Chapter Text
They always say that you feel the first time you get your words.
Some romantic shit about locking eyes with your soulmate and boom! Like you go all tingly and shit and you know exactly what word your soulmate was thinking about you in that moment without even looking. Hell, apparently people knew exactly where they had appeared on their body.
Mitch Mueller found out that was bullshit at age 14.
One morning he went to school as wordless as ever and when he came back he took his shirt off to find a single word, resting right in the middle of where his heart was in his chest.
‘Lonely’
The word didn’t bother him too much. The great thing about words was they changed (mostly) when you got to know your soulmate more. Plus, at least he wasn’t the poor fuckers with some shit like ‘ugly’ scrawled across their faces. That was always pretty fucking funny to see.
And anyway he was Mitch fucking Mueller, as if he cared about soppy shit like what his ‘soulmate’ thought of him. Soulmates were full o’ shit. Even if he was pretty sure that the only new person he had met today was the cutie with the freckles who had approached him at lunch because he was sat alone… Fuck, it was definitely the fucking nerd, right?
So while Mitch didn’t give a fuck about soulmates at all he also figured that if he knew who the guy scrawling his thoughts on his chest was it would be really fucking easy to get him to change them, maybe to something fucking cool like ‘badass’ or ‘fucking cool’.
He started the next day at school, seeking out the cute little nerd to see if Jonas knew where his words were too. Jonas was smart, Mitch would put money (if he fucking had any) on Jonas already knowing and then Jonas would like run into his arms and they would like kiss and all that gushy junk… Then Jonas wouldn’t think Mitch was lonely, he would think he was a ‘Sex God’ or something.
It didn’t really work out that way.
When he found Jonas, the boy wasn’t alone and didn’t look like he was about to do mushy shit with Mitch. Neil fucking Berk-head (Mitch was still working on a decent go to nickname for the fucker) and his gang of rich bitches had Jonas surrounded playing a game of keep away with the shorter boy’s bag.
Mitch found it very easy to pluck the bag out of the air what with being a lot fucking taller than every other student, casually tossing it over to Jonas. Not really looking where he was throwing as he fixed a angrily spluttering Fuckham with his best ‘what you playing at Richie Rich?’ stare and wincing slightly when he heard the bag clatter to the ground behind him.
“Real fuckin’ sick of you and that ‘eau de rich bitch’ stink in my fucking hallways.” Mitch practically growled at the blonde asshole.
“What are you going to do about it trailer trash?” Neil scoffed.
“I don’t know Abercrombie and Bitch but you won’t want to hang around and find out,” Mitch told him, dangerous grin lighting up his face.
Neil and his gang backed off fucking quick, leaving with a muttered ‘psycho’ as Mitch applauded himself on Abercrombie and Bitch. He was using that one again!
Mitch turned around to where Jonas had been standing, the thought entering his head to like offer to carry his books or some shit but he quickly shook that one away. He definitely didn’t want some cutesie shit like ‘love bunny’ on his body.
It didn’t matter anyway because by the time Mitch had finished chasing off Bitchham Jonas had grabbed his stuff and booked it too.
Mitch shrugged it off, Joey probably cared about being late to class. Cuz he was a major nerd! Mitch would catch him later.
He skipped that period, first checking to see if his word had changed yet and stamping down any disappointment that it hadn’t. He guessed Jonas had left before he got to see Mitch telling Neil to go fuck himself. Although that meant Joey didn’t get any revenge! Which Mitch was more than willing to help the shorter boy fix.
So he used his free period to sneak into the biology room and grab one of the defrosting frogs that they were meant to be using for dissection later (probably the only lesson of the year Mitch would willingly go to) and strolled into Math like nothing had happened.
He sat down next to a very confused looking Jonas and waited for the perfect moment to show the cute little nerd what he had planned.
It went perfectly. Abercrombie and Bitch squealed and it was so worth missing the dissection to sit outside the Principal’s office because Mitch’s word will definitely be different when he gets home and checks.
He slammed through the house after the Principal had told him to ‘Just go home already Mueller’. Closing his door with more force than he really needed to because he liked the way it made the whole trailer shake a bit, felt fucking dangerous or some shit. Yanking off his shirt and scanning his chest.
‘Lonely’
He howled in frustration, punching his wall hard enough to crack his already scabbed knuckles. Why the fuck hadn’t Jonas changed his mind?
While Mitch was busy trashing his room in anger at his soulmate not deciding he was ‘Cool as fuck’ or something he didn’t even notice his Mom come in until she put her hands on his shoulders, trying to get him to calm down.
“Mitchy baby yah need to calm down. Gary is trying to sleep.” She whispered and Mitch growled but put his fists down, remembering all too clearly what his piece of shit Stepdad had done to his Mom last time Mitch had accidentally woke him up.
Henrietta led her son over to his bed as he calmed down. “What happened baby? Did somethin’ happen in school?” He shook he head and she looked over him for a second shocked to see him without a shirt on. As always his little body was covered in far too many bruises that he refused to talk about but she also spotted something new. A big bold word that needed no explanation. Hen’s baby boy had found his soulmate.
She let out an excited squeal, wincing at the volume and listening carefully just incase she had disturbed her husband. Henrietta didn’t hear anything and sighed in relief, pulling Mitch in for a hug.
“Mitchy y’ got your words!!” Mitch was always a squirmer when receiving any kind of affection but he always seemed to secretly enjoy hugs from his ol’ Ma. This time however he stayed perfectly still in her arms, making her worry and pull him to arm’s length, looking at the worlds her son was carrying right now.
Her heart felt like it dropped out of her chest. She understood.
“Aww hun, she’ll change her mind.” She reassured him, rubbing his back soothingly like she always did when her big strong boy needed his Mommy.
“I tried all day,” He told her, his eyes flicking to the place on her hip that he knew her own mark was. The poisonous ‘Waste of space’ that hadn’t changed since the day his Deadbeat Dad had fucked off outta their lives for good. “What if it don’t ever change, Mom?” He muttered, not even realising how scared he had been until that moment.
She hugged him tight and started softly laughing against his short bristly hair. He pushed her away, giving her his best angsty teenager glare. “Ma don’t fucking laugh. My soulmate is gunna think I’m some lonely loser for the rest of my fucking life.”
“Baby boy, it takes more than a day to get people to change their minds. You just gotta show her that Mueller charm and be patient, all right?”
Mitch nodded. Mueller charm he could fucking do. “And if not we can rob a fucking bank and get both our stupid fucking marks covered up.” He smiled at his Mom, as always promising her that one day they would have enough money for those fucking expensive soulmark cover up tattoos meant for people whose soulmates died or people like his Mom who ended up being stuck with some asshole’s fuking shit written on them.
“Yeah, baby, we’ll do that. But first you go sweep her off her feet.” They were both smiling their identical toothy grin at each other. “Now c’mon Mitchy let’s go get some celebration suppah. My little baby boy’s becoming a man so quick.”
Mitch tried real fucking hard after that to get Jonas to like him. He would give him cool shit he found on the street but Jonas was so fucking cool he always wanted Mitch to be able to have it. They sat next to each other in class and Joey would like explain shit to Mitch when he knew Mitch hadn’t been listening. Jonas was so smart!
But even though all that was happening his fucking mark still wouldn’t fucking change. He didn’t get why Jonas thought he was lonely when they were together almost all of the fucking time. After a whole week Mitch was ready to do anything to get Jonas to change his mind.
He even did research! Watching a stupid ass chick flick with his Mom which had told him that kissing the crap outta Jonas in the rain was the way to go. He didn’t like this plan though. What if Joey wasn’t into that shit? As much as he wanted his word to change, he didn’t want it to get worse and Jonas to start hating him. No fucking way. Not when Spots was so damn fucking cute all the fucking time. Mitch liked being his soulmate.
The night after that him and Joe had decided to go to the arcade but Mitch ended up being super fucking worked up. Gary had been more of a dickbag than fucking usual about Henrietta and Mitch spending time together (seriously, if that fucker touched his Mom one more time Mitch was going to lose it), the stupid arcade games were fucking cheating and his word STILL wasn’t any different.
He knew he’d made a mistake the moment he slammed his fist into the crappy arcade game that Jonas fucking loved. The boy had looked so sad but of course because he was Jonas he had sat there and told Mitch it didn’t matter. Jonas was too good for him, mitch realised.
Then Jonas had said ‘I like you,’ and Mitch had put two and two together. His soulmate didn’t like him. His soulmate thought he was lonely. That could only mean that Jonas, the sweet soft nerd he was crushing on hardcore wasn’t his soulmate.
Shit.
Mitch saw red.
He pushed Joey away, feeling like Jonas had been lying to him. Letting Mitch believe he was his soulmate when in fact people like Mitch didn’t deserve someone like Jonas. His brain invaded with thoughts about how Jonas hadn’t said anything about getting his words. Surely he was still waiting because somewhere out there was some great fucking person who was going to able to make Jonas so fucking happy and that just made Mitch fucking angrier.
Mitch shouted at the confused boy and ran the fuck away.
Fuck you Jonas Wagner.
After that Mitch covered his words at all times. Slamming down a plaster and leaving it there until the edge started fraying and the black words started peeking out from the peeling corners. Then he’d close his eyes, rip it off and stick another one down without having to look down.
He never had to see it again.
Well until he got sent to fucking juvie for stabbing his fuckstain stepdad.
They made him take it off so they could verify it or some shit. Only when he peeled it off it no longer said ‘lonely’ like it always had. For a moment he was so fucking happy but then he read it.
‘Bully’
Well, unknown fucking soulmate, you ain’t fucking wrong.
He didn’t want to go back to Sellwood.
Sellwood was where his fucking soulmate probably was. The bastard was better off with Mitch out of his life.
Sellwood was also where Jonas fucking Wagner was. The guy he hadn’t been able to get out of his head since he was 14. Jonas was definitely better off without Mitch in his life.
But with his Mom in prison for at least the next 3 years for his stupid mistake he didn’t have much choice but to move in with his Aunt.
Things had gone a bit different than he’d thought they would though. Mitch and Joey had ended up working on that project together, getting kickass superpowers and actually becoming friends.
Mitch had no idea what his soulmate thought about him or who it was, having gone back to covering it up the moment he had got his ass outta juvie but it didn’t matter what some nameless asshole who the fucking universe thought was perfect for him had to say about him. Not when Jonas kept calling him his friend.
And they were friends, for real this time. They would hang out at the cove together, eat lunch together and Mitch even got Jonas to skip class with him once! (Yeah skipping P.E. still counts, Joey.)
They had got the fuck out of school without any teachers noticing and taken Scratch’s car down to the cove to mess about with their powers instead. Diving into the water and splashing each other. Mitch had panicked when Jonas had pointed out he was still wearing his shirt in the water but Mitch had made some off-hand comment about it and Jonas had let it drop. Mitch was glad, thinking about everything that he hid under his shirt and never ever wanting his friend to find out.
Hell, Joey even wanted to talk about serious shit with Mitch. No one had ever wanted to have serious conversations with Mitch though so he’d freaked the fuck out when Joey had turned to him and asked “Mitch, do you have your words?”
“C’mon Joey,” He’d laughed nervously “Surely you don’t believe in all that finding ya soulmate shit.”
Jonas raised his eyebrow. “Mitch, we have supernatural powers and you’re telling me you don’t believe in words?”
“I know they exist Spots. It’s just a load of fucking bull crap that people think finding they are fucking soulmates because of a fucking weird link the crazy universe decided to give them. Even if I did have words I’d just fucking ignore them.” He hated lying to Jonas but he definitely wasn’t going to show him the bullshit that was branded into his skin.
“So you don’t have them then…?” Jonas looked pretty sad, like he was worried for Mitch, which was Mitch’s sign to lighten the mood.
He slung his arm around Jonas. “Even the universe ain’t cruel enough to stick some poor fucker with me, Joey.” Mitch laughed, flicking water in Jonas’ face to distract him and using his super long legs to make his escape.
Not long after that Mitch, Joey and his gang had ended up hiding from shady Government cars and revealing his powers to his friends while fucking Neil’s fucking stupid car up. Which was fun. Making Jonas light up the fucking place while he sat on Mitch’s knee.
The next morning a loud knocking echoed through Mitch’s trailer, bright and fucking early on a quiet Saturday that Mitch was determined to sleep through (with a lot of herbal help).
He had tried his hardest to ignore the annoying fucking pounding on the thin door of the trailer like his Aunt was doing. And it did work, the knocking stopped and instead his phone started buzzing instead.
He looked over it in complete irritation but that quickly changed to panic when he saw all the texts were off Jonas. Jonas who never sent more than one text at a time. Jonas who according to his many texts was outside Mitch’s door and asking to be let in.
Mitch jumped out of bed, nearly knocking Buddy off in the process. He grabbed the nearest shirt to cover his shit up but didn’t bother with jeans. His boxers were fine.
“Joey?” Mitch asked in confusion, flinging the door open to reveal his surprise visitor.
Jonas looked up at him, eyes burning fiercely and staring Mitch down with an intensity that the taller boy had never seen before.
“We need to talk.” Jonas told him, the same stubbornness in his voice that told Mitch he was in some deep shit.
“About what?” Mitch was running through any and every possible thing he had done recently to make his nerdy little friend so angry but nothing was springing to mind.
Jonas stayed silent, holding out his left arm that was as usual covered by his long sleeves but this time he grabbed the hem, pulling it back to reveal a word.
‘Glowbug’
‘Well shit,’ Mitch thought ‘Guess the fucking glowbug’s outta the bag.’