Jungkook never thought he was ever going to be disappointed by the bell that ended an hour long lecture. There was just no indication why would he dislike the freedom from sitting at one spot and staring at a teacher who bored him to death, while he could run away from the classroom, stretch his limbs and do something better for a change.

Well, not now. He just had to force himself to actually get up and pack things against his will, and that was only because he could at least pad down to the teacher’s desk and bask in Seokjin's attention. All the students were slowly passing him while he put his bag on the desk next to Seokjin's bend form how he was finishing the attendance, and patiently waited for him to be acknowledged.

Seokjin didn’t say a single word during it, but his free hand sneaked around the boy’s waist and pulled him a bit closer, their hips touching. Jungkook just hated the fact he had to go spend another several hours with different teachers while his soul mate was entertaining somebody else without Jungkook ogling his .

Because there was much to be ogled. He was pretty sure Seokjin was turning around so much on purpose.

“Lunch together?” he heard the professor saying and hummed in agreement, snuggling a little closer to the warmth. Fine, he was away from it only for few hours, but it still felt like eternity – especially when he knew he could be curled up in his arms in the bed and touch whatever and whenever he wanted.

“I take it as a yes,” Seokjin chuckled and finally stood straight, pulling Jungkook into a shameless hug and kissing the top of his head. “Now run along or you’ll be late for your next class.”

“Oh man, I don’t want to,” Jungkook grumbled, holding on tighter. “Can you give me some private lessons instead?”

“In physics?”

“Very much in physics,” Jungkook grinned and when Seokjin barked out a laugh, he almost got reduced to a begging mess to be able to stay and not leave to another cold classroom. What was the next one?

Probably Minah.

It was funny, but even though it was only a weekend of which he lost a bit too much with his tantrum on Friday, it felt more like they spent at least a week together without any need to go somewhere out of necessity. They slept through most of the Saturday (or better Jungkook did, which was a shame, since the rest was more on a y side than the sleeping one), found out sleeping together was actually manageable even with Jungkook's hugging mood that kept Seokjin up only for an hour or so, before he dozed off and woke up in the morning. They burned breakfast (correction: Seokjin did, but he blamed Jungkook for it, which, fine, he tried to more hickeys on his neck, but there was no groping or anything) but ate it anyway (burned toasts were mostly manageable).

They lazed around for a bit, then went outside for a walk that turned into a run, because Jungkook was charged like a lightning bolt and had to get rid of it somehow, and Seokjin indulged him with more ease than the boy thought he would. They must have looked like two dorks though.

They got back, kissed some more in the bathroom because why the hell not, and then Jungkook got banished from the kitchen so Seokjin could actually cook something edible and not ruining it like any other attempt while the boy had been around.

Which hey, unfair.

The rest of the day was bit of a blur of a sleepy cosiness in the living room, curled up in Seokjin's lap and enjoying the attention until they went back to sleep.

For school. Which .

“Go now,” a slap on his woke him up immediately from his day dreaming and Seokjin was pushing him to the door. “I have another class too, we will talk during lunch.”

“That’s so far away,” Jungkook protested more for fun than for actually making a valid point (and it was a valid point, thank you very much), but Seokjin had none of it and only ruffled his hair in response.

“Evil overload,” Jungkook entitled him anyway but finally left with a weary sigh. At least he wasn’t so freaking tired anymore, which was a nice bonus to this pleasant development they made over the weekend.

Hell, he was so smitten he barely even remembered the bad things.

Bad things? What bad things?

Kim Seokjin was ing perfect. He treated me like a prince(ss).

***



Jungkook – 9:55 – This is a poor substitution for what I have to go through right now.

you – 9:56 – What, slobbering after your boyfriend while being stuck in a class? -.-

Minah's lesson was dragging like a never ending torture. She didn’t look at him for a single time, not even during an attendance, and he thought he deserved it, so he let it be. Although, maybe, he ought to thank her, since her plea for forgiveness to Seokjin set things in motion faster than he anticipated.

Jungkook – 9:57 – I’m dying over here.

you – 9:57 – You deserve it. You made him worried, you made me worried and I’m pretty sure you’re making your professor worried right now too with tapping on your phone instead of listening to the lecture.

Minah didn’t seem phased by his blatant ignorance of the lesson, so he doubted it. He had to copy notes though, he scratched two words during the lesson and that was his maximum. Maybe he could ask her for scripts? Via e-mail. She could have bitten his head off face to face.

Jungkook – 9:59 – Sorry, Mrs Moralist. Why did I make you worried?

you – You left before I even woke up and didn’t write a single word, I thought you went to jump off a cliff.

Jungkook – 10:02 – Crap, I haven’t called you back?

you – 10:05 – No, you rude bamboo! I’m not a one night stand girl, get your facts right! I feel so violated.

Of course he didn’t. Damn, he was so out if it the moment Seokjin picked up his phone and he heard the sleepy voice over the line, and it did things to him.Things. And he put you on the low priority and that was bad. She helped him so ing much, she was a damn saint. She even gave him booze. Although not much --- stingy. He had to get her something. Like… flowers or maybe tons of chocolate. And a hug. Definitely a hug.

Jungkook – 10:06 - *dramatic sigh*

you – 10:08 - *uninterested grunt*

Jungkook – 10:10 – You’re so damn fine, dude. So damn fine. I wuv you.

you – 10:12 – Not buying it.

Jungkook – 10:15 – Awwww. Sorry, doll, I had a weak moment and called him and he insisted he’ll drive me home and I just forgot.

you – 10:18 – You forgot because you had to take this photo?

The photo was so random though. He had dozens of them while Seokjin wasn’t looking, but this one was pretty much conscious and he didn’t even fight over it, just shrugged and let it to be taken while smiling like he just swallowed a canary and people stared and Jungkook didn’t care.

Oh, they also stopped at a pizza place and neither of them liked it. Jungkook thought it was awesome, how their tastes were the same. Although Jungkook still refused to eat the pizza with pineapple, no matter what Seokjin said. It was just wrong.

Jungkook – 10:20 – I actually took this photo on Sunday. Too busy snogging him on Saturday.

you – 10:25 – That escalated quickly. Where is that build up anger you kept on spouting?

Jungkook – 10:27 – That was stupid, I know. He didn’t shout though.

you – 10:30 – He snogged you instead.

Jungkook – 10:32 – Depends when :D But hey! I found out what does it do when the mark is touched – it’s freaking awesome. It was like you're in heat!

Jungkook – 10:33 – not like you'll actually understand that XD

He almost didn’t have the briefs either though. Almost. Seokjin had much more self-control than him.

you – 10:35 – Heyy, that's rude! I'll find my soul mate soon and youll have to kneel XD And that’s good though, at least you are not throwing up anymore.

Jungkook – 10:37 – Only rainbows :D

you – 10:40 – You’re ridiculously so in love.

Jungkook pressed reply and stopped right the same moment.

In love. Damn. Was he in love? A boy who used to be so eager with having one night stands --- falling in love? His hands trembled slightly and he had to take a deep breath. He was content, yes. He was needy and craving the touches and the presence, yes. He thought about him for majority of the day, of course.

Kim Seokjin was his soulmate. Of course he was ing in love with him.

In love.

The sudden realization changed everything and it dawned on him like a ing meteor hitting the Earth.

He quickly deleted the reply and started typing anew, his throat a little tight and fingers clumsy, but he pressed send without second thoughts and put the phone on the table with a shuddering breath.

It was probably bold. Maybe quite crazy too. Maybe he was going to get laughed at. Or maybe just slapped over the head, he didn’t really know.

But damn him if he wasn’t sincere right now.

***

Jungkook – 10:50 – I love you.

***

“Professor, are you alright?”

Kim Seokjin wondered if he was. He was almost at the end of the lesson and he knew it was a mistake to actually pay attention to his phone – or bringing it with him at that point – but when it was just a text and nobody was actually calling him and his class was paying attention to the assignment he gave them, he took a peek.

It was a mistake.

He read it over and over and couldn’t bring himself to stop, and the choking sound he made when he saw it for the first time brought the inevitable attention to him immediately. He just slumped against the desk, staring at the display wordlessly and rubbed his eyes.

“That little…” he breathed out, tearing his eyes from it to glance back at his class who stared back at him curiously. “Class is over for today. Don’t forget to fill the assignment for the next lesson.”

It was just ten minutes till the end of it; he didn’t bother keeping them here when he alone couldn’t even properly focus on what he was saying. When they started to disappear through the door and left the classroom empty, he hid his face in his hands and groaned.

“He’ll be the death of me.”

***

“But that’s so adorable~!“

"I can hear the sarcasm,” Seokjin uttered dryly, pacing around the common room with his phone in hand. He wasn’t sure if he should have answered? Or wait until lunch? What would he say anyway? Act like he didn’t read anything or…

Jungkook confessed through the text and it was so disarming he could barely comprehend the gesture until he was here, in this room with Hoseok who apparently had been thoroughly amused, and read it again out loud (“That’s so straightforward, Jin, who would have known you had it in you!” Hoseok mocked him right after and Seokjin had an urge to chunk the phone at him).

“It was intended,” Hoseok chirped back sweetly and offered a smile. “Who would have said you two are actually capable of falling in love? I thought we’re going to witness a murder at the best.”

“He just texted this to me,” Seokjin ignored him, shaking the phone in distress. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Oh sorry, I accidentally considered you an adult man capable of logical decisions, my bad,” Hoseok raised his hands in a placating gesture. “How about you dance Macarena and drink Martini?”

Seokjin stopped in his pacing and glared at the funny man with vengeance. Helpful. So damn helpful. It wasn’t this easy, goddammit! He wasn’t even prepared, he wasn’t ready!

It didn’t matter those words were constantly on his mind since he woke up on Sunday with Jungkook curled up next to him, breathing softly, and he realized he didn’t mind him at all, that his presence was the best thing he could think of, and that he could spend eternity like that, just with them both in the bed, together, huddled close like chicks.

No matter it was there when he was making (and later on burning) breakfast and Jungkook was leaning into him, barefooted and sleepy while sipping his tea and humming something quietly.

That it was present when they were running under the still strong enough sun to warm their skins and make them sweaty.

When they cuddled on the sofa and Jungkook was drawing abstract shapes on Seokjin's palm.

When…

Seokjin let out a defeated sigh and put his phone to his pocket. There was no damn point playing daft or refusing the inevitable conclusion he was coming to.

Jeon Jungkook, that little pup, he couldn’t win over no matter how hard he tried, that trickster who always played situation to his forte, that manipulative rascal who made the lessons with him, hell – he got under his skin like this super fine sand on white beaches that you had everywhere when the wind blew.

He was there and it was for good. And Seokjin grew to appreciate it. He liked it.

He loved it.

“I never knew you could be so expressive,” Hoseok piped, shattering the inner monologue mercilessly and Seokjin quickly snapped out of it. “You were actually smiling.”

“Must have been your imagination,” Seokjin shrugged with a dry tone and glanced at his watch. It was almost lunchtime. “You have lots of it.”

“Unlike you,” Hoseok shot back with a smirk. “So what are you going to do? Dance or reciprocate?”

“Eat,” Seokjin said simply and before Hoseok could finish his mandatory eye roll, Seokjin was leaving the room with light feet.

He had a goddamn date to attend to after all.

***

Jungkook appeared about ten minutes later after Seokjin arrived to the cafeteria, curious looking and seemingly eager, and when he spotted Seokjin at the table, his face broke into a happy smile and Seokjin's stomach made an excited jump.

Seriously, he was like a teenager, his body was out of control. Since the weekend he had been sappy as hell, attention seeking and touches craving, and it wasn’t even purely physical as he thought it could be at the beginning, especially when he found out that kissing Jungkook was pretty nice. No, it definitely wasn’t normal.

The simple urge to keep the boy close was for the plain knowledge of being there for him. Of being the one who can talk to him, listen to him, hell, even pampering him. He found himself wondering what he could do for the boy to smile, for him to be happy with Seokjin, and he already considered such affection as the last warning sign before being lost forever.

“What’s with the face?” the boy grinned when he crashed in front of him with his own lunch, and there was an immediate touch on Seokjin's ankle under the table, how Jungkook apparently thought it was the best greeting he could give.

Wait, was he without shoes? Seokjin forced down the urge to check and only gave him a meaningful look, which made Jungkook smile even wider. Normally he would expect him to kick, but the meaningful rubbing up and down proved him wrong.

He was really like a pup.

“I have no idea,” Seokjin replied calmly, playing it as cool as he could. “But something probably is, since I got told it often today.”

“Oh?” Jungkook's expression changed quickly into uncertainty and Seokjin almost felt sorry for him. “Who told ya?”

“My class, mainly,” Seokjin shrugged and started nibbling his food to hide the growing smile. “Hoseok mentioned too. And then you. Guess there must be something true about it.”

An evident nervousness appeared in Jungkook's body language and Seokjin wondered if the boy knew what he was trying to point out or if he expected something else. But judging from the fidgeting he did it probably hadn’t been the first thought that came to his mind, so Seokjin took pity of him. It was like punishing a puppy and there wasn’t a single reason why he should.

He pulled out his phone with still opened text from the boy and put it on the table so Jungkook could see it. Then he simply crossed his arms on his chest and leaned back to his chair, watching his soulmate silently.

Jungkook's eyes skimmed down, up and down again. Then he cleared his throat, fidgeted some more and took the phone to his hand like he was seeing it for the first time and needed to study it.

“You need a better phone,” he said after and Seokjin bit down the laugh.

“This one can read texts just fine,” he didn’t give him an opening and Jungkook traced the edge of the device with his fingers.

“Spur of a moment,” he commented with a deep sigh. “You know how it is.”

“Do I?"

For a moment it looked like Jungkook was going to play the game with him, but then he put the phone back at the table and leaned closer to Seokjin, dropping his voice low.

“Please, tell me you’re not angry over it,” he pleaded with puppy eyes worth an award, and Seokjin was pretty sure if he had been angry, this would successfully dissipate it. He held the stony face though. “I just felt like I should…”

“Well,” Seokjin started sternly and Jungkook's face fell a little at it. “I should be. I read it in the middle of my class and couldn’t possibly continue teach for the rest of it.”

“Sorry!" He's actually scared, Seokjin muffled his laughter down the throat.

“It was actually pretty difficult to pay attention to anything else,” Seokjin continued as unattached as he could. “Until you showed up, of course.”

“Of course,” Jungkook piped and the professor waited for him to catch up. It took him about five seconds before he shot his head back up and his eyes were wide. Seokjin allowed himself to smile and then barked out a laugh when he saw how Jungkook's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

“You scared me, you jerk,” the foot was back on Seokjin's ankle, but then it travelled higher, rubbing against his shin. “I thought you’re going to tell me to stuff it-,”

“Of course not,” Seokjin sighed and moved his own leg to the side so Jungkook could reach better. He earned a sly smile for it. “But you caught me off guard.”

“Mmm, really,” the boy purred. “Not used to people telling you they love you?”

“Not cheeky little s like you,” Seokjin shot back without hesitation and Jungkook grinned, his body relaxing into an easy, comfortable stance Seokjin got used to during the weekend.

“Well, you better get used to it then,” Jungkook told him in a serious voice. “Because I’m going to tell you a lot. Since I-,”

“Kook, no.”

“Love-,”

“Jungkook.”

“-you a lot, what?” the eating grin made Seokjin groan more than the words alone. When the foot reached his inner thigh, Seokjin gave up on eating completely.

***

“I’m not going to say it didn’t shock me.”

“I appreciate your honesty,” Seokjin supplied unhelpfully and Yoongi kept on staring at him with an unreadable expression. Seokjin was just glad Yoongi's class had been busy playing football, since he needed him for himself for a bit. Having an audience for this kind of conversation seemed rather excessive.

“A student.”

“Yes.”

“He’s like… 18 years younger,” another jab and Seokjin nodded. He didn’t even let it got to him anymore, and he wondered if it was a bad thing. Maybe he just fell too deep and Jungkook had him wrapped successfully around his little finger? “How is it even like?”

“Don’t let me started,” Seokjin chuckled. “I’m pretty sure your own experience with Jimin was similar.”

“But he’s just few years younger,” Yoongi pointed out and his shoulders slumped a little. Seokjin knew Jimin was out of town again after very short stay here and as much as Yoongi was acting like it wasn’t big deal, it was apparent he missed him. He wondered if Jimin knew – or if he reaped the benefits right after he returned. “But I get your point. Min is like a big dog. I assume Jeon has those puppy eyes equally lethal.”

“I can’t argue with that,” Seokjin hid his smile. So far Jungkook didn’t use it for anything bad though and Seokjin just found it ridiculously attractive – even if a little silly.

“I’ve meant to come to ask you sooner, but things got complicated over these few days,” he offered meekly to get down to business before Jungkook's last lesson would end. He wanted to see him before he would take off home – although their conversation about Jeon spending time in his own house with his mother had been rather fruitless. “But it’s mostly about the marks.”

“What about them?” the PE teacher raised an eyebrow. “Something is wrong?”

“Have yours burned during the beginning of the bond?” Seokjin asked straightforwardly and Yoongi contemplated it a bit. Topics about this particular theme varied a lot on the internet, so Seokjin thought Yoongi was more reliable source for this kind of information.

“At the very beginning, yes. But you could soothe it while touching it,” he shrugged after, confirming Seokjin's suspicion. Too bad they were too stubborn to actually try something like that before this weekend. It could have safe them – and especially Jungkook – a lot of suffering. “Jimin got really into it I had to keep him away like a plague.”

“Overstimulation?” Seokjin smirked knowingly, but Yoongi's reaction surprised him, since his eyes widened a little.

A touchy subject?

“Not really?” he blinked in confusion. “He was just really handsy. Like a proud father of a child, except it was just a stupid handprint over my belly.”

A belly, huh. Yoongi seemed to realize what he had said right after, but only cleared his throat awkwardly and remained silent. Who knows where Jimin’s mark is.

“So when you touch his mark, or he touch yours, nothing happens?“ Seokjin tilted his head to the side questioningly and Yoongi gave out a tiny shrug, apparently glad Seokjin didn’t breach the “belly mark” subject.

“Not really, no,” he concluded simply. “It does to you?”

“Sort of.”

“Is it painful?” there was a worry in his voice and Seokjin was glad it wasn’t the case.

“Quite the opposite,” he shook his head. The first time Jungkook attempted the contact, Seokjin was left panting like a cheap while Jungkook looked a bit too smug for his tastes (“Liked it?” he asked cheekily, circling around the mark like a vulture with his fingers. “The old fashioned way is better,” Seokjin retorted, trying to keep some dignity intact and Jungkook proceeded to the mark instead. Seokjin almost kicked him off the couch). “I thought it’s normal?”

“If it is, I haven’t really read anything similar about it,” Yoongi opposed in wonder. He seemed genuinely curious and Seokjin thought it was probably a bad idea to tell him about it. “Seems like your marks are like… super oversensitive?”

“You think so?”

“Well, when Jimin touches mine,” Yoongi motioned vaguely. “There is… tingling feeling, sort of. Nothing strange or fancy, just like you’re charged and your soulmate is bit of a catalyst. But it’s weak, so it just gives you the feeling it’s there without acting up.”

“Oh.”

“Yours acts up though,” Yoongi gestured towards him and seemed thoughtful. “Damn, you two are seriously the weirdest soulmates I’ve ever heard about.”

“I try not to think about it,” Seokjin offered and Jimin gave him a slight nod.

“Just out of the seriousness,” the PE teacher stepped a bit closer. “How are you holding up? The last time I saw you, you two seemed like being together is the worst thing in the world.”

Seokjin didn’t blame him for thinking that. Everybody probably thought so for the first week, and Seokjin lived through it. But now… now it was different. How he was going to make Jungkook to stay at his own home for today was a mystery even to him.

He smiled at Yoongi anyway.

“The worst thing in the world is being without him.”

***

“No way.”

“Jungkook, for real,” Seokjin let out a long sigh and stopped with buttoning up his coat. “It’s just one night.”

The corridor was already pretty silent and Jungkook thought it mocked him with it, echoing perfectly the unhappiness that came with Seokjin's simple statement of them not spending this night together.

It .

“But why?” Jungkook remained stubborn. It was so fine now, perfect even, why would Seokjin decide it needed a break? Unless he didn’t think the same, of course. But judging from his actions… there was no way, right?

 No way.

“Because your mother hasn’t seen you in several days,” a lame argument fell from Seokjin's lips and Jungkook pondered the idea of kicking his shin. His mum? She knew what was going on, she even encouraged him to spend time with his soulmate (or better she was angry when he didn’t), so why was he making an issue out of it?

“And also because I need to leave the city for today.”

“Leave?” Jungkook repeated with a blink. Leave where? When was he coming back?

Seokjin nodded quietly and stepped closer to the boy, gently touching his shoulder in a placating gesture. His hand was warming him even through the layers of clothing and he had to literally stop himself from whining about the fact he was supposed to let go of that.

Man, I’m like a jealous girlfriend or what. Or maybe an addict?

“I’ll be back tomorrow evening,” Seokjin assured him, his thumb drawing circles on Jungkook's shoulder. “Stop pouting.”

“I don’t pout,” Jungkook informed him sternly and Seokjin chuckled, his hand changing placement to his face, brushing over his lips gently. It was tender and loving and Jungkook wanted to melt.

“Yes, you do,” he teased easily. “Want me to drive you home?”

Home.

“Your home,” Seokjin added like he realized the same thing Jungkook did at the same time, and it made the boy sigh and take a step closer so he could bury his face into Seokjin's coat, snuggling into it. Seokjin's arm immediately circled around his shoulders, pulling him tighter to him, and he could feel him kissing his head.

, they were so sickeningly ridiculous here. He was so glad there was nobody who could see them, or Jungkook would never live it down.

“You’ll be back tomorrow,” he made sure and heard Seokjin hum above him. “For sure.”

“For sure.”

“You’re still heartless.”

“Being pouty won’t help you,” he could hear in Seokjin's voice that the man was smiling now, making it lighter, and Jungkook wondered if it helped or if he was too stubborn to let the sudden happiness go, even for a bit, selfishly clinging to a one really nice thing that happened to him after all these years.

“No, probably not,” he admitted quietly, tilting his head up. “Since you’re an ice queen.”

“Only once per month,” Seokjin indulged him with a small laugh and ruffled his hair. “Come on. Let me drive you to your mother’s place.”

“Are you in a hurry?” Jungkook asked and clutched the coat tighter.

“I have about an hour before I need to leave,” Seokjin checked his watch quickly and it made Jungkook more disappointed than he thought it would. He was really too far gone in this he had no means to get out of it. Getting bitter over such small, stupid thing like one ing night apart was so lame.

“Jungkook.”

“I know,” Jungkook nodded, forcing down the grabby hands and childish possessiveness that was growing in him greedily during the weekend with an alarming speed. Stopping it now was ing hard.

He stole small kiss anyway before stepping away from the man, swinging on his feet to hide the slight tremor that was starting to creep to his limbs from the urge to touch again.

“Don’t let me keep you,” he smiled as honestly as he could and even though Seokjin looked rather unconvinced, he still took off to the parking lot with the dark brown hair boy following him like a deadly shadow.

If this was what meant to be in love, Jeon Jungkook couldn’t say it was easy.

***

“Kookie!”

“Since when they let out angels to the earth?” he faked an absolute wonder and a small black hair girl giggled when she hugged him like she hadn’t seen him for ages.

Well, that was almost true.

“Oh? I haven’t expected you to be home so early,” his mum peeked from the kitchen, but there was an apparent relief in her face when she dropped all she was doing and came to the hallway to hug him as well. She smelled like blueberries and sugar and Jungkook didn’t know how much he missed that until now.

“Something happened?” she immediately asked, her eyes full of worry, and Jungkook quickly shook his head and nodded towards the kitchen with Shinae in his arms.

“Nothin’ happened, don’t worry,” he assured her when she finally moved back to the sweet warmth coming from the stove. He put Shinae back down when she pointed at her favourite drawing spot, and she immediately bounced back to the papers all over the floor where she had been creating her wonders, and showed Jungkook the best ones.

It was mostly horses and unicorns and he praised her happily. He really missed this little bugger – it was so easy to forget in the sweet embrace of his new life about everything else, it was almost scary.

“You texted me not to expect you and it sounded like a long term event,” his mum commented from the stove, between tasting the soup and adding spice to it. There was a cake on the counter, slowly cooling off and smelling delicious. “So I assume something had tohappen.”

“Nothing life threatening at least,” Jungkook offered a small smile and stood next to her with a sigh. “He’s just out of town for tonight.”

“Ah,” she voiced out like she understood, but then her eyes skimmed to him in a curious glance. “And?”

“And I’m sad, of course,” Jungkook didn’t feel pretending was wise, so he just shrugged like it was no big deal (it was a big deal, a huge deal, gigantic one, alright?). “But he said I’m pouting and I’m not, so whatever, I can it up for a day.”

She watched him for a while like she was thinking about it and then got back to her cooking, humming quietly.

“It’s like something is missing, right?” she asked after a moment and Jungkook silently nodded. It wasn’t just the fact Seokjin was nowhere near him. It was something more inner, more intimate, like part of him wasn’t where it was supposed to be. The more he thought about it, the emptier it felt and he couldn’t help but wonder if Seokjin thought about it the same.

With lots of things happening lately he thought he did. It was like being connected with more than just a mark, and Jungkook could tell it was making him sappy and rather clingy, but he couldn’t help himself. When Seokjin was close, it was like he begged him to keep touching, even though he didn’t say a word.

“There are bonds that run very deep,” his mum interrupted his thoughts quietly. “And then there are shallow ones. For show, I think, only giving the possibility.”

“Like they don’t spend time with each other?” he blinked in surprise. He thought having a soulmate automatically meant being together. Or was it not the case?

“They prefer only meeting regularly, but they don’t feel like you do now when they are not together,” she nodded, her look a bit distant. “I have a friend like that. She is with her soulmate only about a week in a month. They are not married or anything and they prefer to be this way.”

“I’d go crazy,” Jungkook uttered. He could have ended that way with Seokjin, he realized. They could have been those two people seeing each other out of necessity, but otherwise not really feeling the need to do anything else about it. Seokjin seemed like preferring it at the beginning. If Jungkook hadn’t been stubborn, would it end that way? That sole image of this happening after all they went through – unimaginable. He would definitely lose it after a second day and it wouldn’t even be the mark’s doing. He grew to adore the man and it felt like addiction – to praise, to touch, to gentle loving and sweet words. Nobody made him feel that way before.

“As would I,” his mum smiled sadly and Jungkook visibly recoiled. It wasn’t fair talking to her about his bond when her's was severed. He knew how she suffered, and it always made him scared when he thought back about it – reminding her of it wasn’t his intention at all. Not ever.

He touched her shoulder gently, offering a pathetic support, and she patted his cheek in return.

“When your dad was still alive,” she started with surprising ease, “and we had to stay apart, it was always terribly depressing, especially when we were shortly after the bonding. I always cried myself to sleep when he couldn’t be with me and my parents never really understood.”

Jungkook knew his grandparents weren’t soulmates, so he kind of understood why it seemed strange to them. He could say having a soulmate was a different kind of love – although he never really had been in love before Seokjin. All the girls he had been dating were… just that. Somebody he spent time with, somebody not so completely relevant, not so important – as much as heartless it sounded. Like breaking it up was always easy and affection fleeting.

But with his soulmate it burned with intensity and it filled him to the brink. As much as the mark was acting up at the beginning, he could tell the way he felt now wasn’t its doing at all. It wasn’t some weird tattoo making him love the man so dearly. It wasn’t just fate that pushed them together because why the hell not – it was gravity. Jungkook always gravitated towards Kim Seokjin.

He always wanted him to pay Jungkook his attention, albeit the bad way, he knew. But he was trying to pull him closer; he was trying to make him mad enough so he would actually break the distance. And maybe that was it. Maybe Jungkook secretly knew Seokjin belonged to him, so he wanted him to mark him as his, because Jungkook couldn’t do it alone.

A rivalmance, you said that night when Jungkook ran away from Seokjin's house. A rivalmance that turned sappy and colourful, and also goddamn lucky.

“No soul bond is the same,” his mum pointed out softly when she looked at him and apparently saw something that made her chuckle. He was sure the expression he wore must have been worth a good laugh. “Some are intense, some are not. Mine was strong and deep and that was why I took it so badly when he died.”

Jungkook nodded and stepped closer to lean to her, offer a contact. He remembered his parents as the perfect example of the happy lot. In love, absolutely and blissfully happy. Of course he tended to make it prettier – they had their flaws, their bad moods and quarrels, but in overall they were his family and he knew they were perfect.

“What I mean to say,” she sighed into his chest when he hugged her and swayed her from side to side. “Is that your bond is precious and I’ll always support you. I know you miss him.”

“I know you miss him too,” Jungkook responded gently and when a sob came he only hugged her tighter.

***

It was 2 AM and he couldn’t sleep. He checked his phone about ten times by now, always with a thumb hovering above Seokjin's contact, but he never clicked it.

He could ing do it for one day without the guy ---at least, Jungkook thought so.

When he checked his phone for the eleventh time, he couldn’t stop the groan.

, I’m totally the girlfriend in this relationship.

Jungkook – 2:04 – I hate you so much rite' now!

No, he didn’t. Well, yes, he did, a bit for the guy leaving him in such great period of time with them slowly getting together. Cruel, so cruel. Or was it a test?

, it was definitely a test and he blew it by breaking the silence first.

Seokjin – 2:05 – I’ll show you the message thread for future references. The last one was “I love you” and right the one after “I hate you”, I feel like you need to get your facts right, love.

Jungkook blinked when the message came. Seokjin hadn’t been sleeping? Or did he wake him up?

Jungkook – 2:06 – Why are you not sleeping? Naughty.

Seokjin – 2:07 – Probably for the same reason you’re still awake.

Jungkook – 2:08 – Touching yourself while thinking about me?

He snorted at his own answer and could totally imagine Seokjin rolling his eyes while reading it. But hey, where would be the fun in that if he didn’t a bit? He could only wonder if he was really in bed right now or if he was still somewhere with other people. Doing… who knows what.

“Without me,” he mumbled and cringed at it. Good thing he couldn’t hear him.

Seokjin – 2:10 – Thinking of touching you instead. But nicely put.

“Damn,” he barked out a laugh. “Smooth as .”

Jungkook – 2:11 – I try :D

Seokjin – 2:12 – Everything alright on your end?

Jungkook – 2:13 – Cold, but bearable.

Seokjin – 2:15 – Cold?

Jungkook – 2:16 – Duh. Without you.

Seokjin – 2:19 – Just sleep, Jungkook. Only few hours more.

Few hours, yeah. Felt like eternity though, especially when he couldn’t sleep no matter how hard he tried to. He counted sheep, he drank milk with honey, he even considered going out for a run to get tired enough. Just thinking of Seokjin's warmth was making the longing even worse and he grumbled unhappily.

Jungkook – 2:21 – Can I call you? To say good night or somethin’ equally cheesy. Feels like hearing your voice would help, you know?

Seokjin – 2:25 – Rather not.

“Rather not?” he repeated with a frown. Stingy. What was he even doing there? He didn’t say where or with whom was he leaving the city and now when Jungkook was thinking about it, the old worry about Seokjin's significant other that could have been somewhere around surfaced in his mind like cancer.

But… Seokjin wouldn’t do that, would he? He wouldn’t lie about something this important. He wouldn’t-

Another message cut off his thoughts forcefully and he opened it with a deep breath, suddenly uneasy and nervous.

Seokjin – 2:30 – I’m already keeping myself here by the power of sheer will. If I heard you, nothing would stop me from catching the earliest flight to get to you as soon as possible. Be good, love, and sleep well. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise.

“God."

I don't think I can't sleep tonight.

Jungkook blushes in embarrasssement, throwing his phone away. Yup, he couldn't sleep at all.

***

So, next might be the last chapter. I'll update shortly. 

We had a very enjoyable time together before and thank you for reading. It's very interesting. Really.  I gotta miss you guys for having subscribers and unsubscribe. For having gorgeous voters and waiting for my to update. I'm sorry for leaving you guys in the dark.

So final, just wait. Thank you so much.