Archive of Our Own

Jongin closes his eyes as he leans back into a reclined leather chair, his arm resting out on a stand with his forearm facing upwards as he breathes deeply, relaxing before what he knew would be a grueling session. The sound of a tattoo gun rings in his ears even if the buzzing noise was all around him. 

The first touch to his skin feels like fire and it takes him off guard for a second. His tattoo artist asks him if he’s alright and he just nods, deciding to zone out and internalize the pain. Some people liked the pain of tattoos, for Jongin it was just that, just pain. 

It didn’t really do anything for him and personally he didn’t like it all so much, putting up with it so that he could put art on his skin. He tries to think about anything, about why he was going through this pain for the 9th time but nothing really came to light. 

His mind is blank and there isn’t a single thought there to entertain him, they were all hiding from the one thing he always seemed to think about. Jongin opens his eyes and it takes a moment to adjust to the bright studio lights in the shop. 

His eyes gaze down to his other arm that was resting in his lap and he unconsciously traces the lines of his other tattoos. Looking at the way the shapes fit onto his skin, how they still held up despite him getting his first tattoo the day he turned 18.

Jongin wasn’t necessarily covered head to toe, he had ambitions and unfortunately tattoos weren’t well accepted in all workplaces just yet. Plus, that was expensive and he still had student loans to pay. 

“Your tattoos are all pretty similar, does it match with your soulmate tattoo too?” his tattoo artist asks absentmindedly like there was nothing wrong with his somewhat invasive question. Truth be told, there really wasn’t anything wrong with what he’d asked. 

It was so common to speak of nowadays that people shared their personal stories with anyone who asked. Everyone is charmed by the magic that saved the human race decades ago. For Jongin however, it wasn’t like that at all. 

When Jongin doesn’t answer right away his tattoo artist chuckles and pulls away from him for a second before pointing out a small cat tattoo on his wrist.

“My soulmate tattoo appeared when I was giving my soulmate her first tattoo. Isn’t that wild? I almost messed up the linework because I was so surprised. We’ve been together since then but we have a dog, we’re not really cat people,” he reveals with a soft smile, no doubt reminiscing the chance encounter that people dream of. 

Jongin gives him a smile in return, not wanting to be rude to a stranger who was currently putting something on his skin for life. The tattoos worked in mysterious ways and people have tried for years to understand what they meant. For some it was where they met, for others it was the first words they would say to each other. 

For this story in particular Jongin predicts they’ll get a cat someday, it was usually how it worked even if there was no scientific proof to it all. 

In the world he lived in, soulmates existed. Jongin had read about it before when he was young and more cynical than he was now about how things hadn’t always been like this. Some theorists had wondered if it was a second chance from the creator who had seen where society had gone. 

Humans couldn’t trust one another, that much was true. In the past, “soulmates” was a word used without a second thought. It didn’t have any real meaning, people who got along well were soulmates, people who had relations for years upon years were soulmates, people who found each other in tough times were soulmates. 

There had never been a way to actually prove whether or not people were soulmates until a few decades ago. It happened all of a sudden on a normal Thursday in May. People had begun to notice tattoos on their skin, even children had tattoos and it was a strange phenomenon that suddenly graced humanity. 

There were a number of things that people had discovered about soulmates.

Soulmate tattoos only appeared after a fated pair physically met. 

Soulmates were rarely in different places, usually within the same country or city. 

Soulmates are not necessarily always romantic and can be platonic however most times, people marry their soulmates anyways because no one quite understands like a soulmate. 

There were still a number of mysteries regarding soulmates and humans were constantly researching, hungry for more information and determined to learn how it worked. There were even fields of study dedicated to soulmate research now. Jongin usually steered clear of the topic, wanting to live his life without it entirely if it was possible but it was hard to escape. 

The rest of the session goes without many words exchanged. Jongin doesn’t really need many breaks because it’s not too detailed of a piece and his tattoo artist noticed he wasn’t much for conversation. Jongin keeps it in mind to tip him nicely later, feeling a little guilty. 

“I hope you find your soulmate someday, it really isn’t quite like anything else. Update me on how it’s healing and if you need a touch up once it’s healed just email the store,” his tattoo artist says to him as he’s paying and Jongin just waves farewell with a curt smile. 

He probably wouldn’t be returning to this shop even if the experience wasn’t all too bad. Jongin gets into his car and he checks the time, seeing how he still has time to make it to a dinner appointment he’d made the other day. 

Due to the new kinds of skin like sticker wraps nowadays his fresh tattoo doesn’t bother him too much though he does keep his sleeves rolled up just to let it breathe a bit since it does feel tender to touch. 

Jongin arrives at the restaurant in 15 minutes or so and he parks beside a very familiar car, smiling when he looks into the driver’s seat of said vehicle. A man is sitting inside with his head lowered, eyes glued to his phone that was emitting a soft light that shone on his face. 

Jongin gets out of his car and he goes over to the other car, knocking on the passenger window lightly to avoid startling the person inside, he gets startled anyways.

“Jongin! I told you to text me when you got here! You didn’t have to scare me,” Jongin can’t help but laugh as soon as he hears the whiny words and he leans into the passenger side window as soon as it’s rolled down.

“I told you to go on and wait inside if you got here first, Kyungsoo,” Jongin says and Kyungsoo sighs, rolling up the window in spite, which makes Jongin pull away. 

Kyungsoo gets out of his car and he locks the doors before he walks over to Jongin. It’s been a minute since the last time they met and Jongin wonders if somehow his friend shrunk.

“You know I don’t like going in alone, come on. I’m hungry,” Jongin allows himself to be led when Kyungsoo links their arms and begins walking towards the restaurant. 

Once they reach the door Jongin opens it and waits for Kyungsoo to pass through but instead of going up to the hostess Kyungsoo waits for him to enter as well. As soon as he walks up to the hostess, Kyungsoo hides behind him slightly, fidgeting as he keeps his eyes down.

“Hello, we have a reservation at 7 for Jongin Kim?” Jongin asks and the hostess looks down at her iPad before she smiles and leads them towards their table. They’re guided to a small booth in the corner of the restaurant and Jongin is glad for that, he would’ve requested a booth had they not been led to one initially. 

He knows that Kyungsoo feels more comfortable in a booth. Kyungsoo sits down first, scooting to the middle, closer to the window and Jongin sits opposite of him. Jongin hands over the menu to him and he doesn’t say anything else, letting Kyungsoo take his time with it. 

“Hi! I’m Amy and I’ll be your server tonight, can I get you two started with any drinks?” Kyungsoo doesn’t lift his head and Jongin smiles at the server not wanting her to feel uncomfortable.

“Just water for now thank you,” he says and her eyes linger on him before she turns to get them both water. Jongin exhales and he runs his hand through his hair, adjusting the collar of his dress shirt. 

Normally on days he’s getting tattooed he doesn’t really dress up at all but he knew this place was a little on the fancier side and he didn’t want to look like a bum, not when he was already cutting it so close to the end of his appointment. 

Jongin looks up and he sees Kyungsoo staring at him, looking a little breathless. He raises an eyebrow and Kyungsoo coughs awkwardly. Jongin laughs a little to break the weird tension and Kyungsoo’s ears flush bright red even under the dim lights.

“Do you know what you want? I’ll order for you, don't worry,” Jongin reassures him and Kyungsoo looks back down at the menu in a panic, his lips moving as he mumbles his order to himself a few times before he just gives up and places the menu down on the table. 

He sits up a little to point at what he wants. It was like Kyungsoo to simply go for the pasta option and Jongin just nodded his head before he grabbed Kyungsoo’s menu and placed it on top of his own. 

Amy returns with their water and Jongin orders their food, a penne alla vodka for Kyungsoo and a steak with mashed potatoes for himself. He does remember to order an appetizer of spinach and artichoke dip and when he hands the menus back to Amy he can see that Kyungsoo is looking at him. 

There’s a small smile on his face and Jongin doesn’t say anything, he doesn’t have to. They’ve known each other for so many years that Jongin knows exactly what Kyungsoo wants even without him saying anything. 

Kyungsoo had always been the type to hold back. Normally, Kyungsoo is comfortable and carefree around him but it’s been some time since they last met and Kyungsoo has a tendency to withdraw back into his shell.

“Can I see?” Jongin places down his glass after he takes a sip of water and he sees that Kyungsoo is holding out his hands on the table, palms facing upwards. 

Jongin drops his arm into Kyungsoo’s hands and he leans forward, his chin resting under his other hand as he watches Kyungsoo look over every single detail of his new tattoo. 

Kyungsoo takes his time, hesitant fingertips brushing along the fresh lines as he imagines how to draw it himself maybe. Jongin doesn’t always know how Kyungsoo’s mind works, especially when it comes to his tattoos and when it comes to soulmates. 

Unlike himself who is quite vocal about the entire soulmate situation, Kyungsoo has never said anything. Jongin assumes he hasn’t met his soulmate yet just because he doesn’t know about anyone else in Kyungsoo’s life other than him and his coworker and friend Baekhyun. 

“It’s beautiful,” Kyungsoo says softly and there’s a sad look in his eyes as he looks along Jongin’s exposed skin, eyes taking in each and every one of his tattoos there. 

They pull away when Amy returns with their food and it takes a moment before they can start a conversation again, talking about anything. They’re trying to catch up but there’s only so much they can say to make up for the time where they’ve been apart. 

And when they’re both done eating he and Kyungsoo decide to split the bill for today. Jongin calls over Amy and she has a wide smile on her face, seemingly excited about something.

“Say, my shift ends in 10 minutes and I was going to hit the club. Did you want to meet me there?” she says as she leans down a bit, the collar of her shirt revealing too much for Jongin’s comfort. 

“Maybe check whether or not we’re soulmates?” she continues, eyes trailing along Jongin’s figure and he clears his throat uncomfortably.

“Just the bill please,” Jongin says as he looks away and she sighs before taking his card. Jongin nearly forgets about their agreement to split the bill but it was too late and Kyungsoo looked like he was about to cry. 

Jongin doesn’t give her a big tip like he was originally planning to but Kyungsoo hands her a five dollar bill on their way out. They both exit the restaurant and they stand around in front of their cars. 

Neither of them make a move to actually get into their cars and Jongin knows that Kyungsoo wants to talk about what just happened. He personally just wants to forget about it but he knows that Kyungsoo is different.

“Meet me at my apartment? You don’t have work tomorrow right?” Jongin asks and Kyungsoo takes a deep breath. He thinks about it hard, Jongin can tell by the furrow between his brows and then he seems kind of defeated, a troubled smile on his lips that fades when his expression grows a bit brighter.

“Okay, I’ll follow you. I don’t know the way to your place from here,” Kyungsoo accepts and he laughs a bit. Jongin feels relief blossoming in his chest when he sees that smile and he goes to his own car, waiting for Kyungsoo to give him a sign before he slowly exits the parking lot with Kyungsoo on his tail. 

Jongin is careful to drive a bit slower than usual since he knows that Kyungsoo gets nervous on the road and he’s thankful the roads are a bit empty tonight. The restaurant isn’t too far from his place and he’s passed by it a lot but this was his first time actually trying it. 

They turn into his apartment’s underground parking lot and thankfully his neighbour has given Kyungsoo permission to park there when he’s not using it. They’ve met once when Jongin was in the shower, Kyungsoo had answered the door and his neighbour talked his ear off. 

Kyungsoo being the polite person he was, just stood and listened. They get out of their cars and Jongin waits for Kyungsoo before he makes his way to the inner building.

“It’s cold,” Kyungsoo mumbles and he leans closer to Jongin in the elevator. Jongin considers giving him a hug but he doesn’t know whether or not Kyungsoo will appreciate that, so he doesn’t. 

They exit on the 3rd floor (Jongin doesn’t like heights) and they make their way to his apartment. Once inside they both kick off their shoes and Kyungsoo stretches before he plops down on the couch. 

Every time he does that it worries Jongin a little because his head is always too close to the arm rest. Jongin turns on the small heater he keeps in the living room and he goes to his room to change. 

He just takes off his dress shirt, keeping the tank top on underneath and he puts on a pair of pajama pants, removing his jeans. Jongin grabs one of his long sleeve shirts, an old one that was a little loose around the stitches and he puts it in the washroom. When he returns to the living room Kyungsoo is already flipping through channels on the television.

“Hey, if you wanted to change, I put a shirt in the washroom. Did you want anything to drink? I can make some hot chocolate if you’re still cold,” Jongin says nonchalantly as he goes to the kitchen and he doesn’t notice the way Kyungsoo’s cheeks flush red. 

Kyungsoo shuffling footsteps are a little loud as he goes to the washroom and Jongin decides to boil some milk anyways. If Kyungsoo didn’t want any then he’d just drink it. Kyungsoo comes back in a few minutes, his hair looking a little fluffy and he’s practically drowning in Jongin’s shirt. 

The shirt reaches the middle of his thighs and Jongin can’t tell if he’s wearing anything underneath, though he wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t. His eyes unconsciously scan Kyungsoo’s milky white skin and he doesn’t see any visible tattoos on his legs. 

“Do you still have marshmallows?” Kyungsoo asks as he bounces into the kitchen, opening the cupboard where Jongin usually keeps all things sweet. He has to go on the tip of his toes to actually check whether or not there’s any marshmallows and when he spots the bag he grabs it with a smile. His smile fades when squeezes the bag, a pout on his lips before he holds the half open bag up to Jongin’s face.

“They’re not soft anymore!” Kyungsoo’s eyes grow teary and Jongin smiles at him as he pours the heated milk into the instant hot chocolate powder he’d already prepared into their designated mugs. 

“Won’t they get soft again in the hot chocolate? Add as many as you’d like,” Jongin says as gently as he can and Kyungsoo pauses for a moment as he processes the words.

“Oh you’re right,” Kyungsoo laughs at himself and Jongin smiles at him, lightly flicking him on the forehead. They both settle onto the couch and Kyungsoo leaves his mug on the coffee table to cool a bit while Jongin just blows and takes sips at the expense of his tongue. 

They’re watching a random movie on a random channel but neither has any complaints, trying to piece together the movie they started watching near the middle. Commercial breaks were the perfect times to deliberate. 

They’re both done with their hot chocolate by the time Kyungsoo begins dozing off, leaning closer and closer to Jongin but never quite giving in. 

“Kyungsoo can I ask you something?” Jongin unconsciously covers his fresh tattoo with his hand, feeling the heat of his skin underneath the dermal sticker. Kyungsoo blinks and yawns, stretching out his arms, but he’s careful not to expose any skin.

“Of course, what’s on your mind?” Kyungsoo wipes his eyes with his sleeves and he brings his knees up to his chest, hugging them as he turns to look at Jongin. 

“How do you feel about soulmates?” Jongin asks and Kyungsoo’s eyes widen. He sits up straight and his mouth falls open, small breaths escaping his lips. Kyungsoo's expression slowly melts and there’s a soft smile on his face. He looks down at the floor, his eyes seeing something that wasn’t there. 

A thought perhaps? A thought that makes him smile.

“I think they’re wonderful,” Kyungsoo whispers and Jongin can’t describe the pain that aches through his chest. Jongin had never seen such an expression on Kyungsoo’s face before. But why is his heart beating so fast? Jongin can’t control the words spilling and he asks,

“H-have you met your… your soulmate?” The smile on Kyungsoo’s lips doesn’t fade but there’s a clench in his jaw as he swallows hard. 

“No, I haven’t,” he answers and Jongin’s shoulders slump as if he’d been tensing them all this time. Jongin doesn’t understand that he’s feeling relief. 

“Good. I mean not that that’s good but, when you meet them I want to meet them too you know? I want to make sure they’re good for you, that they’re the one for you,” Jongin sputters and Kyungsoo’s laugh is warm.

“When that day comes. For now I’m sorry but it looks like you’re still stuck with me,” Kyungsoo stands and he turns off the television, ending the conversation before Jongin could reply. Kyungsoo takes their mugs to the sink and despite Jongin’s weak willed protests he washes them and they get ready for bed. 

Kyungsoo has a spare toothbrush at his apartment and he has one at Kyungsoo’s because of how often they spend the night. Jongin’s bed doesn’t have a box spring or a frame of any sort, it’s kind of just a mattress on the floor but he likes it that way. 

It’s big enough to fit both of them but Jongin doesn’t want Kyungsoo to be uncomfortable so he has a spare futon that he sets up beside his bed whenever Kyungsoo stays over. Jongin goes to wash up after Kyungsoo does and he wants to say something but he can’t find the words. 

There were times when Kyungsoo didn’t want to talk and this was one of them. But honestly, what else could Jongin ask? He brushes his teeth without a second thought and when he returns to his bedroom Kyungsoo is already tucked into the futon, his face snuggled into Jongin’s body pillow.

“Goodnight Kyungsoo,” Jongin says quietly as he turns off the light. He’s careful to walk around the futon entirely, not wanting to accidentally step on his friend. Jongin exhales deeply as he gets comfortable and he closes his eyes. The throbbing of a fresh tattoo always burned a little more at night.

Tonight Jongin will be meeting some of his friends at a local bar. It was a Friday and ever since becoming “adults” and “proper members of society” gone were their days of shenanigans and the like. 

Now they were working adults that could only meet when the week ended, of course when their schedules actually worked out. It’s been a few weeks since they could actually gather as a group and it would be an understatement to say that he wasn’t looking forward to it because he really was. It’s been some weeks since he last saw Kyungsoo as well. 

There had been an increase in orders at the bakery for a number of celebrations and Kyungsoo being the head of the kitchen couldn’t afford to take any time off. Jongin was looking forward to seeing him the most, the busier days also meant that they couldn’t talk much. 

Jongin parks his car in the lot and he checks the group chat swiftly to see if anyone has shown up yet. He doesn’t mind being the first one inside so he gets out of his car and locks it before pulling open the heavy door of the bar.

He’s immediately hit with a rush of warm air that nearly makes him choke. It wasn’t too cold yet, only mid September with the highs of summer still on their tails but this bar made him feel otherwise. 

“Just sit yourself down wherevers free!” the bartender calls out to him and Jongin gives him an appreciative nod before he heads towards the back of the bar. There’s already two people sitting at their usual booth and Jongin smiles as soon as he sees the familiar mops of hair. Some things never changed. 

“Hey you two, you’re early,” Jongin greets with his hand up in a wave, however when he notices someone else sitting there as well he freezes. 

“Jongin, hey. This is Junmyeon,” Sehun says casually as he introduces the smaller man. Jongin hadn’t even seen him when he approached the booth. Chanyeol is sitting on the other side and Jongin takes a seat beside him, smiling even though he was a little irked that Sehun hadn’t even mentioned it. 

Junmyeon is handsome, that’s the first thing that Jongin thinks about him. He has a classic handsome look, like a prince or someone from a rich family. He looks responsible and put together, the complete opposite of how Sehun portrays himself to be, especially with his hair growing longer and longer every day. 

“Hi, I’m Jongin,” he says while reaching out for a handshake, not really knowing how else to greet the stranger. When Junmyeon reaches for his hand, that's when Jongin sees it. 

On Junmyeon’s hand there was a small rabbit tattoo and all it takes is a glance to Sehun taking a sip of his beer for Jongin to see it. They were soulmates. 

Jongin tries not to appear too affected by it and he sits back down with a tight smile, losing all posture as he slumps into the booth next to Chanyeol. Chanyeol greets him with a smile and he looks the same as usual. His hair does seem to be on the white side when it’s usually more blonde so Jongin wonders if he just dyed it again. 

“You didn’t think to mention it to the group chat that you were bringing someone?” Jongin asks and he can’t hide the bite in his tone. Junmyeon immediately looks panicked and Sehun looks completely unbothered. Chanyeol puts a hand on Jongin’s thigh but it does little to pacify him. He was feeling angry. Why? He wasn’t so sure.

“I don’t have to tell them I’m bringing my soulmate, isn’t it only natural I would? I wanted to introduce him to my friends and if that’s an issue -” Sehun sneers and Jongin has no idea what’s wrong with him. 

“Why would it be an issue ?” he mocks Sehun’s tone and Chanyeol sends Sehun a warning glance behind his back.

“You’re being too modest Jongin, we all know how soulmates are a sore subject for you,” Sehun looks like he’s about to stand up but Junmyeon holds him back. Jongin grits his teeth and Chanyeol holds his wrist, keeping him from slamming his hand down on the table.

“This isn’t about me you selfish asshole, it’s about Kyungsoo,” Jongin hisses and Sehun’s eyes widen in realization. 

“You know better,” Jongin says, his anger subsiding. Sehun looks regretful enough. Jongin can understand that he was probably excited to have found his soulmate and he wanted to let them know as soon as possible but he should’ve said something first. 

Kyungsoo always needed a heads up before any kind of schedule change, be it a change of time, place or even an additional person. He needed to prepare himself mentally. Jongin didn’t know the extent of that but he knew that if he was thrown into a loop like this without knowing it would make him extremely uncomfortable. 

“L-look I can go, we can meet properly some other time,” Junmyeon says with a gentle smile and Jongin feels for the guy. He seems sweet and he’s sure the universe was kind enough to pair Sehun with someone amazing but this just wasn’t the right time to introduce him. 

However the moment Junmyeon stands up, Sehun automatically does as well and Jongin pauses when he sees Baekhyun and Kyungsoo already standing at the booth. 

Kyungsoo looks at him first before he turns and sees Junmyeon and for a second everything is silent. Baekhyun automatically wraps an arm around Kyungsoo’s waist and he puts a smile on his face,

“Sorry we were late, we’re still pretty booked for the next couple of weeks. Umm who’s this? You’re not leaving are you?” Baekhyun grins and he tries his best to ease the tension in the atmosphere. Baekhyun takes a seat beside Sehun and they all sit down again. Kyungsoo looks a little lost on where to sit so Jongin stands up and he holds his friend's hand, pulling him closer.

“You can sit beside me,” Jongin says and he scoots into the booth further, causing Chanyeol to be right beside Junmyeon. Kyungsoo looks a little shaken up and he doesn’t say a word, sitting stiffly before remembering that he should probably remove his scarf. 

Baekhyun easily engages in a conversation with Junmyeon and Chanyeol naturally follows but Jongin is only paying attention to Kyungsoo. He was slow to remove his scarf and afterwards he folded it up, shoving his hands between the knit to warm them. Kyungsoo keeps his head down most of the time before he takes a deep breath and Jongin pats his folded scarf as reassurance.

“Hello, I’m Kyungsoo,” he introduces himself to Junmyeon and thankfully they don’t ignore him. It’s happened before. Junmyeon pauses and he grins at Kyungsoo, his eyes forming crescents as he does.

“I’m Junmyeon and I’m Sehun’s soulmate,” he introduces himself properly and Baekhyun immediately leans onto the table. The server comes over to them before Baekhyun can bombard them with questions on how they met. 

Baekhyun and Chanyeol decide to order since they know what everyone prefers and Sehun throws in Junmyeon’s order. Jongin doesn’t know if Kyungsoo wants anything different but he makes sure to order him a water as well since it seems he didn’t feel comfortable enough to drink tonight.

“How did you two meet?” Baekhyun leans forward onto the table and Sehun has to push him away since he was getting too close. Jongin leans back into the booth and he closes his eyes for a second before he opens them again, looking back to the main couple of the evening.

“Is it okay to say?” Junmyeon glances at Sehun before sending a worried look in Jongin’s direction. He resists the urge to roll his eyes because he knows that Junmyeon already doesn’t have the best first impression of him. 

The bartender brings their drinks first and Jongin hands Kyungsoo his water before passing Chanyeol his drink. As for the others, well they can grab it themselves.

“You don’t have to worry about Jongin, he’s just salty about the whole soulmate thing,” Sehun says and Jongin takes a sip of his drink. Jongin and Sehun weren’t the closest of friends within their friend group but he’d never been so hostile before, it was really getting on Jongin’s nerves. 

“Sehun, dial it down would you? You’re just being a dick for no reason, Jongin didn’t say anything,” Chanyeol warns him and Sehun relents, leaning back into his seat. There’s no hint of an apology but Jongin could care less. Sehun was more of Kyungsoo’s friend than his. 

“Can I ask why?” Junmyeon despite looking docile asks in a louder voice than Jongin had expected him to. 

“I just want to choose who I fall in love with, that’s all,” Jongin says, not feeling the need to explain himself to a stranger. Thankfully Junmyeon accepts that and he doesn’t ask anything else. The food arrives and they all split it amongst themselves. 

Jongin doesn’t have any reserves eating with others but he notices how Kyungsoo’s plate is mostly empty. He works on the same chicken wing for far too long, small nibbles and bites meant to hold onto the piece for longer so he wouldn’t have to reach for another. 

Jongin has known Kyungsoo for too long and he was also more than aware of how much he usually ate so Jongin doesn’t hesitate to put things on Kyungsoo’s plate. Jongin is so immersed in his act that he doesn’t notice how everyone else is looking at him, how Kyungsoo’s ears are flushed red even with his eyes glued to his plate. 

“So, for the 5638th time, will you tell us how you two met?” Baekhyun asks again and Junmyeon looks more than happy to tell. 

“It was a coincidence really. Sehun just started an internship at the company I work for and he was running late on his first day,” Junmyeon recalls the memory with a smile and Baekhyun cackles.

“That sounds like Sehun alright, and then?” he’s invested in the story for sure. Jongin is still feeling a little bothered by Sehun’s behaviour so he can’t find it in himself to be happy for him at this very moment. Maybe later when he’s had the chance to cool down he’ll send Sehun a proper message and apology. 

“I was on the elevator and when the doors nearly closed I heard someone screaming for me to wait. So I hit the button as quickly as I could and when the doors opened again Sehun nearly fell into the elevator and that’s how we met. It’s been two weeks since then,” Junmyeon laughs and Sehun pouts, intertwining their fingers. 

Chanyeol and Baekhyun laugh along while teasing Sehun about it and Jongin doesn’t have much to say. Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything either but Jongin knows that he’s happy for his friend. He can tell by the way Kyungsoo smiles at the couple. 

“It’s been a few weeks since we last met. Have any of you met your soulmates yet?” Sehun asks and Jongin looks between Baekhyun and Chanyeol. 

“Not yet, though to be honest I’m not sure because Kyungsoo won’t tell me,” Baekhyun says with a huff and everyone at the table immediately turns to look at him. Kyungsoo’s eyes widen at the attention and Jongin clears his throat.

“Baekhyun has been trying to get Kyungsoo to look at his naked body to find any possible hiding tattoos,” he answers in his stead and Baekhyun sighs dramatically. Jongin smiles when he remembers the panicked and whiney text messages he’d received from Kyungsoo, even more often as of late.

“It’s fine anyways, I don’t have time for a soulmate during this busy season,” Baekhyun shrugs and everyone turns to Chanyeol. 

“I still don’t know where mine is,” Chanyeol mumbles and they decide not to pry further. Chanyeol was one of those odd cases where he’d met his soulmate in a crowd. It’d been just a brush of their hands yet they missed each other. 

Chanyeol wasn’t the type to go out of his way to search however and he decided to leave it to fate. Jongin knew that it bothered him and that he wanted to have another chance encounter like that. Even now Jongin can visualize the tattoo on Chanyeol’s shoulder, it was of an angel wing. 

“I can see that you got some new ink Jongin but I’m guessing that it wasn't from the gods above?” Chanyeol smiles and Jongin just shrugs, unconsciously looking down at his arm. His tattoo had healed up nicely and he felt no need for a touch up so he didn’t bother going back to that tattoo artist again. 

“Just another tattoo,” Jongin says nonchalantly. There had been a point in his life when he’d excessively looked for his soulmate tattoo, spending hours upon hours standing in front of the mirror bending his body in any way he could. 

That ended soon enough considering he’d had two older sisters who did not appreciate his many hours spent in the bathroom. That thought crosses Jongin’s mind sometimes. Had he already met his soulmate without knowing? It was possible. Whoever his soulmate was, he felt sorry for them. 

“I haven’t found mine yet either,” Kyungsoo chimes in and Sehun instantly frowns, taking another sip of alcohol. 

“So how did you all meet?” Junmyeon asks and Chanyeol scoffs.

“Sehun didn’t say anything about us? Typical,” he laughs and it was Jongin’s turn to drink this time. 

“Chanyeol and I have known each other since high school. I met Kyungsoo in college since we took the same program and he’s childhood friends with Sehun,” Baekhyun explains.

“Kyungsoo and I took the same elective and that’s how we met,” Jongin adds and Junmyeon laughs softly.

“Judging by how you two act I would’ve thought that you and Kyungsoo were childhood friends Jongin,” he says and Jongin raises an eyebrow. Baekhyun sighs dramatically and he drapes himself over an unappreciative Sehun.

“They’re so close right? Jongin came out of nowhere and stole my best friend. They became bffs in less than a week,” Baekhyun whines and Jongin smiles at that because it was true. It’d taken only a few days to break the ice and then they became like no other. At first Jongin thought that Kyungsoo hated him. 

Their first few classes together had been spent with Kyungsoo having broken his glasses and with astigmatism it meant that he glared more than he had intended to. Jongin had just gotten the wrong impression. 

“Okay I think that’s enough drinking for you Baekhyun,” Jongin says as he stands up to pull Baekhyun’s drink away from him. He slides it over to Chanyeol. When Jongin sits back down he can see that Kyungsoo is dozing off a little, almost resting on his shoulder. 

Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were probably exhausted. If he remembered correctly they had to be in the bakery by 6am and with the excessive amount of orders they must be leaving at ungodly hours. 

“We should call it a night,” Chanyeol says as he watches Jongin bundle Kyungsoo up with his scarf. 

“I’ll drive Kyungsoo home. It was nice meeting you Junmyeon. Sehun you should add him to the group chat,” Jongin says and he bows any way he can. Kyungsoo is mostly awake but a little dazed so Jongin wraps an arm around his waist to help him stand.

“Chanyeol let me know how much it is and I’ll transfer you. For both Kyungsoo and I,” Jongin says and Chanyeol just nods, waving them off. Baekhyun is practically passed out at this point but Jongin laughs when he hears Chanyeol’s frantic reassurance that “his baby” is fine and that he’s going home with Jongin. 

When he steps out of the bar he notices that there are only a few cars in the lot and he was right to assume that Baekhyun had given Kyungsoo a ride. Since Kyungsoo lives close to the bakery he doesn’t always drive there. If Kyungsoo could avoid driving altogether, he would.

“I’m going to drive you home now, okay Kyungsoo?” Jongin speaks a little slowly and as clearly as he can. Kyungsoo blinks a few times and he huffs, turning before he wraps his arms around Jongin’s middle. He freezes as Kyungsoo rests his head on his chest.

“Don’t want to leave you yet. I haven’t seen you in so long. But not yours, mine. I can’t leave the baby alone tonight,” Kyungsoo mumbles and Jongin can feel his heart pounding, he wonders if Kyungsoo can hear it too. 

He clears his throat and awkwardly hugs Kyungsoo as he tries to walk them to his car though Kyungsoo is barely even using his legs, opting to just be dragged by Jongin instead. Jongin carefully helps him into the passenger’s seat, cringing when he hits his head and he puts on his seatbelt before going over to the driver’s seat. 

Jongin was by no means drunk but he felt a little lightheaded and his heart wouldn’t calm down. Clingy Kyungsoo only came out when he was extremely tired or when he’d had something to drink and Jongin was never equipped to handle him. 

Kyungsoo is asleep the moment they pull out of the parking lot and Jongin keeps both hands on the wheel as he drives. Since it’s a short drive and he doesn’t want any other distractions he decides not to listen to music tonight. 

When they stop at a red light Jongin takes a moment to look over at Kyungsoo. His sleeping face is so peaceful and his lips are parted slightly as he breathes slowly. His face is mostly covered with shadows but he was still beautiful. 

Jongin wondered what would happen when they met their soulmates. Would someone else be driving Kyungsoo home when he was tired? Would someone else be looking at his sleeping face like this? 

Jongin clears his throat and he turns back to the road, pressing on the gas when the light turns green. Those weren’t appropriate thoughts to have about your best friend. Jongin could only hope that whoever Kyungsoo’s soulmate was, that they would take care of him properly. 

They arrive at Kyungsoo’s apartment soon enough and after Jongin parks the car he carries Kyungsoo upstairs. His arms aren’t necessarily strong enough to carry him bridal style and Kyungsoo wasn’t really awake enough to properly jump on his back. 

However, he did manage to coax a sleepy Kyungsoo into koala hugging him and with his best friend wrapped around his front he entered the apartment complex. The security guard recognizes him and immediately lets him in when he shows that he’s holding onto Kyungsoo and Jongin wishes him a goodnight as he walks over to the elevator. 

Technically he didn’t need to take the elevator since they were only heading to the second floor (Kyungsoo also did not like heights) but Jongin wasn’t so confident carrying Kyungsoo up a flight of stairs. They exit the elevator and Jongin adjusts Kyungsoo when he needs to use one of his hands to punch in the key code. The door unlocks and Jongin pushes it open.

“Meokmool?” Jongin calls out when he hears a bell chiming in the dark and he locks the door behind him before removing his and Kyungsoo’s shoes with much difficulty. Jongin carries Kyungsoo over to the couch for now and he finally sees two eyes in the darkness looking back at him.

A small meow cuts through the night and Jongin squats down before he holds out his hand. The black cat trots towards him and immediately nuzzles his hand. Jongin gives her as much affection she needs before she runs off and he stands up, wincing when his knees crack. 

He goes into the kitchen and scoops her more food for whenever she is hungry and when he goes back to the living room to check on Kyungsoo he nearly screams when he sees his friend sitting upright. 

“Did you want ramyeon or bibimbap?” Jongin gasps and Kyungsoo thinks for a moment. He looks wide awake so he probably got enough rest to not call it an early night. 

“Ramyeon please, with egg,” Kyungsoo requests and Jongin turns on the kitchen light. Kyungsoo actually has a number of nightlights around his apartment, automated ones that turned off when there was light. 

Jongin found the things quite nifty though Kyungsoo was the type to just turn on the light anyways. He grabs two packs of ramyeon from his cupboard and begins boiling some water. Kyungsoo didn’t eat that much tonight so he could only assume that he was still hungry, thankfully he was right.

“Sehunnie has finally found his soulmate,” Kyungsoo says in a dreamy voice as he leans back onto the couch. 

“You know… I was thinking,” Jongin says as he adds the noodles to the boiling pot of water. Kyungsoo comes a little closer and he sits at the dining table that was situated to the left of the kitchen. He didn’t have a kitchen island or anything like that but it was the closest he could be without standing. 

“When you find your soulmate, will we still be like this?” Jongin asks quietly, his voice almost lost in the bubbling of the ramyeon cooking. 

“When you find someone to love, will we still be like this?” Kyungsoo asks in return and Jongin’s eyes widen as he looks up at his friend in surprise. Kyungsoo looks shocked as if he hadn’t meant to say that and he coughs before pointing towards the pot.

“Any more and the noodles will be too soft,” Jongin immediately turns off the heat and Kyungsoo goes to set the table. What was that just now? Jongin doesn’t have the courage to bring it up again and they just eat in silence. He can’t tell if it feels awkward between them or not, Kyungsoo hasn’t said anything. 

They eat in silence mostly, the sounds of their eating echoing through the apartment. Jongin watches as Kyungsoo goes to wash the dishes and he feels as though he said something wrong. He just doesn’t know what. 

They both go into Kyungsoo’s bedroom quietly and Kyungsoo keeps the door open just in case Meokmool wants to come and go. 

“Are you going to bed?” Jongin asks and Kyungsoo turns to look at him. For some reason today Kyungsoo’s tired figure is more noticeable. His shoulders are tense, his back arched and his hair is messy. 

The dark circles under his eyes are prominent and there was a little acne on his usually clear skin. Even though he looks like he hasn’t slept in days and that there’s stress just pulsing through his veins, Jongin can’t help but think that he looks beautiful. Jongin blinks. Beautiful? 

“Not yet,” Kyungsoo says and he grabs some clothes before he goes to the washroom to change. Jongin takes the time to change into his own comfortable clothes. Kyungsoo keeps a drawer of his things here since he spends the night often. 

Once Jongin is in a simple tank top and pajama pants Kyungsoo returns in a large t-shirt and shorts. They both look at each other for a moment and Kyungsoo smiles at him before he crawls onto the bed. Jongin can’t help but scan every inch of his skin for any new tattoos. 

Suddenly he remembers something he saw on Instagram the other day and he hurriedly climbs onto the bed as well, sitting right next to Kyungsoo leaning against the wall.

“I wanted to get your opinion on something,” Jongin says as he grabs his phone from wherever he’d already managed to lose it. It takes a minute of flipping the duvet and pillows but he finds it soon enough and he opens it up to what he saw. 

“I was thinking about getting something similar to this, maybe on my right arm? Around here?” Jongin shows Kyungsoo a picture of a ballet shoes tattoo. He personally always had an interest in ballet but he never had the chance to actually take lessons. Kyungsoo takes his phone before he holds it up against his arm like he’s trying to gauge how it’ll look. 

“I think that’ll look great, were you thinking colour or? I feel like you don’t have a lot of colour tattoos,” Kyungsoo hands him back his phone and he unconsciously looks over the ink in his arms and legs. Though he can’t really see his legs since his pants are covering them. Most, if not all of his tattoos were black and grey. 

“I’m always worried that colour won’t look nice on my skin tone,” Jongin mumbles and Kyungsoo frowns.

“Colour looks nice on everyone if done by the right artist. I think the pink will be nice and if you’re worried about it being too “feminine” well… who even thinks that nowadays?,” Kyungsoo says and Jongin agrees with that. That didn’t even cross his mind really, he hadn’t thought about it like that. 

Then again Kyungsoo does remember when Jongin had once asked him if it was weird that he enjoyed ballet despite being a man. Kyungsoo had completely dismissed that thought without invalidating his feelings and it was still something he was thankful for. 

“Hey Jongin, why are you so against soulmates?” Kyungsoo asks and Jongin looks at him with wide eyes. Of all people, Jongin has never heard that question from Kyungsoo before. He isn’t surprised that his friend was curious but he is surprised that he actually asked. 

Kyungsoo had always been the type to hold back and he rarely spoke his true thoughts. He was always content to keep his thoughts to himself if it made someone else happy. Jongin hadn’t really minded at all though it did take a few months together before he was really able to read Kyungsoo well enough to know what he wanted. 

Now it was second nature and he was just used to doing all the little things that could make Kyungsoo’s life a little easier. Just because he wanted to. 

“Of course you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, I know you don’t really answer people when they ask. I also know that you want to choose who you love but I’ve always wondered why and what that meant to you of course I’m not trying to force you into telling me but I was just wondering why,” Kyungsoo says in one long breath and Jongin can tell he’s starting to panic a little. He didn’t want to cut him off even when he’d started running in circles just because he could tell it took a lot of courage for Kyungsoo to ask him. 

“I feel like I’ve been waiting for you to ask me that question. I was just kind of waiting for when you’d be ready to. I wasn’t really hiding it but I didn’t feel like explaining myself to people who won’t even try to get my point of view, you know?” Jongin links his pinky finger with Kyungsoo’s just to ease his nerves a little. It seems to work because in his peripheral vision he can see Kyungsoo relaxing against the wall. 

“Honestly… I don’t really know. There isn’t any real reason to be against them you know? It’s natural, it’s what the universe is telling us but I can’t feel comfortable with that,” he begins, his brows furrowed as he considers what words to use.

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been told about soulmates. My parents were soulmates, my older sisters had both found theirs before I started high school. Friends in my elementary school met them on the playground but it all felt so strange to me. Soulmates or not, those are strangers aren’t they? How could you meet a complete stranger and suddenly everything feels all perfect? It feels too unreal to me,” he licks his lips.

“I would rather meet someone and truly get to know them. I want to choose who I spend my life with. If anything happens then at least it was my own decision and I can fix it. What if things don’t work out with my soulmate? What if they’re a horrible person? What if they suddenly feel some kind of entitlement over my life just because the universe linked us? The worst is when we’re blinded by the magic of it all and we can’t even see what’s before us. A soulmate is meant to complete us but what if that’s only the case because we think they’re supposed to? I don’t want to change who I am just because the universe tells me I’ve been linked to a certain person,” Jongin tries his best to explain his thoughts but he isn’t sure how effective he is at it. He looks over towards Kyungsoo who is staring blankly at the open doorway.

“I guess I never really thought about it like that. To me, I view soulmates as a security in a way. You know… I get very anxious sometimes. I don’t know how to meet people and I don’t have confidence that someone will love me someday. I have so many shortcomings... Will anyone ever want to love me? I can’t even love myself,” Kyungsoo mumbles.

“In a way I’m like those people you don’t like huh? A horrible person hoping that I get matched with someone who will love me just because the universe wants them to. I can’t imagine finding love any other way. I feel relieved that soulmates exist. That way… I don’t have to be alone. Ugly isn’t it?” Kyungsoo laughs at himself and Jongin doesn’t agree in the slightest. 

“Either way, I support you fully. I’ll be here when you find that person you feel is right for you, I’m your friend aren’t I?” Kyungsoo smiles at him and Jongin doesn’t understand the clench in his heart. He wants to say something. Counter Kyungsoo’s ridiculous views about himself but at that moment he can’t find the words to say. 

Kyungsoo doesn’t seem to be expecting anything either because he turns off the light and snuggles under his duvet without saying another word. Jongin knows that they can only share the bed at this point and he gets under the blanket as well, looking over his shoulder at Kyungsoo’s curled figure against the wall. His heart aches and that night he can barely catch any sleep at all. 

Despite being in arms reach Kyungsoo feels so far away.

The hours pass by and even when Kyungsoo’s short breaths turn into long drawn out breaths in slumber he can’t relax. There’s so many thoughts inside of his head that he can’t even think straight, everything just feels like one big blur. 

Jongin sighs and he decides to get a glass of water. It takes some careful steps in the dark but he does manage to find the kitchen and he leans against the counter as he drinks. Kyungsoo didn’t share his thoughts often and Jongin hadn’t known that he thought of himself so lowly. 

Kyungsoo was one of the most incredible people that Jongin knew. He was so brave and he consistently did his best even if he struggled with his anxiety. Anyone would be lucky to have Kyungsoo as a soulmate, they would be the lucky ones. 

Lucky to spend their lives with someone like Kyungsoo. Jongin shakes his head and he finishes his water before rinsing the glass in the sink. There’s a tingle in the dark and it makes him jump. Meokmool jumps onto the counter and Jongin immediately picks her up, knowing that Kyungsoo doesn’t like it when she does that. 

“You know how incredible he is don’t you?” He holds the cat close and surprisingly she doesn’t try to jump out of his arms. Jongin carries her back to the room and he notices that Kyungsoo has tossed a little in his sleep, kicking off the duvet. He shakes his head and is ready to walk over to cover him up again when he sees something. 

It’s a little hard to see in the dark but in the small night light glowing near the bed Jongin can see it, there’s a tattoo on Kyungsoo’s inner thigh. Jongin freezes like he’s just been splashed by cold water and his arms fall limp, Meokmool meowing in distaste as she lands on the floor and scurries off. 

Jongin doesn’t have a chance to feel apologetic but a part of him promises to give her some treats later. Every thought in his mind is telling him to look away. This was Kyungsoo’s privacy and he shouldn’t be looking like this but… he can’t look away. 

Jongin approaches the bed slowly with his breath held and he tries to get a better look at the tattoo on Kyungsoo’s skin. Since his tone is so pale it’s quite easy to see though the plush of his thighs was hiding the entire thing. But Jongin can see it, it was an image of the sun and the moon coming together into one. 

It was breathtakingly beautiful and though it was dark, Jongin can see the colour of the bright sun and the more muted colour of the moon. He reaches over and covers Kyungsoo up with the duvet again before he sits down on the floor. 

Kyungsoo had already met his soulmate? So why did he lie all this time? It could be a tattoo done by an artist but Kyungsoo has expressed before how he was scared to get a real tattoo after coming along with Jongin during one of his sessions. A part of him feels a little betrayed but he knows that that isn’t fair. It was up to Kyungsoo whether or not he wanted to tell him that he’s met his soulmate. 

Jongin stands up and he goes to the washroom, locking the door behind him before he washes his face. He takes a moment to look at his reflection and his eyes trail along every tattoo that he can see on his skin. Jongin takes a deep breath and he stands up on the edge of the tub, trying to get a good view of his legs in the mirror.

He holds his breath as he begins pulling down his pants, slowly along with his briefs as well. Jongin turns around and he looks over his shoulder before spreading his legs and what he sees nearly causes him to slip and fall into the tub. 

Between his thighs, was undeniably the same tattoo as Kyungsoo’s. Jongin pulls up his pants, afraid to look at it anymore though he knows exactly what he saw. Every detail was identical to Kyungsoo’s tattoo and the placement as well. He doesn’t remember getting that tattoo, it’s not a place he would choose for one. 

He was Kyungsoo’s soulmate ? 

There had to be some kind of mistake.

But the universe didn’t make mistakes right ? 

Jongin can feel his head spinning and he feels bile rising in his throat, threatening to make him vomit. Jongin leaves the bathroom and he takes one look over at Kyungsoo’s sleeping face before he grabs his coat and he leaves. 

Jongin first met Kyungsoo in his first week of college. That was about five years ago and honestly time had flown since then, it felt as if they had known each other since birth. 

They shared an elective together and needless to say it was one of those classes that Jongin could care less about. Since it was his first year he wasn’t allowed to really choose which elective he would’ve wanted to take but now that he thinks about it, he’s quite thankful he didn’t have that choice. 

Their elective was divided into two kinds of classes across the week. A lecture portion in the auditorium and a normal classroom portion to go over the material in said lecture. Jongin had never been really good with lectures. Anytime the lights in classes were even slightly dimmed he was barely able to stay awake.

He fell asleep during the lecture and he would’ve missed his next class if Kyungsoo hadn’t woken him up. Jongin could still remember how awestruck he’d been when he opened his eyes and saw Kyungsoo in front of him. 

It was no secret that his best friend was beautiful. His bright eyes were hidden behind his round glasses that sat perfectly on his nose and his lips were pink and plump. His skin is pale during Winter and he gains a small tan during the Summer depending on how much time he spends under the sun. 

Kyungsoo usually kept his hair on the shorter side but he always had his forehead covered with his fringe unless there was a reason to style them. His attire usually consisted of comfortable black clothing but there was the odd time he’d wear some colour, like a denim blue or brown.

When Jongin first saw him he shot up in surprise which ended up scaring Kyungsoo into nearly falling down the stairs. Jongin caught him before he could and they ended up laughing about it. 

After that it was like clockwork. Kyungsoo was the type to come to class early so Jongin always made sure to take the seat beside him. It was hard to stay awake and that never really changed throughout the semester but Kyungsoo never failed to wake him up once the lights were back on. 

Jongin lived on campus in the dormitory so he didn’t really have any friends in this city though that quickly changed as he learned more and more about Kyungsoo. Being with Kyungsoo was just so natural. He never had to think twice about what to say and he never had to hide his real feelings. 

One thing he had learned a few months into their friendship was that Kyungsoo struggled with anxiety. It never put any extra strain on their friendship but Jongin did learn about certain things that made Kyungsoo comfortable and how he felt when he didn’t have those. It then became natural to just want to keep Kyungsoo smiling and comfortable. 

Had he only wanted to do those things because Kyungsoo was his soulmate? There had been no signs that they were soulmates. 

There was no magical spark when their hands touched or when their eyes met. All of those chance stories he had read growing up suddenly sounded so fake. Jongin’s head was running in circles and he didn’t know what to do. 

It was what brought him to a coffee shop near his office with Chanyeol to his left, Baekhyun to his right and an empty seat in front of him. They were currently waiting for Sehun and though the last thing Jongin would want to do is involve him he knows that Sehun had known Kyungsoo the longest. 

“We might as well ease into the topic since Sehun will be late like usual. What’s up?” Chanyeol asks when Baekhyun returns with their drinks. Since Baekhyun was in charge of the coffee shop side of his and Kyungsoo’s shared bakery it was hard to keep him away from watching the baristas of any shops they visited. 

Baekhyun was always trying to scope out the competition as he called it even though his bakery was doing more than well since they actually catered events and did custom desserts. Jongin sighs and he stirs his ice coffee roughly as if that will do anything to make this easier.

“Would this have anything to do with the fact that you’re ignoring Kyungsoo?” Baekhyun asks as he takes a long sip of his tea. How he managed to do that when the tea was piping hot Jongin would never know. Baekhyun’s icy stare immediately crawls up his spine considering he didn’t even know Baekhyun was even capable of such an expression and Chanyeol gasps audibly.

“There really isn’t a good excuse for suddenly ignoring somebody but I have faith that you have a decent reason at least,” Chanyeol doesn’t sound so sure and honestly Jongin doesn’t feel so sure. He’d been so caught up in his own thoughts and feelings that he’d been brushing off Kyungsoo on a daily basis. 

It’s been almost a week since they last had a real conversation and met for dinner. They usually meet at least twice a week and one of those times always ends with a sleepover. That was unless Kyungsoo was really booked in the bakery and didn’t have the energy to meet. Though that meant Jongin would usually cook dinner for him or something. He was keeping his mind so occupied that he completely ignored how empty his life felt without Kyungsoo in it. 

“We’re soulmates… Kyungsoo and I,” Jongin says out loud and it sounds so foreign from his own lips. Chanyeol and Baekhyun freeze for a minute, both of them looking at one another before looking back at Jongin. 

“Is that the reason why you’ve been avoiding him? Because you found out you’re soulmates?” Baekhyun’s tone is serious and Jongin is too afraid to look him in the eye. This was stupid. He was stupid. 

“You’re an idiot,” Baekhyun sneers and Jongin feels his stomach churning. He wraps his hands around his cup of iced coffee, hoping that the numbness will spread throughout his whole body. 

“You’re not even surprised huh,” Jongin mumbles to himself more than anyone else. Both Baekhyun and Chanyeol sigh and shake their heads.

“I’d be more surprised if you two weren’t soulmates,” Chanyeol says in a quiet voice. Normally with the right tone they would laugh but there was no room for that right now. 

The front door chimes rings through the coffee shop and when Jongin lifts his head he sees Sehun walking towards them. He looks fit as usual and also slightly annoyed. Though that was usually how Sehun looked when he was concentrating. He takes a seat and Baekhyun slides him an iced tea he’d ordered earlier. 

“Who died? You all look so sad,” Sehun raises an eyebrow as he leans back in his chair and crosses his legs. Jongin sighs and he doesn’t have a chance to brace himself because Baekhyun speaks before he has a chance to.

“Jongin discovered that he and Kyungsoo are soulmates. So he did the logical thing and he decided to ignore him,” how someone could speak with so much venom and sarcasm Jongin would never know. 

“Does Kyungsoo know that you know?” Sehun asks and Jongin frowns. 

“Does Kyungsoo know that we’re soulmates?” he answers with another question and Sehun blinks for a second. Jongin wasn’t even sure if Kyungsoo knew if they were soulmates or not. Would he purposely stay with him even though he was against the idea of soulmates entirely?

 Kyungsoo had been by his side supporting him wholeheartedly this entire time and all he had done was hold him back. 

“He’s known since you met,” Sehun reveals and Jongin freezes. A cold shudder running straight down his spine. Suddenly he feels sick. Kyungsoo knew? How could he possibly know? Their soulmate tattoo was in such an intimate spot and he rarely took his pants off around Kyungsoo. Jongin was usually shirtless at most but he definitely didn’t wear shorts that short. Hell, he hadn’t even noticed their soulmate tattoo and it’s on his own body. 

“Well, he never confirmed it but he always knew. I’ve never seen your soulmate tattoo but he said that it could only be you. That what he felt could only be with you-” Sehun stops himself from saying too much. These weren’t his feelings to share.

“You shouldn’t even be talking about this with us. You should be talking about it with Kyungsoo,” Sehun frowns. 

“I don’t know how to talk to him… now that we’re soulmates. Don’t things have to change? I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to face him,” Jongin rambles and his hands begin to shake. This was what he feared the most. There was now a label on him and his best friend and he didn’t know what to do about it. 

“This isn’t about you, you selfish asshole. It’s about Kyungsoo,” Sehun hisses and Jongin’s eyes widen. 

“Look Jongin, think about it like this. Nothing has to change. Yes you now know that you’re soulmates but would you treat Kyungsoo differently? You two don’t have to change anything about your relationship if you’re not comfortable with it,” Chanyeol explains and Jongin can swear he feels the gears shifting in his head. 

“Kyungsoo has his reason as to why he never told you. I’m not saying your feelings aren’t valid and it’s a shock after these years and years of your no soulmate rule but… have you ever even tried to find anyone to fall in love with?” Baekhyun asks. 

“Can you imagine anyone else you would want to spend your life with? You always talk about it but you’ve never actually looked for anyone. You seem like you’re completely content with Kyungsoo by your side. Can anyone replace Kyungsoo?” Sehun continues. 

“Will you ever come to love anyone like you’ve fallen for Kyungsoo?” Chanyeol delivers the last word and Jongin’s heart clenches at the thought. Had he been in love with Kyungsoo this whole time? 

Possibly. Maybe. He wasn’t so sure. He wouldn’t know unless he met Kyungsoo again. Until he spent more time with him with a new light in his eyes. Jongin didn’t know if he was in love with Kyungsoo in the way that soulmates typically were but they were right… there was no one to replace Kyungsoo. 

“I need to see him,” Jongin mumbles and there’s a collective sigh of relief from the whole table. 

“His shift will be done soon, I’m switching off with him the moment I get back,” Baekhyun stands up and Jongin runs out the door. He goes to his car and he begins driving to the bakery, taking advantage of the fact that he knows the owners when he parks in what would be Kyungsoo’s parking spot on the few days he did drive himself to the bakery. 

It looks like today he didn’t. Jongin rushes inside and he sees that it’s not very busy. There are a few people sitting here and there, some alone, some couples, some groups of friends but overall not too busy. Kyungsoo isn’t usually in the front of the store so Jongin isn’t surprised to not see him there but he does see Yerim, a high school student that the two hired a few months ago. 

Jongin approaches the register and she seems a little afraid so he calms himself down and he takes a step back.

“Sorry, is Kyungsoo at the back? I really need to talk to him,” Yerim looks up at him with wide eyes and she looks like she’s considering all of the training that definitely didn’t prepare her for this. The bakery door opens behind him and he doesn’t have to turn around to know who it was.

“Don’t worry Yerim, I’ll grant him permission. Just be sure to put an apron and a hairnet on him first,” Baekhyun pats Jongin’s back a little roughly and Yerim seems lost. She opens the latch to let him behind the counter and he follows her to a small hallway where she gives him a hairnet and apron. Once he’s deemed ready she allows him to go to the kitchen and he doesn’t realize how unprepared he is when he actually sees him. 

Kyungsoo looked as beautiful as he always did. There was the undeniable presence of dark circles under his eyes but he still looked breathtaking. His hair was completely tucked into his pastry chef hat and there was a furrow between his brows as he concentrated on the small cakes he was decorating. 

This wasn’t his first time in the kitchen since he’d been one of the first ones to see it before the bakery was opened but he knew how much Kyungsoo loved it. It was tidy and organized and there were so many machines that Jongin had no idea what half of them did. 

Kyungsoo has his phone on the counter beside him and Jongin knows that usually he’d be against that and he’d only keep his phone in his apron pocket. Kyungsoo occasionally looks away to glance at his phone with a disheartened sigh and Jongin wants to throw himself off of a bridge. 

“Hey Kyungsoo,” Jongin’s voice cracks and Kyungsoo accidentally squeezes the pastry bag in surprise. Pink frosting oozes all over the cake in front of him and he looks even more sad, oh gosh Jongin really was the worst. 

Kyungsoo puts down the pastry bag and he looks up at Jongin with an unreadable expression on his face. He looks hurt and relieved and sad all at the same time. Kyungsoo approaches him slowly and he exhales shakily before he smears frosting onto Jongin’s nose.

“If you do that again we’re not going to be friends anymore and I’m going to find someone who will shower me with gifts and attention,” Kyungsoo pouts but it doesn’t last long because before long his lips stretch into a sweet grin. 

“I’ll never treat you that way again. I’m sorry,” Jongin hangs his head and Kyungsoo shakes his head.

“It’s alright, don’t worry about it. What brings you here?” Jongin knows that it isn’t. It really isn’t but Kyungsoo would never say so. It makes Jongin feel even worse.

“Come over to mine after your shift? We need to talk,” Kyungsoo immediately grows rigid and he looks terrified. 

“Don’t worry! It’s… well it’s serious but it’s not that bad I don’t think. I’ll just wait for you to finish up. Take your time, you don’t have to rush. Baekhyun is already here,” Jongin raises his arms a little before he prepares to head out but Kyungsoo stops him. 

“Here, you can have this while you wait,” he hands over the cake that was ruined because of him and he doesn’t know if he can stomach it with all of his nerves but he wasn’t going to refuse Kyungsoo’s pastries. Jongin holds the small cake board as if his life depended on it. 

Yerim and Baekhyun both give him a strange look when he emerges from the kitchen and Baekhyun rolls his eyes before pointing to his nose, only then does he remember that he still had frosting on his face. 

Baekhyun helps him wipe his nose with a very unnecessary pinch of a tissue and Jongin obediently takes a seat in the store, rehearsing how he was going to break the news to Kyungsoo over and over in his head. 

He’s so caught up in his thoughts that he nearly forgets the cake that Kyungsoo had given him, that was until Baekhyun comes over and puts his iced coffee from the other shop down on the table.

“You couldn’t top me up with some more ice?” Jongin asks when he sees that it’s nearly all melted and diluted. Baekhyun scoffs and hands him a plastic fork even though Jongin was more than sure they had metal ones here.

“You don’t deserve that. Don’t fuck this up, I mean it. We all hate seeing Kyungsoo sad,” Baekhyun says with one final warning and Jongin is left alone with his cake and diluted coffee. Baekhyun purposely stuck tissues to the side of the coffee cup so that the other coffee shop’s logo wouldn’t be visible and honestly Jongin has to give him props for thinking of everything. 

He takes a bite of cake and he smiles immediately, the sweet but light flavour delights his taste buds. It was a vanilla cake with strawberry flavoured frosting. Simple but still just as wonderful. Jongin didn’t really like heavy desserts, rich flavours weren’t his favourite so anything light was always welcome. 

He finishes it quickly even though it did run on the sweeter side due to the excess frosting that was on it. Once he’s done eating he cleanses his palate with coffee and cleans up his table. He doesn’t need to sit back down because Kyungsoo emerges from the back with his scarf around his neck and a thick cardigan wrapped around him. 

“Sorry to have kept you waiting, we can go now,” Kyungsoo says with a soft smile and Jongin almost trips over a table to get to his side. Baekhyun is judging him hard right now but he’s going to ignore him. 

They wave goodbye to Yerim and Baekhyun before they head outside and Jongin watches the way Kyungsoo waits for him despite going through the door first. There’s a soft smile on his face as he waits for Jongin to lead the way to his car. 

Kyungsoo walks behind him and he doesn’t like not having him by his side so he slows down a bit and takes a step right before matching their steps. Kyungsoo looks surprised and he buries his face into his scarf when Jongin grins at him. 

The walk to his car isn’t far and Jongin opens the passenger door for Kyungsoo before they both sit inside. He waits for both of them to put their seatbelts on before he drives out of the parking lot and towards his apartment.

“How has business been?” Jongin asks to ease the awkward air a little bit. 

“Things have been slowing down lately, not too much that we’re worried but enough that we don’t have to stay at the bakery all day,” Kyungsoo speaks extra carefully like he’s thinking through every word he’s saying. Jongin knows it’ll take a bit before Kyungsoo warms up to him again and he doesn’t mind.

“How has work been for you? You never talk about it,” Kyungsoo asks and Jongin purses his lips. Truth be told he didn’t really have much to say about it. Every day was the same and it wasn’t like Kyungsoo’s job where he interacted with people and made a direct impact on their lives. He was just working to live since he hasn’t necessarily found his passion just yet.

“It’s always the same. Boring accountant things, it’s not nearly as interesting as working in a bakery you own with your best friend,” Jongin laughs lightly as he turns into the parking lot of his apartment complex.

“ One of my best friends, not my best friend. And I want to hear about it, I find it interesting,” Kyungsoo corrects him and Jongin finds some pride in that. 

“Baekhyun would cry if he heard that,” Jongin says as he parks the car and Kyungsoo laughs. They don’t say anything else as they both get out of the car and Jongin shivers at the cool air of the underground parking lot. Kyungsoo seems fine at least. 

They head to the inner building and Jongin holds open the door for Kyungsoo before they get into the elevator. Kyungsoo stands close to him inside like usual and Jongin wants to hold him, once again, he resists. They reach his floor in a matter of seconds and soon enough they’re inside. 

Jongin goes to the kitchen to get some hot water boiling while Kyungsoo hangs up his scarf, keeping his cardigan wrapped around himself. Rather than going to sit on the couch like Jongin had expected him to, Kyungsoo comes into the kitchen, leaning against the counter as he watches Jongin prepare them both tea. 

“Did you want any snacks?” Jongin asks as he pours the water over the tea bags in their mugs. Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything and Jongin looks at him over his shoulder. Kyungsoo has his big sleeves over his hands but he’s fiddling with his fingers. His eyes are darting side to side and his breathing is off, he looks restless and uneasy. 

“Here, can you take this to the table while I grab some snacks? I’ll be there in a second,” Jongin hands him a little tray with both mugs on top and Kyungsoo snaps out of his thoughts before taking hold of it. Jongin watches him go and when he’s sure that Kyungsoo is okay he grabs a bag of rice crackers from his cupboard. 

Kyungsoo takes a seat on one of his floor cushions while he sits on the couch, his legs were a little too long to comfortably fit under his coffee table. Jongin can’t see Kyungsoo’s expression but he’s curled up on himself. He decides not to draw it out any longer, for both of their sakes. 

“Do you remember when we met up with everyone and then I slept over at yours?” Jongin says with a sigh and Kyungsoo immediately tenses up. He nods his head and Jongin continues.

“That night I couldn’t sleep so I went to grab a glass of water and when I came back, you weren’t fully underneath the duvet,” Jongin takes a sip of his tea and nearly burns his entire mouth off. He immediately regrets that decision and puts it back onto the tray. Kyungsoo seems frozen, his small hands wrapped around the mug tightly. 

“I saw your- no, our soulmate tattoo Kyungsoo,” he reveals and Kyungsoo puts his mug down before whipping his head around. His eyes were wide and his lips parted in utter shock. Kyungsoo’s lips move like he wants to say something but then his breath starts growing quicker and Jongin immediately sits down beside him. He pushes the table a bit with his body and it spills some tea on the tray but he immediately grabs Kyungsoo’s hands and looks into his eyes.

“Breathe with me, in and out… slowly. You’re okay, you’re okay,” Jongin says in a gentle voice as he gives Kyungsoo his space but while still letting him know that he wasn’t alone. It takes a few long silent moments but Kyungsoo does find his breath again and his hands stop shaking. He’s still visibly shaken up and Jongin feels sorry but at the same time, he knows it won’t do either of them well if they didn’t talk about it. 

“Here, drink some tea,” Jongin holds up his mug and blows away the steam before bringing it to Kyungsoo’s lips. Kyungsoo’s face flushes red but he leans in, lips trembling as he takes a small sip of tea, testing the heat before he leans forward for another. Kyungsoo takes it into his own hands and he places it back on the table before he keeps his head low.

“I don’t expect anything,” he mumbles and Jongin doesn’t know what that means.

“We can act like we always have. You look for your love and I’ll support you with everything I’ve got. I don’t mind. But please just let me stay by your side. Even if we’re just friends, I don’t want to lose you,” tears fill Kyungsoo’s eyes and he looks desperate almost, Jongin has never seen him like this before. 

“I-I understand if you don’t want me around and I know I was being selfish but I was just so scared and the more time we spent together the more selfish I was becoming but I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t stop these feelings for you and I couldn’t stop feeling this connection we had,” Kyungsoo was going to spiral back into a panic attack at this point and Jongin held his hands. 

“Hey, it’s alright, I’m not going to leave you,” Jongin tries to reassure him but Kyungsoo still seems unsure. He looks like he’ll run and hide the moment he gets the chance. 

“I couldn’t face you after I saw your tattoo because I was so caught up in my own head that I didn’t think about you. But in truth, I was thinking about you the whole time,” Jongin says quietly and Kyungsoo’s breath quivers.

“I was thinking about our friendship and who you are to me. All that you mean to me. I always thought about what I would do if you ever found your soulmate. It never sat right with me. The thought that someday, someone else would be doing all that I do for you. That someone else would be by your side seeing all of your faces,” Jongin whispers and he places a hand on Kyungsoo’s cheek. Just a simple and tender touch.

“I always said that I wanted to choose who I fell in love with. But that’s not right is it? We don’t get to choose. We just… fall. I’ve fallen for you years ago and I didn’t know until now,” Jongin reveals and Kyungsoo freezes.

“I can’t say that I love you in a romantic sense just yet. There are a number of thoughts I’d locked away to keep our friendship the way it is but the moment I can open them again, I’m sure that I will love you like no other. There’s no one else that I’d want to be my soulmate, it was only ever you. You are the only one I want to intertwine my soul with Kyungsoo,” he smiles at him and Kyungsoo’s lips quiver as fat tears fall from his eyes. Jongin holds his cheeks as his eyes fall closed and he sobs, lowering his head. Kyungsoo sniffles and he reaches up to hold Jongin’s cheeks, looking at him with those beautiful eyes.

“I-is it true? Are you really my soulmate?” Kyungsoo asks. Sehun had said that Kyungsoo had never really confirmed whether or not they were soulmates. In a way, he had also chosen Jongin because he had fallen. Jongin grins as bright as he can,

“Your one and only, if you’ll have me” he replies and Kyungsoo laughs. 

“Can I see?” his seemingly innocent question and pure intent rouses something inside of him and he smirks at him.

“Moving a little fast aren’t we? Pants off before we’ve even had our first date?” Kyungsoo’s cheeks flush red and he tries to pull away but Jongin catches him before he can.

“I was kidding, let’s go to the bedroom,” Jongin says casually and he doesn’t have to see it to know that Kyungsoo’s ears have gone red. They hold hands as they make their way to Jongin’s bedroom and once inside Jongin lets go and removes his pants. He’s wearing boxers so he’s not too self conscious about it. 

He turns around and Kyungsoo’s face is undeniably flushed but he doesn’t look away at least. Jongin takes a few steps backwards until he reaches his bed and he takes a seat, gesturing for Kyungsoo to come closer. 

Kyungsoo crosses his legs and sits down on the floor while Jongin sits on the mattress and he smiles before he awkwardly spreads his legs and pulls up his boxers. He hasn’t seen it from this angle before so he doesn’t know how high to go but Kyungsoo’s hand reaches for his own and cool fingertips press against his skin. 

Jongin leans back and though he was confident before he’s feeling very awkward now with Kyungsoo’s fingers exploring his skin. Kyungsoo looks like he’s awestruck as he traces every line with his fingers, no doubt he’s spent hours and hours looking at his own tattoo and seeing it on someone else must be surreal. 

Kyungsoo leans back and he begins taking off his own pants which nearly causes Jongin to have a heart attack. Kyungsoo takes off his pants and he crawls forward, spreading Jongin’s legs and his own. He awkwardly straddles Jongin’s thigh as he tries to see their tattoos side by side and when he finally does it, he pauses. 

“You really are my soulmate,” Kyungsoo sighs in relief and he is about to get off but Jongin pulls him forward. Kyungsoo falls on top of him and their legs are tangled, skin touching. It’s more intimate than they were used to but it feels comfortable. Jongin loves the feeling of Kyungsoo’s body against his own. 

“Can I kiss you?” Kyungsoo takes the words right out of his mouth and they’re both surprised that he was the one to ask. Jongin laughs softly and he leans forward.

“Please do,” he closes his eyes and waits for Kyungsoo to come to him, not wanting to make him uncomfortable with any quick movements. It takes a few moments of silence and a few soft breaths tickling his lips before they finally kiss. 

The first second is tense like they don’t know what to do but once the feeling settles in they both release a breath and they press against one another as if it was always meant to be. This was right. This was exactly how it was supposed to feel and as their lips part and meet once more Jongin thinks that he never wants to kiss anyone other than Kyungsoo again. 

“I’m a little tired,” Kyungsoo mumbles against his lips and Jongin knows that he was to blame for that. Kyungsoo practically slumps down on top of him and Jongin really could get used to this feeling.

“Do you want me to grab the spare futon?” Jongin asks just to make sure. He doesn’t really want to take a nap without Kyungsoo but he would understand if that was too much for him right now. Kyungsoo lazily tries to shake his head even though it doesn’t look like much movement since his cheek is smooshed against Jongin’s chest. 

“No… I don’t think we’ll need that anymore,” Kyungsoo yawns as his eyes fall closed and Jongin’s heart flutters at the sight. He presses a kiss against Kyungsoo’s forehead and pulls the duvet over them both. 

Maybe… just maybe the universe was right after all.