There are times that Danny totally hated his Soulmark. Really, he hated it. It wasn't horrendous or anything. In fact, his mark are more like an art than a mark.

It was the name spelled on the mark that was the problem.

What kind of name was 'Smoothdog'?

It was embarrassing, okay? And more often than not, he was subjected to a few teasing.

See, the soulmark, or Inkmark as some like to coin them, appeared at puberty. The mark popped up at a certain part of the body out of the blue. Each mark are unique and different and they mirror the ones on their other half. Some mark are like handwriting – some are simple, cursive or have a little bit of flair for style. Others are like art words – more art deco and creative enough to be mistaken as a coloured tattoos.

Danny's mark was more like the intricate calligraphy art. It was styled like a ink-brush – hence why some called their soulmark an inkmark – with swirls and loops and slants! They were elaborate enough that all the swirls and loops formed a pretty pattern like an insignia with the name lettering most prominent to distinguish.

The thing is – the soulmark only spelled the nicknames, or the names closely associated with the other person and not the person's name outright. A name that resonates deeply with said soulmate. They hinted, given a clue about the other person. A tease about his soulmate's personality, maybe. And nothing else.

However, a nickname is not enough to help finding the other half easily. Because it is not a person's name. So finding that better half was – more often than not – all up to fate. It can be frustrating.

Therefore, Danny put the whole thing out of his mind. And lived his life to the fullest. Like his Nana said, You don't have to search for love, sometimes it finds you.

So, yeah. He is leaving it all up to fate. If it's meant to be, it will be.

. . . . .

Steve felt like he could sleep for a month solid.

His body still ached something fierce and he was bruised all over. He felt like death warmed over and must have looked the part too.

Their last mission was gruesome. You know how it was on the battlefield. The motto – The only easy day was yesterday – was very apt. It's a creed they all lived by. They practically embody it. But Damn! How he wish it didn't weight on his conscious. He needed to decompress, badly.

Not helping matters that the last diplomat that his Seal team helped rescue was being particularly difficult.

Seriously, was it so difficult to follow orders when they were in the mist of extraction? Thanks to that, said diplomat got injured and his team had to carry them while it was raining bullets everywhere! Don't get him started on that entitled asshat was making a lot of noise about it. Really. Just don't. Even his commander was very close to just shoot that person so they can shut up!

Steve sighed wearily.

His team had a down time for about a month. They had landed in Newport, Rhode Island, three days ago. Since they had a substantial downtime, the whole team decided to do some sightseeing. At least the ones that doesn't have a family to come home to, that is.

His team wanted to stay in New York. Him, he preferred to visit New Jersey. Don't ask him why, exactly. Just the thought of him in New York seemed daunting.

He was tired, alright. And New York is called a 'City that never sleeps' for a reason. Plus, the very hefty price for an accommodation – especially a month long – was so not worth it.

So, yeah. Here he was in New Jersey.

Steve had just left the diner, after getting himself a cup of coffee to perked him up – it might have been three days worth of solid sleep but he was still lethargic – and was on his way of meeting up with the boys; when he saw a few teenagers ran by in an rapid pace and an impress Parkour ability.

They were followed by a few cops trying to apprehend them, chasing them hot on their tail. Steve looked on with eyebrow raised. He didn't envy those officers with how the teenagers evade arrest. He would have helped, but that might make things difficult for the cops.

"Look out!"

Next thing Steve knew, he got hit hard and was sprawling on the floor. His ribs burned and there was a cop groaned on top of him, having accidentally bumped into him, if Steve were to guess.

The cop on top of him had a stocky figure. Shorter than him in height, but definitely well built. A man, by the tenor of his voice. A handsome fella. Blond haired, and a gorgeous, gorgeous blue eyes.

The most exquisite blue eyes that Steve had ever seen.

"Fuck!" one of the other officers cursed loudly and the man looked up, and saw that one of the teenagers were scaling up a building.

"You gotta be kidding me," the cute blond officer exclaimed in disbelief. He extracted himself from Steve, blushing to the tip of his ears at their position they were in, and said hastily. "Look, sorry. Didn't mean to… Yeah… Sorry again." The officer continued the chase, and Steve felt strangely bereft.

Steve shook his head ruefully as he got to his feet himself, wondering why in the world he was feeling off-kilter.

He must have fall harder than he thought.

. . . . .

Danny was playing with Grace after his shift for the day. She had been playing with her dolls prior to his return and abandoned them right away once he walked through his parent's home door.

Grace was two – going on three, and she has been looked after by her grandparents while he was working. His mother insisted.

He's raising Grace as a single father. He had Grace with an ex girlfriend who was not ready to be a mother. She didn't want to be part of the baby's life and wanted to go back to her country once she graduated her university. Plus, her family was old fashioned. They don't look too kindly to illegitimate child, apparently.

It broke Danny's heart. But he was grateful for Grace's existence nonetheless. His baby is his life!

Danny was jolted out of his musing by Grace patted his collarbone, smiling toothily. "Danno… picture.. pretty!"

Danny hummed distractedly. He was with his baby girl and all was right in his world.

It was his mother who noticed what Grace meant. "Daniel, your soulmark!"

"What, ma?" Danny littered his monkey with baby kisses. Grace giggled. She was still patting his collarbone, chanting 'Danno, pretty'.

"Your soulmark, love. It's coloured!"

That got Danny's attention.

"What?!" Danny quickly got up, with Gracie still on his arm, and went to the hallway to looked in the mirror. He pulled down the neckline of his shirt and could only stared at his soulmark that was on his left collarbone.

Danny's jaw dropped at the kaleidoscope of colours now marked his inkmark. Swirled in colours of aquamarine green and yellowish gold, it was vibrant and was slightly glowy. It seemed larger – there were more ornate loops and swirls than before and branching out all around, which was why his mother and Grace noticed – and very, very eye-catching. Like an intricately very colourful tattoo!

It took a while for his brain to catch up to what it meant. And when he did, Danny start cursing profusely and with a very colourful profanities.

So much so that his mother scolded him. "Daniel, language! There's a kid in your arm!"

. . . . .

Steve gaped when he saw his soulmark swirled in beautiful colours of sky blue and silver-ish white.

Steve's calligraphy styled soulmark was at the slight front of his left-side ribcage. It used to be skin coloured, more like a birthmark scar, and covered a small section upper abdomen. Now, it has branched out, enlarged enough to rest entirely on his left abdomen. It used to be delicate in it's art. Now, it was more complex. The swirl and loops were all entangled in a knotted twist, winding unbroken, creating a very striking picture.

The most noticeable of all his soulmark is, of course, his soulmate's nickname; right in the middle of this very ornate art. The blue mesh with silvery white gave his soulmate's name a certain shine to it. Like a soft shimmer. He fingered the name of his soulmate. Following the cursive lines like he did all his life.

Steve was completely dumbstruck. He raked his brain for the exact time he mark could have lighten up and coming up blank. Upon meeting his soulmate, Steve and his soulmate would have felt a slight burn to the mark before it cool down. That was the indicator that their mark became colourfully active. There were also tales that when you met your soulmate – when you lay eyes on them, you just instinctively knew that that person was the one. Like a 'love at first sight' deal. He didn't know how legit that little titbit was. It was just a theory. And there are many theories going around.

God, he met his soulmate and he didn't even know it.

Just for a brief instant, Steve was reminded of the cute cop that landed on top of him. He had blue eyes and this blue on his mark sort of reminded him of the blond officer.

But just because that cop bumped into him, doesn't mean he was his soulmate. Right? He had met a few people that day, touched and handshake in greeting. He was even introduced to a few new navy personnel from other teams. It could be literally anyone!

How the hell was he going to look for his soulmate in a city like New Jersey?

"Damn," Steve uttered to no one in particular. "I'm so screwed!"

. . . . .

Danny was sulking. Here he was, seated in a bar, nursing a glass of whiskey as he mope for the world to see.

He had spend the day retracing his steps and going through street cameras, trying to locate just when he met his soulmate. He even when see every person he interact with to see if there's anyone mark that matches his. There were none.

So, that left the gorgeous specimen of an Adonis that he had bumped into while chasing those clowns of thieves that Danny had dubbed those parkour teens.

Tall, dark haired, sharp angles features, and packing a hard muscled body. He was a fine embodiment of a human male wrapped up in a simple shirt and cargo pants.

And his eyes – he had the clearest sea green eyes with gold flecks. The most beautiful eyes that Danny would have no problem getting lost into for eternity. It was enchanting. Ethereal. Definitely magical and surreal.

And God help him because he's waxing poetry over some guy's stunning eyes. Shit.

Come to think of it, the colour of the eyes that haunted him was eerily similar to the colours of his soulmark. It was very mesmerising, okay. And the light make the gold in his eyes stood out.

Danny is so screwed.

So he went back to the street cams. Going through them meticulously. Hoping – really hoping that that cute guy was the one he was looking for. To his ultimate frustration, while he found a footage; the very part when he bumped into the dark haired Greek god, was not covered by the camera. It was out of sight and the only telltale sign it did happened was only their foot that can be seen peeking at a corner as they lay tangled on the floor. So that's it. Nothing else. No further clue. Dead end.

So, yeah. Here he sat. Not a happy camper.

A chime brought Danny's attention to the door. A couple of guys just entered. And they joined a group of well-muscled men – Navy by the looked of them. Some of those guys were still wearing their camouflage's pants – who have been entertaining themselves at the arcade section of the establishment. Some beers were offered. There goes the back slapping, chatting and laughing amongst themselves as some of them cheered and egging their companions on whatever games they're playing, while the other half commandeered a table closest to the arcade.

Once his whiskey was consumed, Danny was making his way towards the door, intending to call it a night, when – irony of all ironies – some drunk asshole stumbled into him and he, in turn, ended up stumbled into one of the navy-man – right into their lap. "You have got to be kiddin' me. Give me a fucking break!" Danny mumbled out to the universe. This day couldn't just get anymore mortifying.

"Hey, brah. You alright?" The guy Danny landed sat on asked in jovial curiosity. Danny wanted the earth to open up and swallow him whole. Excuse him for hiding from the world just for a second.

Before Danny could do anything – like, getting off the guy's lap, thank you – a voice besides them said in absolute mirth. "Jeez, Smoothdog. I know you're popular wherever you go. But must you flirt heavily with the guy right in front of us? We love you… but get a room!"

Danny blushed dark red to the tip of his ears as the whole table and their friends at the arcade all burst out laughing and the guy he was still sitting on hit his friend playfully.

When the name of his hard muscled human chair, registered to his brain, Danny stared up at the guy in shock. " Smoothdog," Danny breathed, meaningfully. Significantly. Not daring to hope. Unable to look away. He felt like his words barely leaving his throat.

Said 'Smoothdog' looked back to him, and the world just stopped. It was the same aquamarine green and gold flecks eyes that was gazing back at Danny as clear and as intense as when they first lay eyes on each other.

Around them, his buddies all grew quiet. They instinctively knew something was going on and was curious. The guy beside them looked like he might have an inkling of what's going on. But Danny ignored them.

Because when their eyes met, everything just clicked. Fell into place. And Danny knew… they both knew… that this was their soulmate.

The warm pulse of his soulmark was an indicator too. Guess one of the numerous theories were right about the mark emitted warmth in the presence of their better half.

Smoothdog's eyes wondered down. Towards his collarbone. Danny blushed deeply, again. He was questioning his sanity on why he borrowed his brother's very revealing, very see through, sheer mesh shirt for the evening. It covered nothing and he was basically naked with the flimsy material of a garb. Granted, he paired it with a jacket, but still!

The good thing about this shirt is that it did not obstructed his showstopper of a soulmark. It was displayed clearly for all to see.

Danny saw Smoothdog's eyes widened when he saw his name on Danny's skin. His nickname. His moniker.

Steve grinned brightly, overjoyed. His eyes alight just as vibrant as Danny's inkmark. Danny has never seen such a beautiful sight. He wanted to see more of that happy, loving face.

Steve greeted him, calling him the very name that was branded on his own skin. "Hey, Danno."

. . . . .

Review on your way out!

- Elvina P.