I'm just sitting here, owning nothing, writing stories...

Elsa sighed and sipped her cocktail, swinging her legs against the barstool impatiently. This was what she got for being on time, a fat lot of nothing, and a whole lot of unwanted advances. True, Tony's Restaurant catered to a more polite clientele than, say, the Rabbit Hole, but the empty space next to her apparently still screamed "Talk to me," to every guy who walked in the door.

Granted, she mused, signaling Tony Jr. for another negroni, it wasn't like she should have expected Emma to be on time. Punctuality had never been her roommate's strong suit, and now that she had Killian to delay her further…She liked the man, she really did, and it meant that she now had the apartment to herself more often than not. And it wasn't like he had to bring out Emma's bad habits. Weren't soulmates supposed to bring out the best in each other?

Her reverie was interrupted by the man who had just walked up to the spot nest to her, who had signaled Tony Jr. and then turned to face her. Elsa braced herself for another bad pickup line.

"You look like you're waiting for someone," he said.

She waited for the "could it be me?" or something equally corny, but instead the man stayed silent, like he was actually asking. Well then.

"My roommate, her soulmate, and his brother." Elsa replied.

"Sounds like a lovely evening! In the meantime, I hope I'll do." The man said, smiling and pushing up the right sleeve of his polo shirt to reveal her reply in black on his arm.

Elsa studied him, this man who was apparently made for her, closely. Tall, very blue eyes, curly hair, and pushing up the sleeve had revealed a muscular arm.

"I believe you will," she finally replied, pushing off her shawl to reveal her own soulmark. "I'm Elsa Nielsen."

"Liam Jones" He replied, as Tony Jr. made it over. Something itched in the back of her mind, but Elsa ignored it. Jones was a common last name.

"So, what time were you supposed to meet your group?" he queried after ordering a beer.

"8 o'clock, but you can see how well that worked out." Elsa said, waving her hand at the clock on the wall, which now read 8:20.

"You know," Liam said carefully. "I was supposed to meet my brother, his soulmate, and her roommate here at 8 o'clock, but I got caught in traffic."

"I see." Elsa replied. "You could have mentioned that."

"I am aware. I suppose I was hoping to be judged on my own merits, rather than being immediately associated with my brother."

Elsa considered, but as she was about to speak, the door opened again and Emma and Killian stepped through.

"Ah, you two have met!" Killian exclaimed, utterly unapologetic about the delay.

Emma, on the other hand, was a bit less cavalier. "I am sorry we're so late." she remarked to Elsa. "I should have called or texted."

"You should have," Elsa, said absentmindedly.

Emma looked a tad awkward. "I do hope you and Liam weren't too uncomfortable waiting. The two of you could have huffed and puffed about being responsible older siblings or something." She murmured as they walked behind the Jones brothers to their table.

"There was a bit of miscommunication." Elsa replied, after a pause. She glanced across the table to where Liam and Killian were bickering as she the two women sat down. "But I think it's going to work out great."

Liam looked over at that moment and caught her eye with a questioning look. She smiled in return.

"Actually," Elsa began, "We have something to tell you"

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