Andy didn’t like his dreams. Everyone else seemed to adore them, they couldn’t wait to sleep so they could meet their soulmate and feel the power. But Andy didn’t like it.

Maybe it was cause he didn’t really meet up with his Flame, it was more like a shadow of sorts, but made out of water. He knew he would see his Flame, since Eric was seeing his Wave. But for some reason Andy just never saw anything remotely human when he dreamt.

Eric wasn’t helping either, he said his dreams were private and he wouldn’t let Andy know anything about the Wave he was seeing, not even the gender.

Andy had his own thoughts about why that was.

Eric had always been good to him, he always took care of him, as far back as he could remember. Andy had only just turned  16 so this would be the first year he could receive his powers, but Eric was already 20, the last year you could receive them.

It was clear to Andy what had happened, He was Eric’s Wave. It seemed strange, he knew, they grew up together so they should be brothers, but Andy had always felt shy around the older boy and he had always admired him, and he knew that Eric had to feel the same. He could feel that Eric liked him too.

It had to be that way, why else would they be ready at the same time? Why else would Eric be so secretive? He had seen him, he had to. Andy hadn’t seen Eric, and he knew that was strange but he did see this water shadow in his dreams, and he could resemble the older boy. He had broad shoulders like Eric and he was taller than Andy, and who said all people had to dream about their partner? Maybe the elements didn’t want to let them know since you aren’t supposed to meet up with your other half before the ceremony.

Andy didn’t know all the formalities, they weren’t a high class family so they weren’t told much, and he was lucky to even have a family.

He had been left by his mother when he was a year old, he didn’t know or remember anything but he had been told by his new mother that she had heard a baby crying on her way home one day, that baby had been Andy and since she didn’t know where to take him, and no one seemed to care for him, she had just taken him home and kept him.

It was lucky that Eric’s mother had been so warm, not only because this was the reason he had met such an amazing person as Eric, but also because orphans were treated horribly. Andy didn’t know many orphans, he just knew where the home for people who were alone was. If you lost your partner and couldn’t get a job you went there, if you were an orphan you went there, and Andy knew how other people treated someone who was half.

Andy was lucky he had only lost his parents and not his Flame, you can grow up and get a better life, but if you lose your other half you are alone forever, and there are very few things you can do without your other half.

Eric was moving on the bed next to him, he was smiling, possibly dreaming. Andy could feel the blush on his cheeks as he thought about Eric’s dreams, he was smiling like this dreaming about him.

Eric was waking up, he was shifting and moving a lot now, he always did that before his dreams ended. Andy hadn’t slept much that night, he was too nervous, today he would finally be linked to Eric forever, he would be Eric’s other half, and he would be able to be something more than “the orphan kid the Muns adopted”.

“Eric?” he uttered softly, facing the bigger boy.

“What?” Eric was groaning, probably still half asleep, he shouldn’t have woken him up.

“I just…” he was shy now, he was always shy when he had to talk to Eric, but now he had also ruined his last sleep at home, he was a failure as a Wave “… you had your dream again?” he had to say something but he was scared now, twiddling his thumbs nervously, he couldn’t even face Eric.

“yeah, same old dream, and you? Still not seeing your Flame?” Eric spoke, he didn’t sound angry but you never knew, Eric was always good at shielding him from harm, he didn’t want Andy to be hurt.

“you’ll be fine, now get dressed so we can eat” he smiled, so he really wasn’t angry, he was happy and that made Andy feel happy. Eric always worked like that, he was really a perfect person.

He got up quickly, following the Flame who was already looking at his clothes. He knew how good Eric would look in the red and golden clothes, they would make him look, if possible, even manlier. He couldn’t help blushing imagining how good they would look together, the Wave and Flame clothes making it obvious for everyone.

Andy picked up his own shirt, but before he could even think about putting it on, his heartbeat began speeding up and a lump formed in his throat as Eric undressed in front of him like it was nothing.

He could see the abs, the warm skin. He was completely red, he knew it.

Quickly, he dressed himself, trying to make up for the lost time he wasted staring at Eric. Luckily Eric seemed to be dressing himself in slow motion, was he teasing Andy?

“We… we should go… go… eat…” he managed to stutter, how embarrassing, but it got Eric’s attention and finally made the older boy put on his shirt.

“Yeah, you need to eat more anyway, even if you are a Wave, we wouldn’t want you to break would we?” Eric’s warm tone was like music to Andy. He cared so much for him. It was true Andy was skinny, he knew Eric loved to point that out, but Andy liked to think it was a good thing, it made him more Wave like and he blushed imagining Eric protecting him.

Eric grabbed his cheek, smiling warmly at him. They were really going to be linked today.

Breakfast went well, Eric seemed too busy with eating to talk, Andy was too nervous still to get anything down, even if their mother kept telling him to eat.

“I don’t think it has really entered my head fully that I’m losing both of you today” their mother was sensitive, Andy would miss her, she was the most amazing woman he had ever met.

“You won’t be losing them dear, they will be back out before you know it” their father smiled at them both, Eric looked so free of worry, like he wasn’t scared at all, while Andy felt like he would explode soon.

 “You are going to help Andy today aren’t you?” Andy’s ears perked up as their mother addressed Eric. She didn’t know yet just how much he would care for him, how happy wouldn’t they be when they found out they were going to be each other’s Wave and Flame?

“Of course mom, we can’t have Andy getting lost on his big day can we?” Eric laughed, he must have been finding this funny too, how they didn’t know yet.

“I’m so happy we found you Andy, remember, you are our son as much as any of our other kids are” he smiled brightly at her, shy that attention was brought back to him.

“I’m happy you found me too… I really will miss you all…” he could feel tears stinging his eyes.

“You need to get going now you two, the train leaves in five minutes and you need to be on it” their dad interrupted the two, he was right though, they needed to get going.

Andy got up and started hugging their dad while Eric said goodbye to their mother.

“Now, Andy, be strong, don’t let anyone tell you there’s something you can’t do” their dad smiled, ruffling the brown hair on Andy’s head. He was going to miss this.

He gave him one last hug before walking over to Eric, letting Andy say goodbye to their mother.

“Oh Andy…” she hugged him, he could feel her crying against his shoulder. No words were needed, they knew what each other meant.

They had to run after that, the train was early and they had taken too long in the morning. Eric was faster, he always was, but he made sure Andy wasn’t left behind and when his asthma started acting up, Eric was there to help him through it.

It was embarrassing to h