A/N: So the premise for this soulmate au is a little different. The world is monochrome until you meet your soulmate, but it doesn't burst into color; the change is gradual. Extended time away from one's soulmate makes the color fade. Anna is Irene's soulmate, but Irene is oblivious because she believes that she has already found her soulmate. All Anna wants is for Irene to be happy so she steps aside.

Energy buzzed through her being as she shifted from foot to foot in some vain effort to keep herself occupied.

Zeref let out an exasperated sigh, "Can you not be one of those people for a moment?" He side eyed Anna from the vending machine.

"What do you mean?" Anna asked practicing her best wide-eyed innocent impression, which crumbled the second a cell phone chirped. She jolted reaching for her cell at lightning speed.

"It's mine," Ur's lips tipped upward in a smirk.

Anna's shoulders slumped, nothing, she had been on read for days. She glanced out the window looking unto a menagerie of gray hues. She missed color almost as much as she missed Irene.

As if on cue her phone chirped, Irene,"I'm in town, let's meet up."

Anna met Irene at the hotel bar. It wasn't half as awkward as she expected after a year, but she still didn't know what would happen if Irene discovered the truth. Her world had to be as gray as Anna's.

They were just friends. Irene was married. She had a kid. The mantra repeated.

They were catching up; childhood friends tended to do that. It was completely innocent, at least in Irene's eyes, no matter how flirtatious her texts may seem to Anna. If Irene was happy, that was all that mattered.

She was surprised the facade held up considering how out of practice she was. Everything went off without a hitch, they had a few drinks, reminisced, and caught up. Until Anna stumbled unto a landmine and the floodgates burst open.

"So how's married life?" Anna asked, she dreaded the answer but asked all the same. If Irene was happy, she would be happy for her. She had already resigned herself to that when Brutus and Irene were engaged to be married.

Irene averted her gaze fumbling intently with the straw of her drink, "we divorced…" her voice cracked slightly with her reply. Anna was almost happy before she took Irene in completely she looked...so...broken.

Anna reached over and pulled her into a hug. Was there anything she could say that would sound genuine? The floodgates opened, "I thought he was the one," Irene confessed tearfully, "I thought he was my soulmate."

Anna carded her hands through Irene's hair, if she focused hard enough, she could envision the color, the color of passion and fate, and with her free hand, she grasped Irene's. "Did you know I took up palm reading recently?"

Irene snorted from where she had buried her head into Anna's shoulder, "Do you still read your horoscope every morning too?"

Anna feigned clutching her pearls, "You've absolutely wounded me," miming wiping away tears she continued, "my friend, my best friend, my other half," blush crept up her face at the slip, "doesn't believe in the gift I've been given?!"

Irene looked up rolling her eyes a smirk gracing her perfect face, "Go ahead, you obviously want too."

"I don't think I can divine the future to a nonbeliever after such a cutting betrayal…" she teased.

"What if I said drinks were on me?"

"I could be convinced just this once if I had an offering of some sort."

"Really?"

"Yep," Anna smiled sweetly, "and I'll even let you make it after the reading," she winked and, through the monochrome, it almost looked like Irene was blushing.

She pulled Irene's manicured hand closer, "So what's my future, fortune teller?"

"A professional takes more than a minute to assess the intricacies of the palm."

"A professional con artist should be able to weave a story together at a moments notice," Irene said. Anna glanced up for a moment. Irene was biting back a laugh.

"Well then, I guess it's a good thing I'm a fortune teller," Anna fought back a smile of her own," but if you don't believe me...I'll keep all of this super interesting information to myself."

Irene raked her eyes over her as if appraising, "If you want me to believe you are going to have to give me some proof."

"Look at your palm, there are three major lines," Anna traced the line from the base of her palm, arcing above the ball of her thumb, to between her thumb and forefinger, "this is the life line." Anna continued, "and before you ask, it does not predict how long your life will be."

"That's a pity, a true travesty, and here I thought I was going to get all the answers."

"Snark much, the life line indicates the possible course your life may take," Anna retraced it, "yours is long and has a couple of breaks. There may be a couple of bumps in the road, but ultimately you should live a great fulfilling life."

Irene's lips twitched, "You are just telling me what I want to hear."

"I'm just interpreting what fate laid before me," Anna traced from between the thumb and index finger to the middle of her palm, "this is the head line. It shows your mental state, so it's pretty broad. The head line can represent your ability to communicate to a desire for knowledge."

"So, intelligence can be measured by a person's palm, good to know."

"Nope, just interpreted," Irene stifled a laugh, mission accomplished, "I'll spare you the rest; it's getting late."

"I think I had a little too much to drink," Irene admitted. Anna tugged her to her feet.

"Me too," they made their way to lobby, "it's been awhile," she shot Irene a cheeky grin, "and I may still check my horoscope every morning, but I'm a responsible adult."

"I'm certain that's a myth," Irene glanced at her, "can you help me to my room?"

Anna punched the elevator button, "of course."

They made their way into the vacant elevator, "What's the last line?"

"The heart line, otherwise known as the love line."

Irene shoved her palm into Anna's eye line, "what does mine say? Well, don't keep me in suspense."

Once inside the hotel room, Anna made her move. She took Irene's face in her hands and crashed their lips together in a searing kiss. A kiss which Irene returned in kind. Before long she had Irene pressed against the wall as they exchanged air until they were breathless.

"Let's move this to the bed," Anna nipped at her ear before guiding her further into the became so enamored with each other again that they forgot all about the bed until Irene stumbled into it. Anna's lips trailed their way down Irene's neck eliciting small gasps and moans as her wandering hands traveled lower lifting up her skirt.

"Oh, I see you came prepared," Anna trailed her hand up Irene's thigh to her lace panties, "too bad you'll be losing these soon."

Anna collapsed blissed out limbs intertwined with Irene's own. Even if this went nowhere amounted to nothing, at least, she would have this moment; One perfect moment. Irene's hand caressed Anna's check pulling her gaze, and thoughts, to her flushed face, watery eyes, her hair cascaded scarlet like fate, "it...it was...always you" Irene softly smiled as she said the words Anna had dreamed of hearing.