Just before lunch Monday morning, the feeling of arms wrapping around his waist alerted Taeil to the presence of his favorite person. 

"Johnny!" Taeil said excitedly, turning around to kiss his soulmate. They hadn't seen each other all weekend, and it felt like a relief to finally be with his boyfriend again. 

"Hey babe," Johnny responded, a smile on his lips as he held Taeil's tiny frame. 

"Are you gonna sit with my friends today at lunch?" 

Johnny shook his head. "I mean, I could, but I was thinking we'd take an...off campus lunch," he responded. 

Taeil tilted his head. "But we're not allowed to leave school at all during the day."

"It's just lunch," Johnny answered with a shrug. Taeil thought over it for a moment before nodding. 

"Alright. Let's go." Johnny grinned slowly, taking Taeil's hand and tugging him into the parking lot. Johnny hopped into the car and Taeil followed, head darting around nervously in search of security guards. But none of them showed up, and Johnny pulled out of the parking lot without a problem. 

"Oh my god I've just left school!" Taeil said in surprise. Johnny drove quickly down the highway, chuckling at Taeil. 

"It's literally just lunch. We aren't even missing any real classes," Johnny said. 

"I've never done this kind of thing before!" Taeil protested at Johnny's teasing. 

"Have you never skipped class before?" He asked.

Taeil blushed and shook his head, and Johnny smiled. "That's cute, somehow." Johnny spoke. "You're so good about school stuff." 

"Yeah, but it gets boring after a while," Taeil admitted. "That's why I agreed to come with you today. I mean, I'm a senior and I've never skipped before." 

"Understandable," Johnny responded just as they pulled into the parking lot of the nearby strip mall. "What do you want to get?" 

"Starbucks. I need a frappuccino," Taeil firmly responded.

"Starbucks it is then," Johnny spoke, the pair hopping out of the car and into the store. 

The pair ordered a bunch of drinks, enough for Johnny, Taeil, and Taeil's friends (they'd made him get drinks for them after he abandoned them at lunch without warning). They got back into the car, putting the drinks into the cupholders and relaxing into the chairs. 

"It's super early. We don't have to go back for quite a while," Johnny said. 

"What should we do?" Taeil asked. Johnny turned to Taeil, a smirk growing on his face. 

"Something I've been wanting to do all weekend," Johnny answered, his voice lower and more gruff. 

Taeil blushed slightly as Johnny leaned into closer, pressing their lips together. Taeil reached to hold onto Johnny's broad shoulders, sensing a change in the way Johnny was kissing. It wasn't a light peck, no, this was deep, it had passion. Taeil had never been kissed this way, and he wasn't quite sure how to feel. 

Johnny gripped onto the sides of Taeil's waist, Taeil reaching over the cups to kiss him. 

"Can you come over to my side of the car?" Johnny asked against Taeil's lips. Taeil looked confused but he nodded, getting out of his side and going to the drivers seat. Suddenly, Johnny lifted him up and put him on his lap, shutting his door loudly. 

"Didn't want to knock over our drinks," Johnny mumbled. Taeil stared back wide eyed, surprised by Johnny's outright... (that was the only word Taeil could use to describe his boyfriend at that moment). But when Johnny kissed him again, those huge hands of his running up and down his back, Taeil found himself enjoying it. 

Johnny's tongue at Taeil's bottom lip. Unsure of what to do, Taeil opened his mouth, and Johnny's tongue slipped inside. It rubbed against his own and damn it felt good, frenching for the very first time, in a public parking lot no less, and enjoying every moment of it. 

Subconsciously, Taeil rolled his hips, and Johnny made the deepest, most delicious noise into Taeil's mouth. Taeil pulled away, surprised that he could even elicit that sort of reaction from his boyfriend. He always thought he was a terrible kisser. 

Johnny didn't seem fazed when Taeil pulled away, immediately latching his lips onto Taeil's neck. He lightly, soon turning Taeil into a mewling mess on his lap, circling his hips less subconsciously now. Taeil didn't think he'd ever felt this good, his hands gripping Johnny's buff arms. 

The couple finally pulled away from each other, panting hard, hands all over. 

"," Johnny mumbled under his breath. Taeil looked at him curiously before turning around himself. 

"!" He cried. The clock read 1:35; they were twenty minutes late for class. 

" ," Taeil groaned, racing back to his own car seat as Johnny pulled out of the parking lot and drove back to school. "I can't believe it, my first time skipping and it ends in disaster," he whined, looking at the cup holders. "And our drinks have melted!" 

"It'll be fine, babe. You've never been late before. Say you got an important phone call," Johnny responded. Taeil frowned and continued to fidget nervously in the seat. 

Johnny pulled back into the school's parking lot, parking the car. Taeil leapt to get out but Johnny held him back, kissing his forehead gently. 

"Don't worry, baby. It's going to be totally fine. Anyways, it was totally worth," Johnny spoke in his gentlest voice. Taeil visibly relaxed, interlacing his fingers with Johnny's. 

"You're right. It'll be fine. And it was totally worth it." Taeil and Johnny shared a smile, getting out of the car together. They began to walk back to class, holding hands, but when Johnny turned to Taeil he immediately looked guilty. 

"What?" Taeil asked. 

"Check your neck," Johnny sheepishly responded. Taeil pulled out his phone and opened the front facing camera, tilting his head before whining loudly. 

"Johnny!" Taeil cried, covering the gigantic hickies on his neck with his hand. Johnny giggled back. 

"Sorry," he spoke, but he didn't sound sorry at all. 

"Making me late for class, and ruining my excuse as to why on top of it... you owe me one mister!" Taeil said. Johnny just laughed, the couple sharing a smile before they walked back to their classrooms. 

~~~~~~~~~~

"I haven't been here since like...freshman year," Doyoung admitted with a small chuckle. He and Jaehyun were seated at a booth in Granite Run diner, grabbing dinner together after student council. They each ordered milkshakes and burgers, sipping their shakes as they waited for their food. 

"Well I haven't been here since eighth grade," Jaehyun responded. "It hasn't changed though." 

"Of course it hasn't," Doyoung responded. Looking around, he noticed most of the other customers were also soulmate couples from their high school, just like him and Jaehyun. "I wonder if business is better or worse since the whole soulmate thing?" 

"Hmm.... well, people are only going on dates with one person now, rather than first dates with many people. But more people are dating. So I'm guessing that business is great," Jaehyun theorized. 

"Smarty-pants," Doyoung teased. 

Jaehyun laughed. "Nah, that's you." 

Doyoung smiled and they fell silent, taking in their drinks and just thinking. 

"This is nice," Doyoung said simply, and Jaehyun gave him a smile. 

"For sure," he responded. "Honestly, everything is more exciting with you around." 

"Even student council?" Doyoung asked. 

"Especially student council," Jaehyun responded. "You know, I only joined in the first place so I could get closer to you and spend more time with you. I've always enjoyed it though, because you've been there." 

Doyoung blushed. He was flattered by Jaehyun's compliment, but he was moreso thinking of how much he used to despise Jaehyun's presence in student council, when all Jaehyun wanted was to be close to him. 

Doyoung chuckled and sighed. "I'll admit, I really have no idea why you're so sweet to me. I'm way too competitive, and I know I can sometimes be kind of an ." 

"It's because I love you. I've loved you since pre-k and I still do," Jaehyun responded casually. 

Doyoung almost choked up his drink. Yes, he'd heard Jaehyun say those three words before, but it never failed to surprise him how easily the words left his lips. It didn't seem like such a big deal to Jaehyun, but Doyoung was sure he truly meant it, and that scared Doyoung even more. 

"L-love is a big word, you know," Doyoung stammered, trying to come up with any response to what Jaehyun had just said. 

"I know," Jaehyun responded. "And I mean it." 

Doyoung was even more dumbstruck now, but luckily, the waiter came and gave them their food. Doyoung breathed a sigh of relief; now he had a moment to figure out a proper response. 

Jaehyun picked up his burger and took a bite, at the taste. "So good," he groaned. "I remember why everyone comes here." 

"Yeah, it is good," Doyoung responded as he ate he own burger, but he was too distracted to really talk more. 

Jaehyun began to talk about some choir related thing, and Doyoung was relieved. He wasn't quite capable of forming real sentences at that point. He was still shocked by Jaehyun's confession. He had heard Jaehyun say those words before, but he was only sure of their sincerity now. It gave Doyoung a lot to think about, really. 

Where exactly did his feelings for Jaehyun lie? He definitely liked him a whole lot. Just seeing him or hearing his voice brightened Doyoung's whole day, and at this point Doyoung was sure it wasn't just the soulmate hormones. Jaehyun made him smile, made him laugh, was kind and loving beyond belief. His heart yearned for Jaehyun when they were apart, even just for a little while. 

Maybe he did love Jaehyun too. 

Doyoung sighed. Even just saying the words in his head, he knew it was true. He'd never felt like this before; it was far beyond infatuation. He knew he didn't love Jaehyun in the same way Jaehyun loved him, but maybe he would in time. For now, Doyoung loved Jaehyun in his own way. 

"Doyoung?" Jaehyun suddenly asked. 

"Huh?" Doyoung responded, almost dropping his burger. 

"I just asked you a question; are you excited for the choir fest?" 

"Oh, yeah, of course." 

Jaehyun looked at him for a moment. "Are you okay, bunny?" 

"Uh, em, yeah, of course," Doyoung responded, finishing off his burger, sitting on his shaky hands. 

Jaehyun tilted his head. "You don't seem okay. Is something wrong?" 

"Nothing! Nothing," Doyoung responded. Jaehyun reached over and tucked a lock of Doyoung's hair behind his ear. 

"You're probably just tired. We should head home now," Jaehyun spoke. The waiter came by and gave them the check, Doyoung too freaked out to even protest when Jaehyun paid. 

They headed back out into the parking lot, Doyoung nervously playing with his fingers. 

"J-Jaehyun?" He stuttered. It was now or never. 

Jaehyun turned to him, looking nervous too. "Yeah?" 

"I-I just wanted to say....I-I.....I love you too," Doyoung breathed out. 

Jaehyun stood still for a moment in surprise, slowly biting his lip. 

"You...you do?" He stammered shyly. Doyoung nodded back, and Jaehyun immediately pulled him in for a tight hug. 

"Oh my god Doyoung, I've been waiting to hear you say that my whole life," Jaehyun responded, burying his head in the crook of Doyoung's shoulder. Doyoung held him back, just as tight. 

"I mean it," Doyoung responded firmly. 

"Can you say it again?" Jaehyun asked. 

"I love you, Jaehyun," Doyoung repeated. 

"I love you too Doyoung," Jaehyun responded, sniffling softly. 

"Are you crying?" Doyoung teased. 

"No!" Jaehyun cried, trying to subtely wipe the tears of his face. Doyoung pulled away from the hug and wiped his delicate fingers under Jaehyun's cheek. 

"Don't cry. I love you," Doyoung spoke with a smile, resting his forehead against Jaehyun's. Jaehyun beamed and began to lean in for a kiss when suddenly, a loud honking noise forced the two juniors to pull away. 

", I forgot we're still in the parking lot!" Doyoung cried. Jaehyun laughed and the couple took each other's hands, running back to safety in Doyoung's car. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Yukhei had been very suprised that Monday at lunch when Jungwoo had stomped over to their usual tree, asked to hang out after school, then immediately left. Of course, Yukhei hadn't turned him down, but he figured Jungwoo missed him a lot since they hadn't seen in each other in quite a while. It was strange, but Yukhei would take what he could get. 

Luckily, the nearby mall had a movie theatre, and they'd decided it would be a fun place to hang out. 

"It's not a date," Jungwoo had insisted as they walked down to the theatre. "We're just hanging out. As friends." 

Now, as Yukhei payed for their candy, he couldn't help but chuckle. They were definitely on date. 

They'd chatted the whole way, talking about random school related things and telling funny stories of their friends. Even though he'd really wanted to reach over and hold Jungwoo's hand, Yukhei had known it would've just driven him away. Even so, Jungwoo listened with rapt attention to Yukhei's silly stories, laughing loudly and smiling softly. Yukhei could not just get over how cute he was. 

Yukhei, again, paid for their tickets to Incredibles 2, walking down the hall to the theatre together. 

"I'm really excited," Jungwoo admitted in his delicate voice. "I've been meaning to see this movie for a while." 

"I'm glad I could be the one to take you," Yukhei responded. Jungwoo paused for a moment, staring pointedly at the ground. 

"This...this is lovely," he spoke, his voice even more quiet than usual. 

"You like being around me, don't you?" Yukhei teased. 

"It's nice to spend time with you," Jungwoo almost whispered. Yukhei looked down at him. He just wanted to reach out and touch him, hold his hand or caress his cheek or even just wrap an arm around his shoulder. But Yukhei sighed. He couldn't push Jungwoo too far or everything would come crashing down. 

They got inside the theatre and sat down in the seats, sighing contentedly. Yukhei immediately started tearing into his popcorn and Jungwoo giggled. 

"What? It tastes better during the previews," Yukhei joked. Jungwoo laughed louder now, looking at Yukhei like Yukhei had never been looked at before. Jungwoo looked at Yukhei like Yukhei was his whole world, and Yukhei could feel his heart pound and his stomach burn with butterflies and his head buzz. On top of that, hearing Jungwoo laugh so freely, Yukhei thought he would collapse right then and there in the theatre. And, Yukhei looked back at Jungwoo like Jungwoo was his whole world, too. 

But suddenly, darker thoughts crossed Yukhei's brain, making him quiet for once. Why would Jungwoo be this open, this giving? There had to be a reason behind it. Yukhei remembered when he mentioned he was trying to get help from the church to not be gay or like Yukhei anymore. Maybe he thought it was working, Yukhei theorized. Maybe he was tricking himself into only seeing Yukhei as his friend. 

Yukhei sighed loudly. That wasn't what he wanted, not at all. But if that was all he could get, he'd take it. He promised he'd never leave Jungwoo's side, and he meant it.

Finally, the movie began to play and Jungwoo gave the screen his full attention, watching in awe. Yukhei, however, was distracted. Part of him concentrated on looking at Jungwoo's pretty face, eyes lit up by the movie screen. But part of him couldn't stop thinking about Jungwoo and him trying to fix himself. All Yukhei wanted was for Jungwoo to be able to fully be himself. 

When the movie finally ended Yukhei quietly gathered up their trash, walking out of the theatre next to Jungwoo. He was silent for a few minutes before Jungwoo looked at him with worry in his eyes. 

"Is everything okay?" He asked. 

"Yeah, it's fine," Yukhei responded with a forced chuckle. 

Jungwoo frowned and stared at the ground. "It's just weird when you're quiet," Jungwoo mumbled. Yukhei looked down at him in surprise. "I-I like it better when you're smiling and laughing. It feels more...right. It makes me feel...." Jungwoo sighed. "I dunno, nevermind." 

"It makes you feel what?" Yukhei asked, genuinely curious. 

"I-it...it makes me feel...happy," Jungwoo explained. "Nervous for some reason. But happy." 

Yukhei felt a wave of relief and joy wash over him. In his own way, Jungwoo was explaining how Yukhei gave him butterflies in his stomach, made him feel the way Yukhei did about him. 

They started to walk back to school, their parents coming to pick them up late since they couldn't get driver's permits just yet (Jungwoo lied and said he was doing stuff for the Christian club). 

"It's getting harder and harder," Jungwoo admitted with a solemn expression. 

"What is?" Yukhei asked. 

"Avoiding...this," Jungwoo responded, gesturing to Yukhei and himself. Yukhei inhaled and exhaled, stopping a block before school. 

"But you had a good time today, right?"

"I did. I really, really did," Jungwoo responded. 

Yukhei smiled softly at Jungwoo, knowing they were too close to school to get any real contact, but wanting to touch him anyways. So he reached over and squeezed his hand gently. 

"I did too." 

Yukhei loved watching the soft blush that spread over Jungwoo's cheeks, the way a small smile ghosted his lips, the way he let go of Yukhei's hand slowly, as if he secretly never wanted to let go. They couldn't tear their eyes away from each other, and for a moment, Yukhei thought that Jungwoo was silently asking for more. 

"My mom's outside the school," Jungwoo spoke sadly, staring down at his phone. 

"Ugh. Well, at least maybe I'll see you soon," Yukhei responded. 

"Tomorrow," Jungwoo firmly responded, walking back towards school. "You'll see me tomorrow." 

Yukhei's expression slowly bloomed into a smile as he watched Jungwoo run back towards school. Everything was going to be alright.