[AU][C] -shitting fuck, my phONE!

"Great. Okay. Let's go."

He led the way out of the lecture room and towards the cafe. It was only a couple of floors down, the same level as the illustration studio.

Dick had always imagined what it would be like when he met his soul mate. But he never dwelled too long on getting to know his soulmate. Or how they would act around each other - other than he hoped he wouldn't be awkward.

And there he was, being awkward. Not entirely sure what to say as they stepped into the lift, hands fiddling with his rings.

He followed Dick into the lift and leaned against the wall.

"I should probably apologise for my amazing first words." He gave a sheepish, guilty grin.

If Dick was anything like him, he'd probably guessed and assumed the type of person he was from those awful curses. Fleck had done the same plenty of times.

Dick touched his wrists.

"It's fine. It isn't something you can help."

He offered Fleck a shy smile.

"I'm sorry for repeating your words."

"No, it's fine. I would probably do the same if my soulmark was that bad."

He shook his head slowly, lamenting poor Dick's awful luck with soulmarks.

"Most people call me Fleck." That Fleck was the only word he had spoken in English so far. "Do you just go by Richard?"

"Fleck," he repeated.

How was that even related to Hank?

"Well..." He hesitated. The name he preferred to be called by wasn't something he usually disclosed at the university, especially since the majority of students had a good grasp on English.

"For a long time, I went by Dick. It's the name my oldest friend uses, and not for the reason you might think," he quickly added on.

"A childhood nickname that sort of assimilated."

It started as a joke, but now he was Fleck. That nickname became him and it was likely never going away. He was fine with that. He liked the name.

Fleck gave a little laugh. "It's the English short form, right?" He let a sheepish grin form on his face, and continued speaking in English. "My dad's English. I know it well, but some things I struggle with. English names and slang are weird."

His face split into a grin as he spoke in English. It was always pleasant conversing in it. He rarely used it or heard it.

It broke into a wider grin at Fleck's understanding of his name.

"It is, but unfortunately, nowadays, it is a more popular word for, uh, something else. "

His cheeks stained pink.

Fleck nodded in understanding. He could understand why it would be embarrassing.

"The English have so many words for it." That was something he couldn't get his head around. Pretty much every other word could mean penis. It was mind-boggling how with just some intonation, any word could be made to mean something dirty.

Dick laughed gently.

"We do. We can also be pretty creative with swears."

He undid the button of his shirt and exposed the profanities scrawled down his wrist.

"Although I will admit, I didn't know what this meant for a long time.
I didn't know how to read Italian until my late twen- um, until my, um, late teens. Have to say, I was pretty shocked."

Fleck laughed sheepishly, and scratched at his neck.

"Yeah, I- I didn't know what the words meant until my mid-teens. I was pretty shocked, too."

Neither of them were really prepared for that sort of profanity from their soulmates, were they? And it wasn't even Dick that had said it in the end. He didn't know whether to be amused or horrified, really.

"It can be a bit of a pain in the summer, having to wear a long shirt all the time."

He shared a small smile with Fleck, his tone more light and teasing then accusing. They both had to go through life with profanities written across their skin. Not exactly in the easiest of places to hide, either.

"Tried to wear a scarf in Italian summer?" Fleck's brow arched.

"I almost passed out from heat exhaustion." He'd done it plenty of times growing up, until he'd grown his hair out long.

It had been pretty dangerous at one point.

Dick held a hand up in defence.

"Okay, you win."

The wort he had to deal with was being incredibly uncomfortable and being a bit sweaty.

"Sorry that I caused you to almost pass out," he said sincerely.

The placement of marks was determined on where a soulmate first touches you.

"Sorry my first words to you were an awful curse. About my phone of all things." He shook his head.

Couldn't he have been a bit more romantic than that to his soulmate? The person he was supposed to spend the rest of his goddamn life with. Ugh.

He opened the door for Dick, that led to the courtyard, and across it, to the art block.

"You're forgiven - almost - if you buy me coffee?"

He gave this man - a stranger and his soulmate - a sly grin. This was the man he was waiting for, for centuries now. If he couldn't be himself in front of his soulmate, then would could he be himself in front of?

He was going to push to be more out there.

Sort of.

"That is if you want to. I understand if you don't want to. Or can't... Just forget I said that."

He flushed and brought his lips into a straight line before he could embarrass himself anymore.

"You're the actual professor. Your paygrade is higher than mine. Shouldn't you be buying your poor soulmate assistant a drink?" he teased right back with the same sly grin.

He could go punch for punch like this.

And when Dick fumbled and stuttered, he laughed. 

"Don't stress, Dick, really. I'm not the sort to get easily offended."

If he was, as a teaching assistant exposed to any number of students of all types and temperaments, he was in the wrong line of work.

His paygrade was a very healthy addition to his bank balance each week.

Still blushing, he smiled at Fleck's reassurance and relaxed.

"Okay, okay, I will buy you a drink. Do you like coffee, or...?"

"Just a drink?" Fleck gave a dramatic huff, and turned his head away teasingly.

"I'm bonded with a cheapskate. Aren't you supposed to be trying to razzle dazzle me and swoop me off into the sunset? How are you going to manage that with just a drink, Mr. Professor?"

The whole speech was very dramatic, and over the top, and so clearly teasing that Dick couldn't possibly take it seriously.

Liek Dick, he wasn't planning on hiding his true self from his soulmate.

Dick blinked. Then he laughed.

"And I'm bonded with a leech?"

He grinned up at Fleck.

"Give me time, and I will razzle-dazzle you. I also expect being razzle-dazzled back. But first, let's just get to know each other over coffee."

"Yupp. Give me your blood. Or money. I can be a money leech." He grinned widely at the man as he once again opened the door for him, following Dick into the cafe.

"Don't expect fireworks and magic. I'm not really the razzle-dazzle type."

"Bullshit," a voice sounded from behind them. A young man passed by them, in uniform, bussing used mugs and cups. "If you're getting with him, expect romance until your eyes pop out. Our boy's a peach."

The young man left a smacking kiss to Fleck's cheek, and was off.

A little embarrassed, Fleck laughed it off, fingertips on his cheek.

Dick turned to the sound of a new voice. The line between his brow became more prominent as he watched this stranger kiss Fleck on his cheek. The promise of romance wasn't very assuring.

This man, who he had just met a few hours ago, was his soulmate. He shouldn't be jealous over a little kiss. He shouldn't worry. At the same time: That was his soulmate, why was that random guy kissing his cheek?

"Who was that?" He asked, as casually as he could.

"An ex-boyfriend." He wasn't going to lie about it. "We're on good terms. He's just very affectionate with everyone."

He was almost surprised Dick hadn't gotten a kiss too.

"Shall we order?"

An ex. He shouldn't be jealous. He has his own ex-non-soulmate-boyfriend. Only, they weren't on talking terms. Hell, they were on no-idea-how-he-is terms.

He pushed the thoughts of ex-boyfriends away and nodded.

"Sure, what do you want?"

"A hot chocolate would be great."

Fleck spotted his favourite table free, tucked behind a big potted plant. "I'm gonna go grab that table. I'll get us the next drinks."

He unconsciously reached out to brush Dick's arm as he passed, a little display of affection.