Work Text:
Xiao Zhan is almost six years old when numbers ''85'' appears a little bit lower on his belly. At first he thinks that someone must have written it at night. But who? He doesn't have a brother or a sister. So, still a little bit sleepy, he tries to wash them off. And that's how his mother finds him - with red skin and eyes swollen with tears.
"Mommy, I don't know what's this", cries Xiao Zhan, ''and I can't wash it away."
"Oh, sweetie. It's okay, don't cry, yeah?", his mom dries him with a towel and kisses both of his cheeks. "It's just your soulmate mark."
***
So, yes, soulmates.
Some people have a name written on their skin. Some have a phrase or half of a some kind of drawing. Sometimes it might be numbers, like little Xiao Zhan now has. And the thing is - the soulmate mark can mean anything. Xiao Zhan hopes that those numbers doesn't mean that he's going to meet his soulmate when he's 85 years old.
But then again, the fact that a person has a soulmate mark doesn't mean that they actually going to meet them at all. Xiao Zhans parents is a good example, actually. They do love each other, but they are not soulmates.
Xiao Zhan thinks about it for the rest of the day. He's still a little bit confused and doesn't understand a lot of things. But he decides that he's happy that somewhere today his soulmate was born. So he takes a red marker and marks today's date on the calendar.
It's August 5th, and Xiao Zhan thinks it's amusing.
***
Xiao Zhan likes to draw. He's been going to art school for a couple of years already. At first he learned how to draw simple figures, how light and shadow works from different angles. And now he can draw picture perfect sceneries.
"Okay, class! Starting from today we are going to learn how to draw humans anatomy. And we're going to start with quite difficult part, actually. So listen and watch carefully!"
And when Xiao Zhan finishes his fifth sketch of a palm with long fingers, he draws a heart with a dot at the corner of his canvas.
He doesn't know why he decides to do that, but somehow it feels right.
***
Xiao Zhan is 25 when he dreams of those same fingers that he's been drawing since forever. He dreams of low voice and demonic but still perfect laugh. He can't see the face, though, but he's sure that the person he dreamed tonight was his soulmate.
Later that day Xiao Zhan goes to motorcycle racing with his friends from work. He's not a fan, but he has no plans for that weekend, so he decides - why not?
And when all those crazy laps are over and racer with numbers ''85'' is standing on the pedestal, receiving his award for getting the 1st place, Xiao Zhan thinks oh.
***
Xiao Zhan is 27 when he turns on the TV on the show, where young big stars are trying to win more hearts. Racer 85 is there, too. He's been playing with permanent marker for a while now, when he opens it and starts to draw something on his hand.
"Wang Yibo, Wang Yibo! Is there maybe some special reason why you draw a heart with a dot on your hand?"
"Just felt like it, that's all."
Xiao Zhan can't help but smile while looking at the same heart he's been drawing since forever. The same mark that's been guarding his soulmate since the day he was born.
His phone beeps with incoming call.
"Hey, Yibo, did you land already?"
"Yeah, getting my baggage now."
"Good, good. Are you hungry?"
"No, just tired."
"What's your thoughts about hot bath and a really long nap then, hm?"
"Sounds perfect. Hey, Zhan-ge."
"Mm?"
"Didi loves you."
"Mm, love you, too. Come back home already, I really missed you."