Disclaimer: I took the liberty of quoting a little from a pretty famous part of Dawson's Creek. Obviously, I don't own it or the series.
Question
Nothing felt better than a day off. Despite the omnipresent masses of work back at the castle, Flynn had found a way to finish a maximum reports so he could take a small break and spend one of the last few warm days of fall at the Lower Quarter. As the Commandant he couldn't allow himself to leave the capital without a good official reason, and Zaphias' poorest quarter had always been the place he felt the most comfortable at. He felt safe and at home; everyone knew him and he knew everyone. And, of course, there was Yuri. His best friend lived there when he wasn't at the Brave Vesperia HQ in Dahngrest, and Flynn craved to see him as much as possible - which wasn't really often.
They were both currently sitting on the edge of the Lower Quarter's fountain, chatting lively about their works and travels. Flynn enjoyed listening to Yuri's stories from his jobs around Terca Lumereis as he didn't have much time to have trips here and there, exept when he was on duty or on a mission, but then he never focused on anything else than his work. Yuri's guild on the other hand was accepting all kinds of requests and therefore often was sent to various interesting places.
Hanks sat on the nearest bench, sorting out some of his old books lying next to him in a dusty pile. Children were playing around a few streets away while citizens kept coming and going from the market; it really was a peaceful afternoon.
"-and then Karol came back all soaking wet and blushing bright while carrying a passed out Raven. Seriously you should have seen the old man's face when he saw Judy coming back, it was priceless." Yuri laughed, recalling one of their visits at the Jumanju hotsprings. He'd been sure the old pervert had peeked at the ladies' bath, but had not expected him to have dragged the kid along. It'd certainly been a funny sight.
Flynn smiled fondly, glad his friend had found other people he could have a fun time with. They'd both had only each other for years and he'd feared Yuri wouldn't fare all that well after their parting at Ceazontania's gates, given his brash character. He was grateful he'd found new friends that loved him for who he was and on whom he could rely on. The blond just wished they'd spend more time together as he kept being busier with his guild lately.
Flynn was about to ask him how Karol was doing when a loud voice suddenly called behind them.
"Hanks! Hanks!" Both men turned around and spotted Ted running towards them, or more the old gramps.
"Heh, not so fast. What's the matter?" he inquired, putting his books aside.
"Mary, she -" the boy panted "- she told me she's found a 'soulmate'. What's that?"
The elderly man raised an eyebrow. "Didn't she tell you?"
"Uh yeah, sort of, but I didn't get it at all."
Hanks chuckled at Ted's puzzled face. "I see. Well, where do I begin..."
A few feet away, Flynn and Yuri looked at each other, an amused smile on their lips. Their curiosity was piqued and they discreetingly lent an ear to the old man's answer.
"Alright, so...I guess it's like a best friend, but more. It's the one person in the world that knows you better than anyone else."
Yuri frowned. That was...one way to look at it. He'd never really thought about it since he'd never had any reason to. Nonetheless, Hanks had a point; having a special person required fully opening up to them and knowing them well enough to make the difference between lie and truth.
"It's someone who makes you a better person, well, actually they don't make you a better person - you do that yourself because they inspire you. You will still argue and fight, but you will also complete and instinctively understand each other." Hanks continued.
Flynn looked down, deep in thoughts. That was very true. Completing and understanding each other were part of building up a real, solid relationship. That person's sort of your metaphorical rock on which you can count to lift you up whenever you fall. Strangely enough, it reminded him of Yuri. He didn't really know why he was thinking of that now, but this was similar to what his best friend was to him. Yuri's tireless determination to keep on fighting, his cheery attitude, his gentle heart, his courage and his selflessness – even though far too exessive at times – it all truly inspired him and pushed him forward each time he felt like falling behind. Their constant arguing and shouting would never make that fade away.
Hanks' rough voice and the sound of Ted pushing the books aside to sit next to him pulled Flynn out of his thoughts. "Basically, a soulmate is someone you carry with you forever. It's the one person who knew you, accepted you, and believed in you before anyone else did or when no one else would."
Yuri mulled over these words, somehow understanding their meaning without really knowing why. He did have something like that; having known Flynn for a very long time, he didn't even imagine him not being part of his life in the future. He'd always been, well - there, one way or another, and to Yuri he always would be.
He remembered their talk at Mantaic after he had let Cumore die. He hadn't felt any regret making that bastard pay for his misdeeds, but that didn't mean he felt good about it either. He had felt filthier than ever, acting in the shadows and sullying his hands that would never let him forget he was a criminal, a murderer. He'd gone against the very principle of Flynn's moral, his ideal of justice, and yet the blond had continued believing in him. He could've struck him down, and maybe he would have if it wasn't for Sodia interrupting them, but fact was he hadn't and never did. Yuri knew he should have done it for this was his rightful punishment, but deep down he'd always been glad his best friend had still held faith in him when he himself had not. Flynn had stood by him, like he'd always had.
Hanks shifted on the bench to place a hand on Ted's right shoulder. "And no matter what happens... you will always love them."
The boy's features, which had been constricted in deep concentration, lit up and a broad smile illuminated his young face.
"Oh, I see! So it's like Yuri and Flynn, right?"
For a moment no one said anything. Hanks blinked a few times and glanced at his boys who had gone silent a good while ago. They seemed to have stopped dead in their tracks, starring at each other wide eyed and a healthy red brightening their cheeks. Ted didn't seem to have noticed and kept staring at him expectantly, still smiling as if he had found the answer to a particularly knotty question.
Hanks cleared his throat and replied with a quiet chuckle, "Well, who knows...maybe. But I think it's up to them to decide of that."
Apparently this was satisfying enough of an answer, for Ted thanked him and sprinted away back to his friends. The old man watched him disappear around the next corner and sighed. Youth nowadays sure was full of energy.
He realized there still wasn't any chatting coming from the fountain, so he turned to have a better look and was met by the sight of Flynn and Yuri still sitting on the mainspring, just as red as before or if possible even more, now all but looking at each other. Both seemed deeply occupied, looking flustered and uncomfortable. The old man leaned back in his bench, amused. It had to happen sooner or later. What was that old saying? 'Out of the mouths of children comes the truth'. He knew how close those two had always been and, to be honest, was more than curious about how they were going to deal with this new developement.
Smiling, Hanks shook his head and went back to sorting out his books, but not without shooting a glance or two at the boys every now and then. As grown up as they always claimed to be, they still remained two clueless kids.
