Word count: ~5200 words

I kept missing all the kotlc ship weeks on tumblr ugh. Good news, I found out early this time! And there was a prompt I've been wanting to write for a while, and it happens to fit in this!

The prompt was flowers/soulmates, and I chose the latter. In this story, when soulmates grow close with each other, a mental bond develops. Its kinda like telepathy, but also empathy at the same time? It was part of the prompt I had found.

Anyways, it's another human au. Starts off in high-school, but also focuses on them as adults. It was only going to be the adult part, but when writing the backstory for their initial relationship, I ended up being super invested, so the adult part was cut short. This is actually my longest oneshot yet! I can't believe I wrote hecking 5k words.

Anyways, fluff and angst, here we go!

Keefe Sencen loved having a soulmate. He loved having someone who could just understand him. He'd grown up deprived of the love that he so desperately needed. All he had wanted was someone he could talk to without having to hide himself.

Then came his soulmate. He'd met Tam Song in high school, he was a boy who either sat alone or stuck by the side of his sister. He always wore earbuds, and that, combined with his less than stellar attitude made him less than approachable.

Though despite the fact that he kept himself distant, the black haired boy had joined a club. The club was the strings ensemble, which also happened to be one of the clubs that Keefe was in. It was there he learned that Tam played the violin just like him, and he played it passionately. He was also incredibly skilled, but Keefe would have never told him that.

Being the two best violin players in the ensemble, they'd interacted a lot. It lead to them clashing constantly, a competition to see who could learn a song faster, or who would make less mistakes. Anyone around them would have admired their enthusiasm to play, and when they had to play a duet, they were always mindful of each other, never trying to drown the other out.

Their competition didn't end there though, it had started to extend to outside of the club too. The both of them had went out of their way to learn a variety of new songs, just so they could play it to each other. They would bask in the feeling of seeing the other in awe of their playing skills. And when it was their turn to listen, listen they did, admiring the fluidity of the of the bow's movements. Or just the sound of each individual note, politely offering constructive criticism whenever there was an improvement that could be made.

"Keefe," Fitz said. "Do you like Tam?"

"Bangs Boy?" He had scoffed. "You think I like him?"

"You spend a lot of time with him," Fitz pointed out. "You're what... serenading him every month?"

"S- serenade?" He spluttered. "I am not serenading and trying to woo him!"

"Then what is going on?"

"It's a competition," Keefe explained. "I'm proving that I'm the superior violinist. I'm just trying to get him to acknowledge it."

Fitz raised an eyebrow. "Why does it matter if he says that you're better?"

For once, Keefe had been unable to reply. Because it didn't matter, did it?

All this had happened in their first year of high school. Even after, they continued to learn new songs, ready to play with for the other. In their third year of high school, they ended up in the same strings class. Their class had received a project where they would have to create a song and perform it in front of class. Everybody had to work in a pair, and their teacher had assigned them as a pair.

Neither of them would have admitted it at the time, but they had worked together as if they had shared the same mind. Their ideas always seemed to mesh well with the other's, and always managed to work through the flaws of the other's idea. When one of them was stuck trying to figure out how the next part of the song would go, the other was able to figure out the answer that was exactly what the other had needed. When it was time to present, the entire class, including the teacher had been speechless at the way they so effortlessly played with each other, their dynamic perfect.

Neither of them had realized it at the time, but it was the beginning of the bond that they would have.

Towards the end of their third year, Keefe's father had begun to be more strict than usual. The pressure to get high grades was becoming overwhelming. It had started to be harder to crack jokes.

Surprisingly, it was Tam that was the first to notice his change in demeanor.

"Are you doing okay?"

Keefe had froze, unsure of what to do. So he gave a nonchalant shrug. "Yeah, I'm fine, why?"

"You're a lot less obnoxious than usual," Tam told him. "It would be a shame if your playing were to be affected."

Well, that was something he didn't expect to hear. But it was a good way to distract. "Aww Bangs Boy, you care?"

He had rolled his eyes, but the look on him seemed less irritated than usual. "We can't just let the competition end so easily. It would be no fun if I win onky because you weren't able to play at your best."

"I'm fine though, really." The blonde boy wasn't sure why he kept lying, but he didn't want to vent to Bangs Boy, of all people.

"Well hypothetically," Tam began, not making eye contact. "If something were to be wrong, I would listen. I'm not good with words, but I think it would be better than nothing."

"Well hypothetically," Keefe continued. "If something were to be wrong, I might come to you. But I'm fine."

He nodded, then pointed to a bench by the empty park. "Let's sit."

Keefe smiled. This was usually Tam's way of saying that he had a song that he was ready to play. He followed and sat at the bench, watching as Tam pulled out his violin from the case.

With that, Tam began to play Keefe's favourite song. He wasn't even sure when he had told the black haired boy what his comfort song was, or how he had remembered, but he didn't question it. Not when there was someone in front of him, someone who had noticed. And that Tam had done his best to comfort him despite not being good at that sort of thing.

It was that fact that had compelled him to stare, he had been sure of it at the time. Keefe had sat there, eyes drifting to the fingers changing positions, then doing a vibrato. Then he looked towards the bow arm, moving up and down elegantly. And then to his face, mouth set in a determined line, eyes narrowed as he focused on only his playing.

And if Tam had accidentally played the wrong note, he didn't mind it at all, grateful that this moment was even happening at all.

"I only started learning it a week ago," Tam had told him, after he finished.

"It was beautiful," he murmured, the words spilling out before he could control them. 'Thank you."

For the first time, Tam had blushed. His skin had turned a light pink, but still noticeable compared to how pale it had been before.

"I'll play it for you again when I've improved," he offered, which had been his way of saying that he was there.

It was such a nice offer, almost unlike what he was used to hearing. "Sure."

It had been about a week later when Keefe had approached Tam to take him up on his offer. His father had yelled at him for getting a 93 on an English assignment. The back haired boy had nodded, and pulled out his violin.

The original plan was to lay down and enjoy the music, to let himself drift off, even if for a few minutes. But there was something about the way Tam played, the melody of those high notes- starting off slow before speeding up in a crescendo that made him lose control of himself.

The tears were flowing before he was able to realize it, his breaths erratic. The one thing that had kept him grounded was his fingers tapping to the tune against the wooden bench. The song had ended with a whole note, emotion packed into that one long note

"It's your family, isn't it?" Tam asked.

Keefe gazed up at him. "Wha- what do you mean?"

"Most of us talk fondly about our families. I've heard Fitz and Sophie and Dex talk about theirs. You never mention your own, and you've never invited your friends to your home. You look at your schoolwork with a distant expression, as if you would want to he anywhere else except at school."

There was more to it, Keefe thought. But he wasn't able to question it, not when Tam had admitted that he observed him. He opened his mouth to make a teasing remark, but all that came out was.

"Yeah. I... my father's super strict. I got a 93 on an English assignment, and he yelled at me. Said I was too busy playing my violin. It's just... I know in my head that I'm getting good marks, but no matter how hard I try, I'm just not good enough?"

"You are good enough. Better than good," Tam said, surprising him yet again. "I don't want to make this about me, but my dad was also crappy, but Linh and I got taken in by someone else a few years ago. I know how it is, to feel that way, and I know that no one deserves to be treated like that. And you've shown me time and time again that you not only deserve basic respect, but more than that."

He was sure that that was the most that Tam had ever spoken at once. And that he was so sincere about it. There were no false praises, just facts. You deserve respect.

The weeks had gone by, and Tam had always been there when he needed it most. He wasn't sure why he had told Tam all of this, considering that it was Fitz who was his best friend. But also... he didn't want to bother Fitz, and he didn't quite understand the feeling.

Usually, Tam would just play, and occasionally Keefe would talk. There was no pressure from Tam, and he was able to work through his emotions at his own pace. The pressure from his father also started to ease a little bit, going back to how it normally was.

"You're a lot more enthusiastic," Tam said without preamble.

"That's what happens when you don't get yelled at. Anyways, thanks... for all of that, for caring that much."

"I'm just trying to be a decent human being," Tam replied. "Besides, our competition isn't over yet." Despite the words, his tone was softer, and he didn't make eye contact.

Another month passed by, and finally, Keefe admitted to himself that he liked having Tam at his side. There was just something about the boy was that relieving, that distracted him from the outside world. With him, it was only the two of them.

"He's a lot happier," Linh told him one day. "He's usually happy when he's with you."

"Wait what?"

"I'm not sure how much you know about how we were treated in the past, but he used to rarely smile, but now, he often comes up smiling. He never tells me why, but I know it's because he was with you."

"Maybe," he guessed.

"I just wanted to say thank you," she said with a smile, and then walked off to join Sophie and Biana.

After that, Keefe caught himself looking for more of those smiles that Linh talked about. She was right, his scowl was unusually soft, his silvery blue eyes gleaming with emotion. He also seemed more polite, snapping at people less than he had two years ago.

So when that smile had faded, Keefe had immediately noticed. There were other things off with Tam, like the way he walked slower, or the earbuds that looked hastily shoved in his ears. He was quieter, and had snapped at someone.

Every time he tried to talk to him in private, something would happen. Whether it was Linh talking to Tam, or Biana wanting to talk to Keefe, or a school bell ringing and that they has different classes.

It was after school when Keefe finally found him again. He was in the park again, playing his violin. But the song he was playing was different than he normally would be playing. Usualky, Tam played more gentle songs, and most of the time they would require the higher strings.

This one was low and sharp, echoing with dread, much like the music that he would listen to. The notes were fast, the bow arm moving so sharply it had to have hurt his shoulder. Then the bow slipped from his hand, but he didn't bother picking it up.

Keefe stood there in shock at the careless behaviour, bows were supposed to be treated with care. Tam then started plucking at the strings, a lot less loud but still holding that tension. The notes went higher and higher, and Keefe winced. The high notes were harder to pluck because the strings were so thin.

Upon closer instruction, his posture wasn't good either, forcing his movements to be less smooth. If it were possible, Tam started playing even faster, and Keefe knew that this wasn't going to end well.

When he got close enough, he gently pried the violin from the boy's arms despite his protests. Setting it aside, Keefe held his hands, looking to see how bad the damage was. There was a small cut on his right hand- not that bad, but if he hadn't intervened it would have gotten worse.

They sat on the bench in silence, Keefe gently rubbing his fingers over Tam's hands in a soothing motion.

"Tam," he whispered. "What happened?"

Tam closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his entire body shaking. He looked sad and defeated, like Keefe had felt earlier, but there was something else to it. His dramatic playing, along with the hard line of his mouth made it look like he was angry.

"What did he do?" He wasn't sure where the thought had come from, where he got the idea that Tam's biological father had done something, but based on the way Tam looked at him afterwards, he knew that he had guessed right.

"Linh and I... we had gone out to get some tea and we saw him. We tried to get away, but he saw us. He called for us in that fake caring tone, and that along with us looking like him prevented us from getting away."

It must have been awful. Keefe could imagine the scene, Tam and Linh with distressed looks on their faces, the way their father had acted, the way it would humiliate them, force them into listening.

One thing seemed off. Tam had told him how he deserved basic respect, as if he'd gotten out of the toxic mindset. It was almost as if he didn't care about what his father had thought of him. Why would he be so angry then?

Another image had flashed through his mind. It was of Tam and Linh, the latter holding back her tears. If there was one thing that Tam loved the most, it was Linh. If his 'father' had told Linh something, then he would be a lot ore angry. Like he was currently.

"What did he say to Linh?"

"I don't want to repeat it," Tam mumbled. "I don't want to think about it anymore."

"Then don't."

Keefe bent down and picked up the bow that had fallen, and looked at the violin. Him and Tam were relatively the same size, so their arms would he of similar lengths. There was no blood on the fingerboard. Deeming it fine, he held Tam's violin and begun to play.

Tam often listened to more dark songs but once Keefe had heard him humming to a song that sounded a lot different. Not quite upbeat, but it wasn't somber either. Almost as if it were about finding hope. But then he would hear the humming more often, and Keefe had grown familiar. He still had to look at the sheet notes- playing by ear was hard- but it was easy to play, as he could hear it in his head.

He sought out that familiar tune as he played, long, drawn out notes. The song was somewhat slow, until it would pick up a little, the melody a little happier. Towards the end, it was a sharp contrast to the beginning. He focused solely on the playing, not daring to look at Tam until he was finished. He didn't want any distraction.

So once he had finished, he finally looked. His mouth was open, eyes wide.

"I see I've managed to leave you awestruck, Tam," He said with a smirk.

The black haired boy blinked, his face flushing pink before he recovered. "Yeah- well... you played my favourite song! I never even told you what it was!"

"You've hummed it so many times in the past month! And then..." he trailed off, because something didn't make sense.

"Even if you heard the song, how would you know what it was?" Tam asked.

"I just recognized the song? I've heard it before." That was a lie, he had never heard the song before. But how did he know it then?

"And I haven't hummed it. At least, not when there were people around. Unless you're stalking me on the way home, you shouldn't have been able to hear it."

"I've heard the song so many times, its almost like it's a part of you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know."

"Then why did you say it?" He was actually smiling, instead of giving him that irritated look he usually would. Keefe wanted to see that smile more often.

"I don't know."

He rolled his eyes, but was still smiling.

Later that day, Linh had called him. She'd told him that Tam no longer looked like he wanted to hurt someone, and looked more relieved. She said that she knew he was the reason why and thanked him once more.

Their third year had quickly ended after that, and it ended quite nicely. And as much as Keefe didn't quite like school, it was weird not being there, not being able to see his friends every day. So when he wasn't with his friends, he played his violin, often playing the song that he had played for Tam.

"Apparently, Linh has two soulmates," Tam said to him one day, closer to the end of vacation.

"Really?" Because having two soulmates was rare. "Wait, is it Sophie and Biana?"

He nodded. "Yeah. She was telling me some stuff about the soulmate bond thats been going on."

But based on the way Tam looked, it almost felt like he was the one asking.

"And what'd she say?"

"She said some of the usual things that people normally say. The reading of minds, and having to work on not invading each other's privacy. But she was telling me about before she knew and..."

"What?"

"She was telling me how she didn't know why she was able to trust them so easily. And she focused on the friendship bond that had started, while most people jump straight to the romance part."

"Bangs Boy, do you think you've met your soulmate?"

Apparently he seriously lacked a filter, because how many times had he suddenly just asked a question without realizing? But as he thought about it, he kind of hoped that the answer was a no.

"I'm not sure. If I have, our friendship isn't strong enough yet."

The answer was really optimistic, as if he couldn't wait to see his soulmate. But Keefe didn't want that to happen just yet. Tam had spent most of his time around him... he didn't want someone else occupying that time too.

Wait, was that what he thought it meant? There was no way that he... sure, he liked being around Tam, being able to play music for each other, but...

His shoulders slumped as he sighed. Keefe was crushing on Tam.

If Tam had noticed his change in attitude, the way he went quiet, and fidgeted with his fingers, he didn't say anything.

Their next meeting was back at school. He'd managed to get a slightly better control of his emotions, but after that revelation, he felt self-conscious about every interaction he had. And when Tam would play, Keefe would notice every little detail.

The most surprising part was that deep down, he'd already noticed those details. The emotions hidden away in those blue eyes. A foot very lightly tapping to a beat. So he sat there, admiring everything that was happening.

And then he had an idea. He'd scoured the Internet for some good songs that would work as a duet. Finally he found one, and printed the music sheets.

The next day during lunch, he went up to Tam.

"So Bangs Boy, I have an offer."

Tam raised an eyebrow, but took a look at the sheet anyway. The hand that was laying by his side twitched, mimicking a bow as he mouthed the melody.

"You want to play this... with me?"

"I don't see why not."

"It's almost if you're acknowledging that my playing us good and you're asking me for help."

"When did I ever say that you were bad?" Because he wasn't, Tam had always been spectacular. "All I said that I was better." Which was something he'd been beginning to doubt.

"I didn't say that. Besides, your playing is also nice."

"An actual compliment? Wow, it only took like 3 years." Keefe said with a smirk.

He sighed, shaking his head, but fondly. "Shut up."

The song they played likely was the best song that they had played, other than the one that they created in class. Despite the early mistakes that had been made, they were always in sync, there was never a timing problem, only a note one.

Fitz had stumbled upon one of their better practices, and was astounded.

"You two... you two play so well, what the heck? Biana and I have tried to play songs for months and we're just..." his hands flailed wildly. "All over the place. And I don't even see either of you tapping your foot to keep track of time!"

"Practice," was all Tam said.

"Tam, I play piano."

"Wonderboy's just jealous he doesn't have the skills that we do." Keefe said, adopting the nickname that Dex often used.

He shrugged. "I'll be honest, you two remind me of how Biana acts with Sophie and Linh. They're like always in sync, but they usually use it to gang up on me. Which I think is rude."

Keefe grinned. "What a wonderful idea! When I find my soulmate, I'm going to make them tease you."

"Rude!" Fitz ended up leaving them alone again.

Neither of them did much practicing after that. He had said when he finds his soulmate, but he wanted them to be Tam. And well... Fitz had acknowledged that they were in sync. But he didn't know if that was just natural chemistry, or the work of the soulmate bond.

Tam had been quiet for unknown reason, and hardly every looked in Keefe's direction. He didn't seem upset or angry, but as if he had remembered something and was mulling it over.

But just in case... "You doing alright?"

His head jerked towards him. "Just thinking."

"About what?"

"The future, I guess," he said.

It seemed like the truth, but he was sure there was more to it. But neither of them had spoken after that, the silence too delicate.

Fitz's words still hadn't left his brain though. What if they were soulmates? What if they weren't? He shook his head quickly to clear it. Not all soulmates were romantic, so even if they weren't, he still could have a chance. Then there was what Linh had said all those months ago.

He's a lot happier. He's usually happy when he's with you.

It made him rethink a lot of their interactions, thinking about all of those times that Tam had let himself smile. Always when they were in private. Then he remembered when he had comforted Tam, when he had blurted out something cheesy related to the song. What did that mean?

Another week later, he had an answer.

"Hey Bangs Boy, remember when I said you were like that song you liked?" Keefe had asked while they were walking.

Tam had frozen midstep, turning to face him. "Yeah, what about it?"

"I have an answer to it."

He raised an eyebrow, and continued to walk again. "Do tell."

"The song... it starts off really somber, it's almost dreadful, except for those few lines that didn't fit the tone. It's like your past, you went through tough times, but you had Linh with you, so it wasn't hopeless. Those few lines start repeating more often, like when you got adopted by Tiergan.

"There's still that sadness leftover, but you kept reaching for that sliver of hope, until your situation became a lot better. With that, your melody is happier. It well... it describes your life in a way. And I wouldn't be surprised if you became so attached to the song for a similar reason."

You helped me through the last of my darkness.

The voice was uncharacteristically emotional, but still very like Tam.

"What?"

Tam turned back to him, a confused expression on his face. "I didn't say anything."

"Yeah you did... 'You helped me through the last of my darkness'."

His eyes widened. "I didn't say that though."

That made no sense. How would he have known that then unless...

We're soulmates.

Relief washed over him in waves. They really were soulmates. They'd gone through over three years together, and this was the bond they shared.

But then there was shock. It didn't quite feel like his own, but it felt real enough.

"Soulmates?" Tam echoed. "We..."

What he saw and what he felt were two different things. Tam still looked shocked, almost panicking. But what he felt was another wave of relief, and then joy.

"You like me too," Keefe breathed.

He'd expected either a happy reply, or a 'yeah you dumb*ss, but what he heard surprised him.

"Oh my God you can feel all my emotions."

"Is it... not okay?"

"No! I mean- yes! It's... it's always been there, your emotions, I think. But this... it's weird. I wanted to tell you that I liked you towards the end of the year, and ask if you wanted to share a dorm with me or something. But like... you can f*cking feel my emotions!"

"So it's a privacy thing then? Not a problem with me?" He was ready to panic at first, but this made a lot more sense. Tam wasn't a fan of oversharing, and was likely used to having to keep his emotions hidden.

"Yeah," he said with a sigh. "I know Linh described it, but I never properly thought about it until now. And you said... you liked me?"

Keefe nodded. "Yeah. I have for a bit actually. You think we should discuss more of how this works?"

"Yes, please."

They continued their walk, setting some basic boundaries. Like no trying to actively invade the other's privacy, or if one of them learned something, it was better to keep quiet and pretend that nothing had happened. Unless that something was something major that required help.

By the end of their walk, they had arrived at Tam's house. Before Tam could walk away, Keefe pulled on his arm.

"Can I... can I kiss you?"

The black haired boy gave a soft smile, before planting a soft kiss. It was light, and his shoes were nearly stepped on, but it was absolutely sweet.

Keefe had ended the day feeling giddy, and no amount of questioning from his father was able to get rid of it.

Does this work? He thought, pushing it out of his mind.

You just scared the crap out of me, but yes. Oh great, I think Linh just figured it out.

Already?

She says I did the exact same thing she did.

Okay, I was just testing this out. It's a little tiring, actually.

Good night, Keefe.

Good night, Tam.

Keefe then sent a hasty text to Fitz, saying that he had found his soulmate. There was an immediate reply of guessing Tam. He supposed that in a way, it wouldn't be that surprised since they were constantly with each other. The night had ended with pure bliss.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Tam enough with the homicidal thoughts. You're so loud I can hear them without trying. I'm about to play, and I have a bow in my hand. I could poke someone and it won't be my fault.

Keefe. My coworkers are idiots.

Tell me when I get home. Not during this interview.

Keefe took a deep breath to sort out the emotions. Once he grabbed a hold of his own, he made eye contact with the interviewer.

"Keefe Sencen, right?"

"That is me."

"How long have you been playing the violin for?"

"Seventeen years now."

There was more mild chatting, each answer harder to reply to because someone was still trying to plot his coworkers murder. Keefe was just trying to get hired for playing the violin, while Tam was at his part time job until he found a new one.

"Can you show me what you have?"

He nodded. He thought of the melody he wanted to play, and started the song.

This one's for you, Tam.

It was different than what he'd intended to play, but in his opinion, he liked this song a lot better. It also happened to be a song that Tam had helped him write. The notes were graceful and soothing, not energetic and not depressing. His fingers practically moved on instinct alone, and the dark feeling was reduced to nothing.

You... you played that to calm me down, didn't you? Tam asked.

Is that not how it works?

It's been a while since that happened.

Yeah, but I don't want to get charged for assault.

I wasn't that angry.

You were plotting murders. Very detailed ones.

"A soulmate?" The interviewer asked.

Oh crap, he didn't mean to zone out that much.

"I think it's lovely, actually. Music requires emotion, and I think that they evoke a lot of it from you. Your playing was lovely too. Are they a fan of music?"

That was unexpected. "He plays the violin too."

The interviewed raised an eyebrow. "Does he now?"

Bangs Boy, I think my interviewer might want to hire you too. You're welcome.

The entire music part was a spur of the moment thing but also... I love violins??? They sound so pretty??? And they're also fun to play. The basically serenading each other with songs was a random thing I thought of, but like... I really like that idea actually.