Vernon and Seungkwan poured over what Vernon had collected on the topic of soulmates.

"My head hurts," Seungkwan whined when they were about three quarters of the way through it all. "Can we take a break?"

"Sure," Vernon agreed, "no use reading it all if you won't retain any of it."

Seungkwan leaned back so he was resting against the bed's headboard. "The papers Jun gave you were the ones that made me feel most like an idiot. If I'd confessed to you years ago we could be making out right now."

That caught Vernon unaware. Seungkwan wanted to make out with him?

"We could be making out right now..." Vernon suggested, already getting a little excited at the idea.

Seungkwan shook his head. "I've never made out with anyone - we haven't even kissed on the lips."

Vernon shrugged and shifted to face Seungkwan. "It doesn't matter, does it? We could strike a couple things off the list at once. "

"No, Vernon. It matters to me! We're soulmates, we're going to be together for the rest of our lives. I want everything between us to be sorted, and I want everything to be like the fairytale I always dreamed of. We have time to make sure things are perfect. I don't want any experience with you to be subpar."

Vernon chuckled at how naive Seungkwan was being. "You know life isn't a fairytale, nothing works out perfectly."

"I know, " Seungkwan pouted, "but I can try."

"Describe your fairytale life to me, Kwannie. If you want it, it's my job to help you live it."

"I want our first date to be cute and relaxed - at a carnival or something; our first kiss to just happen and not be planned; I want our first argument as a couple to be over something dumb. I want it to end with making out because we realise it was silly and want to pretend it didn't happen. I want the first time we make love to be clumsy and awkward even though we both want each other /so bad/ in the heat of the moment, and our second time to be planned. I want it to be under the stars, during a candlelit picnic or something. I want the first time we get drunk to be with just each other, and I want you to tell me you love me for the first time that night. I'd tease you about it the next day, and you'd get all red because you with emotions."

Seungkwan looked at Vernon expectantly. "That good enough? Far enough into the future for you?" he asked playfully

Vernon had listened with awe as Seungkwan described how he wanted their milestones to happen, trying to commit it all to memory.

"Yes, that's plenty. I'm surprised you've thought about it all."

Seungkwan shook his head to fix his fringe. "If course I have, do you know how long I've liked you?"

"A long time." Vernon didn't know specifically when Seungkwan had started liking him, but he knew it'd been /years/.

"A long time," Seungkwan agreed. He shifted suddenly and sat upright. "Can we take a break from all this soulmate stuff, including talking about a relationship we don't even have right now? Can we just, like, watch a movie or something? It's just too much, too soon for me."

Vernon nodded. "Of course, of course. Any movie you want to watch?"

Seungkwan shrugged. "You pick. I don't know what movies you have."

"You want to watch it in the loungeroom?"

"We'll have more room, why not?"

The two boys got up and moved to the loungeroom. Vernon went over to the movie selection, and picked out High School Musical. It was a movie Seungkwan liked, and Sofia had made him watch it so many times he could bear it.

(OK, he might like it, too. Ironically.)

Vernon turned the TV and DVD player on, put the DVD in, then sat next to Seungkwan.

Seungkwan sang along to every song and even got up to try do some the choreography, laughing as he did it. Vernon laughed along with him. When they got to Sharpay and Ryan singing Bop to the Top, Seungkwan encouraged Vernon to join in. He sang Ryan's parts, and pulled Seungkwan back down on to the couch after the number ended.

Vernon grabbed hold of Seungkwan's hand, whose only response was shifting in his seat. Seungkwan's hand fit against his perfectly, and it was soft but a little dry. Vernon wondered if Seungkwan'd even noticed they were holding hands. After a few scenes, Vernon squeezed Seungkwan's hand.

The other sat up and wrenched his hand out of Vernon's.

"What are you doing?" he asked, tone wary.

"Holding your hand."

"Why?"

Vernon paused. Why had he started holding Seungkwan's hand?

"I wanted to. It felt right. I didn't think you minded when you didn't pull away."

Seungkwan fidgeted with the hem of his jumper. "I didn't. But then I thought..." He shook his head. "I'm just being stupid. Don't worry."

Vernon sat up properly and paused the movie. "Tell me, Seungkwan. I want to know what's happening in your brain. I'm sure it isn't stupid."

Seungkwan looked down. "Maybe later."

"If we're going to date, we have to communicate," Vernon urged.

Seungkwan took a deep breath, then looked Vernon straight in the eye.

"What if you don't want to be with me? What if you're just doing this - picking movies I like, holding my hand, letting me kiss your cheek goodbye, talking about us being boyfriends sometime - because we're soulmates? I want to know you actually like me before I ask you to be my boyfriend."

Vernon grabbed one of Seungkwan's hands and brought it to his lips. He pressed his lips against Seungkwan's fingers. "Seungkwan. Boo Seungkwan. I promise I really, actually, truly, like you. I fancy you. I had the last few weeks almost by myself, with only my mum, my dad, and Joshua to talk to about this stuff."

Seungkwan's gaze softened and Vernon took Seungkwan's other hand in his. He kissed the fingers on that hand.

"I've figured out I like you. I want to kiss you, and hug you, and make you laugh and smile. I want to make you happy. I want to be what I probably should've been for a while now."

Seungkwan softly pulled his hand away. "So it partly is the soulmate thing."

"Obviously, Seungkwan, but not the way you think. I want to make you happy however I can for the rest of our lives. That's the soulmate thing. I feel like that because we're soulmates. I like you, not the mark on your ."

Seungkwan rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I guess I believe you. Can we get back to the movie?"

Vernon nodded and pressed play on the DVD player remote. He realised when the movie played again how sappy he'd just sounded, and had to resist the urge to facepalm.

The rest of the movie passed much more quietly. Seungkwan sung along under his breath and sat farther away from Vernon than he'd been before they paused the movie.

Vernon's mind raced with thoughts of how to prove to Seungkwan he was telling the truth. He could do something grand and (likely) embarrassing, Seungkwan liked attention and wouldn't mind if Vernon made a fool of himself. But it probably wouldn't seem sincere. He could try prove it gradually, over time, so Seungkwan knew it would -

Wait. There was something he hadn't thought of before, that Seungkwan had likely ignored.

"Seungkwan, how many pairs of soulmates go out on their first date after they've learned they're soulmates?" Vernon asked as the credits started rolling.

Seungkwan shrugged. "Most. Why?"

"They only date because of their marks, but their relationship still means a lot to them. The other person means a lot to them. It's caused by the bond. It doesn't matter if it is the soulmate thing, what I feel is genuine."

"I said I believe you." Seungkwan scooted closer to Vernon.

"It didn't sound like it."

Seungkwan placed a hand on Vernon's knee. "I want some reassurance."

Vernon smiled. "I figured that would be it. How can I prove myself?"

Seungkwan seemed to think for a few moments. "I don't know."

Right then, Vernon heard the front door open and Joshua announced he was home earlier than expected. Vernon got an idea. He wasn't going to spend the next however long trying to prove he liked Seungkwan. He was over being at the other's beck and call.

"Joshua! I'm in the loungeroom with Seungkwan, can you come here?" he called out.

Joshua appeared in the doorway a few seconds later. "Wassup?" he asked with a nod.

Vernon resisted the urge to cringe. Joshua'd been spending way too much time with Seungcheol. "Can you tell Seungkwan what the last few weeks have been like for me?"

"Vernon hasn't stopped talking about you. He's been bothering everyone asking how to make everything up to you. He realised he likes you." Joshua raised a hand to cup his mouth, like when children tell secrets, and stage whispered, "His mum said it was a couple months overdue," and lowered his hand again. "He was freaking out trying to get as much information on everything as he could. It was cute, him realising he likes you and accepting it so easily."

Vernon saw the shy smile on Seungkwan's face, and placed his hand on top of the hand Seungkwan had on his knee.

"All good? You two finally going to get together? Great, I'm heading to my room." Joshua turned around and left.

"So," Seungkwan said coyly, "you definitely like me?" He fluttered his eyelashes and brought his shoulders into himself to make himself look more demure.

Vernon chuckled, Seungkwan was certainly being very obvious. "Yes, Seungkwan. What do you want?"

Seungkwan scooted even closer, so his shoulder was brushing Vernon's. He moved his hand up Vernon's thigh sligtly.

"I was wondering," he paused to exaggeratedly flutter his eyelashes, "if maybe, you wanted to ask me out?"

Vernon laughed. "You have to ask, all of our drama could've been avoided if you'd just confessed years ago."

Seungkwan pulled his hand off Vernon's leg, and took a deep breath, raising his hands as he breathed in and lowering them when he breathed out.

"Ok. Sure, no problem. I know you like me, I can ask you out. I can do this," he psyched himself up.

"Hansol Vernon Chwe, will you be my boyfriend?"

Vernon felt butterflies trying to upturn his stomach. He was incredibly happy, like a giant flower had started to bloom in his chest, and he couldn't even begin to imagine how Seungkwan must have felt being the one to ask.

"Of course I will, Kwannie."

They both leant in and pressed their lips together for a few seconds before pulling apart. When they did, everything felt right. Vernon's lips tingled in a way they hadn't before, and he felt almost electric.

"Does that fit the criteria for your ideal first kiss?" Vernon found himself asking.

Seungkwan nodded eagerly, and pulled Vernon close for a second.

===============

A/N:

It finally happened! Verkwan are a thing!

I know it's been a bit longer than normal since I updated. This chapter wasn't very easy to write; I wasn't sure whether to get them together in it or not. It seemed a  little fast, but what are teenagers if not a little dumb and impatient at times, right?