AN: This is pretty much an accumulation of all of the soulmate pairs with some furthering of story. Enjoy!

Seungkwan takes long showers on Sunday mornings. Hansol knows this because his side of the bed is always cold when he returns and he has to cuddle up underneath blankets, placing his cold toes against Hansol’s legs, and curling around him. The feeling of his cold toes always immediately pulls him from the light slumber that he’s fallen victim to. This is the way that it happens every single time. Every Sunday together is no different: Seungkwan leaves to take a shower, Hansol falls back asleep, Seungkwan returns and wakes him up. It has been this way for months. A trusty system which usually allowed for Seungkwan to sing in the shower without waking Hansol up (although it was easier when they lived in the dorms since the shower was down the hallway).

This Sunday breaks the illusion of every Sunday being perfect, pristine, and warm. Hansol feels too cold and too hot all over. When he pulls his music library up to type in Boo Seungkwan, he feels foolish. It has to be a mistake. There is no reason why his best friend wouldn’t have told him that they were soulmates. There’s no explanation for why Seungkwan has been saying that his foreign soulmate can still be heard in his head. He plugs his headphones back in, double-clicking on the file. He’s almost surprised to find it, considering Seungkwan had never expressed much interest in singing. It made sense to him though. Hansol realizes how he probably knows Jihoon and Seokmin so well; he wonders if his best friend was heartbroken at not making it into the music program. The music starts up, Hansol focuses too heavily on the sound of his voice. It’s the same familiar song that had played in his mind when he was younger.

Shakily, he exhales, pushing the laptop away from him and towards the end of the bed. He feels as though he might have a panic attack, but realizes that he’s just feeling betrayed. His legs are hugged up to his chest as he tries to think about how to go about this. WIth this realization should have come happiness.

When Seungkwan reenters the room the small smile tugging on his lips is immediately replaced with a deep-set frown. He can feel the energy in the room, see how Hansol is folding in on himself. Realization comes all at once because he’s not an idiot. Hansol’s voice is eerily quiet and too serious for him; he no longer sounds like the boy that Seungkwan has come to know and adore. “Why…” he swallows, seeming to be having trouble with finding the appropriate words for this situation. “...why would you lie to me?”

I didn’t lie! Seungkwan wants to say, I could never get you out of my mind! Your voice does sound foreign! The only thing I technically lied about was saying that I was pretty sure that my soulmate was from another country when I knew that even if he sounded American, then he was from this country…

“I can explain,” he says instead.

Hansol waits for the explanation. He doesn’t know what to expect.

--

“Do you think we’re in love…?” Minghao ponders, intertwining his fingers with Junhui’s own while they lay haphazardly tangled together on Minghao’s twin-sized bed that has come with the dorm. “Or is there something that just isn’t as real as being soulmates? Let me clarify,” he says, noticing how Junhui is ready to respond without even looking up at his expression. “...like that soulmates have this bond after they meet and that bond is what love actually is…? That’s what being in love is like, not any of this casual dating or letting yourself make decisions? What if we’ve just been tricked into thinking that if we aren’t with our soulmates, then we can still be happy?” asks the boy who cannot stop grinning up at his bed partner. After the question is out there, he even tilts his head back and smiles, watching as Junhui’s forehead wrinkles in thought.

His words are slow, thoughtful, and while Minghao had been chattering in Korean, Junhui slips back into Mandarin. Minghao is thankful for it because it reduces the amount of questions that would pile on his tongue as he tried to sort between translating on the fly and translating appropriately for this tough subject. “There are people who are soulmates with criminals who have hurt people and there are those with soulmates who die. There are soulmate pairs who are too poor or sick to visit one another. Then there are those who just never meet, even if they cross paths. I’ve even heard of people without soulmates. If those people don’t have every right to the feelings that those with attainable soulmates do, then what’s it all for? Why are we here right now? Why can soulmates overlook each other or deny each other?” Minghao cannot stop grinning at his words. He nods his head, enthralled, even though these are all the answers that he himself would have given if he had been prompted.

With a laugh, Minghao leans up to kiss him, feeling sickeningly domestic. Mingyu shifts on the bed across from them. “So, you think we’re in love?” He asks when he separates from the kiss, turning over onto his stomach to lay his chin against Junhui’s chest.

The older male just smiles, leaning back in for another kiss. “I’m saying that we could be.”

--

Soonyoung, for his whole life, has only been with one person romantically. The concept of soulmates had always frightened him away from dating. He was scared that he would fall in love with a person that he would later have to leave for his soulmate. He had had friends who had to break up with people they had spent years with because they had looked at their soulmate and everything clicked. He didn’t believe in that, so when he had met Minghao in his first year of college, he easily fell for his critiques to the system.

Then awhile later, he easily fell for him.

But because he was in love with him, he had broken it off shortly after it had started. He didn’t have it in him to drag this out and then hurt Minghao. It was hard for him to imagine that he could hurt anyone’s feelings, but with how fast things were moving with Minghao, he could see it happening: could see him falling in love with his soulmate because his voice had always been there, like an old friend. Friends, he had called their relationship when he introduced Minghao to his friends and family. Minghao wasn’t an idiot, so he understood. None of it was fair; Soonyoung often wonders what influence that he had had on Minghao’s beliefs concerning soulmates, but he couldn’t have been that important to Minghao. Not because Minghao didn’t love him, but because it was short-lived and spontaneous. No time had been taken with it, but it had been careful. The touches had been tender and soft. Even when they had ceased with their relationship, they were still close: always touching, always laughing. It could have been a lot worse for both of them.

Standing in front of his soulmate, he wonders what throwing away all of it was for. Wonwoo is handsome, but he’s a stranger with dark thoughts that tangle around his lighter ones. He’s a silent mystery that Soonyoung does not particularly want to delve into. He makes him feel unsure and unsteady, but he smiles at him at least. He smiles at him slow and easy and Soonyoung really just wants to go buy him a shirt where the arms of his sleeves don’t cover his hands. His hair is mussed from sleeping, Soonyoung guesses, I must have woke him up when I called him. But he had come as soon as Soonyoung had called; he was in the cafe with his hair messy, white shirt untucked, sitting across from Soonyoung with a disheveled smile. This was a man who looked just like his thoughts. He was the most open book that Soonyoung had ever been in contact with. When Soonyoung tries to speak, he swallows his own words.

“I’m glad you called.” Wonwoo says, opening his clasped hands between them.

Soonyoung nods. “Yeah.” This seems surreal and awkward, but he’s used to overcoming any social situation that challenges him. Happiness is an easy feeling for him. He’s known for being the friend one goes to when they need advice or comfort. He could help others gather confidence and support them when they needed it. He was a strong pillar; he could make this work, but he’s so scared of it all falling apart. “...I wanted to properly meet you. I think it’s necessary… considering.”

Wonwoo nods. “I agree…” He looks away, whether shyly or awkwardly, Soonyoung cannot tell right away. “I was going to reach out to you, but I didn’t want to cause an unnecessary scene…” At the dinner, Soonyoung realizes. It seems so obvious when he says it. He just didn’t want to make it a big deal. Without asking, he doesn’t know if it was because that wasn’t their night or because he was just a shy person, but this answer seems so obvious. Soonyoung should have thought about Wonwoo’s feelings, especially when he knew that Wonwoo often had worried about how others perceived them. Lots of his thoughts dwelled on others and their perceptions of him and his actions. It would have been a large move had he announced that they were soulmates in front of a bunch of strangers.

Beaming at him, Soonyoung’s mood flips completely. “I understand!” He exclaims, nodding. “It’s good that we can talk about it now…! I was just worried that… you weren’t really it or that you didn’t want to get to know me after seeing me…” He voices his worries, not looking away from Wonwoo, who maintains his small, quiet smile. He nods in understanding. Both of them can see from the viewpoint of each other now. It makes the conversation easier. Soonyoung is going to have a lot to share with Minghao and Chan the next time he sees them.

--

Chan hears her voice clearly when he wakes up. The disturbance was gone. She’s clear.

He’s relieved that he’s no longer the odd one out. Zoning out, he just focuses on her thoughts. It feels important that he does, especially to make up for the years where he could only pull broken thoughts out of much bigger thoughts. She’s creative, spunky, and he cannot help but smile to himself when he discovers that she’s into dancing too.

--

Jihoon gets off of his shift early. Seokmin’s there to pick him up in his dingy, cheap car that looks like it might break down as soon as he gets into it. He still does. Seokmin’s grinning face welcoming him, but he moves no closer to Jihoon like he wants to do. He can respect that Jihoon would prefer to keep affectionate gestures to a minimum and Seokmin doesn’t know what kind of bad luck he had to not be able to tousle the hair of the cutest person in the whole world, but that was the case. Smiling communicates his affection just as well though.

And if he weren’t driving, then he would’ve caught Jihoon’s soft smile in response.

--

Seungcheol holds steady to both his and Jeonghan’s luggage as they enter the airport. Jeonghan’s not used to travelling, but he’s able to figure out how to get where they needed to go which eventually would lead to the airplane. That’s all that mattered to Jeonghan, that they would be able to end up where Joshua was currently. “Are you sure this is enough stuff? We didn’t pack any furniture.” Seungcheol asks, again, for the nth time.

Jeonghan places a hand on his shoulder. “We can shop when we get there. As soon as we get there.” The answer is simple. He’s been rehearsing the answers to any question that Seungcheol could possible while they panicked in the middle of an airport. All of it was planned. They would be able to have a life there, because what they really wanted was to be together as they always had been. Joshua was included in their forever, so the answer never seemed simpler. The tickets weren’t pricey with Seungcheol’s new job. Everything was attainable with their optimism and love. Seungcheol wraps an arm around Jeonghan’s waist, leading him to exactly where he said they needed to go.

When they arrive, they rid themselves of their luggage, pass through the scans and body checks, and then all that is left is for them to wait to board. Both of their tickets sit in Seungcheol’s pocket. Underneath the ticket sits the tiny black box that his fingers toy with anxiously. His gaze lifts to the clock as Jeonghan relaxes into silence after talking about his day at work. Tilting his head back, he closes his eyes and tries to just wait until Seungcheol says that they need to board the plane. The atmosphere in the airport is hurried, but gentle. It doesn’t feel like time moves as quickly here as it does in the real world.

“Jeonghan,” Seungcheol breathes from somewhere beneath him.

When Jeonghan’s eyes flutter open, he’s greeted with a wondrous sight. His eyes immediately tear up as his gaze falls onto the golden band nestled in the tiny box that Seungcheol’s brought out. None of it is perfect: the airport, Seungcheol’s nervous smile, Jeonghan’s shaking hands, but that’s what makes it so genuine. That’s what has Jeonghan pulling Seungcheol up from the floor to kiss him while the glaring sunlight drifts in from outside. Their flight is called to board, but Jeonghan cannot separate from him. He cannot stop himself from breathing him in and clinging to him. His hands are balled up in Seungcheol’s jacket and there’s a smile on both of their faces.

Jeonghan thinks that there is applause, but he can’t be sure. His head spins wildly as he slips the ring onto his fingers. There’s no yes and there’s no will you? because there’s never needed to be any of it. “Now, we really can start our lives together there.” Seungcheol says, tears rolling down his face as he smiles. Jeonghan’s fingertips are gentle as he brushes the wetness from his cheeks, and Seungcheol lifts his hands to wipe away Jeonghan’s tears. They are a mess, but they are a happy mess.

--

When Mingyu wakes up, he finds Joshua sitting on his chair below his bunk, a quiet smile on his face and a book propped open in his lap. “Morning,” he chirps, smiling growing as he pushes away from Mingyu’s desk so he can get a better view of his soulmate in all his glory: his bedhead standing every which way, his eyes squinting as he tries to fight off the morning light, and the lines along the side of his face from his bunched up blanket. There’s everything beautiful about him. The muscles in his long arms pull taunt as he stretches them in front of him.

He yawns. It’s unusual for him to be the last one up.

“Minghao and Junhui let me in. They both just left too.” He gives the answer to the unasked question. “I think they said something about a date. Is Junhui going back home tonight?”

Mingyu shakes his head, swinging his legs off the side of his bed. “Nope. Staying for two weeks, then I think he’ll be going back.” He answers, voice sleep laden. His eyes look like he’s willing them to stay open, as though it is a task. He looks like he wants to go back to bed, so that’s why Joshua throws more caution to the wind as he stands up, shaking his head.

“Stay up there. You don’t have anything to do today, do you?” He asks, and Mingyu shrugs. That’s reply enough for him. Joshua lifts onto his desk, then climbs further up into his bed. “I don’t know why we’d rush the day if you don’t need to.” His voice is quiet and controlled as he crawls towards the head of the bed. Mingyu pulls his legs back up, tucking them close to his body as he watches Joshua carefully. The older male pushes himself against the wall and waits for Mingyu to reposition himself. The bed is too small for Mingyu let alone Mingyu and another person, but neither of them complain. Mingyu crooks his legs and Joshua fills in the empty space behind them with his knees. His front presses against Mingyu’s back gently as he cuddles him. A sweet, fleeting kiss is pressed right below Mingyu’s ear. “This is nice enough for me,” Joshua says. Mingyu cannot help but smile, closing his eyes and leaning back into his touch.

They drift off to sleep.

--

Seungkwan does not prelude his explanation with I didn’t not lie, but instead explains the entire situation to Hansol. “I was hurt,” is how he starts. “I wanted to hurt you back. I had felt the connection immediately and at first… I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me, but felt obligated to because we were soulmates. Then I hear you tell your friends that you stopped hearing your soulmate’s voice, so you must have met them, but you can’t remember who or where. Apparently it was too far-fetched to look at the person you’ve known for a year and think it was him.”

“You lied to me because I hurt your feelings?” Hansol asks, incredulous. He does feel bad about not realizing it. He hadn’t even considered it. Recently, when Joshua had asked him about it, he had first declined because he didn’t believe that the unconfident, awkward thoughts that he had one heard were about the man in front of him. He couldn’t believe that Seungkwan had ever looked at himself in such a negative light. “It wasn’t fair for you to do that,” he swallows hard, unable to look away from Seungkwan, but also wishing he could do anything else. “You decided to jeopardize our friendship by lying instead of just coming clean…?”

Seungkwan throws his hands in the air. “I thought you didn’t want to be with me, Hansol! I thought, for awhile, that you were ignoring it because you couldn’t the thought of being with me. I never lied to you back then. I only lied now because it was embarrassing when you would tell everyone that you met your soulmate, but now had no clue who or where they were when they were right beside you. I was always right there! You forgot how my voice sounded.”

Hansol fumbles. This fight isn’t fair to either of them. No matter how horrible or stupid he was, it doesn’t give Seungkwan an excuse to lie. “You always sounded so… broken.” Hansol says quietly, then adds on, “...so desperate. You wanted love and you were scared of everyone and yourself. That’s not you, Seungkwan! The you that I know is lovely and loves himself and loves everyone around him. He’s not scared of love.” He’s yelling even while complimenting him. Seungkwan looks torn between being hurt or appreciative. He goes for hurt.

“I have feelings too,” he says, but his voice breaks as though he’s going to cry. “Everything couldn’t always be happy for me.” Hansol watches him carefully, but he still feels betrayed. He still loves Seungkwan. There’s a strange tension that he doesn’t know how to divide, how to fix.

“Can you just… leave?” He says after silence has settled around the two. “I’ll… talk to you later.”

Seungkwan doesn’t argue with him. He takes his dirty clothes and grabs his schoolbag.

It feels as though he’s ruined something very important.

--

Minghao wakes Mingyu up by flicking his nose which ends up startling Joshua when Mingyu jumps in surprise. Junhui is sitting at Minghao’s desk, flipping through a magazine. “What?” Mingyu asks in English which causes Minghao to wrinkle his nose up.

“None of that in this place,” he says, “...or you get constant Chinese.”

Throwing an arm over his face that he realizes isn’t his own, Mingyu’s voice is mumbled. “You understand English… I don’t understand Chinese,” he answers. Minghao rolls his eyes while Joshua pulls his arm back from being Mingyu’s captive.

“What time is it?” He rubs at his eyes.

Junhui shrugs, then answers after checking his phone. “Almost four.”

That serves well enough for Mingyu’s wake up call as he pushes the blankets away from him. Minghao moves to allow Mingyu enough room to jump out of bed. He almost stumbles upon impact, but Minghao steadies him. Joshua climbs down, wary of missing a step. When everyone is on the floor, Junhui laughs, holding his phone out. “It’s only noon.”

Joshua groans, bringing a hand up to smooth down his hair. Mingyu walks over to his mirror in order to try to find a quick remedy for his own hair. Minghao looks antsy. He doesn’t really sit down, instead just hovers around them. Mingyu picks up on it easily. “Do you… need something?” He asks to which Minghao shakes his head. “Uh, alright.” He nods, returning to his hair. Junui catches Minghao around the waist and pulls him into his lap.

“Minghao’s nervous about his performance tonight. They are having individual performances.” Junhui says into the crook of Minghao’s neck joyfully. “I’m thankful that I am here to see it.”

“You never said anything!” Mingyu turns around to face his best friend who shrugs. “Tell me you got tickets or seats for us.”

Minghao nods, chewing on his lip. “For everyone, as usual for any event.” Junhui chuckles, cuddling up to him as he tries to have this conversation. “I need to message the group to see who Chan and Soonyoung reached already...  but I did get tickets for everyone this time. I didn’t leave anyone out. I just… wasn’t going to tell you in hopes that you had plans.”

He’s proud of his dancing, but this is the first time he’s showcasing it to Junhui. However the older male had gotten the information out of him is a mystery, but Mingyu is glad that he has or they might not be going to a showcase later this evening. Joshua turns around from the mirror. “Can I do your hair for tonight later? You can do mine.”

It seems like an innocence request, so Mingyu agrees.

--

Tonight gets here too quickly for most people. Seungkwan almost cancels, but Hansol picks him up from his dorm. No words are exchanged between the two, but he knows that this might all end up behind them, so Hansol’s not going to let this affect Seungkwan’s relationships with his friends. Hansol also picks up Wonwoo who had come home sometime after Seungkwan left, but had just stayed in the kitchen.

The rest of the groups split into different cars. Jihoon nearly begs for Seokmin to take a ride with anyone else rather than drive his own car, but with too much confidence in his ride, he picks Jihoon and Chan up to head towards the showcase. The rides are quiet and most are peaceful. Wonwoo can tell that there is an issue with Seungkwan and Hansol, but he doesn’t know either of them well enough to ask about. Minghao and Chan are so nervous that they can’t sit still.

--

Joshua slides out of his seat after Minghao has closed the showcase with his own personal dancing act. Mingyu follows after him into the lobby where they will meet with the dancers after they’ve changed. “He’s good…” he says, seemingly amazed. “They all are.” Wonwoo and Junhui agree beside him as people bustle out of the auditorium. “I think I would personally look bad dancing, if I had to.”

“You don’t have to, luckily,” Hansol jokes, but doesn’t feel very into it. His smile falls as quickly as it appears. “Hey, I’m going to head out. I’m not feeling good. Let ‘em know I thought they were great.” He claps a hand on Joshua’s back. “Seungkwannie, you coming?” He says without registering the nickname slipping off his tongue.

Seungkwan looks shocked, but nods and follows him out. They have a lot to talk about at least.

Mingyu’s feeling brave. “Do you want to spend the night with me?”

Joshua looks up at him and smiles, making Mingyu feel light. “I’d love to.”