Six Years Later- Galaxy Garrison- Library

Lance clicks on a link.

Here's some news about soulmates, but first, let's start out with common knowledge. Everyone has a soulmate, that's a given. They are people who build you up, and are an important aspect in your life. This doesn't necessarily mean that they are romantic, they can also be platonic. They allow you to fulfill your potential as a human being from supporting you mentally, physically, or emotionally. Building you up could be positive, allowing you to be patient, or negative like getting into an addiction like reading to cleaning to drugs. An addiction is just a vice that managed to be a big part of your life, but if your soulmate notices that the vice in question is not allowing you to function, they will help you cut it out.

Personally, my soulmate is like that, and we love each other for that. Constantly on the same wavelength, and she has a blog like mine. Ahem, sorry for the blatant favoritism.

Lance skips that to the good stuff. He scrolls past the color meanings—already researched into that since it was mandatory in middle school—and the meaning of the first words. Except, that was a good majority of the blog he just found, and the second to last paragraph left talked about how the handwriting describes the personality.

He reads the last paragraph, and it holds a nugget of truth that fortifies that something is wrong.

Soulmates who meet each other are elated. I remember meeting Kimmy, or better known as JiggyCatz. The two of us met at a park—cliché I know—because we had to do an assignment for different classes. I was to sketch nature scenery for my art class—refer to my previous post here—and she was supposed to capture some animals with her camera. She asked me to get out of a shot because there was a squirrel close by, and I said I was there first. The feeling was intense, being struck by lightning intense, but there was warmth. Needless to say that the two of us forgot about our assignments and talked. Anyway, it is common to feel something akin to electricity or fire when someone said your words, and warmth fills your heart. Truly it is a magical feeling. Everything clicks into place as time goes on, and to this day I feel it.

The post on the blog is done, and he doesn't bother with reading the summary at the bottom about the author. He exits out of the webpage, and logs off the computer. He gets up and exits the library; his hands are in his pocket as stomps to the training area. He needs to find his soulmate and confirm his theory.

He clenches his right hand into a fist, he can feel the phantom tingling feeling from half an hour ago.

He recalls talking to Hunk about how the top of the pilot class—fighter class Keith Kogane—was all hot shit. That the guy could get a perfect score on the simulator program that Iverson came in and had them test. It was to rank everyone in the pilot program. He was literally one point short for getting into the fighter class, from what Iverson showed everyone on the board.

Keith Kogane, sixteen year old who follows orders, great at hand-to-hand combat in their sparring classes, studious, and can fly simulators perfectly despite using risky maneuvers. There are two flaws he has—from what he seen—is his attitude toward the other cadets, and his mullet. The guy is sporting a look from the late twentieth century, and for crying out loud it's the twenty second century. The guy cannot get with the program, and he was ranting to Hunk with his voice filled with indignation.

He suppose that his ranting was a little too loud, and he managed to capture Keith's attention.

"Who are you, and what's your problem with my hair?" Keith asked, his lips downturn slightly.

He opened his mouth, about to make a retort when he felt like an electrical current coming from his forearm. He gulped, and he wanted to make this count, even if his soulmate happened to be Keith, the guy he detests since day one since he never gave any of the other cadets the time of day.

"Just a guy who's going to be in the fighter class," Lance boasts as he grips his arm slightly. He never knew how weird the experience was, sure he heard about it from his parents, but it's one thing to hear and another to experience.

He watched Keith's reaction, but the guy just gave him a deadpan look, "Okay. That still doesn't explain anything about my hair."

He could have groaned or face palmed from that response. In hindsight, Lance figured he should have, but instead he was riding the high of, 'Keith freaking Kogane is my soulmate.' "It's a mullet," he states, like it explained everything.

"No it isn't." Keith said, and it seemed he ended the conversation as he left. Going off to the training area because it is their free midday block.

"I'll show you a picture and prove you wrong!" Lance yells, getting the last word in.

He was holding his forearm the whole entire time, and Hunk noticed it. He pulled his best friend off to the side, specifically into the janitorial closet, and showed him his arm.

Instead of the vivid red that Lance was well acquainted with, the red is faded with black outline around the words.

A sign that his soulmate first talked to him directly.

He was freaking out in the closet with Hunk, who didn't know what to feel at the time, now that Lance thought about it.

"You met your soulmate, congrats! Wish I could get you something," Hunk said as he hugs him.

"Dude, you don't understand. My soulmate's Keith." He stresses Keith's name, and Hunk's eyes widen.

"Keith, the guy who you literally just complained about." He pointed at the door, and Lance nods. "Lance." He said softly, worry and concern melding together.

"Yeah." He's flabbergasted, and thought about Keith's reaction when he said his words.

His best friend is speechless, and he's in a similar boat.

"Cicero would be laughing," was the only words that escape Hunks mouth.

"Yeah."

Something wasn't right. He needs to go find Keith, but first an investigation must be conducted.

"Sooo you going to tell everyone back home?"

"I will…just want to talk to Keith first." He said morosely, and Hunk nods.

His friend patted his shoulder, and the two left the closet. Hunk headed off to the canteen—probably thinking as he fiddles with the utensils instead of going to the engineer room to mess with parts for a future project—while he went to the library to investigate.

Needless to say, Lance knows something is definitely wrong. Keith should have felt that tingling feeling, unless the guy has dead nerves. He knows that Keith spends his time in the training area, either attacking a dummy or lifting weights. Either way, cadets wear casual clothing instead of their standardized uniforms. He has to see if Keith's arm is similar to his, the black, grey, or white outline present around the letters.

He has the perfect excuse, pulling out his phone, and searching up mullet pictures. He hopes that it is there is evidence that he said his words on the other's arm, otherwise…no. Lance shakes his head, 'Think positive like mama always said.'

He struts to the training area and enters it. It is one of the largest rooms in the facility, there are two training areas—one for the lower year cadets, and the other for the older cadets—that are similar in design. Half of the room is a large open space with varied dummies, and punching bags for some, and the other designated for weights. People can spar where the dummy area is, but they have to move the props, usually getting an older cadet overseer or teacher to move it.

Lance spots Keith by the weights, and he makes a beeline toward him. Keith is wearing sweats, and a black t-shirt. "Hey Keith, so I found a mullet that looks exactly like your hair." He said as he gets closer to the other, and tries to take a peek at his right forearm.

"Who're you again?"

His eyebrow twitched, "We literally talked when Iverson released everyone. In the halls, remember. I said your hair was like a mullet, and you walked away. I'm here to prove my point." He shoves his phone in the guy's face.

"Oh." He gave him a blank stare before putting down his weights and grabbed his phone to look at the picture. Lance saw his words, and his chest tightened. "My hair doesn't look like that. Bangs are all wrong."

"Yes it does." Lance said tersely before taking his phone back.

"Hey cadet! Either get out of here or go to the changing room," the overseer called.

"Sorry!" Lance yelled and jogged away from Keith. He forced a grin to the overseer, "Had to show Mr. Bigshot that he's wrong about something. Won't happen again, please don't give me a demerit." With that, Lance races out of the training area without hearing the overseer say anything.

There is no way he's getting a demerit again, especially from seeing that bombshell.

He clenches his fists and his emotions are in turmoil. Should he be morose? Should he be angry? Should he be elated? Lance settles on anger as he paces down the hall to get his thoughts in order.

He isn't worth being Keith's soulmate. He couldn't provide any kind of support the other needs, but apparently the asshole could help him. He's Lance freaking McClain, he studied his ass off to get into the Garrison, the guy who managed to convince one of his best friends to join one of the programs with him, to travel the stars, and be on his spaceship in the near future.

That, that fucking hurts more than it should. He's suffering from something that is considered to be a myth, one-sided soulmate. Goddamn it, was this how Marcus felt when he found out that Alma was not his soulmate? That she has a reciprocated soulmate with Anthony.

Fate literally bitch slapped him, gave him a purple nurple, and throwing proverbial scalding hot water. He wants to punch something and cry even though he is furious. His eyes feel wet, and he dry swallows before stopping in the hall. He looks up at the florescent lights, and focus on his breathing. Just like how Hunk deals with things, think about that. Hunk. Cicero. Mama. Papa. His little Batty Catty. Lil' Jose. In. Out. In. Out.

Okay, he can deal with this. So what if he isn't Keith's soulmate, not going to be skin off his nose. Keith can't even properly show his emotions, it's like talking to a brick wall with that guy, a depressed brick wall. He bets that the mullet asshole couldn't even comfort someone. He doesn't even like the guy, so it looks like Fate can go screw itself. He will prove Fate and Keith wrong. He doesn't need him as a soulmate. He doesn't need a crutch. He can be equals.

Equals. He can do that, prove to him that he can stand on equal ground, heck he can rise above him. They can be rivals. Yes, rivals, he likes that word. That will tell Fate and Keith to suck it.

Lance tilts his head downward, and blinks. Black spots in his vision, and he heads to the canteen. He'll tell Hunk the news, and the two can sneak out later for some comfort food. Find a decent Mexican restaurant, but if that's not there some Italian place. Maybe get pop, ice cream, plastic cups, and spoons for some ice cream float.

Today he can mourn, but tomorrow is a new day. A new day to one-up Keith, and show his worth. Starting tomorrow, he's going to find a way into the fighter class, and then battle Keith for the top spot in their year.

Watch out world, Lance McClain is here to make his mark.

A/N: I should have typed this out in AO3, but it is considered rude to look at someone's words unless the person offered. Lance only got a glance of the color.

I read too much, one of my vices. Addictions can be harmless if you can budget them in your schedule.

"A sign that his soulmate first talked to him directly" is exactly what it says. It's different if you are speaking in general because you are talking to a group vs one person.

Lance has unintentionally gave into Fate, he's using Keith as a goal to be better. This was one of the main points why I thought I can do a soulmate au with these two. They are competitive, and I can read into some scenes where they interact that Lance is going to prove himself to his soulmate (I know redundant, but I need to give him a motive).

Batty Catty is a nickname for Catherine, his only sister.

Zinnia yellow- daily remembrance (for Keith being Lance's soulmate but Lance isn't his. Pain of one sided soulmates and love)

Primrose – I can't live without you