AU-gust Day 21: Soulmates
The Vow AU: Modern Setting. Damen and Laurent are married, until Laurent loses his memories of Damen after an accident
‘Oh, I’m sorry!’ Damen says, in nothing but his boxers. ‘I thought you’d still be asleep. I would have…’ he gestures at himself helplessly, ‘covered myself if I’d known.’
‘It’s fine.’ Laurent waves him off imperiously. ‘I couldn’t sleep.’ He’s wearing one of Damen’s hoodies, which engulfs his upper half. His hair falls over his shoulder in loose waves. Damen’s heart aches in his chest. He looks away and busies himself with brewing his coffee to spare himself the heartache.
Laurent walks into the kitchen quietly and begins brewing his tea. They prepare their beverages in relative silence, until Laurent asks with a small frown, ‘Where’s the strainer?’
It’s been two months and six days since his husband woke up in a hospital with no memories of him, and Damen still finds it difficult to remember that Laurent doesn’t remember him. It’s a little surreal to have Laurent beside him and not be able to touch or kiss him, or, like now; wipe away the small frown between his brows.
The doctors had insisted Laurent be given space. They’d urged Damen to be patient, and Damen’s going to be whatever it takes to make Laurent comfortable.
Sighing, Damen retrieves the strainer from the upper cabinets and hands it over. Their fingers brush with the contact, and Damen’s skin tingles. Laurent’s gaze catches his name on Damen’s wrist and stays. After a moment, he asks softly: ‘How did we meet?’
Damen huffs out a breath. ‘To be frank, I was too drunk to remember the day we met. You knew that with more clarity than I did.’
Damen scoffs. ‘Because Jakoste had dumped me.’
Laurent’s frown deepens. ‘You were involved with your sister-in-law?’
‘She wasn’t my sister-in-law then. And she left me for Kastor. Not the way around.’
‘Why? It’s not because Kastor’s her soulmate. There’s no name on her wrist.’
‘No,’ Damen agrees. ‘My father wanted me to take over the business empire he’d built. But I chose the penny less life of a wrestler. Kastor over the business. He’d always wanted to.’ Damen huffs out a humourless breath. ‘I know Jakoste was ambitious, that she wanted money and power. I just didn’t think that she’d sleep with Kastor behind my back to achieve it.’
‘That’s not why she chose him. She would have chosen your brother even if you had the money and power.’ Laurent says. ‘I might have met her only once, but I know how a mind like hers works. I would have done the same.’
But you didn’t, Damen wants to say. You chose me, and not only because my name’s on your wrist. Instead, he says, ‘Why did she choose him then?’
‘Because a kingmaker would always choose the weaker man. The weaker the man, the easier he is to control.’
‘What makes you think Kastor’s the weaker man? You don’t remember him.’
Laurent meets Damen’s gaze, and holds it. ‘True. But I’m coming to know you.’
