Work Text:
It is said that two people that are fated to be together are connected by an invisible thread tied to each one of their fingers. No matter what happens to the thread, whether it may be tangled or stretched until it is thin, it will never break. This might signify the strong bond that these fated people have, or may have if they are yet to meet. Regardless of the time or distance, the two ends of the thread will always meet.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Do you believe in soulmates?” Soobin wonders out loud out of nowhere.
The couple are enjoying a lazy afternoon on the bed in Soobin’s dorm, cuddling for god knows how long. The window curtains are opened halfway, letting the sun’s rays shine on them and they bask in its warmth. Soobin can only feel the warmth on his back though as he faces Kai instead of the window. Meanwhile, the sun shines on Kai’s face, making the already bright person glow even more almost like he’s the sun himself. Or at least that’s how Soobin sees him.
“Why the sudden question about soulmates?” Kai’s now curious about why his boyfriend asked that question.
“I’ve just been thinking…” He pauses for a second, breathing in the beauty in front of him that is Kai. Until now he still thinks he's the most beautiful person he’s ever seen, and that’s not only because of his appearance. “Every time we’d meet back then, there’s always some reason behind it or something that ties the both of us. Like it’s not just some kind of coincidence, something like that.”
Soobin really was thinking about it, maybe for a long time now and maybe before they even got to be together and he was still just pining for him in secret. He also gets a bit embarrassed about thinking of bringing it up to him, so he does it right now while he still has enough courage to do so.
He looks at Kai to see what he thinks about it after just telling him. Kai just smiles at him, amused.
“Stop,”
“I didn’t even say anything.” Kai lets out a chuckle.
“You’re smiling, I already know what you’re thinking.”
“Is it because we’re soulmates?” Kai teases Soobin which results in him being lightly pushed on the shoulder.
“You think I’m cheesy,” Soobin says in embarrassment, voice muffled as he covers himself with both of his hands that were holding Kai’s before.
“It’s cute though.” Kai smiles, completely endeared by him. He reaches for Soobin’s hands, trying to stop him from hiding his face but Soobin wouldn’t budge. “Come on, I still want to know why you think we’re soulmates.”
Soobin peeks his eyes between his fingers as if to ask “Really?”
Kai nods, finally being able to take one of Soobin’s hands and placing a kiss on his palm. “Tell me more about it.” And to be quite honest, he is also curious about it himself.
Soobin removes his other hand from burying it on his face and holds Kai’s once more, playing with it.
“What one moment of us do you think that there was something that ties us both together?” Kai asks, wanting to know what Soobin would answer.
“You remember the first time we first met?” Soobin instantly recalls that moment. The very first time they saw each other.
“You mean when we met each other’s eyes?” They both laugh.
The first time they met wasn’t really a proper meeting where they talk to each other and tell each other their own names. Instead, they were on a train in their last year of being a high school senior and Kai sat on the seat in front of Soobin. As soon as Kai settles on his seat, he looks up to see another pair of eyes looking at him through a pair of glasses.
“That music we were listening to when we saw each other,” Soobin continues and Kai already knows what he was talking about.
At the same time that they met each other’s eyes, they also happened to be listening to the same piece of music that they later learned after telling each other. ‘You’re in Love’ from the ghibli film ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ that they have recently watched. It may be a complete coincidence that they are listening to the same piece or it may just be fate sending them a message of what is to happen in the near future.
Though, for Soobin, it may have happened early. Because for Soobin, time seemed to stop for a minute or two when he saw Kai, mesmerized by the beautiful boy in front of him. Love at first sight as they say.
“‘You’re in Love’ from the ghibli movie.” Soobin names the piece, and Kai — who learned how to play it on the piano — places a hand on Soobin’s arm and moves it like he’s playing the notes on the piano on his arm. “We were listening to it at the same time. I’d like to think that we’re already fated ever since then.”
Kai hums, satisfied from the answer to the question he asked him. “Anything else? Any more moments?” But he also wants to hear more, hear more about the reasons why they’re soulmates and what moments tie them together in Soobin’s perspective.
“Well, there is when I learned that we ended up studying at the same university.” Soobin gives another answer. “Considering that there are a lot of universities in our area and they all have the courses we’re taking, we somehow still chose the same one to attend to.”
Kai smiles at the fact that Soobin also took that into account, about them studying in the same university. He figures that it also makes sense, because in one way or another they almost always constantly find themselves just around one another.
“After that, I just keep seeing you almost everywhere around the campus. I still don’t know your name by then, and every time I’ve gotten enough courage to ask you, it’s either you disappear instantly or I get called to do something.” Soobin chuckles as he remembers how he would just freeze when he sees him and the instant panic that soon follows, thinking if he looks nice today and if he should finally ask the boy his name.
“Didn’t we meet at the ice cream shop you were working at before? Why didn’t you ask for my name back then?” Kai asks him, remembering the time he visited their shop where Soobin worked with his best friend.
“Well, you were waiting for someone.”
“They didn’t even show up.”
On the day of their meeting at the ice cream shop, Kai was waiting for someone, someone he used to like. He waited for hours and hours at the shop, even waited for a message from the other person but nothing ever showed up, not even a single word or a single shadow. Soobin can only watch him back then as it happened, his own heart breaking for him.
“And it’s his loss. How can they ever not show up? When it’s a date with you?” Soobin is still evidently annoyed at that person who he didn’t even see the face of and Kai just giggles at his boyfriend.
“But even after that, I still stayed for a while, so why didn’t you ask for my name?” Kai asks again.
“I forgot…” Soobin admits, his voice gone quiet. Kai now laughs, his right hand reaching for Soobin’s cheek to pinch it because it’s cute when his boyfriend would shyly admit to something with a pout on his face.
“But you sure didn’t forget to give me free ice cream.” Kai still remembers when Soobin had stopped him before he left the shop just to give him a bag of ice cream.
“I felt bad. You looked so full of hope when you entered the shop but then you had to wait that long only to get ghosted and you didn’t even get to eat any ice cream.” And even now Soobin feels bad when he looks back on that memory.
“Sure I was disappointed that day but your ice cream made it up for me though. You giving me ice cream was a nice gesture and it made me happy.” Kai admits, smiling softly as he looks at the boy’s eyes in front of him.
“I’m glad.” Soobin smiles, brushing a piece of hair behind Kai’s ear. “And, hey, at least I finally remembered to ask for your name at that party. Honestly, I wasn’t even planning to go to the party. But I kept having a nagging feeling that I should and I will regret it if I don’t go.”
The party that Soobin is talking about was a party for freshmen arranged by some of the students in their university at one of their houses. It happened at the end of the second semester and everyone was invited. The students have arranged it so that the freshmen would be able to socialize and meet new people that aren’t only in their courses. And it worked, as Soobin was able to talk to Kai that day and finally learn the name of the boy who he fell in love with at first sight.
He wasn’t planning on socializing that night though so he just wanted to stay close to his friend, someone he is familiar with, but then he found himself wanting to do the opposite when his eyes had landed on Kai’s figure. He still remembers trying to gather up all the courage he had to walk up to the boy and ask for his name at the bar counter as he asked for another drink to only have the same boy walk up the counter right next to him to ask for a drink as well. Kai recognizes him when he turns his head to his side.
(“You’re the guy from the ice cream shop!” He said after remembering who the familiar guy was. Soobin was too surprised to even say anything back. “Thank you, again, for the ice cream. I hope you didn’t get reprimanded since you gave it to me for free.”
“No, no. Thankfully they didn’t.” Soobin chuckles awkwardly, he wasn’t expecting he would be the one to talk to him first and he hasn’t even mentally prepared himself for this to happen. Also, the ice cream part, he paid for it himself after he gave it to the beautiful stranger.
Kai just smiled at him before going back to waiting for his drink, and there was a full minute of silence between them save for their background that’s filled with loud music and chattering people. Kai’s drink arrived first and just then did Soobin remember to finally ask for his name right before he left.
“Uhh… I don’t think I got your name?” Soobin finally does it. He reaches out a hand to him. “I’m Soobin by the way.”
Kai takes his hand, shaking it. “Kai. Nice to meet you, Soobin.”
“Nice to meet you too”
“I’ll head first, my friends are probably waiting for me.” Kai excuses himself and Soobin watches as he walks up to two people by the living room.)
Soobin left that night feeling like he could fly from the happiness he’s feeling. Kai , the name fits him so well he thinks. And knowing his name and him finally knowing Soobin names just meant that conversation will be easier for the both of them the next time they meet. Soobin begins to feel even more hopeful for the possibility of the two of them talking again.
“And my gut feeling was right, I definitely would have regretted not going and not finally getting to know your name. Because after that we got to meet more and more, and I finally got to know you more. I was so happy to become your friend, even happier on the day I found out it wasn’t just me who had these feelings.” Soobin smiled so fondly, happiness seen in every inch of his face as he started caressing Kai’s who leaned into his touch. Soobin just feels so lucky to have him.
If the Soobin from years ago was told that he would be with the boy he pined for for years, he doesn’t even think he’ll ever believe them and what they’re saying. But now, when Kai is finally right in front of him, he can’t help but feel so much happiness. The love that he has that he thought he’ll never be able to give now has a place to call home, and he gets to have the same love given back to him.
“And that’s why we’re soulmates?” Kai asks as it looked like that was the end of Soobin continuing his answer about why he thinks they’re soulmates and what moments are those that feels like a proof of them being fated to each other.
“Yes, and among other things as well.” Soobin interlocks their fingers together which always fit like puzzle pieces. “Other things like the way how I somehow just always see you in an instant the moment I thought of you or the moment I think of missing you. Also, sometimes it feels as though I’m being pulled and my footsteps would always lead to you.”
“We really are soulmates then.” Kai smiles once more.
“We are, and I wouldn’t want it to be with anyone else.”
Soobin lifts himself up, placing a kiss on Kai’s forehead before moving to plant a kiss on his nose, then to his left temple, then to all the moles in Kai’s face like he’s tracing constellations before finally stopping right before his lips. He kisses him softly before breaking, and he does it again and again and again. They only cuddled some more after that, a bit more closer even. Soon, Soobin falls asleep and Kai just watches his boyfriend’s pretty sleeping face as he plays with his hair.
Kai still hasn’t answered Soobin's question about believing in soulmates though, but he does. Kai believes in soulmates just as how he believes that Soobin is his soulmate. He’s thought about that many times as well, and he’s glad he’s not the only one who feels as though they are always being pulled to each other either by fate or entirely something else.
Kai has always noticed it in moments where Soobin is somehow always there, around him or with him; whether it is at times that he needed him, wanted to talk to him or simply at times where he just misses him. Even in fleeting moments and stolen glances and coincidentally meeting in the same places always. Even in the ice cream that was given to him, Kai had noticed some time later that it had one of the flavors named ‘Love Potion’ in them. He had only joked about them being soulmates to his friends but as they spend more time together and more moments where that ties the both of them, the more he is inclined to believe that they are.
Kai doesn’t even think he has ever loved someone this much before. And that makes him happy, because that’s all he ever wanted and that’s all that he’s been meaning to find. To finally love someone as much as the sun loves the moon and feel the same love back, and he found it in Soobin. The day he realized these feelings was the day that everything finally came into light. He may also have not fallen as fast as him but he knows that he has fallen just as deep in love with him, his soulmate.
Kai places a soft, lasting kiss on Soobin’s forehead. Maybe one day, he’ll tell him about how he believes in soulmates and how he believes that it is him too.