Work Text:
“Minho! What is the emergency?” Chan asks as soon as everyone has gathered at Minho’s cat cafe after receiving his urgent texts, but Minho doesn’t look too stressed out in Hyunjin’s opinion.
“First of all, thank you for coming, I knew I could count on you,” Minho begins with a blank expression that Hyunjin finds hard to decipher. “Second of all, all of my staff is either on vacation or on sick leave or on pregnancy leave, so I need help.”
Ah, that’s what this is about, Hyunjin thinks, and now it makes sense that Changbin, who is allergic to and scared of cats, didn’t have to come. On the other hand, Jisung is here and he’s also allergic to cats, though he does love them.
“So you want us to fill in for them?”
Minho nods resolutely. “Yup. And don’t worry, you’ll get paid, but also: you get to play with the cats! Who wouldn’t want to play with those cuties?”
Hyunjin snorts, because most of them are either dog people or allergic to cats, but Hyunjin doesn’t really have anything to do this summer, so, if his friends will say yes, he’ll accept too. Felix immediately agrees, Chan, too, and Jeongin as well, but Jisung and Seungmin still look a tad hesitant.
“You know that I’m allergic, right, Min? And if I’ll have to work here the whole day…” Jisung trails off, and Minho scoffs.
“Of course I know! But you still love coming here, and you have medication for it, right?” he says, a gentle tone to his voice. “I will pay for the extra medication you need, and I’ll make sure to bathe them more frequently — you can help me with that, if you want — but you’re my soulmate, Sungie, my chocolate-scented soulmate! How can I not ask you to spend more time with me?”
Jisung huffs and his cheeks redden a little as he smiles bashfully. “That’s true… Okay, I’m in.”
Minho then looks at Seungmin and Hyunjin with expectant eyes. “And you two? I know you don’t really care for cats in particular, but you get to wear our cute waiter’s uniform! And wear cat ears on special Sundays!”
“Wait– wait– can I still decline now?” Jeongin asks, and Minho cackles.
“Nope. But you won’t be working every Sunday, I already had a plan for a schedule, but of course you all need to agree too,” Minho explains before he raises his eyebrows at Seungmin and Hyunjin. “Please? It would be ideal to have more of you so you have to work less and we can divide it up. And yes, you two can work together if you want.”
“Okay fine,” Hyunjin relents, though he was already planning to agree (and frankly, the employee uniforms are very cute). He’s also happy to hear that Seungmin agrees, and Hyunjin’s mind provides an image of Seungmin wearing the waiter’s uniform with cute cat ears, and promptly his heart skips a beat and his ears start heating up.
Yes, he has a huge crush on Seungmin— no, scratch that, he’s in love with Seungmin, and he has been for a while (which is also probably why Minho told them they could work together). He has no idea what Seungmin thinks of him, though, and, if he’s honest, it kind of makes him a bit insecure that they aren’t soulmates. He knows that soulmate bonds aren’t necessarily romantic, for example, siblings or best friends can be soulmates — for example, Minho and Jisung’s bond isn’t necessarily romantic as far as they know — and romantic relationships can also work without a soulmate bond like for Seungmin’s parents, but still. Hyunjin’s parents do have a soulmate bond, it formed about a year after they met each other, and at first they thought that it was a platonic bond, and maybe it was at first, there’s no way to know, but Hyunjin definitely believes that it turned into a romantic one over time.
Soulmate bonds are complex, he knows that, they can overlap, they can form over different periods of time and they can even disappear if the bond between people weakens, but that doesn’t happen often, and no one knows why exactly or when soulmate bonds form. They can be strong, weak, or barely noticeable, but it always manifests in the form of a smell, or in the cases of people who don’t have a sense of smell, it manifests in a sort of sensation or taste. That smell can also change over time and it can often be mistaken for a perfume or cologne, but the people who share the soulmate bond both have the same smell, like Minho and Jisung both have a chocolate-y smell, or like their whole friendgroup has a faint spicy smell. The smell or sensation also gets stronger when you’re with your soulmates, which makes it slightly easier to distinguish.
Some people don’t really care about soulmates, but Hyunjin has always dreamed of finding his romantic soulmate like his parents did. He was happy that he formed a soulmate bond with his friends, but still that desire for a romantic bond remained, until… until his feelings for Seungmin developed and he kept on hoping for a bond that wouldn’t come.
He felt a bit dejected after having crushed on Seungmin for a few months and still nothing that looked (smelled) like a bond formed, and he thought that his crush would probably fade away, but, instead, his feelings kept growing until one day Hyunjin suddenly realized he was in love. It was when Hyunjin brought his painting easel outside to draw a field of flowers and Seungmin happened to pass by on a walk. He praised Hyunjin’s painting even though it wasn’t even close to being finished, and he was just so cute and playful and happy and sweet and everything Hyunjin loves about him, it made Hyunjin realize how deep he had fallen already.
Either way, now Hyunjin is in a dilemma. On one hand, he doesn’t want to care about the fact that they aren’t soulmates, but on the other hand, Hyunjin can’t help but overthink things because of it despite not doubting his feelings. He’s just afraid that Seungmin doesn’t feel the same and that is why no bond is forming, even though he knows that it doesn’t have to be because of that.
“Hyunjin, do you agree with the schedule too?” Seungmin pulls him out of his thoughts, and Hyunjin jolts in surprise, having spaced out as they were discussing how they would want to divide up the work days. He was too focused on trying to get a whiff of Seungmin who is standing next to him, but the only smells he could pick up were the faint smell of spices, chocolate, and cats, so his brain started overthinking again.
“Uh— yeah, I do,” Hyunjin stammers before he has even properly looked at the schedule. When he sees that he shares his work days with Seungmin and Jisung, though, he’s relieved, and he didn’t really have a preference for which days he’d work, so it’s all good. He also notices that they’ll take turns on Sundays and that it’s Chan’s, Felix’s, and Jeongin’s turn first.
“Great. Then let’s go over the basic things you need to know to work here and you’re all set.” Minho claps his hands together excitedly, and Hyunjin can’t help but smile at it.
He latches himself onto Seungmin, slinging his arms around his friend’s waist as they listen to Minho explain and show how things work around the cat cafe. Hyunjin loves just being able to lean on Seungmin, and Seungmin clearly doesn’t mind it either if the smile that forms on his lips as Hyunjin squeezes his arms around Seungmin’s waist is anything to go by.
He buries his face into the crook of Seungmin’s neck for a moment when Minho explains something Jeongin didn’t quite understand again and he inhales Seungmin’s scent, different emotions swirling through his stomach as he only recognizes the laundry detergent Seungmin always uses. It’s a nice scent nonetheless, it’s fresh and has a slight flowery hint to it, but Hyunjin secretly always hopes to pick up a different scent too.
It also occurred to him that maybe that detergent smell could be their smell, but no one has ever told them they smell similar or asked if they use the same detergent, and Hyunjin is too embarrassed to ask someone how he smells when Seungmin is right there with them (without Seungmin the scent would probably be too faint if he has one). On top of that, Seungmin doesn’t really care about soulmates, at least, not in the way Hyunjin does, so Seungmin isn’t one to pay attention to smells either (maybe that’s also why his laundry detergent smells relatively strongly, because some people always make sure to keep all scents away from themselves so that they only leave potential soulmate smells, marketers even make sure to boast with products that are completely scentless).
When Minho is done explaining, tells them that he’ll help them during their shifts too, and hands them their uniforms, Hyunjin is actually looking forward to working for Minho with his friends. He was kind of bored during the summer and earning some extra cash while hanging with your friends (and the love of your life) while dressed nicely is never bad either. The rest seem to be excited too, and Hyunjin knows they might not be the best and most experienced cat cafe waiters out there, but maybe their excitement will compensate for it.
Shit. Seungmin looks mindblowing in his waiter outfit with the pinstriped pants, dress shirt, and cute frilly apron decorated with paw prints. He looks both handsome, hot, and cute and it’s way too much for Hyunjin’s poor brain to handle at this hour in the morning. Seungmin catches him staring and chuckles, a rosy blush forming on both of their cheeks.
“Do you like what you see?” he teases, purposefully positioning himself in a sexy pose, or— at least, he tries , but Hyunjin oddly finds it attractive (though he mostly finds it incredibly funny, and he predictably bursts out into laughter).
He holds onto Seungmin’s shoulder for support as he tries to compose himself, but as he does, he gets a whiff of Seungmin’s smell— it’s not Seungmin’s laundry detergent because Minho said he had already washed the uniforms for them. He doesn’t know if he imagined it (sometimes noses can play tricks on you), but Seungmin somehow smells… rosy? Flowery? Does he have a certain hair wash maybe? Or is he wearing an undershirt that smells like the detergent? Did he put on cologne for the job?—
“Ah! Everyone is here, I already thought I heard Hyunjin’s cackling.” Minho pulls Hyunjin out of his thoughts and Hyunjin jolts up, standing straight up as Minho approaches them. “Let’s go open up the cafe, yeah?”
Their first day goes well once they’ve found what works for them in terms of teamwork and role division, and Hyunjin tries his best to be professional, but it’s very difficult with Jisung cracking jokes behind the counter and Seungmin barking at customers. Fortunately, the customers seem very entertained by both the cats and Seungmin barking and Hyunjin laughing at it. Minho is also watching them with a grin, sometimes giving some tips or apologizing on behalf of them when Hyunjin accidentally gets an order mixed up.
Maybe that happened because he was so distracted by Seungmin, not only by his barking but also just by how good he looks in his uniform, how good he looks when he smiles when he makes customers laugh, and how Hyunjin is still curious about his scent.
During his break, Hyunjin asks Jisung to smell him, but Jisung only tells him that he doesn’t smell any differently than usual, which is how Hyunjin’s apartment smells, slightly like flowers, because of all the bouquets Hyunjin buys to paint or decorate his house with.
“Wait— did you say flowers?” Hyunjin asks, his heart speeding up as Jisung raises an eyebrow at him.
“Yeah, but you always smell like that– as I said, your apartment—”
“I know that, but– but what if our scent is flowers?” Hyunjin interrupts, placing his hands on Jisung’s knees and looking at him with wide eyes. “What if we are soulmates and we just never noticed because my apartment smells like it and Seungmin has his iconic laundry detergent?”
Jisung looks hesitant and he shrugs. “It could be, but– I don’t know, you two are great without a soulmate bond too. I wouldn’t get your hopes up too much and search for a bond when you can just enjoy how well you two work together regardless.”
Hyunjin presses his lips together and deflates in his chair. Jisung is right, but Hyunjin can’t get his brain to cooperate and be confident about Seungmin returning his feelings otherwise. Jisung pats his head and gives him some encouraging words to try to raise his confidence, but it doesn’t help much before they already have to go back to work.
The late afternoon is pretty quiet and Minho sends Seungmin and Hyunjin home early so he and Jisung can close up. Hyunjin swings an arm around Seungmin as they walk home together, and he can’t help but duck his head, letting his nose brush against Seungmin’s jaw as he takes another whiff of his friend. Tulips?
“You smell so lovely, Seungmin,” he breathes against Seungmin’s skin, his heart pounding in his throat as he can’t get the possibility of it being a soulmate smell out of his head. “Did you put on cologne for the job?”
Seungmin’s ears have become red as he shakes his head. “No, I didn’t…”
Hyunjin’s eyes widen and Seungmin looks at him nervously as well. They slowly stop walking and look at each other. “Do you think… Do you think it’s a soulmate scent?”
Seungmin shrugs, alternating his gaze between Hyunjin and the pavement as he fidgets with his sleeves. “I don’t know– I don’t know where else it could come from, but… yeah. You know more about this kind of thing.”
Hyunjin’s hands are clammy and he swallows thickly as he tries to calm himself down– for all they know it’s something else, or the bond is not between them. But on the other hand, why does Seungmin seem to be a tad nervous? Does he not want a soulmate bond? And– oh, the smell is pretty strong, Hyunjin can even smell it now that he doesn’t have his nose buried in the crook of Seungmin’s neck.
“Is it— uhm, can you smell something on me?” Hyunjin asks softly, unsure of what to do, and he flushes as Seungmin leans closer to do what he asked. He can feel Seungmin’s breath on his skin and his hands twitch to hold his friend, but he’s too anxious right now to know whether that is appropriate or not.
“Yeah, I-I can smell… something?” Seungmin whispers. “Something… grassy yet sweet? Flowery maybe?”
Hyunjin’s heart stops. Despite already having heard it from Jisung already, now it really hits him hard, because Seungmin said he didn’t put on any perfume or anything, and they’re alone together and this can’t be a coincidence. Right?
Seungmin looks at him with an unreadable expression, his eyes twinkling in the light of the evening sun. “Is it the same..?”
Hyunjin doesn’t know whether Seungmin asks it out of fear or hope, but Hyunjin nods, trying and failing to hide his red cheeks and nervosity. “Yes… Yes, it is.”
And this bond might have been here for a while, he thinks after, but he can’t get it out of his dry throat, he’s too nervous for what Seungmin will say, and he needs Seungmin to say something, because Hyunjin can’t read it off his face right now.
Hyunjin jolts when Seungmin’s hand finds his, but he immediately misses the touch when Seungmin retracts it again. His friend’s eyebrows are drawn together in worry and he seems to want to reach out again, but Hyunjin is frozen in place, so Seungmin doesn’t do it.
Instead, he asks, “Is that bad?” with a fleeting touch to Hyunjin’s wrist. “Why do you look so anxious, Jinnie?”
Hyunjin sighs deeply, a few of his nerves escaping through his breath as he gathers up the courage to hold Seungmin’s hand. “I’m sorry. I… I thought that the realization that we’re soulmates would give me courage instead of nerves, but it didn’t. And then you didn’t look particularly happy either…”
“No, I– It’s not like I’m not happy, but…” Seungmin trails off, taking a breath to compose himself before he continues, mindlessly rubbing his thumb over the back of Hyunjin’s hand, “It’s just that I know that you care a lot about soulmates and I don’t really, so I… I didn’t know if you would be happy with it. I know how much you wanted a soulmate, and I might not have been the one you had in mind—”
“No,” Hyunjin cuts in, startling Seungmin a bit, and Hyunjin grabs Seungmin’s free hand in his as well. “No, you are the one I had in mind. You– I had been wishing for us to have a soulmate bond for a pretty long time, actually.”
Seungmin’s eyes widen and tremble slightly. “Really? Me? Why?”
“Because I’m in love with you, Seungmin,” Hyunjin just throws it out, not seeing any way to hide it from Seungmin now that they know that they’re soulmates, and he just wants to find out whether there is any chance that their bond is (also) romantic. How cruel would it be if they were soulmates with one-sided love?
Now Seungmin is the one who stands frozen, gaping at Hyunjin as if he just told him that he’s actually an alien from a distant planet, coming to take Seungmin away for some sick experiments or something— though, if Hyunjin told Seungmin that, Seungmin would probably laugh delightedly and Hyunjin would swoon pathetically as always.
Right now he’s almost succumbing to his nerves, though, because Seungmin is still staring at him, and when he keeps quiet, Hyunjin is afraid that he went way too far with his love confession. He lets go of Seungmin’s hand and takes a step backward, running a hand through his hair.
“I’m sorry, Minnie. I– I shouldn’t have suddenly thrown such a confession onto you,” he apologizes, avoiding Seungmin’s eyes. “I—”
Hyunjin is cut off by the scent of tulips invading his nose as Seungmin’s hands cup his jaw and make him look right into Seungmin’s beautiful eyes.
“I love you too, Hyunjin,” he whispers, a vulnerable edge to his voice as he gazes into Hyunjin’s eyes. “Whether we have this soulmate bond or not.”
Hyunjin swallows thickly, his eyes, watery with tears, gazing into Seungmin’s as he tries to take in the fact that Seungmin loves him back, that his dreams of finding his soulmate came true. But Seungmin is right, whether they would be soulmates or not, that wouldn’t matter, because Hyunjin finds it way more important that Seungmin returns his feelings. Them being soulmates is just a plus, a very nice and romantic plus which Hyunjin will be giddy about for a while, and he hopes that Seungmin won’t mind, but knowing Seungmin, he’ll be supportive and kind as always.
“Can I kiss you, Hyunjin?” Seungmin pulls Hyunjin out of his thoughts, brushing his thumbs along Hyunjin’s cheeks, and Hyunjin only now notices that their faces are already only a breath away. Warmth spreads through his whole body and the only thing he can see, feel, smell, and think about are Seungmin and tulips.
“Yes, please,” Hyunjin exhales, unable to hide the desire lacing his voice. Seungmin’s eyes flutter shut, and Hyunjin follows as their noses brush once, twice, before their lips finally meet in a soft kiss.
Hyunjin doesn’t know if it’s because they’re soulmates, but Seungmin’s lips on his feel… comforting, safe, somehow, and most of all, addicting. Hyunjin likes to think that it’s all Seungmin’s doing that makes him feel like this, and only because of that, they’re soulmates, not the other way around, but who knows. That’s the fun thing about soulmates too, you can have your own interpretation of them.
Once they’re out of breath, they slowly part, still lingering close and letting their lips brush with stolen pecks as they catch their breaths. Seungmin then pulls back a bit and smiles at Hyunjin before he sighs.
“I can’t believe you only told me about your feelings after finding out we’re soulmates.”
Hyunjin huffs out a guiltridden laugh and flushes. “Yeah– I’m sorry. You know how I can overthink things,” he says, rubbing his warm neck in shame. “It wasn’t because I didn’t think we could be together without being soulmates, though. I just– yeah, I was overthinking.”
Seungmin snickers as he fondly pinches Hyunjin’s cheek, and Hyunjin pouts. “It’s okay, Hyunjin. I know you tend to overthink. I guess I don’t really understand, but I also don’t blame you.”
“Hey, it’s not like you made a move either,” Hyunjin retorts, trying to keep his pout, but he can’t stop the smile that creeps up on him when Seungmin pulls back with a gasp and strikes the same “sexy” pose he did this morning, making Hyunjin burst into laughter once again.
“You call this not making a move?” he asks, making sure to stick out his ass some more to prove his point, and Hyunjin struggles to heave out an answer between his laughs. Eventually, Seungmin stops posing to make sure the Hyunjin doesn’t fall over and hurt himself on the pavement, and he giggles.
“No, but you’re right. I didn’t really make a move,” he says, intertwining his fingers with Hyunjin’s and nudging him to continue walking. “To be honest, I kind of had a similar stupid reason for not doing so…” Seungmin trails off and he seems to be a bit embarrassed about it.
“Hey, I’m not going to judge you.” Hyunjin bumps his shoulder against Seungmin’s.
“As you said yourself, my reason was kind of stupid too.”
That seems to ease Seungmin a bit, because he smiles. "You're right. I just thought that you wouldn't want to date me because we're not soulmates."
Hyunjin’s heart hurts a little at that, because he can imagine why Seungmin feels like that. He knew how Hyunjin dreamt of an almost fairytale-like love between soulmates, and he hopes that Seungmin knows that he didn’t just confess because he found out they're soulmates.
"I'm sorry I made you think that," Hyunjin whispers. "I love you regardless of any soulmate bond, Minnie. I only worried that not having a bond meant that you didn't like me back, even though I know that is definitely not a given."
Seungmin squeezes Hyunjin’s hand and his ears redden as he murmurs a 'thank you'. They continue walking, and when they arrive at Hyunjin’s apartment, Hyunjin asks Seungmin to stay. He knows that Seungmin likes to talk about things, have everything straight and without misunderstandings, and Hyunjin is the same, so he pulls Seungmin inside as soon as his friend agrees, smiling at Seungmin’s relieved expression when Hyunjin says he would like to talk comfortably.
Talking or having deep conversations isn't new to them, but this does feel new to Hyunjin, though that kind of makes it exciting. And maybe their conversation ends in a loving makeout session that tastes and smells like tulips to get their months of pining out, but at least they know what they're doing and agree on everything. They want to be boyfriends, they like the fact that they're soulmates but don't let it define them, they both suspect that their bond may have been there for longer but they won't break their heads about it, and they are fine with telling their friends about it. (They'll definitely get teased, but Hyunjin thinks that Seungmin will probably have the funniest comebacks, so it's all good.)
“Oh my gosh.” Hyunjin was not prepared to see Seungmin with cat ears on. They all stopped by last week to see Chan, Felix, and Jeongin on the special Sunday, but Felix’s excitement and Chan and Jeongin’s embarrassment couldn’t have prepared Hyunjin for this.
It shouldn’t be affecting Hyunjin this much, Seungmin is just wearing the usual uniform (though Hyunjin still can’t get over how well the pants hug his boyfriend’s legs and how the apron accentuates his slim waist) and a headband with cat ears, but he also started barking again as soon as he put it on, and Hyunjin is both very amused, very endeared, and very… attracted? Yes. This feeling is definitely attraction.
“You like it, Jinnie?” Seungmin chuckles, doing his usual sexy poses whenever Hyunjin is staring and drooling at him, and Hyunjin flushes, making Seungmin laugh.
“You just look so cute!” Hyunjin whines, grabbing Seungmin’s cheeks and squishing them while Seungmin protests.
“I was more aiming for sexy ,” he says, and Hyunjin lets go of his cheeks as he bursts into laughter. Seungmin grins victoriously and opens his mouth to say more, but Minho already comes in to announce that they’ll open the cafe and they can flirt on their break.
They don’t really succeed in that, though, because Seungmin seems to be in an extra playful mood today, throwing winks at Hyunjin whenever they pass by each other, or even sneaking in a slap on his ass, and Minho has to give them a stern look to not overdo it in front of the customers (and not traumatize the cats). During their break, Hyunjin manages to sneak a squeeze to Seungmin’s buttcheek in revenge, and Minho groans when he walks in to grab something from the break room.
“You know, I was rooting for you two to finally get over your pining, but if I knew it would result in you two jumping each other in my cafe and break room…” he sighs and runs a hand through his hair, while Hyunjin flushes bright red, but before he can protest and say that that’s not what they’re doing, Minho continues, “If you really can’t help it, at least clean up after yourselves, okay? And keep quiet and keep the doors locked, that’s all.”
Seungmin and Hyunjin splutter in protest, both of their faces red in embarrassment, but Minho already walks away after getting what he needed. They look at each other slowly, seeing the other’s red face before they burst into laughter as if they are teenagers, but it does help to get the awkward and jittery feeling out of Hyunjin’s system.
After the break, they tone down their flirty behavior to each other, but Hyunjin can’t stop thinking about what Minho said in combination with Seungmin’s behavior and how attractive his soulmate looks. He knows that Seungmin is mostly joking with his flirting and sexy poses because he knows it makes Hyunjin laugh every time, but now Hyunjin is starting to wonder if there might be an underlying message behind it too or if Seungmin really didn’t think about it that way.
Hyunjin definitely isn’t opposed to having sex with Seungmin, hell– Seungmin has been part of his sexual fantasies for a while, but the thing is, Hyunjin has never done it with someone else before. That, and they haven’t talked about it together yet, so Hyunjin doesn’t know what Seungmin thinks of it.
Fortunately, work keeps him from overthinking about it, but seeing Seungmin in those gosh damned cat ears keeps him from forgetting about it, and it feels like their shift is neverending. On top of that, one of the cats gets sick at the end of the day, so Minho wants to bring her to the vet as soon as possible, and he asks Seungmin and Hyunjin to get started on cleaning up and closing up already (Jisung already went home because he closed up last time).
Seungmin cleans up while Hyunjin gives the cats some water and food and some pets, and he smiles as the cats all find a spot to rest, Minho having decorated the cafe to cater to the cats as much as he can. He is startled by Seungmin slapping his ass again, apparently already done cleaning up, and Hyunjin gasps and starts chasing a giggling Seungmin around. There is not much room for Seungmin to run to, so Hyunjin quickly manages to pin his wrists against the wall in the break room, and their shared scent fills his senses.
“You can’t keep teasing me, Minnie,” Hyunjin whispers, Seungmin looking at him with wide sparkling eyes as they catch their breath. Unfortunately, Seungmin has already taken off the cat ears, but he still looks breathtaking as always. “I really want to take revenge, but honestly all I want right now is to kiss you.”
“Go ahead,” Seungmin smiles and puckers his lips, making Hyunjin huff out a laugh before he leans in to kiss those enticing lips, pushing Seungmin flush against the wall. Hyunjin sighs against Seungmin’s lips in relief, the pent-up desire starting to flow out, and if the breathless and almost hungry way Seungmin kisses back is anything to go by, he feels the same.
Hyunjin lets go of Seungmin’s wrists and his boyfriend’s fingers immediately tangle into Hyunjin’s hair, so Hyunjin lets his hands wander down, and at first he wants to let them rest on Seungmin’s waist, but he changes his mind and lets them fall a little further so he can squeeze Seungmin’s ass in revenge after all. Seungmin gasps, and Hyunjin hopes that he didn’t go too far, but instead of pushing Hyunjin away, Seungmin pulls Hyunjin closer and hotly licks between the seam of Hyunjin lips.
Hyunjin eagerly accepts, and warmth rushes through his veins and pools in his abdomen as Seungmin’s tongue explores his mouth and his own tongue swirls around Seungmin’s. Hyunjin is glad that Seungmin seems just as passionate and affected as he is, even though Hyunjin didn’t tease Seungmin as much as the other way around (but maybe Hyunjin just was so busy drooling over Seungmin that he didn’t notice that Seungmin was doing the same with him), and it does nothing to extinguish the fire growing in his abdomen. He barely holds back a moan when Seungmin pulls on his hair, and he presses closer—
“Hyunjin? Seungmin?— Oh my gosh—” Minho’s voice startles them, bursting their little bubble, and Hyunjin flushes even more than he already was. “I should have known…”
“Uhm, we weren’t—” Hyunjin begins, but Minho cuts him off.
“Save the excuses, just go home and get whatever you have to get out of your system out,” Minho waves them off. “I’ll finish closing up.”
Seungmin and Hyunjin duck their heads as they walk past Minho and Minho laughs and pats their backs before they scurry out, holding hands. Hyunjin feels like he’s overheating both from embarrassment and arousal, but he doesn’t know how to bring up what just happened, even though he does want to talk about it with Seungmin, and be clear about his lack of experience with others.
It’s not like Hyunjin didn’t have the opportunity to do anything, but especially as a naive teenager Hyunjin had the mindset that he didn’t want to do anything until he found his soulmate. He knew that some soulmate bonds can form through sex, but Hyunjin was a romantic guy through and through. He still kind of is, but Seungmin manages to scramble his brain in all kinds of ways.
He doesn’t manage to think of a way to start the conversation before they already arrive at Hyunjin’s apartment and Seungmin turns to him with a hopeful sparkle in his eyes that makes Hyunjin think that he wants to stay. Hyunjin wants nothing more than that, so he invites Seungmin in to have dinner together.
They just prepare something easy and Hyunjin is too hungry to focus on talking about anything other than some things that happened with the cats or things Jisung did when Seungmin was busy with customers, and Seungmin seems to be the same, but there’s still some kind of tension hanging between them as they eat deliciously. Hyunjin leaves the dishes for later, finally wanting to open his mouth to talk to Seungmin, but Seungmin beats him to it, grabbing Hyunjin’s hand and stepping into his personal space.
“I’m sorry if I went too far at work, by the way,” Seungmin begins, chewing on his lower lip a little, but Hyunjin shakes his head.
“Nah, you didn’t,” Hyunjin says, swinging their arms a bit. “You’re really cute when you’re teasing me. And I like having an excuse to tease you back. And if you’re talking about the kissing… well I definitely liked that.”
Seungmin’s features are taken over by a bright and bashful smile and the smell of tulips becomes stronger.
“I’m glad…” Seungmin trails off as he tucks a strand of Hyunjin’s hair behind his ear, something in his eyes changing as he leans in and his breath fans over Hyunjin’s ear, making him shiver as Seungmin whispers softly, “So… do you want to continue where we left off?”
Hyunjin’s breath hitches and that heat from a while ago returns almost too easily, but he wants to talk first, and he knows that Seungmin will appreciate that too. “Yes- Yes, but, uhm, I— I’ve never done anything with someone else.”
Seungmin softens, his palm cupping Hyunjin’s jaw lovingly. “Don’t worry, I don’t have much experience either. We can start small— in fact, I’d like to start small, if you’re okay with that.”
Hyunjin smiles and lets out a breath of relief. As seems to happen more often, they are on the same page and Seungmin knows just what to say to ease Hyunjin’s heart and mind. He leans in to nose at Seungmin’s cheek, inhaling the scent of tulips and letting it take over his senses again.
“I’d like that too, Minnie,” he whispers before he can’t hold back this love that is growing in his chest and starts placing openmouthed kisses along Seungmin’s jaw, making his boyfriend sigh in contentment. Hyunjin snakes his arms around Seungmin’s waist and Seungmin’s hands find Hyunjin’s hair again, and it almost feels like they’re indeed picking up right where they left off at the cat cafe.
Hyunjin nibbles on Seungmin’s earlobe and relishes in the way Seungmin shakily exhales at it, pulling himself flush against Hyunjin, the clothed contact sending a jolt through his body. He wants to move to a more comfortable spot, but he also doesn’t want to let go of Seungmin in the slightest, so he hooks his arms under Seungmin’s thighs, shows a strength unlike himself, and lifts his boyfriend up. Seungmin yelps but fortunately hooks his legs around Hyunjin securely to make it easier, and even though it hurts Hyunjin’s hips a little bit and he almost falls over twice, it’s worth it because Seungmin kisses him deeply and slightly grinds against Hyunjin, and gosh it feels good.
Hyunjin is glad that he never fully closes the doors in his apartment and he lowers Seungmin down on the bed before he crawls onto his lap, eager to continue kissing as soon as possible. They messily kiss, with spit, breath, and the scent of tulips all mixing as Hyunjin holds Seungmin’s neck and Seungmin holds his waist.
Hyunjin is getting hard in his pants almost pathetically fast, but when he grinds down on Seungmin’s lap, he can feel that Seungmin is the same and he can’t help but moan at the friction. His brain is fogged up with arousal and Hyunjin mindlessly licks into Seungmin’s mouth, chasing that hot feeling that’s growing in his abdomen.
“Minnie– please touch me,” Hyunjin pants against his boyfriend’s lips, drawing a whimper out of him by grinding down again.
Seungmin hums out some ambiguous answer between kisses, and his hand trails down to palm at the bulge in Hyunjin’s pants. Hyunjin stutters out a moan and bucks up into it, barely able to focus on kissing Seungmin anymore. He snakes one hand down as well and hooks a finger on the waistband of Seungmin’s pants and underwear.
“C-can I?” he whispers, and Seungmin nods, letting out a groan when Hyunjin unzips his pants and slips his hand inside Seungmin’s underwear. “You– you can too— please.”
Seungmin nods and they both start jerking each other off, moaning and panting against each other’s lips, breathing in their shared scent as they chase their orgasm. It doesn’t take long before Hyunjin comes in his pants with a high-pitched moan, and Seungmin tucks his warm face in the crook of Hyunjin’s neck as Hyunjin rides it out and tries to get Seungmin over the edge as well. Now that the horny fog in his brain has lifted a bit, he notices that Seungmin sounds like he’s holding back his moans, so Hyunjin squeezes his soulmate’s neck comfortingly.
“Don’t hold back, Minnie,” he breathes into Seungmin’s ear, nibbling on the lobe again since Seungmin seemed to like that. “I wanna hear your pretty sounds.”
Seungmin briefly removes his head from Hyunjin’s shoulder as he whines and moans brokenly when Hyunjin flicks his wrist just right, making Hyunjin suspect he’s close. Hyunjin speeds up his hand and Seungmin’s grip on Hyunjin’s shoulder tightens before he comes and hides his head again to muffle his sounds — which is a shame, because Hyunjin thinks it sounds beautiful, almost like singing.
The scent of tulips fills the room as they catch their breaths and Hyunjin kisses the side of Seungmin’s head a few times to get him to look at him. Hyunjin understands that he’s a bit embarrassed, Hyunjin was too, but then he got so into it that he didn’t care anymore and just let go. And it feels good to just fully be yourself with someone, to not hold back or hide anything, so Hyunjin wants Seungmin to feel the same around him.
“That was really good,” Hyunjin whispers, smiling when Seungmin grins bashfully at him with deep red cheeks. “You don’t have to be embarrassed.”
“I’m not— well, a little,” Seungmin murmurs, trying to keep eye contact with Hyunjin. “But… I’m just not used to so much attention on me.”
Hyunjin chuckles and caresses Seungmin’s cheek. “It’s just me, though.”
“I know, but you always look at me with… with, like, all of your attention,” Seungmin explains softly, his eyes glimmering. “And you always look at me with so much… love . It’s sometimes a lot, but not in a bad way– it makes me feel loved.”
Hyunjin softens and pecks Seungmin’s lips lovingly, feeling warm at his words. “I’m glad. Though I hope you will be able to get used to it and just let yourself go whenever you’re with me, because one of the things I love a lot about you is how I can be myself with you.”
Seungmin huffs and gently pushes at Hyunjin’s shoulder in embarrassment. “I can be myself around you too, I know you’d never judge me, but I kind of judge myself— but… I’ll get over it, don't worry.”
“Good.” Hyunjin grins and grimaces when he resits and feels the stickiness in his underwear. “Let’s– uhm, do you wanna take a bath together?”
“Yes, please,” Seungmin chuckles, following Hyunjin to the bathroom.
They settle in the bathtub with contented sighs and Hyunjin pulls Seungmin close to cuddle, feeling fuzzy and nice after the orgasm from just now. They share soft and slow kisses and hushed words of affection and admiration, and now Seungmin manages to make Hyunjin shy when he says how much he loves Hyunjin’s ability to be vulnerable, so he kisses Seungmin passionately before he bursts with love.
Hyunjin would really like to spend every day like this with Seungmin, but it’s also nice that this doesn’t happen every day, because now this will definitely be a special memory between them, and Hyunjin thinks that this made him even more comfortable with Seungmin, to try new things, be open, and just in general.
After that day, they flirt less during work (which Minho appreciates) but they still tease and playfully flirt in more subtle ways or outside of work. Unfortunately, Minho’s actual employees return from their leaves or vacation soon and they won’t be needed anymore in the cat cafe. Hyunjin is kind of sad about it, but he is also glad to have a bit more free time to paint and read and be with his friends and Seungmin in a non-work setting now. What he’s most sad about, though, is that he doesn’t get to see Seungmin in the uniform and especially the cat ears again, and Seungmin laughs heartily when Hyunjin complains about it. (And maybe that conversation ends up in Hyunjin sucking Seungmin off and Seungmin being significantly more vocal, but that is only for them to know).
Right now, Hyunjin is painting peacefully after having hung out with Jeongin at the cat cafe when he gets a text from Seungmin. He opens his phone and laughs at the “Do you want to come over?”, “My parents aren’t home ;)” and a selfie in one of his iconic sexy poses his boyfriend sent, because Seungmin doesn’t even live with his parents anymore. Nevertheless, Hyunjin’s stomach flips at what Seungmin is implying, so he sends back “Oh?” “I’ll be there in 5 <3”.
Hyunjin basically speedwalks towards Seungmin’s apartment, curious to know what Seungmin is planning. They've talked about and explored a few things together already now that they have more time, but there's still a lot they haven't done yet, so Hyunjin is feeling giddy as he knocks on Seungmin’s door.
Seungmin beams at him as soon as he opens the door, but there's also a glint of… naughtiness, perhaps, anticipation, and a bit of shyness in his eyes, which excites Hyunjin. Nevertheless, Seungmin seems to try to act casual as he offers Hyunjin something to drink. Hyunjin snickers and declines, instead pulling Seungmin closer and squeezing his waist.
“I think you invited me over for something other than a drink,” he whispers in Seungmin’s ear, causing his boyfriend to shiver and flush before he grins up at him, though there’s still a shy hint to it.
“I sure did,” Seungmin answers before he snakes his arms around Hyunjin’s neck and starts kissing him sensually, setting the mood a little. Hyunjin’s eyes flutter shut as he kisses back, tilting his head, and he gets lost in the feeling of Seungmin’s lips on his own, tasting like tulips.
Seungmin bites down on Hyunjin’s lower lip, drawing a soft gasp out of him and spurring him on to slip his hands under Seungmin’s hoodie. His boyfriend presses closer as he deepens the kiss, and heat starts pooling in Hyunjin’s abdomen when Seungmin sucks on his tongue. He kneads Seungmin’s waist as he pulls their hips together, both of them moaning at the friction, and Hyunjin is already starting to get hard.
“Ah– What did you have in mind to do, Minnie?” Hyunjin breathes, wanting to get on with it, and knowing Seungmin, he wouldn’t just text without at least thinking about what he wants to do, even if it’s just letting Hyunjin decide.
Seungmin runs his fingers through Hyunjin’s hair as he looks at him with lidded eyes and rosy cheeks. “I– Uhm, I have a surprise for you… And– I had an idea, but… I don’t know if you’d want that too.”
Hyunjin raises an eyebrow in interest as he keeps on caressing Seungmin’s hips and waist. “You know I’m up to trying lots of things with you, Minnie. And, a surprise?”
Seungmin bites his lip as he holds back a smile and he tugs Hyunjin along to his bedroom. Hyunjin is surprised to see towels splayed out on the bed already, but then he remembers that he’s dating Seungmin , so he’s less surprised. Seungmin tells him to wait there for a minute and he runs off somewhere before he returns.
“Surprise~” Seungmin enters the room again and— Oh. He’s wearing cat ears. Hyunjin gapes at his boyfriend, malfunctioning as Seungmin smiles bashfully and shows off the cat ears. “Do you like it?”
“I— oh my– you know I do, but– did you buy them?” Hyunjin stutters, his face positively overheating both at the sight and in embarrassment of being so affected by it.
“I asked Minho to lend me one, but… if you’re really into it I can buy them, too,” Seungmin explains in a sultry voice, driving Hyunjin crazy when he comes closer to tuck a strand behind Hyunjin’s ear and look at him suggestively.
“I– I mean, you could—” Hyunjin doesn’t really know what to say, not only finding it hot that Seungmin has them on, but also that he went and planned to surprise Hyunjin with it. “Gosh you’re so hot, Minnie.”
Seungmin chuckles cutely and winks at him badly before he whispers, “Would you want me to bark with them on, too?”
Hyunjin almost chokes on his spit hearing it and Seungmin laughs as Hyunjin coughs. As much as he wants to say yes, he’s already trying to catch up on how sexy he finds Seungmin with the cat ears on, so he doesn’t think he’ll survive that all.
“Let’s– let’s keep that for another time, okay? I’d like to come out of this alive.”
Seungmin giggles at that and relents, pushing Hyunjin to sit on the bed and straddling him as he plays with Hyunjin’s hair. His demeanor gets a little more hesitant and shy again, and Hyunjin can relate to the feeling of going between confident and self-conscious all too well, so he starts rubbing his thumbs over Seungmin’s hips in encouragement.
“Were the cat ears all you had planned?” he asks softly, unable to stop himself from kissing along Seungmin’s jaw as his boyfriend hums.
“No, I— I don’t know. Now that I think about it, it’s kind of embarrassing,” Seungmin admits, his fingers brushing the back of Hyunjin’s neck.
“I’m sure it’s not as embarrassing as how much I love seeing you with cat ears on,” Hyunjin retorts with an airy chuckle and a kiss on Seungmin’s cheek. “Just tell me, and I’ll tell you if I’m up for it.”
Seungmin avoids his eyes and his cheeks turn a deep crimson as he mutters, “Well, at first I thought it would be funny if we did doggy style with the cat ears on, but then I imagined it, and... I kind of want to do it for real.”
Hyunjin’s breath hitches and, gosh, how many times will Seungmin surprise him in the best way possible? Hyunjin’s dick twitches in his pants as he imagines the scenario and he gulps thickly. “Yes– I mean, me too. Which– which position do you want?”
Seungmin smiles at Hyunjin’s stuttering and some of his shyness and hesitance disappear off his face, though his cheeks keep their color. “I know you said that you want to try bottoming with me some time, but– you know, I thought it was fitting since I’m wearing the cat ears… and I already prepped a bit in the shower before you came here.”
Hyunjin chokes out a groan as his dick twitches again. “Oh my gosh, Minnie, you’re so fucking hot. Yes– I’m good with that, I want that. I’ll get my turn another day.”
A pleased grin grows on Seungmin’s face before he kisses Hyunjin lovingly yet longingly, his ass grinding over Hyunjin’s hardening dick, punching a moan out of Hyunjin. His grip on Seungmin's waist tightens as they kiss hungrily, and Hyunjin whines when Seungmin pulls back, his lips swollen and shiny with spit as he tugs on Hyunjin’s shirt to get it off.
Hyunjin gladly helps him take it off, and it doesn’t take long before they’re both naked (except for the cat ears on Seungmin), and Seungmin is getting the lube, asking if Hyunjin wants to finger him.
Hyunjin almost feels like he might come already purely from the sight of Seungmin, completely naked, cat ears on, his body beautifully flushed as he spreads his legs for Hyunjin and hands him the lube. Hyunjin’s heart skips a beat as it dawns on him what they’re about to do, how much trust Seungmin is putting in Hyunjin to let him do this for their first time together, and Hyunjin’s first time in general. He has fingered himself before, but not someone else, so he definitely needs Seungmin to talk to him, especially because he won’t be able to see his face when they’re doing doggy style.
“Tell me if it hurts or if it’s uncomfortable, okay?” Hyunjin asks, despite the fact that they already promised each other to communicate and say it whenever they’re uncomfortable or uneasy or anything like that.
Seungmin nods and throws his head back with a pleasured sigh when Hyunjin circles a lubed finger on his slightly puckered hole before he easily inserts it. He’s glad that he can see Seungmin now, and he’s already a little familiar with what Seungmin’s sounds mean, but he’s also eased by the knowledge that Seungmin will tell him what feels good when Seungmin says that he can already take a second finger.
Seungmin moans when Hyunjin adds a finger and he pulls Hyunjin in for a searing kiss as he rocks his hips to meet Hyunjin’s fingers. One of Seungmin’s hands tangles into Hyunjin’s hair as the other caresses his hip, and Hyunjin wonders how he still has enough focus to press his finger and pull Hyunjin’s hair at exactly those spots that make Hyunjin shiver and twitch in the best way.
And gosh, Seungmin looks even hotter now, with the cat headband already skewed on his head as he scrunches up his face in pleasure and moans loudly when Hyunjin finds his prostate. His boyfriend’s fingers twitch in his hair and on his hip, but it’s still obvious that he’s trying to pleasure Hyunjin too when he sneaks his hand down to wrap around Hyunjin’s length.
“A-Another finger,” Seungmin pants as he starts stroking Hyunjin irregularly, but it still makes Hyunjin stutter out a moan as he does what Seungmin says. “Ah– so good, Hyunjin.”
“You too, Minnie,” Hyunjin sighs before he leans down to drink up Seungmin’s beautiful sounds from Hyunjin teasing his prostate, muffling his own sounds from Seungmin jacking him off as well.
Hyunjin is completely hard and completely sweaty when Seungmin says he’s ready and sits up a bit, fixing the cat ears on his head. Hyunjin is a bit bummed that he won’t be able to see Seungmin’s face well, but it would be a big fat lie if he said that his dick didn’t twitch and started throbbing in want when Seungmin gets on all fours and presents his ass to him, all shiny and wet and red. He quickly rolls a condom on and lubes himself up before he crawls closer to squeeze Seungmin’s ass cheeks, causing his boyfriend to whine and arch his back a bit.
Hyunjin snickers when Seungmin wiggles his ass impatiently, but if he's honest, he's a bit nervous, and he hopes that Seungmin isn't like him. He caresses Seungmin’s back as he carefully teases Seungmin’s rim with his dick, and Seungmin moans, pushing back.
"Are you ready, Minnie?—"
"Yes, please put it in, please," Seungmin rambles, and Hyunjin understands his eagerness and impatience— gosh, Hyunjin feels like he'll burst if he doesn't do something now, but he needs to make sure he doesn't hurt Seungmin. He knows this position can feel very good, but because of that, it can also hurt, so he focuses on being gentle as he slowly pushes the head in.
Seungmin groans and whines, his hands twisting the towels under him with his tight grip, but he doesn’t tell Hyunjin to stop or go slower. In fact, he tells Hyunjin to keep going with ragged breaths, leaning his forehead on the mattress as Hyunjin pushes all the way in. Seungmin clenches and Hyunjin tenses to keep himself from bucking his hips into Seungmin’s tight heat. Instead, he just massages Seungmin’s lower back and whispers some praises as they breathe in their shared scent and Seungmin adjusts to the feeling.
After a moment, Seungmin grinds his ass back to probably test the waters, and Hyunjin hisses and digs his fingers into Seungmin’s waist to hold himself back, making Seungmin moan.
“Ah— You can move, Jinnie,” he breathes, voice filled with want as he tries to look back over his shoulder, and Hyunjin’s dick throbs inside of Seungmin at how hot he looks with the cat ears.
He starts slow, pulling out a bit before sliding in again, and they both moan at the feeling. Hyunjin gets lost in a languid rhythm for a while, getting their position most comfortable for both of them before he focuses on finding Seungmin’s prostate with his thrusts. From his own experience with dildos, he knows that doggy style can reach extra deep and feels extra good on your prostate, and if Seungmin’s surprised and loud gasp is anything to go by, he loves it as well.
“ Ah!— Right there—” Seungmin moans as Hyunjin begins snapping his hips with more vigor, watching his boyfriend’s hair bounce and his headband shift as he buries his face on the mattress and spreads his legs more.
“Don’t hold back, Minnie— let me hear you,” Hyunjin encourages breathlessly, leaning down to kiss behind Seungmin’s ear and moaning as Seungmin rocks back to meet his thrusts. Hyunjin doesn’t know if Seungmin is nodding or if it’s just from the force of his movements, and it also doesn’t help that Hyunjin’s eyes are rolling back in pleasure, but Seungmin does get louder as Hyunjin keeps hitting his prostate with every other snap of his hips.
When Seungmin keens, arching his back and clenching particularly hard, Hyunjin almost comes right then and there, but he doesn’t want it to be over just yet, and from the way Seungmin is heaving out pleasured sighs and groans, Hyunjin thinks he’s the same.
“Hnng— Hyunie, I’m close,” Seungmin whines, and Hyunjin snakes one hand down to wrap around his boyfriend’s untouched length as he tells Seungmin how close he is too between moans. The generous amount of precum leaking out of Seungmin’s cock is enough to make the slide smooth, and Hyunjin does his best to jerk him off properly while he’s getting very close to his orgasm too.
His thrusts become irregular and Seungmin’s stream of moans becomes garbled as they both feel that knot in their abdomen tighten and heat rush through their veins. Hyunjin comes first, a high whine escaping his lips as his hips stutter and his dick twitches, spilling into the condom. His hand on Seungmin falters, but nevertheless it doesn’t take long after Hyunjin rides his orgasm out for Seungmin to tip over the edge as well.
Hyunjin works him through it as best as he can, trying not to collapse on top of Seungmin before he’s completely done, and he’s completely exhausted and sweaty now, but in the best way possible. He carefully pulls out and plops down next to Seungmin, catching his breath. Seungmin turns to him too, making sure to not lie in his own mess, and Hyunjin smiles at how fucked out (and beautiful) Seungmin looks with his hair all messy and the crooked cat ears (though he imagines that he doesn’t look much better, he feels like he’s swimming in his own sweat).
“That was amazing, Minnie, and though it was too bad I couldn’t see you, I really really enjoyed the position too,” Hyunjin says as he pulls Seungmin for a sweaty hug.
“Me too,” Seungmin agrees as Hyunjin nuzzles his nose into the crook of his neck. “You did so well for your first time, and it was too bad we couldn’t see each other, but maybe it made me less embarrassed to indulge in the feeling as well.”
“I’m glad.” Hyunjin starts placing kisses all over Seungmin’s neck, jaw, and face, making his boyfriend giggle cutely, and Hyunjin’s insides explode with warmth and love. He always gets a little clingy after sex, but fortunately Seungmin doesn’t seem to mind at all, he just lovingly runs his fingers through Hyunjin’s long sweaty locks as he hugs him back. Hyunjin likes it, how Seungmin takes care of him in that way.
Eventually, Seungmin drags him off the bed to clean up properly and take a bath together as they like to do. Hyunjin is still in a cuddly mood so he pulls Seungmin on his lap and just enjoys the warmth of the water and the nice smell of tulips.
“You know, I really like our soulmate scent,” Hyunjin whispers into Seungmin’s warm skin, making the other smile.
“I really like it too,” Seungmin agrees, leaning into Hyunjin’s touch when he caresses Seungmin’s cheek. “It reminds me of you for obvious reasons, it fits you very well.”
Hyunjin grins and can’t help but leave a peck on Seungmin’s lips. “I think it fits you well too, because whenever I paint flowers, I think of you.”
Seungmin’s breath hitches and his cheeks redden under Hyunjin’s hand in surprise. “Really?”
Hyunjin nods and brings his boyfriend closer for a longer kiss.
“Yes, you’re basically on my mind all day every day, I thought that was obvious,” he whispers against Seungmin’s lips, smiling into the kiss when he feels Seungmin’s cheeks getting hotter as he huffs. “I’m serious, Minnie.”
“Ugh— gosh, you’re so…” Seungmin mumbles with a pout. “Stop making me flustered, then I can’t make you laugh.”
Hyunjin barks out a laugh and Seungmin seems both taken aback and happy about the fact that Hyunjin even laughs at that, but Hyunjin just can’t help but be endeared and amused by his soulmate. He needs to kiss Seungmin again, so he does just that, enjoying the way Seungmin melts in his arms and kisses back lovingly, tasting like tulips.
They cuddle and kiss until the bath water becomes cold and then some more, and sometimes Hyunjin forgets that they’re soulmates, because even though he loves every moment with Seungmin and it does feel special at times (like their first time did), it also feels… normal, in the best way. Nevertheless, he loves remembering that they are soulmates, because, even though their relationship isn’t different because they’re soulmates, Hyunjin thinks their bond is worthy of a title like soulmates.
Hyunjin will do everything he can to keep it that way, and, as he thinks about that while he’s getting into Seungmin’s bed that night and huddles close, he can feel that Seungmin will do the same. He happily buries his head in the crook of Seungmin’s neck and inhales deeply, falling asleep to the scent of tulips.
The end.