A/N: Written primarily for August 2018's Romance Awareness - Day 13: Everyone wears a mask. You are unable to take off your mask until you meet the person who is wearing an identical mask to you - your soulmate.

Any other prompts or challenges are listed at the bottom so as not to give anything away.

Words: 968

Glorious

Teddy picked up the mask in his hands gingerly. It was simple, black with runes etched along the cheekbones and edges. He had spent so long with his mask off that it felt strange to be willingly touching it again. Except, Teddy reminded himself, this wasn't his mask. It was his soulmates.

They had found each other in prison of all places. Teddy thought it rather fitting, that his soulmate had a soul of ash grey and a name that few dared to whisper. Teddy had been arrested for a slew of crimes, primarily acts of espionage. Tom had had enough sway in Azkaban prison to ensure that the man with the same mask as his became his cellmate and from the moment Teddy had slowly taken Tom's mask off with trembling hands, it had been electric.

Teddy hesitated to call it love, even in the back of his mind.

What they had was fire, luminescent with passion. It was cold too, plans moving along slower than a glacier but with just as much force. They were going to change the world together, Teddy and Tom, and the world wouldn't even know until it was too late. Tonight one of their bigger plans were going to come to fruition. It had taken months once they'd gotten out of prison, to let the rumours die down.

The Eiffel towers lights came on and Teddy glanced at the sight, reaching for a delicate paintbrush. They were in a hotel room, muggle and magical passports in the safe as well as other forms of I.D. They had been so many different people recently, Teddy had been in his element. Now it was late in the evening, too late to be working really but the job called for it and if it was one thing that Teddy was happy to drop things for, it was any job he and Tom were pulling.

"Do you have any preference?"

"Silver and green strike me as rather becoming, good with my colouring I think," Tom said, not looking up from where he was pouring over the blueprint he had in front of him. Teddy hid a smile, watching his lover's long fingers trace down the page before going back to the task at home. They were about to start a long con and the first hurdle was an immediate one. The Ministry was corrupt, everyone knew it. If you weren't in the pocket of the Minister, you were subjugated because of it.

They were going to even the score from the inside.

Getting there was going to be difficult but Tom had thought of a shortcut. Several of the Minister's close allies and cabinet members were what common people called 'Masked'. They hadn't found their soulmates and so the mask that had grown in place over their face tied directly to their magic was unable to come off. Touching someone else's mask was considered the ultimate taboo and yet what Teddy and Tom were doing felt unfathomable.

Teddy felt a shiver of excitement run down his spine.

He kept painting, working off the pictures in front of him. Barty Crouch Junior, the son of the man who was widely considered the Minister to become next autumn's election, had a silver and green mask. It was swirling, chaotic and eye-catching.

"That's it, baby. Come to papa,"

Teddy murmured encouragingly to the mask as it started to come together. "You'll look perfect," he continued with a small smile, knowing that Tom would be irritated by the compliment.

"He's an easily susceptible mark. Neurotic and addicted to medication, possibly even psychotic. I'll have him wrapped around my finger in no time."

"And in your bed," Teddy snorted with a knowing look. "Nothing beats a first kiss."

At that, Tom straightened. "Is that a note of jealousy I hear in your voice? There is a green streak in your hair."

"Are you for real? I actually think that's paint. I don't give a fuck what you do to him, as long as I'm standing in the shadows when you become Minister. He can be your little plaything, I'm in this because I can see the big picture, and it's magnificent. I'm just so relieved it's all over, all the planning. This is it."

Tom didn't smile but he nodded, withholding any acerbic comments as Teddy passed over the finished mask.

"Once I've fixed it, you'll just have to wandless do the spell that will let Barty take it off."

"I know."

They worked quietly for a while, going over the strategy and adjusting the mask. Then Teddy stood in the mirror, transfiguring his clothes and using his metamorphmagus abilities to alter his appearance. When they were done, the pair of them looked at each other, both now seemingly different people. It would be months before they were alone in a room together if everything went according to plan. Teddy was going to do what he did best and steal information, as well as anything of value, whilst everyone's attention was in Paris for an Annual Gathering of the Influential Magical People of Europe.

Tom's ticket said that he was a benefactor. Most of the money had come from the last job they had pulled together and Teddy half grinned at the thought.

"Don't get yourself caught. Remember the plan. If you get in trouble, contact me. You know I'll always protect you."

"If you have to kill anyone, please do something spectacular. I'll be reading the papers," Teddy said with a wink. Then he apparated away, fingers stained with green paint and electricity in his veins.

They were going to change the world and then when everything that had tried to keep them down was in ashes around them, they would rebuild. They would rule. It would be glorious.

A/N:

Character Appreciation: Word: Strategy

Disney Challenge: C2. Write about someone with many skills.

Trope of the Month: Cross-Gen, (dialogue) "Are you for real?"

Cookies Crafty Corner - Cast Off: (dialogue) "I'm so relieved it's over."

Book Club: Luke: (dialogue) "You know I'll take care of you.", (location) hotel room, (object) passport

Showtime: 2. (setting) France

Amber's Attic: T5. Write about someone dressing up.

Lyric Alley: 9. For we are glorious

Ami's Audio Admirations: Write about someone stuck working late.

Em's Emporium: 2. (trope) Wild past/backstory

Angel's Arcade: 4. (trait) cunning, (occupation) thief, (dialogue) "That's it, baby. Come to papa."

Lo's Lowdown: O3. Genre: Crime

Bex's Bazaar: D4. Write about someone with an amazing skill.

Film Festival: (AU) Mistaken Identity/Fake Identity

Days of the Year: Catfish Day: Write about someone being Catfished, or Catfishing someone.

Summer Prompts: (dialogue) "Nothing beats a first kiss."

Element Prompts: (word) Luminous

Shay's Musical Challenge: 8. Book of Mormon - write about someone achieving their goal through dishonest means.

Astronomy Prompts: Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. (AU) Thief

Sophie's Tearoom: Moroccan Mint Tea: (colour) Pale Green

Chocolate Frog Cards: (Bronze) Copernicus: Write about a jack of many trades.