Jannik said with a beaming smile. “I’m heading to the practice court. Do you want to join me?” Carlos dismissed him with a wave of the hand. He had much bigger priorities in that moment, namely, figuring out how Jannik hadn’t realised the two of them were soulmates yet.
“Maybe another time,” Carlos said. Jannik frowned softly, chewing on his lower lip as his gaze darted back and forth between Carlos and Ben, before he turned and walked off, head hung low. Carlos’ eyes widened once more, and he turned to face Ben. The door slammed shut behind Jannik and Ben broke.
“What the actual fuck?”
“I wish I knew,” Carlos said. He looked down at the slightly inky stain that lined his fingers before looking up at the closed door once more. “How does he not connect the dots? He’s so smart, and yet… this is what doesn’t compute in his brain?” Carlos exclaimed, exasperation leaking into his every word.
“You know I have to keep drawing on you, right? I need to make sure he understands his stupidity,” Ben said. Carlos sighed and held his arm out, laughing when Ben giggled maniacally and wrapped his fingers around Carlos’ bicep.
“Just no names or initials with hearts, yeah?” Carlos said. Ben booed at him but didn’t protest further, merely continuing with his doodles along the meat of Carlos’ arm. Carlos followed the touch of the pen’s nib before he roughly pulled his arm free and wiped away the newest drawing. “No dicks either.” Ben glared at him playfully.
“You’re no fun.”
--
(“You’re lying.”
“Nuh uh. Jannik walked in, spouted this whole speech, and then walked out, all without connecting the dots that his soulmate draws on their skin, and Carlos is that soulmate.”
“Flavio said he’s not normally like this.”
“Carlos is aware of that too. And that’s the thing, Jakub – Carlos doesn’t know what to say or do. I get to keep drawing on him at least, so that’s good, but he’s kinda beatin’ himself up over this all.”
“Jannik better figure it out before this week is over, otherwise, I’m going to have to take action.”
“I’ll help.”)
--
Jannik’s racket nearly slipped from his grasp as he spun it around, softened irritation blossoming in his chest and curling around his sternum. An array of hearts were slowly yet messily being doodled across his fingers, clearly being drawn by more than one person at once. Tearing his gaze away, Jannik focused on the boy opposite him.
It was the second set of their semi-finals game, and Jannik was already up three games. Three more, and victory was his. He’d move onto the finals, to face whoever won the matchup between Lorenzo and Carlos.
(Was it bad that Jannik wanted Carlos to win? Not because he didn’t want to face his friend, but because some selfish part of him wanted to give Carlos what he asked for. The consequences of flirting with someone who wasn’t his soulmate could be damned. He didn’t care about them in that moment.)
Shifting his attention back to the match, Jannik took a deep breath and twirled his racket around his heart-adorned fingers once more. Flashes of tousled brown hair, sunshine-warmed skin and a wide, gummy smile filled his thoughts, and he ducked his head to hide his blush. It was motivation to push forward. The knowledge that Carlos would be happy about Jannik’s victory and would use it as motivation to ensure his own made adrenaline surge through Jannik’s veins.
He was going to win this. He was positive.
--
(Carlos had pounced on him that evening, sweat still tacky on his skin. Jannik should’ve, but he couldn’t bring himself to care about the way it dampened his clothing. He wrapped his arms around Carlos’ waist and told him he was proud of him until Carlos had pulled back with that effervescent smile and uttered four words that Jannik found far more enticing than he should’ve.
“I’m gonna win tomorrow.”)
--
Carlos hummed as he stretched, welcoming the momentary reprieve from playing. The match was tied, both him and Jannik having one set each, and soon they’d start the third.
As he waited for Jannik to return to court, Carlos reflected on the conversation they’d had prior to the match. Jannik had thanked him for the lack of doodles on his skin and Carlos had merely uttered that it was no problem before he ducked his head down and started ignoring the older boy.
After all, it was only the night before that the two had nearly kissed, Carlos’ adrenaline-fueled brain wanting nothing more than to claim Jannik’s lips and heart as his own. He hadn’t, thankfully, but he wanted to, oh, he wanted to. He still did. Despite Jannik’s utter lack of awareness on the situation at hand, he was Carlos’ soulmate, and Carlos’ soul was pining.
Jannik appeared seconds later, and he shot Carlos a sweet smile before he crossed to his bench. Carlos didn’t return it, instead looking down at his hands as he fiddled with the strap of his Foxworth High water bottle. As he waited for the umpire to call time, another thought seeped uncomfortably into Carlos’ mind.
Was Jannik ignoring their soulmate bond because he was ashamed of Carlos? After all, Jannik went to the fancy pants posh school and Carlos went to public school that could barely fund its English department. Was that it? Was Carlos just simply not good enough for him?
With a shake of the head, Carlos turned his focus back to the match. He was determined to win this, even if he couldn’t win Jannik’s heart. Especially if he couldn’t win Jannik’s heart. He’d do all he could to win.
He would.
--
It was halfway through the final set tiebreak when Jannik’s thoughts betrayed him. He smashed the ball across the court just as the thoughts hit him, jarring through his brain, his bones, his blood. It surged through him and as he went to hit the ball back, he missed and dropped to the ground, knees skidding along the grassy surface. As he stood up and dismissed the crowd’s concerns, Jannik allowed himself to sink into his feelings.
The universe was playing some cruel trick on him, wasn’t it? Dangling a boy like Carlos in his face, all the signs of him being a soulmate right there on display, but there was no way someone like Carlos was ever destined to be his. In what world was he good enough for him? For the boy across the net who had clung to Jannik the night prior as he’d celebrated his victory until he’d fallen asleep and been carried back to their room.
There was no world.
The ball sailed past Jannik’s head, bouncing just inside the baseline and securing Carlos his win. Jannik dropped his racket, turned away from the radiant smile that graced Carlos’ face, and stalked off. Shouts and calls of his name greeted his ears in a distant, dim hum, but Jannik ignored them all.
He walked all the way back to the cabins, uncaring of the footsteps that followed him until fingers curled around his arm and turned him around. It was Lorenzo, Flavio just coming up behind him. The two stood before him with twin expressions of concern on their faces and Jannik broke.
“The universe hates me,” he muttered as silent tears trickled down his cheeks. Lorenzo and Flavio exchanged a look before the two herded him into the cabin. “Where are we going?” Jannik asked through his tears.
“You need to be away from him. We’re getting your stuff and the three of us can sleep in my room tonight. My roommate went home early with sickness anyways, so it’s fine, and I don’t care about the fucking rules,” Lorenzo said. Jannik didn’t respond to that, just let Lorenzo drag him to the room he shared with Carlos first, and then Flavio and Jakub’s before at last, they stopped at Lorenzo’s.
“When did you figure it out?” Flavio asked. Jannik paused, shaky breaths tumbling from his lips as he met Flavio’s gaze.
“What are you talking about?”
“Carlos. He’s your soulmate, no?” Flavio said. Jannik stepped back and shook his head, muttering rejections under his breath. “It’s true, Jannik, and you know that, so why are you fighting it so much?”
“I’m fifteen. I can’t… I can’t be finding my soulmate this early. Not when I’m not good enough. I’m not, not, not yet…” Jannik said. His breathing was spiking, and his heart was racing. He was going into panic, but he couldn’t focus on that. Other thoughts swam through his brain, sharp and spiking and harder to bear than a flame licking at his skin. Carlos was his soulmate, there was no denying that. Had Jannik’s insecurities, his jealousies, his fears held him back from realising the truth? Or was this all some big joke that everyone had planned?
Jannik shook his head at that. That made no sense, and even his panic-addled brain knew that. Arms curled around him and Jannik melted into Lorenzo’s hold, the scent of his cologne comforting Jannik’s brain. Flavio joined them seconds later, and Jannik let more tears seep from his eyes.
“I don’t know what to do,” he muttered.
“I can speak to him, if you want. Give him your number. Or get Jakub to,” Flavio said. Jannik lifted his head and met the younger boy’s gaze before he sniffled and pulled back from the hug, wiping at his damp face.
“I don’t think I can face him. Just… maybe it’d be better if I forgot he ever existed,” Jannik said. A choked off sound rung through the air and Jannik turned, eyes wide when he saw the person running away from him. “Carlos, wait!”
--
Carlos ran and ran until his lungs burnt and his eyes watered from something other than tears. He wheezed as he sunk to his knees in the mossy ground of the forest. Birdsong was the only other noise he heard.
Flopping onto his back, Carlos stared at the blue September sky above him. His chest rose and fell with each jagged breath that he took and before long, the tears from before returned, clotting on his lashes and streaking down his face. They sunk into his hair and Carlos couldn’t find the will to care about it.
Footsteps filled his ears, but he didn’t move, didn’t turn his head or sit up. He just stayed where he was, sweat-soaked back pressed against the cold, hard earth. A face soon filled his vision, and Carlos breathed an invisible sigh of relief when he recognised Ben’s frazzled curls.
“Carlos, what the hell just happened?” Ben asked. He held his hand out, but Carlos didn’t take it. Ben sighed and sat down next to him, fingers deftly plucking strands of grass from the ground. “First Jannik walks off, and then you follow him, only to come speeding past again, this time in the opposite direction. What. Happened?”
“He said he couldn’t face me and that… that maybe it’d be better if he forgot I existed,” Carlos whispered. Ben’s grass destruction stopped and when Carlos shifted his gaze across, Ben wore a shocked expression on his face.
“Are you kidding me?” Ben hissed. Carlos shook his head minutely, body freezing when he heard more footsteps. He couldn’t face Jannik, not right now. Ben’s head snapped to one side before he relaxed. “It’s just Jakub.”
“Carlos!” Jakub cried. He dropped to his knees opposite Ben and hovered over Carlos, peering down at him. “What happened?” Carlos couldn’t bring himself to say it again, so he got Ben to. Once he’d finished speaking, Jakub hissed and clenched his fists atop his thighs.
“I told you, boy’s stupid,” Ben said. Carlos frowned at him and Ben raised his hands in surrender but didn’t drop the topic. “I’m not wrong, Carlitos, and you know it.” Carlos sighed and looked up at the sky once more.
Orange leaves detached from their decrepit branches and fluttered down around him. The colour made him think of Jannik and his stomach clenched unpleasantly, a fresh wave of tears brimming on his lash line. He looked at Jakub and Ben in turn before he met the sky’s cerulean gaze.
“Am I really that unlikable?”
--
(Flavio sighed and pressed one last kiss to Jakub’s mouth. The younger boy pouted at him and Flavio almost wanted to throw caution to the wind, but he didn’t. “Is Carlos going to be alright?”
“Think so,” Jakub muttered as he looked over his shoulder at the coach that would take him back to Foxworth High. Flavio didn’t like that they were departing already. It felt like barely a day had passed, let alone a full week. “We’ll try and get them together, won’t we?”
Flavio chuckled and nodded his head. “We definitely will. I don’t think Carlos and Jannik can last without each other, not now that they’ve met.” Jakub smiled and stole one last kiss before he was called away.
“Call me later?”
“I will. Now go, before you get in trouble,” Flavio said. Jakub giggled and jogged across the gap between the two coaches. Before he could disappear inside, however, he turned and shouted one last thing over his shoulder.
“If it’s for you, then the trouble is worth it.”)
--
Someone was throwing rocks at his window. They pinged and bounced, ricocheting off the glass and dropping to the earth below. Jannik huffed and looked across at Flavio and Lorenzo. The two seemed unphased, whereas Jannik was reaching his wits end.
With a huff, Jannik pushed up and off his bed, book thrown to one side as he crossed to the window. Hefting the frame up, he leant out with a yell on his lips before he froze in place. Carlos was mere inches away from his face, his body being held aloft by what appeared to be Ben and Jakub. He could hear Flavio and Lorenzo laughing behind him and he made a note to chastise them later. For now, however, his attention was elsewhere.
“Carlos, what are you doing here?” Jannik hissed. Carlos bit his lower lip and ducked his head before he looked up once more, a beaming smile on his face.
“Forgive me?”
“For wha– mmph!” Jannik’s words died on his tongue as Carlos pulled him into a kiss. His glasses were knocked askew, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He sank his fingers into Carlos’ dark strands and tugged him closer, welcoming the tongue that nudged against the seam of his lips.
“Alright, break it up before Jakub’s arms give out and you get dropped like a sack,” Ben called out. Carlos pulled back with a breathless laugh, and he stole one last kiss before he gestured Jannik back inside.
“But…”
“Don’t worry, we’re gonna come in,” Carlos said. Jannik froze before he started laughing. He offered Carlos his hand and helped the younger boy clamber through the window frame. Flavio and Lorenzo joined them, both helping Jakub and Ben, respectively, clamber into the room as well.
“Well, isn’t this cozy,” Ben said as he looked around the room in wonder. Jannik huffed out a breath of laughter at his reaction before he slammed the window shut and tugged Carlos onto his bed. Carlos immediately curled into his arms, eyes wide and shiny with adoration as they gaze up at Jannik.
Across the room, Flavio and Jakub were already curled together, chatting away about something or another. Ben, meanwhile, was harassing Lorenzo, sprawling across his sheets and spouting nonsense about how it was only fair that Lorenzo shared with him. After all, the floor was cold, Ben was sensitive, and the two couples were paired up.
“It makes sense, ‘Enzo!” Ben exclaimed. Lorenzo grimaced and lightly nudged at Ben’s waist with his foot.
“No, it doesn’t. And don’t call me ‘Enzo’ ever again.” Carlos chuckled and Jannik looked down at him, smiling affectionately. He heard a huff followed by a yelp and when he looked up, Ben was sprawled on the floor, a hurt expression on his face.
“You’re so cruel!” Ben cried out. Lorenzo huffed and rolled his eyes.
“Whatever. Just shut up and sleep already,” Lorenzo said before he handed Ben a stack of blankets and quilts. “Is that enough to keep you warm?” Ben giggled and held the blankets to his chest.
“It’s perfect.”
The room quieted after that. Jannik placed his discarded book and his glasses on his nightstand and cuddled into Carlos’ side, humming contentedly when the younger boy nuzzled into his neck, soft, warm breath skittering over his skin.
It was peaceful and perfect. It was just what Jannik needed.
--
Carlos mouthed a soft ‘thank you’ as the four boys left the room the following morning. Jannik was still grumbling awake, the golden sun accentuating his features. Strands of hair glinted copper and Carlos couldn’t stop himself from gently curling a few pieces through his fingers.
“Mm… ‘Los?” Jannik muttered. Carlos hummed a soft greeting, a smile gracing his features when Jannik’s eyes blinked open. Jannik’s smile came seconds later, and he shifted around until he sat upright, his back against the headboard.
“We should talk,” Carlos said. Jannik tensed at that, and Carlos mentally cursed himself for being so blunt. “Not anything bad just… Jannik, you really hurt me, you know? You confused the heck out of me too, but that’s not as relevant right now.”
“Carlos, I’m really sorry. When…” Jannik trailed off, each breath that followed shaky and anxious. Carlos waited patiently, responding to each shaky breath with a softer one of his own, gently coaxing Jannik into a calmer rhythm. “When I realised I was starting to like you, I felt guilty. In my head, there was no way you were my soulmate; therefore, it felt like I was cheating on them with you. Never mind the fact that you bore proof of being my soulmate on your very skin.”
“That’s what confused me,” Carlos said. Jannik winced and Carlos leant in, dropping a gentle kiss against Jannik’s cheek to show him that he’d forgiven him. Because he had, and there really was no denying it.
“I guess some part of my brain refused to accept that you were my soulmate. I just assumed the universe was being cruel to me, that was all. It didn’t really hit me until just before…” Jannik trailed off with another wince. “Until just before I said it might be easier to forget you ever existed.” His words ended in a whisper, and Carlos felt his heart break in two at how broken the boy before him sounded.
“Jannik…” Carlos said. He coughed to clear his throat before he leant forward, wrapping his arms around Jannik’s waist and pulling him in for a hug. “You’re so stupid. You made me think you were disappointed that I was your soulmate.”
“Why would I be disappointed?” Jannik said, hurt evident on his face. Carlos chuckled wetly, wiping at the few tears that had formed in his eyes.
“You go to the rich, fancy school and I don’t.”
“So? What does that have to do with anything? Carlos, I don’t give a fuck about any of that. I’m glad you’re my soulmate,” Jannik said. He peppered kisses along Carlos’ face and jaw, lips soft against Carlos’ skin.
“Do you mean it?” Carlos whispered. Jannik smiled and pressed his lips to Carlos’ before pulling back.
“I do.”
--
(“I’m gonna be sick,” Lorenzo muttered. The rest of his friends who weren’t Carlos and Jannik, who weren’t currently making out, laughed along with them. Flavio and Jakub had toned down the PDA, thankfully, but Jannik and Carlos were still at it, full force and fierce. “Are they gonna get tired at any point?”
“Probably not,” Ben said. Lorenzo grumbled and looked away from the kissing duo.
“They fucking better.”
“Don’t be jealous, ‘Enzo. You’ll meet your soulmate soon,” Ben taunted. Lorenzo huffed and pushed him away.
“Yeah, yeah, shut it.”)
--
(Flavio watched as Jannik’s phone lit up, the device resting on his thigh underneath the desk. Angling his head as inconspicuously as he could, Flavio could just make out the person who had texted him.
Carlos.
Jannik unlocked his phone seconds later, the messages between the two boys visible. Flavio looked again and rolled his eyes at what greeting his vision. Flirting. Nothing but flirting. “You two are gross,” Flavio whispered. Jannik smiled but didn’t turn to meet his gaze. Flavio went to continue when his phone vibrated in his pocket.
Pulling the device free, he smiled down at the new text he’d gotten from Jakub. Quickly opening the chat, he started typing up his response, occasionally glancing upwards to ensure the teacher wasn’t looking at him. Once the message had been sent, he pocketed his phone and looked towards Jannik as the older boy leant closer.
“And you say I’m gross,” Jannik whispered. Heat flooded Flavio’s cheeks, and he looked away before the perfect retaliatory comment blossomed in his brain.
“At least I knew he was my soulmate straight away, unlike you.” A smirk crossed Flavio’s face as he said it and seconds later, a blush coated Jannik’s skin. Flavio chuckled to himself and turned back to his work.
Jannik didn’t respond.)