AN: hey everyone, this is something that I've been working on for a while. I hope you like it! I plan on this being 3 chapters longs, but I'm always willing to add more should anyone really want me to! reminder that I own nothing and am in no way profiting from this in any monetary way. with all of that said, please enjoy the story!

Soulmate

Everyone has a soulmate. No person has ever been put onto the Earth without a red string of fate connecting them to someone else. But sometimes things can be complicated. It is not a guarantee that the two fated lovers will ever even meet. Some live far far away, some pass before they were destined to meet their other half, and some are just born at the wrong point in time. This is a story of the latter.

Groaning, Kite rolled over on his bed so that he could turn off his alarm clock. Once he'd succeeded in ending the dull beeping noise, he buried his head back into his soft pillow. He inhaled deeply and slowly, trying to recreate the dream he'd been having. He couldn't quite remember it, but the small smile resting on his lips was proof enough to him that it had been a rather pleasant dream. It was rare for the blond teen to have those nowadays. His life seemed to be an endless stream of stressful days working for his father and caring for his sick brother. Day in and out Kite was being continuously worn down. Only in his dreams was Kite ever able to truly find happiness, but due to his dead-tired mind, it was seldom that he could remember them. He often awoke with no recollection of what had been running through his mind as he slept, but on occasion he would return to consciousness with the faintest hint of a smile, perhaps accompanied but a vague smell or image that he knew came from his dream. It was those brief glimmers of a better life that helped to motivate Kite to keep trudging through his everyday tasks and to carry his ever-growing burdens.

After a few last moments in the warmth of his comfortable bed, Kite finally arose from the pile of blankets and set foot on the plush carpet in his bedroom. The sun had yet to make its presence known as Kite made his way to his bathroom to take a short shower to help wake him up all the way. The warm water droplets were welcomed as the blond stood and tried to ease his sore muscles. He massaged shampoo and conditioner into the blond and teal-accented hair, rubbing gently against his scalp. Kite could easily stay under the shower's spray for hours, but he knew he had to get moving. With reluctance, he turned the knobs of the shower so that the gentle stream shut off completely. He grabbed his thick navy towel and dried himself off. Once he'd patted his hair so that it was only slightly damp, he wrapped the towel around his waist and stared at his pale reflection in the mirror. There were dark circles under his steely eyes, revealing the truth behind how exhausted he was, both in mind and body. His gaze traveled to his thin body. His arms were long and elegant, just like his fingers that he often had to use with finesse in his father's lab. Kite's eyes moved to his chest, a couple drops of water lingering on his milky flesh. He continued to look at his lithe body for only a moment more before shaking his head and quickly getting changed into his usual clothes. He styled his hair up and quickly brushed his teeth before making his way to the kitchen. He used the Keurig to make himself a hot cup of coffee, which he poured into a travel mug. Sipping at the black liquid, he picked up a banana and exited the large kitchen. Kite threw on his coat, grabbed his keys, and went into the garage. He hopped on his motorcycle and sped away from the suburban neighborhood and into the heart of Heartland City.

Kite showed up at his father's laboratory, where they were working together to find cures for some of the deadliest diseases plaguing the world. Their inspiration had come from the unknown illness that Kite's younger brother, Hart, had been slowly dying from for a year now. Still unable to pinpoint what it was that was killing Hart, Dr. Faker and Kite expanded their research to look into other cures as well. It was tedious work that seldom had results, but they were well on their way to finding something that could at least help someone...

"Hello, Kite," Dr. Faker greeted. He was clad in a labcoat, thick gloves, and large safety goggles. He was in the middle of testing some chemicals, so he didn't bother to look up at the boy who had just entered the room. "How's Hart doing?" he questioned. Even though he was Hart's father, Dr. Faker rarely left the lab and had to mostly rely on his elder son to look after Hart.

Kite's face bore no emotion as he calmly answered. "The same as always. He looks fine on the outside, like he's sleeping, but it's as if he's frozen like that..." he trailed off. After a long day of work in the lab, Kite always found the time to go to the hospital that housed Hart and spend some time looking after the young boy. No matter what anyone said, nothing could ease Kite's mind nor the worry that haunted him when it came to his brother. The thought of getting to see young Hart's bright smile one more time was what kept Kite going back to the lab every single day, including holidays and weekends.

Small talk aside, Kite quickly put on his labcoat and fell into his usual position at his father's side. The two worked tirelessly through the day, not stopping for any breaks or food, until a small alarm could be heard from Kite's pocket. The 6 PM alarm that the teen had set on his cell phone was the only thing that reminded the two men that they needed to take care of themselves if they planned on taking care of anyone else. If it weren't for the device's signal, the father-son duo would never know how late it was, and thus forget to eat dinner and actually get some sleep. Dr. Faker tended to eat and then get a few more hours of research in, which was why he spent most nights crashing on the small couch in his office connected to the lab, whilst on the other hand Kite would leave every night.

So at the tell-tale ringing from Kite's pocket, both he and his father finished what they'd been doing and stretched out a bit. "Good work today, Kite. I think we're close to reaching that breakthrough," Dr. Faker said with a small smile.

Kite offered a nod before tugging off the goggles from his face. "Will you be coming home tonight, Father? I could make dinner," he said quietly in his clipped voice.

Dr. Faker appeared to consider it a moment, but his soft sigh confirmed what Kite had already figured. "Sorry, but not tonight. I have a few results that I want to look at more closely. Tomorrow I'll go home with you for sure though! We can even visit Hart together!"

"Alright," Kite said with a smile. Of course, he knew that his father was only saying that, but had no intention of actually following through. "Goodnight Father, I will see you tomorrow," and with that, Kite left the lab. Kite quickly exited the building he worked in, and rode his motorcycle the short distance down the street to the hospital. He made the familiar trek to Hart's large room, where the boy slept in a plush bed, hooked up to numerous monitors. Kite perched himself at his usual post, the hard chair that was situated near the bed, and reached out to hold his brother's hand. "Don't worry, Hart, Father and I will help you soon. Just keep on fighting..." Kite squeezed Hart's hand tighter, wishing that the younger would just do something. After an hour of Kite sitting watch over his brother, he finally decided that it was time for him to get going. He stood up from the chair, walked to the door, and shot a tired glance at Hart. Kite was just about to turn and go out the door, when his eyes caught sight of something strange. Under Hart's bed there appeared to be... "Is that a book?" Kite whispered to himself under his breath. He walked back to the bed and knelt beside it. He reached under the bed and felt around with his hand until his fingers came in contact with cool leather. Furrowing his brows, Kite retrieved the item, confirming that it was indeed a book. Leather bound and about a hundred pages in length, it appeared to be a type of old fashioned journal, complete with a simple buckle keeping the pages bound. Kite undid the buckle and looked at the slightly yellowed pages of the volume. The edges of the pages were golden, and thin lines created a guide for the writer. There was nothing written in the book, which Kite confirmed by flipping through it briefly. The teen was very puzzled. He was sure that he'd never noticed the book before, so it must have appeared sometime since his visit the night before. Obviously Hart couldn't have been the one to have put it there, and Kite knew that only Hart's direct family and the nurses were allowed into the room. Slightly concerned that maybe someone had snuck into Hart's room, Kite thought about his next course of action. He could ask the front desk, though he was sure nothing would turn up and he'd only appear suspicious. Sighing, Kite settled on just keeping a better eye on the room, and bringing the book home with himself. Tucking the journal under his arm, Kite swiftly left the hospital and made his way back to their house.

Kite's evening passed as it usually did. He made a simple dinner for himself, did a bit of light reading, and then got ready for bed. When he crawled under his covers, however, sleep didn't instantly claim him as it normally did. Kite's mind was racing, continuing to go back to the book, which he'd placed on his bookshelf. After about twenty minutes of not being able to sleep, Kite got out of his bed, grabbed the journal and a pen, and sat at the tidy desk in the corner of his room. He wasn't sure what was prompting him, but he was so compelled to write in the strange book that it was preventing him from sleeping. Turning on the lamp, Kite went to the first page and began to write his first entry, making sure to put the date in the top corner of the page:

Dear Journal,

I've never tried to keep track of the occurrences of my daily life, but I figure it is worth a shot, all things considered concerning this book. Today was as uneventful as most, aside from discovering this journal underneath Hart's hospital bed. I just hope that no one unauthorized has been visiting Hart. I'm always worried about him, but maybe now I really have reason to be. If someone has been messing with my brother, I'll make sure that they soon regret it. But I guess I will just have to wait and see what happens next.

Goodnight,

Kite

Feeling slightly foolish but also accomplished, Kite closed the book and returned to his warm bed. His head had yet to hit the pillow when he'd already fallen asleep.

AN: thanks for reading! reviews, critiques, comments, and requests are always loved and appreciated.