Eunhyuk dropped his towel, Heechul stood wide-eyed, Henry looked from his Eunhyuk Hyung to his Heechul Hyung and Jaejoong dropped his bag and froze mid step. Forget hearing a pin drop, it was silent enough for a feather falling to have been heard inside the room.  All four brothers stood where they were, just staring at each other. Outside, snow had started falling gently, a white layer forming on the green ground. The door to the house opened with an almost resounding click.

    “The snow got you Kangin. Looks like I escape unharmed. We got back early to see how your first day of school went...what happened here?” Leeteuk asked seeing the frozen brothers. For a couple seconds, no one moved, until Kangin coughed a little to bring noise back into the house. The cough broke the wall of silence that had built up.

“You got your tattoo!”

“Holy ! Can’t believe who it is!”

“Hyung you found your soulmate?”

“What is with this city!!!”

“Found who? Got what? Ugh-what is going on here!”

“STOP!”

Everyone froze once again. They all turned to look at Kangin who had been the one to shout at the end. All five watched as Kangin took a deep breath.

“Teukie, come here sit down and breathe. Nothing is wrong. Eunhyuk, you look like you’re about to shower. Go on, take that shower and try to calm down while you’re in there. Henry, Jaejoong, and Heechul, breathe. Why don’t you change and come sit down next to Teukie. I’ll get a snack from the kitchen then maybe we’ll grab some dinner and, once all of us have calmed down. We can talk about...whatever that was.”  The four brothers and Leeteuk blinked, even as they moved to follow Kangin’s orders.

Within a couple of minutes, the shower was on and Leeteuk was sitting on the couch with a cup of tea in his hand and Kangin was walking out of the kitchen with another cup in his hands. Henry and Heechul were in their room changing their clothes and Jaejoong was in his, lying facedown on the bed with a pillow over his head. The house was calm. Jaejoong tried to use this time to calm down and think through the various truths that had come out in the past three minutes.

A tattoo. Eunhyuk had gotten his tattoo. That had seemed so unreal, Eunhyuk had often joked about how he’d be the last to get it with his luck, but Jaejoong had almost accepted that to be a fact. Eunhyuk didn’t go around attempting to meet people or trying to get to know them and since the tattoo only formed through interaction, it seemed, almost unusual, that Eunhyuk had gotten the tattoo. He hadn’t gotten a glimpse of the name like Henry had, so he didn’t know why Henry had reacted so explosively. Jaejoong sighed a little when he felt the bed dip with someone’s added weight.

“Jae-Hyung…” He looked up to find a slightly scared Eunhyuk. He didn’t realise that he had been lying down long enough for Eunhyuk to finish his shower, but one look at the alarm clock on the side told him that it had been barely 15 minutes.

“That was a quick shower Hyuk…” Jaejoong sat up and looked at his younger brother. His teeth were nibbling at his lower lip and his hands fidgeting with the hem of the T-back tank that he was wearing in an expression of nerves that Jaejoong hadn’t seen since Eunhyuk was 14 and didn’t know how to deal with puberty.

“I couldn’t take a longer shower...I don’t know the name...I don’t think I want to know the name” Eunhyuk said taking a deep breath and grabbing his knees and pulling them to his chest. It didn’t take long for Jaejoong to see exactly how panicked Eunhyuk was by the entire thing.

“It’ll be okay Hyukkie, I’m sure, whoever it is will suit you we-”

“But Henry’s reaction! He seemed so amazed and surprised….I think slightly amused as well it’s just...worrying.”

“Calm down baby Hyukkie, Henry is probably amused because he’s in a lot of your classes and has seen your interaction or something. And remember, your soulmate is someone who suits your personality, and balances you out. A ying to your yang so to speak.”

“Hyung...do you realise that when Henry said I had my tattoo, Heechul Hyung…”

“Said he knows who his soulmate is? Yeah I realised. But honestly, I’m slightly worried. He looks so spooked at finding out.”

“Definitely a day of revelations today isn’t it?”

“Yup.”

Jaejoong leaned forward to hug his brother and couldn’t help but smile when he felt Eunhyuk bury his face into the crook of his neck and hug him back tightly.

‘It’s okay to let your guard down in front of us every once in awhile, Hyuk-ah’

Seated at the dinner table, a tense silence in the air as the brothers ate the Pasta that Jaejoong had made for dinner that night. The silence was only broken by the occasional slurping of the spaghetti or the clinking of cutlery. Eyes met, only to look away because the tension was too strong and the air too awkward. As the last of the forks were placed down and the last of the water drunk, the silence seemed overwhelming. No one dared break it.

“So...there was quite a confusion when we walked in today…”Kangin started speaking slowly, noticing that the boys were awkwardly looking away and Leeteuk looking at them expectantly. None of the boys looked willing to speak. Kangin decided to bring up the order.

“Heechul, you said you knew who your soulmate was...when did you get your tattoo? And who is it?” Heechul looked startled at having his name called on first and so decided to clear his throat and answer.

“I-that is...last night. When we were about to go to bed, I noticed it. It’s a small lion. On the left side of my chest...and the name was Siwon-Andrew. In school today…” Heechul didn’t get to continue and Jaejoong made a small noise at the back of his throat.

“Is it...the Andrew that we met today...Yunho is Korean and I think they are his brothers...so…”

“I- yeah...It’s him. He told me his name is Siwon. And I guess that leaves no space for second-guessing.”

“So...it’s official then. Siwon-Andrew whatever his last name is your soulmate. How-how do you feel about that?” Eunhyuk asked, knowing how his brother felt about anything looked down upon by society. Heechul bit his lip and looked away.

“I-I…” Heechul stuttered, looking anywhere but his family. “There must be a mistake is all. I’m not-not gay!” The last words of his sentences were choked out as though saying the words themselves were a struggle. Leeteuk could feel the frown tugging at his lips as Heechul seemed to start trembling, his voice no longer steady. “It’s wrong. Something went wrong is all.” Jaejoong looked at his Hyung feeling the sadness get to him. He knew that so far, all the soulmates found had been accurate. While it was possible that Heechul was the one anomaly, it was more likely that the tattoo was right.

“Hyung…” Henry started, getting out of his chair and giving Heechul a hug “maybe you’re right. Maybe the tattoo is wrong. But maybe you need to give Andrew a chance. See if..maybe…”

“NO! It’s not right it’s not! I’m….I’ve...I’ve been good! I won’t let something like this take me away from the path I must walk on.” Seeing the rising panic in Heechul’s eyes, Leeteuk knew he had to intervene.

“Alright...moving on…” Heechul looked up, and noticing that the attention was off of him, he took deep breaths to calm down, knowing that a breakdown here isn’t what he needs right now.

“Eunhyuk, you’ve got your soul mark?”

“Apparently...personally I think everyone should check..after all we all met quite a lot of new people today.”

“Fine everyone can check themselves. Let’s see your first Hyung.” Henry said bouncing on his chair, amusement visible in his eyes. Eunhyuk sighed and took of the shirt he had thrown on before joining everyone at the table for dinner. His brothers stared at his collarbone while Eunhyuk looked around the table at their reactions instead.

“Hyuk...have you seen your tattoo?”

“...N-no...”

“You should...go check the mirror.”

“Alright, then by the time I’m back, you guys should have checked.”  Saying so, Eunhyuk walked towards the mirror. Nearing the door, Eunhyuk hesitated, unsure whether or not he wanted to continue and actually see who he was his perfect partner. Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside, and closed his eyes before standing across from the mirror. Another deep breath and he opened his eyes, locating the tattoo that danced across his collarbone. Eyes wide as he looked at the intricate sun that covered it, he took in the orange-red sun, looking real because of the gold outline.

Leaning forward, Eunhyuk pulled the strap of his t-back to see the name imprinted on his skin. Face paling eyes widening, he could feel his heart stop for a moment as the words Aiden Lee Donghae went around the sun, a scrawling gold script that looked beautifully elegant, and equally terrifying. His heart was racing and he could feel his knees buckling. He grabbed the sink to steady himself as his legs felt like jelly.

A voice in the back of his mind was telling him calm down, to think this through and that it needn't be as bad as he thought it was. But he knew it was. He wasn‘t homophobic in the least. He had no problem with the thought of two men together. He genuinely believed that Yunho and Jaejoong would make an excellent pair. It’s just...this wasn’t him. He wasn’t gay. He had crushes on girls before, he had never found a guy attractive. Sure his friends thought he was feminine, but that was because of his body line. Was it? Did they all think he was gay? Oh dear god! Did they dress him up because he sent out some sort of silent signal that he was gay? Was the gaydar a real thing? Wait...did that mean he was actually considering this concept to be real? And of all the people in the world-if indeed he was gay, not that Eunhyuk believed he was- why the fecking hell did the world decide The Arse was his perfect pair? Why couldn’t he get some good looking guy? Like that British actor that the girls wouldn’t stop screaming about? Then at least he could come to terms with it...maybe. BUT NO! He had to get that jackass. That guy...that...guy...he wasn’t gay! Why did the stupid tattoo think his perfect partner would be a guy? Heechul Hyung had to be right then. Afterall...a non-gay person wouldn’t have his other half be a guy right? Or...or...maybe he had understood the terms wrong. Maybe soulmate didn’t have to translate to partner? Maybe it could translate to best friend?

Eunhyuk felt his nose scrunch up at that thought.

Scratch that thought. He wasn’t going to be friends with a stuck up jackass like that anytime soon. Imagine that...it would be like….a fish and a monkey being friends. But that thought did calm him down. The absurdity of the situation turning into a laughing matter as his panic slowly died down. He knew he had to head back out. The others would be waiting for him, and he had to give a reaction. Allowing himself to slide down the wall opposite to the mirror, he buried his face in his hands, taking deep breaths before pushing himself off the wall, looking at the mirror one last time and heading back out to face the family, but not reality, not yet anyway.

While Eunhyuk entered the bathroom to check his tattoo, the others glanced at each other. Before long, the older three at the table were looking at Henry and Jaejoong in curiosity. The two, upon realizing that they were being stared at looked back at them, wondering why such curiosity was directed their way.

“Well...you heard him..do you have any tattoos?” Leeteuk asked amusement obvious on his features. Sighing, Jaejoong and Henry made their way to their bedroom, taking off their shirt to see if they too had any tattoos on their bodies. Jaejoong, who was standing shirtless in front of the mirror smiled, in satisfaction, even if he was slightly disappointed on the inside. He knew that it might just have been all of Eunhyuk’s teasing getting to him, but he had been pretty convinced that Yunho had been his soulmate. Maybe it wasn’t him. Maybe their laugher and smiles meant that it was best left at friendship. Maybe, if it worked well, they could end up in a relationship either way. After all, no one said that a soul mate was meant to be your only relationship. His bare chest meant he was unattached...for now.

Meanwhile, Henry stood in the center of the room, looking all over his chest, and glancing at his back, but found no tattoo. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it. The tattoo that is. Getting one meant knowing who he was going to be tied down to for the rest of his life, but not getting it meant a slight insecurity and questions of broken hearts and tearful nights. He knew that he had no problem with gender and that regardless of girl or guy, a heartbreak would cause him to spend the rest of the week switching between his Hyung deul’ beds instead of actually sleeping in his. Maybe this no tattoo thing was good. Even if Hyuk and Chul Hyungs were settling down, he was meant to be a free bird for a while longer? He didn’t know what he wished for, all he knew was that he wanted a partner who wouldn’t mind the crazy five-year-old that he knew would forever be inside him.

Looking up, Henry realised that Jaejoong was in deep thought, a small pout on his face as he looked at the mirror, his mind far away. But even from his position, Henry could see the tattoo that covered at least a fourth of Jaejoong’s back. A dog seemed to be standing on guard, a warm chocolate brown tinge to his fur and a silver outline running around it, making it seem to glow. Creeping up behind his day-dreaming brother, he decided to read the name on the tattoo and seeing it, proceeded to smile. A quick peek told Henry that Jaejoong was still in the clouds and he quietly raised his fingers and brought them to Jaejoong’s back tracing the outline of the dog.

Jaejoong shivered violently as shivers raised down his back at the cold touch of another’s...finger? He wasn’t sure what it was, but Henry was going to get it!

“Yah! What do you think you’re doing Henry? Honestly, your hands are cold!”

“Nothing much...waking you up....tracing your tattoo...the usual”

“Tattoo? I have a tattoo? On my back? How would I have seen that?” Saying so, Jaejoong quickly twisted around, the tattoo becoming visible in the mirror. No amount of craning allowed him to see the name and  giving up, just asked Henry to tell him.

“Well...you’ll be pleased Hyung.”

“And why is that?” A small smirk lights up Henry’s face and Jaejoong could feel his eyes narrowing, wondering what had gotten into his brother now.

“Because the Name reads Jung Yunho-U Know” Jaejoong felt the heat creep up his face and settle on his cheeks. Biting his inner cheek, he closed his eyes and tilted his head back, counting down from thirty, taking that time to calm down. Once that was done, he opened his eyes and sat down in bed, sorting through his thoughts. He knew he was happy, he got along well with Yunho after all. But...was he ready to be tied to a soulmate? He was only 18, a high school senior. Who was to say that he wouldn’t have changed drastically by the time he had ‘found himself’ in his mid-twenties? He had changed so much since childhood, going through a prince phase, a punk phase and so much more. Now he was in a pop/rock place, but maybe as he grew this would change, but would Yunho change with him? Would he like the change? Or did he just like the Jaejoong he saw now? Worrying about it by his lonesome wouldn’t help him and Jaejoong knew it. So opening his eyes, he looked at Henry who was sitting right across from him.

“So what about you? No tattoos?”

“Not as far as I can tell..and I checked both front and back”

“Oh shut it you! Did you check your arms and legs? Tattoos could appear there as well you know.”

“I’m pretty sure I would notice something on my...oh” Henry stared in wonder at the small yin and yang sign that had appeared on his left inner wrist, the writing in silver, like Jaejoong’s. Looking back up, he saw a smirk decorating Jaejoong’s face. Standing up, Jaejoong walked next to Henry before grabbing his hand and looking at the tattoo.

“ZhouMi-Mimi...so the excessively tall one huh?”

If we have their western and Korean names...do they have ours? Also….why is it a group of friends? Are they friends? Or family?”

“I don’t know...but looks like we’ll find out. And honestly, the way we are, I guess I’m not that surprised.”

“What do you mean Hyung”

“Well, I mean we wouldn’t deal with being separated, and if they are a group of friends, or a close knit family we would always be together right? Or maybe I’m just over thinking it. Who knows?”

“Lets just go to sleep...I want to not think about this till we have to tell the others that...we’re fated?”

“That...doesn’t sound right.”

“It really doesn’t. I kind of wanted to try falling on my own, not because I knew it was inevitable that I fall...you know what I mean?”

“Yeah Henry, I do. Unfortunately, I don’t think we ever really had that choice.” Jaejoong patted Henry’s head before shrugging on his shirt and heading back out, ready to face the music even if unsure of the reaction he was going to get from someone he knew was important in his life.

Henry sighed and nodded, putting his shirt back on as well. As his shirt slipped on over his head, Henry closed his eyes, taking the opportunity to take a deep breath. Maybe, the tattoo didn’t have to mean instant relationship. It could still give him the chance of falling on his own. He can’t have been the only one to actually reject his soul tattoo. But -and in the back of his head he knew this was more likely- he would give Zhoumi a chance. The Gentleman, as Eunhyuk had taken to calling him, was genuinely nice, and a good listener. Maybe, there was a relationship ahead of this sudden match.

It wasn’t long before the family had converged once more at the dining table, looking at each other with apprehension colouring their faces. A quick look around promised no judgement, after all, how could one judge something that was never in their control in the first place? Shifting from the table to the couch, there was a moment of hurried activity as everyone got comfortable. With Eunhyuk and Henry spread out on the floor, Leeteuk and Kangin leaning against each other on the loveseat, and Jaejoong and Heechul curled up the couch, silence once again reigned supreme.

“Today’s just been a day of silences and new experiences hasn’t it?” Henry asked a smile in his face as his hands played with the carpet on the floor. Next to him Eunhyuk snorted before sitting up, hugging the pillow he had previously been lying on.

“So...I’ll start I guess. I do have a soul tattoo. I know who it is. He’s a jackass I wish I never had to see, let alone spend time with. Also, it’s a he...a guy whatever I was expecting, it wasn’t this. I kinda really wanted kids. Also, Do I really need to talk to Mr. Arrogant?” Eunhyuk finished with a whine, spilling everything out so fast, that it would have been difficult to make head or tale of what he said, had he not breather in between. Leeteuk and Kangin laughed while his brothers smiled fondly.

“Looks like you will have to interact with the jackass after all Hyuk. When he sees the tattoo, he’s going to want to know why your name is on his collarbone.” Kangin said, the laughter still present in his voice.

“Yunhoismysoulmate. So yeah...that...I think I’ll be fine.” Jaejoong mumbled hoping no one really caught that, laying his head on the armrest. He sincerely hoped that everyone just thought he was making fun of Hyuk some more. Looking up, he noticed the confused look on the others faces and almost sighed with relief, until he caught site of red hair emerging from behind a pillow with a smirk. ‘’.

“So...Hyung...Yunho is your soulmate huh? Would you look at that...no one could have guessed that happening.” The sarcasm and bait were present in Eunhyuk’s voice and Jaejoong could feel the slight flush burn his cheeks. He knew the others were looking at them and that Henry most likely looked like an over-excited dog at the news. Sitting up and rolling his eyes, Jaejoong decided to strike back.

“Just like no one could see the tension between you and ‘Aiden the ’ today. It was so thick, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to see Heechul Hyung next to me at lunch today because of it.” Eunhyuk could feel the flush rising in his cheeks as well, unsure for a second as to how he should respond to that taunt. Everyone burst out laughing, and amidst his giggles, Henry managed to speak.

“Looks like...none of us...will be having...biological kids...anytime soon.” His sentence broken as he gasped for air and broke out into fits of giggles in between, still managed to catch the attention of everyone in the room.

“Henry, something you want to share with us?”

“Well, Zhoumi, the last guy in the group of four that we met and talked to today is my soulmate...and a guy so no kids from me either.”

“Is it weird though, that I’m somewhat relieved? I would prefer to adopt kids rather than have my own, at least now, it’s a necessity and not just a background option if I ever have kids.” Jaejoong said head tilted and chin resting on his fist as he leaned against the armrest. Kangin laughed once more.

“Calm down tiger. You’ve just found out you have a soul mate, kids are for the future. Stop counting your chickens before they hatch.”

“Yeah Hyung cross the bridge when you get there.”

“Fine...but a stitch in time saves nine” After Jaejoong said the idiom in retaliation, there was a sudden silence in the room. Jaejoong himself looked pained while the others looked confused, before bursting into laughter, much to Jaejoong’s embarrassment.

“That doesn’t even make sense Hyung!”

The laughter continued ringing of the walls of the house and the group proceeded to spend the evening in merriment. The laughter and silliness seemed to have chased away the dark thoughts that lingered in the minds of the brothers, but deep inside, thy knew that none of them had gotten over the shock or the very real possibility that they had mates who might reject them.

After an uneasy night’s sleep, the four brothers woke up groggy and definitely not ready to face the day ahead of them. The morning routine, usually full of teasing jibes and laughter, was silent and sombre. Breakfast was consumed in an all encompassing silence, occasionally broken by the clink of a spoon against the bowl as the brothers ate, each lost in their own thoughts.

Eunhyuk brought the next spoonful to his mouth barely conscious of the Lucky Charms © marshmallow going into his mouth. Even chewing, he didn't identify the taste of the gooey food that he usually abhorred with passion. His mind was on much more important topics such as that of soulmates and how he would bring this up with someone he was still not sure he could stand. Sure he and Aiden ‘Donghae’ his mind corrected him, had actually talked during dance club yesterday, but a sort of mutual understanding had been formed that they were still not on friendly terms anywhere but the dance floor. But did that mean that he wanted to tell Mr. Puppy-Fish? Nope! Telling the other would make it real, would make his soulmate guy and Eunhyuk didn’t think he was ready to deal with what that meant yet. Sighing, he brought another spoonful of cereal to his mouth, this time grimacing as the chewy taste of the marshmallows. His mind was slightly at ease after coming to this decision.

Across the table, Heechul sat, his eyes closed, mind far away and cereal was practically untouched. Siwon was nice, encouraging and seemed to actually listen to him. ‘And what if you were in your family-friend’s position?’ The taller male’s question from yesterday entered his mind, and held back the sudden bubble of panic that was trying to escape him. He would do what he told the man yesterday, most likely would doas society found appropriate. It wouldn’t do to start avoiding Siwon all of a sudden, but he would keep his distance as much as possible. He would simply not acknowledge the tattoo unless he was confronted and left without any option. Even with the decision made, he could not bring himself to eat anything. His stomach felt like a roller coaster, one that was constantly making loop-de-loops.

Jaejoong ate his breakfast, mindful of every bite, being extra careful that no crumb would fall onto his outfit and stain it. He took a deep breaths as he ate. Jaejoong knew that Heechul was most likely to hide the truth and he had no clue how Eunhyuk would respond. Personally, he knew that he hadn’t ever looked at the gender of the person who he liked, but he knew that Eunhyuk clung to his ‘normality’ as a way of masking the hits he received for having a lithe body. He hadn’t thought of Eunhyuk with a boy before and didn’t need to ask to know that Eunhyuk himself probably hadn’t thought of it either. With a sigh, he returned to his meal.

Henry could see the nervousness that lined all his brothers’ actions and the tension that seemed to weigh down their shoulders. He knew he was a little anxious himself and that he had planned to talk to Zhoumi about the little…’situation’ for the lack of a better word, that they were in. He planned on telling The Gentleman (as Hyukkie Hyung insisted on calling him) what soulmates were and ask permission to continue being friends before anything else on the way to their shared Math class. He really didn’t want a relationship now, but he wouldn’t hide the truth of the predicament (hmm he liked that word better than situation.)  from Zhoumi either. The anxious ball in his mind expanded for a moment, worrying about two of the many possible outcomes that could happen. Would Zhoumi hate him? He liked the boy’s humour, and would most definitely like to continue being friends with him for the time-being anyway. Or would ZHoumi try and force him into a relationship? Zhoumi didn’t seem like the forceful kind, he seemed more like the kind to sit back and let time run its course,but he had only known the man for 8 hours, he could be judging the entire thing wrong. He didn’t prefer either option and hoped that a compromise would work. With a sigh, he resumed eating his breakfast with gusto. No point in going hungry because of the unknown future that awaits him. Shaking his head of his pessimistic thoughts, he continued eating.

The school day was a blur to all four brothers. The brothers talked with their newly made friends and joined Yunho and Zhoumi in teasing Donghae and Eunhyuk about the cold vibes that was still present between them. Jaejoong observed Heechul and Eunhyuk curiously, knowing that they were the least likely to actually tell their soulmates about the bonds. He already had a plan about how he wanted to tell Yunho and was patiently waiting for the end of the day to carry it out.

At lunch, the slight hesitance in  all the brothers’ attitude showed, creating a slightly awkward atmosphere that the others thought had been handled the other day. Realising that everyone was floundering, Eunhyuk thought it would probably be a good idea to stop glaring at Mr. PuppyFish and actually start speaking to the others.

“Hmm...well...you guys know that we’re brothers, but how do you guys know each other? I mean all of you seem far too nice to be friends with that. No offence.” Looking towards Donghae and smirking a little at the end, smirk widening seeing the glare aimed his way by said Mr. PuppyFish. Eunhyuk ignored the way his stomach dropped in what he was sure was anger at the glare that Donghae was sending his way.

Yunho chuckled before answering.

“I’m pretty sure I’d still be friends with him. But to answer your question, he’s my cousin.” Jaejoong and the others were laughing at the offended expression on Donghae’s face at Yunho not correcting Eunhyuk’s referral to him as a thing. Somehow controlling his laughter, Siwon was the next to answer.

“He’s my baby brother, so choice really wasn’t a thing at al-ah! Yah! Stop it Donghae!” Siwon stopped mid-sentence laughing as Donghae started pelting carrots from his tray at Siwon.

“I am not ‘that’ I have a name...stupid stick insect.”

“Am I the stupid stick insect or is that name reserved for Eunhyuk?” Siwon asked, gasping for breath amidst laughter, still deflecting the carrots that Donghae was throwing at him. Donghae stopped pelting carrots and stuck his tongue out at Siwon before glowering at the giggling chuckling Eunhyuk.

“You get angry easily. It’s fun to poke and prod you.” Eunhyuk said between giggles breaths. Donghae huffed at Eunhyuk, but Jaejoong and Heechul saw his lips twitch as though he was trying to suppress a smile.

The bell rang signaling the end of day and the hallways went from deserted silent havens to cramped cacophonous hazard zones. People flooded the hallways, meeting friends, stopping by their locker before heading to their next stop- whatever it was- as  fast as possible. The hallways emptied as most of the students rushed home and other rushed to their clubrooms, leaving only a few stragglers still walking in the hallways with classrooms.

Amongst the stragglers, in two almost opposite hallways walked Henry and Jaejoong, unknowingly mirroring each other. Both walking with their heads down, completely lost in thought.

Yunho ambled down the hallway, amused that Jaejoong had yet to notice him.

Zhoumi called out to Henry as he stepped out of the class, calling his name once more when he noticed the lack of response.

Finally noticing Yunho, Jaejoong offered him a wane smile continuing to walk to the choir and dance rooms. Yunho walked next to him.

Zhoumi smiled and tapped Henry on the shoulder getting a startled yelp and a wane smile in return. “Mind if I walk with you to orchestra? My club is in the same hallway.” Henry nodded, head down, accepting Zhoumi’s request.

Silence reigned between the two

The hallways emptied until there was no longer a soul in sight

“Yunho...There’s something I need to tell you...”

“Zhoumi...I really...really need to tell you something.”

“What’s up  JJ?”

“Everything alright Henry?”

“I...it’s...”

“Yeah...it’s just...”

“We’re soulmates.”

Yunho stopped moving completely and looked at Jaejoong in amazement and slight confusion while Jaejoong looked at the crowd, gathering the courage to look at Yunho. Finally looking up, he saw a blank, uncomprehending stare.

Zhoumi continued walking next to Henry, trying to gauge whether or not this was an elaborate prank. Instead, he saw slightly flushed cheeks and eyes being avoided.

“Henry...we just met yesterday. How can you be so sure?”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean Jae?”

“Well...”

“I am sure because...”

I’ve got a tattoo with your name on it. It appeared on me last night and if you take a look, you will have a tattoo of my name surrounding something on you.

“What the f**k Jae! How does that even work? I know it’s not normal! This isn’t some Soulmate fiction novel that teenage girls are reading! And I have no tattoo! I would know if I got one.”

“The tattoo should have appeared last night”

“I’m pretty sure I would know if a tattoo magically appeared on me Henry.”

“Trust me when I tell you they can be anywhere”

“Mine...well yours technically...is giant and covered my back! I didn’t even realise I had it till Henry pointed it out to me”

“Mine is tiny and on my wrist. I almost missed it. It genuinely could be anywhere.” Saying so, Henry pulled up the sleeve of his sweatshirt to show Zhoumi the small Yin and Yang tattoo.

Holding up Henry’s arm, Zhoumi traced the tattoo noticing his name wrapped around both sides of the symbol.

“Why is it a Yin and Yang symbol?”

“Oh...well that’s because it’s supposed to symbolise your core traits and values.”

“Oh!”

“If you have any questions, you can ask”

“Okay. So...”

“That’s not normal Jae. nd yeah, I like you...but soulmates? We’re only in High school! For all I know we could have ended up completely incompatible!”

“Yun-”

“And a tattoo appearing on me? I’m not buying it. For all I know, you went and got a tattoo to freak me out. Honestly...it’s...you’re not...”

“I’m not what Yunho?” The venom was almost dripping from Jaejoong’s voice. “Not normal? Yeah well thanks for pointing that out to me. I wasn’t feeling abnormal today and I needed that. Not like I thought I was normal anyway. What part of me is normal? My life, you know it’s about as f**ked up as it gets. To think I was slightly relieved when I saw that it was you and not some random stranger I apologized to in the hallway yesterday. I was even willing to subject myself in incessant questioning and patiently answer them all. But screw that...and screw you Jung YunHo. Don’t bother talking to me until you’ve decided to pull your head out of your .” Hissing by the end of it, Jaejoong turned around and walked off, reaching the door to the choir room. Pausing in front of it for two seconds to get him emotions and facial muscles back under his control, he opened the door and walked in, never bothering to look back.

Yunho was left staring at a closing door, standing in the middle of an empty hallway.

In that very hallway, inside the dance club changing rooms, it was a very different scenario Eunhyuk had turned his back to the others as he took of his sweater. He had already changed his pants, and although he was wearing a t-back under his sweater, it did a pitiful job of covering up his tattoo and the last thing he wanted was that thing getting attention. No one needed to see it. Especially Mr. PuppyFish. Just as he finished slipping his baggy t-shirt on for the practice, he heard a shout from the other side of the room. Turning around, he saw Terrence, Xiah and two other boys crowding Donghae.

“That’s a sweet tattoo Aiden!” exclaimed Terrence.

“I’d thought you’d be a more dragon guy than a moon guy. It looks so delicate”

“When did you get it?”

“What tattoo? Honestly! I don’t have one so what are you guys talking about?” Donghae asked looking at the group gathered around him in confusion. Xiah Junho (Eunhyuk didn’t remember his name but it was something like that) snickered and from where Eunhyuk was standing, he could see the mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

“Who are you trying to kid Aiden? It’s big enough to be practically curling around your bicep. Don’t tell me you got so drunk over winter break that you got a tattoo without remembering that you did!” Donghae’s protests were drowned by the shouting voices, the club members laughter, and cheers. Eunhyuk watched as Donghae stopped protesting at all and just resigned to be being teased over a tattoo he didn’t get. As they were leaving the changing room, Eunhyuk caught up with Donghae and looked at the tattoo that was meant to represent his core being.

It was like Xiah and the others had said earlier, a crescent moon. Pale and barely more than a sliver, it seemed to shimmer because of the golden outline that he knew was his name. It was coloured a soft blue, darker in certain places where the craters of the moon were. Eunhyuk barely held back his snort. Of course even his soul tattoo would show off his imperfections. He knew he wasn’t the best to look at, in fact, he took it to be a fact that he wasn’t worth looking at all, except his body when he was dancing. Living with his Hyungs and Henry had showed him what pretty could be and he knew he didn’t compare. Tattoos were supposed to be a reflection of the soul and the imperfections on his tattoo showed him that which he always knew, he was not important, nor perfect. A small smirk, dark and slightly self-deprecating, curved his mouth. Anyone seeing that tattoo would only think of one word first, the word that captured his essence -imperfect (He of course ignored the fact that one of his thoughts on seeing the curling sun that covered his collarbone was hot. Donghae was not hot damn it!). Donghae noticed where Eunhyuk’s gaze was leading and sighed.

“Here to say something about it Red?”

“No...just...fire suits you more than ice.”

“I agree with you. But apparently drunk me doesn’t think so...if drunk me did this. You think I would notice a tattoo I got over winter break when I wake up. Even if it is with a hangover.” Eunhyuk hummed, finding it impossible to tell Donghae that it was the sun that was for him and that the imperfect moon on Donghae’s arm was Eunhyuk.

Entering the dance room, the duo was greeted by squeals and loud cheers as almost the entire club decided to surround Donghae and take a peek at his tattoos. Eunhyuk stepped to the side, avoiding the mob (crowd was too nice a word) and laughing at Donghae attempting to slap people away without actually hurting them when he ran into someone.

“Looks like you and I are the only two people here not interested in this tattoo business Dancer.” Chris(tine) said, draping her arm around his shoulder. Eunhyuk chuckled and nodded. He turned his head to ask her why she wasn’t interested when he found her looking at him strangely. He was  just about to question in her when the crows (read mob) got louder because Yunho walked in.

“Yunho! You didn’t tell us that Aiden has a tattoo!”

“Because he doesn’t…?” Yunho’s statement ended up as a question when he noticed all the incredulous looks that were being thrown his way. Stefanie, one of the girls in the club, dragged Yunho over to where the others were still crowding Aiden to show him the tattoo. It was when Yunho was looking at the tattoo that Chris decided to speak. And instead of cheering him up at the the thought of the situation not being investigated further, the words filled him with terror (and dread but Eunhyuk wasn’t about to admit that).

“Looks like Aiden isn’t the only one sporting new ink. Dancer over here has some pretty fiery ink on his collarbone.” Eunhyuk watched petrified as the entire crowd mob that was around Donghae now surrounded him. He looked towards Yunho and Donghae for help, wanting to get away from the cluster of people. He found Donghae - ‘stupid Mr. PuppyFish’ looking at him amused, barely restraining his laughter while Yunho-. Eunhyuk froze at the slightly disgusted yet carefully blank look that Yunho was giving him. It took all that was in him to not flinch at the sight when he was used to warm, laughing brown eyes. Eunhyuk quickly broke the gaze, confused at the sudden...hatred in Yunho’s eyes.

The crowd soon dispersed and practi began. A new routine was brought up and steps were learned. Although each look at the clock said that only 5 minutes had passed, it felt longer than ever for Eunhyuk. An hours practice that seemed to last a day, all because of the unnerving look that Yunho had given him. It wasn’t long - timewise- for practice to be over and the shout of “Hit the showers you stink s” to be heard and Eunhyuk walked into the changing rooms, taking normal than usual because now his body had stopped dancing.

Although momentarily, dancing had helped him forget the stare, the tattoo, the bond but now he wasn’t dancing anymore and everything came crashing back into his mind. He stood under the lukewarm sprays longer than normal, trying to get his thoughts under control, trying to get his control back under control. Feeling a semblance of sanity return, Eunhyuk took a deep breath and turned off the shower. Keeping his eyes closed to maintain the calmness that he felt returning to him, he towelled himself dry. Opening his eyes, Eunhyuk quickly wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped out the shower, pulling on the extra t-back and boxers that he had carried with him. Knowing that he had spent more time in the shower than usual, he was pretty sure he would be alone when he walked into the changing room and didn’t bother to check before pulling his pants and sweater. It’s only after he grabbed his bag and turned around that he realised he was standing right across from a confused Donghae and...angry (Eunhyuk wasn’t too sure) Yunho.  Eunhyuk raised his eyebrow wondering why they were just sitting there.

“Something...wrong?”

“I have no clue.” Donghae replied looking at Yunho. Following Donghae’s lead, Eunhyuk looked up at the senior that he had come to consider a friend, not as close as Jaejoong but a friend nevertheless. Yunho was looking at him, the same blank look in his eyes as earlier, sending a small shiver down Eunhyuk’s spine.

“Well…?”

“How elaborate is this stupid prank your brother has planned out?”

“Prank? What prank? Jae doesn’t do pranks unless he’s got company.”

“Then what, you expect me to believe that Jaejoong and I are soulmates?” Eunhyuk’s breath hitched, eyes quickly flickering over to Donghae to see him looking confused. EUnhyuk didn’t want this conversation. He didn’t want to talk about this at all.

“Listen. Jaejoong doesn’t lie, especially about serious things.” Saying as much, Eunhyuk quickly grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder as he moved towards the door. Yunho grabbed his arm before he was out. The door slightly open, freedom almost in his grasp, Eunhyuk was stuck to answer whatever questions Yunho had. ‘Why didn’t Jae just answer them and leave me out of this mess?’. With a sigh, he turned back to Yunho, praying to any deity willing to listen to him- Noragami included- that Yunho wouldn’t bring up the tattoo Donghae had gotten.

“You expect me to believe that soulmates are a thing? And that their name appears on your skin like bloody magic? Don’t mess with me Spencer. This isn’t some young adult fiction with star crossed lovers.”

“No. No it’s not, it’s real-”

“Then the tattoos are some prank then? Honestly how far did you go getting Donghae to join in?”

“What prank? Honestly. Red over there looks just as confused as me each time you mention a prank.”

“So it isn’t a prank?” Eunhyuk sighed

“No. It’s not a prank...like I just said.”

“Then the is this? How do soulmates even work? Freak. That’s what you and your brother are. Saying like soulmates when all you probably want from us is money or a good high school reputation or something. F**king hell. Now not only are Hero and I supposedly soulmates, You and Donghae are?” Eunhyuk watched from the corner of his eyes as Donghae’s mouth fell open and he stared between Eunhyuk and Yunho in confusion.

“Listen Yunho this isn’-”

“. Or maybe something along the lines of a succubus? That’s all you and your brothers are. Coming over here springing this on us. We had normal lives you know, we were perfectly happy in our own worlds until your bloody family came in. You’re not even a real family.” Yunho scoffed and you could almost hear the sarcasm dripping from his next words.

“Sweet little Eunhyuk thinking himself the moon to Donghae’s sun or some . Oh, what you thought I didn’t notice how your tattoos are polar opposites? All you are is a freak.”

Donghae watched wide-eyed and stunned as Yunho spilled words darker and meaner than Donghae had ever heard before. Sure Red (Eunhyuk...a name he wouldn’t forget after hearing how Yunho said it.) was slightly y, but he didn’t think anyone deserved to have such harsh words thrown at them. But soulmates. Him and Red. That seemed like such a weird thought, leaving aside the fact that they were constantly at each other’s throats, he didn’t even know his well enough to consider him dating material. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a fleeting thank god passed at the thought that it was only last summer that he had come to terms with the fact that he just might be into guys although he preferred girls more. But know this was supposedly the person he was meant to be with for his entire life? That didn’t seem plausible...or probable. Regardless, he couldn’t see either Red or any of his brothers even attempting a prank this elaborate and serious.

Silence. That’s what Donghae sensed suddenly, all around him. A silence that was foreign to this place even two seconds before because Yunho had been busy spitting words at Eunhyuk even as Donghae was lost in thought. Donghae shook his head, snapping himself out of his thoughts and looked up. He heard the squeak of the door and looked up. He hadn’t realised it, and he didn’t think the other two had either, but sometime during the entire confrontation, Eunhyuk had opened the door completely, leaving them exposed to the hallway outside. Donghae was distracted once again by the sound of Eunhyuk starting to speak.

“You know what, Jung. F**k you. I don’t need to take this from you. Or from anyone for that matter. And as for you Mr. Hothead, I don’t know what you think. I would like to know what you think...but I don’t want to not right now. I especially can’t deal with this...blockhead right now. So if you have any doubts...don’t bother asking me. Seducing him...so that’s what you think of me Jung? Glad to know what you think of me and my family. If you ever say anything so...stupid about my family again...a tattoo magically appearing will be the least of your problems. And I will make sure of that.” Eunhyuk growled, eyes shining with unshed tears and cheeks flushed with anger. Donghae hadn’t ever seen anyone stand so vulnerable yet strong at the same time and while his head was reeling with all the information that he just got, he knew he had questions.

“Zhoumi might have some answers for you Donghae, Henry’s talked to him. And please tell Siwon, I highly doubt Heechul has. He’s just as caught up in all this as you are.” Jaejoong said as he stepped away from the the wall across the doorway and walked towards Eunhyuk, wrapping his hands around the quaking shoulders as he talked.

“Tell...Siwon….Hyung?”

“All of us got tattoos and weirdly enough...it was the four of you. We’ll be going now. Yoochun, Changmin, talk to you guys tomorrow.” With that said, Jaejoong guided Eunhyuk down the hall and Donghae watched them go, Eunhyuk’s fists clenched and his shoulders hunched.

“Yunho...what the hell did you do?” A voice said from across the hall. Yunho and Donghae both turned that way to find Changmin and Yoochun standing there confused.

“I...I...that...he….soulmate….”

“That made sense. Okay then. Whatever the reason was, looks like you’ve screwed up bad. Kind of sad Yunho, they way you talked about him just two days ago, you’d think you were falling in love with him.”

Heechul stepped out of the orchestra room, one of the first people out since Henry had stayed around to talk to some of the other members, not finding human interaction as difficult as Heechul did. The door closed behind him and he breathed a sigh of relief. He hated this. He hated being scared like this and he hated the fact that he struggled to interact with people. But past experience was a strict teacher and he had been stabbed in the back enough times to know that it usually wasn't worth it.

“Heh hum.” Heechul startled and almost jumped when he heard someone clear their throat from across the hallway and looked up to find Siwon standing there, leaning against the wall and seemingly waiting for someone. Remembering that Henry had said about Zhoumi being in the same hall for after school club, he figured Siwon was just waiting for him. Offering Siwon a smile, He started walking away, hoping to avoid any interaction.

“I heard from Zhoumi that he is Henry’s soulmate. I was pulled out of my after school activities for him to tell me the entire thing.”

Heechul kept quiet.

“I looked it up afterwards. Project DBSJ. Conducted almost 16 years ago. A group of people ranging from the ages of newborns to 20 year olds were injected with a serum that would allow them to know when they had met the person perfect for them. And it was done in such a way that the red string of fate would allow the partner to also have the participants name etched onto their skin. Permanently.”

Heechul stood there, clenching his fist, hoping the tremors running through them would not be detected by this far too observant man.

“So I got curious, and helped Zhoumi find his tattoo. Tell Henry that Mi’s tattoo is on his shoulder. And that it’s a music note and a treble clef encased in a cloud.”

Heechul nodded. Hoping his acceptance was all that SIwon was waiting for. He began moving again.

“You know. Zhoumi also told me that Henry mentioned you had found your soulmate. Who is it? And how are you taking on the fact that Henry’s soul mate is a man?”

Heechul clenched his jaw and looked up. He found Siwon looking at him with genuine concern colouring his expression and he could feel the anger well up in him. Heechul felt his control slip, and opened his mouth. He knew that from this moment onwards, he was no longer in control of what he was saying. His wording was no longer meticulous and he no longer cared about the repercussions that might come his way. For once, he wanted to act as he was actually feeling.

“How do I feel? How do I feel? I feel like I am on fire and firetrucks are standing all around me, watching the blaze that is me and not bothering to do anything because they know how pointless a fight it would be. Henry can be gay or bi or whatever as long as he’s fine with it. Like I told you earlier about my family friend...It’s his life and if he’s happy, if my little brother is happy, then that is all I will ever want in life. But as for my soulmate. Who is it you ask.” Here Heechul broke of into almost hysterical giggles. Siwon stepped forward as though to support him, but Heechul stepped backwards.

“There is so much irony in that statement. The biggest one being that it’s coming from you. From my bloody soulmate. When you were helping Zhoumi look for a tattoo, you should have checked yourself as well. That first day, when you asked me if I was okay...I went back home to find a lion tattooed above my heart. And a man’s name around it. I had barely come into terms with people I love deviating from the path that He has set for us and then I had to suddenly deal with the fact that Andrew most definitely was a man’s name and there was no way out of that.” Heechul paused to take a deep breath. “Am I okay you ask. The answer is no I am not. You are my soulmate and most definitely a man. That means that if I want happiness in my personal life, I will have no choice but to deviate from the path that God has chosen for his followers to walk on.”

“Heechul…”

“You asked me, yesterday what I would do if I was the one in my family friend’s position? I don’t know if you remember the answer I gave you, but in case you forgot, I’m saying it once more because my answer has not changed. I am choosing to stick to the path that society considers normal. I would rather give up on happiness than commit a sin. So I ask of you to stay away from me… at least until I feel comfortable interacting with you again.”

“Alright. I respect your wishes and I will limit my interactions with you until you initiate them once more. But I want to ask you one last question Heechul.” As Siwon said these words, the doors to the orchestra room opened and people began walking out, Henry included. Henry though, stopped when he noticed Heechul looking at Siwon, his eyes wide with fear swimming in them. Henry watched as Siwon approached Heechul and bent close to him.

“You choose society’s path and give up your happiness. You look at me with complete fear. But what is it that you really fear? Society or the thought that life might actually be better for you if you break the path? Maybe, just maybe, you need to ask if the benevolent Lord that looked after everybody regardless of their background really wanted his followers to live their lives unhappily?”

The school day came to an end, the skies grey and heavy with an impending snowstorm. The brothers climbed into Heechul’s car, silent and solemn. While Henry’s talk with his soulmate had been a neutrally positive one, the others had been personalised disasters. They seemed to have hit the brothers in their weak points. Almost as if these disasters knew each of their weaknesses. Turning on the car, Heechul waited while his brothers buckled themselves in, the car slowly heating up again. As the brothers pulled out of the school’s parking lot, Lonely by 2ne1 was playing softly over the speakers.

On the other side of the parking lot, four boys had gotten into one car, a tense silence in the air almost physically weighing them all down. Siwon started the car, Yunho sitting shotgun and staring out of the window, expression carefully blank. Donghae and Zhoumi sat in the backseat, both contemplative, and Donghae more than a little curious. They too left the school parking lot, leaving it empty, just as the soft white snowflakes started to drifting down from the sky.