Happy New Year, everyone!! I thought I’d start 2021 off right with my last Parrlyn soulmate AU one shot. Thank you all for getting me through 2020. I appreciate and love all of you and hope that this year is a WAY better year for you. You deserve it! And as always, I hope you enjoy this one shot!! 💙💚
Anne shifted impatiently on her bed as she watched Kat closely observe each color on her eye shadow palette, indecisive on which one she should apply to her restless subject.
“Kat, I don’t have all day,” Anne complained as she looked down to Kat’s palette. To Anne, they were just a mix of lighter greys and darker greys, a sign that she still had yet to find her soulmate.
Anne thought briefly about the moment she would meet her soulmate and her monochromatic world would slowly turn into one of color. She longed to experience the wonderful sight of color that Kat had tried describing to her. Despite her best efforts, Anne still struggled to imagine what color was actually like. Though, Kat’s overt excitement while explaining the different shades and sights made Anne bubble with anticipation at the thought of sharing that first colored glance with her soulmate.
“We’re going to brunch with Anna,” Kat muttered absentmindedly. “We could literally have all day, if we wanted.”
“But you always spend so much time picking colors!” Anne whined as Kat finally picked one of the lighter greys to apply.
“I want to make sure those green eyes of yours pop if you happen to meet your soulmate today,” Kat replied as she began working on Anne’s makeup.
Anne paused for a moment to think about what Kat had said. “What is green like?” Anne asked dreamily after a few moments. She had asked this question countless times before but she never got tired of Kat’s answer.
“Green is like a gentle stroll in the park, surrounded by nature. It’s peaceful and quiet, like the feeling you get when someone truly knows you,” Kat answered as she moved from Anne’s left eye to her right. “At least, that’s what I think of when I see green. It reminds me of you. Because your eyes are the prettiest shade of green I’ve ever seen.”
“You and Anna are so lucky,” Anne whispered. “You met each other in elementary school. And I’m stuck here wondering if I’ll ever meet my soulmate.” Anne sighed despondently at the thought.
“You will, Anne!” Kat exclaimed. “And they’ll be the most amazing person ever!”
“I hope so,” Anne responded, silently dreaming about her soulmate as Kat finished doing her makeup.
Cathy grunted quietly to herself as she heard the front door of her apartment swing open. The two voices chattering to each other cut through Cathy’s concentration, causing her to stop halfway through writing her sentence. She set down her pen with a huff as she threw her head back in frustration.
This had become Cathy’s new normal, much to her distaste. After her roommate Catalina had found her soulmate early last month, the two lovebirds had become practically inseparable. They had spent the majority of their time together, enjoying the new sights and sensations that came as new soulmates bonded. And, all the while, Cathy had never felt more alone in the world.
Of course, Cathy felt guilty about her emotions but she couldn’t help feeling irritated when she saw Catalina with Jane. Cathy was sure Jane was a lovely woman but it stung when she remembered that she had been completely replaced by her.
It used to be Cathy that Catalina would sit and watch movies with. It used to be Cathy that Catalina would tell all of her thoughts to. It used to be Cathy that Catalina would want to spend time with. Now, Cathy had been reduced to a passing shadow in the background of Catalina’s life.
Cathy shook her head to clear her mind of those depressing thoughts. She shouldn’t be blaming Catalina for how lonely she felt. Deep down, Cathy knew she was just longing to have a connection with someone like Catalina had with Jane. She wanted to spend an endless amount of hours talking and laughing with someone that gave her butterflies. She wanted to experience color for the first time with her special someone and watch as her greyscale world slowly came to life. She wanted to find her soulmate.
The sound of giggles broke Cathy out of her thoughts, as she looked down at her journal with a sad expression. She wouldn’t be able to focus enough to write with all of the background noise coming from the living room. So instead, Cathy decided to leave the apartment altogether and head to her happy place: the library.
In a hurry, Cathy threw on her favorite hoodie before grabbing her phone and keys off her desk. She hoped that she would be able to get past the living room and out the front door without any awkward conversations.
Of course, luck was never on her side. A few paces before Cathy reached the door, Catalina noticed her. “Hey Cathy! Where are you going?”
“The library,” Cathy grunted as she reluctantly turned to face the couple that was cuddled up on the couch. Cathy did her best to refrain from wincing visibly at the sight.
“Hey!” Jane’s sickenly sweet tone made Cathy narrow her eyes skeptically. “I like your jacket!”
“Yeah! It’s blue,” Catalina said excitedly, which only added insult to injury. It was bad enough that Catalina had seemingly forgotten about Cathy in the past month but jabbing at her inability to see colors yet was a step too far.
“You know I can’t see color, Catalina!” Cathy finally snapped. “But thanks for rubbing it in my face that you can!”
“Cathy, I didn’t mean it like-” Catalina’s frantic response was cut off by Cathy slamming the door on her way out of the apartment. As she walked down the stairs, Cathy was overcome by guilt for acting out of anger and lashing out at Catalina. She almost turned back to apologize but decided against it, knowing it would be best for each of them to have their own space for a while before talking it out.
With that reasoning in mind, Cathy exited the building and rushed off to the library, hoping to find some solace among the endless shelves of books. Even if her sight was in black-and-white, she could always paint a vibrant picture in her head of the stories held within the bindings of a good book.
Anne turned off her motorcycle as she pulled into one of the spots in front of their favorite restaurant. She looked around the outdoor seating to see if Anna had arrived before them. Much to her surprise, she found Kat’s soulmate sitting at one of the tables with a menu in her hands.
“She’s actually on time for once,” Anne mused as she took off her helmet and slid off her motorcycle.
“I told her that she would make me sad if she turned our brunch into a lunch again,” Kat piped up from beside Anne as they approached the table.
“Did you give her your puppy dog eyes?” Anne asked and received a devilish smile in return.
“You bet I did!” Kat answered as Anne laughed and nudged her cousin’s shoulder affectionately.
“I taught you well,” Anne responded, winking at Kat with a smile on her face. “I’m so proud of your progress.”
Kat giggled before walking up behind Anna’s chair and covering her soulmate’s eyes with her hands. “Guess who it is!”
Anna paused for a moment, pretending to be deep in thought. “I think it might be my beautiful soulmate who also has extremely soft hands. Or her obnoxiously loud cousin.”
“Rude!” Anne scoffed jokingly at the last comment directed at her as she took a seat in the chair across from Anna.
“It’s me!” Kat exclaimed excitedly as she popped her head next to Anna’s. In turn, Anna smiled at her lovingly before pressing a quick kiss to her lips.
Anne watched the small exchange with a longing expression on her face. She couldn’t be more happy that her cousin had a perfect soulmate. It seemed like they were made for each other and Anne knew for a fact that nobody made Kat happier than Anna did.
Yet, seeing her interact with Anna made her heart drop slightly in her chest. Anne longed to share small moments like the one she had just witnessed with her own soulmate. She wanted to hug and kiss them, cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie together, and even invite them to brunch with Kat and Anna so that Anne would finally feel less alone. More than anything, she wanted to find her soulmate.
“Earth to Anne!” Anna’s exclamation snapped Anne suddenly out of her thoughts.
“Sorry! I got distracted,” Anne mumbled out as an apology.
“No worries! We were wondering if you were ready to order,” Kat chimed in.
Anne briefly looked down at the menu in front of her before nodding her head. She practically had the thing memorized after so many visits to this spot. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
Not long after, the trio ordered their food and settled into casual conversation. They talked and laughed together until their waitress set down their plates and they began eating in silence.
After a few minutes of quiet, Kat piped up and said, “Anne, I can’t wait until you meet your soulmate!”
“What… what makes you say that?” Anne asked, caught off guard by Kat’s sudden confession.
“She wants you to start doing your own makeup,” Anna joked before Kat smacked her lightly on the arm. “Ow!”
“No, I love doing your makeup!” Kat exclaimed. “But brunch would be so much better if there were four of us.” Kat gestured to the empty chair in front of her, the perfect place for Anne’s soulmate to sit. Anne turned to look at the chair with a small smile on her face, imagining a near future where she could hold hands with her soulmate under the table as they ate brunch with Kat and Anna.
Anne was about to respond when something in the crowded sidewalk caught her eye. Her attention shifted completely away from her brunchmates as she turned to get a better look at what it was. She gawked as she saw the sight of a pretty woman rushing past their table, wearing something… colorful.
Anne suddenly pushed back her chair and stood up, turning around as she watched her soulmate run further down the street. “T-that was…” Anne stuttered as she turned back to Kat and Anna, who each had wide grins on their faces. “... color.”
“Go get ‘em!” Kat cheered and motioned for Anne to leave. Anne smiled back at her before quickly taking off in the direction her soulmate had gone.
After a moment of stunned silence, Anna spoke up. “I think you just summoned her soulmate, Kat.”
“Yes. I did,” Kat replied and lifted her head in pride. “I take full credit.”
“Do you think Anne is going to finish that?” Anna asked and gestured to her half-eaten plate of food.
“Probably not,” Kat answered and watched as Anna scooped the leftover food onto her own plate. She looked back up in the direction her cousin had gone in pursuit of her soulmate before continuing. “I doubt she'll be back any time soon.”
Cathy pushed open the library door with a huff before a sudden calm washed over her. The library atmosphere instantly soothed Cathy’s temperament as it brought back the many good memories she had made while reading her favorite classics.
Before Cathy could think about where she was going, her feet led her to the shelves holding the literary classics out of habit. As she browsed the different titles in search of a new one to read, Cathy felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She pulled it out and sighed when she saw several messages from Catalina asking where she was and apologizing profusely for her earlier behavior.
Cathy quickly grabbed a random book from the shelf before walking over to the seating area and picking a spot to sit away from the others who were reading. As she sat down, she slid the book on the table and began messaging Catalina, letting her know that she was at the library and also apologized for her sudden outburst. Cathy knew that they would still have to talk about why it had happened but for now it was nice to simply be forgiven.
After letting Catalina know she would be home in a few hours, Cathy slid her phone back in her pocket and turned to see which book she had grabbed from the shelf. A scowl passed over Cathy’s face as she let out a frustrated sigh. Sitting on the table was a hardback copy of “Romeo and Juliet,” one Cathy’s least favorite books.
The title seemed to mock Cathy, reminding her of the soulmate she still had yet to find. The first time Cathy read the book, she had been enamored by the love that Romeo and Juliet had for each other until she realized how disastrous their choices turned out to be for themselves and their families. Their love had been selfish and brash, a complete opposite of what Cathy hoped for herself and her future soulmate.
With those thoughts swirling in her head, Cathy slid the book away from her and resolved to find a new one when a voice spoke up beside her. “I’m not much of a fan of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ either.”
“Finally someone agrees! I think it’s a terrible portrayal of love for teens to read, especially when considering how much society has evolved since Shakespeare’s time and-” Cathy’s flow of words suddenly stopped as she turned to look at the person standing beside her chair. Her breath caught in her throat and for the first time in her life, Cathy was truly at a loss for words. Because nothing could describe the sight of the stranger’s eyes, glistening in a new shade that Cathy had never seen before.
She was utterly speechless as she stared in shock, suddenly realizing that the beautiful woman she was staring up at was her long-awaited soulmate. The girl shuffled nervously before flashing Cathy a quick smile. “I- um- can I sit with you?” Cathy’s soulmate stuttered as she gestured to the empty chair across from her own.
“Yeah, absolutely!” Cathy exclaimed eagerly as she broke out of her daze. She watched as the woman took a seat and looked back at her with curious eyes, causing her eyes to sparkle even more brightly than before. Cathy looked down shyly, almost unable to bear the intensity of the color in them.
“I’m Anne Boleyn. And I guess we’re soulmates,” Anne said with a nervous chuckle.
Cathy gave Anne a warm smile before introducing herself. “My name’s Catherine Parr. But most people just call me Cathy.”
“I like your jacket, Cathy,” Anne complimented. “Do you happen to know what color it is? Because it’s the first color I can see.”
In that instant, Cathy was incredibly grateful for Catalina and vowed to not only apologize profusely to her when she got home but also treat her to a nice dinner to show her gratitude for telling her the color of her jacket before she left. “My friend said it was blue,” Cathy replied as she looked down at her sleeve. The faintest hues were starting to seep into the fabric, though they were still too faint to differentiate from the grey the jacket was before.
“Blue,” Anne whispered to herself. “I like blue.”
“Anne, your eyes…” Cathy couldn’t even finish her sentence as she became enraptured once again by the beautiful colors in Anne’s irises.
“Oh, yeah! My cousin says they’re green,” Anne mentioned, proud of herself that she remembered the color.
“Green is beautiful,” Cathy said and admired the way Anne’s eyes lit up at the compliment.
“You’re beautiful,” Anne blurted out before ducking her head in embarrassment. Cathy blushed at the sudden praise and reached across the table to take Anne’s hand in her own.
“That’s really sweet, Anne,” Cathy nearly whispered as she gave Anne a soft smile. Anne returned Cathy’s smile with one of her own.
In that moment, Cathy felt the pang of loneliness she had carried around with her for so long finally dissipate into thin air. In its place, a small bud of love had sprouted for the woman sitting front of her, the same woman that also happened to be her soulmate. An elated feeling spread in Cathy’s chest at that thought. She couldn’t wait to get to know Anne better. She couldn’t wait to bond with her soulmate and live a life full of color with her. And she certainly couldn’t wait to fall in love with the green-eyed goddess sitting in front of her.
The two queens stayed in the library and talked with each other for quite a long time until eventually the librarian got tired of asking them to stay quiet and politely asked them to leave. Anne and Cathy apologized for being disruptive before leaving the library as they quietly giggled to themselves.
“That’s the first time I’ve ever been kicked out of a library,” Cathy commented as they walked hand-in-hand down the street.
“Oh, I’ve probably been blacklisted from every library in town for being too loud at this point,” Anne joked and nudged Cathy’s shoulder lightly. “Where are we off to next?”
“There’s a park not too far from here,” Cathy said with a question in her eyes. “I’d like to see it in color, if you’re okay with that.”
“I’m more than okay with that, Cathy,” Anne responded and squeezed Cathy’s hand in reassurance. “I love spending time with you.”
Cathy looked up to Anne with a shy smile on her face. “I love spending time with you too. I know we haven’t known each other for that long but you’re my new favorite person.” Cathy bit her lip nervously at the confession, watching Anne’s response to see if she had gone too far.
Anne visibly lit up at Cathy’s words. “You’re my new favorite person too!” Anne exclaimed excitedly before taking a moment to pretend like she was pondering thoughtfully to herself. “It’s almost like we’re soulmates or something,” Anne joked, eliciting a small laugh from Cathy.
“Maybe it’s because we are soulmates,” Cathy said with a smile on her face. Anne took that opportunity to look at Cathy for a moment and admire how beautiful Cathy really was. A lively color had seeped into her skin in the past couple of hours, contrasting from the dull grey it was before, giving her an almost angelic glow in Anne’s eyes. Her smile literally lit up Anne’s world, making the colors that had appeared in her surroundings over time a little brighter than before. Cathy’s gentle touch made Anne crave every part of her, filling Anne’s mind with daydreams of them cuddling and kissing one another as Cathy led her to the nearby park.
Anne was broken out of her thoughts by Cathy gasping next to her. She looked around for a moment before having a similar reaction to Cathy. Anne stared in amazement at the beautiful park in front of her, practically glowing with a newfound life that Anne had never experienced before.
Anne tore her gaze away from the sight of the park to steal a quick glance at Cathy. She smiled subconsciously as she watched Cathy look around, taking in every new color and committing it to memory. After a brief moment, Cathy turned to look at Anne and they shared a smile.
“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Anne exclaimed excitedly and pulled Cathy towards the entrance of the park. Cathy eagerly followed her, sharing in Anne’s excitement to experience their first walk in the park together in color.
The new soulmates spent most of their early afternoon roaming along the park’s walkways, admiring their surroundings as the colors around them became more vibrant and lively. They chatted as they walked, getting to know each other better as they exchanged interests and a few laughs as well.
Anne felt so at peace in the world, relishing in the park’s atmosphere and bright colors as she brushed shoulders gently with Cathy. There was no feeling like it. For the first time in her life, Anne felt truly whole. Of course, her upgraded eyesight was amazing but the real reason for her happiness was the beautiful girl beside her, the girl she was quickly falling in love with.
“Everything is so much more beautiful now,” Cathy breathed out as she scanned the park briefly, her eyes landing on Anne. “And it’s even better than everything in the park is also green.”
Anne tilted her head in confusion as she looked around at the trees and grass, noticing that their hue was the predominant color in the park. She looked back to Cathy. “You mean my eyes are the same color as the trees?” Anne asked, almost in disbelief.
Cathy nodded. “Though, your eyes are brighter than the leaves.”
“Wow.” Anne was at a loss for words. Kat’s description of the color green came back to Anne’s mind and she suddenly understood what Kat had been trying to explain. Colors enhanced moments that would otherwise seem ordinary, making them all the more exciting and memorable. They helped make connections between memories and surroundings, similar to how Anne’s favorite color had quickly become blue because it reminded her of Cathy.
Cathy led Anne to a bench and they sat down next to each other. Cathy turned to Anne and brushed the hair that was covering her cheek behind her ear. Anne blushed at the gesture as Cathy brought her hand to rest on Anne's cheek. She leaned into the touch as Cathy softly stroked her cheek.
Slowly, the two of them leaned in for a kiss and Anne felt a million butterflies erupt in her stomach. When their lips touched, Anne felt her heart flutter in her chest and she was certain that she could spend the rest of her life kissing Cathy.
They parted after a few moments and Anne felt a small smile play on her lips as she watched Cathy look around in awe at the park that had suddenly become much more vibrant and alive than before.
“Do you think that happens every time?” Cathy asked as she looked back to Anne with an excited smile on her face.
“I think there’s only one way to find out,” Anne said with a smirk. Cathy raised an eyebrow before licking her lips and pulling Anne in for more kisses. Though Cathy didn’t look back at her surroundings after that, instead keeping her eyes closed and enjoying the sensation of Anne’s lips on her own.
Anne quickly lost track of time, too caught up in losing herself in Cathy’s arms and in their later conversation.
“Hey! I’m curious, Anne,” Cathy began after her giggles had ceased from Anne’s stories about her disastrous experiences while attempting to cook. “How did you find me? At the library, I mean.”
“Oh! I didn’t actually,” Anne replied. “I saw you run past the restaurant where I was eating and tried to catch up to you. But, you’re really fast! I saw you walk into the library and then it was only a matter of time until I found you.”
Cathy’s eyes flashed guiltily as she remembered why she had been speeding to the library. “Oh. Yeah, I was upset after a fight I had with my roommate. Going to the library helps me calm down.”
“Is everything okay between you too?” Anne asked as she rubbed Cathy’s shoulder, sensing her distress at the memory.
“Not… exactly,” Cathy managed to reply. “She found her soulmate recently as well and I felt like she replaced me in a way. I got angry with her and snapped at her before I left. We apologized to each other but I know we still have to talk it out when I get back.”
“I know how you feel. When my cousin and I moved in together, I felt like she was spending more time with her soulmate than with me,” Anne empathized. “I talked with her about how I was feeling and she made sure to include me more and have one-on-one time together after that. I know it’s pretty cliché but communication really is key.”
Cathy pondered over what Anne had said before a look of determination passed over her features. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll go talk to her.” Cathy paused momentarily and looked back to see Anne’s proud smile. “Thank you, Anne.”
“No problem, Cathy,” Anne said, before a look of complete terror passed over her face. “I totally forgot I left my motorcycle at brunch!” Anne exclaimed as she dropped her head in her hands in embarrassment.
Cathy giggled at Anne’s dramatic reaction before saying, “Hey, it’s okay. Let’s walk back to your brunch spot and then I can walk back to my apartment to talk with Catalina.”
“Yeah okay,” Anne breathed out as she stood up, followed by Cathy. “I could drive you to your apartment, if you’d like.”
Cathy smiled at Anne’s offer. “That would be nice.” The soulmates smiled at each other before making their way to the small restaurant where Anne had first seen Cathy. Much to her relief, her motorcycle was still parked out front where she had left it. Kat and Anna were gone but Kat had placed Anne’s helmet on the seat of her motorcycle. Anne picked it up and handed it to Cathy for her to put on.
Anne turned the motorcycle on and felt it roar to life under her. Cathy slid behind Anne and wrapped her arms around Anne’s torso, causing Anne to smile widely at the action.
As Anne navigated the streets following Cathy’s instruction, she was overcome by how suddenly her life had changed. In the morning, she had been dreaming of what it would be like to have a soulmate and now she had hers pressed softly against her back. In the morning, Anne was longing for someone to fill the void of loneliness in her heart and now Anne’s heart was overflowing with love for the beautiful woman behind her. In the morning, Anne’s world had been in black-and-white and now it was in screaming color.
