Lovino stared with disinterest as everyone else gathered around Kiku. He was the first in their class to turn fifteen, the age that the words their soul-mate said to them when they met were branded onto their wrists by an unseen force. He groaned as the others started to 'ooh' and 'ah' over the words that were written in cursive, black ink on the Japanese student's pale wrist.
Lovino Vargas would turn fifteen in a matter of days and, despite everyone else in the world, was not interested at all in what his soul-mate would say to him. At least, that's what he preferred to believe. What did it matter what the person's first words were when they could spend their lives together? Not that the Italian would like to spend his entire life with someone. He didn't like commitment.
"Ve, fratello, aren't you excited?" Lovino looked up to see his bubbly brother, Feliciano, asked him. The younger twin plopped down in the seat next to Lovi, chatting up a storm. "In two days we'll be just like Kiku! We'll have the words our soul-mate said on our wrists to show everyone!" Lovi had known for years that Feliciano was excited about the moment his wrist would be covered in that condemning ink.
"No, I'm not excited." The elder twin rolled his eyes. "You know that already, now shut up about it. I don't care one way or the other. Actually, I hope I don't have a soul-mate."
Feli gasped. "You don't mean that!" He pulled on his twin's sleeve, trying to get Lovino to look at him. "I know you don't. You're just grumpy like always."
"Everyone, take your seats." The booming sound of their teacher's voice rang through the class. All of the students, save Feliciano and Lovino who were already seated, scrambled to their assigned desks. The tall German with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes looked around the room, eyes locking with a few of the usual troublemakers. "We have class to begin."
Finally, the night of the twins' birthday came. Feliciano refused to let Lovi get some sleep, but it was a Friday night so Lovino didn't really care. They waited in silence until it was 11:59. Feliciano started getting impatient and got up to pace the room, unable to contain his excitement. "One more minute, Lovino, and we'll know exactly what they'll say to us! Who knows, maybe they're in the same class as us!"
The elder twin scoffed, but was actually a little bit anxious himself. What would his soul-mate have to say to him? Would they be annoying like that stupid kid Gilbert or would they be nice like Feliciano? Lovino found himself counting the seconds in his mind, the wait almost killing him. "Come on, come on." He urged time forward, getting agitated. Surely it had been a minute!
Suddenly a gasp filled the room, the faint glow of the lamp illuminating Feliciano's wrist. "I remember that! I remember someone saying that to me but I don't remember where!" Lovino glanced up at his panicking twin, not wanting to look at his own wrist. He didn't feel any different at all, nothing like the usual tickle associated with the writing.
Finally, Lovino took a look at his wrist. His eyes widened, for no matter which way he twisted and strained his wrist, it was blank. Internally panicking, he searched the other. Lovino even ran to the other side of the room, flicking on the lights. "No, no, no," Lovino repeated in a whisper, panic lacing his voice. No matter which way he looked at it, both of his wrists were blank.
Lovino Romano Vargas didn't have a soul mate.