Yukhei could not stand that he hadn't found his match yet. 

Before this stupid, dumb, idiotic soulmate thing happened, popularity rested on your reputation, charm, and appearance. Yukhei was well armed with all three, and unlike his best friends, he had no competition, making him the most popular boy in the sophomore class. But now, the entire idea of popularity itself had seemed to disappear. With about three quarters of the school (and counting) so wrapped up in their own soulmates, they completely stopped caring about who was popular and who wasn't. Anyways, a lot of the matches had crossed the lines of popularity, and it felt like the entire social structure of high school was crumbling at his feet. No more reverance from his classmates, no more nudes, and no more of the one thing Lucas had going for him: popularity. 

And to be honest, he was jealous. As much as he liked his playboy image he really just wanted a sweet girl or boy who he could look at the way the soulmate couples did, the way Johnny looked at Taeil and Jaehyun looked at Doyoung (Yukhei had an ally in Taeyong, who claimed he hadn't found his match yet either). Even though Taeil and Doyoung were not at all Yukhei's type, he sort of wanted his own Taeil or Doyoung to be with. 

To distract himself, Yukhei found himself enjoying teasing the few girls who hadn't yet found theirs. Even though all of their interactions were laced with sadness, just because they were so desperate to find their matches, they still liked to play and around and pretend things around them weren't as serious as they really were. And that was what Yukhei was doing in the few minutes before school started, a week after the news broke. 

He was chasing one of his female friends down the hall of school, the two of them laughing and screaming like absolute idiots, not giving a if they pissed off their classmates because they didn't give a about those stupid couples. Of course, one of Yukhei's greatest flaws was his obliviousness, and even though it was intentional this time it could still have dire consequences. 

And it did. Yukhei was so caught up in himself that he didn't even notice anyone in the hall until he was falling over, landing flat on top of adorable sophomore and child of Jesus Kim Jungwoo. 

Jungwoo was staring up at Yukhei with wide, fearful eyes, and Yukhei just assumed he was intimidated to have bumped in the most popular guy in school when it hit him too. 

"Damn," Yukhei mumbled out loud as the sparks overtook him, flowing over his entire body as he and Jungwoo were literally pressed together. God did Jungwoo look beautiful like this, the sparks flowing through Yukhei's veins as Jungwoo was pressed beneath him, staring up at him with that gentle face and pink cheeks of his. 

For once, Yukhei was left without any more words. He was bi, yes, but he really didn't expect it to be a boy, much less one as innocent and plain lovely as Jungwoo. But Yukhei wasn't complaining; he'd thought the children of Jesus were cute ever since his first day of freshman year. Plus, the other one had been the soulmate of known loser, senior Nakamoto Yuta. Jungwoo at least deserved better, and he'd got it. Yukhei knew he'd do anything to protect this boy of his from now on. 

But before Yukhei had time to introduce himself Jungwoo had gently pushed Yukhei off of him, Yukhei's shoulders sparking even more where his soft hands had touched. He stood up and grabbed his bag in his hands, rubbing tears out of his eyes and running out of the school as fast as his legs would take him. 

"Wait!" Yukhei cried, reaching out for Jungwoo but the boy ignored him, the side door to the school slamming behind him. Yukhei didn't give a single how stupid he looked; none of that mattered. He just wanted to talk to Jungwoo, figure out what was going on. The places where they'd touched practically turned from sparks to stabs; his heart felt broken even though nothing had even ing happened. 

Yukhei backed into the lockers and slumped into them. He should have figured; Jungwoo was really religious and all, so maybe he was homophobic or something. Of course it couldn't have been perfect like he'd been dreaming of.

The bell for class rang, but Yukhei stayed seated on the floor and ignored it. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Just before lunch, Mark was putting his things into his locker as if in a daze. He felt dissassociated; not like himself, constantly dizzy and distracted, slowing down each and every one of his actions. He knew exactly why he was doing this; but it wasn't like he was going to do anything about it. 

Mark was avoiding Donghyuck. They'd seen each other in class a couple of times, and of course Donghyuck tried to flag down Mark in the halls, but Mark always just ignored him. He knew avoiding the obnoxious freshman was horrible for him both physically and mentally, but he couldn't help it. Donghyuck was loud, annoying, and just overall too much, and Mark did not want to be associated with that. Anyways, Donghyuck had been almost too perceptive the last time they'd hung out (which was when Mark sat with his friends at lunch all those days ago), and Mark didn't want Donghyuck finding out any more. 

It wasn't like Mark didn't miss him. He could blame it on the chemicals all he wanted, but part of Mark did want to see him. He sorta missed Donghyuck's ridiculousness, hilarity and flirtatious attitude towards Mark. But at that moment, Donghyuck was the last person Mark wanted to be around. 

Mark finally shut his locker and Donghyuck just so happened to be standing right behind it, leaning on the locker next door. Mark squeaked and almost dropped his books when he saw Donghyuck just leaning and looking at him. 

", speak of the devil," Mark mumbled and grimaced, his nerves still calming down from being surprised like that. 

"Hey Mark. You look nice today. Well, I mean, you look nice every day, but especially today," Donghyuck commented, his face looking surprisingly tired and expressionless. Mark looked around, trying to figure out what the hell was happening. 

"Uh...thanks," Mark uncomfortably responded, chuckling awkwardly and looking at the floor. He looked up at Donghyuck expectantly and Donghyuck looked back, the two at an impass. What did Donghyuck want with him? 

"Why are you avoiding me?" Donghyuck bluntly asked all of the sudden. Mark in a big breath at the question, staring awkwardly at the floor. 

"Uh..." He spoke, trying to figure out what to say. it, he might as well tell him the truth. "To be honest, you can be, kind of, well, annoying," Mark admitted. "You're so loud, and outspoken, and out there, and--" 

"Gay," Donghyuck interrupted with a serious expression. Mark was left speechless for a moment before he grimaced, trying to figure out exactly how to word what he really felt. 

"Well, see, uh, you're gay, and I'm gay too. We're both gay, but I don't act so...much. Like...I act like a normal straight gay, but you are, like, gay-gay, you know?" Mark attempted to explain. 

"And you think that's annoying?" Donghyuck asked for clarification, his tone neutral. 

"Uh, well, um...yeah, I guess," Mark responded with a forced chuckle. 

Donghyuck hummed, face and tone still surprisingly neutral. "Well...you know, it's the 'gay-gays' who won you all your rights, not the gay people that tried to fit in with other straights. I don't know, I just don't understand why people are proud to act like straight guys. I'd rather just act like myself, no matter what the reaction. But it's okay," Donghyuck spoke, pausing to ruffle Mark's hair and give him a genuine smile. "You're still cute." 

The freshman then tightened his backpack and walked away like nothing was wrong, like he hadn't just dropped the biggest truth bomb Mark had ever recieved in his short, adolescent life. Mark was practically frozen to the spot, his cheeks softly pink and his hairs tingling from sparks. 

Was Donghyuck right? Was it dumb for him to pride himself on acting like other striaght guys and put down Donghyuck for being himself, when Mark hadn't acted like himself in public in years? He'd definitely have to think about it. Donghyuck always just seemed to know. 

~~~~~~~~~~

After Taeil's surprisingly good date with Johnny a few days prior, he couldn't turn him down when he asked for another one. They'd spoken more and more at school, even starting to sit next to each other in the classes they shared, but part of Taeil wanted to hang outside of school with Johnny again. He'd just been so sweet, and that date had honestly felt like magic. Taeil wanted to capture that magic once more. 

After school on Friday Johnny drove by Taeil's class in his car, having promised Taeil 'a real date this time, not just half assed ice cream at Granite Run', like he'd said in their texts the previous night. Taeil had even smiled when Johnny had typed those words. He still had his inhibitions about Johnny; it wasn't so easy to stop hating someone you'd hated for years, but Johnny had proven himself to be kind too many times for Taeil to ignore. Everything that seemed to annoy Taeil about Johnny before was now becoming something he found cute; he even found himself laughing at Johnny's jokes during class instead of rolling his eyes and glaring. 

Taeil practically ran out of class once the final bell rang, rushing outside to find Johnny right there waiting for him, like he'd promised. Taeil hid a smile that came as soon as he saw Johnny's face, but Johnny grinned right at Taeil as Taeil headed into the passenger seat. 

"How did you get out of class so early?" Taeil asked as he buckled his seatbelt. 

Johnny shrugged. "I left ten minutes early. Now let's go; I want to get the best spots." 

He drove out of the parking lot and started cruising down the highway, turning his head away from the road to smile at Taeil every so often. 

"Where are you even taking me, anyway?" Taeil asked. 

"There's this place a few miles off Morrisville that plays drive-in movies like in the 1950's, in the winter when it gets dark early. I always wanted to take someone special there." 

Taeil chuckled sort of sadly. "You're taking me? I'm no one special," Taeil commented. 

"Yes, you are. You are special," Johnny said, and Taeil blushed and looked down at his lap because Johnny was actually being serious. He'd never been complimented like that before, so he turned silent and shy, rubbing the nape of his neck.  

Luckily they reached the clearing with the projector just then, clearing out some of the awkwardness. Johnny insisted on paying for not only their tickets but their hot dogs and sodas and ice creams, and even though Taeil whined and complained like made Johnny just shushed him with a simple smile. 

"As long as you're with me, I'm paying for everything," Johnny said. Taeil promised he'd pay next time, but he believed Johnny would always at least try to pay for him. 

They got to the drive-in fairly early, so the two boys ate their snacks as they waited for the movie to start. 

"What's the movie?" Taeil asked. 

"I think it's called Beach Party. Just some cheesy 50's movie I guess," Johnny responded, munching on their shared fries. They paused for a minute to eat before Johnny spoke again. 

"To be honest, I asked my friend Jaehyun about you," Johnny admitted. Taeil froze up; what did Johnny ask about? Jaehyun probably only knew him as Doyoung's awkward friend. "He said you're the best singer in choir. Well, he said you're the second best singer in choir," Johnny spoke, chuckling for a second, "After Doyoung. But he's been in love with Doyoung for so long that I think his hearing is a little clouded. He probably just doesn't want to admit you're better than his crush." 

Taeil turned bright red and shook his head. "Th-that's not true; I'm really not that good. Doyoung and Jaehyun and all the others are a lot better than me. I really like singing but I don't have any talent at it. I don't know why I bother sometimes." 

Johnny watched Taeil with worry in his eyes, suddenly coming up to rub his back. The sparks flowed between their skin but Johnny didn't move his hand away, and Taeil somehow didn't mind his touch. 

"I don't understand why you always put yourself down. Taeil, I'm sure you're really talented," Johnny responded sort of sadly. Taeil chuckled uncomfortably and shrugged. 

"I-I don't know," Taeil said awkwardly, wincing at how uncomfortable things had become. But to Taeil's relief, the movie started, and Johnny calmed down a lot. 

The pair sat in silence and watched for quite a while, Johnny's hand moving from Taeil's back to wrapped around his shoulder (not that Taeil minded at all; the sparks between them were now more comforting than jarring). But about halfway through, when the movie was starting to get a little boring, Johnny's actions began to change. 

As the dialogue played out on screen, Johnny began to inch in closer and closer to Taeil, looking him over every so often. Taeil kept his wide eyes still glued to the huge screen before him, not moving a single inch. Johnny's looks got more and more frequent and he got closer and closer and Taeil just became more and more worried. Finally, Johnny's face was practically pressed up to Taeil's, and Taeil finally found the courage to push him away. 

"I'm not going to kiss you Johnny," Taeil said firmly, leaning against the car door. Johnny sighed and slowly moved away, brushing his hair out with his fingers. 

"I-I'm really sorry," Johnny responded, and Taeil's heart softened at Johnny's sincerity. "I really didn't want to make you uncomfortable." 

"It's okay," Taeil sighed back, not quite sure what to make of all of this, his heart thumping in his chest. Taeil was surprised that Johnny even wanted to kiss him at all, and Taeil sort of did want to see what it was like, but he really couldn't. 

"C-could I ask why?" Johnny shyly asked. "I mean, you don't have to explain if you don't want to..." 

Taeil inhaled and exhaled. He only just met Johnny really; he didn't want to share this embarrassing secret with him right away. But Taeil knew it would come out at some point, so why not just get it out in the open? 

"I've never been kissed," Taeil admitted. Johnny looked at him with surprise. "I'm eighteen, and I'm the oldest person in my friend group, and I still haven't been kissed. Embarrassing, huh? Doyoung played spin the bottle at his student council retreat in freshman year, Kun and that loser Yuta have been in relationships before, and even Mark got kicked out of his church's youth group for making out with another boy member in the seventh grade. But me? I'm still a ing loser." 

Johnny listened patiently as Taeil explained himself, waiting for him to finish. "It's not like I never want to be kissed either. It's just...embarrassing. I feel so inexperienced," Taeil admitted, his tone sort of sad as he winced. 

"I don't think it's embarrassing," Johnny responded, softly and genuinely. "It makes it all the more special." 

Taeil looked up at Johnny in surprise. He was really shattering all of Taeil's expectations; he was expecting Johnny to judge him at least for this. But Johnny was being as sweet and understanding as ever, and yet another one of Taeil's walls just shattered to the ground. 

"R-really?" Taeil stuttered. 

Johnny nodded. "I wish I'd saved more firsts for you, Taeil." 

Taeil flushed at the statement and could only hum in response, turning his attention back to the movie. By that point it was almost over and they'd completely lost track of the plot, but Taeil's mind was churning anyways. He couldn't figure out what to even think about this entire situation. 

They stayed silent until the movie ended, only speaking up when Johnny asked Taeil for directions back to his house. The drive back was awkward and full of tension, only heightened by their silence. 

Johnny parked back in Taeil's driveway but Taeil didn't rush out, still debating this thing in his mind. 

You want this, Taeil, he admitted to himself in his head. He doesn't mind that you don't know what you're doing, plus you really do like him. Don't be afraid. 

"I-if you want we can kiss," Taeil stuttered out, unable to look Johnny in the eye out of nerves. 

"I can?" Johnny asked in genuine surprise, and Taeil nodded, the butterflies shaking up his insides too much to do anything more. 

Johnny leaned in slowly, cupping the side of Taeil's face and his cheek, turning it towards himself. Taeil looked over Johnny and blushed softly, his cheek sparkling wherever Johnny's thumb touched. Johnny came in closer and closer, slowly shutting his eyes, and Taeil figured he should do the same, letting his arms rest by his side as Johnny held him steady. 

When Johnny's lips finally pressed against his own Taeil couldn't even describe it; it was like his lips contained little fireworks, going off one by one, his heart was pounding at the speed of light and he stomach was practically breakdancing inside of him, one by one. But it felt so, so good, Taeil felt electric, he felt alive, he felt whole. Johnny pressed in closer and Taeil gripped onto Johnny's strong, broad shoulders, clinging to him tight. Johnny kissed Taeil like he held the key to life itself, and Taeil knew he wouldn't get a wink of sleep that night. 

Finally Johnny pulled away and he and Taeil watched each other, breathing as they smiled, unable to stop themselves. 

"That was the best kiss I've ever had," Johnny admitted without shame, still smiling ridiculously. 

Taeil giggled back at him and smiled too. "It was...it was amazing. A perfect first kiss. Th-thank you, Johnny," Taeil responded. 

The pair looked at each other and as much as they wanted to stay, they both knew Taeil had a fairly strict curfew to abide by. Taeil sadly gathered his things but turned back to Johnny very quickly. 

"I-I guess... I gotta go," Taeil spoke sadly, his heart breaking at the thought. He couldn't imagine leaving Johnny right now. 

"Yeah," Johnny responded sadly, looking down before looking back up at Taeil. "Think about all the kisses we have left," Johnny spoke comfortingly. At that, Taeil looked back up at Johnny and smiled with that same giddy glee. 

"I will," he responded, giving Johnny a final smile and wave before going back to his house to squeal into his pillow like an idiot for the rest of the night.