Drabble 94: Colorblind
A/N: Hey guys! So my friends told me about soulmate AUs the other day, and I couldn't get the idea out of my head. They're so cool! So I wrote a Fitz-Simmons soulmate story, with the premise that you can't see color until you meet your other half. Hope you like it!
Leo always wondered what color was like.
His mum tried to tell him all about it: the vibrancy of a red apple, the glow of the afternoon sunlight filtering through clouds, the impenetrable blue of the oceans. There was nothing wrong with his eyes, the doctors said. He should be able to see colors just fine. But for some reason, he'd never seen anything but black, white, or shades of gray. His mum still had to organize outfits for him sometimes, to make sure he didn't wear apparently green shorts and yellow socks (his complaint was that she still bought him those bright colors. What was the point when he couldn't tell the difference?).
When he wore a ridiculous color combination to classes on yet another day, and was made fun of by the typical bullies, he decided to go shopping. He asked his mum to drop him off at the mall and walked determinedly to the nearest clothing store inside it, intent on buying normal clothes.
He found a rack of jeans and picked up three pairs. He stared at them with every effort, holding them at different angles in the hopes of maybe seeing a flash of color. Nothing worked, so he just tucked them under his arm and went to the shirts section. He grabbed solid tee shirts, not actually caring what color they were. If they were solid and his jeans were actually blue or black, like he'd been told most jeans were, he would match well enough. The only other thing he wanted was something a bit dressier than a tee shirt.
He found plaid button-down shirts a little ways away and grabbed from a few different spots on the rack, thinking they looked just different enough to maybe be different colors. Then he paid for the clothes and went to sit outside the food court, aware that he'd asked to be picked up after an hour. And it had only been fifteen minutes.
He saw the spray of water from the fountain in the center, the glint of coins resting in the basin. He looked at all the people around him, trying to see a difference between them. He could tell a few things, but he wanted to see the colors everyone raved about. The subtleties in different skin tones, the flush on people's cheeks, all the different shades of blue or green or brown that apparently eyes could be. He'd asked his mum before what his eyes looked like, and she'd told him blue.
He wished he knew what that meant.
Bunches of people walked by, alone or in groups, laughing or looking ready for business, and Leo stopped looking so hard. It was discouraging, striving to see color when he obviously couldn't. Yet he tried, every morning when he woke up and every time he went out. He had to accept the fact that his world would always be black and white.
He was lost in thought a short time later when something flickered in his vision. It took a second to register that he had no idea what it was, and then he leaned forward quickly, his eyes finding the source of the flicker.
It was a girl.
He blinked and shook his head, thinking he must be going crazy. But there was definitely something different about her.
Compared to the people around her, she popped. He could see the different shades in her jacket and hair. He could see color.
He jumped up and followed the direction she was walking in, desperate to know why he could suddenly understand what his mum had always told him about. She stopped by the fountain, watching its spray, and he stopped next to her. She glanced up and smiled at him, nervous but polite.
And the world exploded. It seemed that way to Leo, at least.
Suddenly she wasn't the only thing he could see in color. Everything gained different shades and hues of light, spreading from this girl. He saw the water and remembered it was the color blue, and realized the girl's jacket was a darker shade of blue too.
"Having a good day?" the girl asked with a trace of amusement. "You seem really happy."
Leo almost started laughing as he smiled at her. "I'm brilliant. You're brilliant."
Her eyes widened in surprise, and he saw her cheeks change color as she blushed. So that was what it looked like. "Am I missing something?" she asked.
"No," he said, trying to control his joy. He had been missing something, but not anymore. "I'm Leo."
"Jemma." She said, holding out her hand. "Nice to meet you."
He looked at the fountain, seeing the shimmer of the sunlight against the water and knowing he was still smiling like an idiot.
"Would you like to make a wish?"
He looked up to see Jemma holding a coin out to him and nodded, taking it. It was a shiny copper penny. She held up her own penny and closed her eyes, thinking of her wish no doubt. Fitz took that time to look at her again, struck by how absolutely beautiful she was. He didn't have a wish at the moment.
That was when his phone started vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw a text from his mum. She was outside.
"Gotta go." Leo said apologetically.
"Well have a nice day." She said, smiling kindly.
"Yeah, you too." He watched her start to walk away and fingered the penny in his hands. Maybe he did have a wish.
Here's to seeing you again, he thought as he tossed his penny in next to hers, casting one more glance at her before walking away.
He knew it wasn't rational, and it didn't make much sense, but he was positive she was the reason he could see colors now. She was the key.
The beautiful, brown-eyed key.