For you, Flora. 4500 words, you're welcome :3
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"Hyung," Hyunjin's face is almost covered by the armful of flowers he's carrying – multiple bouquets, big and fancy and colourful and Chan knows the flowers' names now – "I'm sorry. I mean – the flowers are from your sister, like last time, but I'm also sorry. I'm sorry for leaving that night, because I didn't want to leave, and I don't know if you wanted me to stay."

The words tumble out of Hyunjin like a waterfall.

Hyunjin takes a deep breath. "Chan-hyung. I'm sorry for not texting, too. I hope you had a good time, wherever you were this month."

"Hyunjin-ah," Chan says, and swallows. "It's okay. You've got nothing to be sorry for, but I forgive you, and – come in, yeah? Let's put these flowers into a vase."

"Yeah. Okay. Thank you," Hyunjin says, stepping past Chan so Chan can close the door. "You know, your sister called the flower shop and asked for the biggest bouquet she could commission so Jisung and I..."

He trailed off.

"Yeah?" Chan asked, clicking the door shut and turning to face Hyunjin.

Hyunjin is just looking at him, taking in his flour covered sweater and long hair and – the orange rose, probably. Chan wants to put his hand over it, but it's too late and this is Hyunjin. Hyunjin has seen him naked. Chan just looks back at him, the cute flower shaped pin in his ponytail, the turtleneck he's wearing again, his hands stained with green from the grasses.

Hyunjin starts to smile, eyes softening. "Nice tattoo."

"It's not mine," Chan answers truthfully.

"Oh... what?" Hyunjin nearly drops his armful of flowers. His smile shatters. "How?"

"It's a long story," Chan says. He runs a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes. "I'm... I'll tell you, but let's go in first, my cousin is baking brownies."

"Chris?" Felix steps out of the kitchen. When he sees Hyunjin, he smiles and continues in Korean. "Hello. I'm Felix. Channie-hyung, what's up?"

"Now I'm your hyung? Hyunjin, this is my younger cousin Lee Felix, he's coming to Seoul to study. Felix, this is – Hwang Hyunjin." Chan blushes at the look Felix gives him. "The flowers are from Jia-noona," he adds into the following awkward silence.

"It's nice to meet you," Hyunjin speaks first. "Can I give you the flowers, Felix-ssi? Chan-hyung, I really need to talk to you about – your mark."

"Sure," Felix crosses the room and takes the armful of flowers out of Hyunjin's hands. He looks between Chan and Hyunjin, as always more perceptive than is good for Chan's secrets. But maybe just perceptive enough to help take care of Chan's feelings. "Let's go into the kitchen? Hyunjin-ssi, I'll make you coffee."

"Oh, good idea," Chan agrees. "Hyunjin, Felix knows everything there is about my marks, you can speak freely. I'll explain as best as I can, I promise."

"What do you mean? What is there to explain?" Hyunjin asks, but he does follow Chan into the kitchen, where Felix is putting the flowers into vases and water jugs. Chan doesn't own enough vases for all the flowers.

Chan's hands are shaking as he reaches toward the mixing bowl to continue, but Felix gently bats his hands away. He pushes Chan into a seat on the kitchen island, gestures for Hyunjin to sit there, too.

"Go sit with Hyunjin, Chris. It's okay. I'll help with explaining the lovemarks," Felix says. He starts the coffee machine with a coffee for Hyunjin and presses Chan's cup into his hands. "It's okay, Chris."

Chan nods. Turns to Hyunjin. The words feel so heavy on his tongue. "The thing is. The tattoo isn't mine. It's – I didn't –"

"Wait," Hyunjin says, eyes wide like he suddenly realised something. "I don't think you have all the facts."

"Uh – which are?" Chan asks. He's pretty sure he has all the facts.

Hyunjin moves his arms and removes his turtleneck in one smooth move, revealing skin and skin and skin just like that night, eons ago, except now it's in Chan's brightly lit kitchen, the smell of brownie batter and flour in the air, and Hyunjin is looking at him with a different kind of fire in his eyes.

Break my heart, his eyes say. Lie to me. I dare you. Tell me to go. I am here now, and I will not leave without a fight – not again.

And Chan, Chan hopes he'll wake up now.

On Hyunjin's collarbone blooms lilac, like spring, on his neck is an orange rose, bold and beautiful, and on his arm are three primrose blossoms, purple, orange, blue.

And most damning of them all is the blue rose visible on his side, part of it covered by his pants, hinting at a bigger tattoo, teasing the other blue roses Chan knows are there.

Chan wants to wake up.

Something drops to the floor, and it's hopefully not the brownie batter.

"You're Changbin's soulmate," Felix says. Chan can hardly hear him.

"Changbin?" Hyunjin turns his face to Felix.

Chan takes the opportunity to carefully put his coffee down and slide off the stool. He leans his back against the fridge, thankfully not too far from him, and closes his eyes. The cool metal is soothing.

"Chan, baby, what's wrong?"

Chan hears clothes rustle next to him, feels a body close to his side but not touching.

"Chris?" Felix asks from his other side. Felix puts a small hand over his forehead. "Deep breaths, Chris. Count the seconds. You're okay. Breathe with me."

Chan fights to open his eyes. Felix is there, warm eyes and freckles like the clear night sky. Chan needs a couple tries until he manages to match his breaths with Felix's and then his head clears ever so slowly.

"Just a second," Felix says, and after a second Felix is back beside him, holding a glass with cold water to his lips. "Too much coffee isn't good for you, you know that. When was the last time you saw a doctor?"

Chan smiles sadly. "Felix, you were right."

"About what?" Felix asks softly.

"Changbin – Hyunjin – maybe Changbin got the lovemarks, after all," Chan says. He turns to Hyunjin, who, still shirtless, kneels next to him, all the fight drained away. He just looks worried now, helpless. To Felix, Chan says, "Hyunjin has the three blue roses, Lixie."

"I – oh," Felix's eyes widen as he looks Hyunjin up and down. "I – I only saw his collarbone, with the way you were sitting."

"Hyunjin, I'm sorry," Chan says. He holds out a shaking hand, and Hyunjin takes it immediately. "I just – today was a lot."

"I don't understand," Hyunjin looked at Chan's hand, Chan's neck, Chan's face, to Felix. "The orange rose is from today. Chan doesn't look like he was tattooed today. What did you mean when you mentioned Changbin? Seo Changbin-ssi?"

Felix swears. Then he's quiet for a moment. Then he laughs. He laughs, a brilliant and slightly choked but happy sound. "Chris," he pulls Chan into a hug, "it's not lovemarks. It's soulmarks. Chris, it's soulmarks. It'a trinity, a trio. You're three."

"What?" Chan honestly can't follow Felix's thoughts.

Felix ignores him. "Hyunjin-ssi – Hyunjin, am I right to assume that the lilac and the primroses are tattoos you got? As in, an artist stuck needles into your skin?"

Hyunjin nods. "Where are you going with this?"

"Chris – Chan was with Changbin on the day you got the lilac. He was with me on the day you got the primroses. I was with him when he got the blue roses – as in, I saw an artist paint them into his skin. And Changbin called Chan, telling him he's getting a tattoo, and minutes later I watched the orange rose appear. Chan has seen the lilac on Changbin's skin. Do you understand?"

"Felix," Chan whispers, "are you saying –?"

"Yes, Chris," Felix says patiently. "You have two soulmates."

"I – Channie-hyung," Hyunjin breathes. He wraps his arms around Chan and pulls him to his chest. Hyunjin's chest is very warm, and very naked. "Did you think – all these weeks – that it was a lovemark?"

"Well," Chan tells the lilac on Hynjin's collarbone and the rose hidden by Hyunjin's hair, "Changbin is my best friend, and I'm in love with him. I didn't know you also..."

"Okay," Hyunjin says.

It's not what Chan expects him to say, but Chan has never told his soulmate he's in love with someone else, too.

Hyunjin is his soulmate.

"Wow, I hope I don't wake up," Chan says to himself.

"This is real," Hyunjin replies.

"It's real," Felix confirms. "And shit. Can you believe I dropped our brownie batter?"

"Huh?"

And really – not too far from Chan, a sad puddle of chocolatey batter lies on the tiles, the bowl upside down smack dab in the middle.

Chan snorts, then bursts into laughter, the tension leaving him. He feels blessedly light, and his heartbeat is loud in his ears. Hyunjin's arms around him are solid and very, very real. He's awake.

He doesn't notice he's crying until Hyunjin gently wipes away his tears.

"What do we do now?" Chan asks. "I mean – Lixie – we did intend to make the brownie for you."

Felix smiles. "I'm just – I'm happy for you, my favourite cousin. And I guess telling Jisung I'm his soulmate doesn't seem as terrible now."

"Han Jisung?" Hyunjin asks.

"Yeah, that's his full name," Felix says, then stops. "Wait. How do you know that?"

Hyunjin shrugs, awkwardly because he's still holding Chan close. "A guess? Han Jisung is my best friend and coworker. Got blue hair? Obsessed with sunflowers, because he got a sunflower soulmark..."

"Hold on," Chan says. "Your coworker? Does he do music? Did he befriend Changbin? Is his rapper nickname J.One?"

"Um, yes, but how do you know that?" Hyunjin asks.

"Wait," Felix says, "he never told me his rapper name, and now you're telling me he's the one who's been making songs with Changbin? I love those songs!"

"What are the odds," Chan murmurs.

Felix laughs. "He asked to meet tomorrow. I'll tell him, then."

"I'll show you the flower shop," Hyunjin says, "and I guess... hyung, how do we tell... Changbin-ssi."

"Call him hyung," Chan says, "or Binnie-hyung. He'll like that. And I suppose I'll call him on his phone."

"Yes," Felix decides, "you'll call him, and tell him to buy brownie ingredients on the way. We all deserve a treat."

Chan can't help but agree. "Okay. Yes. I can do this."

Hyunjin pulls him to his feet, reluctantly letting go of Chan. "I'm gonna – put my shirt back on."

"Why bother?" Felix starts looking for something to clean the batter off the floor. "I'm sure Chris doesn't mind."

Chan blushes. "Felix."

Felix just laughs.

Chan stretches, yawns, and tries not to stare at Hyunjin's back as he puts his turtleneck back on. The orange rose has a stem and more leaves on the back of the neck, almost on the shoulder. Chan wants to look into floral back designs.

He drinks the water Felix has given him, finds his phone where he left it on the kitchen island, and looks at his contacts. Changbin is marked as important, at the top of the list. He hovers his finger over the call button. What will he even say? What if Changbin doesn't... What if. He recognises it as another thought spiral that will go nowhere, and reminds himself of what he knows. Hyunjin is here, and Hyunjin held him, and Hyunjin won't leave. And Changbin is his best friend.

The lovemark article had proclaimed platonic love as beautiful, and if that's all Changbin has for him – then Chan will take it with both hands and never let it go. He presses call.

It only takes a moment for Changbin to pick up. "Hyung?"

"Binnie," Chan says, and then doesn't know how to continue.

"What's up?" Changbin asks.

"I'm fine," Chan says automatically. He catches Felix's gaze, and Felix gestures towards the mess they made. "I need your help, though."

"Anything," Changbin says, and there's rustling on his side of the connection.

Chan smiles. "I don't have any food at home, and Felix and I wanted to bake brownies. Can you come to my place and bring brownie ingredients?"

"I'm on my way," Changbin replies. "Text me the ingredients? And if you need anything else, like, I don't know."

"I'll do that," Chan nods to himself. "And – remember when – you know, just come here. There's someone you need to meet, wait, no. You've met him. I mean, like, it's complicated, but also not. Just. Come to my place, yeah?"

"I have no idea what you're saying, but I'm coming. Obviously," Changbin chuckles. "And I'm excited to see Felix again. I have to hang up, I'm in my car, so text me what you need?"

"I will. See you, Binnie," he promises. He ends the call, holds his phone towards Felix. "Lix, can you text him the list of ingredients? I'll clean up the rest."

Felix takes Chan's phone and hands him the washcloth he was using.

Cleaning the floor reminds him of the last time he did that – picking up the eggs he spilled when he saw the lilac on Changbin's skin. He hopes spilling food all over the floor won't become a habit when learning shocking information. Hyunjin starts on washing the used dishes.

"How will we tell him? I mean, like..." Chan stars.

"Just undress," Felix says cheekily.

Chan blushes. "I feel like we should talk about our feelings and set some boundaries first, but I guess it's a plan? Seeing is believing?"

Hyunjin smiles. "I wouldn't mind undressing for Changbin-hyung, honestly. He came to the flower shop regularly. I told him a lot about flowers, and he..." Hyunjin hesitates. "He seemed reserved, and well – I kinda suspected he's my soulmate, with how he asked about lilacs and then primroses, so I enjoyed flirting with him. He seemed kind of lost, at times. How do you know him, though?"

"The soulmarks... It's more complicated than you might think," Chan sighs. "His family is... I mean, he'll tell you himself. Our families know – knew – each other, so ever since I came here as a teenager, we've been best friends. Went to the same school and everything. He's CEO of his family's company now."

"But he's – so young?" Hyunjin pauses what he's doing.

"Yeah, well. Our families have issues. Me, Binnie and my sister are really the only sane ones. And Felix's parents." Chan shrugs. "It's not that important. I'll tell you more some other day, yeah? I like my job as art director, anyway, and Binnie is a good CEO."

"So that's why he was hiding from some secretaries last week," Hyunjin mutters. "It all makes sense now."

Chan smiles. "What have you been up to these last weeks? Besides flirting with Binnie."

"I'm working full time in the flower shop," Hyunjin finished with the last of the dishes and turns to Chan. "And I dropped out of university. My parents are okay with it, and I feel... really good about it."

"That's good," Chan says.

"Before you ask," Felix cuts in, "Channie was in Australia, in Sydney, to visit me and his dog Berry at his grandparent's house. We baked brownies, lay in the sun, got tattoos, and Chan forced me to go on a run with him."

"One time, Lix-ah," Chan rolls his eyes.

"Sounds nice," Hyunjin says softly.

"Yeah."

Time passes quickly. Felix arranges all the baking supplies so that they can immediately start once Changbin brings the missing ingredients (mostly butter and eggs, Felix brought extra of everything else), and Felix takes away Chan's coffee and gives him more water. Hyunjin, more often than not, reaches out to touch Chan's hand, so Chan links their fingers.

They've got time.

It took a while, but they've got time now, and Chan already likes Hyunjin more than he ever thought he'd like someone who wasn't Changbin. And it doesn't help that Hyunjin is ridiculously handsome, and kind, and funny, and caring. Which Chan knew, but it's one thing to experience it in bed, and quite another to call this man his soulmate. Which, Hyunjin is. His soulmate.

He wants to drown in Hyunjin and he wants to wrap Hyunjin in his arms and never let go.

And, somehow, it seems like Hyunjin feels the same.

Chan decides right then and there that he'll always do anything and everything Felix asks for. Sure, he's already doing that, but he'll try to do more. Because without Felix, Chan doesn't know where he'd be, or if he'd even have the braincells to put all the puzzle pieces together.

And when Felix excuses himself to pick up his parents' phone call, Chan pushes Hyunjin's back against the counter and leans in, taking note of the way Hyunjin's breath stutters.

"Can I kiss you, Hyunjinnie?" He asks, quietly, seriously, looking into Hyunjin's eyes.

Hyunjin hisitantly reaches toward Chan, wraps his arms around his neck and pulls him closer, until they're touching from their knees to their chests. "Please kiss me."

Chan tilts his head and leans in, wasting no time with licking over Hyunjin's lips into his mouth. Hyunjin returns the kiss with hunger, threads his fingers through Chan's growing hair, and tugs.

Chan's knees go weak, but that's okay, he's got Hyunjin to lean on now. He doesn't know when he closes his eyes, he just knows Hyunjin's lips on his, Hyunjin's tongue against his, Hyunjin's chest rising and falling against his.

That's how Changbin finds them.

Changbin very politely clears his throat.

Chan separates from Hyunjin, who lets his hands slip from Chan's hair. Hyunjin takes one of Chan's hands, and when Chan turns, Changbin's expression is blank.

"I brought the... brownie..." Changbin lifts a bag, but the words die when he notices Chan's neck. "I..." Changbin's eyes fall down to Hyunjin and Chan's linked hands.

"Binnie," Chan says, "I love you."

Changbin blinks. "Hyung, I love you too?"

"What he means," Hyunjin says, with more confidence than Chan can scrape together right now, "is that we've got a soulbond, all three of us."

Almost unconsciously, Changbin lifts a hand to his own neck. The tattoo is fresh, still wrapped with plastic.

Chan wishes for Felix, but Felix isn't available right now so he'll have to take matters into his own hands. He lets go of Hyunjin's hand and pulls his sweater over his head. He shivers, but not necessarily from the cold, as both Changbin's and Hyunjin's eyes fix on him.

The grocery bag drops to the floor and Changbin stops directly in front of Chan. His eyes fly over the rose, the lilac, the primroses, the single blue rose visible on the skin of his stomach, partly hidden under his sweatpants. Changbin reaches out, trails a finger tip over his collarbone – until Chan shudders, because he's ticklish or because of something else, and Changbin looks up.

"Why didn't you tell me about the mark?"

Chan closes his eyes. "I thought it was a lovemark." The next thing he knows are Changbin's arms around him, Changbin pressing close, hugging him so tightly he can't breathe. It's a good, warm, quality Binnie Hug. "Bin?"

"What on earth made you think I'd care about marks when it comes to you?" Changbin asks. "I'm sorry if I made you think that."

"It's okay, Bin," Chan breathes.

"Clearly not," Changbin disagrees, "if you had to run away to the other hemisphere to feel better."

"Good thing I have a Felix," Chan says. "And Hyunjin – you know him already, so, yeah."

Changbin reluctantly loosens his hold on Chan and steps back, but he keeps an arm around Chan when he turns to Hyunjin. "Hyunjin. Hey."

"Changbin-hyung," Hyunjin says, and smiles. He hooks a finger into his turtleneck and tugs it down so it reveals the orange rose on his neck.

"How do you know each other?" Changbin looks around the room, quickly noticing the giant bouquets of flowers from Jia.

The tips of Chan's ears heat up. "We slept with each other. Like, a week or so before Hyunjin got the lilac."

"That one night stand?" Changbin raises an eyebrow. "Where you slept over and he made you breakfast, and you forgot to ask for his number?"

Chan is full on blushing now. "You don't have to be this detailed."

"Well," Changbin says slowly, "I was very jealous that day, because I'm in love with you and have been for years."

"You – I – really?"

Changbin smiles softly. "So – Hyunjin. Thoughts?"

Hyunjin giggles. "You're both very adorable. I'd... I think I'd like to talk about us, though. All three of us."

Chan tightens his fingers around Hyunjin's. "I want to try. All three of us. Romantically, sexually, everything."

Hyunjin smiles, a smile too big for his face. It's like the sun is finally rising. "Me too."

"Yes," Changbin says. "I... Hyunjin. I know I haven't really acted like a soulmate, and other than my friendship and feelings for Chan-hyung, I have no excuse. I got the rose tattoo today, thinking of you. Though I won't lie and say Chan-hyung had no influence on the design." Changbin holds his free hand out for Hyunjin to take. "You're my soulmate, and if you'll let me, it would be my honour to fall in love with you."

"Oh," Hyunjin blinks. "That's – I don't know how to reply, but yes. I think I'll enjoy falling for you."

That was easy, Chan thinks. And cheesy. "Well, uh, let's go on a date? Or something?"

Changbin laughs. "Channie-hyung. Kiss me first, talk later?"

Changbin's lips are exactly as soft as Chan expects. Changbin is precise and gentle in his movements, sucking on Chan's lips, and Chan's head spins from it when Changbin pulls back. His eyes have darkened, his lips are redder, and the way he runs his thumb over Chan's lips is definitely not going to reappear in Chan's dreams, nope, that's a totally normal thing to do, especially slowly, the way Changbin's thumb catches Chan's lower lip and drags it to the side.

Chan is sure an embarrassing noise would now leave him, but he's lucky he's completely speechless, and remains completely speechless when Changbin turns to Hyunjin, cups his face with one hand and leans in, kissing Hyunjin in the exact same way he kissed Chan. With feeling. With just a hint of tongue. Hyunjin moans into the kiss, and it may be the sexiest thing Chan has ever heard, but okay.

When they separate, they just look at each other.

Chan basks in the touch of them, Hyunjin's hand in his, Chan's arm around him, the way they hold hands, Hyunjin's now messy hair.

"Um, Chris, put on some clothes?" Felix knocks against the kitchen door. "Are you ready for the best brownies in your entire life?"

The brownies really are the best brownies in Chan's entire life, but that's at least partly because both Changbin and Hyunjin do everything Felix tells them to do as best as they can. If Chan didn't know that Changbin and Hyunjin 1) know Felix is Chan's younger cousin and 2) are only trying to show Felix that they appreciate him for looking after Chan, Chan would think they're trying to flirt.

It's adorable.

"But wait," Changbin says when they sit on the sofa in the living room, a plate of brownies between them. "If Hyunjin got the lilac tattoo, and I got the orange rose – what about the primrose and the blue roses?"

"Primroses are from me," Hyunjin says, "though they're only three because I thought it would look dumb if there were only two. And the colours are also a coincidence."

"Blue roses are from me," Chan says. "At the time I didn't think they'd be yours, too. And blue roses, well..."

"Blue roses don't exist unless you dye them," Hyunjin explains. "Yeah."

They fall quiet after that.

"I'm okay," Chan says, and he means it. "Today was just unexpectedly stressful. But I felt a lot better in Sydney, with Felix and Berry, and now – I won't have to be jealous forever, and I won't have to hide the marks forever. That feels good."

"Good," Changbin picks up a piece of brownie and holds it to Chan's lips. "I'll take care of you. We'll take care of you. You're not alone."

"Never been alone," Felix adds, but he's smiling.

Chan takes the brownie out of Changbin's fingers with his mouth, closing his lips around Changbin's fingers. Changbin's sharp intake of breath is loud in the quiet of the room.

"Oh, fuck," Hyunjin whispers.

Felix loudly clears his throat.

Chan blushes and pulls away from Changbin's fingers. He chews and swallows the brownie before talking. "Sorry, Felix."

"You better be," Felix mutters. "I'm your baby cousin. And single."

"Only until tomorrow," Hyunjin says, "Changbin-hyung, did you know Jisung is Felix's soulmate?"

"Wait, seriously?" Changbin grins, "so you have his Forget-Me-Nots on your wrist?" Felix proudly pulls his sleeve back to show it.

"He was super nervous about it," Changbin continues, "he'll be so happy it's you."

Felix hesitates. "Are you sure?"

"I read his lyrics, you know? He said a lot of the happier pieces are inspired by his internet friend – I just didn't connect his online Felix to you," Changbin's grin turns into a smirk, "you should hear him rap, by the way."

"I'd like to get to know him, too" Chan says, "I wanna know how he composes, because wow."

"You should do a collab," Hyunjin suggests, and Felix high fives him.

They stay away from emotional subjects. Chan shows Changbin and Hyunjin his Berry pictures, Changbin sighs about work, Hyunjin tells them about his family, Felix asks questions about Seoul. They fit together, somehow, and Chan imagines it'll be nice when Jisung joins them. He only spoke to him the one time he was in the flower shop, but Jisung's bright smile and blue hair would just feel right, especially next to Felix.

And Chan is a musician, he's been wanting to talk to J.One since Changbin sent the first demo track.

At around two in the morning, Hyunjin yawns, and Changbin checks the time and grimaces.

"If it weren't the middle of the week," he sighs.

"I've got the evening tomorrow off – today," Hyunjin offers. "If you two can make time, you can come to my place and we can... get to know each other. Talk some more."

"I can be there," Changbin says. He eyes Chan, knowing that Chan usually works too much. "Channie-hyung?"

Chan rolls his eyes. "My entire department will give me a standing ovation if I leave before sunset."

Felix hugs both Changbin and Hyunjin goodbye, and Changbin offers to drive Hyunjin home. Hyunjin accepts.

They both give Chan lingering kisses before leaving.

When Chan sees his reflection in the bathroom mirror, he doesn't turn his eyes away from his marks. For the first time, he acknowledges that they're beautiful, they're his, they're soulmarks and they tell a story about love. They're Hyunjin, his love for flowers and spring, they're Changbin, who's Chan's best friend and first love, and they're Chan: more love than he's able to put into words.

Chan falls asleep with his lips tingling.