Chapter Text
It was a horrible day. It was not something new that Jihoon had to face, his boss was horrible and each day he kept giving him more reasons to hate him and this job, honestly it's a matter of time now before he finally gave up and quit working for him.
It was raining by the time his boss let him out and he scoffs, of course it chose to rain the one day he didn't take an umbrella with him. Strangely though he doesn't mind getting wet that much, he didn't have enough on him to get a taxi and it would be a waste to run the distance to his apartment since it's a 30-minute walk so he's going to get wet either way.
Jihoon takes a long breath and starts walking, the droplets of rain falling on his hair feel more comforting than they should be, a shudder goes through him from the cold but he clutches to the feeling sighing, maybe he can make a detour and go somewhere. He didn't feel like going home and sitting in his enclosed apartment, it does get stuffy and lonely in there.
A warm kind of feeling runs through him and he smiles clutching to his heart, it's his soulmate. It's been like this for a few years. The moment you turn 18 you usually get your soulmate sign and it's different marks from one person to another. For example, his parents could mind read each other, his best friend Wonwoo had a timer and managed to meet his soulmate Mingyu a few months ago, and their older hyungs Seungcheol and Jeonghan met since they were in university since whatever they can write on their skins appears on the others so it was easier for them to find each other.
For Jihoon however, the night of his 18th birthday he started to have these foreign feelings, he knew at once that it wasn't his, it was his soulmate's. He didn't like it back then, it was extra overwhelming at times and he hated when he couldn't differentiate which was his or his soulmate's or when he just wanted to nap and the other decided he wanted to do something energetic and wouldn't let him sleep, that irked Jihoon so bad at the time. But as months passed, he learned to appreciate it especially when he had such bad days like today, his soulmate would know what he was feeling and send him such loving and comforting waves, sometimes it even felt like arms were slowly wrapping around him and bringing him to safety, like it's a warm hug and he loves that so much about his soulmate because they always know what to do.
Jihoon smiles a little and walks toward the park, he sees a couple hiding in front of a convenience store laughing loudly and wrapping a jacket over their heads, he watches as the guy wraps his arms around the tiny girl in a hug shielding her better from the rain then leans to kiss to her.
Jihoon sighs again patting his heart slowly at the questioning feeling he's getting. "I'm alright," he whispers to himself. "Just a little lonely I guess."
He wants that too. He's been wanting it for so long, to have his special someone he can come home to after a long day, to have such comfort, to be able to cuddle with his person and just feel that safety everyone talks about. Everyone says it's different after you meet your soulmate, the world smells different, the colors look more vibrant and it's just happier, Jihoon is sick of just hearing about it. He's sick of his own lonely world.
The park is as empty as he expected it to be just the sound of a few people running in the distance to escape the rain, not even the stray cats are around, they probably found shelter together as well.
He sits on a bench and tilts his head backward feeling the rain on his face, it's just him and the rain tonight. A dull feeling hits him and he smiles slightly, right you too buddy I'm sorry I know you're always with me.
He knows his soulmate lives in this country and is at least in a similar time zone, he's analyzed the times they're mostly active and it's closer to his, of course, unless his soulmate is a nocturnal kind of person than he probably judged so wrong but even then jihoon doesn't like thinking of that possibility since it means they're even farther than he expected them to be and in no way can jihoon afford a flight ticket to god knows where. He doesn't mind however the distance if it's affordable even if his soulmate lives at the farthest point in Korea he'll jump to take the first train ticket he can get and go find them there.
It's more of a routine at this point, he'll stare mindlessly at his walls or he'll be out like in this park for example and just daydreaming about his soulmate, not usually in the rain but Jihoon doesn't care about that detail. He wonders what kind of person they are, he knows they're an extremely energetic person, sometimes the random bursts of energy that hit Jihoon at random times of the day throw him off, but he's also grateful for them because he doesn't think he'll be able to get up and function every day without them.
However, after those bursts come the quiet hours, it's like his soulmate spends their energy fast the first few hours and then it's just a humming feeling in his chest for the rest of the hours, a warm steady reminder that they're there and that's his favorite time of the day.
He wonders if his soulmate is a girl or a boy, he wouldn't mind either of them, he's not the kind of person who cares about gender, it's more about the emotional tether and they already share that connection, he just can't wait to run and envelop them in a hug, even though he's not big on physical affection, but both of them need it at this point. It's been so long and most of his friends already met their soulmates when he's just taking forever.
He's sick of the pity looks they keep giving him every time they have a group outing and he's the only one alone, it's not like he's that old he's 25 but sometimes he feels like he is that old between his friends. His Jeonghan Hyung will always tell him that the timing is important and his soulmate will arrive at the perfect moment, but when will it be? how much longer does he need to wait? Hasn't it been long enough already?
He just wants to be happy. He wants to sleep cuddling to them, he wants to wake up to their eyes being the first thing he sees in the morning, whether it's green or blue eyes or just brown like his, it doesn't matter. He dreams about what kind of eyes they have more than he would like to admit, the eyes are the gates to the soul after all and sometimes he likes to imagine them as these tiny brown eyes staring at him fondly when he wakes up and maybe if he just doesn't open his eyes yet he can keep pretending they're laying next to him. He likes to think they're on the right side of the bed since he prefers his own to be the left one. whether that's their preference or not he wouldn't mind one day to flip it but wouldn't it be a perfect coincidence?
He shakes his head trying to shake the thoughts, it's getting late and starting to get darker and the streets around him are quieter. Jihoon is not the kind of person who will get scared of being alone in such a place but he wonders if his soulmate is. He wonders how much of a scaredy cat they are, would they hide in his embrace while they watch a movie refusing to look at the screen or would they be laughing at the tiny jumps Jihoon will have in each scary scene? Would they refuse to go camping fearing the animals in the wild or would they be some nature-loving, animal enthusiasts and would drag him all the way up to the mountains just to see some wild bears?
The flutter in his chest grows stronger and Jihoon smiles wider, looks like his soulmate tonight is more in tune with his feelings than normal, maybe they're just sitting somewhere and thinking as well, maybe they're thinking of him as well now, and having the same thoughts as him. Jihoon hopes they are, hopes he's not alone in this. Sometimes he does feel ridiculous about this, he never even tells his friends about these impromptu trips where he likes to just sit somewhere isolated and think alone, hell if Wonwoo knew he'll drag his ass back to his apartment especially that the rain is still pouring heavily on him.
The feeling in his chest grows even stronger and Jihoon's eyebrows furrow, it never felt this intense before, never this close. He wonders if his soulmate is okay or if something is going on with them. He closes his eyes leaning once again on the bench and focuses more on the feelings he's getting, they're intense, but they're also their usual steady warmth.
"Excuse me but it's raining so hard and you might get sick. I can help you get somewhere if you want I have an umbrella." Jihoon freezes the moment he hears the voice, something inside of him is screaming at him to open his eyes and look. "Hello?"
He opens his eyes slowly and turns to his right where a fairly young guy is standing in front of him holding an orangey-colored umbrella. Jihoon wipes his face from the rain and blinks several times to actually look properly at the guy since the rain keeps dropping on his face constantly and the moment their eyes meet it's like his whole world starts spinning.
The other boy's eyes widen in return and he stares at Jihoon in wonder and hope?
Jihoon reaches to his chest to pull his hand over his heart, it's just a habit he can't stop himself from doing every time he's overwhelmed himself or his soulmate is. Feelings in his chest were swirling in a big mixed chaos between excitement, surprise, hope, wonderment, fondness, adoration, and a slight hesitance and fear. It was a mix of both of them until Jihoon couldn't tell anymore where his ends and his soulmate's starts.
The boy leans slightly down and sits next to Jihoon effectively managing to shield Jihoon from the rain with his umbrella in the process "Hi."
Jihoon smiles back endeared at the adorable smile the other was holding finally being able to look at the other one clearer without the rain making it difficult for him. Small brown tilted eyes. That was the first thing he noticed and he chuckled to himself, he was right after all. "Hey," He doesn't know how he even answered but the small rush of nervousness he got was gone as fast as it came when reassurance wrapped all around him in a second.
"So are we going to say anything or just stare at each other all night and keep communicating with our emotions, if you ask me I think we've done enough of that already for so long." Jihoon laughs at that and he faintly registers in the back of his mind that he hadn't even managed to actually laugh this genuinely in so long, Seungkwan will throw a party if he sees him now.
"For far too long than I would like." The boy across from him grins at his response.
"I'm glad we're on the same page about this, I'm Soonyoung by the way."
Soonyoung, he mutters the name slowly on his lips trying to feel how it sounds, he finally can call his soulmate a name. "I'm Jihoon, I'm glad I can finally point a name to you."
Soonyoung nods softly muttering the other's name on his own for a few seconds then nods even more clearly happy since that's the overpowering emotion he feels from him at the moment.
"Wait what are you doing here?" Soonyoung's expression changes suddenly into worry as he lets his eyes roam over Jihoon's figure. "Oh god, you're all wet." He gets up so quickly eyes all panicked confusing Jihoon in the process.
Jihoon tries to rein himself when those feelings of worry hit him so suddenly and so strongly as he watches soonyoung fussing to get him up and going. "Soonyoung I'm okay. I promise I'm alright." Soonyoung however doesn't relent in trying to pull him up from the bench.
"No you're not, how long have you been here?"
"Eh since 6?"
"SIX?" Soonyoung screams. "ITS ALMOST 7 NOW."
"Oh..." That's all Jihoon says, he didn't realize time passed that quickly.
"You're going to get sick please Jihoon let's go somewhere safe where you can change and preferably take a shower and drink something warm."
Jihoon finally indulges him and stands up and the first thing he notices is the height difference between them, another oh leaves him as he realizes how it's the perfect height for forehead kisses. He looks upward at Soonyoung only now noticing his soft fluffy black hair, a few strands of it wet, he probably got a little rained on before he managed to open his umbrella and he fights the urge to not let his hands run through it.
Soonyoung reaches toward his hand pulling it close to him and Jihoon automatically hooks it in his elbow, he registers faintly that the world has stopped spinning but the wonder and amazement feelings were still heavily holding him, he really couldn't think of anything, his mind was just blank as he watched Soonyoung fuss over him.
"Jihoon?" He snaps out of his thoughts looking at a confused Soonyoung. "Where do you live? or we can just go to mine if you prefer." Jihoon's cheeks grow red and the latter's eyes widen. "I DID NOT MEAN IT THAT WAY, I meant... Cause it's raining and you need to change and... and..." He trails off when he sees the soft smile on Jihoon's face.
"I live like another 20 minutes away from here." Soonyoung clicks his tongue and shakes his head.
"Nope, we're going to mine it's closer and I don't think you can wait any longer." As if on cue a strong shudder goes through Jihoon and he starts shaking, it's a wonder he didn't notice how cold he was before, maybe it was the warmth of their connection or because it's their first meeting but Soonyoung proved that he's still in tune with his feelings even when Jihoon himself didn't notice.
He sticks closer to Soonyoung as he rushes them through the streets holding tightly to Jihoon. It all goes in a blur and Jihoon goes blank, he's never felt like this where all his overthinking just stopped and all that's left is comfort wrapped all over him and it's a feeling he has been craving for so long.
Before he can even tell rain stopped raining over him and he was being ushered into a warm space. Jihoon blinks his eyes and looks around him to find he's inside a living room already, when did they get there so fast?
Usually, Jihoon would've felt skeptical or even afraid if a stranger he met 15 minutes ago took him home but again the stranger in question is his soulmate who was there for him for the past 7 years more than any other person ever was and he would trust him in a heartbeat with his life.
A door opens and Soonyougn appears from it with a change of clothes in his arms, when did he even get there? "The bathroom is there, you can have a shower I don't mind, I'll heat up some food okay?" Jihoon nods dumbly and follows where Soonyoung points.
The dull lightening of the bathroom only makes Jihoon's eyes get more droopy but he holds himself from sleeping and instead slips inside the shower, immediately the hot water does its job and he sighs when he stops shaking letting the water trail over him and washing the whole day's bad things from him.
He reaches toward the shampoo on the stand next to him and he smells it a little smiling, it's an earthy-like smell, he wouldn't for the life of him ever be able to name scents but it reminded him of the forest and the nature but it also reminded him of home. He smiles to himself remembering how he smelt it all over Soonyoung on their way over as he pours a bit of it on his palm.
Once he's done and dressed he stares at himself in the mirror and can't even ignore the smile on his face, he tries to pull the sides of his mouth down but they just raise once more upwards and he shakes his head. He's happy, he's overly happy, once the daze he was in washed away in the shower and the shock from the cold, he could think clearer and finally digest where he is now and what happened in the past hour. he finally met his soulmate.
HE FINALLY MET HIS SOULMATE AFTER A LONG 7 YEARS OF WAITING.
He clamps his mouth shut after a squeal leaves him. What is he? A 13-year-old teenager? He pulls on his sweater paws a little in embarrassment, Soonyoung's sweater is big on him but he loved how it enveloped him in his scent and comfort.
The moment the opens the door, the scent of food hits him right away and it draws him to the kitchen where Soonyoung has already changed into slacks. The moment he enters the room, the other turns around and a wide smile draws on his face right away. "Hey you."
Jihoon walks to where he is not touching but still close enough to peek at what he is cooking "Oooh kimshi fried rice, can I have an extra set of rice?" Soonyoung grins and nods at the the table where another bowl of rice sits. "Ah, it's like you already know what I like."
" I mean technically I do know you well enough, maybe not in words but I can tell tale the signs," Soonyoung mentions as he closes the stoves and moves the huge pot to the table. "Come let's eat."
Both of them settle in front of each other shyly stealing glances at the other which Jihoon now finds absurd after all that happened but the excitement has died down a little and he didn't know what was he supposed to do in the presence of the other.
"I never asked but how old are you?" Jihoon asks.
"I'm 25, actually my birthday is 5 months before yours so I had to wait 5 extra months before I could feel you for the first time." Jihoon's mouth opens up in shock.
"Oh, I never thought of that case or how it probably was for you."
"It's okay." Soonyoung waves him off. "Everyone told me it will eventually come because my soulmate is probably not of age yet, we're lucky it was just 5 months some people have it worse."
Jihoon nods slowly. "My friend had to wait almost a year for his, it was sad watching him mop around but then he ended up finding his soulmate before me so I guess that backfired quickly."
Soonyoung snorts. "It took too long, yes, but I think we both needed to grow more before we met right?" He tilts his head to the side and Jihoon sighs thinking about everything that he went through the past few years. He doesn't think he would've been ready to commit to a relationship a few years ago even if it was his soulmate.
"Maybe you're right, I can't believe though we've been living in the same city all this time and yet we never met." Soonyoung chuckles slurping his rice.
"Distance never mattered to me, I would've driven all the way to the south if I had to find you." Jihoon's heart beats a little too hard and the other raises an eyebrow at him.
He's perfect, just like I imagined him.
"It's like you read my mind." Soonyoung puts a hand over his mouth and whispers.
"Maybe I do." Both of them laugh at that then Soonyoung clears his throat. "Now eat up, I don't want you being hungry or getting sick the day we finally get to meet each other." Jihoon flushes in embarrassment and kicks himself because why did he think it was a good idea to have a stroll in the rain?
They finish eating with some small talk between each other and Jihoon's eyes start dropping. "You look like you're one minute away from crashing, come on you can sleep in my room I'll take the living room sofa."
He leads him to his bedroom and when he starts to leave Jihoon holds his arm stopping him "Stay." Sooyoung raises an eyebrow at that and Jihoon just looks down. "I've been waiting for so long and I feel like if you leave now I'll wake up to it being just a dream and you can't imagine how much losing you when I just got you would hurt me... I.."
Soonyoung doesn't let him finish as strong arms wrap around him bringing him closer to his embrace, Jihoon takes a long breath and sighs when all he smells around him is the scent of rain and forest making a silent tear fall from his eyes. "I can imagine. You seem to forget that I waited as long as you did Jihoonie, maybe a little more."
Guilt starts swarming all over his chest, how could he not think as well of soonyoung after all both of them are in the same predicament. However, reassurance quickly grows in his chest pushing away any bit of guilt he was feeling making him relax slightly.
"I'm here, I promise I won't go anywhere I promise but you got to promise me as well." Only then when he focuses on Soonyoung's arms around him he realizes they are trembling so hard.
Jihoon pulls a little bit of the embrace to look at Soonyoung, his own silent tears coating his cheeks, he reaches slightly to him and wipes them out. "I promise, no more tears, I won't go anywhere, not even if you ask me to."
Soonyougn chuckles in his tears and shakes his head. "Beware what you say Jihoonie I'm a clingy person, I mean it when I say I won't let go." Oh boy... Jihoon would normally push him away but he's his soulmate and he didn't wait for 7 long years to then push him farther, so he leans a little and presses a small kiss to the closest piece of skin he can find which happens to be Soonyoung's neck.
"You can cling all you want." He smiles in the kiss when the shudder that goes through the other doesn't escape him.
"come on let's sleep I know you're tired." Jihoon can barely open his eyes as Soonyoung pulls away kissing his forehead in adoration and leading him to the bed settling Jihoon on the left side of the bed as he takes the right which makes warmth go through him.
He's perfect.
Jihoon tries to fight the sleep, he doesn't want the night to end yet. "I have a lot to ask you but I don't know where to start." Soonyoung grins and shakes his head.
"We have all eternity, after all, it can all wait till tomorrow when you wake up I promise I'll still be here You won't be alone anymore."
"One last question though," Jihoon nods sleepily at the serious expression on Soonyoung's face "Do you like tigers?"
Jihoon explodes in laughter not giving the other an answer as he turns to his side ignoring the other's whining.
And when he wakes up the next morning all cuddled up to Soonyoung, the other watching him fondly, the first thing he sees is his small brown tilted eyes he can't help but sigh in happiness, he's not alone anymore.
Yes, he's perfect. And he just can't wait to fall in love with him.