In another life,

"Do that again, you damn pervert, I dare you."

His half-hearted threat was met with the briefest of laughs and a hand on his shoulder, left to fiddle with his collar.

"Maybe you should wear your uniform properly for once."

The younger man scoffed, crossing his arms. "Yeah, whatever."

"You could start," the hand traveled down to the back hem of his shirt, "by tucking this in."

Judal all but squealed as his professor practically stuck his hand down his pants, squeezing in the exact same way he had a moment ago.

"Sin!" the science teacher yelled from down the hall, "Stop harassing your students."

Do you think

"What's wrong? You're not your usual self today."

Sinbad sat at his scroll-littered desk, early morning light pouring in through the window. The person he was addressing lay in his bed; outstretched on his stomach, fruit in hand, robes fanning out around him. Contrary to his nature, he didn't respond.

"Are you worried about meeting the Kou Empire's magi today? Aladdin was his name?"

The boy glanced up in surprise, his expression betraying him. "Huh? No way." He ducked his head, twisting onto his back.

There was a pause, before: "…what if he's awesome?"

"And you're not?"

"No, that's not it…just…what is he's so much better than me? I mean I still haven't mastered everything yet and no one knows much about him; what he's like or what he can do. What if he's a better magi than I am?"

Sinbad sighed. "That won't matter."

"But-"

"No matter his skill or his power you'll always be the best magi to me." The king smiled fondly, leaning back in his chair to plant a light kiss on the magi's forehead. "You'll be fine."

Judal looked away indignantly, his face heated.

"Whatever…idiot."

Though, he couldn't help being slightly pleased.

You could have

He started the car when he heard gunshots.

The door of the bank burst open, and out he came, backpack slung over his shoulder, hair flying, waving his pistol wildly. And the crazy bastard was laughing. Then again, so was he.

He hadn't meant for this to happen. The kid who tried to mug him all those years ago had somehow become an accomplice, a rather good-looking accomplice, whether he was spread out underneath him or putting a bullet in someone's head.

The teen leapt into the passenger's seat. He shot one last time before they were off.

"How much d'you get this time?" He yelled over the roar of the engine.

"More than last time, that's for sure!"

Sin couldn't help the adrenaline-fueled smile that split across his face. He pulled the younger man closer, wrapping his thick hair around his hand and pressing his lips roughly against the other's.

"Mm, good job."

To think, he had once held a respectable career. Well, he was called 'Sin' for a reason.

Said

It was supposed it be a princess.

He would defeat the dragon, win her heart, and live happily ever after. He had tried many times before, but they never stuck around very long. It seemed his 'reputation' preceded him.

He had really thought he stood a chance with this one, though. He had heard rumors of a mysterious woman locked away by a group of wizards that terrorized the land, said to have long black hair and beautiful eyes. Her hair was long alright, done up in a series of intricate braids. Her eyes were in fact beautiful, a startling red that seemed to enchant you. But, as it turned out, 'she'… was also a 'he'.

"So you're my prince, huh? I have to say, I expected you to be more… royal looking."

Her- his- smile was light and teasing, and although he hadn't quite recovered from his shock, this was a game he knew.

"And I," he bowed, taking the other's surprisingly dainty hand in his own and kissing it lightly, "expected someone much more princess-like."

"Oh?" the boy quirked an eyebrow. "Do I disappoint you then? How rude."

"On the contrary." He smiled with experience, lacing in voice in charm. "in fact, you're more beautiful than I could have imagined. What is your name, your majesty?"

The other studied him for a minute, before replying "…Judal."

Well, Judal, I've come to recue you."

"Have you now?" Judal suddenly withdrew his hand, instead resting it on his hip with a grin of amusement. "Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to try harder than that. I'm not a mere prize, you know."

It was a challenge, a teasing game Sinbad had never played before. But he was never one to turn down a challenge.

"Yes"?

Soulmates were stupid, he decided along time ago. The idea that there was only one person in the world 'meant' fro him? It was stupid.

He didn't care really. He didn't care when he found the words engraved upon his forearm. He didn't care as one by one, the people around him 'found each other'. And he sure as hell didn't care when his own 'soulmate' refused to show up. He wasn't disappointed; of course not; it was just stupid.

So when he ran down the sidewalk on the way to his morning classes that had long since started, and was sent tumbling to the ground by the shoulder of some guy in a suit, he didn't expect to care about it either. He groaned, ready to curse the bastard out and be on his way, before a hand was held out to him.

"Hey, you alright kid?"

He froze. Those words… were the words he had looked at countless times, the words that taunted and annoyed him to no end, but… no, it couldn't be; it was just a coincidence.

But when he looked up, seeing the man's concerned eyes, the dark hair that he couldn't quite decide the color of, and a suit that damn he looked good in, he suddenly cared very much. And when he spoke, the man blinked, pulling down his classy ass collar to reveal the words- word- he had just muttered, very much describing the situation, which was simply

"…fuck."