Piper had learned that fairytales were only for children, for those under thirteen that hadn't gotten their soulmarks yet. They had the chance to dream and fantasize, to think the best of the world around them because they have hardly seen the worst part. They were still safely tucked in their warm beds, under a stable roof and shielded from all the cruelty and darkness that tainted the streets. They could still imagine that one day they will meet their perfect match, the one that they were destined to spend their lives with. They could stay up all night and dream and hope how the name will appear on their skin, how one day they would meet and it would be just perfect. That's the meaning of a soulmate…right?
Piper found out that fate was not kind at the age of seven when her mother, her father's soulmate, left them one night without even saying goodbye. By the age of fourteen she knew that nothing was ever simple or easy. People must be hiding the dark part of their life very well because everything seemed so easy, so plain, so frustratingly black and white from the outside. And her life? Her life was anything but. It was mostly different shades of gray, dark and twisting.
She was allowed only two other colours. One was red, sometimes bright like a fresh cut and other times dark like wine, staining her clothes. But sometimes, when she thought that there was nothing else to fight for, another colour appeared in her mind to give her comfort and hope and helped her breath just a little bit easier. Rarely did she let herself think about it but when she did, she couldn't help but drown in the clear blue of the sky in a hot summer day.
At the age of eighteen she didn't care about fate because fate was a bitch. She didn't care about the colours in her life because they didn't bring her anything. She didn't care about the name of her soulmate at the back of her neck because it didn't matter. All that mattered was where to live, how to live, what to eat and in general, how to survive in a world that clearly wanted you dead. And god, how good Piper had become at playing this game.
''Fucking finally!'' Piper hissed to herself, pocketing back her tools and swinging the car door open.
She climbed in swiftly, not wanting to spend more time than necessary at this place. The underground parking lot was completely deserted and the only light was coming from a few lonely light bulbs that marked the entryway. It was quiet and dirty and just too creepy for comfort. The whole job was fishy in Piper's opinion. What the hell was an electric blue Porsche 918 Spyder was doing at a place so clearly forgotten by any god there is? How the heck was it still there and not taken already? What kind of person would buy that kind of car and leave it just like that in a deserted parking lot in Hoboken? It was too suspicious for comfort but Piper wasn't paid to ask questions. She was paid to steal the car and drive it from point A to point B and that was exactly what she would do. And the cash was quite a handful for a job this simple. She had no right to complain.
Her satisfaction quickly morphed into confusion when her eyes fell on the ignition.
''What the…?'' she started, a deep frown on her face at the sight of the broken ignition, but before she could do anything, the click of a gun being readied at her head froze her on the spot.
''Second one in a week.'' A male voice sounded almost at her right ear. ''How big of an idiot do you guys think I am?''
Piper couldn't focus enough to answer. She was able to feel the cold metal of the gun on the back of her neck causing a strange sensation. It was as if an ice cube was making its way down her spine, making her shiver. She was never held at gunpoint before or at least not in such close proximity. Sure, cops had tried to stop her by pointing a gun at her but it was usually from a distance and either way, she was too fast for them to catch her. This, this was a new kind of terrifying.
Man up Mclean, you have a job to do.
Right.
''It's hard to think anything about someone I don't even know. Though if you've spent three days in this car you can't be Einstein.'' She said, a smirk forming on her lips. She got this, she wasn't showing weakness in front of this guy. She was tougher than that.
The guy behind her chuckled lightly, distracting her from her triumph. He had a nice laugh, kind of awkward but still masculine enough. Under normal circumstances, she would have teased him for it.
''Someone hasn't done his homework.'' His smile was evident in his voice and she rolled her eyes. Her smart retort died in her throat when his breath stirred the hair that was tickling her shoulder. ''You really don't know who I am? Whose car you just didn't steal?''
She tried to sound unbothered by his voice or his gun when she answered. ''I'm not being paid to be curious.''
''Hmm…'' he was still disturbingly close and Piper suppressed the urge to turn around and push him away from her. It would most likely be the last thing she would do and she really wasn't that keen on dying. His next words cut her train of thoughts. ''How much?''
''Huh?'' she only managed to say, stunned into stillness once again.
''How much did they pay you for this gig?'' he clarified patiently. ''It's not a difficult question now, is it?''
Piper snorted. ''In light of the recent events, I would say not enough but I don't see how that helps any of us right now.''
''It can help both of us.'' He mused lightly. A few seconds passed but then Piper felt the cold metal disappearing from the nape of her neck. She felt the urge to scratch the place but tried to ignore it. ''What if I give you more?''
''And what would that require of me?'' Piper immediately asked because business she could understand and he was definitely striking a deal here.
''Loyalty.'' He answered simply. ''I've heard of your work Beauty queen. I think it would be beneficial for both of us if we work together from now on.''
Piper hummed distractedly. A deal like that had its perks. Regular payment, a calculated plan for action, someone to have your back. On the other hand, she would probably have to play by his rules, which was a bummer because she hated rules. She had her own way of doing things and until now, no one cared as long as the job was done.
''I have to warn you, I have this problem with authority. I'm used to being my own boss.''
''I'm sure we can think of something.'' He mused and she found his amusement contagious for some reason.
Without thinking much more, she turned in her seat, finally facing the owner of the car. Whatever she was about to say flew out of her mind at the sight in front of her. God, oh god, wasn't he a delicious sight? Nice build, strong jaw, kissable lips, turned in a playful smirk but what really caught her attention were his eyes. That particular shade of blue felt so familiar for some reason…as if she had seen them before ages ago and had forgotten about them but she knew that wasn't it. She'd never met this guy in her life. He spelled danger in the best kind of way.
Just then she noticed him smirking at her, scrutinizing her under an appreciative gaze. It was time for her to smile because apparently, she wasn't the only one affected by the other's looks. And she would be damned if she let him use her moment of weakness against her.
''I'm not easy to work with. I'm a dangerous girl.'' She said secretly. Tilting her head a little, her eyes traveled briefly down his strong arms before returning back to the captivating blue of his eyes.
''That, I can believe.'' He nodded, looking right back at her as if accepting a dare. ''But I'm always up for a challenge.''
''Well then, when do I start?''
It took Piper two weeks to realize how her new boss' name was spelled. She knew little about Greek mythology and she'd heard of her boss and his somewhat of a gang, ''The Argonauts'', before but there never was a reason for her to spell his name. So naturally, when she saw the letters of the only contact that was in her new work phone, she froze.
Jason.
Her fingers immediately flew to her neck, rubbing the spot, trying to decide if it was really itching or if she was imagining things. It couldn't be. After all this time and after everything she'd gone through because of soulmarks, this couldn't be happening to her. Not now, not ever.
''Is something wrong?'' Jason gained her attention and she wanted to hit herself because in her head, the name didn't sound like the Greek hero Jason anymore.
This is just a nickname Piper, a way for him to hide his true identity. Don't read too much into it. Don't panic.
With a few seconds delay, she shook her head. Her eyes scanned the room, landing on screens and blueprints, and equipment, anything else actually besides the man standing right in front of her.
''Everything's fine.'' Her voice sounded distant and Piper was happy that it didn't waver.
She was not sure if he believed her or not. She was only thankful that he decided to not dig further in the question.
''And how should I name your number?'' he asked then.
Piper's confused gaze turned towards him again. She smirked at him, raising a hand to her chest as if mortally wounded.
''You don't remember my name? And here I am, thinking that I was special.'' She teased him, her grin widening when she noticed how his ears turned pink in embarrassment.
''No, I just…'' he sighed and after a deep breath, quickly composed himself. ''I doubt that your name is Beauty queen. And I thought that I'd earned the right to learn at least your name.''
Piper's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. She crossed her arms on her chest, determination written all over her face. She was so winning this argument.
''First, I don't know your name so I think we're even there. And how the hell did you deserved knowing my name?''
''I let you live, didn't I? Not only that, but I gave you a job. A well-paid one at that! I think I have the right to know a little something about the people I work with.'' He shrugged, mouth quirked in a daring half-smile and eyes shining with mischief.
''Now who hasn't done his homework?'' she teased him again, throwing the words from their first meeting back at him. Apparently, he realized that too.
''You're evading the subject.'' He noted, the humor quickly giving way to suspicion. ''What are you hiding from me?''
She can feel the scowl on her own face at his words. What was she hiding? Her story, her history…herself. Nothing of importance for the job she was here to do. Nothing that he needed to know. But watching the way he was looking at her, she knew that giving up was not in his nature. So she had to give him something…
''Mac. You can call me Mac if you insist so much.'' She finally grumbled, deciding to completely ignore how childish she sounded.
Her frustration quickly wavered when she saw the smile on his face, the way his whole appearance changed once the corners of his lips turned up.
''See, it wasn't so hard.'' His voice was light and teasing even though he wasn't looking at her but at the screen of his phone. When he was done saving her number, he looked back up, tapping the device against the identical one in her hand. ''These are secure numbers, impossible to locate and trace so you can speak freely. I advise you to keep your other…acquaintances' numbers in your personal phone though. Just to be sure.''
She nodded in understanding and after a quick goodbye, left for her apartment. On her way there, she kept replaying their conversation, wondering if she should have lied about her name or not. Not that Mac was her real name but still, it was too close to Mclean. And if he could steal special-edition cars right from the showrooms, then he could find her identity if he wanted. He wasn't stupid, despite being blonde.
It took her quite a while, but while she was having dinner, she finally realized that he had managed to trick her too.
She still didn't know his real name.
Apparently, Jason and the Argonauts (Piper still felt silly referring to her boss and his crew like that but it wasn't her idea) were more like a family than colleagues. She wasn't used to that and she didn't know if it was a good idea to get used to it. She had learned to take care of herself and not need anyone. And suddenly, there were people all around her, smiling warmly, helping her adjust and succeed, teaching her, distracting her when needed and it was becoming too much. And on top of that Piper had to find a way to deal with her feelings towards Jason himself because, oh yeas, there were feelings there. Not so innocent feelings. Sometimes, she wanted nothing more than to jump his bones, push him against the wall and just beg him to take her. It didn't help that he seemed to read her mind every time she got all hot and bothered in his presence and seemed all too willing to take part in her plan.
That's why she wasn't really surprised that not two months into their work relationship, they found themselves in his bed, naked and exhausted from what Piper thought was the best sex she had ever had.
''We have to set some ground rules.'' She broke the comfortable silence. ''If this is not a one-time thing that is.''
Jason chuckled, his chest vibrating against her back as they snuggled under the covers. (Piper had never been a cuddler before but she couldn't find it in herself to leave the warmth of the embrace.) ''I can say that this won't happen again but to be honest, I doubt that we can stay away from each other for long. And since we work together, it's really best if we know where to draw the line.''
''Right.'' Piper shifted, turning around as much as he let her so she could face him. ''No drama, no clinging, no jealousy. This is purely physical.''
He nodded almost without a delay. ''This doesn't gain you any privileges at work. Out of this room, you still work for me.''
''No personal questions asked.''
At that, Jason averted his eyes, smiling secretly, which in turn made her suspicious but she decided not to ask for now.
''Deal.'' He agreed after a while, his gaze once again locked with hers.
It wasn't that hard at first, keeping her distance. It became a routine for them to just unwind after a stressful day. They always ended up at Jason's and Piper always left after they were done for the night. She never slept at his place and he never came at hers (she was sure he knew where she lived). They didn't speak of their relationship in front of the others though Annabeth, the planner of the group, would always sent her this suggestive smirk when she saw them together and let's not forget the tech geek Leo, whose sex jokes were as cheesy as his snacks. But nobody spoke about it directly. Guess that as long as the job was done, no one was bothered how exactly the rest of them relaxed.
It was good, Piper even dared to think about the word perfect once. That's why she expected it to go down sooner rather than later.
Piper was delaying the moment when she would have to get up and leave the comfort of Jason's bed by tracing invisible lines on Jason's forearms. His hold on her was wavering as he was slowly dragged into the world of dreams but he still wasn't completely under. Piper let herself enjoy the security for just a little while. She didn't want to think why it was like this but she couldn't deny how calm and centered she felt, how natural it felt for her to be in this man's arm. She never let herself sink deeper into those fantasies in fear of becoming too attached to something that wasn't hers to hold but from time to time, she couldn't help but hope. It's been years since she'd dreamed of this and the memory was more bitter than sweet.
Her fingers traced a swirly shape on his right forearm but quickly stilled when she felt the defference in the texture. She would never admit it to anyone, but she was so used to the way that Jason's skin felt against hers that it wasn't really so hard for her to feel the difference. Careful to not wake him up, she twisted his arm a little so she could see the flesh more easily.
Sure enough, at closer inspection, the traces of makeup were easily noticeable. Piper wondered for half a second what could he be hiding under a layer so thick when realization struck her and she sucked in a sharp breath.
His soulmark.
She was up before she had time to think about this any further. Because if she let herself think, she would want to erase the makeup and see the name under and Piper wasn't sure she wanted to know the truth. In this case, she thought that ignorance was bliss.
''Somethin' wrong?'' Jason's mumble startled her out of her thoughts but she didn't turn around.
''No, I just have to go.'' She shrugged while pulling her shirt on. She had managed to locate her clothes easily, what with them being piled up on the floor in front of the bed. She sat on the soft matress, back towards Jason, to lace her combat boots.
''Is this because of the soulmark?'' he suddenly asked, startling her once more. She turned to face him and saw that he was far more awake than she had thought.
''I…'' she stuttered and cursed herself mentally for being so tongue-tied. She needed to cover up the situation and fast. ''What soulmark?''
Not the smoothest move and Jason's tilted head and incredulous expression proved that she hadn't fooled anybody.
''This one.'' He sat up and stretched his right arm, baring his forearm for her to see. ''I know you noticed. And if you want, I'll show it to you. I don't care.''
''No, I…it's…okay. It's okay, you don't need to show it to me. You don't know anything about mine so it's only fair.'' She picked up her jacket from the floor while walking backwards towards the door.
Jason looked around and Piper couldn't help but notice how his ears turned pink in embarrassment, how his hand went up to stroke the back of his neck, a nervous habit of his…she was missing something in this picture. She narrowed her eyes at him, trying to decide what exactly wasn't adding up. A sinking feeling struck her then, causing her face to pale visibly.
''You saw it? You…no, I…NO.'' She stumbled backwards and her back hit the closed door harshly. She didn't care.
He knew. He'd seen her soulmark.
''Mac, look, I…'' Jason started while standing up on his knees on the bed.
The sheet pooled at his lap, barely covering what had to be covered but Piper wouldn't let herself be distracted. Not when his guilty look confirmed her fears.
''We made a deal, no meddling in our personal life. And this is highly personal!''
''I'm sorry, I get that you're mad and I didn't do it on purpouse, it was just that the makeup was smeared after the shower we shared that one time and…''
Three weeks. He had known for three weeks and he hadn't spoken about it? Piper had never thought that it was possible, but she felt her heart shatter (who had even given it permission to hope in the first place?). Why would he say a thing when this wasn't his real name? My name isn't the one on his arm.
''No.'' she finally said out loud. She hadn't heard a word he'd said and she didn't care. This was ending right here, right now. ''I'm not up for pity parties. If there's a job, contact me. Until then, I'm taking a break.''
The door banged shut after her, the sound resonating in the empty hallway. The sound rattled Piper's bones, made her shiver but she refused to break down just yet. She would have the time to drown herself in cheap alcohol and self pity but first, she had to get away from here.
She ran all the way to her apartment.
Piper had no one to blame but herself for the state she was in. She knew better than to fall for this guy. She hadn't even realized that she had fallen until it was too late. And now she was feeling like shit. Yes, she should have known better. That's probably the only lesson she had learned from her drunken and abusive father: that love wasn't worth it, that giving yourself to someone else, depending on them, was too painful to be of any worth. She could pretend and lie all she wanted but bottom line was that she had hoped and dreamed for him. She would never forgive herself for that.
It's been a month since she last saw any of the Argonauts. Leo and Percy had called her a few times to ask if she was coming to base. Annabeth even went as far as actually coming at her door and dragging her out to a cute little coffee shop in Brooklyn. She had managed to coax some information out of the brunette but not much, not enough for all of this to make sense to her. She had let her anger get the best of her then, scolding and accusing Piper of just playing around, of not caring for anyone but herself, of betraying their trust. Piper just shook her head, threw a twenty at the table and left, Annabeth's 'you might as well stay where you are, we can do pretty well on our own' showing her to the door. She took that as a sort of resignation. Good. She needed a job that would bring her back to her senses and let her take care of herself again.
She had forgotten the cons of working by herself. It was painful to admit it, but she was out of shape. She had been too sloppy today and the only reason she had managed to get out of the damned garage without serious injury was pure luck.
''Man, I need to get back in the game and fast.'' She groaned out loud, massaging her sore shoulder with one hand while digging in her pockets for her key with the other. ''Fucking finally.''
She sure was out of it if she was able to notice that something was wrong only when she put the key into its hole and twisted. The door was unlocked, something she would never let happen.
Adrenalin kicked in and she held her breath, trying to be as quiet as humanly possible while opening the door. The handle was sticky with some dark substance that she couldn't identify on the dim light from the hallway. However, the smell of iron was umistakable and almost made her gag, memories of nights, spent in nurturing cuts and bruises in her small bedroom while her dad was passed out drunk on the couch resurfacing and smearing her reality. She shook her head, trying to banish these thoughts.
She stepped carefully in, closing the door swiftly and stealthily, shutting of her only source of light. The whole apartment was drowned in darkness. A minute ticked, spent in holding her breath and waiting for a movement from somewhere but nothing happened. She was almost ready to believe that she had really forgotten to lock the door in her hurry, going back to a few hours ago and wondering had she actually turned around and twisted the little key in the lock before leaving or was just thinking of doing it when she slipped on something on the floor on her way to the kitchen. When she managed to steady herself, Piper reached for the lamp switch and illuminated the adjoined space of the kitchen and living room in brightness. She almost wished she hadn't when she caught sight of the scene in front of her.
Jason's head turned sluggishly towards her, his eyes barely opened, as he fought to stay conscious.
''I…somewhere…safe…you…please Mac…'' his breath was coming out in uneven shallow gasps and for a second Piper could only stare at his body, the bloodstained towel pressed in his abdomen and oh gods, there was so many blood!
She snapped out of her stupor and rushed to his side. Gods, what was she supposed to do? He needed a doctor but could she take him to a hospital? Why had he came here first and not straight there?
''Shh, it's okay. You're safe. Just don't leave me, stay awake, please.'' She wasn't very aware of what words were falling from her mouth but it seemed to work, he was trying to stay awake and concentrate judging by the deep crease of his forehead. She pealed his hands away from the wound and felt bile rising up in her throat at the sight of the open wound.
Someone had stabbed a knife a little too deep for her liking.
''Gods Jason, what the hell happened?''
Piper was still examining the wound, hands shaking as the gears in her head were turning in rapid pace, trying to come up with a solution. She didn't notice the small smile he sent her before pain twisted his face again. He was on the verge of conscience.
''He…came out … of nowhere. You have to…be careful…don't…don't…'' his voice faded as his vision became black.
His head lolled to the side and Piper panicked, immediately checking for a pulse. It wasn't much of a comfort when she felt it since it was so faint but at least his heart was still beating. She had to do something and NOW.
Her hands immediately began rummaging through his pockets in search for his work phone. When she finally spotted the device she didn't hesitate to pull it out and search for the right number.
Will Solace picked up after the first ring.
Three days later, they were still nowhere near figuring out who was Jason's attacker. All they managed to get was that Jason was in a bar when it happened, a shitty little place in a back street somewhere. They couldn't find it therefore no witnesses, no security camera footage, nada. They could do nothing until Jason was in condition to explain which would take at least another day or two. He had been so heavily drugged with pain medications lately that he was barely able to stay awake for two hours a day but Will had said that it was necessary, considering that he was in pain, he had lost a lot of blood and he needed rest that he wouldn't take if he was able to make decisions for himself. That's why he was currently snoring lightly in Piper's bed while she and the Argonauts were in the living room to try and think of a plan.
''Gods, this is getting us nowhere.'' Annabeth finally groaned after an hour of going in circles over what they knew and what they needed to know in order to act. ''We might as well call it a day at this point, we won't make any progress until we know at least where he was that night.''
''I'll try hacking the street cameras again.'' Leo finally sighed, standing up from his spot on the couch and heading for the front door. ''He couldn't have been that far away from here. He would have bled out on the street before reaching Mac's.''
''Good idea. I'll come and help you.'' Annabeth agreed before stretching her arms above her head and getting up herself. ''Get some sleep guys, we're in no use to anyone if we're one tired.''
A chorus of yeah's and sure's filled the space and everyone stood up to leave.
''I'll go to change his bandage before returning to the hospital.'' Will announced, leaving for Piper's bedroom.
The rest bid their goodbye with Piper and left. The last one to exit was Percy, Jason's best friend from what Piper had seen. He trailed a little behind the others, pausing before closing the door behind him to turn to Piper with a kind of a sad smile on his face.
''I'm counting on you to keep this airhead in check. He can be quite reckless at times.''
She couldn't help but smile at the black haired guy. ''This is coming from you?''
Percy shrugged innocently before winking at her, causing her to chuckle. ''But seriously, he will listen. You may not know it but he'll do almost anything for you. I don't know exactly what happened between you two but he's been uncharacteristically closed off lately. Don't mess him up more than he already is.''
''Should I take that as a warning? You know, the you-better-not-hurt-my-brother-or-I-will-hunt-you-down speach?'' she asked only half joking.
Percy shrugged again, expression much less playful this time. ''Might as well. I've known Jason since we were in diapers. He's family.''
Piper paused at the sound of the name.
''This is his real name then?'' at Percy's confused nod Piper felt her hart racing. She tried to cover her growing uneasiness with a playful smile. ''Not the smartest nickname.''
''Ah, but it's so painfully obvious that no one would believe it.'' He pointed out before laughing good-naturedly. ''Take care Mac.''
And with that, she was left alone in the quiet of her apartment again. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she had missed lunch. Might as well dig through the fridge for something edible, she decided and turned around.
She was on her way to the kitchen when the front door opened with a loud bang. The shouts that followed made Piper's blood froze.
No, it couldn't be.
''Come out here and face me you little ungrateful brat! Piper!''
''Dad.'' She breathed out in disbelief, panic starting to grip at her insides.
Tristan Mclean wasn't a muscular guy but he was taller than her, shoulders wide and Piper had always been intimidated by him, even when he wasn't violent with her. Seeing him after almost five years was like a slap on the face with a wet cloth early in the morning.
She liked to think that she was tougher than her eighteen-year-old self that snuck out of her home in the night of her birthday while her dad was away, probably getting drunk again and preparing to come home and beat the crap out of now, watching him stumble towards her with the smell of alcohol reeking from him, Piper felt like nothing more but a child again: small, pathetic and utterly useless and defenseless against him.
''There you are.'' He grunted as soon as he spotted her, his bloodshot eyes, once warm and comforting, were now dark and cold, staring her down. ''You thought you could get away from me, didn't you? You thought that you could leave me alone and find the son of a bitch whose name you're carrying?'' he chuckled darkly, advancing on her as she stumbled back to get away. ''You can't. Just as your worthless mother never could. Your Jason won't be able to save you just like that scumbag of hers didn't save your mother.''
''Y-you killed her?'' Piper's voice was hoarse but she couldn't care less as she circled the dining table, something close to relief filling her lungs with fresh air when the wooden object took place between them.
''She didn't leave me a choice. She was going to leave with her Mark and leave you behind. She used me, telling me that soulmarks didn't matter to her and for what? To leave me alone to look after your ungrateful ass.'' He sneered at her, trying to circle the table and almost knocking down a chair in his path. ''You're just like her so your end will be just as painful.''
He lunged sideways and Piper dashed the other way, trying to escape and reach a weapon, a phone…something that could put an end to this. But Tristan seemed to be smarter than that, expecting her move. He caught her from behind, spun her harshly against himself and closed his hands against her throat. Black spots appeared in her vision while she struggled to escape. Was this it? Was everything about to end? It's not like someone is going to miss me, Piper thought with resignation.
She was ready to stop fighting when a sharp click of a gun being readied sounded from somewhere behind her.
''Let her go or I swear, I'll splatter your brain on the walls.'' A hoarse but familiar voice sounded, bringing Piper out of her dark thoughts.
''You? You're supposed to be dead!'' Tristan shouted in anger, his dark eyes fixed at a point behind her.
''You're a lousy assassin.'' Jason snorted but Piper could practically hear the pain in his voice. ''Now let Piper go.''
''You won't shoot me boy, we both know that.'' The older man was grinning victoriously. ''You won't risk hurting her.''
''You underestimate just how good a shooter I am.''
''And you underestimate just how desperate I am.'' Tristan sneered. ''I have nothing left, nothing to lose. I'm not afraid of dying as long as I take this one with me.'' At that, his hands tightened around Piper's throat and she shut her eyes in futile attempt to hide herself from the pain. There was no use.
She was slipping away, body going numb. Jason's scream broke the silence that had settled over her for just a second. Something exploded. Then followed only darkness.
Piper was almost sure that she wasn't dreaming. Her dreams were usually about the demons from her past, full of running, hiding and fear. She was so used to the nightmares that one would think they wouldn't scare her as much. The truth was that she still woke up breathing hard, expecting her father to stumble in her room and lash out again. It seems that some things never change.
But the scene in front of her now was far from terrifying. She found it strangely calming even, the empty field, the tall grass gently swaying to the breeze and the sky clear…so amazingly blue. She could lie there all day, every day, away from the struggles that her life brought. She laughed at the cheesiness of the situation. If this was afterlife, it wasn't so bad.
''C'mon Mac, wake up. Jason's so worried and restless that I had to put him under again. Someone has to protect me from his wrath when he wakes up.'' A familiar voice sounded in her head.
She scrunched her eyebrows at the name. Jason?
Her neck itched and on instinct, her hand rose to scratch it. The letters there startled her, waking up another part of her brain. A strange sense of warmth filled her, mixed with sadness. She wanted to see him if only one more time. Could she really wake up? Was she really asleep and not dead?
One way to find out, she thought and closed her eyes.
When they opened again, it was dark. She was lying on the couch in her living room, a blanked draped over her. The window was open and she could hear the traffic outside. No wonder they called New York the city that never sleeps. She shuffled a little, trying to get up and lean on her elbows in order to reach the reading lamp on the small coffee table, sitting next to the couch. The light wasn't very bright but her eyes still needed a few seconds to adjust. Her throat was sore and scratchy and she looked around for water but there was none. The room was clean and empty of human presence except her.
''Hello?'' she tried calling out but the word was immediately drowned by a vicious cough.
She threw the blanked off, shuffling into a sitting position. She tried to stop and take a deep breath but it was so hard. It was as if her throat was closing, dry and rough like sandpaper. She couldn't have heard the steps that were nearing her, that's why when a hand appeared at her back, stroking gently, she almost jumped out of her skin. Her eyes locked with familiar blue.
''It's okay, you're going to be fine.'' Jason soothed in a hushed voce while holding up a full glass. ''Here, drink this.''
She gulped down the water as if she'd been wandering through a desert for the last year.
''Thanks.'' She croaked out, voice still rough but at least it didn't hurt so much when she talked.
His smile was tender, caring. She was painfully aware of his palm still stroking her upper back in misshaped circles. It was so fucking calming that she didn't realize when she had let her head fall on his shoulder, pressing closer to him. He didn't seem to mind.
''Better?'' he asked then, the hand on her back going to rest on her shoulder in a hug. She could only nod. A second later she remembered that he had been wounded and flushed in embarrassment. How could she have forgotten?
''How are you feeling?'' she asked, pulling a little away (he didn't let her go, only slid his palm to rest it at the back of her neck). Her thoughts flew out of her mind at the electrifying feeling that coursed through her.
''I've been worse.'' His smile was small, tired one as if he really has been through a lot and this was just another day in his life. Piper didn't want to think about that but the events from earlier snuck up on her then. He had been holding a person at a gunpoint with barely a shake to his voice. He had been sure and confident in his actions and she was starting to wonder exactly how often he had been in this position?
You underestimate just how good a shooter I am.
Let Piper go.
Her whole body froze when her mind finally wrapped around his previous words. He had said her name. Her real name, the name that no one used since she ran away from home. Did that mean…but no, surely he would have told her if that was the case.
''Hey, what's wrong?'' Jason sounded concerned and when Piper finally looked up at him again (when did her gaze drop to her lap?) and their eyes met, she got lost in the blue of his eyes. The blue of a clear summer sky…
She backed away from him slightly at the same time as he pulled his hands away from her. Her disbelief was met with a reassuring smile, one that was silently begging her to not freak out. His hand then gripped hers and he guided it towards his right forearm. Her fingers brushed lightly over the bumpy skin and Piper snapped her eyes down to their hands. To his arm. To the sloppily-written Piper right under his elbow.
''I searched you up…after I read my name on your neck.'' He started speaking but she couldn't look away from the black letters, forming her name. ''It was wishful thinking at that time but I had to try. I went through so much Pipers that it was starting to get pathetic when I finally came across a small article about a woman who had reported to the police not seeing her neighbour's daughter for a while. She'd reported to the police that the man had drinking problems and was violent, that his wife had left and her child long ago…they had some old school photo with the name Piper Mclean under it. I have to admit that pigtails look cute on you.''
Piper laughed at that, short and almost on the verge of hysteria. She couldn't quite wrap her head around this yet. She'd never wanted to see her name on someone's skin. At least that's what she used to tell herself, that she didn't care. But now, with this feeling bubbling inside her…she was wondering how she ever thought that finding her soulmate would be bad.
He was still talking when she finally snapped out of her stupor and just kissed him. He was quick to respond, hands circling her waist and pulling her body towards his. The desperation slowly ebbed away from them both until all that was left was desire and pleasure and something so deep that it made them both content.
''I love you Pipes.'' He whispered against her cheek between two chaste kisses.
She felt so light and sickeningly giddy that the only reason she didn't jump up and start a small victory dance (seriously, she was an adult) was his grip on her waist, grounding her to her place, to this moment right here and now.
''I love you too Jason.'' She didn't hesitate to answer him, watching with delight as a blinding smile spread on his face, lighting it up like a Christmas tree.
It was in that moment, when they were both bruised but whole, that she thought that maybe it wasn't about the stupid tattoos. Maybe they were just to erase the doubts, to help them mend each other, to show people though not perfect, they could make it work. Maybe the real magic was inside them.
Piper was sure that in another world where soulmarks were just fiction, a fragment of someone's imagination, she would still want no one but him.
The End
AN: Extremely cheesy at times and a crappy ending but it's been a while. I'm kind of out of practice. Med school tends to kill my inspiration and eats up time like nothing else.
Thanks to all of you who stuck around even after all this time (yes, you guys that read this and the ones that still continue to reread my other stories and comment on wanting more). You are my motivation and part of my inspiration so this is for you.
Also, this is for my soulsister IniTiniNini, who nags me to write on regular basis. I hope you enjoy the drama and romance in this sis.
Love you guys and hope you enjoyed this story. Have a wonderful day/night!