Chapter Text
Martha and Thomas Wayne didn't need soulmarks to know that they loved each other. They each had two. One was for each other with Martha's being a book for him and Thomas’s being a flower for her. Those were outlined in gold, signifying that they both accepted their soulmate. However, they each had one for someone else. For the longest time, they were unsure who the extra someone was. Then Thomas joined the military and teamed up with a British SAS agent under the name of Alfred Pennyworth. At the time, he wasn't expecting to find a life-long friend. But something was different about his war buddy, like there was something that they just had like a bond that said I understand. I get you.
Even back then, Alfred almost always wore gloves of some kind. But then one day, out on the field, some mud had soaked through his combat gloves. He slipped them off and used a tissue from his pocket to clean his hands. That was when Thomas saw two tiny soulmarks. Each of them were in small circles as if they were portraits, and they rested on the back of two of his knuckles. Thomas asked if he could observe them. Alfred held out his hand. One had a floral pattern, which Alfred explained that he always thought of it as a lace pattern. The other was a half British and half American flag. The outlines were gray, meaning he hadn't met who they belonged to yet. Thomas took Alfred’s hand, to observe it better, and his hand slipped over the marks. There, right on the field, the mark with the flag buzzed. The outline became a solid black while the inside was colored red, white, and blue. The flag waved, animatedly, and the now black outline began to glow a healthy, platonic, bioluminescent green. Yes, Alfred was his second soulmate. His knuckle glowed and waved for hours after until it finally settled back to a plain black outline with no coloring in the middle.
After the war, Alfred, Thomas, and Martha all took turns touching each other’s soulmarks, activating them with the same green glow, and confirming he was both their missing soulmate. Alfred saw no problem in this. Finally, Martha fell pregnant. Thomas asked Alfred if he could hire him as security for his wife and child, and Alfred said he could hardly refuse. Thus, the Waynes and their beloved friend and butler were soulmates.
Months later, Martha and Thomas were in a homey, cozy delivery room with a trusted midwife. Alfred was left to sit on a bench outside. Martha screamed, and cried, and pushed, and begged, until finally they had a new son. They laid the baby on her skin, the midwife wiping away any extra vernix with a towel, and the two came to the conclusion to name him Bruce.
“It’s such a handsome name,” Martha had insisted. Thomas couldn’t have agreed more.
They then saw on right above the baby’s knee was a tiny grey mark. At first glance, they thought it may have been some sort of blemish such as a bruise or a birthmark. However, upon closer inspection, Thomas noticed, “My word! Is… is that a bowtie?”
“Congratulations!” The midwife announced, “You have a healthy baby boy, and he already has a soulmark. He’s bound to have a friend since birth!”
Thomas reached down and stroked the soulmark. It did nothing under his touch. Martha followed, and again, nothing happened. They were not their son’s soulmate.
Then the cord was cut, the baby was diapered and fed, and Martha was ready for sleep. Before she did, Thomas left to find Alfred. He felt the room, walked down a hallway, and made it to a screen door. He opened it to a lovely porch with a wicker bench. There was a man in a nice suit with a head full of black hair, a mustache, and a bowtie sitting on it. “Alfred!” Thomas shouted, “It’s a baby boy!”
Alfred was not looking at Thomas. Instead, the man had removed a pair of silk gloves and was staring at his hand. “Alfred?” Thomas asked.
“Hmm?” Alfred hummed before peering up, “Yes, my good sir?”
“Alfie, is something wrong with your hand?”
He assured him, “Oh, no, not at all, sir! It only appears that I have a new soulmate.”
Sure enough, on the bottom knuckle of his middle finger, next to the golden lace and flag soulmarks, was a new gray one. Again, it was in a small portrait. Inside of it was a symbol appearing similar to a cartoonish bat.
“How odd,” Thomas commented.
Alfred hummed, “Yes, very odd. Now, good sir, there is a baby for me to meet?”
Thomas grinned, “Please, Alfred, come meet your new godson.”
He followed Thomas inside. Martha smiled at him when he entered the room. Alfred sat on the side of the bed as she presented the child. “This is Bruce,” she told him, “Bruce Wayne.”
Thomas asked, “Would you like to hold him?”
He was so starstruck that he almost said no. In the end, Martha handed the baby, wrapped loosely in a blanket, to him. Alfred, having never held an infant before, especially one so small, he immediately cradled it with both his arms and nervously held it close to his body. He was stiff as a statue as if the poor child was made of the frailest of glass. ”Hello, little one,” he whispered, “I am Alfred. You must be Bruce.”
The baby, in response, scrunched up his teeny tiny nose and wiggled in the grip on the stranger. The blanket around him slipped and revealed his legs. Alfred readjusted his grip and yelped, “Oh, please, don’t fall!”
One of Alfred’s large hands managed to scoop from under the babe and held on to his wiggly legs. To their surprise, the baby immediately calmed. Martha gasped, “Alfred! Look!”
Alfred moved his thumb. Above the baby’s knee was a red bowtie. The outline was glowing a very strong, loyal, royal blue. Alfred was speechless.
Thomas stared at the baby and then his best friend. He said, “Alfred, hand him to me.”
Alfred obliged. Thomas smiled at the baby and then at Alfred. “Alfred, tap him with your new soulmark.”
Shakily, Alfred reached out, turned his hand, and tapped Bruce with his knuckle. Alfred’s new third soulmark darkened. The middle bat is filled in black, which is usually concerning, but the background of the portrait is filled with yellow. The bat fluttered its wings, and the onlookers heard a high pitched screech. Just like Bruce’s soulmark, Alfred’s mark glowed a royal blue. Alfred felt both amazed and a little guilty as he had not waited until Bruce would be old enough to remember their first connection. He was unsure what to say, but he didn’t need to say anything. Thomas and Martha simply, happily smiled at each other.
“He’ll be a loyal friend,” Martha said.
“And a perfect godfather,” Thomas added.
Alfred looked down at the child. Baby Bruce giggled for the first time ever. It was then and there that Alfred decided that, no matter what happened, whether the universe or whatever commanded it or not, he would have gladly given his life for that baby. Whether he was talking to Thomas or to Bruce, Alfred wasn’t sure, but he declared with all his heart, “I'll make you proud, sir."