Heeeeellllo, my friends! Wonderful to see you all and prove I'm not dead :)

Anyway! Hi, how are ya? Doing well? I hope so lol I've been really into writing sappy updates and everything at the moment due to my wonderful girlfriend Bryar and them letting me be as such, but does mean a lot of my works that were left off on angsty little scene's and story arcs might get abandoned for a little bit. So sorry for anyone that wanted more of my angsty stuff with my actual stories lol Been too much on a happy high to think otherwise lol

Well, with all that aside, let's continue onto the chapter!

"Are you nervous?" I glanced over to Claire as I tried my best to give her a reassuring smile.

"Me? Nervous? I'm not nervous. Not nervous is my middle name. Just call me James Not Nervous Lake Junior. Yep, that's me!" I laughed a little at the end of that as I ended up giving her a defeated look. "... I'm nervous." Claire gave me an amused look as took my hand in hers as we continued walking down the main street of Arcadia together.

"Wow. Could have made a drinking game with that. Each time you said nervously, someone takes a shot. You would have a lightweight under the table with that one." The punk gave a beautiful laugh as it nearly caused me to smile in response. She was dressed in her normal attire with was clashing just a little with my slightly more dressed-up appearance.

"I'm being serious, Claire. I'm nervous as all hell to meet these two." I swallowed hard as I dusted off my chest with my free hand as if it would get the slight wrinkles in my button-down. The light blue fabric not being friendly in the matter as it still had a few wrinkles on my chest. "Do I look alright? Am I obviously trying too hard or just trying enough?"

"You were trying too hard when I saw you without your normal jumper." I sighed as Claire giggled once more. "Hey," She squeezed my hand gently as she continued. "You're going to be fine. Douxie already said you were a good guy from his interactions with you at the coffee shop. Zoe has a liking for you from the start when I first talked to her about you." Claire gave me a genuine bright smile as rubbed her thumb to the back of my hand. "You're going to be fine, Jim."

"I just know they're really important to you." I gave Claire a soft smile as we came to a stop in front of the shop that Douxie worked at. Both of us turning our attention completely toward one another as we stood on the corner. "I wanna make sure they trust me and all, you know? That I make a good impression."

"With that kind of talk, you sound like you're meeting my parents." Claire giggled as I gave her a look that was only equivalent to that of a deer in headlights.

"Fuck." I let the single word out of my mouth as Claire just gave me another smile. "That's another thing, huh?"

"Well, I'll let you know now that I already don't give a fuck on what my parents think of you." Suddenly, Claire moved forward and placed a small kiss on my cheek. "Never thought they would like my soulmate." I blushed a little as Claire pulled back once more.

"Still makes me a little bit of a mess when you say that." I gave her a lopsided smile as she just giggled in reply.

"Makes my knees a little weak when I say it myself." My smile widened as I felt the blush continue to grow on my cheeks.

"I kinda doubt either of that will leave us. Knowing how we are."

"I honestly don't want it to." Claire smiled wide as she gave my hand she was still holding a squeeze. "Now, let's have a good introduction here, okay? Everything will be just fine."

"Yeah." I smiled as Claire gave me a reassuring one in reply. "Everything will be just fine."

"Do you think they know we can see them?" I chuckled a little as Zoe and I leaned over together to check out the window of the old cafe.

"I have no clue there, love, but hey to each their own." I shrugged a little as I leaned back in my chair. Zoe leaning back with me since she was using my shoulder as support. "It's cute though. I remember two young trouble-making bastards being the same way." I gave the pink-haired punk a sloppy smile as she just gave a soft laugh in reply.

"I quite remember a young Douxie tripping over his tongue as he tried to say hello. Took his cat ending up in my yard when we were little for you to talk to me without stuttering."

"And I still thank little Archie still to this day." I smiled wide as Zoe just gave me another beautiful laugh.

"How is the little furball, by the way? Still being his normal self?"

"Of course! The old bugger isn't going on me any time soon in his health."

"Is he still coughing up on grandpa Merlin's bedsheets?" I let out a joyful chuckle as memories flashed within my head. Memories of a red-faced Merlin as a young little kitten version of Archie let out a hairball on my father's favorite pillow.

"Yeah~ the old man still is upset about that." I rubbed at the back of my neck a little as I thought about my good old father.

I wasn't technically his kid. A friend of my adoptive sister Morgana was pregnant with me when she was young. Once I was born, she died and I guess my birth father wanted nothing to do with me so Morgana begged for Merlin to take me in. Saying that her friend wanted her son looked after and knew no one better than the Wyllt family to take care of him.

Though I was adopted at a young age, Morgana was sure to let me keep my mother's maiden name, Casperan. For reasons that Morgana put simply as 'That way I forever have a piece of my birth mother with me'. Though I loved my family and who they were since I was young, everything wasn't always sunshine and rainbows for the lot of us.

Morgana was like a mother figure to me and was my sister in every way but blood. But there were parts of her that were a lot darker than she let known and her relationship with our older brother Arthur let that be clear. Why were they so bitter to one another? I may never know. Merlin still refuses to talk about it all even after Arthur's death and Morgana's self-removal from the family and Arcadia as a whole. All I know is that something went on with the two of them before my existence was even thought of and the bitter blood between them only seem to breed and fester since.

"How is the old man?" I snapped back into reality as Zoe gave my hand a soft squeeze. As if she knew I was off in my thoughts and I needed to be pulled down from the clouds. "Still kicking ass and taking names?"

"Being Merlin as Merlin does." I smiled as I rubbed the back of Zoe's hand with my thumb.

"Still doesn't like me?" Zoe leaned back this time as her hand slipped out of mine. Her body now moving and adjusting so she could lean back in her chair and cross her right leg over the other. "Sack of living dust never cared for me since my family crossed paths with yours."

"It's Merlin." I raised an eyebrow at her as I continued. "You know him right? He hates everyone."

"This is true." I laughed a little as Zoe propped up her elbows onto the back of her chair. "Though I still think he hates me for helping you dye your hair the first time."

"I don't know why he got so upset for that." I shook my head a little as a soft chuckle rattled my chest. "Wasn't like Morgana wasn't going to help me if you didn't."

"Either way, you and your indigo locks were bound to occur." Zoe smiled as she reached over with her left hand to toy with the ends of my hair. "Reminds me. We need to touch up your tips. They're starting to look just a little green."

"I think Claire said she wanted to redye her strip in her hair too."

"Then we can make it a little party!" Zoe got a mischievous look on her face as the bell ringing from out front of the store. "Do you think Jim will like to join us? I think white or silver will do him well."

"How about we not frighten the poor boy for now?"

"And where's the fun in that, love?"

"Hi, guys!" We snapped our attention's toward Claire's voice as it seems the two of them reached our small little table in the corner of the cafe. "Jim, these are Douxie and Zoe. Douxie and Zoe," I watched as Claire let go of her boyfriend's hand to gesture at the boy beside her. "This is my soulmate Jim Lake Jr." The boy gave a meek little wave as it was obvious he was trembling in his boots.

"Hi. Nice to meet the both of you."

"Aw~!" I glanced over to Zoe who gave the slightly younger boy a wide smile. "He's nervous! You're okay, mate. I don't bite." I chuckled a little as I shot a smirk in the smaller punk's direction.

"If you don't fuck with her food at the very least."

"Hey! I bite you once cause you stole my last oreo when I was fifteen and it's as if the world fucking ended."

"Love, it was an oreo."

"It was my comfort food."

"You got off a phone call."

"It was a rough day!" The both of us stopped suddenly as two light laughs come from before us.

"A wonderful introduction there, you two." Claire smiled wide as Jim still chuckled a bit beside her. "I bet it loosened up everyone though." I grinned at the younger girl as I slapped my hands onto my thighs.

"Well since everyone is loosened up, how about some coffee?"

"Now that wasn't too bad, right?" I gave Jim a mischievous smile as we walked hand in hand together toward my street.

"Well, Zoe wants to give me 'anime hair', as she stated." I watched as Jim gave me a confused look as he seemed to not get it completely. "I personally think my hair is a little too thick for that, but from what I know of most animes, I can only tell she either wants to style the hell out of it with all the mousse and gel she can find or dye it a weird color."

"I'll tell you right now that it's hair dye related." Jim gave me a wide-eyed look as he seemed to connect all the pieces finally.

"I'm not getting my hair dyed green, I'm telling you that right now."

"I doubt she would dye it green." I laughed wholeheartedly as I squeezed his hand a little.

"You don't know that!"

"She dyed my hair." Jim gave me a soft look for a moment as his shock went down.

"But dyed hair looks good on you. I doubt anything like that would work with me."

"Aw, you can't say that until you try, love." I smiled wide as I let the pet name fall from my lips. It was wonderful watching the light blush cake his cheeks as his gears cranked a little.

"She can try one wash dye with me, darling, but nothing more than that." My wides widened a little as the boy gave me a soft smile in reply. A small blush taking over my cheeks as I found myself a little dumbfounded.

Okay. Him calling me a pet name is wonderful and darling sounds great in his voice.

"Okay, note to self. Pet names kill me a little there." Jim laughed a little as his smile grew to a sloppy grin.

"Hey, will say my brain halted for a moment there when you called me love." I giggled a little as a relaxed smile took over my face.

"So hits both of us, huh?"

"Guess so, darling."

"Oh shush there, love." We laughed a little together as I came to a stop in front of my house. "This is my stop."

"Guess so." There was a little bit of silence between us as we both shared an awkward moment. The two of us being bashful little things as we both looked down to the sidewalk together. "So."

"So." I smiled softly as I looked up toward the taller boy. His grin being a sweet little sight as his blue eyes shined under the recently shining street lamps that were just turning on as the sunset in the distance.

"Goodnight, Jim." I felt my smile widen as Jim's voice softened a little.

"Goodnight, Claire." I squeezed his hand a little as I felt the urge to push forward and place a kiss on his cheek as Zoe's voice entered my head.

"You really like him, don't you?"

I weighed my option in my head as Jim looked down to our one set of joint hands.

"Then take a leap. He's your soulmate. It's as if it'll change anything for the two of you?"

Fuck it.

I pushed forward and placed a really quick peck to Jim's left cheek before pulling back as soon as I could to see his reaction. His eyes were wide for a second as he looked as if he was a deer in headlights. He looked as if his mind as left him for a second as he seemed to let himself catch up with what I had just done.

Did I go too far? I hope not. It's just a small thing though.

Suddenly a flushed look took over Jim's face as he gave me a nearly blinding smile. The look of it melting my heart a bit as a fluttering filled my stomach.

Good gods, that's a beautiful sight.

"So~." I drew out the word a little as I slipped my hand out of Jim's with a small giggle. "See you tomorrow?"

"Y-Yeah. Totally. Tomorrow. School. Seeing each other. Totally." I couldn't help but giggle just a little bit more at the boy's reaction as I turned toward my house."

"Goodnight, Jim."

"Goodnight, Claire." We gave each other a small wave as I went up toward my house and entered it with ease. Once I had the door closed behind me, I leaned against it with a soft sigh as I felt my chest feel as if butterflies were swarming within my heart.

Nothing better than seeing your soulmate's reaction to kissing them on the cheek.

I smiled wide as I pushed myself away from the door as a small giggle released itself out of me.

Why did papá and mamá were so defensive against soulmates for? This is one of the most wonderful things in the world. I could never give up this feeling for the world. This fuzzy feeling radiating in my stomach is one of the most beautiful things I have ever felt.

"Who was that, hija?" I jumped instantly as I turned around and looked over to see my mom standing with her arms crossed over her chest as a disdained look was on her face.

Fuck.

Seems like I'll get a lesson on why they are.

Okay, so I wrote a lot of this at two in the morning the night before and do I think it's any good? No :) Do I still want to post this update and might just go back and re-write it or something later? Maybe lol Either way, here's an update for you, mates! Much love and stay safe!