It was not really a promise. It was just something that spilled out because of too much playfulness and enthusiasm.

"We'll be together forever Hiroomi!" Little Akihito chimed wrapping an arm around little Hiroomi's shoulders.

Flashing a toothy grin at the raven haired boy, the blond took the other's little hands in his and dragged him to run with him. Little Hiro's eyes grew wide. His scarf that wrapped around his little neck fluttered in the air as his body trundled because of the uneven ground. He grabbed a hold of his scarf to prevent it from unwinding from his neck. He thought it would, so he tightened his grip on it and tightened his grip on Akkey's hand as well.

They reached a post. Both were panting from running too much. With shallow breaths, heaving lungs and fingers entwined, and the cold wind seeping into sweaty pores, they tried recovering their breaths.

Little Hiroomi blushed. He was older by a year and big boys like him he thought didn't blush easily. But Akkey was Akkey so it didn't really matter whether Hiroomi was bigger and much older. Akkey was a dweeb, a little bit weird too, but never did Hiroomi feel like pretending to be big and mature when he was with him, except in times when he teased Akkey. But times like this when they play, Hiroomi can do whatever he pleased, thinking only of his Akkey and nothing but him.

Hiroomi bowed his head, covering a portion of his face with his bangs in an attempt to hide his flustered face. He still thought of what Akkey said to him. It bugged him, and so he asked,

"You mean it?" despite his shaky voice and nervous hands balled into fists; despite his pride of being a Nase smoldering into ashes turning into dust at Akkey's words.

Akkey paused, quite surprised at little Hiro's response.

"Yup! We'll be together forever."

When he said it, Akihito made sure to hold Hiroomi's hand tightly.

Soul marks didn't manifest themselves early. In fact, most soul marks appeared a day after one turned 14. They always start faint, just a mole like dot or a line at first on the skin, but the difference was it was painful and itchy. In certain occasions, it glows, scintillating as a burning feeling envelops the body it scarred.

Hiroomi's soul mark appeared when he was 12 years old. It was a faint line etched on his left hip. He discovered it when he was bathing. He felt something sting near the juncture of his hip and his thigh. Anxious, he never told any one about it, not even his most beloved little sister; not even Akkey.

When the mark manifested, Akkey and he had drifted apart. Hiroomi no longer visited Akkey's house to play with him. This is also the time when Hiroomi started his formal lessons of being a spirit world warrior and was forbidden to visit Akkey after what happened between them.

What happened between them caused their relationship to be strained. Hiroomi noticed that when they see each other at school, Akkey avoids him. Akkey no longer looked at him like how he used to. His toothy grin, his company and his warmth was no more, and that left Hiroomi winter cold.

Now, he didn't have anyone he can bare himself out. But he still thought of Akkey from time to time and vowed he would become a great spirit world warrior just to be able to be with him; just to help him contain the youmo inside of him.

So it was no surprise that when Hiroomi found out Akkey's mark had manifested, he would be severely heart broken.

Mitsuki told him that Akkey's soul mark was on his left hand. It was just a faint petal, like a faded tattoo written on the fleshy part at the bottom part of his thumb.

Mitsuki continued that it made Akkey look like a moron. Hiroomi only smiled at his sister and narrowed his eyes, attempting to hug her because talking about Akkey always made her very charming in his eyes.

"Nii-san, you idiot! Stop this."

When he grabbed Mitsuki by the shoulder, that's when he found out Mitsuki's soul mark. Disappointed he said,

"No!" Eyes wide Hiroomi acted like a fool finding out about Mitsuki's mark. He slapped the side of his face for a more dramatic effect.

"My lovely imouto! It can't be,"

Mitsuki made a disgusted expression and slammed the door in Hiroomi's face.

When Mitsuki left, Hiroomi's goofy expression turned sad. He slumped on the bed and closed his eyes.

"So his mark is different from mine."

The next thing Hiroomi knew, the mark on his hip got darker and it snaked up his side and curled like soft skin of a skinned leaf. What used to be a faint line turned larger and more imposing. Hiroomi ran his fingers across its expanse, tracing the outline, its shape; every curl made him wish his mark would match Akkey's. But he knew it wouldn't. It never will. So he decided to go to Akkey's apartment and confront him about it, perhaps tease him a little bit. But really he just wanted to see him after so long.

Hiroomi waited for Akihito to open his door. It was Saturday; they didn't have classes and it had been 400 days (yes he'd been counting the days) since they last talked and Hiroomi was nervous. He tried to keep calm by humming. Alternating from standing on his toes to planting his feet firmly on the ground, he couldn't stand still. His clenched hands were inside his pockets. It was autumn and a bit warm now, but he still felt cold; his hands were cold, and his mark ached currently. He wanted to erase it so that at least he wouldn't feel bad about having a different mark from Akkey; so that he could at least cling to Akkey's promise that they would be together forever. He considered this as he burrowed his head deeper in his scarf, breathing in the scent of the cloth. Maybe Akkey already forgot all about their promise. Hiroomi's cheeks turn a shade redder at the thought of this.

He knew it was foolish of him to cling to something Akkey told him when they were young. Children were prone to giving promises—promises that they would likely forget once they grow older. But despite this, Hiroomi still believed in their promise.

Feeling his stomach knot, Hiroomi bit his lower lip, furrowed his brows, and clenched his toes out of frustration and sadness. This sadness was something that was growing into fear, and as of late hate. He thought that the seconds that dragged on as he waited was tormenting. Upon the sound of the footsteps and a click on the door, the chaos inside his mind calmed down a little bit. He raised his eyes and met Akkey's widened golden orbs.

Clearly the boy was surprised at Hiroomi's sudden visit. He also felt awkward. Hiroomi thought because he was placing his hand at the scruff of his neck clearly confused.

"Hiroomi," Akihito said wryly.

In response, Hiroomi narrowed his eyes. He knew Akkey still felt guilty about what happened.

Hiroomi smirked; he was trying to be playful, to be a tease just to hide how insecure he felt. It was the only thing he could do to ward off the ache in his chest. He missed Akkey very much, this he couldn't deny.

"Saa, Akkey, are just going to keep standing there?"

Hiroomi stepped inside. Akihito made way for him, quirking his eyebrows as if saying, "You win."

"What brings you here though Hiroomi?"

"That's Hiroomi-senpai for you Akkey~"

"Hiroomi-senpai.." Akkey pouted, shoulders hunched tiredly as they walked towards the kitchen.

"I missed this lonesome home of yours Akkey."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Of course not." Hiroomi says blithely.

Of course he did not. Akkey's apartment was the only place he could be comfortable in. And it will be the only place he'd ever feel at home.

"Cook for me Akkey."

"Hah?" Akkey raised his voice, surprised.

Hiroomi never touches Akkey, but this time he mustered the courage to. To keep him quiet, he placed his index finger on the younger man's lips. Akihito slapped his hand away and gritted his teeth. Hiroomi knew what he was thinking. He knew that he must be angry about Hiroomi doing all these things: tormenting him, teasing him just because Hiroomi had the leverage to do so.

Hiroomi felt a bit hurt. The pang of what used to be a warm friendship between the two that still lingered in his heart still hurt like a burn. He wanted to say what happened to us Akkey? He almost said it, but he stopped himself before he could.

Akihito turned his back on Hiroomi and cluck his tongue. He still obeyed by walking to the lavatory. Akihito will cook omurice for him. Hiroomi smiled and sauntered towards Akkey's bedroom and slumped down on the bed. He stared at the ceiling for a bit and then he closed his eyes; he crossed his arms behind his head.

The room smelled of Akkey. It stunk of his sweat and his perfume, also of magazine sheets and paint. Sometimes Akkey painted designs of glasses and the girls he wanted them to wear.

Akihito loved glasses. In fact, he had some sort of of fetish with glasses, and Hiroomi used to always tease him about it. Akihito would retort back how at least it was not as disturbing and creepy as Hiroomi's sister complex.

It was not as creepy as Akkey thinks. Because truth be told, the feelings that Hiroomi had for Akkey was even worse. This had always been what's in Hiroomi's mind whenever Akkey tells him his sister complex was creepy.

Upon remembering their exchange, Hiroomi slipped a hand inside his shirt and traced a finger on his soul mark.

The mark was really a pain in the ass. Hiroomi started to wonder whether these marks would really make Akkey drift farther away from him.

They said that soul marks would fully develop when one reached the age of 19 when that happens, attraction may happen. Once they see the person whose marks matched theirs, the mark will glow and that's when they'll know.

Hiroomi wondered whether this was true or not. He wondered whether despite that, can one escape this fate and love another instead? Can someone choose someone else, love someone else despite the attraction that they have to their pairs?

Wondering about such things, Hiroomi fell asleep.

"Hiroomi! It's done," Akihito called. He waited for a response, but there was none so begrudgingly, he stomped his feet and walked towards his room to drag Hiroomi's ass down to eat. It was awkward because he felt as though he was a nagging wife.

"Hiroomi! Hiroomi-senpai,"Akkey sarcastically called.

When he opened the door to his room, he saw Hiroomi's back facing him, shirt bunched up a bit, the scar on his back stretched across his back, visible, palpable.

Akkey frowned and clenched his fists. He still regretted the fact that he hurt someone; that he hurt Hiroomi.

Akkey sighed and sauntered towards the bed. He sat down and reached out to touch a lock of Hiroomi's hair. He ran his index finger through it, feeling the softness of his silky raven hair. At this, Hiroomi scrunched his face, making Akihito smile.

Akkey stared at the goofy way Hiroomi slept and smiled. He adjusted himself on the bed and looked at his left hand. He stared at his palms and studied it. The faint bulb of a flower etched into the skin looked like a mole.

"So this is a soul mark," Akkey thought. Even he, the infamous half human half youmo had something like that. He knew about the thing about soul marks, that it meant you had someone that was born for you in this life.

Undaunted, he took Hiroomi's hand to check whether they match. He took Hiroomi's left hand and tilted it so that the palm was up.

There was no mark like his. And Akkey felt disappointed. He ran a thumb across the fleshy part of Hiroomi's palm.

Maybe they were not really meant to be together. Fate commands it so. Akkey frowned. He thought that it was bad to force things that were clearly not meant to be. There were just things that even if how much you wanted it, you can never have it. And as such, you just have to live with it. He wondered whether or not this was also true for affection, for love even. Thinking about this, Akkey felt nostalgic; it reminded him of the past,

"What if your mark doesn't match with mine?" Hiroomi said a little bit shy while they were playing in the sand box.

Little Akkey had been very sure they would match.

"We would match!" Akkey flashed a smile at Hiroomi. He grabbed the raven head boy's hand, held it tightly, firmly, as though nothing would ever make the boy think they would ever be apart ever.

The gesture was like a promise, an assurance, and it felt permanent and true.

Akihito wondered whether or not Hiroomi forgot about their promise. Akihito never reneges on his promises. He wondered about what he'll do when Hiroomi first reneges on his.

After he hurt Hiroomi, Akihito didn't really know how to approach him again, that's why he avoided him as much as he could. Whenever Akkey saw Hiroomi, he would only remember him splayed on the grass, his bloody back exposed, unconscious, and his hands drenched in Hiroomi's blood.

Akkey wondered whether things were better this way.

None of them actually had any idea how soul marks worked when two persons finally found their match. Akihito and Mitsuki talked about it in the clubroom one afternoon. Mitsuki got curious about the whole thing about soul marks when she read a novel about reincarnation.

"I don't really believe in this reincarnation stuff, but don't you think it's pretty similar to this whole soul mark thing of ours?"

"It sounds the same. Well, reincarnation can also be related to this soul marks right? After all, the truth behind this soul mark is that in our past life, we met our match before and probably had a connection with them right? So I guess technically it's the same."

"Hmmph, I don't really see the point in this though. We develop this mark when we turn 14, and then the mark would fully manifest itself when we turn 19. And then? What if you decide to love someone before that? Isn't it strange? What if before finding your match you are already devoted to someone else?"

What Mitsuki said struck a nerve in Akihito. She was right. That was indeed a problem. What if you already decided on loving someone before you found your match? Before your soul mark even manifested itself?

Akihito gripped the cover of the book he was holding. He stared at the line of words without reading, his mind still wondered about what was up with all the drama surrounding the soul marks.

"No one ever told us how it works" Mitsuki shrugged.

"You didn't ask any of your elders?"

"Why would I do that? That's ridiculous. I could ask Aneki, but.. she seems to have a lot going on right now and Nii-san's being an asshole as ever." Mitsuki crossed her arms over her chest. She raised a hand to flip her hair.

Upon mentioning Hiroomi, Mitsuki paused and waited for a response from Akkey. None came; she thought Akkey's silence was odd. At this, she narrowed her eyes.

"Hmm, he visited you didn't he?"

"Yeah, he did. I thought he was going to ask something, I thought it was important, but he just took a nap there and ate when he woke up." Akkey ruffled his hair, then added, his face contorting as if he had enough.

"When he woke up, the omurice was already cold, so I had to heat it up for him. And you know how he is, while I was heating it up, he slipped his hand in my armpits. Ugh.. so I kind of.. did something."

Mitsuki just stared at Akkey. She knew something else happened between the two, but she let it slide.

What Akkey hid from her was what came after,

Akkey wheeled around at Hiroomi's touch, slapping his hand away embarrassed. Hiroomi never changed, he was still as shameless as before. But what caught him by surprise was how cold Hiroomi's hands were. They were trembling too.

He understood that Hiroomi was perpetually cold, this was a downside to his power, but it was colder than he had remembered them. He sighed completely surrendering. He didn't' look at Hiroomi, he took his hand and ran his hand across its surface.

Hiroomi just stared at him, feeling all sorts of emotions well up within him. He missed this so much; he missed Akihito's touch.

"You are colder than ever. You should have brought mittens. For goodness sake Hiroomi," Akihito rolled his eyes, as he felt Hiroomi's hand wiggle at his side. He grabbed Hiroomi's hands and continued clearly annoyed, "My armpits are out of the question!"

Hiroomi chuckled, "But your armpits are really warm Akkey~" Hiroomi said as his cheeks flustered. He rested his chin on Akkey's shoulder and breathed in Akkey scent. This is the limit on how close he's going to let him know how much he adored him. This is the closest thing he would ever be to saying the words, "I love you"; "I adore you"; "love me back?". It's in the way his hands trembled with anticipation; wishing Akkey would hold his hand; wishing he would turn around and notice how much he's been trying to hold back his feelings from the start.

Akihito sighed totally oblivious to the tumult Hiroomi was in. The blond raised his eyes, and narrowed them sadly. Akkey grabbed Hiroomi's hands, pressed them slightly. This is the closest thing he would ever be to telling him how much he still felt guilty at hurting him. He swallowed a lump in his throat. He was hesitating in saying something, fearing that his voice would betray him.

"You sure it's okay to be alone with me like this? After that?" There he said it. He finally took out the thorn inside his chest.

Hiroomi wasn't expecting that from Akihito. He smiled a slight smile and tightened his grip on Akkey's hand. Gently, he withdrew, cupped Akkey's shoulder and pressed them. Batting his eyes, and without looking directly at him, he made him turn to look at him. It was really difficult to say what one wanted to say. It was difficult pouring out what you truly feel for someone without feeling insecure; without feeling vulnerable. If only it was easy to just spill everything out. But in the current circumstance, it was hard. He held Akkey's hand. This was it. This was truly it, he would finally see for himself whether or not it was true that he and Akkey didn't match. Hiroomi swallowed a lump in his throat. Closed his eyes, as if he was saying a prayer, opened them and tilted Akkey's left hand to expose his palm.

Akihito's heart skipped a beat at this. He stared at Hiroomi as the latter shifted his eyes on his palms. Akkey didn't want him to know they didn't match. He wanted to take his hand away, but Hiroomi firmly held it, like his life depended on it.

Hiroomi ran his thumb across the fleshy surface, twice. Akihito had to swallow a lump in his throat nervously. Hiroomi took his hand closer to his face to see it clearly.

Akihito wanted to push Hiroomi away; he didn't want it like this, and then it came, the words he never wanted to hear coming from Hiroomi's mouth,

"We don't match." Hiroomi raised his eyes and smiled at him painfully.

Akihito looked dejected. He bowed his head, praying Hiroomi had already forgotten about their promise about being together.

Their destinies had changed now. Their bond was broken and it can never be mended again.

"It's a cute petal Akkey." Hiroomi said as he painted whirlpools on Akkey's palm.

"I wonder what it would turn into when it has finally fully manifested itself. Does it hurt? When it first manifested itself on your skin?"

"It just throbbed a lot, sometimes," Akkey paused; he almost said when I think of you without thinking.

"… it throbbed a bit, and glowed that one time."

Hiroomi didn't reply for awhile. Then he said,

"Sometimes..." He quirked his eyebrows sadly, as if he's given up on something.

"Sometimes, I wonder whether I have two soul marks."

Finding one's match was unlike anything Akihito had imagined. He wasn't expecting that the mark would glow, rather than hurt, the sensation was warm; it felt like his nerves were thrumming against his skin. His cheeks felt hot and his hands went cold as he gazed upon her—his glasses goddess, Kuriyama Mirai.

He was aghast at first. When he first saw her, she was about to jump on the roof. Feeling worried that she might commit suicide, he rushed to the rooftop and declared,

"Someone who looks so good in glasses as you should not die!"

The girl stared at him for awhile and said, "Fuyukai desu." She rushed to him then, a liquefied reddish thing manifested itself in her hand forming something that looked like a sword. Everything happened so fast that Akihito didn't have time to struggle. Before he realized it, she already stabbed him straight through the heart. At this time, his soul mark glowed, and this made them both very surprised.

The girl immediately took out her sword and stared at him wide eyed. She flitted her eyes from her own hand to Akkey's nervously. Her mark also glowed. At this, she backed away and said,

"Fuyukai desu." As she adjusted her glasses and escaped, clearly embarrassed.

Akihito never understood what attraction meant until that moment. He never thought he would ever feel a connection that strong. He never thought his chest would hurt a bit because of his heart ramming too much against his chest. The feeling he felt made him incredibly embarrassed to the point that his palms were sweating and his cheeks turned red as a tomato.

So this was attraction.

He never thought it would also mean constantly thinking of that person; constantly worrying about her and things like that. And every time he thought of her, the mark on the palm of his hand would glow.

Whenever this happened, it felt nice. It felt like the warmth from his hand spread throughout his body. Such warmth was comforting. And it could ease his insomnia most of the time. It also somehow made his nightmares go away.

But then, a sense of guilt would overcome him. He would think of Hiroomi and feel sad. Sad because despite his attraction to Mirai, he really, absolutely wanted to be with Hiroomi. It was something that he thought was natural. He would be with him, not because he had decided about this long ago, but because the more he thought of Hiroomi the more he thought of wanting to be with him like it was something that was meant to happen.

Every time he thought of Mirai, he thought of the warmth of Hiroomi's touch the very first time they held hands. He thought of the way the little version of Hiroomi clasped his hands tightly as he pouted,

"What if we don't match?

Akkey cleared his throat and shuffled on the bed. What would happen to both of them now?