Tao remembers it very clearly, his thirteen year-old self kneeling in front of the sheltered statue on a rainy day with fingers clasped so tightly that his skin blanches.  His eyes are squeezed shut as he begs for the coolest gift in the world.

His older brother can control water, and Tao wants, no, Tao needs to top that.  Over and over again he silently shouts in his mind that he just wants something cooler than Junmyeon because everyone already loves his older brother.  He promises that he will come every single day if he gets the coolest gift in the world.  Sometimes people can get two Gifts, maybe that could be him.  He’s been a really obedient child all his life, and he swears that he’ll be good and filial for the rest of his life if he gets something that is desirable, enviable, something to make him popular.

He thinks he’s finally done, and that he has spent enough time in front of the temple to ensure his future.  He bows deeply once more before pushing to his feet, placing his very own incense stick in one of the holders to keep his prayer in the mind of the town’s guardian.  The end is burning lowly; an acrid but familiar scent curls off of the stick in thin ribbons of smoke.  Tao bends himself in half once more before he scurries off because tomorrow is a big day.  Tomorrow is the day he Inherits his Gift.  He sure that it will be the most amazing gift in the world; his prayers couldn’t be for nothing.

Tao runs back home with an arm raised to protect his eyes from the precipitation.  His smile doesn’t even falter when he splashes his new shoes in a muddy puddle.  Tomorrow will be great.

___

Tao puffs out his damp, red cheeks as Junmyeon pats his head, running fingers through the upset boy’s hair while kneeling in front of him.

All of his prayers, hours spent at the temple, begging and pleading for the most awesome power on the planet are wasted on a dumb, ridiculous gift.  Junmyeon rubs his back, promising that his Gift is genetically determined and all of the prayers in the world aren’t going to change it.  Junmyeon says that he should be proud of his gift no matter what.

Tao hits his older brother in the stomach with his hand curled into a fist, angry tears welling in his eyes, “Nothing is going to change the fact that it’s lame!”  The word lame burns like acid on his tongue; he’s lame and everyone knows.

Junmyeon doesn’t know what to do or what to say to calm Tao down.  His hands struggle to find a comforting place to touch, to let Tao know that it’s all right.  “Everyone had their own gift for a reason.” Junmyeon tries to explain gently with hands clasped in front of his lap.  While Junmyeon truly believes that Tao’s Gift has a purpose, the words only throw wood onto the fire.

“What purpose does seeing the color of someone’s aura serve?  You’re only saying that because you have a cool power.” Tao spits before punching Junmyeon in the gut once more and running to the backyard, leaving his elder brother doubled over and gasping for air.  He climbs up the rope ladder into his tree house.

He lays down face first, screaming into one of the pillows that are resting atop his bed area.  He screams until his throat is raw, and all of his angry tears have been forced out of his tears ducts in loud, hurt sobs.  He has to roll off of the pillow because snot is blocking his nostrils, and screaming and breathing into the pillows is making his face hot.  He haphazardly hits his limbs against the wooden floor of his tree house in another fit of anger.

He takes short and rapid breaths, beginning to hyperventilate as his tantrum winds down.  All of the whining in the world won’t change the fact that he has by far the lamest “Gift” in the history of the planet.  Gift?  It feels more like a burden.  He comes from a long line of magnificent Gifts, and he turns out as a disappointment.  He can see the color of a soul.  He groans at how pointless it is. He feels betrayed by all of prayers, making a hollow vow to never go there again.  He hates his stupid genes for making him the laughing stock of the entire town.  He’s never going to have any friends.

He briefly contemplates running away and changing his name because it sounds easier than living as a social outcast for the rest of forever.  He wishes he was cool like Junmyeon.  He’s not and he’ll never be, no matter how hard he tries.

He takes deep breaths as he rubs away the remnants of the tears in his eyes.  He knows that at some point he will have to come down from his sanctuary and face his parents and Junmyeon.  He doesn’t want to see the looks of disappointment that are spurred by his stupid Gift. He curls up into a trembling ball on the bed, waiting for his mother to tell him to come down for dinner.

He continues trying to regulate his breath, working his way down to hiccups and soft sniffles by the time his mother is at the base of the tree asking for Tao to come down.  He waits until he hears his mother going back inside before climbing down.  He keeps his eyes glued to his feet, avoiding the concerned looks from his mother and Junmyeon as he takes his seat at the table.

He stares at his placemat as his father goes around the table, setting a dinner plate in front of him.

He finally summons the courage to look up, only seeing Junmyeon and his blue soul and his concerned face.  Junmyeon’s eyebrows are pulled together, seeking to affirm that Tao is going to be okay and accept his Gift because it’s there to stay.

Tao sighs, turning to apologize to his mother for his behavior and his disappointing gift.  “Mother, I’m sorry for—“ His sentence cuts off when he realizes that his mother doesn’t have a color.  He doesn’t understand at all; he glances at his father with wide eyes only to find that his father is colorless too.

His mind is spinning because everyone he has run into so far has a color, a rainbow, a kaleidoscope of colorful souls at every turn since returning from his Inheritance.  It’s baffling and curious and Tao wants to know what it means.

He stutters out the rest of his apology to his mother, “I’m-I’m sorry I was a brat about my Gift.  I’ll appreciate it from this moment forward.”

Everyone is nodding at Tao’s apology, but the wheels in his head have begun to turn.  His Gift, apparently, comes along with a complimentary mystery.

He doesn’t even know where to begin, but fragments of thoughts of ideas bounce around his head as he eats wordlessly.  His family is slightly concerned by Tao’s silence, but they let it pass, hoping he’s just acclimating to his Gift.

___

Tao has theory.  Or at least, he hopes that he has a theory.

Well, it’s really more of a hypothesis, since it’s not scientific fact.  He doesn’t even know if he can call things that are related to Gifts scientific fact because nothing can really be proven or tested.  Even if it could be, the research only applies to a single person because no one’s Gift is exactly the same as another person’s.  Tao could call it a theory if he could actually watch it happen.

All of the clear souls that he has met thus far in his life have been clear from the very first moment Tao met them.  He figures that there must be something behind it because even children have colorful souls.  He doesn’t really want to tell anyone about his “theory”, not when there’s no weight behind his words.  However, he can hear his brother through the thin walls of the house, sob after sob working its way through the wall and into Tao’s ears.

Of course, it has taken him some time to accept his Gift.  The mystery of his parents and their clarity had proven to be too tantalizing to continue ignoring his Inheritance, forcing him to get over his dissatisfaction.  It’s been four years since color came to stay, and Tao thinks he still has a lot to learn, or rather, understand about the implications of seeing the colors of souls.  This theory, hypothesis, is just about the only thing that he thinks gives him a purpose.  He wants Junmyeon to be all right.

Tao taps the soft eraser of his pencil against the unmarred page of his journal, debating whether or not to knock on Junmyeon’s door and give his older brother a piece of hope to hang on to.  He spares a glance at the wall that separates their rooms, turning the thought over in his head.

It has been ten minutes, and Tao can’t even think clearly enough to write down the events of his day.  He sighs, setting his pencil down and pushing away from his desk.  He finds himself hesitating once his hand is balled into a fist, ready to knock against the door of Junmyeon’s room.  Tao finally knocks on the door, hoping that he isn’t going to be telling a lie to his heart-broken brother.  A soft, broken “come in” is heard from the other side of the door.

Tao opens the door to find a red-eyed Junmyeon on his bed next to a box of tissues, hugging a pillow with a waste bin full of tissues next to the bed.  Some of the tissues are littered on the floor around the basket, telling him that Junmyeon missed his shot on a few occasions.

“Junmyeon?” Tao says his brother’s name softly to confirm that he is a welcome guest in his brother’s normally immaculate room.

“Yes?” He hiccups with soulful eyes reminiscent of a puppy as he in tiny, ragged breaths.

“I just wanted to say that everything is going to be okay.” Tao tells him, his hand still wrapped around the door handle.

“How do you know?” Junmyeon’s voice cracks as he sniffles, dabbing a fresh tissue at the red skin beneath his nose.

“He’s green and you’re blue.  It just wasn’t meant to be.  There’s someone out there that’s better for you.” Tao says, ending with a bittersweet smile.  He softly closes the door before Junmyeon can ask him what he means.

Tao returns to his desk, jotting down memorable events from his day.  Junmyeon’s sobs are much quieter now.  The crying is barely audible from where Tao is sitting.  Tao doesn’t hear anything when he pulls on his headphones, letting classical music drown out what is left of Junmyeon’s crying.

___

Tao almost misses it, the first confirmation of his hypothesis.  He’s sitting in the cafeteria during his last year of high school, zoning out as Baekhyun complains about how he’ll never find a boyfriend that is good to him.  He’s annoyed that his latest crush insulted his Gift in front of his face.

Tao blows air out of his cheeks when he sees it through the window.  The new transfer student has collided with the student body president, Youngjae.  Books and loose papers go flying in all directions as Youngjae peers through his glasses at the new boy.  Youngjae’s normal light green aura connects with the magenta aura of the transfer student’s.  Tao sits back as the colors envelop each other, swirling and mixing, and growing brighter by the second.  There’s a gorgeous flash of light as the colors curl away from the pair, like colorful smoke from a flame.  Once all of their color has floated away, their souls are colorless, clear.

Tao doesn’t think that they’ve even realized it. They are exchanging a few laughs as they collect Youngjae’s things from the concrete and grass below them, unaware that their auras are gone.  They are none the wiser that they’ve just met their soulmates.

Tao stares at them and their interaction until Sehun’s slender fingers snap in front of his face, refocusing his attention on his friends who all seem very concerned.

“You okay?” Sehun asks with an incredulous look.

Tao blinks, eyes catching up on all of the moments he missed while staring at merging auras.  Tao clears his throat, a small smile stretching across his lips, “I’m great.”

Baekhyun raises an eyebrow, flicking his eyes over Tao from head to toe.  Something in his voice tells Tao that he doesn’t quite believe him.  Tao bites his lips to hide his smile because his hypothesis is as good as confirmed.

Any scrutiny of Tao’s face, actions, or expressions are quickly forgotten when Jongdae begins to tell a story about accidently triggering a power outage in his old neighborhood.

___

Tao has slowly been sharpening his Gift.  He has been practicing his ability to differentiate between hues of colors.  It’s been helpful thus far in proving that everyone’s color is different, even if by less than a degree.  It involves a lot more staring than Tao would usually be comfortable with, but there’s tiny voice in the back of his head yelling “For science!”

The school dedicates a portion of the day to “Talent Training” in which everyone is lectured for the first half of class, and those who have physical manifestations of their Gifts practice during the last half of class. 

Tao is one of the lucky few in his Talent Training period to have a power that does not have “physical Gifts” and is stuck on the bleachers of the gym, watching as the others run around the gym, toying with their Gifts with exception of those whose Gifts are deemed too dangerous.

That is the precise reason that he is sitting in the same vicinity as Do Kyungsoo, a quiet boy whose soul is a deep and dark orange, almost brown in its hue.  It fits the boy in harmonious way because he can control the earth, not that he’s allowed to do it.  Tao has noticed that color isn’t necessarily determined by Gift.  Sometimes it does, which is rather satisfying, but most of the time it’s luck of the draw.

Tao does not talk to Kyungsoo normally.  They operate in different social circles, and Kyungsoo is a notable figure amongst the brains of the school.  He doesn’t have very many friends, if any, but Tao figures that it’s because his Inheritance is the most terrifying, so people don’t really risk getting on his bad side.  Kyungsoo is scribbling away in his notebook, and he has to adjust his glasses occasionally as they creep down the bridge of his nose.

Tao taps on Kyungsoo’s shoulder, giving the small, young man a start as he accidentally flings his pencil across the bleachers.  Kyungsoo’s face morphs into a frown, longing for his pencil, but he quickly realizes that someone wanted his attention.

Kyungsoo looks over Tao before asking, “May I help you?”  The tone of his voice leads Tao to believe that he has little contact in social forums.

“Can I tell you a secret?” Tao has an undue amount of trust in Kyungsoo.  Something just tells Tao that Kyungsoo will keep a secret.  Of course, there is a basis for his interaction with Kyungsoo.  He wants someone to work with him on his theory, and Kyungsoo has won the science fair three years in a row.

“Why would you want to tell me a secret?’ Kyungsoo asks, dumbfounded that someone is actually talking to him.

Tao sighs, moving from his spot two rows above Kyungsoo and plopping himself right next to Kyungsoo who leans away.  “I think that you’re lonely.  Just because you’re smart and your Gift is awe-inspiring, it doesn’t guarantee you any friends.  In exchange for a secret, you can hang out with us at lunch.”

Kyungsoo just stares blankly, taking a moment to realize that Tao has analyzed him without ever speaking to him once.  “Would your friends be okay with that?” Kyungsoo asks, slouching in defeat because company has never sounded so good before.

Tao sticks out his hand, wiggling fingers to encourage Kyungsoo to shake his hand.  When Kyungsoo does, Tao pulls him close, “Now I’m going to tell you a secret.”

Kyungsoo nods eagerly.  Tao clears his throat, “I am trying to gather more… empirical evidence about a hypothesis of mine.  If I see it enough times, I think I might been able to see soulmates.”

___

“I’m sorry what’s he doing here again?” Baekhyun asks for what feels like the twentieth time in four minutes, gesturing toward Kyungsoo his hand.

“He’s helping test a theory about my Gift.” Tao explains once again, worried that Baekhyun’s attitude is going to send their new friend in the other direction.  Baekhyun tends to be rather alienating without really trying; it could be his Gift if he wasn’t so obnoxiously forthcoming about his actual Inheritance.  Kyungsoo seems to be handling it pretty well thus far, if one can really call starting into a rice container coping.

“Okay, before we jump you into our little circle, there is a vital question that you need to answer correctly.” Baekhyun declares with eyes focused on Kyungsoo who visibly gulps.  Baekhyun takes that as his go-ahead, “Do you think that being able to control light is, quote-unquote, lame?”

Sehun drops his fork, metal clattering on the laminated wood of the lunch table as his jaw hangs wide open, looking at their older friend.  Jongdae looks about ready to punch Baekhyun in the face as he rolls his eyes.

Kyungsoo pushes his glasses up the slope of his nose with his middle finger, “That’s absurd.  Light is one of the most powerful things out there.  I mean you could control anything light-based, which would also include some electronics the number of which are solar powered is most definitely increasing.  You could also get fiber optics or something for free if you understood the logistics of it well enough.  Don’t even get me started at the potential breakthroughs in invisibility technology that isn’t Gift based because it’s just bending light.  With proper training—“ Kyungsoo is cut off by Baekhyun’s hand.

“We’re keeping you.” Baekhyun declares as a proud sniffle gets drawn in through his nose.  His flair for drama never ceases to amaze Tao.

“I didn’t even talk about light outside of the visible realm…” Kyungsoo laments, disappointed that he couldn’t finish his talking points.

“Shush, child, I would adopt you if I could.” Baekhyun places a hand on Kyungsoo’s cheek as he whispers his own unique compliments to Kyungsoo.

Jongdae shrugs, taking out his phone to text someone.  Sehun offers an awkward thumbs-up to Kyungsoo.  Kyungsoo glances at Tao with a slightly terrified look, to which Tao responds with a subtle nod and smile.

___

Kyungsoo sits under the shade of the umbrella while Sehun and Baekhyun splash at each other in the pool.  Jongdae jumps off of the diving board and into the deep end of Tao’s family’s swimming pool, creating a big splash.

Kyungsoo sips lemonade through a neon orange straw as condensation slides down the glass in fat droplets, making the glass slippery.  Sunlight bounces off of the miniscule crests of the clear, blue water in the pool, catching Kyungsoo’s eyes as he looks at a clean sheet of notebook paper.

“Tell me what you have so far.” Kyungsoo requests of Tao, who is lying in the sun with his back exposed to the sun on the spring afternoon that is pushing towards summer weather, just outside of the protection of the umbrella’s shade.

“Everyone has their own color until they meet their soulmate.  When people find their soulmates, their colors mix together and eventually go clear.” Tao murmurs with his head facing Kyungsoo as his cheek rests against his folded arms.

Kyungsoo scribbles something down on the notebook paper, pausing before asking another question, “Do soulmates have similar colors?  From what you can tell, do their souls or auras or whatever go clear permanently?”

Tao shakes his head, “Souls need to have complementary colors in order to go clear.”  (Kyungsoo nods, muttering as he jots down: colors must cancel each other out i.e. complementary)  “As for the permanence of the clarity, I’m not sure.  People’s auras stay clear even when they’re apart from their soulmates.  I’m not sure what happens if one of the soulmates dies.  I haven’t come across something like that yet.  To even test that theory, we’d have to find a set of soulmates, and watch as one dies.  Or know someone who has found their soulmate and check back with them after their soulmate dies.”

Kyungsoo’s hand keeps moving as Tao props himself up on his forearms, “I also think that the closer you get to your soulmate’s hue the more compatible you are with a person.”

“Evidence?” Kyungsoo requests elaboration after sparing a glance at Tao.

“My brother has a blue soul. It’s this really pretty blue that reminds me of the ocean.  And he dated this guy, Minho, and his soul was green, a brilliantly dark green.  They went really heavy, really quickly before fizzling out.  Junmyeon was totally wrecked.  A few months later, he went out with a red soul, and it lasted a little longer with more stability.” Tao recalls his brother’s recent relationship with great clarity.  There was much less crying involved with the red soul, Jaehyo.

Kyungsoo hums, “When does a soul go clear?  Is it just when they’re in the same vicinity or do they have to kiss or something like that?”

Tao rakes his teeth over his lower lip, “From what I’ve seen, soulmates need to look each other in the eyes.  This is just based off of that one encounter with Youngjae and what was his name? Daehyun?  They’re the only soulmates that I’ve seen meet for the first time.”

Kyungsoo in a breath as he asks another question, “Can you see souls in a photograph or on TV or anything like that?”

“No.” Tao mutters, “Cameras only catch light; they can’t capture the essence of a soul.”

Kyungsoo nods as he sets his notebook aside, “We need a second set of soulmates.”

“I agree, but how would we even go about doing that?” Tao asks, scratching his scalp as if it’s going to help a revelation come forth.

“Hey, are you losers going to come in or what?” Jongdae shouts from the pool, shortly before having his head pushed below the water by Baekhyun.

Kyungsoo and Tao look at each other as Baekhyun splashes water in Sehun’s face while trying to keep Jongdae under.  They both have their epiphanies simultaneously.

___

Baekhyun doesn’t even blink when Tao asks him if he can try to find his soulmate.  In fact, he does an absurd little happy dance while water is still rolling off of his body in little rivulets before pulling Tao and Kyungsoo into a very wet hug.  (Jongdae looks about ready to punch his best friend but finds the will to restrain when Baekhyun starts to cry because he’s so happy).

___

It’s the middle of the summer between graduation and freshman year of college.  He thinks that he has found Baekhyun’s soulmate.

In the past few months, he has been working on being able to identify complementary colors, making his new favorite thing the color wheel.  Baekhyun has an obnoxiously bright green soul, so Tao has been scouring the city for an equally obnoxious shade of red.  Until tonight, Tao has come up with very little results.

He doesn’t know how exactly he got there, but he does know that he’s in a sea of moving bodies as a very popular indie rock band is jamming.  He watches as their lead singer fiercely sings into the microphone while passionately playing his guitar.  While he understands why there are scores of girls and boys screaming his name, he’s more focused on the obnoxious shade of red that his soul emits.  It strikes a very familiar chord with Tao as the singer smirks while singing.

He’s probably the only one who is silently standing still amidst the randomly moving bodies.  He’s sweaty and doesn’t like it all, but he could scream with joy.

Tao does have to figure out a way to get Baekhyun to meet this Park Chanyeol without making it awkward.  Soulmates don’t just know that something has changed; they have to talk and let the feelings wash over them.  There is also no guarantee that Chanyeol is going to believe Tao if he starts spewing nonsense about theories and soulmates.  Plus, he doesn’t want to get Baekhyun’s hopes up yet again; last time when he was wrong, Baekhyun almost burst into tears.

After the show finishes, he waits outside, hoping that he’ll be able to find the right words to tell Chanyeol in order to get him to meet with Baekhyun.  He doesn’t even get the chance to speak when the band passes.

Chanyeol splits off from the group, waving as his band mates roughhouse and goof off, explaining why he isn’t joining them, “…will kill me if I don’t show up at Water Lilies at 10.  The things I do for family…” Chanyeol chuckles to himself as he walks off.

Tao is practically one with the wall he’s pressing himself against the wall.  He’s so very glad that he knows where and what Water Lilies is, saving him an awkward conversation that would’ve danced around the words he wants to say.

___

Baekhyun is exhausted.  Tao is dragging him somewhere along with Kyungsoo and Sehun and Jongdae without explaining anything.  He just wants to crawl back into bed, retreating beneath the warmth of his sheets in his overly air-conditioned room.  He’s short on sleep, and he’s set up to snap at any innocent person that accidentally gets in his way.

Tao practically shoves Baekhyun into a little flower shop.  Baekhyun isn’t prepared in the least and ends up stumbling straight into another customer’s back.    The man moves, and Baekhyun just can't catch a break, evident by the squeal he lets out as he hits the floor.  He groans, forgetting about his bitterness towards Tao as the man gawks, “Oh my god, I am so sorry!”  He apologizes, immediately helping Baekhyun back to his feet.

From a few feet away, Tao is peeking over a fern to watch, as Baekhyun finally looks Chanyeol in the eyes.  Tao smiles as Baekhyun just stares into Chanyeol’s eyes without any words because their colors are mixing.  Red and green curling together as the reaction grows brighter and brighter until all of the color just floats away, leaving Baekhyun and Chanyeol without color in their souls.

Tao smiles.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol smile too.  Introductions are belatedly given, but it doesn’t matter that they’ve gotten the order wrong.

___

Sehun takes a bite of a burrito, chewing noisily with an open mouth before swallowing.  He swallows most of the food before voicing his opinion, “You do know what this means right?”

Everyone at the table looks at him, five sets of eyes questioning him without words.  “You could make a ton of money if you started a matchmaking service.”

His revelation comes a beat before the restaurant’s mariachi band begins playing right next to their table.

___

“What about ‘Going Clear’?” Chanyeol offers.  Chanyeol turns out to be the piece that they didn’t know was missing.  Aside from his hopeless adoration of Baekhyun, he’s actually pretty level-headed considering that his Gift is fire.  Plus, he was very accepting of Tao’s Gift and the whole soulmates deal.

“No, that reminds me of Scientology, and I don’t think we want to be associated with Scientology.” Kyungsoo shakes his head.

All that’s left for Tao to do is pick a name for his matchmaking company. Sehun’s suggestion turned out to be very practical.  Tao thinks back to his older brother’s words about how everyone has their Gift for a reason.  Tao smiles as his friends try to come up with the perfect name for his company.  This must be what he’s supposed to do, bring soulmates together.

“Fate’s Hand?” Sehun’s voice is far to high to encourage confidence in his suggestion.  A chorus of sighs fills the room.

“Complementary Colors.” Jongdae says, and it draws the attention go the entire room.  It’s his first suggestion of the entire brainstorming session, and it’s almost too perfect.  Jongdae glances at the shocked faces around the room.  Shifting in his seat, he clears his throat, “Well, Tao said that soulmates have complementary colors as their auras.  Why not just lead with that?  Find the person that complements you.” Jongdae finishes his explanation in a whisper.

“I like it.” Tao declares with a small smile, writing down the name on top of the series of tax documents and forms that need to be filed in order for the business to get rolling.   Junmyeon has agreed to take care of actually filing to forms for his younger brother.

It’s a good start, and a small part of Tao is proud that he has long since accepted his Gift and is putting it to good use.

___

Tao doesn’t realize it until Junmyeon comes to eat with him while he is sorting new clients by color.  The clientele, thus far, is very small, and most of their work involves trying to find someone outside of the company to bring soulmates together.

“Tao, have you ever actually gone on a date with someone?” Junmyeon asks from across the table.  Junmyeon has come over to eat lunch with Tao as part of a small family ritual, now that they are both moved out of their parent’s house.

Tao thinks about it, flipping through various memories of one-sided crushes that went away quickly on his part.  He remembers politely declining the few confessions and tentative offers of dates he’s received.  He blinks as he refocuses on the questioning gaze of his brother, “No.”  Tao is amazed that it’s never crossed his mind before, dating someone.

Maybe it’s because Tao just wants the sure thing because his soulmate is bound to be somewhere out there.  Maybe he has always been too focused on making others happy that he has neglected himself.

Junmyeon nods, “If you’re waiting for the one to come along and sweep you off of your feet, don’t.  There’s no guarantee that he’s waiting for you, or that you’ll ever find him.  You need to work with what you have, and if your soulmate finds you, you can find a way to make it work.” Junmyeon struggles to find his next words, looking down at the platter of sushi between them, “I don’t want you to spent your entire life watching and waiting when you could’ve been living, even if it’s in color.”

Tao smiles, the kind of smile that says it hurts but he’ll try.

After Junmyeon leaves for his office, Tao finds himself thinking.  He’s blown away by how much he wants to find his own soulmate.  He wants his soft yellow colors to float away after merging with the lavender aura of his soulmate.  He knows what color soulmate is, but he doesn’t know anything else.  He already knows what it looks like when soulmates are together, and he just wants to be a part of that.

He thinks of his older brother and his failed attempts at love.  Junmyeon has spent hours and tears and tissues lamenting over failed relationships, but he doesn’t stop trying.  He doesn’t avoid dating, even when Tao quietly tells him that he isn’t the one.

Tao continues arranging the colors of the clients.  He will find their soulmates and his own.  Hopefully, he’ll find his soulmate in time.

___

Tao finds himself accompanying Kyungsoo to a photography exhibition.  Kyungsoo tells him that he read about it in a magazine, an up-and-coming photographer is debuting his photographs in a gallery just down the street from their dingy office.

Kyungsoo stops in front of a photograph of a majestic mountain lit by the last rays of sunlight that are sinking behind the mountain.  The stars are almost twinkling in the photograph as they encroach on dusky sky that has yet to turn to night.

Tao is dying to know why Kyungsoo wants to be here.  He’s never expressed an interest in going to exhibits before bringing Tao here.  In fact, most of his life has been based in science as opposed to the arts, and while Tao can appreciate that Kyungsoo wants to be more cultured, it’s an oddly specific start.  “Why are we here?”

“The article that I read said that, the photographer, his Gift is teleportation.  I was just wondering what kind of photos that a man who could go anywhere would take.” Kyungsoo explains without sparing a glance at Tao, completely engrossed in the landscape hanging in front of them.

“And?”

“It’s disappointing.  Yes, the photographs are beautiful, but it feels like cheating.  They’re all landscapes, and he can go anywhere at anytime.  Isn’t part of the beauty of photographs supposed to be the difficulty and hardship that the photographer goes through to capture a perfect moment?  It’s strangely impersonal.” Kyungsoo’s eyebrows have knit together.

Someone clears their throat from behind them, “That’s a wonderful criticism.”

Tao and Kyungsoo turn around to find a lean, sun-kissed man in loose gray knit sweater and faded blue jeans that have holes exposing his knees. He’s not looking at them, but rather past them at his photograph as he takes his place slightly behind them.  “My agent said that I should start with the landscapes to see if people like the style.  Besides, I kind of want to keep the intimate photos to myself for the time being.”

Tao, however, does not hear a single word of it because this man has an aura that is the darkest shade of blue that he’s ever seen.  His colors are trying to connect with Kyungsoo’s, causing them to glow a little bit.  The photographer initially looks to see if Tao understands his sentiment, but finds that Tao is zoning out.

He takes a deep breath and turns to look at the shorter companion.  “I’m Jongin.” His voice comes out as somewhat weak as he offers his hand to the Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo swallows dryly because Jongin is breathtaking and smiling at him.  Kyungsoo limply accepts, glancing past Jongin to see that Tao is exaggeratedly mouthing ‘SOULMATE’ from behind Jongin.

“Kyungsoo.” He whispers as his eyes flick back to Jongin.

Jongin smiles sweetly at the sound of Kyungsoo’s name.  “Well, Kyungsoo, if you ever have any more critiques or comments or anything else, feel free to call me.”  A card appears in Jongin’s hand along with a smile that is happy to imply that Kyungsoo can call anytime for any reason.

Tao hides his smile as Kyungsoo smiles at the floor.  Jongin leaves them alone, and Tao ends up nudging Kyungsoo with his shoulder.  Kyungsoo lightly hits him in the ribs with no force behind, still trying to make his smile less noticeable.

___

Tao is at the airport, seeing his older brother off to China.  Junmyeon received some sort of promotion (Junmyeon failed to give Tao all of the details regarding his departure), and it requires him to work from China for an indefinite period of time.

Tao hugs Junmyeon a little too tightly and for a little too long.  Junmyeon still pats his back though, even with his limited breathing.  Tao can feel Junmyeon’s breath growing increasingly warmer, which tells him that he should let go soon.

There’s also an impatient tapping noise that is coming from Jongdae.  Each time that Jongdae brings the toe of his shoe down; Tao tries to find a way to let Junmyeon go.  They’ve never really been apart, not really; certainly they’ve never been in separate countries simultaneously.  Even when Junmyeon went to college and worked his way through countless all-nighters during law school, Tao and Junmyeon still found time to be together.

Tao gives Junmyeon one last squeeze that he hopes conveys all of his emotions, letting his hands fall to his side.  He can’t and doesn’t keep his face from contorting with worry and sorrow.  Junmyeon gently takes Tao’s face in his hands, forcing eye contact.  “Tao.  It’s not the end of the world.  I’m just a phone call away.”

Tao wants to respond, but he chokes as his face gets hotter and tears start to form.  “Hey.” Junmyeon whispers, “I’m still your brother.  Nothing is going to change that ever.  Don’t cry.”

Tao sniffles nodding obediently as he fights his tears.  He’s grateful when Jongdae quietly links their fingers instead of making some comment about how overly-emotional Tao is being.  Junmyeon offers a bittersweet smile as he grabs the handle of his suitcase with a slightly crinkled boarding pass in hand.

Tao and Jongdae watch with hands still linked as Junmyeon queues up behind two other people in the short line that preempts the rest of the security line.  It means that Junmyeon is going to disappear behind frosted glass soon, and Tao is going to be alone for the first time in forever.

Junmyeon gets approved to quickly, but he turns back to wave at them one last time.  Tao waves vigorously before screaming words of encouragement, “I LOVE YOU JUNMYEON! YOU’LL DO GREAT!”

He can see Junmyeon laughing as he disappears from view.  Tao bites his trembling lips, looking at the ground as the urge to cry resurrects itself. Jongdae is still holding his hand.

“Are you going to cry?” Jongdae asks, swinging their arms as he tries to catch Tao’s eye.  He’s uncharacteristically kind, speaking in a soft, sincere tone as opposed to speaking with a teasing lilt that usually hides in his voice.

“I think I might.” Tao admits, keeping his eyes glued to the freshly waxed airport floor.

Jongdae sighs, “Come on.  I’ll buy you a hot chocolate.”

Tao barely nods when Jongdae drags him back to where they parked the car. It’s quiet and quick drive to the café near their office.  Jongdae doesn’t say anything at all as Tao quietly sniffles in his seat, in fact, Jongdae even offers his handkerchief to Tao.  Tao didn’t even know that Jongdae carries one around.  Tao dabs at his eyes as silent tears roll down his cheeks.

Tao has finished letting out his tears by the time that Jongdae pulls into a space, showing off rather impressive parallel parking skills. They continue on without words as Jongdae gets out of the car, racing around to open the door for Tao.

As soon as they enter the café, Jongdae forces Tao to sit at an open table while he goes to get their drinks.  Tao watches, dully taking note of the fact that there is a new barista.  A man who almost reminds Tao of a pixie because of the way his hair is spiked up and the way his eyes have restrained mischief in them, still visible from yards away.

His eyes snap back up when he realizes that it’s the palest blue soul he’s ever seen.  The exact opposite of Jongdae transparent tangerine soul is standing at the register, focused on tapping in whatever Jongdae is dictating to him.  Jongdae’s eyes are glued on the menu hanging behind the man.  Their auras are already reaching out and trying to become one, but they get stuck, touching and pulling away for as long as their owners don’t look at each other.

Tao knows the exact moment that their eyes meet because their colors are excited and eager to swirl and blur and merge.   Their colors shed is a pastel dream, shimmering around the moment.  Jongdae leaves for the table after paying and taking their buzzer, missing the sweet smile on the barista’s lips as he turns to make their drinks.

Tao has found that there is nothing he likes more than watching souls shed their colors together.  He wants it very badly.  He’d love to be in the middle of it, but he doesn’t know when it will be his moment, or if it will ever be his moment.

Jongdae takes the chair across from Tao, sitting in his “model” pose that consists of legs crossed while he nonchalantly looks at something on his phone with mild interest.  He definitely wants to impress the new barista, and he’s being a bit of a dork about it if Tao has anything to say.

Tao wonders if he should mention anything to Jongdae; there are many pranks that Tao could use as reference to justify his temptation to withhold information, but today Jongdae has shelved his prankster habits when Tao needed someone.  It ultimately leads Tao to a crafty compromise of helping Jongdae figure it out on his own.  “Do you like him?” Tao asks quietly, picking at his nails.

“Who?”  Jongdae’s eyes widen a little as he weakly responds to Tao’s question.  He’s always been one of the harder reads in the group, not that means much when Sehun is as blunt and subtle as a wrecking ball, and Baekhyun practically prints every thought on the skin of his forehead.  Chanyeol is just about Baekhyun, so there’s really not much else to intuit.

“The barista, obviously.” Tao rolls his eyes.

“I, um….” Jongdae is nervous.  Normally, he doesn’t like it when people, namely his friends, have a piece of dirt on him because it comes back to bite him in the rump.

“It’s pretty clear.” Tao tries to give Jongdae a very obvious look without straight up telling him.

Jongdae’s brow furrows as he tries to digest what Tao is saying.  Tao knows the exact moment that Jongdae puts it together because his phone is clattering on the wooden floor, sliding out of his limp hand as his lips part to accommodate a dropping jaw.  Jongdae swallows thickly, panic setting in. “Oh my- oh my gah- oooh my god.” His voice is shaking, “I look awful, don’t I?  I should’ve worn nicer pants or something.”

The barista appears behind them with a small tray and two steaming cups.  His small nametag reads Minseok.  A dainty arm places the drinks in front of them.  He subtly glances at Jongdae out of the corner of his eye.  Jongdae, however, has turned pale with beads of sweat beginning to form a sheen on his forehead.

Minseok stops trying to hide his feelings, fully looking at Jongdae with a concern.  “Are you okay?” He asks.

Jongdae stutters, “I-I-I…”

Minseok’s small hand meets Jongdae’s forehead, unintentionally making Jongdae flood with color.  Minseok seems to realize that he has crossed an odd line for a barista.  He tears his hand away in embarrassment, apologizing profusely, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… I didn’t realize…”

Jongdae regains his cool after several awkward seconds of silence. Jongdae clears his throat; “There’s a way you can make it up to me.”

Minseok nods quickly, “Anything.” He promises.

“Buy me dinner.” Jongdae murmurs in an unsure voice, and Tao’s eyes widen at his forwardness.

Minseok straightens up with looking around, itching his neck before answering, ”If you give me your number.”  His hand slips into his apron, pulling out his phone. He subtly nudges it towards Jongdae, continuing to make sure no one is watching.

Tao can feel himself grinning as Jongdae sinks in his seat to type in his number.  Neither of them are being subtle at all, but it’s cute that they think it’s working.  They’re kind of really perfect for each other.

___

With every single pair of soulmates that Tao unites, the flame of hope that burns in his heart dims a little.  It’s not that he’s not happy about putting his Gift to good use, but there are some days where he wonders if his soulmate even exists. 

There is the occasional accusation that Tao is a phony, which is weird.  He supposes that some people don’t want to accept that at least some of their decisions aren’t entirely in their hands.  Sometimes when a match will fight and eventually come knocking on Tao’s door, screaming about it being a scam or he’s mixed something up.

Tao is smiling today though.  He’s interviewing a potential client, and he is lovely shade indigo that borders on purple.  Luhan shifts nervously in his seat as his brow furrows.  “Why do I look like that?” He asks.

“Look like what?” Tao responds with a pencil poised over a freshly copied form.

“Like something dark blue is leaking from my chest?  That’s how you see me.” Luhan tilts his head.

“You’re telepathic?” Tao raises an eyebrow, moving the pencil to the box label ‘Gift(s)’.

“And telekinetic.  What are you?” His lips are pushed out, hanging onto the end of his question although he has said all of the syllables.

Tao scribbles down Luhan’s Gifts before answering the question, “I don’t know the word for it or if there is anyone else out there like me, but I can see the color of a soul or aura or whatever label you want to put on it. That’s why our company is called Complementary Colors.  You have a dark blue soul, and your soulmate has an aura that is complementary to yours.”

“How do you know when I’ve met the one?” Luhan asks, unable to find the answer among Tao’s fleeting thoughts.

“When soulmates look each other in the eye for the first time, they shed their colors.  Everything is clear when you’re with your soulmate.” Tao explains, “However, I don’t suspect I’ll have any trouble finding your soulmate.”

Luhan squints at him, “Why is that?”

“I’m fairly sure that I already know who yours is.” Tao states simply, ripping the application in half.

Luhan blinks as he pulls an image from Tao’s mind.  It’s a boy with rainbow hair with a yellowy orange ball color swirling around him.  There is a name that is strongly attached the image, along with years of memories and friendship and feelings printed onto the photo in Tao’s mind.  Sehun. Oh Sehun.  With acne and a retainer that lisps his voice, thousands of moments and slivers of memories compressed into a single image of a smiling boy that’s raising a piece of chocolate to his mouth.

Luhan’s breath catches.

It’s less than a minute after Luhan has begun simply staring at Tao, absorbing information about his suspected soulmate, when Sehun walks in with a drinks in hand.

“Tao, did you want to try the new…” Sehun trails off when he finally notices that there is someone else in the office. “Oh.  I can just come back later…”

Luhan twists in his seat, meeting the gaze of a black-haired Sehun who looks much lovelier in person.  Luhan can see Sehun, but also sees what Tao is watching while listening to Sehun’s initial thoughts.

Pretty.  That’s the word that echoes through Sehun’s mind.  It’s also the only way to describe whatever Tao is seeing because his colors and Sehun’s reach for each other, growing and glowing until they’ve melted together.  It’s like a tiny explosion after they’ve become one mixed mess of amber and indigo, and their colors peels away in ribbons of dissipating smoke.

It’s the very first time that anyone other than Tao has seen colors fading. 

“Sehun, this is Luhan.” Tao says, drawing the attention of his frozen friend.  “Luhan, this is your soulmate.”

“I know that.” Luhan murmurs with his eyes still on Sehun.

Sehun shrugs, “Then, Luhan, do you want to try a milkshake from the new restaurant across the street?”

Tao thinks that Sehun is handling it pretty well.  He has always been very honest about his desire to find his soulmate.  However, Luhan can hear every single syllable of Sehun’s thoughts, which only makes Luhan smile more because he could get used to it.

___

And then there was one.  All of the people surrounding him are paired off, and Jongdae finds it pertinent to point out the irony of it.  It earns his a hushed reprimand and a slap on the shoulder from Minseok.

Junmyeon mentions something about nursing a hard crush on one of his neighbors over a video chat, and Tao is reminded that, once again, he’s lonely.

Tao wonders if he should just date someone to pass the time.  He doesn’t end up doing it because he has many things that he wants to do with his soulmate first, even if his existence is in question.

___

Sehun makes something akin to a whimpering noise mixed with a whine as he plants his face directly into the table.

“I miss Luhan.” He says into the pile of papers that his face landed on.  Luhan is in China, attending some sort of party for his job and visiting some of his friends.  Sehun didn’t receive an invite but rather a notification.

Tao doesn’t know which is worse, pouty Sehun or annoyed Sehun because Sehun ranted for hours on end when Luhan felt no need to invite him.  (“Doesn’t he want to introduce me to his friends?  Is he embarrassed by me?  I hate him.”)

“Whose file are you looking at?” Tao asks, ignoring Sehun and his hot-and-cold feelings towards the love of his life.

Sehun doesn’t end up answering because Junmyeon walks into their office.  Tao bolts up to his feet, enveloping his brother in a hug before he registers the very distinct lack of colors swirling around Junmyeon.  It’s the first time he’s seen Junmyeon in person since he left almost a year ago.  He can hear Junmyeon chuckling lightly in his ear.

Tao pulls himself out of the hug, blurting out the first thing that comes to his mind, “You’re clear.”

Junmyeon’s smile dies a little, lips tightening and the joy of seeing Tao fading in his eyes.  It’s painful to watch as Junmyeon says, “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

Sehun is up from his seat, giving Junmyeon a hug of his own.  “Tell us about it.”

Junmyeon takes a seat, staring at his fingers as he gnaws on his lower lip.  He takes a deep breath, “There was this guy, Yixing.  I told you guys about him.  I crushed really hard for a while, and I finally worked up to courage to ask him out to dinner like a week ago.  He declined and told me that he didn’t… and later that night he came back with someone and I could hear through the walls.  Anyway, Ryeowook called a day later and asked me if I would be willing to swap places with this guy, Zhoumi.  He mentioned something about homesickness and how it wouldn’t affect pay at all, and now I’m here.”

Junmyeon looks up to find two very concerned faces.

“What?” Junmyeon asks.

“There’s a party.” Sehun whispers ambiguously as if it’s some sort of secret.

Tao hits him over the back of the head as he rolls his eyes, “What our beloved junior is trying to say is that we are having a celebration-slash-promotional event tonight that will have alcohol and a tons of paired soulmates who won’t flirt with you.  All walk-ins are going to have to talk to me or one of my labeled employees, such as the lovely Sehun.  You’ll be having so much fun that you won’t even remember why were upset.”

Junmyeon considers it for a moment before caving.

That is exactly how Junmyeon wound up dancing to a slow song with Choi Minho’s hands on his hips while his soulmate glared at them from across the room.

Tao watches as Taemin pinches the bridge of his nose, “You’re sure that your brother has met his soulmate right?”  Jongin asks nervously, patting his friend on the back.

“Yes, Taemin, you have nothing to worry about.  Minho and Junmyeon might have had a relationship in the past, but it didn’t work out and it won’t override the fact that you are soulmates.” Tao speaks softly to suffocate any flames of jealousy growing in Taemin’s heart.  Taemin groans, turning his attention to the bar.

Tao sighs softly, giving Jongin a look before moving about.  For the most part, everyone has a clear aura.  Tao feels like his colors are marking him as an outsider despite being the only one that can see him.  He can’t help but think that it damages his credibility as a matchmaker.  He’s out there finding love for others while his own love life is nonexistent.

There are maybe a handful of people with visible souls.  All of which are currently huddled in a group around Baekhyun, who is diligently doing his job.

Tao flinches when a hand touches his shoulder.  He turns to face whoever has touched him to find Luhan.  He’s mildly surprised because Luhan is supposed to be in another country.  He has sheepish smile, but he also has two people with him.  The first one is also a clear soul who is only slightly taller than Luhan with a guarded face.

The other still has his aura, but Tao is trying to focus on whatever Luhan wants.  Of course, he hears none of it because that aura is in his peripheral, and it’s lavender.  It’s just the shade of lavender that he’s spent hours, days, month, and years wondering existed.  It’s glowing and distracting, and for the first time in his life, Tao doesn’t know what he’s supposed do.  It’s obvious to Luhan that Tao is freaking out, which makes it worse because he has stopped talking and Tao needs to summon the courage to look him in the eyes.

Tao’s eyes finally flick up to meet the lavender soul, and his knees just about give out because he’s beautiful and perfect.  Tao just stares into his eyes, not even caring that his aura is melting and expanding in his peripheral.  He’s been waiting for what feels like centuries to meet this person, and he doesn’t even know where to begin.

Luhan clears his throat, “This is Kris and Yixing.”

Tao giggles because Kris is everything he’s been waiting for. “Hi Kris.” Tao says dreamily, and Kris looks slightly alarmed.  Then, of course, Tao processes the second name.  “Did you just say Yixing?”

Luhan nods, and Yixing just gives him a weird look.  Tao continues, “Zhang Yixing from China?”

Luhan nods again with a look on his face that is trying to get Tao to his conclusion, “Zhang Yixing from China who know used to live next door to Junmyeon until recently?”

Luhan nods vigorously while his soulmate and Yixing keep giving him questioning looks, “That Zhang Yixing?”

Luhan nods once more.  “JUNMYEON’S SOULMATE?” Tao yells.

“Okay, well, that’s conjecture at this point because neither of us saw it happen, but yes that Yixing.” Luhan pushes aside Tao’s comment, trying to get him to prioritize.

“Okay you’re just going to have to give me like a minute because this is overwhelming.  I mean Kris and I just went clear, and Junmyeon is dancing with Minho.  Yixing is here at my event, and, wow, it is hot in here.  Can you get me some water or something?” Tao bends over, placing his hands on his knees.

“Yeah, totally, Yixing come with me, and, um, Kris, rub Tao’s back please.” Luhan drags Yixing away from a confused Kris who sighs heavily before doing as he’s told.

Tao regulates his breath as his soulmate places a large hand on his back, rubbing smooth, soothing circles on his upper back.  “Are you okay?” Kris asks, concern dripping over his velvet voice.

“I’m Tao.” Tao tries to introduce himself.

“And I’m Kris.” Kris nods as if he thinks that Tao might be losing his mind.  “Hey, Tao?”

Tao smiles at the floor because he likes the sound of his name on Kris’s lips, “Yes Kris?”

“What did you mean when you said that we went clear?” Kris’s question is tentatively phrased.

Tao looks up, quietly telling Kris the truth, “It means that we’re soulmates.”

Kris’s hand stops rubbing comforting circles on Tao’s back.  Kris straightens up and stares in disbelief.

___

Kris is perfect.  He’s tall enough to be compatible with Tao.  He likes puppies and has 1000 Watt smile.  His Gift is flight, and he’s a gentleman that’s great with children.  His drawing is a little bit childish, but his voice sends chills down Tao’s spine.

Kris, however, is tentative to accept the concept of soulmates.

It’s a bitter pill to swallow for Tao because Kris isn’t even to the point where he wants to be anything more than friends with Tao much less soulmates.

Tao had to sit through an awkward, conversation-devoid dinner that Luhan forced Kris to come to.  It’s worse because Tao has fallen hard for Kris.  Every awkward interaction comes with a painful rejection.  Tao wishes that Kris was everything that he imagined, but evidently, all of his expectations have just chalked up to fantasies and fiction.

“Luhan, I just don’t think I’m ever going to get there.  I wouldn’t still be here if Yixing wasn’t here so...” Kris says to Luhan.  Tao is eavesdropping on accident.

It’s even worse because he can hear his heart breaking, and Luhan can, too.  Tao wouldn’t be here, shouldn’t be here, if it weren’t for Sehun taking home a file.  Tao grips the paper in his hand, trying to keep his voice from cracking, “Sehun, I’ll be back later.”

He walks straight past where Luhan and Kris are sitting, trying not to see an unapologetic look on Kris’s face, even though everyone knows that Tao heard.

Tao rushes downstairs and out to his car to escape because he feels pain in his stomach, and it makes him want to vomit.  He wipes away a few tears in the car, not really caring that everything is kind of blurry.  He doesn’t really care about anything until the pain in his side is too much to ignore anymore.

Tao blacks out.  He’s not awake when he rear-ends a stopped car.

When Tao comes too, the pain in his side is different.  He’s also staring at ugly ceiling tiles, and there’s a strange beeping noise that’s coming from his left.

He looks and sees a machine that he’s only ever seen on dramas.  He’s hooked up to a heart rate monitor, and a glance outside tells him that it’s night.

“I’m in a hospital?” Tao asks into the empty room.  Tao is very alarmed, moving his hand to check his face, only to feel the tug of IV tubing connected to his hand, “Oh my god there’s a needle in me.”

There’s a notable spike in his heart rate as the beeps gets closer together and more frequent.  Tao’s freak-out is building up slowly because no one is there to stop it before it starts, and he doesn’t know what exactly happened.  He’s interrupted mid-panic by the sound of a paper coffee cup dropping, contents splattering all over the floor.

Kris is standing there with a relieved look on his face, and before Tao can even say hello, his lips are occupied.  Kris’s very large hands are cupping his face, and his heart rate is back up again despite it being a very chaste kiss.

Kris sits down in the seat next to Tao’s bed, clearing his throat.  Tao is still in a bit of a daze. “Um, what happened?”

“You got into a minor car collision, but you had appendicitis. So they brought you in for surgery, and called your brother.  They were unnecessarily tight-lipped about the whole appendectomy, so everyone panicked and thought you were dying.” Kris explained quietly, picking at his nails.

“How did you feel about my life or death situation?” Tao asks, still reeling a little from his first kiss.

“I would like a second chance at a first date.” Kris says with a little too much air, as if he’s afraid that Tao will say no.

Tao laughs, “I’m available from now to the rest of eternity.”

a/n:
and it's done?  there was a lot of not actual taoris... but plenty of tao <3
thanks to my fun bunch of subscribers who subscribed based solely on concept.
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