Bulletproof Designs is as colorful as it was the first time Minseok entered, sick and sad and angry at his soulmate, but this time is different. Minseok isn’t sick anymore, or sad. His soulmate is beside him, staring at the tattoo designs on the walls. The air smells like peanut butter cookies.

Namjoon ambles up with a plate. “They’re fresh from the oven. Reese’s chocolate chip, Jin’s favorite. You guys want one?”

Chanyeol shakes his head, but Minseok takes one, remembering regretting his choice to just drink water that first time. It’s delicious. The chocolate melts in his mouth.

“Namjoon,” someone groans, “you gotta stop offering people cookies. This is a tattoo parlor, not a bakery. We have a health code to uphold.” Jungkook pokes his head around his partition, clearly the one who’d just spoken. He grins when he notices Minseok. “Hey man, didn’t think we’d see you again. Totally surprised me to see your name on the schedule. Gimme a sec and I’ll be right out. I’m just setting up.”

“Yeah sure,” Namjoon shoots back, eyes crinkling with mirth, “like you weren’t ing around on your phone back there. I know you Jeon, remember? At least I acknowledged out customers.”

Jungkook laughs and comes to join them. He snakes his hand up Namjoon’s back, fingers coming to rest against the beautifully calligraphed “k” of Jeon Jungkook on Namjoon’s neck. On his own neck, Namjoon’s name is surrounded by hundreds of tiny tattooed sunflowers.

“Sure you acknowledged them. Now acknowledge the health code. No cookies near the needles, hmm?” Jungkook focuses his attention back on Minseok. “Anyway, what can I do for you today? And who’s this tall guy next to you? He’s clearly not the tall guy from last time. Do you just switch them out? Put them on a rotating schedule?”

It’s clearly a joke, but Minseok feels Chanyeol shift at his side. He reaches out, catching Chanyeol’s hand in his and squeezing. “This is Chanyeol,” Minseok smiles. “He’s my soulmate. I’m here to get his name tattooed.”

Jungkook pauses, confusion flickering across his features. Namjoon returns in the silence, having disappeared in the back to put away the cookies. Jungkook coughs. “Correct me if I’m wrong,” he says, “but is this the soulmate that rejected you and then you almost died?” Chanyeol stiffens at his side, and Minseok squeezes his hand again, willing him to relax.

“That’s him,” Minseok replies. “But he’s very sorry, and we’ve worked it out now. Besides. I’m in love with him, and I’d very much like his name to be on my skin again.”

“I am,” Chanyeol echoes. “Rejecting him was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, and I’m still amazed that he’s willing to give me the time of day. I’ll never hurt him again.”

Namjoon tuts at that, a soft smile on his face. “You’ll hurt him,” he admonishes. “Hell, the people we hurt most are the people who love us. What matters is that you’ll own up to it when it happens and break your back to make it better.” He schools his face into an over-exaggerated judgmental frown. “Though I have to admit, that you pulled, rejecting him? Not cool. If you weren’t obviously reformed, I’d punch you.”

“Simmer Joon,” Jungkook admonishes, placing a calming hand on his elbow. “I’m sure he’s sorry.” Jungkook nails Chanyeol with a chilling glare. “If he wasn’t, we’d kill him.”

Chanyeol grows even more rigid, turning to all but ice against Minseok. The room sits in uneasy silence. And then Jungkook laughs, loud and long, joined quickly by Namjoon.

“Sorry man, I’m just ing with you. You should have seen your face.” He grins, gesturing for them to follow him. “Come one back. I’m all set up for you guys. We’ll get his name back on your skin, promise.”

----

woot woot epilogue!!!! because you know I wasn't about to leave that blackout tattoo there forever. 

Also I lied a little in my afterword last chapter. There is a sequel in the works (and when I say that I mean that I have the stories outlined, but that's it) except actually there's two sequels in the works, and I can't write them at the same time, so let me know what you'd rather read in the poll below (i hope it works but if it doesn't load or you can't find it shoot me a message and I'll fix it)! Once it's decided, it'll be announced in a new chapter, just like this story was in Strings Attached ^^

Option A: Strings Tangled

Sehun/Luhan, who you may remember from Strings Attached. Luhan knows who his soulmate is, and he loves him, but Sehun's never heard Luhan's full name, and he's still in love with someone else. Can they ever get together?

Option B: Strings Tied

Yifan(aka the best bro)/Tao, Yifan is tired of constantly dealing with his friends' soulmate drama, yet never having any of his own. Untill he starts talking to Tao, a facinating man who lives in China, who seems to hate everything that soulmates represent. But what happens when Yifan realizes that Tao, a member of the blackout movement, is his soulmate?