elasticella asked for braeden/malia(/kira?) + soulmate au
1216 words
Kira gets her first name when she’s eight and her next when she’s eleven. Most people only have one name, so she’s not quite sure what to do with that.
a/n: i don’t know if you knew that i saw trash for soulmate au’s or if it was a lucky guess but good job either way, hope you enjoy it!
ao3
Kira gets her first name when she’s eight. She’s on the monkey bars, trying to skip two bars at a time, when her shoulder starts burning. She grits her teeth when her palms get too sweaty to hold on and she lands on her arm. She ends up spending the rest of the day at the hospital because she fractured her wrist when she fell, and the first thing she does when she gets home is check her back in the mirror, the cast making her movements awkward and more uncoordinated than usual.
The name Malia Tate is written along the top of her shoulder blade in an almost unintelligible scrawl, the skin around it still red and irritated.
Later that night Kira googles Malia Tate on the computer in her parents study and finds an article about a car crash that killed two people with the last name Tate, neither with the first name Malia, that dates back to a few months ago.
She turns off the computer and hopes that wherever Malia is she’s not hurting too badly, thinks about the name on her shoulder to distract herself from the throbbing in her arm.
//
Kira gets her second name the day before her eleventh birthday. She’s colouring outside on the deck in the sun when she feels the familiar burning against her hipbone, accidentally draws a line of green across the page in her hurry to sit up.
She drops the crayon and tugs at the waistband of her shorts until she can see the name Braeden in neat cursive, so different from Malia’s name. Kira wonders why there’s no last name there.
Kira goes inside to google Braeden; there are no results and she gets the same outcome when she types ‘malia + braeden’ into the search engine. She googles ‘multiple soulmates’ next, gets a few useful results and the link to some new TV drama.
Her mom yells at her when she sees the crayons melted into the deck. Kira doesn’t tell either of her parents about the second name, doesn’t quite know what she’d say.
//
Kira meets Malia Tate when her parents move her to Beacon Hills at the beginning of her sophomore year, because the high school offered her father a teaching position and her mother writes academic texts and research papers on Japanese mythology, which can be done from anywhere with internet access.
They get seated next to each other in fourth period biology and Malia makes a strained noise in the back of her throat when she catches sight of the name on the front of Kira’s notebook.
“Kira Yukimura?” She says, tapping the front of Kira’s notebook.
“Yes?” Kira says, startling.
“I’m Malia,” She says, twisting the bracelets on her wrist around and around. “Malia Tate.” She clarifies, like she isn’t sure that Kira will understand the significance that her name carries.
“Oh,” Kira says, eyes widening. She’s not really sure what else to say.
“Girls,” Their teacher calls, “Is there something I can help you with?”
“No, sorry,” Malia says, looking appropriately sorry, even if the sentiment if false.
When the teacher turns back to the board she whispers, ‘we’ll talk after school’, and Kira spends the next two hours with butterflies in her stomach.
//
Five weeks later when they’re sprawled out across Malia’s bed watching Arrow when Malia asks “Do you just have my name, or,” and Kira knows she’s asking about Braeden.
“No,” Kira says, “I don’t just have your name.”
“That’s good,” Malia says, pausing their episode, “I was worried that maybe you only had my name or something, I wasn’t sure what to do if that happened.”
“Do you know anything about her?” Kira asks eagerly,
“No,” Malia says with a shake of her head, “Just that about a year after I got your name I got hers as well.” She pushes her bracelets up to Kira can see their names around her left wrist.
“Have you told anyone about it?” Kira asks, “About having two names I mean?”
“I don’t know what to say,” Malia says, touching her fingers to the names briefly, “My dad and I don’t really talk or anything, we just coexist. Besides it feels personal.”
“I used to think about you both a lot,” Kira says, reaching out to run her fingers over the names, “Now I’m just worried about her, you know. She’s out there all alone while we’re here together.”
“I know,” Malia says, grabbing Kira’s hand and squeezing. “But I think she’s going to be okay until we find her.”
“I hope so,” Kira says, resting her head on Malia’s shoulder when the other girl unpauses the episode.
//
Kira and Malia meet Braeden when they’re twenty. She’s two years older than them and lives in the apartment opposite them, something none of them realize until Kira and Malia have been living there for three weeks and their mail gets mixed up.
“Malia Tate?” The girl asks when Kira opens the door.
Kira can see the hopeful look on the girls face, and she hears Malia stop putting dishes away in the kitchen in favour of watching their exchange
“I’m Kira,” Kira says, “But Malia’s in the kitchen; I can get her for you?”
“Oh,” The girl blinks at Kira before her gaze flickers over Kira’s shoulder to Malia and back again, “Our mail got mixed up and I have some of her letters. I’m Braeden.”
“Oh,” Kira says happily, beaming at her, “Oh, come in!”
Kira steps back and lets Braeden into their apartment, watches her intently while she takes in the space before Malia greets her.
“Hi,” Malia says, and she’s got the same stupid grin on her face that Kira does. She takes the letters and tosses them onto the kitchen counter without even looking at them. “I’m Malia; it’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Yeah,” Braeden breathes, “You too.”
“We’ve been looking for you for a while,” Kira says, curling her fingers around Braeden’s bicep, “Obviously not very well considering you’ve been living across the hall from us for three weeks now.”
“Do you want to sit down?” Malia asks from Braeden’s other side.
When she nods they guide her to the couch, Malia sitting on one side and Kira on the other.
“How long have you two known each other?” Braeden asks, leaning into Kira when she presses her shoulder to Braeden’s. She fits like Kira always thought she would.
“About five years,” Malia says, “We met in high school.”
“You’ve been surprisingly hard to find,” Kira says, “Do you have a last name?”
“I’m an orphan,” Braeden says, “I was never given one.”
“Oh,” Malia says and Braeden laughs. Both of them perk up at the sound.
“That’s what most people say, yeah.”
Braeden gets distracted again, looking around the living space, taking in the pictures of them and their friends on the walls. Kira and Malia get distracted watching her.
“Do you want to stay for dinner?” Kira asks eventually, “We’re having curry tonight.”
“You don’t have to,” Malia’s quick to add, “I know this isn’t exactly easy.”
“No,” Braeden says, “It isn’t. But I’d love to have dinner with you.”
100 ways to say i love you challenge: no.85 -’it doesn’t bother me’
953 words
Hayden/Tracy
Hayden tells Tracy what she is. She doesn’t quite get the reaction she expected.
ao3 // challenge
"I need to tell you something," Hayden says once she's pulled over outside Tracy's house, unbuckling her seat belt and twisting to face her girlfriend. Her pulse is hammering and Hayden’s pretty sure she’s fought werewolves with a lower heartrate than this. "It's kind of a big thing actually."
"That's not ominous at all," Tracy says with a gentle smile, unbuckling her own seat belt and reaching over to grab Hayden's hands from her lap where she's anxiously balling them into fists, "It's okay, Hayden. Whatever it is, you can tell me."
"I just don't want to scare you away," Hayden says miserably, the corners of her mouth curling down, "I really like you Tracy."
"I really like you too," Tracy says, squeezing Hayden's hand, "Whatever you have to tell me isn't going to change that."
"It might," Hayden mutters, ducking her head, "But okay, I get your point. I need you to not freak out for me."
"I think I can manage that," Tracy says, "But first, come here." She leans across the centre console to kiss Hayden, bringing her free hand up to curl into her hair and tug her closer. "For the nerves," She tells Hayden when she pulls back, brushing her hair back behind her ear, "You looked like you were about to pass out."
"I still might," Hayden says, but while her pulse is still racing, it's for an entirely different reason now. "But okay. Tracy,” She takes a deep breath, “I'm a werewolf."
"Oh," Tracy says with a laugh. She lets go of Hayden's hand and brings her hands up to frame her face, "Hayden, I already know, and it doesn't bother me."
"You knew?" Hayden asks, her forehead crinkling as she frowns. "How? No one is supposed to know about us!"
"I take it you haven't talked to Scott about this," Tracy says, sitting back and dragging her bag into her lap.
"No, I haven't." Hayden says, still frowning, "What are you looking for?"
"This," Tracy says, dropping a book into Hayden's hands, "It belongs to my family."
Hayden flips it over and runs her fingers across the cover. It's made out of dark leather that looks as old as it smells, and there's a design of a familiar looking tree stamped onto the cover. "Hey," She says, opening it to a random page, 'Wendigo's'. "This is a bestiary. How did you get this?"
"Like I said, it belongs to my family," Tracy says, pulling her necklace out from under her sweater and tapping the pendant, "We're hunters, like the Argents. When they changed their code my family followed, although only my mom and I hunt anymore."
"And you knew about me?"
"Scott told me when he turned you, to make sure I knew that you were part of his pack and not an omega." Tracy says, "There aren't too many adults around who are involved in the supernatural, so we set up our own rules to make sure than no one gets hurt who isn't supposed to."
"And you're okay with it? My being a werewolf and all?" Hayden asks, "It doesn't weird you out or anything?"
"Scott told me why he turned you, and I know you, I know you're not going to hurt innocent people. It doesn't bother me, Hayden. I promise."
"I'm really glad to hear that," Hayden says, slumping back into her seat with a sigh, "I've been freaking out about this for days, I was scared you were going to freak out and break up with me."
"I did notice, and that’s definitely not going to happen," Tracy says, tucking the bestiary back into her bag. "It was kind of cute how flustered you were though."
"Hey," Hayden huffs, "I am not cute."
"You are so cute," Tracy disagrees, leaning over for another kiss. "Do you wanna come inside?"
"Sure," Hayden says, "My sister's working a double shift tonight so I'm just going to be home alone anyway."
"Cool," Tracy climbs out of the car and waits for Hayden to lock it before grabbing her hand and tugging her towards the door while Hayden smiles stupidly at the back of her head. "I think dad's making spaghetti tonight."
“I love spaghetti,” Hayden groans, following Tracy into her bedroom after saying hi to her parents and brother.
“I know,” Tracy says, dropping her bag onto her desk and dropping onto her bed. “You tell me how much you love it every time we eat it.”
“Sorry,” Hayden says, dropping down beside her, “But not really, spaghetti is amazing. Now, tell me about being a hunter.”
“Okay, basically we hunt down supernatural creatures that are hurting people and stop them,” Tracy says, “Also I’m really good with a knife.”
“That’s good to know,” Hayden laughs, propping her head up on her hand. “And you help Scott out?”
“When he asks,” Tracy says, “Or when I do. Mostly I go out on my own though.”
“You mind if I come with you sometime?” Hayden asks shyly and Tracy grins.
“I would love that, I can teach you some stuff.”
“I feel a lot better now that you know,” Hayden says, “It felt important that you knew.”
“I’m glad that you felt safe enough to tell me,” Tracy says, running her thumb along Hayden’s bottom lip.
“You mean a lot to me,” Hayden says easily, pressing her lips against Tracy’s and stroking her thumb across her cheekbone. Hayden pulls back and stares for a moment. “I want you to stick around for a while, and that’ll be easier without secrets.”
“I’m planning on it,” Tracy says seriously, “You’re going to get sick of me.”
