“Are you still on the phone with Jimin?” Jin queried, walking past his youngest brother with the last plateful of chicken from dinner in his hands that he had been finishing off. He got no answer, Tae beaming into the phone and humming something into it contentedly. Jin rolled his eyes. “Then I’ll go take a shower first. And I’m taking my sweet time.”

The warm water hissed away, and once the bathroom door was shut, Jin allowed himself a sigh. He tried to be chipper and tease Tae properly for being so lovey dovey with his soulmate, as was his job as an older brother, but… secretly he was so jealous and heart-broken that he wanted to cry whenever they were being sweet to each other. I want to act childish around my soulmate, too. I want to tell them about foods I like and don’t like, I want to complain about my classes and ask them to watch movies with me.

But sometime after he had turned 22, and with no sign of a bond or a soulmate, he had lost hope. He knew some people didn’t get to meet their soulmates for decades, and many people never met them at all. Jin figured he was in this latter group. He tried not to be angry, figuring there had to be some reason. Maybe his soulmate was dead. It was out of his control, either way, although it often felt like some sort of cosmic punishment, as though Jin had been an in another life and this was karma coming back to bite him in the .

He stepped into the shower, feeling hopeless. Over the sound of the water he could hear Tae’s laugh, probably at something adorable Jimin had said. Jin sniffed a little, determined not to cry over something as stupid as being lonely. But stupid or not, the feeling was there all the same. He reached down to grab the soap, and that’s when he saw it for the first time - a mark on his arm. Jin halted at the smooth dark black marker lines that trailed from his wrist down to his elbow. Several blades of grass s their way across his skin, and a dark purple butterfly had been drawn across the paleness, wings seeming to flutter in mid-flight. There was no way Tae or Namjoon had drawn this as a prank - they were both as bad at drawing as Jin was. No, this was someone else. Jin’s arm had been drenched by the hot shower water, but the pen marks remained perfect, unsmudged, each line clean and crisp like it had just been done. Jin touched one finger to the butterfly’s wings, tracing it with his fingertip. As he watched, an elaborate blue flower appeared, its petals bent into the crook of his elbow. It was beautiful. Jin was breathless.

His soulmate was not only alive and had a connection with him, but was super talented as well. Jin really did cry then, his chest aching with relief. He had no further promises than the existence of his soulmate - not a word revealed or an interest in him shown - but just that existence was enough to make all the waiting worth it. He had a soulmate. He wasn’t alone.

Jin rushed through the rest of his shower, throwing on his pajamas before racing into the now empty living room, hands fumbling for a Sharpie. He smiled down as a lazy sun was added to the drawing on his arm. Jin poised the pen above his skin, and --

And what?

What do you say first to a soulmate you’d been waiting to hear from for almost four years? He was sure the simplest would be ‘hello!’ but he wanted to make a good impression. Wanted to let his soulmate know he was happy to have some sign of their existence.

Jin picked up his pen again, and on the back of his hand he wrote, ‘You draw so well! Your butterfly is so pretty! ♥’

There. His first words to his soulmate, and he had gotten to compliment them. As his handwriting had appeared, he had noticed the flower on his arm was halted mid-. He tried to picture his soulmate, pen clenched in one hand, head tilted curiously to the side like a puppy, eyes wide in wonder. Jin was smiling so hard it hurt.

But no written response came as he had expected. Around his words, his soulmate slowly drew elaborate scrawls, adding wings to Jin’s little heart and underlining the word ‘butterfly.’ Jin waited several minutes, counting the seconds in anticipation, checking other parts of his skin in case his soulmate had chosen a different spot to communicate, but nothing. Maybe his soulmate was really shy.

‘My name is Kim Seokjin. Do you like to draw a lot?’

No answer. His soulmate just started to draw a skull on his right arm, adding cross-hatching and making it look quite dramatic. Jin’s brow furrowed. In a moment of childish petulance, he added a (somewhat crooked) hair bow to the intense looking skull drawing, just to spite his soulmate’s efforts. The only response was a long vine with thorns that wound its way from their wrist to the elbow. Jin drew hearts in between the leaves, wishing he had the most obnoxious neon colored markers, but limited just to his black one. On the back of his right palm he struggled until he managed to write out a sloppy message.

‘Don’t ignore meee! ㅠ _ ㅠ ’

He watched as his partner changed colors to a vibrant red marker, now making Jin’s arms a veritable rainbow of colors. A bunch of laughing symbols appeared all over his skin, spreading even to his upper arms when he pushed his sleeve up further. ‘ㅋㅋㅋ’ was squished in between all the other markings, and Jin knew he should have been irritated, but for some reason he found himself laughing into the quietness of the empty room, smiling at his annoying soulmate.

They hadn’t met yet, or even exchanged proper words, but Jin felt like he knew his soulmate was a good person. Shy, perhaps, annoying, yes. But a good person. Hopefully someone truly suited to himself. His head started to spin with all the plans and hopes he had for spending time with his soulmate in the future, all those thoughts that he thought he had buried years ago.

Jin was jolted out of his soulmate-induced reverie by Namjoon walking through the living room to the bathroom, accidentally kicking the table on his way through and cursing under his breath. He looked at the clock - he hadn’t realized it had gotten so late. And as excited as he was, he was also exhausted.

‘Fine, don’t talk to me. I’m going to bed.’ Jin wrote in tiny script along his right wrist. Then, below it, he wrote a little, ‘Goodnight~’ and went to get ready for bed. As he crawled between the covers, in the light of his phone he saw that a little heart had been added to his goodnight wishes. He smiled, and he fell asleep while staring his colorful marked skin.

~~

Jin’s soulmate continued to be as evasive as physically possible. He never got any answers, no matter how much he nagged - not a name, age, , location, or much of anything, really. But despite this, he continued to enjoy what they had to the fullest. He would wake up and start a daily search for a little drawing-gift from his other half. Sometimes it was a goofy doodle on his elbow, or a cartoon character just above his knee, or just nonsensical lines on his ankles. It was like playing hide and seek on his own body. His soulmate usually didn’t pick obvious places like his face or hands, luckily, and the more easily hidden the place, the more intimate the wordless message felt. The day he found a little music note low on his hip, he had felt so flustered he had flushed with embarrassment the entire day. It was strange. It wasn’t like his soulmate had drawn anything risque or secretive, but just the fact that they had chosen that spot on their body, had drawn it knowing Jin would find it, made his face feel so hot he wanted to scream in happy frustration.

There was no special reason why he kept the soulmate connection a secret to himself those first few days. Perhaps it was because he sensed somehow the private nature of his soulmate, or because he was afraid if he told someone they wouldn’t quite understand why Jin didn’t push anymore for information on how to find his soulmate. Either way, he managed to keep it to himself, wearing long sleeves and hiding in the bathroom to write back with a collection of multi-colored markers he’d bought especially to communicate. His soulmate made him drawings, and he left little notes about his day.

‘Exam for COM 401 Thursday.’ he wrote, and his soulmate replied with a small dog drawing. He smiled, pulling his sleeve up over the markings. His soulmate’s drawings were getting more and more frequent, and he somehow felt their affection whenever the doodles got smudged away until they vanished, a sign that his soulmate was scrubbing at his arms to make room for new marks.

“What’s got you so happy?” Yoongi asked over his steaming bowl of spicy ramen. They were early for their night of drinks with ‘the gang,’ as Taehyung called them now, sitting in a little secluded alcove at a low table. The din of clattering plates and voices was slightly dimmed by the thin wall separating them from the main part of the restaurant. Since him and Yoongi were the strongest drinkers, they’d gone ahead and ordered a ‘pre-game round’ of soju. Jin was sipping at his quietly, trying to resist the temptation to sneak a peek and check if he had any new ‘messages.’

“Nothing,” Jin smirked, placing his chin in his sweater-covered hands. “Oh, did I tell you the funny thing we found out about Namjoon?”

“No?”

“It turns out that he and his soulmate,” Jin giggled, “Of all things, have a shared pain-type bond.”

Yoongi just arched an eyebrow, his expression stiffening like it always did when the topic of soulmates came up.

“But wait, here’s the funny part: his stomachaches? Not indigestion after all. He’s been getting her period cramps.”

After a moment of letting that sink in, Yoongi’s signature gummy smile appeared, and his shoulders shook with laughter. “Serves him right. Namjoon is so clumsy she’s probably been tortured by him way worse.”

Jin laughed, “Yeah. Mom was the one who noticed first, since he gets them around the same time every month. I wonder what will happen if they have a baby? But they have epidurals or whatever for that, right?”

Yoongi let out a slow whistle, cringing. “That’s not how epidurals work. They’d still both be in a hell of a lot of pain.” He took a sip of soju before he realized Jin was arching an eyebrow in his direction. “What?”

“Since when do you know anything about childbirth? Personal experience?” His last words were full of mockery, and Yoongi smacked him on the back of the head.

“Shut the up,” he muttered, with no real malice in his voice. “I just read a lot of random articles on the internet. I’m a fountain of knowledge and you should appreciate me.”

“Okay,” Jin chuckled, and they both took another shot of soju. His phone vibrated with a text from Taehyung that they were on their way, and Jin bent over his screen to send a reply. They were walking from across campus, having picked up Jimin from work, and hopefully wouldn’t get too distracted on the way.

Although he didn’t know what it meant, he noticed Yoongi was looking at him kind of strangely out of the corner of his eye while he texted. The boy took another drink of soju, then gave a weird little cough.

“So,” Yoongi started slowly, his tone a too-obvious attempt at sounding casual. When Jin glanced up, Yoongi was staring at a framed photo on the opposite wall, of some political figure neither of them recognized. “Speaking of soulmates.. What are you gonna do if you never find yours?”

“Huh?” Jin felt his heart-rate increase rapidly. It wasn’t like Yoongi to talk about soulmates - it was a topic they both had tended to avoid whenever possible in the past. Had he noticed Jin’s marked arms? Was he calling him out on the secret?

“I was just thinking, you know... hypothetically. If we never find our soulmates. We could always, you know, just hang out. Like this.” Yoongi shrugged, taking another drink. “I’m okay with this.”

Jin tilted his head to the side, a little smile playing at his lips, a complicated series of emotions shooting through him. Amusement, at Yoongi’s obvious awkwardness at broaching a tender subject for them both. Happiness, at the not-so-obvious compliment to himself, showing that Yoongi really was comfortable with Jin. Guilt, that he hadn’t told Yoongi about hearing from his soulmate at last. “Yoongi, are you asking me out?”

“No, you blithering idiot,” Yoongi snarled, dark eyes flickering at him and practically ablaze, even as Yoongi’s pale cheeks started to redden with embarrassment. “Who would want to date your weird-? You’re like a neurotic squirrel, with your nagging.”

He was laughing at Yoongi’s embarrassment now, patting the younger on the shoulder as Yoongi continued to grumble under his breath. Inwardly, a part of him cringed, though - he wanted to pull back his sleeve right then and share his news with Yoongi. He wanted to return the compliment of being Yoongi’s first choice by choosing Yoongi as the first person to know. He also wanted to tell Yoongi that there was hope for him, too, because look, see, I found my soulmate after all this time of thinking they must be dead! But at the moment, that felt like rejecting Yoongi’s offer flat out, and as if Jin would be boasting in front of Yoongi, who still hadn’t found a sign of a soulmate. I'll just have to keep it to myself a little while longer...

~~~

Jungkook was nervous.

No, Jungkook was quite possibly having an anxiety attack. He had found his soulmate after just a few months of waiting; and now, just about a week after their first contact, he had the chance to meet him.

A him. His soulmate was a guy, which kind of surprised him. He had recognized the name instantly once his soulmate had written it onto his arm. Honestly, before that he had thought his soulmate was a girl, due to the hearts and the handwriting and the cute whininess.

But the name that appeared had been Kim Seokjin, his older brother’s friend, by coincidence. Jungkook started listening in on Jimin’s phone conversations with his boyfriend whenever Jin’s name came up, and he pieced together that he was probably a senior, took care of his friends, and was awkward. He also was apparently known for being quite the foodie and having a somewhat creepy obsession with Mario.

Jungkook didn’t know what to think. When Jin wrote to him notes and questions, he wanted nothing more than to reply back, but he never knew what to say. What was he afraid of? Rejection? Falling short of the expectations his soulmate inevitably had of him? Or perhaps, he was just scared of facing a real, whole complicated person on the other end of the upbeat daily messages.

The more he mulled on it, the worse he felt. So on a whim, when Jimin mentioned going to a party with the others that night, Jungkook asked if he could go, too.

“What?” Jimin arched an eyebrow. Jungkook shifted uncomfortably. Sure, his older brother was quite the social butterfly at times, but Jungkook was the textbook definition of a socially awkward introvert. He definitely didn’t make it his habit to go out during free evenings, much less with Jimin’s friends. “Why?”

“I dunno, I just feel like going. I promise I won’t be a bother.”

Jimin’s face hardened. “Why?”

“I don’t have a reason, I just-- Ah! No! Jimin!” Jungkook cried out as his older brother caught him in a headlock, pumping his arm muscles until they thwacked against Jungkook’s head, jolting him in his little Jimin-shaped prison as he tried to wriggle away.

“Tell your hyung why! I know you’ve got a reason!”

“Let me go!”

“WHY!?”

“NO!”

But much to Jungkook’s eternal chagrin, during their very unfair wrestling match Jungkook’s hoodie sleeve got bunched up, and the bright pink markings across his forearm with the words KIM SEOKJIN ♥ in curved script that had been left for him that morning were impossible for Jimin to miss. He froze, his mouth gaping open as Jungkook felt his face heat up. Taking advantage of his shock, Jungkook jerked his way free and pulled the sleeves of his hoodie back down, pouting.

“It’s my soulmate..” he mumbled, not daring to look at his brother.

“Your soulmate is Kim Seokjin?!” Jimin gasped, finally getting his words back. “Holy ! He’s going to flip!”

“You can’t tell him!” Jungkook snapped, fear flickering through his eyes. “A-At least not yet… I don’t know if I’m ready to tell him.”

“Why the hell not?! Why wouldn’t you want to meet your soulmate as soon as possible?”

Jungkook slumped. There was no way to explain in a way Jimin could understand. He tried. He rambled on nonsensically for ages, but it was something that a guy who already met and instantly clicked with his soulmate, who was high on the honeymoon period, couldn’t understand. Luckily, in the end he still promised not to tell Jin.

“But that’s why you wanna go tonight? To see him?” Jimin smirked, nudging his brother in the shoulder with his elbow. “You wanna see what he’s like, huh?”

Jungkook pouted, but refused to answer, burying himself deeper in the folds of his huge black hoodie.

It felt like it took them years to get to the restaurant - partially because they had to wait for Jimin’s shift at Starbucks to end, but mostly because they had Taehyung with them, and it seemed impossible for the boy to walk ten feet on campus without bumping into someone he knew who wanted to say hello. It only got worse when they met up with Hoseok, who was even more popular, if that was possible. Jungkook sniffled, his hands shoved in his pockets as they finally ducked inside the little restaurant, the ahjussi who owned it calling out a little crackly greeting, the smell of broth and the sound of sizzling meat rising to meet them.

Jimin called out, looking around for the two older boys. After a moment, a beanie-covered head poked around the corner, and a gruff voice that didn’t match the doll-like face called them over.

“That’s Yoongi,” Jimin introduced as they clambered into the little alcove, gesturing to the gruff-voiced boy. “And that’s Seokjin. Guys, this is my little brother, Jungkook.”

The two men seated were practically opposites, in Jungkook’s opinion. One was dressed in dark colors, his grey hair peeking out from under his beanie, small of stature and cool of attitude, a frown on his face as he sat hunched in the corner. The other was dressed in a bright pink sweater with the words ‘SUCCESS BUILD!’ in bright white block text, his plump face accented by thick eyebrows and full lips. Jungkook didn’t even need to ask to know which was his soulmate. There was only one man in the room that suited the childish messages that Jungkook had been reading for the whole week. He knew by his slightly androgynous fashion sense, by the awkwardness of his fingers, by the gleam of his unbridled amusement as he smiled.

Seokjin leaned forward and said something to Yoongi, making the latter laugh, his shoulders shaking more considerably than any sound actually emitted. Jungkook froze as he was hit by multiple emotions at once, heavy like a wave crashing into him without warning.

First, the sight of Jin made his heart full on stop. He hadn’t expected that, in all honesty. He had expected a kind of plain looking nerd, better suited to how he felt his own looks were. Why had fate given him an attractive soulmate? How unfair. Then, Seokjin laughed, and Jungkook’s eyes widened. It was one of the silliest laughs he had ever heard, like some sort of squeak that had popped out from between Jin’s lips. Jungkook loved his laugh within an instant.

The second wave of emotion was jealousy. Premature, perhaps, but there was definitely a tenderness between the two seated, and Jungkook found himself wanting answers. Jin’s hand fell on Yoongi’s, and he saw Yoongi glance down to look, a purposeful awareness there that made him want to push that hand away before two seconds had passed since he’d entered.

Jin finally looked up their way, his eyes settling on Jungkook. It was a feeling like dumping a bucket of ice water over his head. “It’s nice to meet you, Jungkook! Sit down wherever.” His voice was not as soft as Jungkook had imagined it. He sent Jungkook a friendly smile as he sat down next to Jimin, who was already curling up next to Tae on his other side. Jin rolled his eyes at the couple, turning to offer Hoseok some soju, which he eagerly accepted. Clockwise around the table it was himself, Jimin, Taehyung, Suga, Seokjin and Hoseok. Sitting across and diagonal as he was, he was in the perfect spot to watch Seokjin without being too obvious, and too far for them to properly converse.

He took advantage of the time to sip at his soda and observe quietly while the others ordered several rounds of drinks in succession. Jimin hadn’t been exaggerating when he said Jin was kind of childish, but also the group’s nagging mother figure at the same time. He was obviously holding his liquor a lot better than some of the others (notably Taehyung), but he was one of the loudest laughs and the first to ask for another. The party got loud, and Jungkook was getting smacked affectionately on the shoulder from both sides, leaving him to shake his head at their increased shenanigans. They just got more boisterous as the night deepened, and Jungkook amused himself by watching Hoseok slowly unravel. It reached a high point when Hoseok stood up on shaky legs, leaning on the table for support as he started to sing. Badly. Jungkook didn’t recognize the song, but apparently the hyungs did, and Jin clapped his hands and giggled like some demented seal in response. Even Yoongi, now much more bright and looking considerably less like someone you’d find in a dark alley, let out a gruff-sounding noise(which Jungkook took to meant approval), stood up and surprised them all by joining in on the singing in his own crackled cries. He sounded like he’d been smoking for forty years, but he seemed to be enjoying it, so the others clapped in time and encouraged the two in their little off-key but hearty duet. The two of them gave exaggerated hand gestures, singing (or in Jungkook’s humble opinion, screeching and shouting) at each other. The others were practically falling out of their seats in laughter, especially poor Jimin, who could barely breathe.

When they finally stopped, Jimin looked over at Taehyung and a concerned look crept across his face. “Woah, Tae, are you alright?” The others glanced over as Tae was shaking his head, his hands to his lips and his skin the palest Jungkook had ever seen it. He definitely looked ready to hurl at any moment.

“Wow, okay, I’m gonna take Tae outside for a minute for some fresh air. We’ll be right back.” The two of them stumbled out of the entrance, giggles erupting up in their wake. Taehyung really couldn’t drink very well.

Not that Hoseok was much better. He was sitting there, leaning heavily on the table, his eyes glassed over and the last of his inhibitions floating away as he turned to the grey-haired boy. “Min Yoongi, you owe me an apology!”

“For what?” Yoongi arched an eyebrow in confusion, nursing what he had claimed would be his last beer of the evening. Jungkook was certain that Yoongi was still pretty aware of himself at this point. Although he had drunk enough to relax, he was nowhere near as drunk as the dancer.

“You know what for, don’t play dumb!” Hoseok’s whiny drawl was almost musical, almost painful as he drew out each syllable for dramatic effect. His voice was warm with an edge to it, and he tilted his head to the side and blinked lazily up at the boy he was accusing. He shut his eyes and cried out, “Min Yoongi, I’m gonna sue you for ruining my life!”

Although the outward reaction was a nonchalant sounding chuckle from Yoongi, Jungkook could see from the look in his eyes that he had suddenly gotten very, very discomfited. “You’re so drunk. You don’t even know what you’re saying.”

“And you don’t even know what you’re missing. I’d be the best damn loving soulmate you never had!” Hoseok slurred. Yoongi blanched, looking down at the table, his lips pursed into two tight lines.

“Hoseok…” Jin reached out and touched the plastered boy on the shoulder, his voice gentle.

“I...I don’t have a soulmate, Hoseok.”

“Now you’re just a moron. I’m your soulmate.” Hoseok sounded less amused and more irritated by the second. The atmosphere at the table was suddenly tense, pulled taut like an arrow notched into a bow and drawn back, ready to be released. Yoongi glared across the table at the boy, and Jungkook could have sworn he saw flames flickering across his eyes.

“Hoseok…” Yoongi said carefully, his voice quivering a little. “Don’t with me.”

“I’m not! I can prove it!” With that, Hoseok stood up, grabbing Yoongi’s hand and dragging him off into the tiny restroom off to the side. Jungkook glanced over, meeting Jin’s concerned look with his own gaze, and then quickly flickered away.

“Well--” Jin began, and was suddenly cut off by a very Yoongi-sounding cry from the bathroom, followed by a curse.

“What the actual ?!”

Then a moment of silence. After a pregnant pause, both boys came out of the restroom, and without a word, left the restaurant, Hoseok still gripping onto the wrists of an incredulous looking Yoongi. Hoseok was beaming, looking very satisfied with himself, and both of their faces looked flushed. They didn’t even glance over their shoulder at the abandoned table.

The table, Jungkook realized with horror, now only contained him and the one person he hadn’t wanted to be left alone with yet.

When Jungkook chanced to look up again, he saw Jin staring in his direction with drunken-laced eyes, his face looking warm and pink and the smile on his face blissfully ignorant of how panicked he was making Jeon Jungkook.

“Well, that was awkward,” Jin chuckled awkwardly. “I don’t think they’re coming back.”

Jungkook just nodded, unable to find anything vaguely resembling a reply. At the lost look on his face, Jin let out that adorable laugh, sighing softly as his eyes grew distant. “You remind me of my soulmate. They’re shy, too.” Jin blinked, long and hard, as though barely maintaining consciousness, and then he frowned at his own words. “Oh. I didn’t mean to tell you that. I’m sorry. Can you forget what I just said? Please?”

Jungkook stared at him for a long moment, and then just gave a little nod. Seokjin hadn’t told anyone else about him yet, it seemed. Somehow, he felt like that said a lot about who Jin was. And it made Jungkook feel grateful.

“You look so nervous. Am I annoying?”

The boy his lips, glancing away before mumbling, “...No.”

“Ah, so you can speak,” Jin chuckled. He reached out and patted Jungkook’s head. It was a simple sort of gesture, one that he had probably done dozens of times before to the other kids like Jimin, but the instant the two of them made physical contact, Jungkook felt a shudder run through his body unlike any he had felt before. There was a feeling like being electrocuted gently, giving him goosebumps and awakening him with a renewed sense of energy running through his body. He opened his eyes, not realizing he had scrunched them shut in the first place, and looked up into Seokjin’s face. The fleeting, brief moment of hoping that he was the only one who had felt that vanished instantly when he registered the look Jin was sending him. The elder was staring down at him, his lips slightly parted in surprise.

Well, .

Jungkook chose that moment to jump up and bolt. He scrabbled for the support of the walls as he raced for the exit. He heard the clatter of dishes and something hard hitting the ground, he heard Jin calling out after him, telling him to wait, but his voice sounded muffled in the panic as his chest mimicked a drum solo in his moment of panic. The cold air was painful against his throat as he ran down the street.