Soulmates were old news in the world of Remnant, they had been a constant throughout the ages. Many tomes and stories revolved around the timeless tales of true love and destined happiness, the beautiful soul marks of two lovers, sometimes three, always glamourous and glorified to show off the appeal of being born or a mark forming on the youth of each generation. Then came the tragedies and dramas of being markless, so many poems and sonnets written about the tormented despair of the markless, even if they had as much opportunity of the rest of the population to find love.

As time went on, the stigma that came with being markless faded, becoming a sort of pride, being free from destiny to make their own path, find their own love, and write their own stories while the marked must bend to fate. They had to find their other half in order to feel true happiness, the tables had turned and the romanticized loves because broken hearts of lost love or emptiness that came with searching for a marked's other half. While the markless rose above it all and gained the adventurous songs of freedom and took to the skies making the world their own.

In the current medias of Remnant, soulmates were a hot commodity, 50% of the population had marks and other halves to seek out in the masses, while the other 50% remained markless but still had the same fire, drive, and passion that came with being alive in a world of opportunity. Remnant wasn't focused on who was whose, it had a revolution going on, the White Fang fighting for equality among the Faunus and Humans. Soulmates were old news.

Mercury Black's first exposure to soulmates was late night television. Staying in some derelict inn off in a corner of the world where the scum of Remnant seemed to collect like leeches in a river bed. He'd been four, dumped in the room and the TV turned on, the rancid smell of booze wafted in from downstairs and his father had barked out a command to stay put before disappearing into the cesspool a few steps away. Mercury could remember some celebrity showing off the gold mark adorning her chest, just below her clavicle. She had been blushing and clinging to another woman, a blonde blued-eyed cookie cutter model he'd seen in commercials and ads for random products. Her mark was purple, a light, soft color that rested along her left wrist. They were the happiest people he'd ever seen.

He knew he didn't have a mark, his skin was clean of any mark symbolizing another half, he felt his stomach twist towards the end of the show, wishing so badly to have that other half if only to have someone. His father was markless, he'd spat that out when Mercury had asked the next morning, his mother had been too; then again, Marcus really hadn't asked the woman all that much about herself. Mercury went on with his life, temporarily forgetting the late night program he'd watched; his father took him everywhere for his work. Something Mercury was blissfully ignorant of until a spatter of blood coated his skin one night, his father standing over some poor sap who'd tried outsmarting some hot shot from the city. Mercury watched lien exchange hands at a bar, watched some of the money go towards a beer and a soda, his father patted a seat next to him and his blissful ignorance was gone.

Whatever pride Mercury had felt in the beginning quickly dissipated, too many slip ups got him a new bruise, any noise cost him a cuff to his ears, and target missed earned him a Hell he always swore he'd never go back to but somehow, he'd always end up there. It was during one of those hells, his stomach hurting from his father kicking him down, his face bruised and lip bleeding from trying to keep his cries held back that his right shoulder began to ache. He was barely conscious at first, it had been gentle at the beginning, like a bruise forming, he didn't remember being hit there, but through the smell of liquor and blood his brain began to register it hurt worse than any injury he'd sustained so far. He held back his tears, hands clawing at the spot, thinking something was truly wrong now; that he'd die here in this pitiful corner of some cabin they'd been staying at for a few weeks. Marcus was in the other room, the smell of gun oil had begun to permeate the air and Mercury stole away to the bathroom, praying something wasn't wrong. When he'd finally pulled his shirt off, his eyes locked with the amount of faded bruises, swollen cheek, and then the new ones forming along his ribcage and stomach. His shoulder spasmed again and he squeaked, his free hand flying to the spot and freezing when he felt raised skin. Like something was trapped underneath, it hurt to touch like a raw wound, he turned expecting to see some horrific thing, his mind racing with thoughts of blood and pain that a soon to by five year old should never have to have.

His eyes widened briefly at what he saw, a rose. A red one, seemly had just bloomed there, right under his skin. It was beautiful, a pretty, red color that was brighter than the blood he'd seen throughout his short life. The petals were complicated yet simple, forming just a singular rose on the back of his shoulder, he felt a relief was over him, a kind of giddiness as well he'd never felt before. His soulmate had been born…he had a feeling deep down that's what is was, today was their birthday…someone was destined for him. He pulled on his shirt, not bothered by the drying blood or soreness of his body as his snuck into the kitchen, looking for the battered calendar, covered in 'x's of various colors and a few rips from pins and thumb tacks stuck in and out of the thing.

His eyes followed the line of 'x's to the space free of one, his father was so meticulous about it being the right day, his work depended on it. He read the day, the month, and year; he committed it to memory, the day his other half had been born. His heart felt lighter, as he thought about what kind of person they'd be, how they would meet, if they'd be a boy or girl. So many questions were forming in his excitement, even knowing it would be a long while before they would meet. His only clue to who they would be is his mark, the beautiful, red rose etching his shoulder in a permanent bond. It only took a half a second for it all to be ruined when Marcus entered the room, reeking of liquor and oil.

Mercury flinched as he neared, the excitement turned to dread the blink of an eye as Marcus crouched to Mercury's level and placed a hand on his shoulder, his mark was still tender to touch but he refrained from giving any indication of it being there.

"…who said you could leave that room?" His voice was rough and sluggish, it was the same withdrawn tone that inhabited it every day of Mercury's life. Marcus' grasp on his shoulder tightened and the Hell continued.

It continued long into his boyhood, long after Marcus found the mark cleaning up after a fit of rage, the long gash down Mercury's back a grim reminder to never to shoot to prematurely, the broken trigger finger a reminder to keep it from getting 'itchy' Marcus as snarled. Mercury was in a state somewhere between exhaustion and anguish when Marcus as ripped his face around, eyes burning with a rage Mercury had never seen before. His mark soon became a target, wounds began to litter and scar the delicate flower painting his skin, the symbol of his unknown love became a battleground of twisted education on his father's behalf.

Words became sharpened knives if put just right, Marcus went from knowing almost nothing, being markless himself, to knowing figures and the probabilities of meeting a soulmate. The words 'unwanted', 'unloved', and 'rejected' became a regular plague on the now young boy's mind. His training was harder, it was exhausting mentally and physically to make it through each day. Each mistake lead to a new scar, a new reminder to learn faster or do better. His arms were a catastrophe of scars for a boy of 13 years, his soul mark was in even worse condition. The original raised skin of the mark has long been lost to the collage of punishments, the color always shown through each new scar but the shape had been destroyed a long time ago.

It was at the age of 13, Mercury decided he wanted to die. The excitement of his soulmate's birthday had faded, year after year with nothing but suffering and hurt, knowing his soulmate knew nothing of him, could do nothing for him, and only knew him as some possibility in their life. The happiness he'd felt on that day had crumbled into a bitterness that gnawed at his insides; he didn't celebrate his own birthday, he didn't even really remember when it was. Each year was just another year to him, stuck under Marcus' thumb, praying each job would better him enough to avoid a new reminder.

It was his soulmate's birthday, they'd be 9 today. He was leaning over the railing of an old bridge, thinking about the plummet to the bottom. Would his aura shatter on impact? Would that kill him? Would it protect him? He pulled himself up to sit on the railing, imagining the sweet freedom he'd feel for a breath moment before nothingness. He hoped it'd be painless, he'd certainly had enough pain, and he didn't want this event to hurt. He just wanted to end it.

He stood, his side throbbing from another bruised rib, his left shoulder hurting from the stock of a gun recoiling back so hard to leave a mark. His ears burned from the cuffs he'd received trying to interrupt a client, his stomach was squirming from lack of food and the thrill of release that he was sure would come when he finally leapt from this bridge. From this forsaken Hellhole he called his life. He held on to a support beam, thinking about his soulmate, the bitterness in his heart burning like an unquenched flame, he was angry at his other half. Their ignorance to his pain and suffering, he dug his nails into aging wood; gritting his teeth as hot tears welled in his eyes.

He would die here and they'd never even know. They'd go on living whatever happy life they had been given, their mark disappearing in an instant leaving their skin free and smooth. Mercury choked out a sob, his other half would probably be disappointed it's gone, some conversation starter lost. They'd move on and find someone else and he'd be free, finally. He hurt all over, the pain was awful, and crying on the ledge of some old bridge, hoping his death would be quick and painless for him. He began to let go, moving to finally jump, the sun was setting, it was getting cold and his thin jacket did little to keep him warm.

He willed his body to fall but his feet were planted firmly, scoffed ratty shoes stared back at him as he looked down, he could see the bottom of the ravine he was over as well. The will to jump and end it all left him in an instance and he reeled backward landing hard on the bridge walkway. The tears returned in a rush of fear, he cried long and hard, not out of bitterness and anger at another life blissfully unaware of him. He cried out of fear for almost letting go of them, for almost hurting them; if it hurt when his half came into the world, then it would certainly hurt for him to leave it, especially in the way he'd intended. If he hadn't gone quickly, would they feel him slowly fading away, burning and searing pain wracking their mark as he died. His soulmate was only 9, Mercury couldn't be the one to hurt and abandon them in such a way. They wouldn't be able to go on properly, knowing they had, had another half…but never got the chance to meet them.

All because Mercury couldn't do it anymore. Mercury continued to cry, dry sobbing when tears finally stopped coming. He was just 13 and yet, he wasn't a boy anymore. He had taken lives, witnessed countless murders in the name of dirty lien, and taking his own life wouldn't benefit anyone but himself. He cleaned up and went home, Marcus was well into his work when the door slammed shut behind Mercury. He didn't spare him a passing glance as the young man disappeared into his room; Mercury curled up in his bed, eyes staring forward into the darkened corners of the room. He silently wished his soulmate a happy birthday and drifted off into a heavy sleep, something he'd seldom had in the last few years of his existence.

Mercury is 13 when he decides he'll live to find them, he'll live to never hurt them, and he'll live to love them. The sentiment is short lived when he wakes the next morning to continue living on in the Hell that was his life.

He's 18 when he kills him; the burning rage, the years of pain, and hatred that has sprouted in his chest and had grown within him. The man he had become was not a good man, he was twisted and gnarled inside like an ugly, old iron tree. His heart was hard, layered with walls to keep out hurt and sadness that he had long since abandoned with his growth, he'd never known love. His soulmate was a mere after thought, a little blip on the radar in his vast emptiness of newfound freedom from a monster. He could feel the shock setting in as he dragged his father's corpse down the pathway to their cabin, his legs were not his own so he stumbled and caught himself a few times. His lungs burned from the smoke and adrenaline still coursing through him, he was bleeding, broken, and tired.

The women standing on the edge of the forest are waiting, watching him, one in intrigue and the other in horror. He can see the one that is afraid reach for weapons out of the corner of his eye, he focused on the other, the calm one, as she spoke. His hand moved idly to his soul mark, the nerves there are deadened but he still places his fingers over it protectively, he hasn't truly thought about his soulmate in years. In this moment however, he thought of them, of the possibilities that might be because of his newfound freedom. Cinder is offering him some of those possibilities, ones he can't seem to refuse; there are no promises of love or safety in Cinder's care. There are promises of destruction, of revenge, to bring misery to the masses and right all the wrong's Mercury had been dealt in the care of a monstrous man.

He finds comfort and solace with them, travelling Remnant for their cause allowed him to see much of what he could not when travelling with Marcus. He enjoyed it for a time before the glamour wore off and he is reminded each and every city has an underbelly of lies, Cinder even heeded his advice when looking for less than reputable people. They meet Roman in a bar, he's flirtatious with Cinder and Emerald cuts in like she has many times before.

Emerald is markless and free to make her own choices, Cinder is marked, yet Emerald seemed to crave that rare affection Cinder bestowed upon them from time to time. Mercury is silent about his own mark for a time, it's not until after they've received Adam's word of loyalty that things begin to move smoothly and at a rapid pace. Almost a year together, soon to be 19, Mercury is introduced to the concept of true rejection in the form of Roman's wife. A silent, petite, and dangerous woman; Neo.

Mercury was irritated, contemplating an outing to go deal with some Faunus who was preparing to skip town; Roman seemed…reluctant to handle it. Emerald was in agreement with Mercury about the situation for once, but they hadn't fully decided their course of action. Its late afternoon when she saunters in, heels clicking, a giddy smile on her face as Roman calls out her name.

"Neo! Oh baby, you said a few more days!" his tone is elated, something Mercury has never heard from the crime lord. Her hands move quickly and he seemed to study them before taking them in his own and kissing her gently,

"Of course I'm happy to see you baby, Just a little stressed with her riding my ass like she does…and then Red making a nuisance of herself with all her little friends." He replied with a playful nudge of his shoulder to the small woman, it's the most unguarded display Mercury had seen from Roman in the time of knowing him. Roman even takes Neo's coat like a gentleman would do for his lady, she removes her gloves and take his hat teasingly, sticking her tongue out.

Mercury's sees the mark before he can really register is the rest of her hands, they're scarred with what looked like numerous cuts that healed too slowly. Not fast enough to get by without leaving a mark, and the damage severe enough to leave a mark, something Mercury was quite familiar with. Roman catches him staring,

"You got something to say, kid?" he barked, Neo looking his way, her hands falling away from her husband. The simple band on her wedding finger glints in the overhead lighting and she faced Mercury with a kind of apprehension before looking back at Roman.

"Her soul mark…" Mercury began before Roman cut him off

"He didn't want her." Roman snapped, arms slinging around Neo gently, kissing her neck soothingly. Neo frowned and nodded, hands forming symbols with her fingers Mercury didn't understand.

"Babe, you don't have to talk about it." He murmured in Neo's ear. She shook her hand and patted his arm before gesturing to Mercury. Roman kissed her cheek and sighed,

"Neo is not my soulmate…we met when she was still with her…guy. Some uppity lower class citizen. He and I never got along to begin with. My soulmate had yet to make their grand appearance and…" he shrugged, cocking his head a bit.

"I had a thing for Neo. Went out of my way to learn sign language and make her feel welcome in my little ring of criminals and thieves." Roman finished. Neo's hands picked up and she began to sign, Roman would watch and then glance up at Mercury with an annoyed glare.

"My soul mark used to be teal. I was rejected after my soulmate decided he didn't want to deal with me anymore. He didn't like that I wouldn't speak. We had been together 3 years." Roman translated. Mercury waited, a cold knot forming in his stomach, he didn't like where this was going.

"He didn't like my semblance either." The duo continued, Roman's hands cupped Neo's frame protectively, the long pause gave him ample time to kiss her cheek and shoulder in a loving manner.

"I can tell the rest if you want?" he asked carefully, Neo jerked her head and continued,

"He got mad, I wanted to make things work but then he did this." Roman ground out for her, Neo gestured to the cuts on her hands and then the soul mark. The teal color was a fogged black and it was blurry on her skin, as if it had been smudged. It looked like an intricate vine that coiled and sprouted into leaves during moments it held shape before is faded out again into the black smudged mess. He watched with wide eyes for a moment before meeting her gaze, she began to sign again

"This is true rejection. A rejection of your entire being as a whole. He didn't want me and the connection we had from our first meeting, 3 years of time spent building something together, ruined." Roman growled. Neo's hands fell and she comforted him with a gentle pat, he pulled away and sighed pinching the bridge of his nose.

"After that mess, he up and disappeared and we grew closer. Married her about a year after it all…we may not be connected the way everyone says we have to be but I think I did pretty well for myself." Roman took on a teasing tone and Neo smacked his arm playfully. Mercury frowned, they looked happier together, he couldn't count the times he'd seen Roman get angry and huff his cigars like they were a life giving substance.

Neo stole Roman's hat and winked before signing something, he grumbled under his breath and she snickered silently.

"As for me." He began with a grunt, pulling his neckerchief down to show off a royal blue anchor. Mercury held back a grin, it made him look…almost pirate like with the fancy hair and eyeliner; but not a tough pirate per say…more like the kind that stole husbands in dockside bars. Roman glared when he began to snicker, Neo poking Roman playfully

"Cram it kid! I'm not fond of this thing, it's been the butt end of one too many jokes. I've yet to meet my soulmate and I don't care too." Roman grumbled before Neo replaced his hat with a kiss to his cheek. Mercury watched a little longer as the accompanied each other to his office, the promise of a drink in the air as Neo settled into his embrace.

Mercury stood slowly and went to find Emerald, the air had turned to something lighter. Something foreign to him on a number of levels, he figured fresh air that tasted of stale seaside and dust emissions would be better than cigars and whiskey fueled passions.

Mercury is officially 19 when they enter Beacon's walls. The guise of students and uniforms to match allow them to blend in with the rest of Haven's masses. No one bats an eye at them, if the students don't recognize them they give little indication they care. His first encounter with her is short and easily brushed off. Emerald helped her up and they continue on, her directions aiding them in finding the rather secluded guest dorms. Cinder took a fancy to them, their lack of populace allowed for late night ventures and calls to be conducted easily. Communication was key in this kind of operation after all.

The second time he sees her, something began to nag at his brain, like an old memory. It's the first class of the day and she sits a few rows in front, the bright crimson color of her hood is the focus of his thoughts. He'd seen that color somewhere before in his memories, it was much too bright to be blood, and he knew he'd never met this girl before. Though he guessed she was the trouble maker Roman had spoken of when it came to the failure of some Dust heists. Class dismissed and she bounced up, chatting the ear off of her fellow classmate, the heiress. The white hair and frosty demeanor was quite the giveaway. In the process she dropped her books, a quiet squeak and she knelt down to grab them, her smile was soft, content, even with the mess she made she looked happy.

Mercury grabbed a notebook from the floor and offered it to her once she had stood to greet him with her thanks.

"Oh! Hey! You're from Haven, we've met! Sorta." She chuckled sheepishly,

"I don't think I caught your name during our first meeting, I doubt you remember mine. It's Ruby, Ruby Rose…and you?" she offered, suddenly her chattiness had fallen on him, her classmate taking this opportunity to escape.

"…Mercury." He huffed, offering the notebook again, Ruby's smile faltered at his blunt tone and she reached for the notebook.

"Sorry about holding you up Mercury, did you find the dorms ok?" she continued, grabbing the notebook gently. Her fingertips barely grazed his hand when a shock ran up his spine and targeted his shoulder, more specifically, his mark. Mercury ripped his hand back, the notebook hitting the floor again as Ruby fumbled, the rest of her things falling in quick succession. She stared at him, eyes wide with something he couldn't identify; his pulse had quickened and his stomach was twisting painfully. He felt like he was going to be sick, his heart was pounding away in his chest and all he could do was step back. Away from her, from this moment, he wasn't prepared for this at all; for his soulmate to be someone so innocent and sweet looking it made him want to choke.

"Mercury." Ruby called, she's staring still, patience had settled in her voice and she smiled. Gentle, caring, and understanding. Everything Mercury is not she seems to suddenly exude, she looked so childish mere moments ago but now she's the centre of his world. He can't think of any expectation she didn't meet, she didn't have any, she was perfect.

"…are you scared?" she asked, Mercury felt his throat tighten as she approached, by now the professor had even cleared out. It was just them, he prayed another class would tumble in to save him but not a soul entered like they knew what was going on. He felt something finally give and he was gone, out of the room and away from her; out of everyone in Remnant she was his other half. He didn't know whether to think of her as a blessing or a curse come to ruin his life that he had finally pieced together.

He hated how she had looked at him, her eyes, the liquid silver burning with something he could only believe to be love and adoration he didn't deserve. He murdered human and Faunus alike for scraps all his life and suddenly, here was his other half. His other half was something pure, untarnished by the hatred the world poisoned the young with, she was as blissfully unaware as he'd expect someone like her to be. He made it to the courtyard and stakes a claim on a nearby bench, he's winded but he knows he shouldn't be, he's ran longer distances than this giving more effort and still maintained proper breathing. His insides squirmed with the bubbly excitement he didn't want to feel, he wanted to feel anger, to reject her, anything but this. He wanted his soulmate to be someone he could hate.

His older ideals of protecting and finding something akin to happiness were a childish dream, as he was now, he knew better than to want any of those things. He was supposed to be a killer, craving revenge, and to destroy all that those in power had built. Yet, here he was, made weak by the stray touch of his rather innocent soulmate.

WHEN YOU'RE GARBAGE AND HAVE NO SELF CONTROL.

So this is gonna be a 3 shot with: Mercury centric, Ruby centric, and then a final chapter of them trying to find where they stand. I have the second one written but not the third and I want to write that one before uploading the second. So let's see if this gets some positive feedback? I dunno. We shall see~

Writing Mercury as happy is actually kinda difficult so if you're looking for that AU I mentioned from a previous work "Is it a Deal?" it's still in the works. I can't get a feel for him being happy with kids and wife just yet so hopefully this will help!

Thanks!