by Erin M. Leaf
Duncan squinted. They almost looked like geometric patterns. The ones on his arms were exactly the same—a circle interspersed with what looked like vines. He swore the designs grew clearer the longer he looked at them. “Look, they match.” Jake rested his fingers on Duncan’s left arm. “They’re the same on both arms.”
“Jake,” Duncan said, voice low. “What the fuck is going on?” His head hurt, and his arms were itching now, too. “What the hell are those things?”
Jake shook his head. “I have no idea, man,” he began to say then broke off, clutching his head at the exact moment that Duncan’s head throbbed violently. Both men gasped, then as suddenly as the stabbing pain began, it disappeared. They looked at each other then down at their arms. The patterns were fully visible now, like tattoos etched in black ink on their skin.
“Whoa,” Duncan muttered, rubbing at his arm.
“Hey, my headache’s gone.” Jake looked at Duncan. “What does it mean that my unexpected and mysterious new tattoos are exactly the same as yours?”
“I have no idea, but I’m willing to bet that Emma now has a pair just like them.” The two men stared at each other, freaked out. Then Duncan sat back as a thought occurred to him. “You think she’s okay? I mean, the headaches were really bad, and then they just disappeared, like magic. She’s probably at school teaching right now.”
Jake sighed then ran his hands through his wavy hair. “I don’t know, man. I hope so. Hell, I can’t even believe we’re actually entertaining the thought that this is real and not just some vague collective hallucination.” Duncan put his arm around Jake, sensing that Jake needed the physical contact as much as he did right now. Whatever was going on, Jake was his best friend and that would never change. He did his best to ignore the warm scent of Jake’s hair and the incredible smoothness of his skin as he pulled the other man as close as he could.
He felt Jake relax, reassured by Duncan’s easy affection. Duncan frowned. In fact, he could almost feel Jake inside his head, as though they suddenly had a weird kind of emotional telepathy. He wondered if Jake was having the same sense, and then their eyes met and Jake smiled shakily then blushed. Duncan inhaled sharply, feeling a stab of attraction suddenly course through him. Jake’s eyes widened, and his smile faded. With a sudden sinking sensation, Duncan realized that Jake could sense his emotions too. Shit! Jake’s eyes darted away.
“Jake,” Duncan began, desperate to reassure his friend. He cleared his throat. “Jake, look at me.” Duncan willed the other man to turn back toward him. “I don’t know what’s happening, but I want you to know...” He stopped, not knowing what to say. He reached out and grasped Jake’s arm, running his fingers over the mark on his smooth skin. “You’re my best friend.” Duncan’s voice cracked. “I don’t want you to worry, nothing will change that, I promise. I don’t know what’s going on either, but you know I love you.” Duncan ran his thumb over Jake’s tattoo, ignoring the other man’s trembling. He didn’t know what he’d do if Jake left because of this supernatural weirdness. He pulled back, worried he was being too forward.
“Hey, no, you know I love you back.” Jake grabbed Duncan’s hand, stilling the movement. Duncan felt warmth curl inside his body at the roughness of Jake’s voice. “I’m not going to leave.” Duncan closed his eyes, the wave of relief he felt overwhelming him. He listened to Jake breathe in and out, slowly and deliberately calming himself down. Duncan turned the other man’s hand over and clasped their fingers together, familiar with Jake’s meditation strategies. Duncan quieted his mind too, concentrating on Jake’s fingers, the hum of the laptop sitting on the table. Then, just as he was about to open his eyes, he felt confusion. It wasn’t his. It wasn’t Jake’s. He sensed the other man’s presence in his mind like a comforting weight, strange and familiar both, but this new emotion wasn’t coming from either of them. He gasped and Jake gripped his arm tightly. Duncan’s eyes popped open just as he felt the confusion in his mind give way to shock. He guessed that Emma had suddenly figured out what was happening.
* * * *
Emma gasped, trying to recapture her train of thought. “You okay, Ms. Bell?” one of the students asked.
Emma couldn’t remember the girl’s name. All the kids’ faces suddenly blurred in the wake of the stabbing pain she felt in her temples. Her forearms itched, and she rubbed at them absently through her blouse. “I’m okay.” She tried to think. She glanced at the clock set in the far wall above the stacks. Five minutes until she could dismiss the class. She winced at the glare of sunlight streaming in through the squat windows set near the ceiling.
“Let’s pack up early today,” she said as another flash of pain stabbed behind her eyes. Her arms were starting to really bother her, and she felt lightheaded. Was she having an allergic reaction? She thought back over what she’d eaten that morning while the students gathered their books, excitement at the early dismissal from class running through their voices. Emma sat on the edge of one of the student’s desks, praying she wouldn’t pass out. What was wrong with her?
“Emma? Are you feeling all right?” Julie asked. Emma jumped. She didn’t expect her aide to sneak up on her like that.
“I don’t know, Julie.” Emma rubbed her forehead. “I think I’m going to go sit in the office for a minute. I have a terrible headache. Would you watch the students for me? I dismissed them early.”
Julie nodded. “No problem. And at least you don’t have another formal class until after lunch.”
“Yeah, I forgot about that. Thank God,” Emma said, relieved. She got up and went to the office, carefully maneuvering through the desks covered with piles of ongoing tasks. She ignored the looks the others threw her way. Portia waved at her, but Emma pretended not to see. The ESL teacher and his aide watched as Emma stumbled then got up to come help, but she waved them away. She needed to sit down for a moment. It felt like she was threading her way through an obstacle course just to get to the bathroom. She snagged her now cold coffee from her desk as she weaved past, and then she was at the bathroom.
She opened the door and put the coffee on the sink counter then ran cold water over her hands. She felt hot and cold at the same time. Her arms still itched. She rolled up the sleeves of her blouse then bent down to run water over forearms. She closed her eyes in relief as the water soothed the itch, then forced them back open as she realized there was something on her skin. What the hell? She frowned, headache forgotten for a moment. It looked like she’d gotten tattooed. On both arms. She jerked away from the water, peering at the black circle and vine-like lines suddenly inked on her body. Her heart sped up, pounding uncomfortably as she swayed on her feet. What was going on? She grimaced and rubbed at the marks, but they didn’t come off. She grabbed a few paper towels and sat on the toilet, scrubbing at her arms, but she didn’t succeed in doing anything more than irritating her skin.
Eventually she gave up and sat there, trying to think through the headache. She let her mind drift, remembering the dreams she’d had the night before, especially the last one that was so vivid. She didn’t have any trouble recalling that one. She felt her face go hot. Even though the dreams were strange, she felt oddly comforted, as though the two men really knew her. As though she knew them. As though they were her friends and she could turn to them for comfort. She grimaced. Her mind had obviously cracked from the migraine or whatever the hell was wrong with her. A sudden stab in her temples made her gasp, and her arms began to throb, not itching any longer but burning. She almost cried out, trying not to throw up, and then as suddenly as the pain began, it stopped.
Emma sat up, disoriented. She felt a flash of confusion then a cool stillness washed over her. She closed her eyes and saw Duncan looking at her worriedly. When she looked down, Jake’s arms were spread out on a table and both forearms had the same tattoos that had suddenly etched themselves on her skin. Duncan gripped Jake’s arms, the feel of his skin warm and reassuring. Emma didn’t know how it was possible, but she knew without a doubt that
she was seeing through Jake’s eyes, right now. Suddenly, Jake breathed deep and flexed his hands, making the tattoos ripple, and Emma was back in her own head, confused and exhausted. Except, she wasn’t alone anymore. She could feel them both at the back of her consciousness, as though the pain and tattoos were the catalyst that finally connected the three of them together. She frowned, sensing the men’s worry for her. It was weird. She was obviously losing her mind. Emma wondered what to do next. Should she go home? She didn’t want to miss class and throw the rest of the afternoon into chaos by going home sick, so she shook her head, deciding to stay. The headache was better now, anyway.
Emma stood up and left the bathroom, happy to see that the office had cleared out. Everyone probably went to lunch, she thought as she retrieved the salad she’d left in the office refrigerator a few days ago. Some of the leaves were a bit limp, but it was mostly okay to eat. She wasn’t up to dealing with the school cafeteria or even the faculty lounge today. She settled into her chair and swiveled around to flick on the small television she kept on the shelf behind her desk, idly flipping to the local news. After a few bites of her lunch, she abruptly sat up. On the television, the anchor was detailing the surge of people posting on the internet about the sudden development of unexplained headaches and marks appearing on their arms. Emma frowned. She wasn’t the only one experiencing this?
“Twitter is still trending the rash of unexplained headaches and tattoos that people all over the world seem to be experiencing. According to reports, the incidence of this phenomenon seems to be holding steady, with maybe one person in five hundred thousand over the past week developing headaches, strange hallucinations or dreams, and the sudden appearance of tattoos on one arm. Physicians have been unable to explain what is causing these symptoms, but anecdotal reports show that, generally, couples are experiencing the symptoms together. This suggests that the transmission may be sexual in nature, although the rarity of the phenomenon has most experts stumped. No one seems to be experiencing any severe problems aside from persistent headaches. In fact, most patients report heightened feelings of empathy towards their partner, especially once the headaches subside. Some couples have begun calling the phenomenon an emotional ‘bond’ although most reputable medical doctors feel that something physiological must certainly be causing the symptoms. As yet, no one understands how the marks on the skin occur, though they seem to be caused by a sudden surge of excess melatonin, possibly as a result of hormonal fluctuations. What has most experts stumped is that each couple’s tattoos are identical.”
After broadcasting a few interviews with people who’d been affected by the mysterious “bond,” the show cut to commercial. Emma turned off the television and chewed mechanically. She wasn’t the only one experiencing this weirdness, but why did she have two tattoos instead of one? And she wasn’t involved with anyone. She hadn’t dated seriously since college, yet all the other victims were part of a couple. Absently, she fished the limp croutons from her lunch and tossed them in the trash. She knew her tattoos had something to do with Duncan and Jake. She could feel her bond to them. To both of them. That was probably why she had two tattoos. Emma sighed. She was bonded to two people at the same time? How was this going to work? She set her salad aside and dropped her face in her hands, not even flinching when the door to the office opened and Julie walked in.
“Hey, you feeling any better?” Julie asked, setting her purse on the desk next to Emma’s.
Emma looked up and then grabbed her lunch again, spearing a few more limp pieces of lettuce as she nodded. “I’m okay, I think.” She took a few more bites, forcing herself to swallow the lettuce, then gave up, dropping her fork with a huff. “Okay, okay, I’m a little freaked out, actually.”
“Freaked out? Why? What’s wrong?” Julie sat in an empty chair near Emma. “You just have a bad headache, right?”
Emma sighed then rolled her sleeves up. “Look.”
Julie frowned and leaned over. “Hey, those look like those tattoos that people are getting. I saw it on the news last night.”
Emma nodded.
“Except, wait, why do you have two?” Julie asked, confused. “And I heard that only couples are getting them, and you’re not dating anyone.”
“I don’t know why I have two.” Emma let her arms drop to her lap, uneasy about explaining her suspicions to Julie. “Between the headaches and then this, I don’t really know what’s going on at all.”
“I wonder if more people are getting the tattoos than are coming forward and talking about them,” Julie speculated. She eyed Emma’s arms, looking at her friend curiously. “Are you dreaming about anyone?”
“You know who I dreamed about, Julie. But that’s crazy. I’ve never even listened to his music.”
“What about Jake?” Julie asked.
“What about him?” Emma deliberately avoided the question.
“Did you dream about him, too?” Julie pressed. Emma shrugged and looked away from Julie’s eager face. “Oh my God, you did!” Julie said, voice rising. “Seriously?”
Emma sighed. “Yeah. And I could swear that I hallucinated about them today, while I was awake.”
“While you were awake? What do you mean?” Julie looked increasingly excited.
“I was in the bathroom and my head hurt, so I closed my eyes and tried to relax. Suddenly, I saw Duncan looking at me, but when I looked down, I wasn’t myself. I was Jake. I could tell by the hands.” Emma shook her head then looked at her friend. Julie’s eyes were wide. “And when I opened my eyes again, the scene faded, but I can still feel something. It’s like they’re in the back of my head.” Emma sighed. “I can’t really explain it.” She looked at Julie. Her friend was perched on the edge of her seat. “It’s probably nothing, I’m sure I’m imagining—” Emma tried to say, but Julie burst out before she could continue.
“Holy crap! I think you’re bonded with them!”
“What? No!” A wave of anxiety swept over her. She knew Julie was right, but she didn’t really want her friend pressing her about it.
“You’re seeing both of them, right?” Julie asked, and Emma nodded. “And from what I’ve heard on the news, when people get those tattoos, they feel each other, can tell what they’re feeling or whatever.”
“That’s crazy,” Emma said, sheer stubbornness making her deny what she already knew was happening.
Julie reached out and grabbed her hands. “Look, so far we’ve heard about couples bonding. But what if you don’t have to be a couple? What if this thing bonds people who are compatible together, whether or not they already know each other?”
“You can’t tell anyone!” Emma’s heart raced. She clutched Julie’s fingers tight. “I don’t understand what’s going on, and I don’t want anyone else to know.”
Julie squeezed back. “Of course I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to. We’re friends, right? Hey, you helped me when I broke up with Matt, and that was definitely going above and beyond the rules of friendship considering what a blubbering mess I was. I won’t tell. Promise.”
Emma nodded, relieved. “Thanks.” She smiled softly. Julie smiled back. “It’s just—” She broke off, trying to figure out a way to explain how unsettled she was without sounding like she was insane.
Julie nodded. “I know. This all feels weird, like a dream, right?”
“How did you know?”
Julie laughed. “I can’t even imagine what it would be like to dream about Duncan and Jake then wake up and have those marks appear on your arm. I’d be ecstatic! But also a little freaked out. I mean, I like to choose who I’m going to fall in love with, you know? Does this mean that you don’t have a choice now?”
Emma frowned. “That’s exactly what I’m worried about. And, well, I still think I’m going crazy.”
“You’re not going crazy,” Julie retorted, shaking her a bit. Emma sighed, not telling her friend that she could still feel Jake and Duncan in the back of her head. Both men were there, and if sh
e concentrated, she could tell what they were thinking. That freaked her out more than anything, because it was totally impossible.
“Hey, wait,” Julie said as Emma tossed her limp salad in the trash. “If you’re actually connected to Jake and Duncan, does that mean they’re connected to you too?”
“That’s how it works, I think,” Emma replied, her stomach growling.
“Whoa. Can they hear us talking?”
Emma stood up and looked down at Julie, her brow wrinkling as she concentrated. She felt both men stop their conversation and look inward. “Yeah,” she whispered, feeling Duncan and Jake’s attention inside like a physical caress. She shivered as the men smiled.
“Um, wow.” Julie’s eyes widened.
Emma grinned. “Jake thinks you’re cute,” she said, not knowing how she knew that but sure of her certainty nonetheless.
* * * *
Jake lounged on the beat-up sofa backstage, closing his eyes and relaxing. He’d turned off all the lights except those that ringed the dressing table mirror, basking in the dim light though he knew he really didn’t have the time for it. If he concentrated, he could feel Emma puttering around her kitchen. He mused over how quickly he’d grown used to her in his head. What was not so easy to get used to was Duncan’s constant presence. They’d been friends for a long time, spent every day together, but even so, they’d never lived in each other’s brains before. There was no disguising the attraction Duncan felt for Jake, nor his iron self-control. Jake knew intimately how much their friendship meant to the other man, and finding out just how badly Duncan desired him was a shock. On the other hand, Jake’s growing attraction to his friend was even more disturbing. It was one thing to know that your friend was bisexual and quite another to realize that some strange biological event was changing your own sexuality to match. That was the real reason why he was sitting in Duncan’s dressing room. He kept trying to wrap his brain around it all. A lifetime of being straight and now he was hot for his best friend. He sighed then rolled his eyes, disgusted with himself. Get over it, dude. So you have the hots for Duncan. It’s not a big deal.
