Taeyong still remembers the first day he heard Si Cheng’s voice. It was raining yet again, and the smell of wet pavement was assaulting his senses. Wavering droplets hung from the banisters of shops, while beads of rain formed intricate patterns against the chilled glass. Gloved fingers curled against porcelain glasses filled with steaming coffee and hot chocolate in an attempt to spread warmth through cold blood. But it wasn't a warm liquid that ignited a fire in his veins, it was that voice. That adorable, soft voice echoing in the depths of his brain.

‘Aiyoo! That hurt.’ A quiet voice whined.

Taeyong scoured the inhabitants of the coffee shop and the sidewalks for anyone that might've spoken, but he found none. Then he heard it again: a string of words in what he suspected was Chinese. The sound came out like a whisper in the back of his mind, and he realized that it wasn’t coming from anyone around him. It was the voice of his soulmate; the one he had lost the hope of ever hearing.

Taeyong glanced out at the pools of water swirling in the street with a new found wonder of when they were to meet.

ʕ⁎̯͡⁎ʔ༄

Since that day, Taeyong has discovered that he can respond to the thoughts of the boy at the other end, and if they're both asleep they can use images. Funny enough, his soulmate dreams about ice cream a lot despite how cold the weather has been. It's adorable, just like him.

Though it's been hard for them to communicate with different languages, he’s managed to learn that his soulmate’s name is Si Cheng and that he's a traditional dancer from China. He's probably also the cutest person to have ever lived; all squishable cheeks and small hands that would mould perfectly with his own.

It was at the moment that Taeyong saw his angel for the first time in his dreams that he decided to learn Chinese...for business purposes only...he swears it. And although the feat of meeting in person is eons away, it's nice to be able to daydream about Si Cheng in a way that the other will understand.

ʕ⁎̯͡⁎ʔ༄

‘Stop thinking about me. It's distracting.’ Si Cheng scolds Taeyong one fall day.

Taeyong chuckles aloud, earning a few odd stares from the people around him. He clears his throat upon noticing and goes back to pretend reading; he’s truly searching for a semi-decent response in Chinese, but he’s pretty shabby. ‘I love thought of you.’

‘Think about me later. I'm taking a test right now.’

‘What is test on?’ Since he’s in a library, maybe he can help him ace it.

‘I know what you're thinking, and no, I will not cheat. Please quiet down for an hour.’ Si Cheng pleads.

‘As you wish.’ Taeyong quiets down after that.

A light blush spreads across Si Cheng’s cheeks, pencil tapping lightly against his paper. Taeyong is so sweet...and handsome.

Si Cheng sighs dreamily, face slipping into the palm of his hand. ‘Ah I'm so lucky.’

‘I feel same way.’

Si Cheng snaps back into reality, blinking at his surroundings and back down at his paper. ‘Test. Test. Right….Root 18. Root 18 is...dammit, I forgot how to do these…’

‘3 root 3.’ Taeyong supplies.

Si Cheng glances around the room of test takers nervously, as if someone else could tell that Taeyong was talking to him. He bites his lip and circles the answer. ‘I told you I wasn't going to cheat….but thanks…’

‘Breathe, focus. I help you.’

‘I kind of wish you hadn't learned Chinese. It's kind of a nightmare. You're bad at listening.’

‘I very good. I help.’

Si Cheng snorts out loud at the broken Chinese, soft chuckles tumbling into his curled fist. The student next to him elbows his side, glaring at his inappropriate antics. In response, Si Cheng purses his lips and nods as an apology.

‘Root 72?’

ʕ⁎̯͡⁎ʔ༄

At night the boys like to lay in bed with their eyes shut tight, one hand open to their side as they imagine laying side by side. Behind their closed eyes are the sweetest images of love; hands intertwined, gazes (maybe even their lips) locked in something more tender than a mother’s love for her child. Sometimes there’s even a sweet melody they can imagine waltzing to, so that when they meet they'll have already perfected their dance and memorized the way their bodies curve into each other.

It’s by the shimmer of the stars and lucid moonlight that Taeyong learns how shy Si Cheng truly is. In their dreams, he’s always averting his gaze and curling in on himself like a cute little hamster, and he loves every second of it. Taeyong can’t help but splay his fingers in the other’s fluffy mop of brown hair because it’s the only way he can get him to look up, and boy does he have the most beautiful eyes.

He has to meet him. Now. Right now or else his heart may fly out of his chest, conquer land and sea in order to beat in time with his, and humanly that’s not possible...but it seems that the intensity of his love for Si Cheng may not be human either. And he’s okay with that.

ʕ⁎̯͡⁎ʔ༄

Si Cheng flips through brochures, thoughts flitting from one random place to the next to mask his true intentions. He has to keep this a secret from Taeyong, otherwise it will set his plan ablaze and ruin the magical moment he’s been stewing over for days.

He sighs, placing the brochure back onto the counter. ‘It’s going to be perfect…’

‘What’s going to be perfect?’

Si Cheng whips his head behind him, the voice sounding utterly perspicuous as it rattles within him. His sharp sweep of the area yields no results, which mean it could only be one person. ‘Taeyong-ah...your Chinese...it sounds perfect. How did you…?’ The question hangs suspended in the air with the breath that has frozen in his surprise.

‘I’ve been practicing. I don’t want you to have a hard time because of me.’

‘Are you kidding me?’ Si Cheng covers his mouth and leans into the counter, honestly touched by the level of effort he’s put in.

‘No. I’m the only one in your head, so how could I trick you?’

He rolls his eyes. ‘You’re kind of an idiot, but like, a cute idiot you know?’

‘If we were texting, you’d definitely get the frowny face emoji right now. I’m hurt.’

‘I like it…’

‘You like what? That I’m sad.’

‘No.’ Light pink dusts his cheeks, and he’s suddenly glad that Taeyong can’t actually see him right now. ‘I like that you’re an idiot...my idiot.’

There’s a pause in the conversation before Taeyong replies. ‘I’m going to kiss you in my dreams tonight.

...and yes I will get to see you blush. I can’t wait.’

If one could explode from blushing too hard, that person would be Si Cheng. He’s completely and utterly hopeless for Taeyong, which doesn’t bother him one bit, surprisingly.

ʕ⁎̯͡⁎ʔ༄

Si Cheng will never forget the look of shock on Taeyong’s face when he shows up on his doorstep late Christmas Eve, the snow tangling with his hair as the frosty air taints his cheeks and the tip of his nose a delightful rosy color. He sniffles, blinking away the snowflakes resting on his lashes before he braves looking into his eyes that sparkle with disbelief.

“I brought you your—” Taeyong buries Si Cheng in a fervid hug, lips crashing on his as if he’s afraid that they’ll suddenly disappear and he’ll be left all alone again. Si Cheng curls his fingers around the fuzzy material splayed across Taeyong’s chest, drawing him ever closer, and though it’s the cheesiest thing in the world, he feels like home. Their noses brush together lovingly, Si Cheng’s hands moving to the nape of Taeyong’s neck as he breaks the kiss to breathlessly finish his sentence, “—your present.”

Taeyong chuckles breathily, moving to press their foreheads together. “You speak Korean.”

“Ne~ You never bothered to ask what my major was.” Si Cheng’s eyes dance playfully, a smile tugging at his lips.

“You little devil.” Si Cheng doesn’t believe it, but Taeyong’s eyes actually crinkle as he says this and it’s the most breathtaking thing he’s ever experienced...and he’ll be the only one to see it this close.

Taeyong moves to whisper in his ear. “You know, I feel cheated, but I’m still going to say this anyway…” his lips brush against the skin, “Wo Ai Ni.”

So Si Cheng reaches up and whispers back, “Saranghae.”