Archive of Our Own

At 6:48 pm Jimin was standing on the sidewalk staring at the neon green shop sign that flashed the word “Ink’D” before his eyes. He was twelve minutes early to his appointment. He debated with himself whether he should just go in already or wait on the street for a couple of minutes more. Anxiety was pooling his mind and the last thing he could do in that moment was to be spontaneous with people. Should he really do it? Was he ready for such a thing? That was permanent. What if the people inside the building were freaks? What if they treated him badly? He had never been inside a place like that before and he had no idea what to expect or how he was supposed to act. Two minutes had passed when he finally noticed that the building had blacked out windows. God, what if whoever was inside could see him just standing there like a moron and was laughing at him? Jimin suddenly felt the urge to flee the place and return home where he wouldn’t have to face such an uncomfortable situation.

But no, he decided, feeling an unexpected but much needed rush of confidence and excitement spread through his body. Namjoon deserved this. This was the ultimate proof of love that Jimin could possibly give him, so he marched to the front door and buzzed the intercom. It took a few seconds to get an answer, if he could call it that, but the door finally unlocked and Jimin took that as his cue to enter the shop.

The inside was a lot different from what he expected. All his knowledge of tattoo parlors had been acquired through what he saw in movies and in that moment he could see how stereotyped his idea was. The walls were painted white and a few black ink drawings were attached to it. The area was small, but cozy. There were two chairs in front of the white reception desk and two black bean bags on the corners of the walls. Jimin felt relieved, seeing that it looked much more like a doctor’s office than whatever dark kind of place he had been expecting.

After quickly assessing the place, he turned to the reception desk, only then noticing the small colorful pots of succulents on the table. He couldn’t help but repress a smile. The little plants were giving the room a much needed pop of color. The lady sitting behind the desk must have shared the same thoughts, seeing how she smiled when she saw Jimin looking at her little plants.

“Hi,” she greeted him, holding her smile.

“Hi.” Jimin smiled back. “I’m here for my appointment? 7 o’clock. Park Jimin.”

“Of course. I’m Hyojin, nice to meet you.” She held out her hand and Jimin shook it, but not before glancing at her inked forearm covered with flowers. “Is this the first time you get a tattoo with us?”

“Yes. It’s my first ever, actually. I’m a little nervous,” Jimin admitted, expecting her to comfort him, saying that it wasn’t a big deal, but she only nodded, focusing her eyes on the computer screen in front of her and typing something on the keyboard. He felt a little stupid and wondered how trivial getting a tattoo must sound for her by now, considering that she probably sees dozens of people getting one every day.

“Are you allergic to any specific type of substance?” She asked, eyes still on the screen.

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“Did you take any medication in the past 24 hours?”

“No,” he answered without giving it much thought.

“Are you older than eighteen?”

“Yes.”

“And, just to confirm, you’re getting the soulmate tattoo, right?” This time she looked him straight in the eyes.

“I am.” Jimin couldn’t help but smile.

“How are you gonna be paying?”

“Uh, cash. It’s ₩80,000, right?”

“Yeah.” The woman, Hyojin, wheeled back on her chair to the printer behind her.

“Do I have to pay you now, or…?” Jimin asked, uncertain. She didn’t seem to hear his question, too busy wheeling back to the desk holding a sheet of paper and placing it with a pen in front of him.

“Now you just have to sign this and we’re good to go.”

Jimin scanned the paper in front of him and noticed that it contained all the information he had provided her, plus the design of the tattoo and the price. He saw everything was okay and signed it, giving the paper back to her once he was finished.

“Okay, Jimin. I’m heading out now, but make yourself comfortable. Yoongi’s gonna be with you in a moment. Feel free to look at our art on the walls and also, here’s his portfolio.” She placed a black leathered book on the desk. “In case you change your mind.” She then gathered her purse and phone and made her way to the door.

“Why would I—” Jimin started, his eyes following her, but he was interrupted by Hyojin, who already had her hand on the door handle.

“Whatever Yoongi says to you about your tattoo, don’t worry about it too much. He’s just bitter.”

And then she winked at him. She winked at him?

“What do you me—” once again, Jimin didn’t have the chance to finish his question, as Hyojin quickly left him there, as confused as he could be.

Without knowing what to do next, he decided to look around the walls. The drawings were all different from each other, showcasing how talented the artist was. An abstract drawing caught Jimin’s attention and he didn’t fight the urge to trace his fingertips through the lines of black ink. In that moment, he kind of wondered if he should come back another time to get another tattoo, one that had a more artsy touch to it. But for now, he would have to be content with his already pretty special soulmate tattoo.

He and Namjoon were together since Jimin’s first year of college. Back then, Namjoon was already a junior. Now, two years later, his boyfriend had graduated and landed an internship in one of South Korea’s most prestigious law firms. Jimin, on the other hand, was on his third year and still uncertain of his major. Maybe psychology wasn’t his thing. But then again, he had no idea what his thing was, so the safest option was to continue majoring in that, at least until he figured out what he wanted—if he ever did.

Getting a soulmate tattoo was the biggest step in a relationship, and Jimin thought he and his boyfriend were ready for that. Once you get it, it is permanent, meaning you are connecting yourself to your loved one for as long as you carry it on your skin. He and Namjoon were happy together, and Jimin wanted to prove it to his boyfriend, so he decided to surprise him. He was sure Namjoon was going to be thrilled once he found out, since it should appear simultaneously on his skin as Jimin was getting it. It was a simple, but meaningful symbol, just two dots connected by a line, representing two people who are bounded to be together forever.

He finished looking at all the drawings on the walls that caught his attention and the person who was supposed to ink him was still nowhere to be seen. Jimin sat down in one of the reception chairs and grabbed his phone from his back pocket, unlocking it and going straight to his messages app. He texted Taehyung, his best friend and the only person who knew he was getting a tattoo. He didn’t know it was the soulmate tattoo, though. Jimin had a feeling Taehyung wouldn’t approve much of his decision, considering that his best friend wasn’t Namjoon’s biggest fan—deep down he was just jealous because after Jimin and Namjoon started dating, Jimin had less time available to spend with him—so he decided to omit that information, because he knew Taehyung would demand that he and Jimin also got matching tattoos and how dare he put his boyfriend in front of his best friend . It was just a bit of Taehyung drama that Jimin was trying to avoid for the time being. He already had enough things to stress about.

Jimin: I’M NERVOUS

He really was. Jimin could count on his hands how many times he felt that nervous in his life. This was a big, huge, enormous deal. But he was sure… wasn’t he? The worst thing was that he had no idea if he could endure the pain. He’d heard stories of people who passed out while getting inked. What if his blood pressure dropped and he fainted? God, what if he cried? That would be beyond embarrassing.

Jimin looked at the black leathered book in front of him. The artist’s portfolio. When he reached out to touch it, he felt his phone buzz on his hand.

Tae: stop whining like it’s the end of the world!!

Jimin: BUT WHAT IF IT HURTS

Tae: you won’t tell me what it is that you’re getting but i know it’s small so you probably won’t feel a thing

Jimin: WE DON’T HAVE THE SAME PAIN TOLERANCE

Tae: Jimin for god’s sake calm down. i didn’t even feel it when i got mine

Jimin: that’s because you were drunk!!!

Jimin: does it feel like someone’s ripping your skin open?

Tae: no

Jimin: is it more like a scratch?

Tae: it’s a little worse than that but I PROMISE it’s not painful

Jimin: what kind of pain is ittttt

Tae: i don’t have anything to compare it with, it’s like getting a tattoo. you’ll see. it’s not that bad.

Tae: i know you’re nervous cause it’s your first time but trust me on this. it’s gonna be ok

Tae: and don’t forget to text me first after you get it!! i don’t care about your boyfriend. i demand to be the first to see it!!

Jimin: i think i’m next. if i die pls tell my parents i love them

Tae: good luck!!

Jimin locked his phone as soon as he heard steps getting closer to him. He got up from his chair just as the man entered his field of vision. The first thing that his eyes saw was the artist’s bleached, almost white hair. His face had very soft features, except for his sharp eyes, that seemed to be scanning Jimin as much as he was scanning the man.

“You’re Jimin?” he asked, and Jimin’s eyes wandered to the stranger’s lips that had formed a small pout when he spoke.

Cute, he thought.

“Uh, yeah. That’s me.” Jimin felt his cheeks blush a little. He hoped the stranger hadn’t noticed.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Yoongi. Follow me, please.”

The man, Yoongi, turned his back to Jimin and started going back to wherever he came from, without giving him the chance to say it was very nice to meet him, too. What’s with all the people in this place who don’t wait for him to answer the things they say?

They walked through a small corridor that also had several drawings attached to the walls, but this time it was the art in Yoongi’s arms that looked more interesting to Jimin. He couldn’t make out exactly what each tattoo was, because they were all connected and Yoongi’s arm was moving as he walked, but they looked pretty, Jimin thought.

They entered the second door to the right and it looked a little like Jimin was paying his dentist a visit. There was a black leather chair on the center with a little stool right next to it and a side table by the chair. Other than that, there were some white cupboards on the wall and a small desk next to the door. Yoongi went straight into the cupboard and started grabbing his tattoo material. Jimin didn’t know what to do with himself. Was he supposed to sit? Or should he just stand there against the door? Why did he have to be so awkward? Luckily, Yoongi, with his back turned, couldn’t see Jimin having an internal crisis.

Yoongi looked so… cool. The way he had carried himself in those long two minutes since Jimin and him met exhaled confidence and Jimin envied him. But he also felt a little pissed that Yoongi didn’t offer him a seat. He was a client, after all, he was entitled to expect some courtesy.

“Hyojin forgot to mention what kind of tattoo you’re getting.” This time, Yoongi had turned to him and was now resting his back on one of the cabinets. How could he be so laid back in the presence of a stranger while Jimin was there on the verge of having a breakdown?

“Ah, I’m getting the soulmate tattoo?”

“Are you asking me?” Yoongi raised his left eyebrow.

“What?”

“It sounded like you were asking me if you’re gonna get the soulmate tattoo.” Yoongi smirked at him and if Jimin could, he would hide himself in a blanket in that very moment, to avoid looking at the other’s face.

“No I—I’m sure.” He tried to sound as confident as he could. “It’s meaningful.”

Yoongi just hummed and turned his back to him one more time to start fidgeting with his stuff. “You gotta do what you gotta do.” Jimin hear him murmuring to himself.

“Is there a problem?” he asked.

“Hm? Oh. No.”

“You don’t sound very happy about it.”

“Well, it’s the tattoo you chose and you’re paying me to ink it on your skin. I don’t need to like it.”

If Jimin was nervous before, consider it now multiplied by ten. For some unknown reason, knowing that Yoongi didn’t like that tattoo made his heart sink a little. Jimin didn’t even know he cared so much about the other’s opinion, but he discovered it then. Yoongi was, after all, a very talented artist who seemed to have good taste.

“Do you think it’s ugly or you don’t like the meaning it carries?” Jimin dared to ask.

“Can I be honest with you, Jimin?”

“Please.”

“For me, this tattoo looks more like Baymax than whatever it is supposed to look like.”

Yoongi said that without moving a muscle of his face and it took Jimin a couple of seconds to realize he was kidding. When he finally did, he started laughing.

“Don’t you agree?” Yoongi asked, finally smiling.

“Well, now that you said it… Yeah.” Jimin smiled back at him and he felt his nervousness starting to go away.

“But I also think this whole soulmate tattoo thing is bullshit.” He said, looking into Jimin’s eyes. It seemed like he was waiting for Jimin to say something, but Jimin limited himself to a small gasp. “And I especially don’t think people should be getting one when they’re as young as you are.”

“I’m twenty-one!” Jimin felt attacked.

“My point exactly.” Yoongi crossed his arms in front of his chest. He looked serious. “You know you can only get one in your entire life, right? Once we do this, there’s no going back.”

“Namjoon and I are very much in love. We’re gonna be together forever.” Jimin tried not to sound so naïve, but he had heard himself and he sounded like a 12-year-old girl. So much for trying to impress Yoongi, he thought. Was he trying to impress Yoongi, though? And if yes, why the hell? He had more important things to worry about in that moment.

“Wait, did you say Namjoon? As in Kim Namjoon?” Yoongi asked.

“Yes. You know him?” Jimin didn’t really know how to handle all the mix of emotions he felt in the last minutes. He went from nervous to happy to angry and now he was confused.

“We took a class or two together in college. I saw him a couple weeks ago, actually.”

“You went to college?” He tried not to sound so impressed. It’s just that the thought never crossed Jimin’s mind.

“Yes, Jimin. I went to college. Don’t sound so surprised.” Yoongi said in a mocking tone.

“That’s not what I meant, I just didn’t know there was a major for tattoo...ists ?”

“Because there isn’t. I majored in Design.”

“Oh,” Jimin pondered, not sure of what to say next. “That’s so cool. I’ve always wanted to do something related to the arts but I’m not good at any of it.”

“Really?” Yoongi arched an eyebrow. “I’m sure that’s not true, everybody’s good at something.”

“Not me,” Jimin laughed. “Anyways, where do you want me?”

“Well,” Yoongi started. “It sort of depends on where you want your tattoo,” he said. “Have you thought of a place yet?”

Jimin bit his lower lip. Yes, he had thought of a place. In fact, he thought of several places. At first he wanted it to be on a visible place, like his wrist, or maybe his hand. Then, he considered getting it on the inside of his forearm, which wasn’t that visible unless he was wearing a shirt. That made him want to get it on a more hidden place, so it would be extra special for Namjoon, because it meant that only he would see it. But now, thinking about it, he wasn’t comfortable enough to take his clothes off to have Yoongi ink him. So he made up his mind right there.

“I want it on my right wrist,” he told Yoongi, trying to sound as confident as he could.

“Oh, come on!”

“What?” Jimin said immediately. “Is it a bad place? I’ve seen a lot of people with tattoo on their wrists so I thought it should be okay.”

“Yeah, that’s exactly it. It’s such a common place,” Yoongi explained.

“What’s wrong with that?” Jimin couldn’t help but frown. He didn’t go there to be judged.

“I just happen to think it’s overrated,” Yoongi shrugged. “What do you think of your collarbone?” he suggested. “If you do it on the left side, it’s next to your heart.”

“Wow, that’s too romantic, who would’ve thought a guy that doesn’t like soulmate tattoos would come up with something like that?” Jimin smirked.

“Well,” Yoongi said. “If you’re going to do it, at least do it on a good spot.”

“You have a point, but I actually wanted to be able to see it,” Jimin stated.

“Fair enough,” Yoongi nodded. “You can sit on the chair while I get the stencil ready.”

Jimin did as he was told and sat on the leather chair. It was comfortable and he started to relax as Yoongi walked his way to the desk, pulling a chair and sitting on it. He then turned on a lamp that was placed on the desk.

Jimin couldn’t see what he was doing exactly, so took his phone from his pocket and texted Tae.

Jimin: it’s happening in a few minutes aaa

Tae: !!!!!!!!

Tae: is the artist nice

Jimin: i guess?? he tried to convince me not to get the tattoo though

Tae: what????? really???

Jimin: i mean… he didn’t say it like that

Jimin: it was more like “are you sure about this”

Tae: yeah but that’s cool, it’s normal

Jimin: i figured

Jimin put his phone in his pocket again when he noticed Yoongi getting up with a piece of paper in one of his hands. He went to the cupboard again and grabbed some materials that he’d left there earlier. He walked back to where Jimin was and placed some stuff on the side table. The tattoo gun was already there, Jimin noticed, and that made him flinch.

He looked back at Yoongi, who was now putting some gloves on. He grabbed some wipers and asked Jimin for his wrist. When Jimin held out his arm for him, he cleaned Jimin’s skin with the wipers.

“I’m gonna place it on your skin,” he said. “You’re gonna see how it looks and if you don’t like anything about it just tell me and we’ll find another position for it.”

Jimin nodded and Yoongi put the stencil on his wrist and proceeded to press it against his skin. After a few seconds, he removed the paper and Jimin saw the tattoo outlined there, in purple.

“It looks so pretty,” Jimin marveled. “Is that it? Can I go now?” he joked.

Yoongi let out a small laugh. “Well, if you want it to fade, then yes, you’re good to go.”

“I just don’t want it to hurt,” he sighed. “My friend said it doesn’t hurt.”

“It doesn’t,” Yoongi agreed. “I mean, it usually depends on the person. Some people are more sensitive in some areas, so it might be a little overwhelming for them,” he clarified. “It also depends on the size, the bigger it is, the longer it takes. That’s kind of obvious, I know, but sometimes people book huge tats and want it to be done in one sitting. When I tell them that’s not a good idea and they don’t listen, they end up with their skin more irritated than usual, which leads to pain.”

“Oh,” Jimin managed, kinda terrified about the stories Yoongi mentioned. “But mine isn’t that big, right?” he asked, looking at the small drawing on his wrist.

“No,” Yoongi smiled, and that, somehow, calmed Jimin a bit. “We should be done in a few minutes.”

Yoongi then prepped the needle and the second he turned it on Jimin was startled by the loud sound it made.

“I know it sounds scary, but it’s just a sound. Don’t worry.” Yoongi gave him a reassuring smile that showed his gums and for a second that was all Jimin could think about. How cute his gummy smile was. He definitely did not notice that Yoongi had already changed his focus to his wrist and that the needle was one millimeter away from touching his skin. No, he was too absorbed by Yoongi’s cute smile that seemed to be way more effective than any kind of local anesthesia.

When the needle finally touched his skin, Jimin snapped out of his trance. He jerked his arm away from Yoongi and gasped loudly.

“Hey, hey. What’s wrong?” Yoongi asked him in a calm tone.

Jimin’s heart was beating so fast he felt like it was going to jump out of his chest.

“I—I don’t know. I’m sorry.” He felt like crying.

“It’s okay.” Yoongi placed his hand on top of Jimin’s and brushed his thumb on the little dot of ink that was now there. The soothing touch made his heartbeat go back to normal instantly.

Jimin wished Yoongi could keep holding his hand while he got inked.

“I would, but I need both hands to work.” Yoongi looked at him and smirked.

Did he… Did he say that out loud?

“Oh my god.” Jimin hid his face on his available hand. Then he started laughing out loud, but not because he found the situation funny. It was because he was nervous as hell and his emotions had started piling up and that was the alternative he found to let them all out. At first, Yoongi laughed with him, until he probably realized that it wasn’t even that funny but Jimin just couldn’t stop laughing. He laughed and laughed until tears started dripping from his eyes. He didn’t know if they were because he was on the verge of crying or because he had laughed too much.

“Jimin, hey.” Yoongi grabbed his hand tighter. “Are you okay?” He sounded worried and Jimin felt pathetic. He was having a crisis in front of his tattoo artist.

“It’s just,” he paused to laugh a little more. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“You don’t have to get this tattoo, you know?”

“I know, but… Everything between us has been weird for the last few weeks. I just wanted to surprise him and show him we can make it work. I was hoping that he would get his soulmate tattoo right after I showed him I got mine and everything would go back to normal.” Jimin wiped his tears.

“What do you mean? Namjoon—” Yoongi suddenly stopped talking and looked away. “I mean,” he coughed. “You wanna talk about it?”

“I don’t wanna burden you,” Jimin admitted.

“Nonsense. I always like to hear the stories behind my clients’ tattoos,” Yoongi teased.

Jimin nodded, taking a deep breath, trying to recompose himself.

When he saw Yoongi placing the gun back on the table, he felt kind of relieved. Yoongi then turned to him and their eyes met. His encouraging expression was what Jimin needed to start talking.

“So…” he began. “We’ve been together for a few years now, and even though our relationship isn’t in its early phase, I still feel the same thing, you know? It’s like nothing has changed, regarding feelings, at least,” he paused, not really sure of how to continue. “Like I said, things aren’t exactly great right now, but they should be okay after I get this.” He eyed the tiny dot on his wrist.

“Did something happen?” Yoongi asked.

“Not that I’m aware of,” he replied. “I mean, everything was great. And then suddenly he started to act different somehow. I thought he was tired of something, but he’s still like that now,” he confessed. “We haven’t been seeing each other that much either. Our conversations are mostly through text or call when...” Jimin gulped. “When I call him.”

He sort of felt like he was venting to his therapist or something, but everything just came out of his mouth without him meaning to say any of it, especially because he didn’t know Yoongi that well. For some reason, though, he had a feeling Yoongi wasn’t a jerk, so he didn’t worry much about what he was telling him.

“Jimin, I’m sorry to hear that.” Yoongi gently grabbed his hand. “I know we’ve only met and that my opinion doesn’t really matter, but I think that maybe you should reconsider getting this tattoo. It’s permanent, you know?” He gave Jimin a small smile.

Jimin nodded, wiping his teary eyes once more.

“I get it,” Jimin said. “I totally do. But I’m sure of this.” He smiled to Yoongi. “It’s what I want.”

Yoongi sighed, picking up the gun again. “Alright, then.” He turned it on. “Are you okay with the sound?” Jimin nodded. “Good, I’m gonna put it on your skin now, try not to move or it could turn into a disaster, and we don’t want that.”

Jimin held his breath when he saw the tattoo gun approaching his wrist. When it touched his skin, he closed his eyes shut. It didn’t feel that bad, but he was still pretty nervous, mostly because he couldn’t move his arm and that was exactly what he wanted to do.

For a minute or two, everything was fine, until his other arm started to itch, and he wanted to scratch it more than anything in the world.

“It itches,” he admitted.

Yoongi chuckled.

“I know, but you can’t scratch it.”

Now, with his eyes open, Jimin dared to take a look at his wrist. The outlines of the two dots were already done and Yoongi was halfway through filling the insides of the first one. It wasn’t painful, but a little uncomfortable. Sometimes Jimin felt little shock waves, but nothing that was unbearable. He’d tried pinching himself at home before his appointment, just to have something to compare the pain of getting a tattoo with, and also to test if he could handle the pain. The pinches he gave himself were way more painful than the needle working on his arm.

“I’m gonna need you to hold completely still now. I’m gonna draw the line and we don’t want it to be uneven, right?” Yoongi stopped for a moment and looked at him, waiting for his confirmation.

“Okay,” Jimin replied softly.

Jimin followed Yoongi’s hand while the other traced the fine line between the two dots. He had a very steady hand and Jimin was impressed.

And just like that, the loud noise of the gun stopped and Yoongi took the it away from his skin, putting it on the table again. He looked at Jimin’s wrist and then at him.

“All done, just let me clean this real quick.” He grabbed one of the wipers that were on the side table.

Yoongi gently pressed it against Jimin’s skin and wiped it a few times. When he was satisfied, he put it aside and grabbed a moisturizer and applied it to the sensitive skin. After that, Yoongi took the plastic wrap and covered Jimin’s wrist with it, rolling the plastic a few times so it would be nice and secure.

When he was done, Jimin lifted his arm so he could look at it properly. The tattoo was so delicate and tiny that he couldn’t help but smile.

“Thank you so much, Yoongi,” Jimin told him. “It’s perfect.”

“I’m glad you liked it, Jimin,” Yoongi smiled at him.

Jimin bit his lip and looked at his tattoo and then at Yoongi.

“When will I start feeling… it?” he asked, uncertain.

“Feeling what?”

“You know what they say… that after you get the tattoo you automatically fall in love with your soulmate and all the other things… the bond, the attraction, you know.”

“O-oh,” Yoongi stammered. “I guess… I don’t know much about these things. Don’t think I’ll ever experience it, too, but…” he avoided Jimin’s eyes. “Maybe nothing’s gonna change for you, since you already have someone you’re in love with, right?”

I guess that’s right , Jimin thought to himself.

Yoongi started to walk out of the room then, through the corridor they passed earlier. Jimin followed him and was about to ask about the aftercare when Yoongi turned slightly to face him.

“There are some things you need to do, though.” He stopped abruptly and Jimin almost crashed on his back.

“Oh?” Jimin said.

“...to keep the tat looking good and your skin healthy,” he continued. “You can clean it three times a day with neutral soap on the first week. It’s also good to keep your skin moisturized, so you can do that after you clean it. Then, for the first days you should wrap it with plastic, especially if you’re wearing long sleeves, so it doesn’t brush against the fabric of your shirt. However,” Yoongi stopped when they got to the reception desk. “If you’re wearing short sleeves, you don’t have to wear the plastic, you should let your skin breathe. Just make sure to keep it away from sunlight during the first month or so.”

“Okay,” Jimin nodded, knowing full well that he would forget everything Yoongi had just said to him in a matter of seconds.

He took his wallet out of his back pocket and grabbed the money and handed it to Yoongi. It was only when Yoongi reached for it that Jimin noticed he was still wearing his gloves. “Aren’t you gonna take those off?”

Yoongi’s eyes widened and he looked from his hand to Jimin.

“Wow, I totally forgot about that,” he laughed nervously. “How clumsy of me,” he shook his head.

He placed the bill on the desk and went around it so he could meet Jimin on the other side.

“If you need anything you can email us, or maybe give us a call,” Yoongi offered, walking Jimin to the door. “You have our number, right?”

“I do, yes.” Jimin smiled. “Thanks again, Yoongi, it was nice meeting you.” He waved.

Yoongi waved too, gloves still on. Jimin made a face, about to remind him of that but Yoongi was already going back to the shop and closing the door.

Jimin shrugged and started walking, not sure if he should go home or to Namjoon’s place. They hadn’t talked yet, and he didn’t want to show up uninvited. But, at the same time, he wanted to show his boyfriend the tattoo and he was dying to see his, so he decided to do it anyway. It was supposed to be a surprise, after all.

He then remembered that Taehyung would kill him if he wasn’t the first person Jimin showed his tattoo to, and that made him stop and pick up his phone, quickly messaging Tae.

Jimin: are you ready

Tae: for what

Tae: OH

Tae: YOUR TATTOO OH MY GOD

Jimin: lmao yes

Jimin: [image attached]

Tae: PARK JIMIN

Tae: I’M GONNA KILL YOU

Jimin: please don’t i’m very sensitive

Tae: I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S A GODDAMN SOULMATE TATTOO

Tae: i’m mad

Jimin: Tae :(

Tae: it looks cute but

Tae: we still need to talk about this

Jimin smiled to himself. Of course Tae would react like that. He was kind of expecting it. Jimin was more concerned about Namjoon’s reaction, but he wouldn’t let that ruin his mood, so he took a deep breath and started walking to his boyfriend’s apartment. It wasn’t really far from the studio, about a 15 minute walking distance. Now that the whole getting a tattoo ordeal was over, Jimin felt way more relaxed. His nervousness rapidly giving way to his excitement.

The only thing that he couldn’t quite get rid of was a slight feeling of disappointment because he wasn’t feeling all the great things people always told him about when they got their tattoos and connected with their soulmates, but maybe Yoongi was right, after all, and what he felt for his boyfriend was already it .

Before Jimin realized, he was already in front of Namjoon’s building. Perhaps he had spent all the time admiring his new tattoo and worrying about his feelings, or the absence of them, to notice that he was getting closer and closer to his destination. He also may have tripped once or twice on the way there, though, because he simply couldn’t take his eyes off his wrist and, considering his high propensity for clumsiness, not having fallen on his face was a big win.

Jimin went straight to Namjoon’s apartment door, climbing the steps to the third floor two at a time. He couldn’t contain his excitement and his entire body was reacting to it.

Jimin knocked fast and nonstop on apartment 304’s door for what felt like an eternity, until he finally heard steps approaching it. Next thing he knew, his boyfriend was right there in front of him and Jimin threw himself in his arms, kissing his cheek instantly.

“Whoa, whoa.” Namjoon laughed while quickly placing his hands on Jimin’s waist to prevent him from falling. He took a few of steps back to try and regain his balance but in a matter of seconds they were both falling on the sofa, Jimin on top of him.

“I have a surprise for you.” Jimin said while lifting himself a little, to watch his boyfriend’s eyes. Both of his arms were on the sides of Namjoon’s head. Jimin’s smile was so big that his eyes were almost fully closed. “Though I think you may already know what it is.”

“Oh yeah?” Namjoon smiled looking at him.

Jimin proceeded to put his arm right in front of Namjoon’s eyes and it took a couple seconds for his boyfriend to process what he was seeing.

Jimin was watching him carefully, anxious to see what kind of reaction he was going to have. What he didn’t expect, though, was for his boyfriend’s smile to drop almost instantly.

Namjoon took a deep breath and lifted Jimin from him. Now they were sitting side to side and while Jimin had a confused look on his face, Namjoon was hiding his in his hands.

“We need to talk, Jimin.”

“Whatever it is, we can talk about it later.” Jimin waved him off. “Now, let me see it!” He grabbed Namjoon’s wrist and brought it closer to himself, but all he saw was his perfectly tattooless skin.

“That’s what I wanna talk to you about,” Namjoon began.

“I don’t understand.” Jimin said, not really paying attention to Namjoon’s words. He scanned all the area of his boyfriend’s wrist, but still couldn’t find a trace of the soulmate tattoo that should definitely be there by now.

“Jimin.”

“Maybe it’s on your other wrist. Let me check—” Jimin extended his hand to grab Namjoon’s other arm, but he stopped him halfway through it.

“It’s not,” Namjoon said, firmly.

Jimin felt his heart sink. It took him a few moments to take in the meaning of those words. His boyfriend of two years was telling him they were not soulmates. This just... couldn’t be happening.

“What?” He could feel the tears starting to fill his eyes.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you, I just—I didn’t know how.” Namjoon averted Jimin’s insistent gaze, choosing to focus on his hands instead.

But Jimin wasn’t convinced yet. No, this had to be some kind of joke.

“What are you talking about, Namjoon? Maybe… Maybe it takes a while to appear on you. I’m sure this must be it. We just have to wait a little more.”

“No, Jimin. Look.” He pulled the hem of his t-shirt and exposed his torso. There, just below his ribcage, Jimin could finally see the two dots connected by a line that he so desperately had been seeking on his boyfriend’s wrist.

Jimin instantly knew what Namjoon having the tattoo somewhere else on his body meant.

“I don’t get it!” he said in between sobs. “We are happy.”

“Having a soulmate means more than just living happy moments together, Jimin.” Jimin could see that Namjoon was beginning to cry, too.

He just could not believe what was happening.

“When did it happen?” He didn’t mean to sound so demanding, but he needed to know, even though he wasn’t sure if he was ready for the answer.

“A couple of weeks ago. I went to the tattoo studio with Seokjin, he was determined to get his done. While he was getting it, I felt a sting here,” he pointed at his tattoo. “When I checked it, there it was. I didn’t know what to do after that.”

“Did you guys… Are you…” He couldn’t even bring himself to say the words, ‘cause just the thought of them hurt too much.

“Me and Seokjin?” Namjoon seemed to understand him well enough. “No.” He shook his head. “Nothing’s happened. I wanted to talk to you first.”

“Is that why you’ve been distant?” Jimin’s voice was just a whisper now, he wasn’t so sure he could keep the conversation going, but he had to try. He had to know.

“Yeah. I was trying to build up the courage to talk to you. I’m so sorry you had to find out this way.” Jimin eyed him, trying to find a hint of dishonesty in his words, but the look he was giving Jimin was sincere.

He would be lying if he said he knew what to do next. Nothing could’ve ever prepared him for this moment. A moment he thought would go in a different way. In his head, things could either go well, with Namjoon being as happy as he was before he got to the apartment, or they could turn out to be a little difficult, with Namjoon telling him he wasn’t ready for this kind of commitment. But neither of those scenarios ended up with them not being destined to be with each other.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Jimin said, not looking at Namjoon’s face. “I feel so embarrassed right now.”

“Jimin, it’s fine.” Namjoon caught one of Jimin’s hand with both of his. “It’s still me, okay? I still care about you. A lot. That hasn’t changed.”

“I know,” Jimin said, finally looking at Namjoon. “It’s just… I feel so pathetic,” he sniffed. “Tae is going to kill me. I didn’t even tell him about the tattoo until I got it because I knew he wouldn’t agree with it,” he confessed and Namjoon scoffed, getting a stern look from Jimin. “Even Yoongi tried to convince me not to get it,” he pouted. “I should’ve listened to him.”

“Wait, Yoongi?” Namjoon asked.

“Yeah, the tattoo artist,” Jimin explained. “Do you know—Oh. He said he knew you from college and that he saw you… a few weeks ago.” And then it all made sense.

“He was the one to ink Seokjin,” Namjoon clarified.

“Did… did he know about you two being soulmates?” He questioned, trying not to sound too upset.

“Yeah, he even gave me some plastic wrap for my tattoo,” he confirmed. “Even though it wasn’t me getting it, it still bothered me a little, because of my shirt and everything.”

Jimin had no idea what to say next or what to do. Everything was so confusing.

Should he just get up and go? Should he state the obvious—that they were no longer together? He wasn’t sure. He didn’t want to seem like an asshole, but he also couldn’t pretend he wasn’t sad.

“I guess I should go,” he whispered.

“Hey,” Namjoon called. “I just wanted you to know that none of this is your fault, okay?” Jimin nodded. “I’m really sorry for how I behaved for the past weeks. It wasn’t fair to you.” Jimin understood. “I… I just didn’t know what to do. I wanted to tell you but it was so complicated. Things with Seokjin got weird, because up until that moment I hadn’t thought of him like that, you know? He was just my best friend. But now that I talked to you we can finally figure things out,” he admitted.

“Look,” Jimin started. “It’s not your fault either. The only thing you did wrong was keeping it for so long. Now I have a fucking soulmate tattoo but no soulmate.” He let out a small laugh, just so Namjoon wouldn’t think he was mad at him.

Jimin got up and Namjoon did too. They started walking to the door, and when Namjoon opened it for him, he looked at his now ex-boyfriend and they stared at each other for a few seconds. Namjoon then embraced Jimin, who hugged him back. He would be lying if he said it didn’t hurt, but he felt like he needed that.

“Take care,” Jimin said, stepping back.

“You too, Jimin.”

As soon as Jimin stepped out of the building, he grabbed his phone and dialed Tae’s number. It took his best friend two rings before picking up. He sounded excited for some reason.

“Jimin!” he exclaimed. “Did you show your stupid boyfriend your tattoo? How did it go?”

“Tae,” Jimin said, not really having the strength to explain what happened, but he had to. “Namjoon and I broke up.”

“What the fuck?” Tae practically screamed. “I’m gonna kill that bastard. How dare he break up with you after you got that stupid tattoo?”

“Tae, just listen to me, okay?” he pleaded. “I showed him the tattoo and he got all weird. Then I looked for his and he didn’t have one. Not on the same spot, at least. He told me he went with Seokjin to the shop because he wanted to get a soulmate tattoo. That’s how he found out he and Seokjin were soulmates.”

Jimin waited for Taehyung to process the information.

“Oh my God, Jimin! How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine, despite all of this,” Jimin said. “I’m just really tired right now. I’m walking to my place, do you wanna come over?” Jimin asked, hoping he would say yes.

“Of course. I’m just gonna take a quick shower and I’ll meet you there, okay?”

“Okay.” Jimin replied. “Hey, Tae, wait.”

“What’s up?”

“You don’t happen to have a small soulmate tattoo on your right wrist, do you?”

He could hear his best friend’s giggle on the other side of the line.

“I wish I did.”

At 7:32 pm Jimin was standing on the sidewalk staring at the neon green shop sign that flashed the word “Ink’D” before his eyes.

This time, he wasn’t feeling anxious at all.

He had a bone to pick with a certain tattoo artist.

Since Taehyung arrived at his house the previous night, Jimin started to look for someone to put the blame for his failed relationship on. He couldn’t blame his best friend, for he had explicitly told Jimin during the two years of his relationship with Namjoon that he didn’t like it. He also didn’t want to blame Namjoon, because part of him still cared a lot about him. The only person left who was involved in the disgraceful events of the previous evening was Yoongi.

Deep down he knew Yoongi wasn’t to blame, but now he had a stupid soulmate tattoo and he had absolutely no idea who his soulmate was. If only Yoongi had been a little more persistent on talking him out of getting it, Jimin wouldn’t have the problems he had now.

This is why Jimin decided to return to the tattoo parlor the next night and demand two things from Yoongi: an explanation on why he let him make a fool of himself and a free tattoo cover-up—‘cause he wasn’t going to walk around displaying his soulmate tattoo without actually having one. He didn’t want people asking him about it, because he had no idea what he would answer. Certainly he wouldn’t give them the truth, so it was better to just hide it.

Jimin buzzed the intercom and in a matter of seconds the door unlocked. When he walked in, Yoongi was right behind the reception desk. They locked eyes and a small part of him wanted to smile at him, but he refrained from doing so.

“Hey, Jimin!” Yoongi flashed him his cute gummy smile. “What brings you back here?”

“Why didn’t you fucking tell me?” he marched to where Yoongi was standing, behind the desk, stopping only a few centimeters away from him.

“Tell you wha—oh.” Yoongi realized what Jimin was talking about as Jimin held his wrist in front of his face. “It wasn’t my place to say anything.” He shrugged.

“So you just let me make a fool of myself in front of my boyf—” Jimin laughed dryly. “Well, my ex-boyfriend.”

“I’m sorry. I had no idea that was going to happen. I was trying to be positive and think you guys would somehow figure it out, since you supposedly loved each other so much, and not break-up.”

“Apparently we didn’t love each other that much. Hell, now I don’t even know if I we ever did. It’s all so confusing! And I blame you!” Jimin formed fists with his hands and punched Yoongi on the chest, not strongly enough to hurt, just to express his indignation.

Somehow, in the middle of that argument, Jimin had started crying. Yoongi seemed to notice that, because one second later, he had his arms around Jimin, giving him the tightest hug.

“I’m really, really sorry,” he said, soothingly.

But Jimin wasn’t having it.

“You could’ve at least convinced me not to get in on my fucking wrist!” Jimin pushed him away. “Now I demand a free cover-up.”

“I tried to talk you out of getting it on your wrist, but you wouldn’t listen to me!” Yoongi exclaimed in disbelief.

“Well, you should have tried harder!” Jimin was screaming at this point, not really caring if there was anyone else inside the shop right now.

“And I’m not going to cover it up for you,” Yoongi said, crossing his arms. Jimin couldn’t help but think he looked like a spoiled child.

“What? ” Jimin couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

“I said I’m not gonna cover it up. This is not something you can just go and get again. You know pretty well this whole soulmate tattoo thing only happens once.” Yoongi argued.

“Wow, what happened to being totally against it? Wasn’t it just last night when you were saying the tat is bullshit?” Jimin pressed. He wasn’t just going to accept no for an answer.

“A lot can change overnight. You should know that,” Yoongi justified.

“Wow,” Jimin scoffed. “I can’t believe you right now.”

“What? I’m not allowed to change my mind? What if I like the idea of it now?”

“What could have possibly happened to make you change your mind so out of the blue?” Jimin insisted.

Yoongi opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, his expression telling Jimin he wasn’t sure of what he should say next. That made Jimin even more suspicious.

“Nevermind.”

They stood there, staring at each other for a while. Neither of them dared to speak. It was like a battle of who would give in first. Jimin could wait for Yoongi to speak forever, if that’s what it took.

“Fine,” Yoongi sighed. “Jimin, I was going to tell you. I was about to scream ‘screw professionalism’ and tell you all about it, but then…”

“Then what?” Jimin’s question sounded a bit more aggressive than what he intended.

“I started to feel it.” Yoongi looked down and Jimin followed his eyes. He had his left hand covering his right wrist. “I’m sorry I didn’t stop you, but… I couldn’t. Not when I knew what was happening.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The first thing I felt was the little dot. When it happened I didn’t pay much attention to it, thought it was just an itch.” Yoongi was still looking down. Jimin wanted to meet his eyes and ask Yoongi what the hell he was trying to tell him, but somehow he managed to wait patiently for him to finish whatever he was saying. “Then as I proceeded to ink you, I felt everything you were feeling, and I just knew. I didn’t have to look under my gloves, I know what the pressure of a needle feels like against my skin, but there was no needle there.”

Jimin’s eyes widened at that. Was Yoongi trying to tell him that… Could that be?

“After we were done, I didn’t take off my gloves because I was partially scared to see it. I never believed in those things, but there it was. And I was also afraid you would notice, and I had no idea if you had paid any attention to my wrist before I put on the gloves, so I couldn’t risk you seeing it. You had a boyfriend, for god’s sake, I would never interfere.”

It was a lot of information for Jimin to process. He didn’t know how he was supposed to react, or what he was supposed to say. If Yoongi was trying to tell him what he thought he was trying to tell him, it would be even worse. So he asked Yoongi the only thing that was keeping his brain from putting all the pieces of that puzzle together.

“Show me your wrist.”

Yoongi’s hand twitched around his arm, like he was trying to hold it tighter in place. Jimin lifted his own hand and gently touched Yoongi’s chin, lifting it so they could lock eyes. He scanned Yoongi’s eyes and he could see his hesitance. That somehow gave Jimin the answer he was looking for, but he still needed the confirmation.

“Show me your wrist.” he repeated, softly.

When Yoongi wouldn’t move his hand, Jimin decided he should do it himself.

He dragged Yoongi’s hand away from his wrist with their eyes still locked. Jimin could understand that Yoongi was a little scared to show him what was there. Hell, he was even scared to look. He couldn’t bear to think of the implications a simple symbol like that would have in their lives from that moment on. But still, Jimin gathered the little courage he had and he looked.

And then he saw.

There it was. Two dots, one line.

So simple, but so much. Too much.

When Jimin looked up, his eyes immediately met Yoongi’s and that was when knew he couldn’t do this.

“I’m sorry, Yoongi,” he said, simply.

And then he was gone.

When Hyojin came back to the shop, about an hour later, she found Yoongi sprawled on one of the bean bags.

“What are you doing there?” she laughed. Yoongi didn’t bother to look at her. She waited for an answer, but as soon as she realized she was not going to get one, Hyojin sighed and walked over to the bean bag area, throwing herself on the other one. “It’s been a while since I sat in one of these.”

Yoongi had his arm thrown over his eyes. He could hear Hyojin speaking, but his mind was elsewhere.

“What’s that on your wrist?” she leaned to take a closer look. “Yoongi! Is that a soulmate tattoo?” she gasped loudly. “When did you get it? And who the fuck inked you?”

“Jimin.” It was all the came out of his mouth.

“Who’s Jimin?” she demanded, clearly offended. “I’ve been inking you since you were eighteen years old and now you let some random dude do it for you?”

“I didn’t,” Yoongi just said, feeling hopeless.

“Wait, wasn’t that client from yesterday called Jimin?” she mentioned out of the blue. “He came to get a soulmate tattoo, if I’m not mistaken—oh shit.” He finally looked at her and saw her shocked expression. That was him the day before.

“Yeah.” That was all Yoongi managed to say.

“Does he know?” she asked.

“He came here today,” Yoongi sighed. “We talked, he saw the tattoo on my wrist and left.”

“Damn, that’s harsh.” She touched his shoulder and gave it a small squeeze, trying to comfort him. “What are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know,” he muttered.

What Yoongi really needed was to get back to work. What exactly was he supposed to do with a soulmate tattoo, but no soulmate? He needed some time to think. After rescheduling his appointments for the next two days after Jimin showed up and being scolded by Hyojin for doing that, he was back at it again. And he felt great. Okay, not great, but better. It was good to take his mind off the recent events.

Except for the fact that his two last clients required a fucking soulmate tattoo. He’d spent all day the day before looking at his. Touching his wrist, tracing the line and the dots. He was, somehow, expecting it to disappear, but he knew that was just wishful thinking. He decided to see past that. But it was extremely hard with his clients asking him about it.

The current guy he was inking wanted something different. When Yoongi had asked him if he was there for a soulmate tat and the guy scoffed, rolled his eyes and answered “hell no”, Yoongi almost thanked him. Instead of the Baymax piece that he now possessed, the man— Taehyung something—had taken a look at his portfolio and chosen one of the tigers he had drawn.

Yoongi felt relieved and excited at the same time, mostly because it wasn’t the cliché that everyone went there to get and because it had been a while since someone wanted to get one of his original creations.

But things were too good to be true.

“Wow, I can’t believe you have a soulmate tattoo,” Taehyung said at some point. “You don’t look like the type of person that would get one,” he clarified after Yoongi made a face, clearly uncomfortable.

“That’s because I wasn’t the one who got it,” he explained for the third time that day.

He was now expecting a “that’s romantic” or something similar, just like the other clients had said.

“So it was your girlfriend… or boyfriend, then,” Taehyung told him instead. “Did you ink them? That’s cool, although I don’t like this tattoo, I gotta admit that it must be nice to do something like that.”

Yoongi paused, not really sure of what to say.

“I inked him, yes, but he’s not my boyfriend,” he admitted.

“Damn, I’m sorry about that,” Taehyung offered.

“It’s okay,” Yoongi said, wanting to focus on his work.

“Do you like him?” at this, Taehyung’s face lighted up.

Yoongi froze for a moment, and then he sighed, turning off the tattoo gun for a moment. He looked at Taehyung, who was staring at him with an amused expression.

“Look,” he started. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I really need to concentrate on your tattoo right now, okay?”

“I’m sorry,” Taehyung muttered.

“It’s fine, it’s just…” He turned the gun on again. “It’s not something I can afford to think about right now.”

Taehyung nodded and never said a word. At least not until he was leaving.

He gave Yoongi the money and went to the front door, pausing after opening it.

“I hope things work out with your soulmate,” he mentioned, giving Yoongi a grin before he left.

“Yeah,” Yoongi whispered to himself. “Me too.”

When Yoongi was about to go back to his studio, Hyojin got up from her chair and stopped him. She put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. They weren’t the biggest PDA enthusiasts in the world, so that, in their language, meant a lot.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” she gave him a comforting smile.

“There’s not much to talk about. I guess there’s nothing I can do. Both of us didn’t expect this to happen so…” Yoongi sighed, finishing his sentence at that.

“You need to talk to Jimin about it.”

“I know, but he has a lot on his plate now. I wanna give him some time,” Yoongi explained.

“Just one last question,” Hyojin began. “Do you like him?”

Yoongi hesitated. He avoided her eyes, deciding to fix his gaze in one of the drawings on the wall behind her. This one was a skull, he remembered drawing it a while back.

“Yoongi?” she called, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“We barely know each other,” he concluded, mostly to himself than to Hyojin.

“You know that’s bullshit,” she declared. “You’ve seen how soulmates work. You know how it happened with me and Heeyeon.”

“Well, your case was way different than mine. Heeyeon wasn’t dating another person at the time.”

“Neither is Jimin. Didn’t you say he and his boyfriend broke-up?” she waved her hands in the air, in a sign of disbelief. “What I’m trying to say is that you’ve witnessed how powerful this soulmate thing can be. Heeyeon and I didn’t know each other until the day I decided to get my tattoo. After I did, it was like there was a force stronger than us pulling us together. And you remember what I said to you, that same night I met her?”

“That you knew you two were destined to be together,” he completed and she nodded.

“That’s right. And you thought I was just drunk,” Hyojin laughed. “Don’t you feel it now, too?”

“I…” Yoongi felt like there was a lump on his throat.

Hyojin walked back to her chair behind the desk. She started absentmindedly typing something on the computer, not seeming to be paying much attention to Yoongi anymore.

He, on the other hand, was just standing there, frozen.

“I’m just trying to make you admit it to me, so then you can admit it to yourself. Did I do a good job?” she then turned her head to him, flashing him a smirk.

Yoongi ran to his studio, the door closed and his back pressed firmly against it. The whiteness of the room was suddenly too bright, so he was forced to shut his eyes. Only then, he realized how fast his heart was beating and that he was panting.

Now that Hyojin had pointed it out, he started to feel it. No, he was already feeling it ever since he finished inking Jimin, but he was trying so hard to repress it all, ‘cause he didn’t think it was fair to Jimin, who seemed to be in love with his boyfriend.

This soulmate thing is no joke, he thought to himself.

The feeling, now that he had accepted it, was so strong that Yoongi couldn’t think of anything else other than Jimin.

Jimin. Jimin. Jimin.  

He wondered if the other was feeling the same things. If he was okay. If he was thinking about him, too.

Part of Yoongi wanted to run to Jimin, even though he had no idea where he lived. He just felt like trying to find him and he believed destiny, if such thing even existed, would guide him the right way.

Until the day he met Jimin, all the information he had about soulmates came from Hyojin. He doubted all the things she had told him at first, but after seeing how strong her connection to Heeyeon was, he had to admit that there was something else between them. Yeah, he still thought it was nonsense, mostly because he never dreamed that it was going to happen to him, but now… Now everything made sense. He’d always wondered why people would act different when they were with their soulmates, why they would talk about them with so much affection, why they would get stupid tattoos for them. And now he had the answers.

He couldn’t help but think that, if he had met Jimin under different circumstances and they fell for each other at some point, he’d be the one to get the tattoo. God, if Yoongi from four days ago, the one who thought soulmates were bullshit, could see him now, he would laugh until he cried. But that Yoongi didn’t understand, he couldn’t feel it .

Yoongi thought he had loved in his life. He thought that what he felt in his previous relationships was love. But what he was feeling now wasn’t anything compared to it. Either he had never been in love or this wasn’t love, but something much stronger that he couldn’t find just a word to describe. It was a feeling of understandment, adoration, contentment, happiness and bond . All of them mixed together. Which made no sense at all because those are things that you have with people you know. And he and Jimin had only seen each other two times. Yes, he understood what was happening, he wouldn’t even try to deny that anymore. But he didn’t know how to explain any of it. Not that he had to. He just wanted to have something more concrete to work with, because all of that felt surreal.

Yoongi was so overwhelmed by all these feelings that his thoughts were driving him crazy. He could hear his heartbeat echoing loudly in the small studio, so loud that they almost sounded like knocks.

“Yoongi?” Hyojin’s voice came from behind the door, which he had locked before letting himself rest on the chair.

Yoongi sighed before getting up. He walked to the door and unlocked it, facing Hyojin, who had a concerned expression on her face. “You okay?” she asked in a small voice.

“Uh,” he considered lying to her. “Not really, but I’ll be okay.”

“Cool, good. ‘Cause the 7 o’clock guy is here,” she told him.

“What?” he frowned. “There’s not 7 o’clock guy, are you crazy?”

“I know, but the guy called a few hours ago and he seemed really desperate,” she explained. “Since you didn’t have anyone booked after the last guy I added him and forgot to tell you.” She smiled at him apologetically. “Do you want me to reschedule it?”

He shook his head right away. He wasn’t feeling that great right now but he was certain he could handle a tattoo. Maybe it was a good idea and it would get him out of all these thoughts.

“Just wait a couple minutes before sending him in, okay?” She nodded and went back to the reception area.

He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. His heartbeat was still somewhat irregular and he hoped it would go back to normal before he had to face the client.

He walked to the cupboard to get his stuff. His mind was still all over the place, but he was starting to feel a bit better.

It wasn’t until he heard the door opening and closing that he turned to greet the guy, preparing a small smile on his face that in that moment was the best he could offer.

But then there he was, disheveled brown hair, puffy red cheeks, plump lips and expectant eyes. Yoongi could see little drops of sweat on his forehead and his breathing was a little accelerated, almost like he had been running.

For a second, Yoongi thought he was hallucinating.

“Hi,” Jimin said softly. Yoongi could barely hear his voice, only a little louder than a whisper.

“Jimin,” he declared, more to himself than to the other.

For a moment they just stood there, looking at each other. Jimin’s chest going up and down rapidly. Suddenly, Yoongi’s heart started racing again and his breathing became irregular just like Jimin’s.

The look Jimin was giving him was an expression he didn’t know how to read. Their eyes were locked and although Yoongi wanted to break the stare he didn’t have the strength to do it.

“I—” Jimin pursed his lips. “I came to get a tattoo,” he said, determined.

At that, Yoongi’s heart sank.

He assumed Jimin certainly wasn’t feeling the same way he had, only a few minutes ago. If he was there to get a tattoo, and if Yoongi remembered their last encounter correctly, Jimin wanted a cover-up. Yoongi took that as Jimin’s way of answering the question he had yet to ask.

“Jimin,” Yoongi started, walking slowly towards him. “I already told you that I’m not gonna cover your tattoo. If you wanna do it, please go to someone else. Even Hyojin can do it for you.”

“Yeah,” Jimin nodded. “You did tell me that. But I didn’t come here to get a cover-up.”

Yoongi crossed his arms, surprised by his response. “What are you getting, then?”

He had no idea what was going on with Jimin, but he was desperate to find out.

“One of your pieces,” Jimin declared, and Yoongi’s jaw dropped, definitely not expecting that.

“Which one?” Yoongi asked, stunned.

“I… didn’t really think about that,” Jimin admitted.

“Can you please tell me what’s going on?”

“I don’t know if I can explain it, I just—” Jimin walked towards the chair and sat there. For a while he kept staring at his feet, his expression unreadable. “I was home and then out of nowhere I felt like I needed… Like, I don’t know.” He sighed, frustrated. “To see you.” Yoongi could barely hear the last part.

“So you just… came running?” Yoongi speculated.

“I did.” Jimin smiled and Yoongi smiled back.

“And let me guess,” Yoongi started. The pieces finally falling into place. “You didn’t really schedule an appointment, did you?”

“No...” Jimin admitted reluctantly. “Are you okay with that? I can go if you want,” Jimin offered.

“I don’t want you to go.” Yoongi gave him a serious look. “I wanted to see you, to be honest. In fact,” Yoongi said, licking his lips. “I couldn’t stop thinking about our conversation and the, uh, tattoos.”

Jimin’s eyes immediately lit up after hearing Yoongi’s words. “Really?”

Yoongi nodded. “I didn’t know how to reach you, since I don’t have your number or anything,” he explained. “Plus, I had no idea if you were ready to talk to me, so…” he trailed off.

“I had some time to, you know, think about things,” Jimin confessed, eyes going to his hands. “I was kind of a dick to you last time. The things I said… It wasn’t okay.” He looked at Yoongi, who was already staring at him. “I’m sorry for the way I reacted.”

“You know,” Yoongi said, placing his hands over Jimin’s. “I get it… Why you did what you did. You needed someone to take the fault ‘cause you were hurting and didn’t have anyone to blame. It’s not right, but I’m not gonna let something like that come between us,” he assured.

Jimin’s eyes widened. “So you… You’re willing to… I mean… Us… I—”

“Yeah,” Yoongi interrupted him with a grin. “I’m willing, if you’re up to it as well.”

Jimin’s expression softened and he squeezed Yoongi’s hand. “I wouldn’t be here if I weren’t.”

“What do you wanna do, then?” Yoongi questioned.

“When I said I wanted a tattoo, I meant it,” Jimin stated.

“Oh, I thought it was just an excuse for you to see me,” Yoongi assumed, his cheeks turning pink.

That made Jimin smile even more.

“Well, it was, at first,” he admitted. “But after I saw Tae’s tattoo I got excited and wanted one as well,” he grinned.

“Tae?” Yoongi asked, confused.

“Taehyung, my best friend. He was here earlier,” Jimin told him. “He got a tiger tattoo.”

“Oh my God,” Yoongi said, dumbfounded. “So that’s why he was asking me all kinds of questions about my soulmate tattoo.”

“Yeah,” Jimin confirmed, apologetically. “I wanted to see if you didn’t hate me or anything before coming in.”

“So you sent your best friend to get a tattoo?” Yoongi arched a brow.

“He didn’t oppose,” Jimin shrugged.

Yoongi laughed. “Can’t argue with that.”

“So,” Jimin started. “Are you gonna ink me again or not?”

Yoongi sighed, trying to make sense of what was going on. Jimin was there and he was willing to make things work, and Yoongi was absolutely stoked about that. Because there was nothing he wanted more than to get to know the boy in front of him better. And he would be lying if he said the thought of inking Jimin again didn’t please him, because it made him feel honored that Jimin trusted him enough to get second tattoo with him. But he’d already let him get one before without giving it a better thought. He wasn’t gonna let him do that again.

“I’ll ink you,” he decided, making the smile on Jimin’s lips reach his eyes. “But not today,” he added.

Jimin’s smile turned into a pout, and that almost made Yoongi reconsider. Almost.

“But why?” Jimin whined.

“First of all, you already have one tattoo to take care of, so let’s wait for that to heal so you can be familiar with all of the things you have to do, okay?” he said, trying to sound professional. “Second, you said you want one of my pieces, but you don’t know which one yet, so you should probably take a look at my portfolio to decide. And finally, you mentioned you like meaningful tattoos, so you should think about it before getting another one. Take a few days to think.”

“O-oh.” Jimin stammered. “Okay. I guess… I guess I’ll get going then.”

Jimin got up from the chair and walked to the door. Yoongi’s eyes followed him and it took him a while to understand that Jimin was about to leave.

“Um, so, should I schedule another appointment with Hyojin?” Jimin asked, hand on the door handle. Yoongi could sense the hesitation in his words.

“Jimin.” Yoongi laughed. “You don’t have to set up an appointment everytime you wanna see me,” he teased.

“ Everytime ,” Jimin repeated while crossing his arms on his chest and trying to make himself look taller. “Let me remind you this is only the third time we meet.”

“I’m just saying.” Yoongi smiled at him and walked to the door. He put his hand on the handle and held it there, above Jimin’s.

They locked eyes.

Jimin had a small scar on his right eyelid, Yoongi noticed. He felt an urge to ask Jimin how he got it. He wanted to know everything there was to know about him. Yoongi could never put into words all the feelings he was having for a person he had met only a week ago. In his heart, it felt like he had loved Jimin for all his life, and he knew Jimin felt the same way.

Funny thing how soulmates work. When Yoongi was a kid he got used to hearing all about fairytales and how princesses and princes fell in love at first sight. It all sounded wonderful. Until he grew up and started questioning everyone and everything. Suddenly it doesn’t make sense anymore. How could two people who know nothing about each other fall in love? You don’t know what they like, how they are on the inside, if they have the same aspirations for the future as you, anything. The whole concept of soulmates, to Yoongi, was based on people’s looks and he thought it was bullshit. You can’t love a person for what they look like;

That was, until he met Jimin.

And in the blink of an eye, or, in the poke of a needle, all those years of skepticism vanished and there he was again, believing that the stuff of fairytales could be real. And it was real, because he not only knew it, but he felt it. Yoongi used to think he was one step above those who believed in soulmates; he thought they were fools. But when he started inking Jimin he realized he had been asleep for all that time, and the tattoo was what woke his feelings.

“So…” Jimin cleared his throat. “You were just saying what?”

“Um,” Yoongi blinked a few times, only then realizing he had been lost in thought. “That you don’t have to come here to see me,” he repeated. “We can see each other in other places too.”

“Oh,” Jimin grinned. “What do you suggest, then?”

“I don’t know.” Yoongi chuckled. “It feels so weird that I have absolutely no idea what kind of places you like to go to but here I am, in lo—” Yoongi stopped himself when he realized what he was about to say.

Jimin was looking at him with a mix of startled and expectant eyes.

“Sorry. I was about to say the L word.”

“This is too weird!” Jimin exclaimed, laughing. “I don’t know what we are allowed to do or not. It’s weird because I feel like I should… You know, do certain things, but then the rational part on my brain keeps reminding me that I’ve only known you for a week.”

The sound of Jimin’s laugh made Yoongi relax a bit, realizing that they were on the same boat. Neither of them knew what to do exactly, but there was some sort of reassurance in knowing he wasn’t the only one.

“We should change that,” he finally said, getting a confused expression from Jimin in response. “Let’s go out,” he clarified. “So we can get to know each other better.”

“You mean right now?” Jimin asked.

“Yeah,” Yoongi nodded. “Unless you really wanna schedule an appointment,” he joked.

Jimin rolled his eyes, but gave Yoongi a small smile right after.

“Where are we going?” He challenged, raising an eyebrow.

Yoongi opened the door, stepping into the corridor. When he looked back, Jimin was still there, staring back at him. He held out his hand and waited for Jimin to take it.

When small fingers reached for his, he had his answer.

“Let’s figure it out.”