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There’s no known record of anyone seeing color before the age of 18 so it’s assumed that it’s only when both parties reach 18 can they see color upon meeting eyes with their soulmate.
Soulmates by definition are people whose souls are aligned to challenge, inspire and help their partner to become the best and complete version of themselves that they could be. Seeing color is a latent function and a tool to help discover who one’s soulmate is.
Jimin and Taehyung were both 17 when they had fallen in love with each other.
At 16, they met through a mutual friend as they weren’t in the same classes but they had clicked so well that they had spent their most of their free time together. They were together during recess break and lunch break— sometimes when they’re feeling mischievous, they would fake a headache or a stomach bug to spend time together in the infirmary.
After class they would spend time with their mutual friends and would walk home together. Sometimes Taehyung walked Jimin home. Sometimes Jimin would take the bus with Taehyung going to his house and it would be too far and too late to go back and because of that, they had a lot of sleepovers.
Taehyung had confessed during one of their sleepovers.
When Jimin turned 18, the possibility of him seeing color would increase from 0 to a 100 and it made Taehyung uneasy. He didn’t say so, but his demeanor had changed. They had been dating for weeks after months of friendship and pining— not much has changed except for kisses and more declarations of love. Although, after Jimin’s birthday it had been like they weren’t dating at all and Taehyung would share less and less stories and less of himself.
Soulmates do not have to be romantic partners, but in this day and age, it’s being sensationalized. Taehyung’s parents were soulmates, and so were all of his grandparents. It was common in his circle of friends and relatives and the thought of Jimin not being his was frightening to Taehyung and it manifested in his actions.
That thought didn’t matter to Jimin. He chooses Taehyung no matter who his soulmate would be. A soulmate can be someone in passing or someone who would stay in his lifetime. Jimin was sure that he wants Taehyung to stay by his side whether he was his soulmate or not.
At the eve of Taehyung’s birthday, Jimin went to Taehyung’s house uninvited. He hasn’t gone over in the weeks following his birthday. Taehyung’s replies were dry during the days when they wouldn’t see each other and he was out of contact during Christmas.
Jimin had already showered knowing there won’t be much talking or playing around that night. He understands how much the label meant to Taehyung and he respects that. This night, he’ll just have to let Taehyung know that he loves him no matter what.
Upon entering Taehyung’s room, Taehyung was on the bed and tightly hugging a pillow. Taehyung’s eyes were red and his face was bloated. Jimin had said nothing and positioned himself on the bed and they had closed their eyes.
For awhile, they just lay there, bodies facing each other. Taehyung sniffs like he’d been crying again.
“Chim, I’ll still love you the same if you’re not my soulmate.”
Jimin opens his eyes to wipe the tears that ran over the bridge of Taehyung’s nose. Taehyung lets Jimin take away the pillow he was holding as Jimin replaces it with his own body, arms enveloping Taehyung.
“Tae-tae, that’s what makes us special. Who’s the universe to say I can’t be with you or love you? There are no rules like that. I love you.”
Taehyung on the other hand just fears what would happen after the night passes. He’s just so scared. He keeps thinking if things would change between them. What if they were soulmates? What if they weren’t? Come Taehyung’s birthday and it will change their relationship one way or another. Taehyung doesn’t want to change anything.
They had fallen asleep like that.
Morning came and Jimin is the first to wake up. Gently, he shakes Taehyung awake and it’s the fastest that Taehyung’s ever responded to being woken up. Taehyung shakes his head and keeps his eyes closed like it was glued shut.
“If I don’t see your eyes then we won’t know.” Jimin says but his eyes are also closed. His eyes are too dry and some part of him doesn’t want to know as well.
“I want to keep it closed.”
“We’ll open our eyes at the same time and look at each other.”
They adjust themselves to sit up, keeping their eyes on the mattress and covers. Legs on top of each other.
When they’re settled, they close their eyes again. Taehyung’s hands find Jimin’s face and he leans forward to kiss him. For a while they just stay there, chastley kissing while Jimin wipes the hot fluid running on Taehyung’s face.
Jimin leans back. “Moment of truth.” Jimin says like he’s being enthused but the air is heavy.
“I love you.” It’s Jimin again, saying it like it’s the last thing he’ll ever say. This is too dramatic for his liking but he wants to communicate it to Taehyung that he loves him no matter what. That his feelings won’t falter.
Taehyung already has his eyes opened, it hurts to blink from all the crying he had done but right now he’s not focused on that. He’s looking at Jimin already, just memorizing his face like he had always done.
“Go.” And Jimin opens his eyes.
When their eyes meet, Taehyung is awestruck looking at the colors bloom on Jimin’s face. The colors crawling on Jimin’s skin starting from his eyes, to his cheeks and to his lips and neck. He feels tingly at his fingertips, his toes, at the tip of his nose— it almost tickles. He feels it in his stomach— like he’d been punched or about to vomit, lungs out of breath and his heart beating fast. Jimin feels it too. The feeling is dizzying and it doesn’t help that they’re almost dehydrated too from all the crying. Jimin sees color on Taehyung’s clothes, on the walls and on the covers and on the posters that they hung up.
“Baby, don’t cry. We’re still us.” They’re both crying but at least it’s for a happier reason.
“I’m yours and you’re mine. It’s written on the stars.” Taehyung exclaims, smiling brightly at Jimin. He was always a romantic.
“Nothing’s changed, Taehyung. I’ve always been yours. Happy birthday.” Jimin says and placing a kiss on Taehyung’s face.
The government’s idea of soulmates is having another registered guardian. This also comes with an hour long orientation on colors that is mandatory for those who found their soulmate that is supposed to be taken within the day or day after the event.
It was dumbfounding for them that they still had names for other colors in the grayscale besides -2, -1, 0, +1, +2 and black or white.
Jimin was always the irritable one. How could they have shown a wheel that was only have colored?
“Am I seeing right or the wheel is only half colored?”
When he had expressed his confusion, Taehyung had the same sentiment.
“You’re right, Minnie, we’re not wrong. Half the wheel is just different values of gray.”
Mixing colors segment only irritated them more. On the powerpoint where nine dots that seemed to form an equation.
Blue and Red makes Purple. Red and Yellow makes Orange. Yellow and Blue makes Green. Like +1 and -1 makes 0.
Only half of what was on the slide were understood by both Jimin and Taehyung but they had only focused on the gray parts that was bothersome on their part. It just looks so stupid .
“So gray and gray makes gray? Huh.” Taehyung sarcastically said.
“Oh jeez, how could I not know?” Jimin had replied, his tone mirroring Taehyung’s.
The slide showed the color wheel again that was divided into two parts. Warm colors and cool colors. Finally, Jimin was fed up. He raised his hand and asks as politely as he can, trying not to show his annoyance.
“Why not call the warm tones as grayscale? It’s the same thing.” But the only reply to him was a dumbfounded look on the instructor’s face looking at him as if he were the stupid one. Jimin could feel his sleeve being tugged on by Taehyung.
“Jimin, it’s the cool colors that are gray.”
“It’s not...” That’s when they both knew that something was different. When Jimin sees Taehyung going glassy, he panics. He never liked it when Taehyung was crying. They had cried too much today.
“Why is the wheel only half colored?” Jimin hears his voice break when he asks the instructor.
“Jimin, you have color on your skin and I have on mine. What color am I to you?” Taehyung asks but he’s not looking at Jimin.
Jimin says it like it’s obvious— like it’s a fact while looking at Taehyung. “Taehyung, my skin and yours are gray.”
“You said you saw color.” Taehyung’s eyes turns glassy, tears threatening to fall. He had after all worried so much about the soulmate thing. When Jimin sees it, he’s on his knees in front of Taehyung, enveloping Taehyung’s big hands in his tiny ones. It’s ridiculous to look at and Taehyung laughs at it only for a bit before it’s his hands that are engulfing Jimin’s.
“My pants and yours, the walls, those books, the sky outside— those are colored, Taehyung.”
“It’s gray, Jimin.” Taehyung says. He’s so tired.
“It’s not.” Jimin’s tired too.
The specialist confirms that they’re soulmates. They haven’t seen color before so that was already a confirmation. She told them that their experience was also rare but also normal like being pregnant with triplets.
“What this is, is a threeway soulmate. You’re both of age and have met each other but you haven’t met the third person in this unit. Until you meet them, you won’t be able to see the other colors, so don’t be scared or doubt each other. You’re both soulmates. It’s another person who will care and understand for you like you have for each other. You both are lucky to have found each other and they’re is still out there and alone. What’s beautiful about soulmates is that fate brings you together one way or another. They will come to find you, or you will find them.”
The woman was so reassuring with what she had said but it had also scared them. The bus ride home was silent. They had been holding hands, palms sweaty with a vice grip that’s turning their knuckles white. They had not seen this coming.
“I love you the most, Jimin.” Taehyung says, blushing heavily looking straight to the front of the bus.
Jimin had only laughed tiredly, looking at Taehyung’s profile. “It’s not fair for you to say that when we haven’t met them yet.”
“Then until we meet them, I love you the most.”
That night, they lay again in Taehyung’s bed. There are no more tears tonight. Jimin just confirms that he loves Taehyung very much. Jimin loves him with or without the label but they have it and nothing’s made Taehyung happier. They stay up all night planning their future together with their soulmate and what kind of person would they be.
“I hope they like us.” Taehyung sighs happily, bringing the covers to their chests.
“Who wouldn’t? We’re the cutest.” They both giggle at that, holding each other close as they drift to sleep.
Jungkook’s mom hasn’t met her soulmate. When she and Jungkook’s dad had married, Jungkook’s father had already found his soulmate in the form of his brother. His parents were living proof that one can love someone wholeheartedly without the stars weaving their souls together.
So Jungkook, at 17, never felt the rush of finding and meeting his soulmate. He’ll welcome them when they come. When the time is right and when the universe thinks so, too, they’ll come.
When he leaves for college, his mother meets her soulmate and she’s had a different glow ever since. His parents are the happiest they’ve ever been. “They’ll be with you and in your heart forever. They’ll change you.” His parents tell him.
Jungkook enters college pursuing the arts. For most artists who can’t see color, they usually choose charcoal— Jungkook, for example. Before he leaves, his parents gift him a pencil set that is disarranged in value. It’s for him to use when he meets his soulmate. He appreciates what his parents have given him, but right now, it’s useless. There are words like “red”, “blue”, and “purple” but all he sees are different values of gray. But it’s an investment as an artist such as himself. One day, he’ll use it for sure and he’s hoping that day comes sooner than later.
He studies color— warm tones, cool tones, which ones are complimentary or split or just anything about colors. It's not in his syllabus but he just wants to know. He wants to see colors as an artist and he wants to know what others have felt in result of meeting their soulmate.
He’s trying not to let it get to him, being so envious, but it’s getting harder every time a friend of his announces that they’ve found their soulmate and the friend group keeps getting smaller instead of bigger until he’s the only one left.
Amidst the frustration, he’s happy for his friends, he asks every time what it’s like. He loves the way his friends light up describing what they saw, how they saw it happen and what it felt like. The kind of love that pours out from their eyes and mouths inspire him and he wants to know so bad.
Jungkook is a freshman and his finals require him to make a canvas painting with the theme “love.” The first thing he thinks of is his possible soulmate. By this time, all of his friends had found theirs and he’s more of a romantic than anyone else so he’s envious. He feels a pang of hurt every time a potential long-term relationship doesn’t work out because the other had found their soulmate.
It’s really frustrating that some people don’t understand the concept of choosing whom you’ll love no matter what the stars say. But it also feels unreal and magical knowing that the universe had created someone especially for you.
He’s in conflict.
It’s a week before the new semester starts and Jimin and Taehyung had decided to go back to Seoul to just spend some time together. They’re out on a date, just walking around after watching a movie, just making time pass. A small building caught their attention. Some people were going in and out, gel lights and decorations were set up right outside the entrance. Curiously, they looked at the poster that was displayed for the event.
It was an art exhibit by their school’s fine arts department that showed the students’ best plates throughout the last academic year. Surprisingly, the exhibit was on its last day it was free entrance.
The place was certainly filled. The artist of each painting or piece being praised by their friends, some adults— maybe the artist’s parents, and some professors they had seen on campus. Jimin and Taehyung couldn’t see a lot because of it. They had just walked and stole glances at different pieces until they approach a painting that a group tour that had just left.
It was beautiful. It was plethora of colors, beautifully blended into shadows and tints of grays, white and black from what Jimin and Taehyung could see. It looked like it was moving— how the painting flowed and moved like ink in water. It was truly captivating. People had started crowding again.
For Them. 7x7 Oil on Canvas. Artist: Jeon Jungkook.
“This is so beautiful.”
“If what we’re seeing it beautiful now, imagine what it would be like to see it when we meet them.”
The thought excited them and decided to purchase a print of the painting if there were any available ones. They couldn’t take photos unless you were the artist or given permission as it said on the entrance. If they had to skip dinner to get their hands on a copy, they would. They decide to wait at the tables were they served with mocktails and food fingers right across the painting.
A bright young man in a jumper, overalls and round glasses had caught their attention with the way he was gesturing over to the painting in front of his friends. He was probably the artist. A photo taken right next to the info card and a funny face. A group photo taken with the painting as the backdrop and another one with just the young man. Oh, he was definitely the artist. Jeon Jungkook.
Jungkook is left alone by his painting while he waves to his friends. He stands there, just looking over his painting when Jimin decides to approach him.
“Jeon Jungkook-ssi.”
As Jungkook turns to hear his name, he meets this beautiful man’s eyes. He opens his mouth to reply but he feels a punch in his gut or something else that’s stronger. He knows what’s happening now like what his friends had told him. He sees it happen. This man’s jumper is not gray and there is a non grayscale photo on the back of this man’s head. The light paints this man’s face a different color. Jungkook’s eyes are pooling and he’s holding his breath like he hasn’t been breathing, his heart beating so loud and fast he could hear it in his ears, and tingles just all over his body, trying to look at this man who is his soulmate.
He’s beautiful. Jimin feels it and sees it happen again. Colors start to bleed from Jungkook’s eyes to his cheeks, lips and neck. It’s like watercolor the way the colors blend beautifully on Jungkook’s skin. It’s fitting that he’s seeing warm colors now, he feels so warm. Jimin’s tears fall from the feeling that’s overtaken him. His hands are shaking but he takes Jungkook’s hands in his.
“It’s okay.” Jimin says to Jungkook and Jungkook just smiles so big. It’s overwhelming.
“Won’t you take another deep breath for me? It’s not over yet.” Jimin’s voice shakes. He’s trying hard to stay upright, too. Jungkook listens. “Taehyung!” Jimin shouts, a bit too loud for anyone’s liking but did the job right.
Taehyung rushes over, “Jimin, Jungkook-ssi, what’s wrong?” A genuine worry and concern paints his deep voice. He’s been only half paying attention from a respectable distance and has seen Jimin and Jungkook crying and smiling, maybe they had shared a joke?
Jimin looks at Taehyung like he always had, so intently with smiling eyes. This time it’s softer and face is streaked with tears. He’s glad he’s seeing Taehyung now in all of his colors— he can’t believe he’d been missing this this whole time. He’s beautiful. Jimin motions to Jungkook.
Taehyung follows, waiting for Jungkook to look at him. Jungkook and Taehyung had met eyes and they understand. Taehyung feels it too now, Jungkook’s had only intensified and his knees fall to the floor from feeling too much. It feels like his whole body is on fire, but it’s a good feeling. Jimin and Taehyung follow, their legs threatening to turn to jelly.
Taehyung feels it. That experience he had on his 18th birthday with Jimin is happening again but this time, it’s with a stranger that he’s sure he’ll soon love. Taehyung sees the material of Jungkook’s overalls have another color other than what he usually had seen for the past 3 years. The colors flow like ink. He grips his pants as it changes color too.
Jungkook looks at Taehyung’s eyes and his face and he’s so beautiful too. He feels like a broken record, repeating what he felt just seconds ago with Jimin and now with Taehyung. He sees the colors bloom on Taehyung’s face from his eyes to his cheeks, lips and neck and looks to Jimin and it’s happening too until his vision is blurred because of his tears. He’s so overwhelmed that he’s broken out a cold sweat and he almost feels like fainting.
They’re all being stared at but some people understand the context of the situation, probably have experienced it themselves, and clear the area. The three of them are more than thankful to have this moment to themselves. They stay still for awhile as they come down from their high, Jimin and Taehyung are holding each other’s hand, Jungkook notices, and their other hands are on his things to comfort him.
These are his soulmates and they’re strangers. He feels embarrassed. He stands up slowly, wiping away his tears when Taehyung offers him a handkerchief and Jimin offers a water bottle. He takes both, shyly. They stand up too, helping each other. It’s sweet.
Jimin and Taehyung introduce themselves to Jungkook, hands that linger after the initial handshake. They’re nervous because this was unexpected but of course it is. Soulmates are always strangers to those who haven’t met theirs before they turn 18.
They all turn to the painting. Their eyes adjusting, blinking at awe and witnessing the painting in all its glory.
“You called us with your painting. It’s really beautiful.” Said was Jimin.
“We really just wanted to ask if we could buy a print.” Taehyung says.
Jungkook can’t believe he made that. He’s had a lot of guidance and sleepless nights to make sure that it’s beautiful enough. It was a gift after all. “It’s supposed to be the feeling of meeting your soulmate. So it’s dedicated to the both of you. You guys can have it. I was really planning on it.” Jungkook says shyly.
“Did meeting us..” “Felt the same way?”
“Oh,” Jungkook smiles “I didn’t do justice at all.”
They had all walked around the exhibit together, Jimin and Taehyung tell which color is which to Jungkook and intently looking at each piece and how the colors harmonize with each other like music. The best song was Jungkook’s.
They had exchanged numbers because one way or the other, they’ll be meeting each other. Taehyung immediately makes them a group chat. The first photo sent was a group photo of them in front of the painting, eyes puffy and faces bloated, faces painted with genuine happiness.
Jungkook doesn’t open his messages until the next day. Their group chat is flooded by photos, videos, random memes that he has to back read. A particular collage of photos catches his attention, a much much younger Jimin and Taehyung wearing high school uniforms. Junior year. Senior year. They had looked significantly closer in this photo. Tae-tae’s day. Eyes puffy. Graduation. A kiss. Jungkook understood from then.
He kind of feels guilty for intruding and coming into the picture so suddenly, but he also wants to get closer to them fast. Sometimes, soulmates are only there for a brief time so he can only hope for the best that Jimin and Taehyung will stay in his life.
In the morning, Taehyung and Jimin are in bed together, not doing anything else but just laying there in each other’s arms.
“Do you think we scared him with that flood of photos?” Jimin asks, petting Taehyung’s hair.
“I think it’s charming.” Taehyung nuzzling Jimin’s chest.
They’ve talked about it before. Opening their romantic relationship to their 3rd mate. Opening up, sharing each other’s dreams and goals— that would be easy as they’re sharing their life with someone who’ll help them become better people, but loving 2 people in a romantic way, even if they were his soulmates— it was hard to tell.
“Do you think he’ll like like us?”
“Thinking about that already? I think it would work out. We’re gorgeous, who wouldn’t fall for us? And he’s so adorable too.”
“Yah! Your head is getting big. But you’re right. He’s adorable. Like a bunny.”
“Looks like it's your turn worrying. Don’t worry. Things will work out, Jiminnie.”
They had met at the orientation again, Jungkook was so intent on learning that he had brought his books for reference, a sketchpad and his colored pencils. He’d get distracted sometime during the orientation with Jimin and Taehyung on the same table as him. They were really gorgeous that Jungkook wanted to draw them. Maybe some other time he thought. He had errands to run before and right after the orientation. He hadn’t expected to meet his soulmates the night before after all.
The spring semester will start after this weekend.
Some people are rushing to buy books and some orientations are still on going. Jungkook goes to school to check out his classrooms and get the feel of the atmosphere. Jungkook enters the on-campus cafe and there, he sees Taehyung, frantically leaving with a beanie over his head, holding croissants— he must be in a rush though he does see Jungkook and exclaims a greeting, catching everyone in the cafe’s attention. And Taehyung is out the door before Jungkook can reply.
Jungkook sees Jimin in the book store too. It’s his turn on the cashier and he’s holding a bunch of school materials, seeming to drown in the quantity of it. Jimin, seeming to be in a rush, runs past by him and Jungkook feels a bit sad but it’s okay to be ignored. That is until he hears from the back of his head a familiar voice yelling a morning greeting.
He’s more endeared than embarrassed. The group chat is definitely alive but Jungkook doesn’t think he’s ready for a face-to-face conversation again just yet. The day at the orientation doesn’t count when he barely spoke as he was rushing to get out of the place. When there’s time to finally talk, he’s afraid of tripping over his words and making a fool out of himself when he’s in front of them. It really doesn’t help that his soulmates are so goddamn beautiful.
Jungkook’s phone alerts and there’s a message.
SOULMATES - 3
Taehyung-hyung 9: 02 am
we’re done with TA orientation
let’s have a full breakfast
Jimin-hyung 9: 02 am
Let’s meet in the caf!!!!
Me anf Taehyung are together right now :D
He’s excited. It’s only been a 6 days since their initial meeting and now he’s having breakfast with them.
JK (Me) 9:03
Mine’s just ended too
C u soon
Breakfast was eventful. The food in the cafeteria is pretty good and inexpensive. Jimin and Taehyung are seniors now and Jungkook is a sophomore. Face-to-face conversation is not really so different from online chatting. Taehyung made sure of it, being more of the social butterfly of the two, telling Jimin that it’s important that Jungkook gets to know them well even online.
During breakfast, Jimin asks for their schedules. Usually, it was just he and Taehyung lining up their schedules so they can spend some time of the day together if they wanted to. Now that Jungkook’s completed their little unit, he should know too.
“There! The slashes means you don’t have any classes at the time.” Jimin said, taking a photo of the piece of paper then handing it out to Jungkook. A ping alerts Taehyung and Jungkook’s phone. Jimin worked on matching up their schedules while Taehyung was telling Jungkook a story from back home during the break that he had already heard of.
“Thank you.” Jungkook says, accepting the piece of paper shyly.
“Woah. I find it a bit cool that when you’re free, one of us or both of us are also free. ” Taehyung says, his chin, resting on Jimin’s shoulder and looking at the schedule from Jimin’s phone. Domestically cute.
“Must be the universe.” Jungkook replies. Of course it’s the universe’s doing. It really has a way to make his soulmates have more or less the same scheduled breaks as him and he’s super thankful for that.
“You don’t have to hang out with us if you don't want to. We just want you to know that we’re here if you need anything of if you just want some company.” It’s Jimin who says it like he was walking on eggshells. Jimin doesn’t want to overwhelm Jungkook. Having two soulmates is already shocking for most people he’s seen on forums online and he doesn’t want to drive Jungkook away.
“Yeah, just message us anytime if you want to.” Taehyung says, backing Jimin up.
“I will.” Jungkook will.
Jimin and Taehyung had always gone to school together. No one sleeps in. The earlier of the two goes to class and the other one saves a booth in the library. It had always been like that.
And that’s how the three of them had claimed a corner booth in the library. Teamwork really makes the dream work. The library is cold, has electrical sockets, and faster wifi.They spent most of their breaks together. It should be annoying but it’s really not. They’re spending time together studying, cracking jokes, sometimes Taehyung and Jimin would tutor Jungkook, sometimes they would take naps or watch movies. During the break when they’re all free, they leave their stuff in the booth to eat at the cafeteria.
Jungkook’s schedule is shit. He could probably go home and rest but he’s realised that home can be people too.
The first time he’s ever doubted that this might become boring and suffocating because of amount of time they spent together might be too much already, he’s met with Jimin and Taehyung’s main friend group— they’re all older than him and taking their masters but they’re the most easy going set of people he’s met. Sometimes it would be just Taehyung’s group of friends or Jimin’s. He’s met Jimin and Taehyung’s tutees as well and they’ve grown to become his closest same-age friend group.
He realised that it not boring or suffocating. He actually looks forward to the times that it’s just the three of them together. They’re really sweet and Jungkook’s never felt left out in the conversation. Jungkook can see Jimin and Taehyung trying not to overwhelm him with their relationship status. When Jungkook’s studying and listening to music, he knows that they’re holding hands under the table. He’s never really minded it. Maybe they think it’s bothering him but it doesn’t. He loves seeing his best friends together. Just looking at them laughing is already a sight, seeing one of them look at the other with so much fondness and love makes Jungkook’s heart want to explode.
It’s not so hard for Jungkook to imagine that he’s part of it too when they’ve talked about everything under the sun. Sometimes, he would get walked to class by Taehyung or Jimin or both, arm in arm, and a few times, they would hold his hand, and he’d get butterflies in his stomach.
Jimin can’t believe he’s missed out on warm colors for 3 years. The name for those group colors mean exactly how it feels. He sees Taehyung now in all his beautiful self and he’s reminded again—falling in love again. His smile is warmer— must be the colors but he’s always been a warm person. He’d seen colors paint Taehyung’s face blue in the dawn or dusk, but seeing him now— it must be sacrilege. And Taehyung is still like cool colors but unlike the sky and sea when it’s scarily vast, Taehyung is comfort and his peace and calm. He loves the color of Taehyung’s skin— a color close to honey and Taehyung is just as sweet. When his face gets tinted with red from happiness it’s contagious and Jimin always lets himself get infected. Jimin spends his days looking now at Taehyung’s deep brown wondering eyes and he’d wondered too, how he could have someone like Taehyung. Someone so familiar and so warm all over like he’s the sun and Jimin is a flower he’d almost burn.
He’s met Jungkook and Jungkook is all kinds of beautiful too like Taehyung. They have their differences but he makes Jimin feel all the same… Like he’s in love— and he is. He’s an entity of energy and warm all over, like the colors he’d given Jimin to see. Jimin saw Jungkook’s face fill up with colors and Jungkook is overflowing with it’s over Jimin’s head— but he’s not drowning. It’s a good feeling of floating away and being so surrounded and so feeling of it that it’s become familiar. Jungkook is also familiar like the cool colors Jimin had been seeing for 3 years from locking eyes with Taehyung. Jungkook is so familiar and so comfortable and so close. Jungkook is so damn close (and moving in) to Jimin’s heart where Taehyung’s made a home of it. And there the blood flows and Jimin didn’t know it was red until he met Jungkook.
When the day came when their little unit was completed and Taehyung could see cool colors. He’s reminded of Jimin and how much he loves him. A not-so-subtle reminder that Jimin is his special person. That apart from being his soulmate, Jimin is also the person whom Taehyung loves and wants to spend the rest of his days with. Being reminded of it again is nice and invigorating. A famous phrase which he thinks is laughable in his situation, You gave my life color, to indicate that after meeting the other, then they would feel the sense of happiness. He had an irrational fear that if Jimin wasn’t his soulmate then Jimin isn’t his— but Jimin had already given him immense happiness, love and support even before he knew what life in color was like. He had nothing to be afraid of as Jimin was already his before the universe said so. Then again, he supposes it really is a fitting phrase from him to Jimin.
Taehyung’s philosophy about soulmates had changed after his 18th birthday, keeping Jimin’s word in mind. It’s true that the universe didn’t give any rules on who you can love and be with but them being your soulmate makes it so much easier. So it was easy for Taehyung to fall in love with Jungkook. Jungkook is familiar to Taehyung too like the colors Taehyung’s been seeing for the past 3 years, giving unreserved bursts of happiness and energy like the sun and for so long it had only been Jimin. His passion, reinvigorated. Jungkook had also given Taehyung cool colors and he never thought the sunset and sunrise could even be more beautiful but it could be with yellows and oranges mixing with blue and violets. Life couldn't be more beautiful but it did.
It’s the first time that Jungkook sleeps over at Jimin and Taehyung’s apartment. None of them have assignments or essays that needs to be submitted or worked on over the weekend. And so they didn’t pass the chance.
Jimin and Taehyung’s apartment is small but big enough for all of the things they need. There’s a bathroom, a tiny kitchen, they don’t have an oven stove but they have a tiny refrigerator, a microwave, a rice cooker and a hot plate which all of is right across the dining area by the corner. There’s a single bedroom which they don’t really use except to store their clothes. Their “bedroom” is the living area and it’s two single beds pushed together on the corner to make “one” big bed.
“For a home cooked meal.” They had said but really it’s cafeteria food in tupperwares. The ajhumma was really nice to give them a bit of extra. Although, the rice is freshly cooked. As the food gets heated up by Jimin and while Taehyung the dining area, clearing out books, notebooks and papers, Jungkook checks out the wall adjacent to the bed. They’re all sharing the bed tonight and Jungkook gets flustered by the thought of being in between Jimin and Taehyung.
The wall is filled with polaroids with a much younger Taehyung and Jimin in it, some are recent. Different times from when they were together, differently colored hair and styles. Some are familiar, he’s seen it from the photos they sent in the group chat. There are photos are printed on normal paper and some on actual photo paper— it’s a mess. He blushes when he sees sleeping photos of himself in the booth. All from different days. Selfies they took together are there too. There are tickets from going to the movies, at an arcade, a museum. Some are familiar, he has the same tickets and keeps it in his wallet. There are also some drawings that are his. Doodles on notebooks, ripped out and pasted on the wall. He smiles and feels all kinds of warm.
Only two photographs are framed and on the opposite wall. It’s their first group photo together and a print of his best work. Right now, Jungkook feels so full of warmth and love for his best friends. Soon enough he wouldn’t be able to contain it.
There was never a dull moment between the three of them, or sometimes when there’s just two. They’ve moved from the dining area to the bed when the hunger was satisfied and when they’ve taken showers. The bed is more comfortable than what Jungkook had expected it to be. The sheets are all worn, soft and freshly laundered. Jungkook is sitting up, hugging a pillow and the three of them are sharing one big blanket. Taehyung hogs most of it along with the pillows, using Jimin’s thigh to support his head. Jimin softly runs his fingers through Taehyung’s wet hair, combing it.
The three of them on the bed paint a very beautiful picture in Jungkook’s head. It’s how things should be if they let him into their hearts in more than a platonic kind of way.
They’re all chatterboxes. It’s incredible that even with the amount of time they’ve spent together, they seem to have never run out of a topic or things to share. Upon the subject of love, Jungkook asks how Jimin and Taehyung got together. For some reason it was a topic they’ve never shared with Jungkook.
“We clicked as friends. We were never classmates but we spent a lot of our time together.” Jimin said smiling at Taehyung with so much fondness.
“Then I confessed during a sleepover. And then almost a year later we found out that we were soulmates but we could only see a half of the spectrum.” Taehyung then replies with a boxy-grin, looking up at Jimin. And Jimin proceeds to give Taehyung a small kiss on his forehead.
“Sorry for meeting you guys so late.” Jungkook says apologetically.
“It’s okay, Jungkookie. You’re 2 years younger than us. We met you at the right time, like what the universe intended. And besides.” Taehyung reaches out his hand to rub Jungkook’s thigh for reassurance.
“You’re worth the wait, Jungkook.” Jimin supplies, completing Taehyung’s previous sentence.
Jungkook must be blushing like a tomato. He’s gotten used to their compliments to him, how cute he looks or how well he’s doing, but never phrases that heavy. He’s actually speechless just looking at the both of them, feeling heat at the tips of his ears.
“What about you? How was your love life?” Jimin asks, voice laced with genuine curiosity. Jungkook feels embarrassed replying that he’s had failed relationships because of the soulmate thing.
Frustration came. “The universe created soulmates so you can have someone that moves you to grow but it doesn’t choose who you’ll fall and be in love with. For the people I dated, I just wasn’t that person—- it was their soulmate. How cliche, right? ”
And then acceptance. “But I’m okay now. I found you guys.” The last part was close to a whisper. Jungkook says it looking down at his hands and the sheets and it’s quiet. For a moment Jungkook feels as if he shouldn’t have said anything like that when his soulmates are dating each other and he’s single. Like he had implied that he’s looking for something more than just friendship from them. He is but honestly, he’ll take what he can get. He just wants them to stay in his life.
The mattress dips in Jimin’s weight. He moves close enough to Jungkook that he can hold his hand. And so he does. He’s talked about this with Taehyung. This would be the night to ask Jungkook.
“We’ve been meaning to ask. How do you feel about me and Taehyungie?”
“You guys are my best friends and soulmates. And a great couple.” Jungkook replies. Pretending to have a different understanding to what Jimin implied.
Had he been too obvious? Jungkook had always gazed at them a little bit too long. Was touchy as they were to him and maybe he wouldn’t admit it but it’s him who reaches out first. Meeting them had literally allowed Jungkook to see the world differently— beautifully. They’re different people of course and no one makes Jungkook feel more or less than the other. The dynamics are different when it’s just him and Taehyung or him and Jimin and when they’re all together but it’s more than okay. Jimin and Taehyung— they’re two sides of the same coin balancing on its side.
“Jungkook. Do you like like me? And do you like like Jimin?” Taehyung asks. Jimin and Taehyung are focused on him.
Jungkook looks from Taehyung to Jimin back and forth, trying to read their faces. There would be no other opportunity like this again. He nods fast, catching his breath. There’s no reason to lie. “I love you both”, he says while closing his eyes shut, feeling so stupid for being so obvious.
He feels the mattress dip at his sides and he gets a kiss on his cheeks at the same time. “We love you too.” Jimin says. In which Taehyung replies “in a way that’s more than platonic. How’s that for cliche?”
Jungkook opens his eyes slowly as if to peek and Taehyung catches his face by surprise and kisses him. It was a nice kiss— it was so so nice and Jungkook feels small when Taehyung cups his face with his big hands. When it’s over, Jungkook looks to see Jimin and he’s just smiling so bright at them. This time, Jungkook is the one initiating the kiss and letting himself be led again, this time by Jimin. Jimin’s hand on the back of Jungkook’s neck and the other brushing through his hair. Jungkook hadn’t noticed that he’d been crying up until his cheeks were being gently wiped by their hands.
There’s a giggle between each peck they place on Jungkook’s face. Soon, Jungkook is giggling too.
“I’ve never see you guys kiss in front of me. Why?” Jungkook asks, shyly and removes himself from their arms. He never truly understood why when they were always declaring their love for each other.
Jimin and Taehyung, smile at him and adjusts themselves so they have each other in their arms. They take a glance at each other and kiss right in front of Jungkook. There are tears are running down their cheeks that are being wiped away and they’re happily smiling against their kiss. Jungkook had spent nights imagining the sight in front of him— which is honestly so beautiful to him. He’s slightly turned on but that’s for a different night.
“That was the first time I’ve ever seen you two kiss in front of me.” He’s honestly thankful or else he might’ve drooled at the wrong place and time.
“So you wouldn’t feel left out, Kookie.” Jimin answering him with a giggle while Taehyung places a kiss on his hair.
They’re a wonderful sight.
“Could you two kiss again?” Jungkook asks again. “Please?”
Jimin and Taehyung share another kiss and Jungkook is already sketching a mental image for his next great work. Two people whom he’s in love with are also in love with each other. What are the odds of that? But then again what are the odds of having two soulmates? They’re both such wonderful and beautiful people that Jungkook is in awe that they are his and he is theirs.
When it’s over, they smile at him as if he’s such a wonderful thing and he gets pulled into the middle, one hand in each of his. Taehyung gives him a peck on the lips, for a good night’s rest. And then Jimin follows with another peck, for sweet dreams.
Jungkook lays right in between them, his back pressed against Taehyung’s chest. Jimin’s head rests on his chest. When Jimin giggles, Jungkook knows it’s because his heart is beating so fast that Jimin could hear it. Jimin and Taehyung’s hands meet in Jungkook’s side, intertwined. Their legs, tangled under the blanket. They fit perfectly.
Another mental image that Jungkook will draw. His favorite one.
“I love you guys the most. But I’m selfish, so it’s my turn in the middle next time.” Taehyung says, followed by a yawn.
And with that they drift to sleep with smiles on their faces.
Epilogue
Jungkook moves in after a little bit over a month. Everyone saw it coming. Jimin and Taehyung was ready for this to happen even when they hadn’t met Jungkook yet— just in case. Toiletries were ready, utensils, plates, and mugs. Jungkook barely slept at his dorm room anymore. He always sleeps over at Jimin and Taehyung’s apartment that there came a time that he slept over for a week and that had decided it.
“You’ve been staying here for a week, why don’t you just move in?” “We’ll help you move, but most of your stuff are already here.”
The wall of photos, tickets, and drawings had more additions until there was barely space for more. So in the future when Taehyung and Jimin had graduated and found jobs, they’ll earn money to move their little home closer to the university for Jungkook. They’ll move again soon but it’s okay. Home can be a group of people too. With the time that’s passed, they’ll have matured and had discovered more of each other. There are things that stay constant. Being each other’s cheerleaders, encouraging each other to do their best in their endeavors. They’re quick to apologize when someone gets hurt. They’re each other’s voice of reason and at times, they’re each other’s shoulders to cry on and ears that listen when things get rough. Life gets busier but it’s okay because they have each other.