The next morning, Seokmin was shocked to find himself face to face with Soonyoung, who was standing outside the Teachers’ Room before classes.

“I’m hallucinating, I need coffee.” He said as he stared blankly at his student, rubbing his eyes. Soonyoung laughed, throwing his head back. “No, it’s really me!” he grinned.

“What are you doing here this early?? You’ve been late to classes and now you’re earlier than me?”

“Oh, I, uh...I came to give you this.” Soonyoung held up a Starbucks coffee. The older was too busy staring at the cup to notice Soonyoung’s slight blush.

“Coffee?”

“Yeah, Americano with lots of cream and no sugar, right?”

“Yeah...how did you...?”

“I have my ways.” Soonyoung smirked mischievously. Seokmin just stared dumbly.

“Thanks, but you really don’t have to d-“

“No, I wanted to.”  Soonyoung stretched his arm out slightly towards Seokmin, to hand him the cup, and their fingers brushed. From the areas of skin where his touched Soonyoung’s, warmth spread throughout his body, almost electric, and he stifled a gasp, jerking his hand away.The cup trembled in the younger’s hand.

“Sorry, it’s hot” Seokmin muttered, taking the cup. Soonyoung just nodded stiffly, turning to leave with only a “See you in class.”

Seokmin shook his head slightly to recover from the weird moment, and walked into the Teachers Room, right into Mingyu.

“Morning Seokmin, here’s your American- OH MY GOD YOU’RE CHEATING ON ME” Mingyu dropped the coffee in his hand, its hot contents spilling over on the floor, splattering his and Seokmin’s pants.

“What the hell, Mingyu! These are my good pants!” Seokmin set down his coffee and rushed to the sink to try and minimize the damage to his pants.

“I can’t believe you’re cheating on me, WITH STARBUCKS! STARBUCKS??” Mingyu’s hands waved around as he yelled at Seokmin. “I always make you coffee. Your favorite coffee.”

“Yes, I know” Seokmin sighed as he rubbed at the spots on his clothes, “but this is from someone, not Starbucks directly.” Mingyu’s face morphed into a smirk.

“Oh well why didn’t you say so!” He nudged Seokmin with his elbow. “An admirer??”

“Please. You’re the only person I know handsome enough to have admirers....and a lot of them. Like two thirds of the students.”

“Then? Lee Seokmin, have you already found someone?? Are you already getting down and dirty oh m y goD I know I told you to meet someone but damn??” Mingyu closed his eyes and sniffed dramatically, pretending to wipe a tear. “I taught him everything he knows.”

Seokmin choked on his coffee, spluttering .“W-what, no!! It’s just a student that gave it to me!”

“Oh. That’s sweet.”

“Yeah, he’s really sweet.” Seokmin admitted.

“oH?” Mingyu perked a bit. It was the first time he’d ever heard Seokmin call someone “sweet”.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

 Seokmin squinted his eyes at Mingyu, but decided it was best he changed the subject.

Soon Saturday came, and Seokmin found himself running around his apartment, washing dishes and stuffing dirty clothes in drawers, hopping around with only one pant leg on. The doorbell rang, and thankfully he managed to put his pants on the right way before he opened the door.

On his doorstep stood small Soonyoung, wearing an oversized hoodie with too long sleeves covering his hands, looking up at him shyly, sleepily. It was the cutest thing Seokmin had ever seen, and he was amazed that he was able to form words and usher the young man inside. Or think. Or breathe.

Soonyoung tugged at his sleeves as he sat down on the couch.

“Can I get you anything? Water, soda, coffee?”

“Soda, please.”

Seokmin rummaged through his fridge in a daze, hitting himself in the face with the cupboard door searching for a glass. He groaned, rubbing his forehead.

“Are you okay?” Soonyoung asked hesitantly.

“Yeah yeah I’m just clumsy as hell” he admitted, joining his student on the couch. Soonyoung chuckled as he took his books out of his backpack, splaying them on the coffee table.

They quickly got to work, Seokmin explaining everything Soonyoung had missed from being late, Soonyoung nodding, jotting down notes and asking questions. Halfway through, Soonyoung scrunched up his sleeves up to his elbows, and Seokmin couldn’t help but let his eyes fall to the soulmate watch. He didn’t know why, but his heart fell.

“If you’re wondering, no, I don’t know who my soulmate is, even though it’s at 00:00:00.”

“What? How?”

“Funny enough, my time ended when I walked into your lecture that first day. I have no idea who it could be, and it’d be dumb to go and ask everyone I made eye contact with ‘Hey I don’t know you but have you met your soulmate yet?’, y’know?” 

“Oh. Well, I could give you a list of the students in my class? Maybe that’d help?”

“Yeah, that’s actually a good idea, thanks! But it’ll still be hard to talk to all those people and find out.”

“Well, it’s your soulmate we’re talking about. I think it’s worth it.”

Soonyoung nodded, looking away. Seokmin dropped the subject, returning to their work.

Their hands brushed as Seokmin reached over the younger to grab a pen, and Soonyoung choked, both from Seokmin’s closeness and the electricity of the touch. Seokmin flinched, but the feeling was quickly forgotten as he thumped his student on the back. Once Soonyoung had calmed down, Seokmin’s hand on his back had shifted to soothing rubbing, as he stared concerned.

“You okay?”

“Yeah...yeah.” Soonyoung took a gulp of his soda. Seokmin let his hand linger on the younger’s back for a few heartbeats too long. Silence fille the room, until Seokmin cleared his throat and started again where he had left off explaining.

Not long after, they both decided it was enough for the day and Soonyoung got up to leave.

“Thank you, this is really helpful. I actually get a lot of it now!”

“Ah, no problem.” Seokmin grinned brightly. “Same time next Saturday?”

“Yup.”

“Great. Be careful on your way home!” Seokmin shouted after him as he left, and Soonyoung waved back, smiling.

That night, Seokmin twisted and turned in his bed. He fluffed his pillow about a dozen times and kicked his blanket off the bed. He felt tired, his eyelids were heavy, but his mind wouldn’t leave him alone. It was too full, buzzing with thoughts. Thoughts of Soonyoung.