Requested by StrayNCTTeez123
Soulmate AU.

"Yunho!!"

Yunho's eyes opened wide from the yelling. It was his roommate, Seonghwa, of course. The two shared a one-bedroom apartment as they studied at a nearby college. Yunho trusted Seonghwa most of the time as his older brother figure. But sometimes, especially in the morning, it could tick him off being woken up.

"No, Seonghwa!" Yunho already said before the older could speak.

Feet ran into his room and pushed the bedroom door further open.

"Don't no me." Seonghwa pushed Yunho's leg aside and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Guess what?"

"I don't know."

"They appeared."

"They... huh?" Yunho slurred and pressed his eyes closed. He just wanted to cuddle into his pillow and forget everything again.

"My words."

"Wor... mhm."

"Yunho! My soulmate's words appeared. Look!" Seonghwa took the boy's wrist and held out his arm. Yunho's eyes opened wide. Sure enough, there were three words imprinted on Seonghwa's skin.

You're fucking beautiful.

"Seonghwa~! That's adorable. When did this happen?"

Seonghwa smiled, fingers tracing over the words. "I decided to go to the bar one night after study hall. He walked up to me and..." He shrugged.

"That easy, huh."

"I was thinking, what if I didn't go? What if I had just gone home, sleepy, bored, and alone?"

Yunho chuckled. "Fate's a damn mystery."

"Yup. But we're meeting up tomorrow night. You can have the entire apartment to yourself."

"You're moving fast."

"You mean he is moving fast. Booking dinner at a hotel restaurant because 'the food's delicious.'" Seonghwa expressed his words with air quotes.

But Yunho smiled. "I'm happy for you."

"Yeah..." Seonghwa tenderly patted his hand. "I have a feeling you'll find yours soon too. I do."

"Well, I can only hope at this point," Yunho sighed.

Seonghwa noticed his expression but decided not to press any further. After all, there wasn't much he could do.

"I'll make breakfast, okay?"

"Thanks."

Yunho placed his hands in his lap while thinking. Seonghwa, who was mostly kept to his studies and close circle, rarely talked to anyone. But Yunho couldn't feel bad for his friend; he deserved someone who made him happy.

Maybe if Yunho put himself out there... Perhaps if he started going to parties, clubs, and bars. If he met new people, maybe he could finally find his soulmate.

Rumor was most people found their soulmates a little after their 18th birthday. From there, they would become lifelong partners or eternal best friends.

Yunho had yet to find them, and he was five years past the estimate.

He checked his body almost every day after showering. The words, printed in beautiful rose gold writing, could appear anywhere on someone's body. Yunho had seen beautiful ones: Poetic lines, romantic comments, and funny phrases. The best, he thought, were the ones he saw on someone's neck.

So he couldn't wait until it was his turn.

Yunho fixed himself up after class for class. He usually didn't wear much other than sweats and a t-shirt, which is reasonable for a dance major, but today he felt like doing a little more.

Yunho opened his drawer to take out his cologne. Then he chose to part his hair. And maybe a little chapstick wouldn't hurt. He tied up his newest, sleek black sneakers and threw on a gray windbreaker. With a cap, he deemed it good enough to leave.

Seonghwa noticed his best friend's outfit as the boy said goodbye. But he didn't say anything. He only smiled. He trusted Yunho.

~~~

"Hey, hyung, I won't be going home after class," Yunho said over the phone.

"No?" Seonghwa had a smile on his face. "Dancing some more?"

"No... No, I barely danced today. I was... uh... studying."

"Mhm. Okay. Well, you know where I'll be tonight, have fun!" Seonghwa laughed and hung up.

Yunho looked up at the intimidating mall before him. He rarely, if ever, came. And the only times might've been with Seonghwa. Socializing wasn't his thing, and he knew himself, so online ordering was the best option.

Yunho... wasn't an extrovert.

The loud chatter and calm songs welcomed him as he entered. Kids yelled, and friend groups laughed. Yunho felt a little out of place with his tote bag over his shoulder, but he continued walking anyway.

"He's kind of hot."

"Right?"

Two girls giggled and watched Yunho as he walked past. It was already working. Any one of them could be his soulmate if he talked to them.

But as Yunho stopped, his heartbeat quickened, and he choked over words he wanted to say.

So he continued walking.

Yunho first thought he should get a few changes of clothes. If this was "the new" Yunho, he wanted to wear something other than sweats to a club.

After twenty minutes of browsing, Yunho had more than enough to take in.

While changing into ripped jeans, Yunho forgot he'd left the jacket he wanted to pair it with outside. He pulled up the fly and opened the door. Then he snuck to his cart to look through his stack.

"Nice ass."

Yunho immediately flushed red with embarrassment at the deep voice. He turned to face a handsome guy wearing all black: glasses, a distressed sweater, and jeans. The only things that weren't black were his shiny chains and bracelets. A smirk was plastered over his face as his crescent eyes teasingly twinkled beneath his dark brown hair. He dragged a clothing rack with him.

"I-I..." Yunho didn't know how to respond. All he knew was his heart practically jumped out of his chest because of the two words and the fear of talking to someone out of nowhere.

"Hey. I think people normally say thank you," the man said. He shrugged. "Wish someone could compliment my nice ass. What do you think?"

As the boy grabbed the rack, he leaned over to show Yunho. Yunho had to look the other way.

"Anyone ever told you how cute you are?"

Yunho cupped his cheeks, trying his hardest to get them to stop warming up. The guy wasn't going to stop insisting, so he figured he would feed into his ego and then go.

"Y-You're cute too." And with that, Yunho took his jacket and ran back into the fitting room. He only sighed in relief after the clothing rack wheels squeaked until they were no longer heard.

The mysterious (and attractive) guy was sorting clothes elsewhere, Yunho thought as he closed the fitting room door behind him. But he didn't see him. So maybe he was on break? Or lunch? Yunho shook his head. He shouldn't even care.

The dancer chose three new casual outfits, things he could pair with stuff at home. It was a start, and he did like the ripped jeans.

"Hey, Sannie, I can take over."

The blonde looked up from where he was just about to ring Yunho. He shrugged, playing with his black rings.

"I think I'm fine, Mingi-"

"Take your break. Ms. Bin said so."

"Alright."

Again, Yunho felt that heat wash over him. He almost wanted to yell at the blonde to come back. Because he knew it was more than his coworker worried about breaks.

"Ah... these jeans... good choice," the man Yunho now referred to as Mingi from the name tag, nicely folded the bottoms and placed them in a paper bag. "Hmm..."

Yunho waited patiently while twiddling his fingers. There was no line behind him, so it seemed to give Mingi a bigger chance to take his time.

"Anything else, sweetheart?"

"H-Huh? No... no."

When Mingi told Yunho the total, Yunho stared at him like he was crazy.

"What? That's the price of one of the shirts."

"Mm, nope. That's the total." Mingi looked at him calmly. "I think you scored a lucky deal today."

"I..." Yunho immediately crossed his arms.

"I can't do anything about the price, sir. It's what the computer says."

Yunho huffed. After all, it was this guy's job on the line for giving the discount.

"Fine."

"You're all set."

"Thanks..."

"No problem. Have a nice day."

As Yunho left, he turned to see a satisfied Mingi at the register. Then he left. Once he turned, eyes were on him yet again.

Damn. Was it the new look that seemed to attract the entire world to him today?

~

Yunho almost passed out after he showered the following day. He stumbled into his room, half-dressed, looking at something just above his pelvis.

"Yunho, what's wrong?" Seonghwa poked his head in. "I heard you gasp and something fall."

"Hyung..."

"Hm?"

"It's..."

Seonghwa caught a peak and didn't know whether he should laugh or cry.

"Yunho! You found them!" Seonghwa shook his friend.

"I... I know." Yunho sighed.

"What? You're not happy?"

"I don't know."

"Do you know who it is?"

Yunho quietly nodded.

"So? Let's find them!"

Yunho winced. "He's... he's a little upfront."

"Oh. Not your style?"

"Not really."

"You know what I've heard? That's the reason you're soulmates. You two are completely different. It's weird at first, obviously, but you learn to complement each other."

Yunho looked at his friend, puzzled.

"Like, I'm not the type of person who likes to get their back blown out the first date, but Hongjoong made me realize-"

"Nope. Nope." Yunho covered his ears and started out of the room. Seonghwa laughed to chase after him.

"I'm playing! But that part was true. All of it was true. Should we find him?"

"Would you come with me?"

Seonghwa laughed, a hand over Yunho's shoulders. "Then let's go! He's waiting!"

A quiet Yunho stepped into the store he was just in yesterday. The same blonde was there too, eyebrows raising curiously because he recognized Yunho.

"Him?" Seonghwa whispered. Yunho shook his head and then craned his neck to look around. He saw no one. No tall, brown-haired, crescent-eyed beauty.

"Looking for someone?" a voice asked.

"I'm... his name... uh."

"Mingi, huh?" The blonde, nametag reading San, stared at Yunho, amused. "He almost had his ass chewed out because of you."

"I didn't tell him to-"

"It's alright. He's too good to get fired. I'll call him for you." With that, San pressed the mic attached to his collar to say, "Mingi, get your ass down here now."

"...He'll be here soon. If you plan to get another discount, you won't."

"T-Thanks." Yunho tried to look for Seonghwa, but he knew his friend was probably searching for clothes already.

"Hey! What did you need me... for..." Mingi slowly set his hands on his hips. "Did the jeans not work out?" his professional voice was a note higher than usual, and Yunho already knew. He felt terrible for Mingi yesterday, but he needed to show him.

"Uh- Come with me."

Mingi gasped as the slightly taller dragged him into a fitting room, closing the door behind them for privacy. Now it was just them two, alone and in a cramped space.

"What are you-"

Yunho turned to him and took a deep breath. He unzipped his jacket, quickly pulled it off, lifted his shirt, and pushed his jeans down.

Mingi watched it all with wide eyes and pink cheeks. But in his mind, he was ready to fall to his knees if necessary.

"This familiar?"

A dark tattoo was imprinted on Yunho's skin. Nice ass.

Mingi burst out laughing. It lasted a few seconds until he stumbled back to his two feet and cupped Yunho's cheeks.

"So it is you. Funny how fate works."

Yunho jerked when he felt Mingi's fingers delicately run over his soft skin. Over the two words.

Yunho's mind was going crazy. Like with his touch, he had sparked something in that area. He found himself inching closer to Mingi's face. But the male teasingly smiled and pulled his hands away.

Mingi boldly lifted his shirt over his head, revealing his small waist. His eyes caught on Yunho's red ears.

"Can you help me find my tattoo?"

Yunho stepped forward, Mingi immediately losing that cockiness as he felt hands touch his lower waist.

"On your neck, princess," he muttered.

Yunho brushed some hair back to reveal the words You're cute too on his neck.

"P-Princess? Oh..." Mingi slipped down the wall. "I'm whipped."

"What? Are you not a princess?" Yunho crouched.

Mingi groaned. "You're so hot... Marry me, please. Fuck me."

"So direct."

"I know."

Yunho chuckled. "Why should we rush our wedding when we have all the time in the world together?"

"Ugh. Sweet talker too, huh?"

"Hey, I hate to interrupt this cute moment going on in a fitting room, but Mingi, you're still working," San muttered while knocking on the door.

"I quit, San-"

Yunho covered Mingi's mouth. "He's joking. He'll be out soon!"

"Uh-huh."

When Yunho was sure San walked away, he pressed a kiss to Mingi's head.

"Let's go out after your shift, okay?"

"Mhm." Mingi nodded. "Just kiss me one more time."

And it only took a few more kisses for Mingi to finally return to work.

Yunho couldn't wait a few more hours to see his soulmate again.