I have decided to add a part 2 onto this, however this could be read completely standalone :3

1. the one where every lie your soulmate tells you appears on your skin.

Jihoon stared down at the coffee cup between his elbows, resting his cheek in the palm of his hand. No real thoughts had entered his mind for the past few hours, he was in a daze as he stared at random things for no real reason. It was no later than 7 in the morning, which was actually sleeping in for the music composition student. With a deep breath, he inhaled the earthy scent of the long since cold drink. He slowly dipped his chin to his chest as he rubbed the inside of his forearm mindlessly, the phantom sensations of the previous night leaving scars upon his skin.

Jihoon had found it odd that Seungcheol was the one leading them up to Jihoon’s apartment. It probably wasn’t that unusual given that Seungcheol had been there a handful of times before, enough that he could know the path there if it were necessary, but never before under the pretenses of what was going to happen. It still felt out of place. Seungcheol had his hand firmly circled around Jihoon’s wrist as he pulled him up the stairs, holding on as if he were a skittish deer that would tuck tail and run at any given opportunity.

Perhaps he would have.

Standing up from the table with a sigh, he placed the untouched drink in the sink to be attended to later. Maybe when - no, if - he got his emotions in check. Jihoon wasn’t one to ever let things get to him if he had any say. He tends to put up a wall, “The Great Wall of Jihoon” he would mentally refer to it. Few people got to see beyond the wall and experience what lay beyond, because under that thick exterior was a boy who was sensitive and exposed.

Seungcheol shut the door and quickly locked it. He was taller than Jihoon, so much so that as he approached the younger he felt like he was towering over him. Jihoon cowered, curling in his shoulders on himself with the effect of making himself appear smaller. Vulnerable. He took shy steps backwards, matched with Seungcheol’s confident steps forward. Soon he bumped into his bedroom door. Seungcheol was just a mere breath away, their lips sharing the same miniscule space. Their lips touched for not the first time that night, nor the last.

After looking at the sink which was mostly empty save for a few eating utensils, he looked to the dirty sheets and clothes that filled up his laundry hamper. As a college student, he wasn’t exceptionally lazy - he preferred to consider himself average in that regard. How many college students do you know who are organized and neat? He kept up on things. Did the dishes before they grew legs and ran away, vacuumed before the dust bunnies could conquer his home, and only sometimes would the laundry overflow to the point where he wasn’t sure what the floor looked like beneath.

The way Jihoon’s back arched could only be described as something breathtakingly beautiful. His fingers were curled in the tresses of Seungcheol’s hair, tugging when he managed to use his tongue in a way that made Jihoon’s toes curl. It was a sensation he hadn’t experienced before, not this amazing in the least. Nothing had ever felt so memorable and monumental, it would be emblazoned in his mind similar to the marks etched down Seungcheol’s back.

Finding himself no longer in his laundry room but instead in the bathroom, he leaned against the tiled wall. The cold permeated through what thin clothes he wore. He slowly sunk down, slow enough that he could feel each rivet between tiles along his back as he made his way down. His fingers returned back to his forearm, the skin concealed by a thin long sleeve shirt. He traced his fingers in the shape of letters, before digging his nails into the fabric as hard as he could manage. Had the cloth not been there, he surely would’ve drawn blood. Warm tear drops slid down his cheeks.

“Oh god, oh, Seungcheol I’m so close, ah!”

“Just a bit longer, baby, I’m right there with you.”

The room was as hot as an oven.

There was nothing but warmth and love between the two of them.

They were both climbing a mountain, just about to its peak - and together, they saw the sudden blinding white light.

“Oh Seungcheol…” Pants and heavy breathing filled the air.

Eventually, a long moment of silence.

Even longer.

Had hours passed?

“Jihoon, I love you.”

“I love you too, Seungcheol.”

With an outraged cry, he determinedly stood up. He furiously removed all of his clothing, revealing pure and unmarked skin. No bruises, no scars, no birthmarks or tattoos. To most this is a rare and precious thing, considering that every lie your soulmate tells you becomes forever branded into the skin. No bruises, no scars, no birthmarks, no tattoos, and most importantly, no lies.

Correction - No lies for the previous 20 years of his life.

He peeled his shirt off and over his head, looking into his mirror at his full exposed body.

There was only one thing that stood out to him. Directly on his wrist for all the world to see, in big thick letters: Jihoon, I love you.