shit, idk what this is. i'm tired.

603 words, by google docs

Albus taps his foot anxiously as he waits for the tattooist to come out of the back room. He's not sure if he should be doing this in the first place, but he already paid. There's no backing out now.

He must've been waiting for at least half an hour before the tattooist—Sean—comes out with his previous customer. Albus definitely blushes when he sees who it is; Scorpius Malfoy, a librarian. Albus spends a lot of time in the library, enough to get all off the information he needs.

He takes a deep breath as he's called into the back.

Time to set his plan into motion.

…

An hour later, Albus has effectively covered up the mark on his right arm.

He knows that he probably shouldn't have done it, but if it lets him pay the rent another few months, he'd do it. The mark supposedly should point him to his soulmate, but Albus hasn't found his yet. It didn't matter if he covers it up anyway; he has his mark burned onto the back of his eyelids—a small scattering of stars. If he encounters someone with a matching tattoo, he'll know it's them.

Besides, he has to have the same mark as his target, Lysander—Lily had made her instructions completely clear when she told him what to do, how to commit this act. To kill someone.

He has a job to do.

…

Incoming text: have you found him yet?

Albus rolls his eyes at his phone. If Lily didn't text him all the time, maybe he'd be able to look for him better. Albus ignores the text and goes back to scanning the customers at Starbucks—he knows what he's looking for; tall, dirty blonde hair, grey eyes.

There.

Albus spots his target in line to get coffee, and is about to go to him when someone bumps into him.

"Sorry," he mutters, looking up to find Scorpius standing there, staring at his arm.

"Nice soulmate mark," he notes, instead of any other greeting. Albus scans Scorpius' body until he sees it on Scorpius' neck—a birthmark that matches Albus' fake one. This was Lysander's real soulmate?

"It's not real," Scorpius says, noticing where Albus is looking.

"Why would you get a fake soulmate mark?" he asks, ignoring the fact that he got a fake soulmate mark.

"Long story."

"I'll tell you my reason if you tell me yours," Albus offers, raising an eyebrow at Scorpius.

"Yours isn't real?" he asks, furrowing his brows.

"Nope."

Scorpius licks his lips and looks around, perhaps to see if anyone was listening. He then takes Albus by the arm and pulls him into a corner.

"It may sound crazy," Scorpius starts, "but I need to kill someone with this soulmate mark."

Albus nearly laughs. Nearly. "I actually believe that," he says. "I need to kill him, too." Scorpius gives him a look of disbelief. "Lysander?" Albus asks. Scorpius nods, now looking amazed. "Let's do this together. It'd be easier," he suggests.

Scorpius considers this, then smiles.

"Okay."

…

They wash off the blood and then go to coffee together.

Albus raises his cup in a mock-toast.

"To a new friend?" he offers. Scorpius grins and raises his cup, as well.

"To a new friend," he confirms.

They clink their cups and then drink. They're silent for a bit, before Scorpius asks, "What's your mark?"

"What?" Albus asks.

"Your soulmate mark. You must have a real one, right?"

"Oh." Albus rolls his eyes. "It's a scattering of stars."

At these words, Scorpius faces does a series of emotions—surprise, scared, delighted.

"So is mine," he whispers.