Archive of Our Own ^beta

Soulmates. 

The concept is strange when one really thinks about it. That two people out there, in this big wide world, could be perfect enough to match up in their minds, hearts and souls. That, throughout the expanse of time, billions of years between the beginning and where we are now, those who are meant for each other would be born within a shared timeframe, that fate had allowed them to inhabit this planet at the exact same time. That even though there could be thousands and thousands of miles between where you and your soulmate were born, you could actually be allowed to meet and finally find that piece within yourself that you hadn’t realised had been missing all along. 

It is indeed a strange idea. But, then again, it wasn’t just a mere idea but an actual reality. 

From the beginning of time, or at least, for as long as people could remember, soulmates had been a rather normal part of life, with everyone being assigned a person somewhere in the world that correlated so perfectly with them in every possible way. If there was no proof of that fact, many would still think of it to be folly but there was no denying the evidence that soulmates were real, not when those who finally got to meet and lock eyes with their perfect match would immediately see their world explode with colour, the whites, blacks and greys that they had grown up seeing slowly fading away and beautiful hues, pigments and shades painting their world in an amazingly magnificent way, something that everyone sought out like it was their only goal in life, no matter the cost. 

And, really, Chan thought that mindset to be just plain infuriating.  

Why did it matter if you met someone who completely understood you, better than you understood yourself? Why couldn’t people possibly fathom that you could have others in your life who loved you and whom you loved unconditionally without finding that supposed special person? Why did it matter if you could suddenly see the world in colour when you met ‘the one’? What difference could that possibly make to your life when there are so many more important things to look forward to? Why was everyone so damn obsessed with finding their soulmate? 

These were the questions that invaded Chan’s mind every single night before he drifted to sleep, never finding the answers he sought, no matter how many different roads of thought he might traverse down. It bothered him to no end that everyone was so caught up in such an idea.

What bothered him even more was that, as much as he would like to completely disregard the idea of soulmates and allow those so intent on finding theirs to go about their business, he couldn’t because his entire livelihood revolved around the subject. 

Bang Chan, twenty four years old, born and raised in the capital city of Talina and one of only twenty known Clairvoyants in the entire world.

Those who had the ability to gain information based on extrasensory perception, something that had been assigned to very few souls when they were born. In a world that contained no other type of supernatural abilities or magic, Clairvoyants were truly a wonder. Nobody knew why certain people throughout history had been chosen by the gods to acquire such powers but they were so exceedingly rare that the question of their origins didn’t really linger in the minds of anyone for very long. According to rumours, the other Clairvoyants dotted around the globe had fascinating and impressive abilities, ranging from speaking to the dead to telling the future to being able to communicate with animals. They were amazing and truly intriguing powers. 

As for Chan, he cursed whatever supposed deity had landed him with the capabilities that he had been born with. Out of everything, absolutely everything that a Clairvoyant could possibly be able to do, he had been landed with the skill to be able to locate people’s soulmates. Why in the name of the angels that would be useful in this world was beyond him and probably always would be. 

Through projecting his energy into his crystal ball, he was able to form an image of someone’s soulmate and the more strength he would put into his powers, the more details he was burdened with. 

While that may not seem all that problematic, there were three things that annoyed the hell out of Chan when it came to his abilities. 

Firstly, the moment that it had become common knowledge that he was a Clairvoyant, something that his parents had always tried to keep under wraps as a child, Chan had people banging on his door day and night, begging him to help them find their one true love that would look at them like they hung the stars. It became a problem very quickly, having a mob of snivelling, lovestruck morons constantly on your doorstep to the point where you couldn’t leave your house anymore. To save his parents from the major aggravation, Chan left his home at the tender age of sixteen, hugs, kisses and promises of always keeping in contact with those he loved being the last things bestowed to him as he headed for the small seaside town of Kalaran. There were less than three hundred people living there and better than that, he didn’t know anybody and nobody knew him. It was a major change compared to what he was used to but he hoped that would be a good thing in the end.

Keeping a low profile worked for a certain amount of time, allowing Chan to go about his daily life without any hassle, picking up a job as a florist in the local flower shop but as it always does, his past caught up with him when he ran into a couple of old ladies from his hometown, both of whom had no trouble in spreading the information that he was indeed a Clairvoyant and could locate practically anyone’s soulmate for them should they ask. 

That, again, sparked a lot of interest in his abilities, having people constantly shouting through his letterbox and practically wailing at him at two o'clock in the morning to locate their soulmate for them. But Chan didn’t want to run away again. He had made a life here in this small town, the cottage on the outskirts surrounded by mountains and swaying grasslands feeling like a real home to him and he wasn’t going to abandon it once again because of his secret getting out. Therefore, he thought he might as well get paid for this annoyance that his powers had brought upon him. That’s why he began taking appointments, charging people who wanted to find their soulmate in this world. It at least took some of the sting out of his first problem but with the exposure of his powers came his second dilemma.

Even though people hounded Chan down every waking minute so that he could use his powers for their own personal gain, none of them were willing to give him the time of day when they saw him around town. In fact, he was treated like some sort of abomination. It’s as the saying goes: ‘the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown’ and since Chan’s powers were something that people couldn’t comprehend on any level, everyone feared him and therefore, tried to stay as far away from him as possible if they didn’t need to use him. 

That was another reason he had begun charging for readings since the moment his place of employment found out about his status, they said that they couldn’t afford to pay his salary anymore and would have to let him go, despite hiring someone no more than two weeks after he left. He knew that they had only done it since people were reluctant to enter the shop after they had found out that he was a Clairvoyant, the inhabitants of this small minded town fearing the man he was since they did not understand the depth of his powers, even though he had been living amongst all of them for three years without cause for concern. Should they wish to hire him for his services, the townspeople would always go to his home, never by themselves and simply get their reading without speaking to him in any other way before slamming payment down on the table and turning their back on him without even so much as a thank you or a goodbye. 

That was how Chan began leading his rather solitary life in his little cottage, relying on his own company to keep him from going insane. It didn’t bother Chan all that much. Maybe just a little bit since he was a rather extroverted person by nature, ever since he was young but he had made peace with the fact that nobody except for his parents would really ever accept him for who he was. 

And that led him onto his third and final problem. While he was rather adept at finding other people’s soulmates, the gods obviously thought it would be fun to play with him even more when they robbed him of the ability to be able to find his own. Chan had tried a lot in the beginning when he realised what he could do, to try and pinpoint where in the world the kindred spirit that would be his soulmate could be hiding but no matter how many times he attempted it, all he would receive back was a sort of static reading, nothing being revealed to him and Chan began to wonder if, since he could find other people’s soulmate but not his own, that meant that he didn’t have one. That, out of everyone in the world, he had been destined to bring others happiness but never find that himself. Hence, why his whole view around the idea of that one special person had become rather jaded, making him hate his powers and, in turn, himself. 

Still, Chan chose to live this way, just going through the motions, day in, day out, never looking forward to anything other than when he would get to escape the tedious readings he would do for others by falling asleep in his bed. And he had one more reading to do before he could retire for the night, telling the young woman who had obviously come from the city to see him since nobody in this town would be flamboyant enough to wear as much gaudy jewellery as she was that her soulmate was a man named Jinwoo that could be found in Urinc, a major city on the other side of the world, not that it seemed to phase her. She simply whipped out her purse that was overflowing with cash and quite literally threw Chan’s payment at him, not sparing him a second glance as she strode towards the door, muttering about how she was going to start planning the trip to find him right away. 

Huffing at the impoliteness that occurred far too often, Chan stood and cleaned up the table, putting his crystal ball away safely into the cupboard on his left, knowing that if it broke, it would be near impossible to get a new one without going back to the city, something he did not want to do. 

As Chan went to flick off the lightswitch and head upstairs to bed, he noticed the rain outside was becoming heavier, small claps of thunder accompanying the quick flashes of lightning that lit up the sky every now and then. It made him worry about the girl who just left but he quickly shook his head in dismissal, wondering why on earth he should care about someone who hadn’t even shown him the slightest bit of respect despite what he had done for her. 

It wasn’t something that would weigh on his mind for long since he was so used to it but he wasn’t even allowed the possibility to think about her rudeness since a knock on the door disrupted his self-deprecating thoughts. Not only was the weather horrendous, making Chan wonder if the person currently outside his front door was rather sane to transverse out on a night like this but it was also close to ten at night, the sign on his gate clearly stating that the last appointment he would schedule would be an hour before that. Nobody should be coming to see him right now, unless his last snobby client had indeed gotten caught in the rain on her way home and decided to backtrack.

Chan may have disliked her attitude but he wasn’t about to let her freeze to death in one of the worst storms that they had around here in some time. With an irritated sigh bubbling in the depths of his chest, he moved towards the continued knocking, opening the door wide and about to sidestep to let the girl in before he noticed that who stood in front of him was definitely not who he had expected. 

A young man clearly soaked to the bone, mousy hair dripping enough water that it was creating a sizable puddle on Chan’s front step and covering his eyes so that Chan couldn’t make out his entire face. While the stranger's appearance at his doorstep was confusing enough, what confounded Chan even further was the small meows of irritation that was currently coming from the grey cat in his arms, white paws scrambling to find something to hold onto as its wails got louder. The cause of which, Chan assumed, was the fact that the animal was also saturated.

“Ah, hello there,” the stranger coughed out as he bowed, still not meeting Chan’s eye since he couldn’t move his hair out of the way. It looked like it was taking everything within him to try and hold onto the wiggling cat in his arms and had no intention of letting it go again.

“Readings are from two in the afternoon until nine at night. You’ve missed the cutoff I’m afraid. Come back tomorrow and make an appointment,” Chan grunted, wanting nothing more than to end this night already. Still, he wasn’t callous enough to slam the door on the young man who took a step towards him. 

“Reading? No, no, I’m not here for that. I- Dori!” 

Chan let out a yell as the cat finally managed to free itself from the young man’s arms, bolting across the room and heading straight for the blazing fireplace where it obviously knew it could find some semblance of warmth. It wouldn’t have bothered the Clairvoyant all that much except, on its way to its destination, it managed to leave pools of water everywhere, knocking over a stack of books that Chan had been meaning to move and nearly tipping over a picture frame that held a childhood photo of him and his parents. It wasn’t long before the newcomer ran after the cat, clearly not realising that he was just after bursting his way into someone’s home and leaving the same trail of water from the front door as his pet. 

“Um, hello?!” Chan yelled, wondering how this night could get any worse. He didn’t want to even think about all the cleaning up he would have to do after this person left, which would be in about three seconds if Chan had anything to say about it. 

“I’m sorry. He slipped out of my hands. He ran away earlier because he got spooked by the thunder. He somehow managed to run all the way out here and I found him before the rain started pouring down. I just moved into town and I got a bit lost and I saw your house and…Dori, stop, bad!” 

Chan couldn’t help but be slightly endeared at the way the stranger hoisted the cat up in his arms once again, tipping the feline’s nose as punishment for misbehaving and quietly scolding him under his breath, finally pushing his hair back off of his forehead to stare into the cat’s eyes with a look that said ‘we’ll talk about this when we get home.’ 

“Don’t worry about it. It’s fine. You’re welcome to stay here until…the rain…stops…”   

The sugary sweetness of strawberries and cherries. A surge of passion when feeling your lover’s lips meet your own. The anger of injustice. Being surrounded by the heavenly scent of roses. Bursts of excitement, not knowing what comes next. 

All of these experiences bombarded Chan’s senses once he looked deep into the stranger’s eyes when the young man finally lifted his head and stared directly at him. Chan couldn’t help himself as he moved closer, nor when he moved his head around his home to see certain things beginning to become brighter and more magnificent as time went on. 

The basket of crisp apples on his kitchen table, three of the books within the bookshelf situated by the door, his favourite jacket hanging on the coat rack that had probably seen one too many winters judging by its worn out state before turning his eyes back to the person in front of him, who also seemed to be marvelling at the slow changes around him. The darkness that had forever occupied the world around him was slowly starting to transform but only for certain things, which didn’t make any sense to Chan if what he had known all his life had been true. 

Finally breaking the shared gaze he had with the other, Chan moved over to pick up one of the apples in his hand, turning it over and over again and admiring the way it shone under the bulb, the shade of it truly astounding to his eyes. 

“Red?” 

While Chan had never seen the colour before, he was more than aware of the colours that were associated with certain things. The sky was blue, the trees were brown, leaves were green and since he couldn’t yet see any colour on his houseplant that sat on his windowsill, he could only assume that this apple was red. 

“We’re…we’re soulmates?” 

Being so lost in examining the new world around him, Chan almost forgot that he wasn’t alone, jumping in the air before turning back to the young man who was frozen in place, arms holding the cat closely to his chest, with Chan now noticing the feline was wearing a red collar around his neck.

“I…I guess so. But it doesn’t make sense. If you and I are soulmates, shouldn’t we be able to see everything in colour? Why is it that I can only see the colour red? Is it the same for you?”

The mousy haired young man nodded slowly, not able to take his eyes off of the cat’s collar, flicking the little bell that rang out loudly throughout the silent room. 

“What a strange way to meet,” the young man giggled, his now rosy cheeks flourishing with the new development.

Chan couldn’t agree more. For his parents, they had met in a bookshop in the city, his father looking for a book on the history of Baroque music, while his mother was in search of the same. When reaching for the same book, they caught one another’s eye and the rest was history. It was such a normal way to find your soulmate but as for him, finding his own through a stray cat running away in a storm and running into his home, it was indeed strange. As much as Chan believed that he didn’t have a soulmate due to his inability to find his own, he never would have guessed that this would be the situation he would find himself in should he ever have one. 

“I’m Chan,” the Clairvoyant blurted out, startling the young man who immediately whipped his head up, a drop dead gorgeous smile gracing his lips at the abrupt greeting.

“Minho,” the stranger replied, finally giving himself a name. “And you’ve already met Dori.”

The feline gave his own greeting in the form of an annoyed meow, making Chan chuckle, still feeling the strange warmth he felt in his chest since the moment he looked into Minho’s eyes. 

“I think it might be a given at this stage but do you want to dry off a little and maybe we could talk about all of this? I’ve got a spare room you could use for tonight.”

“Yeah, I think I’d like that,” Minho whispered happily, bouncing on the balls of his feet. 

After a shower and change of clothes given to Minho courtesy of Chan, the two young men returned to the living room, the roaring fire diminishing but Chan quickly fixed that by throwing on a few more logs of wood. They talked well into the morning, finding out as much as they could about each other in that short amount of time. 

Lee Minho was twenty three years old and had come from Egra. He was an only child and a woodworker by trade. He had three cats, the youngest of which was Dori, who liked to be more than a little mischievous, clear from the way he had run off earlier. He was ambidextrous, he couldn’t swim and his favourite colour was mint (though he had never seen it, he just liked the explanation other people had given of it). It was these little details that captivated Chan’s attention, the Clairvoyant wanting to find out as much as he could about the young man. 

By the time Minho had fallen asleep in the armchair, with Dori snuggled into his lap, the sunlight was beginning to shine through the window, the storm having ended during the night. Dragging a woolen blanket over the sleeping man’s form, Chan couldn’t hold back the smile that decorated his lips. He completely understood what it meant to have a soulmate now. He felt completely and utterly at ease in Minho’s presence, opening up about himself so easily and what made him feel even lighter was the fact that Minho didn’t seem to care about him being a Clairvoyant, something he hadn’t experienced since his parents. Now that he had found Minho, or that Minho had found him, he never wanted to let him go. He didn’t know what kind of relationship would bloom from this but he couldn’t wait to find out. The only thing left to discover was why on earth meeting his soulmate only allowed him to see one colour that the world had to offer. But for now, he was more than content to watch Minho sleep until he himself had drifted off to his own slumber.   

Soulmate number one. 

Every time someone would come to him for a reading, Chan really didn’t have the heart to tell his customer that, just because he would be able to locate their soulmate, it in no way meant that a happy ending was ensured for both of them. Just because someone understood you to the deepest point of your heart didn’t mean that you would automatically get along. There was no guarantee that you would form a friendly relationship with your soulmate, let alone a romantic one and he had seen one too many occasions where soulmates simply didn’t get along. 

However, that had not been the case for Chan and Minho. As the Clairvoyant sat at the table with his breakfast and steaming cup of coffee, he felt Dori rub up against his leg, his purrs increasing in volume and letting Chan know that he should be fed immediately, along with his brothers Soonie and Doongie, who also lived with him now. It had been three months since he met the little cat and his owner and Chan could honestly say that his life had never been better. It only took a matter of weeks to understand why Minho had been assigned as his soulmate, the young man working his way into his heart from their very first conversation. It was a mere month later that they moved in together but it was like Minho had been there for so much longer, Chan not remembering a time when the younger wasn’t there. 

“Good morning, Channie,” Minho called as he descended down the stairs, stretching his arms up to the sky to reveal his tummy under his shirt.

“Morning, Min. Sleep well?”

“Like a baby,” Minho replied, planting a kiss on the elder’s lips. 

Chan often caught himself staring at Minho’s lips, the crimson shade being the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. How could someone blame him for constantly wanting to kiss them? 

“I’m going to head into town soon. Do…you want to come with me?”

It wasn’t a secret between them, how much Chan had suffered with regards to loneliness because of the scorn he would receive from the townspeople simply for being a Clairvoyant, something he never asked for. Before Minho came, Chan would only venture outside his home to retrieve the essentials he would need to survive once a week but it wasn’t ever like he lingered there for very long. In and out, as quickly as he could. Even if he was used to the judgmental looks and mocking whispers, it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. Since Minho moved in, he went into town even less, knowing that the younger would bring him anything he needed. Still, it didn’t stop Minho from trying to persuade Chan to accompany him to get him out of the house and show that things wouldn’t be as bad with him by his side.

“Min…”

“Come on, Channie. Just for a little while,” Minho pouted, coming up behind the elder and wrapping his arms around his neck, placing small kisses up and down his throat. “A new bakery opened up yesterday and I was thinking that we could check it out. Please, Channie. For me?”   

Minho knew full well that it was a cruel thing to say because Chan would do absolutely anything for him but he was at his wits end trying to come up with a way to get him out of the house. Chan couldn’t stay in here forever, no matter how much he wanted to and this was the only way he could think of right now. 

“Fine, Min.”

“Thank you, Channie,” Minho cooed, turning Chan’s head to place a soft kiss upon the elder’s lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Go and get dressed. I’ll feed the cats and we’ll head out then, ok?” 

With an irritated huff that he knew would not go down well later on, Chan got up off of his chair, having to remove Doongie from his lap after the cat had jumped up to seek out some warmth. To be fair, he knew that Minho was only looking out for him since he hadn’t been out of the house in nearly three weeks, the only human interaction that he was getting was from Minho and those who came to him for readings. Still, he hated having to pretend the looks and words of ridicule and judgement didn’t affect him every time he went into town. 

And despite how Minho had told him to ignore it as they walked hand in hand down the main street, Chan couldn’t help but focus in on those around him, even those who weren’t playing the slightest bit of attention to him, his mind creating cruel whispers that echoed inside his head. That he was an anomaly and a strange one at that. That, just because he was born with a power that he had only ever used to help people like them, he should be subjected to a life of mockery and scorn, simply because people couldn’t understand him. That he shouldn’t ever be around normal people like them. That he shouldn't be around someone like Minho. 

“Channie?”

Chan hadn’t even noticed he had come to a halt, eyes screwed shut so tight that the light caused him immense pain when he decided to open them, only to see Minho looking worriedly at him, holding his face in his hands. 

“I don’t wanna be here, Min,” Chan whispered, pleading with his body to cease the shaking in his hands.  

“Ok, love. That’s ok. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have forced you. I’ll run in and get us some coffee and cakes to take home, ok? Two minutes.”

With a tiny, embarrassed nod, knowing that he had already messed up the impromptu date that Minho had arranged with his irrational fear of being judged, Chan moved towards the alley beside the newly opened establishment, keeping out of the way of the small line of people who were obviously waiting to try out the goodies that this place offered. 

It took a bit longer than Minho had said, the tick of Chan’s watch letting him know that it was closer to ten minutes but he just attributed it to the fact that it was probably busy since it was a new business. In that time, he just told himself to breathe, that nobody was looking at him now and, most importantly, that Minho loved him. The voices in his head were spewing lies and he didn’t need to listen to them. 

Hearing footsteps running towards him, Chan’s head shot up to see Minho a few feet away, a huge smile on his face but hands empty, making Chan wonder what the hell had taken him so long if he hadn’t gotten their drinks yet. 

“So, uh, you’re not gonna believe this…” Minho panted, like he had just run a marathon. 

Before Chan even got to inquire as to what was so unbelievable, Minho reached behind him and caught the wrist of a young man who was obviously waiting for an introduction. 

He was a little shorter than Minho, the apron he was wearing was blemished with specks of flour, his hair ruffled and cheeks dotted with a thousand stars. Chan had been so caught up in admiring the other’s freckles that it took a moment for him to look up and meet his eyes, chest tightening when something he didn’t think would happen once in his life was actually happening to him a second time. 

Feeling the warmth of the sun’s rays beating down upon your skin as you laid in the meadow during a new spring day. Spontaneous laughter filling your chest. Rubber duckies splashing around in the bath. The zest of lemons dancing upon your tongue. A happiness that you never knew possible. 

It was the same as when he had met Minho, an assault of emotions and images rushing through his being but the feeling was entirely different compared to the first time it had happened. Chan couldn’t understand it until little splashes of a new colour started appearing in the world around him. 

The center of little daisies in a pot situated outside the door of the cafe. The welcome sign of the bakery across the street. The cat lazily sprawled underneath a table that Chan was sure would be chased off soon. The golden locks of the young man staring agog right in front of him. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Chan mumbled, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck since his brain couldn’t seem to find the strength to do anything else. 

“So, he’s your soulmate too,” Minho laughed.

It was then that Chan realised that Minho had seen him in the bakery and locked eyes with the stranger, only to realise that he was his soulmate when shades of yellow began popping up around the place. But since people were only supposed to have one soulmate, it didn’t mean that the new arrival would be Chan’s soulmate too. However, that didn’t seem to be the case. 

“I don’t understand,” the young man spoke, his eyes furiously darting between Chan and Minho. “I thought everyone was only supposed to have one soulmate and could see colour the moment they locked eyes. Why did I only see red when I looked into Minho’s eyes and yellow when I looked into your eyes…”

“Chan,” the elder supplied.  

“Felix…”

“Latin for happiness. Very fitting,” Minho hummed, clearly enjoying the new revelation immensely.  

“I don’t really get it either,” Chan whispered breathlessly, the wind being swept right out of his lungs.

“Well, since you are a deviation from the norm by being a Clairvoyant, maybe you’re also an oddity when it comes to soulmates. As are we since we’re tied to you.”

Minho made a valid point. Maybe that was also why Chan was never able to see his own soulmates through his glass ball. He didn’t have just one soulmate, he had two and possibly more since his entire world hadn’t been revealed to him in colour yet. 

“Wait, you’re a Clairvoyant?” 

It was clearly a point that hadn’t come up when Minho had first interacted with Felix, what ‘gift’ had been bestowed upon Chan when he was born. The happiness that had latched onto his heart upon realising that Felix was another soulmate of his suddenly flitted away, the elder lowering his head as he awaited the fear that always came about with the news of what he really was. 

“That’s so cool! What can you do?” Felix blurted out, the magnificent smile full of wonder making Chan stare at him incredulously, unsure as to whether Felix had heard Minho correctly the first time.

“Maybe we could talk about this a little more over coffee. Felix, when do you get off work?” Minho asked, smiling gratefully at the younger when he saw how much his lack of negative reaction affected Chan.

“In a couple of hours. I still have a bit to do before I head home.”

“Ok, how about you come to our house and we can get to know each other a little bit more?” 

It was all happening so quickly that Chan barely had time to catch his breath. He had just discovered that he had another soulmate, something that shouldn’t be possible, that he could possibly have more since he could not see all the colours the world had to offer yet, that both Minho and Felix did not judge him for being a Clairvoyant, despite him receiving nothing but contempt for being who he was his whole life. And now, Minho was already inviting him to their home, something Chan wanted too but his brain wasn’t working fast enough to try and articulate what he was feeling right now. 

“Yeah, yeah, ok. Write the address down for me and I’ll come over after my shift.” 

Taking the pen clipped onto Felix’s apron, Minho fished out a random receipt from his pocket, scrawling their address on the back and slipping it back into the young man’s pocket. 

“I’d better get back in there. My break is almost over. I…can’t believe I found my soulmates. It was really, really great to meet the two of you. I’ll come over later, I promise. I’ll see you there, Chan, Minho.”

With a little bounce, Felix began to run back towards the bakery but not before giving Chan and Minho a boisterous wave of his hands accompanied by a dazzling smile, one that left the two young men still standing there blinded by the brightness of it.

“He’s cute,” Minho snorted.

“Yeah, he is.”

“So, it seems that we have more than one soulmate. Perhaps a lot more.”

All Chan could do was nod, still staring at the space where Felix had disappeared from. He still couldn’t quite grasp what was happening. It wasn’t something that should be possible but yet, for him and Minho, it was.

“I don’t understand, I’ve never come across something like this before in all my years.” 

“I say we don't question it too much. You are my soulmate and so is Felix. I don’t see why it’s a bad thing that I now have two people who understand me better than I do myself. I think it could be a really great thing.” 

It was unusual and something that Chan didn’t think he would ever have to deal with but here he was, his world becoming even brighter now that he had met Felix, just like it had when he had first met Minho. With cakes and anxiety both long forgotten, Chan and Minho walked home, once again hand in hand, wondering what kind of night that they had in store. They couldn’t be sure but as for now, neither of them could wipe away the giant smiles that had taken over their faces as different shades of yellow erupted all around them. 

Soulmate number two.

“Channie! Channie! Channie! Come and taste this!” 

Looking up from his tattered book, sliding the glasses down his nose a little, Chan couldn’t help but smile ever so fondly as Felix burst into the living room holding a plate of cookies decorated with different colours of icing, nearly face planting into the floor after his foot caught in the carpet, only for Minho to quickly catch him and pull him back towards his chest. 

“Lix, you need to calm down, lovely. Channie’s not going anywhere.”

“I need a second opinion before I start making a whole batch of these for tomorrow,” Felix complained, wiggling in Minho’s grasp, bursting into giggles when the elder began to blow raspberries into the back of his neck. 

“I already gave you my opinion on them though? I said they were really good.”

“Ok, I need a third opinion then. Besides, you would say they were good no matter how they tasted. You’re too sweet on me.”

“You say that as if Channie isn’t ten times worse!” Minho yelled as Felix finally succeeded in breaking free and rushing forwards to sit on Chan’s knee and feed him a cookie in the shape of a cat. 

And who was he to deny the brilliant sunshine of a boy? Taking practically the whole sweet treat into his mouth, Chan widened his eyes, bouncing dramatically and making the most exaggerated yummy noises that he could, knowing that Felix would eat that reaction up. Which, of course, he did. 

On that fateful day when Chan and Minho had somehow magically stumbled across Felix in the new bakery that had opened in their town, the young man had done just as the two strangers had asked and come to their home after he was done with work for the day. Maybe it didn’t sound like the smartest move when he looked back on it but Felix could feel in his soul that Chan and Minho meant no harm, that they did indeed just wish to speak with the person who turned out to be their second soulmate. 

Before they had even begun to talk, Minho had suggested that they get themselves comfortable by the fire, making a pot of tea before Felix had timidly mentioned that he brought along some cakes that he had made himself in the bakery earlier on today. 

As for what happened afterwards, Chan didn’t really remember. In fact, Chan couldn’t remember a time when Felix hadn’t been with him and Minho. He snuggled in between them so easily and most of the time, quite literally. 

In their eyes, nobody in the world was sweeter than Felix was and they knew that they were so incredibly lucky to have found him like they did that day, bringing sparks of sunshine with him to cast upon their darker days. 

“So…you guys know the reason I’m trying out making these new cookies, right? It’s for the festival tomorrow…”

The smile that had overtaken Chan’s face because of Felix’s delightful baked treats slowly dropped bit by bit until there was a very obvious scowl situated upon his lips. There had been flyers all over the city to announce it, Chan only seeing them when he went to visit Felix at work with Minho or bring Minho some homemade snacks with Felix, never going into the small town on his own nowadays. It wasn’t something that they had really discussed because it would inadvertently cause Chan’s anxiety to spike to abnormal levels. He was on edge about going into town on a normal day but when there would be people coming from all over to attend the annual fête? That was right out of Chan’s comfort zone but he knew why Felix was trying to wriggle it into a conversation. He desperately wanted to go, his shining personality would be right at home amongst too much hustle and bustle. And while he would certainly go with Minho, Chan knew he wouldn’t want to leave the eldest behind to sit in the house alone all day by himself. Hence, why Felix was currently squirming a little in his lap, trying to maintain eye contact with Minho and not pressure Chan too much. 

“Yeah, Lix. I can take you if you want,” Minho tried, also wanting nothing more than Chan to come with them but knowing that it was a slippery slope to walk upon when it came to the Clairvoyant. 

“Ok, Min. That sounds good…”

“I’ll come,” Chan huffed, having to cover his eyes due to the absolute brilliance that was beginning to shine off the two younger boys at the sound of Chan willingly agreeing to accompany them by himself. “But only for a little while. I’m not staying out there the whole day.” 

That was enough for them. All they wanted was Chan to be by their side, to try and get him to enjoy himself a little but they knew that they were the reason he agreed to go. It wasn’t for himself but for them, knowing that their experience would be amplified by ten when he was with them. 

Felix dove in first, planting an excited and slightly overwhelming kiss to Chan’s lips, looping his arms around the elder’s neck before hiding his face in it, squealing a little as his feet danced in the air. Minho slowly approached the back of Chan’s armchair, tilting the elder’s head upwards and leaving a much softer and delicate peck on his forehead, a stark contrast in the two forms of affection but equally as meaningful to the Clairvoyant.

“I’m too soft on the two of you. You have me wrapped around your little fingers.” 

Of course they knew that but in their defence, Chan had them wrapped around his little finger too. 

In no time at all, the three young men were walking through the crowded streets, people marvelling at the performances going on around them, delighting in the delicious food on offer, singing along to the music blaring through the town. Even though Chan knew he should be freaking out being in the midst of this many people, all he could focus on were the two hands encapsulating his own, feeling like a strange sense of serenity was flowing through their connection, putting his heart at peace. Not to mention the soft words being whispered in his ears. 

“We’re right here with you, Channie. No need to worry, love.” 

“You’re doing so well. We’re both really proud of you, Channie.” 

Chan actually started to enjoy himself when he realised that, for once in his life, he was not the center of attention for everyone. Today, he was not the main attraction and it put his heart at ease. He ran with Felix to watch some performances, shared some bungeoppang with Minho and all in all, just had a good time. He didn’t even take into account the time, forgetting about how he had said to Felix that he wasn’t going to stay here the whole day. 

Still, they were all bound to get tired eventually and decided to watch one more show before they headed home for the evening. On the stage was a young man, just about to begin his act, raising his hands into the air as the music began to flow through the air. Out of all the displays of talent they had seen today, Chan could say for certain that this person was by far the most brilliant and skilled out of them all. The fluidity of his movements, the sharpness of his turns, the emotions that touched the audience’s soul as he danced; Chan had seen nothing like it. What impressed him more was the fact that the young man’s eyes were closed, so immersed in the music that he didn’t even seem to realise there was a huge crowd in front of him. Minho and Felix were just as mesmerised, the younger of the two being the first to clap when the young man finished his performance, everyone quickly joining as he waved to the crowd in thanks, blowing kisses to certain individuals and as luck would have it, Chan seemed to be one of the fortuitous few who received one but before the boy could lower his hand to throw the kiss, his whole world stopped. 

A cloudy sky at twilight. Sincerity in a declaration of love. Baptisia petals raining down upon you. Mystical powers flowing through your veins. Blueberries and plums tickling your tastebuds. Knowledge beyond comprehension. 

And as Chan looked to his other soulmates, he knew that they had felt the exact same thing, another piece of their puzzle slipping into place. From the look on the young man’s face who was still standing on the stage, it seemed that he had caught onto the same thing but for Chan and the others, they had just found another one of their soulmates. For this boy, however, he had found three and the shock to his system must have been what ultimately sent him falling towards the ground below the stage, falling into the crowd as his eyes glazed over a little and he tumbled down. Before he could hit the floor, Minho rushed forwards, catching the performer in his arms and gently trying to rouse him by the time Felix and Chan made their way through the people who seemed to figure out what had happened. 

“Hey, kid, you ok?” Minho tried, slapping the young man’s cheek gently but enough for him to open his eyes and shoot up, apologising to Minho for the trouble of having to catch him. 

“Yes, yes, I’m fine. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to collapse like that. It’s just…”

As the boy’s thoughts tried to catch up, Felix had taken it upon himself to try and push back and disperse the crowd that was trying to catch a peek of soulmates bonding. He was, somehow, succeeding as the people began to leave now that the show was over. 

“It’s alright,” Chan comforted, patting the young man’s head. “Do you realise what just happened? 

The dancer nodded his head, his gaze shifting to all three of them now that Felix had returned to them. 

“Soulmates…” he answered, a small frown wrinkling his brow, the reason for which Chan had already figured out and decided to fill in some blanks.  

“Min, what colours can you see now?”

“Red because of you, yellow because of Lix and now indigo because of…”

“Ah, Hyunjin. Hwang Hyunjin,” the boy smiled, taking the extended hand of Minho to hoist him upwards. “Wait, I don’t understand. Why are there three of you? I thought everyone only had one soulmate.”

Chan knew that this was going to happen again and again, having to explain that they were all some sort of anomaly since they were tied to him but it just proved that nobody else in the world seemed to have more than one soulmate since nobody else had even heard of such a thing. 

“There is a bit to explain but before that, let us introduce ourselves. I’m Chan, this is Minho and the one currently draping himself over my back is Felix,” Chan supplied, reaching back to ruffle Felix’s golden locks now that he had hoped up onto his back. 

“It’s really nice to meet you all but I am still very confused,” Hyunjin whispered, placing a hand to his head to try and make the pain of his migraine subside. 

“Oh! We should take him to the bakery to get something to eat while we explain. I think we’re going to be here for a while,” Felix suggested, kicking his feet lightly as Chan held onto his thighs. 

“Sounds like a good idea. Hyunjin, you don’t live around here, right?” Minho asked.

“No, I came from the city for the festival. I was going to stay here for a couple of days before heading back but I have a feeling that my plans will be changing soon.” 

Chan couldn’t say that it was for certain but if he connected with Hyunjin as fast as he had with Felix and Minho, he wouldn’t want to be without the dancer for a single day. Right now, even the thoughts of him leaving was causing a little fissure to form in his heart. He wondered how many more times he would have to go through this. Not that he minded in the slightest if it brought more people like Felix and Minho into his life and the kind of energy he was feeling from Hyunjin made him think that this was his third time lucky. 

Soulmate number three. 

“What do you think about moving back to the city?” 

Chan had to physically restrain himself from allowing a shout to leave his mouth at Minho’s suggestion, lest he wake the two sleeping boys stuck in between them. It was a lazy Sunday morning, all of them snuggled in the double bed that was clearly made for two. Usually they would alternate sleeping arrangements, letting everyone sleep with another one of their soulmates each night in two seperate rooms. However, more often than not, especially when Chan and Minho were sharing a room, the two youngest would sneak in and hop over the two boys so that they were all sharing the one bed, not that Chan and Minho cared. If the four of them could manage a good night’s sleep in one bed, then they let it happen.

On days like today, when none of them had work or other commitments, they loved to simply sleep in late, even if Chan and Minho always awoke earlier than their two youngest soulmates. Watching Felix and Hyunjin sleeping so peacefully made Chan remain silent, simply turning his head and lowering the morning paper that he had been perusing. 

“What?”

“Before you attack me, this is just a suggestion, not a demand, ok?” Minho whispered carefully, placing a kiss to Hyunjin’s forehead as he squirmed in his arms a little, perhaps picking up on the change in the elder’s heartbeat. “Maybe this house is getting a little small for the four of us.” 

Chan thought that Minho had a point. He had bought this house only for himself, after all. He never thought that he’d actually have someone to share it with, let alone three other people and three cats. It was too small but it was also his home. 

“There are other houses in the town that we could look at,” Chan suggested, turning his attention back to the newspaper, trying to hide his obvious unease. There was a reason that he had left the city after all. 

“Hmm, there are but I think you’ve seen how much Jinnie has been missing home lately.” 

It was true. After the performance that day, Hyunjin had gone with the others to chat, all of them clicking instantly but unlike Felix and Minho, he was not from around here and ultimately had to return to the city, despite wanting nothing more than to stay with his newfound soulmates. Every week, he would come to visit them, all of them falling in love with Hyunjin just that little bit more each time and by the fifth visit, Chan was ready to ask Hyunjin to move in with them. However, Hyunjin had been hesitant, not because it was too fast but because he would be leaving an awful lot behind in the city. In the end, Felix had worn him down with his patented pout and puppy eyes but it was clear to all of them that Hyunjin longed to return to his home. He often spoke of his parents, looking extremely down when he thought nobody was looking but they were his soulmates and knew whenever his heart was aching. 

“And as much as you hate to admit it, I think you miss your life there too,” Minho mused, Chan hating how he had picked up on that. 

“How did you know that?” 

“Soulmate, remember? Know you better than you know yourself,” Minho giggled, stroking Felix’s cheek as he whined in his sleep. 

And Chan really did hate to admit it but he missed his home and family sometimes too, quite a lot recently too. Last week had been his mother’s birthday and spending another year away from her was painful to say the least but the reasons he had left still lingered on his mind too, his heart being pulled two different ways. 

“Channie, why did you leave?” Minho asked softly.

“Because it was getting to be too much for me, people hounding me to do readings for them, day and night. It was just too much for me. I was still a kid back then.” 

“Right but you don’t have to worry about any of that anymore, right? Because you have us.”

Even if Chan tried to argue that Minho and the others couldn’t stop everyone from hounding him day and night, Chan couldn’t actually rule out that possibility. He had the feeling that they would take shifts if they had to to make sure that Chan got the peace he deserved. His soulmates wouldn’t let a single person through their line of defence if it meant that Chan was happier. 

“We won’t let anything happen to our Channie,” Felix mumbled, burrowing further into Chan’s side as the elder hugged him close, wondering how long he had actually been awake.  

“We’ll keep you safe,” yawned Hyunjin, pulling on Minho’s arm to tighten his embrace. 

Smiling at the three boys he could no longer live without, Chan pressed a kiss to the two sleepy eavesdroppers’ foreheads before leaning over to do the same to Minho.

“Maybe…maybe it’s something we could think about.” 

Within two weeks, Chan and the others were packing up their things and heading back to the city, Chan and Hyunjin’s home, walking along the worn dirt paths to send them on their way. It was admittedly difficult to keep track of the three cats along the way, even more so when it came to keeping track of Felix and Hyunjin when they would race to see who would get to the designated finish line first but they managed. 

It was a tedious journey but they were now on the home stretch, only a few more miles to go but before they could enter through the gates of the city, Chan heard a small commotion to his left, seeing Hyunjin and Felix stop running when they heard it too. It sounded like a fight and no words were needed to signal from the four of them that they were going to investigate. 

When they got there, the sight admittedly made Chan’s blood boil. A group of thugs seemed to have ambushed two travellers, both young men being pushed down into the dirt by two of the assailants as their belongings were raided by two more. Four against two wasn’t a fair fight in any situation and Chan didn’t like the idea of leaving the two victims to fend for themselves, not even thinking about his mouth opening before he was yelling at the bandits. 

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!”  

The thoughts of being caught were obviously too much for the bandits when they saw that they were now no longer outnumbering the people they were preying upon, grabbing what they could and making a run for it. It looked like Minho was about to give chase but decided against it when he realised he would just be walking straight into a dangerous situation and turned back to the two boys still on the ground. 

“Hey, hey, are you alright? You look pretty roughed up,” Felix sniffled carefully, his pure soul throbbing at the sight of someone who had been hurt.

“I’m fine but Minnie…”

Chan knelt down in front of the taller boy who was struggling to get into an upright position, clutching his right side while using his free hand to wipe a trickle of blood that was blurring his vision. Trying to assess the true nature of the damage, Chan lifted the boy’s chin, leaving the other in the care of Felix and the others. 

“Stay still for a moment and keep your eyes closed while I wipe away the blood, ok?” 

The stranger did as he was told, feeling the gentlest of touches to his face as Chan wiped the blood and grime from his face. In doing so, Chan noticed how young the kid seemed, such an innocent looking face and thought that he couldn’t be much older than Felix or Hyunjin. Once he was finished what he could do, Chan tipped the boy’s nose to signal that he was done before their eyes met, something that made Chan feel like he was being set alight inside. 

Sitting by a campfire at dusk. A soothing cup of coffee on a lonely, dark night. Cuddling close to those you cared for and feeling the strength of their love. Barren leaves falling from the autumn trees. The spice of life igniting your bones. 

The young man in front of him seemed just as shocked when their souls began to connect but it was luckily something that both of them had experienced before, not being overwhelmed by the fact, just smiling happily when they realised that the attack that fate had set up had brought them together. 

“Looks like we found another one,” Chan chuckled, long having gotten over the surprise of finding more of his soulmates since he knew there were more to find, his world not completely covered in colour yet. “Though I wish it were under better circumstances.” 

“Ah, so Innie was right. There are a lot more of you,” the boy laughed but wincing immediately after as he clutched his side harder. 

“Um, Channie?” 

As he tried to help his new soulmate into a standing position, bringing the younger’s arm around his shoulders to steady him, Chan looked towards Minho as he called out to him, the other nodding his head towards the boy that they had been helping, Chan not having a clue why until he met his eyes. 

Breathing in the fresh air of a winter’s day. A wisdom beyond your years. Dipping your toes into the freezing sea. Bursts of unfamiliar flavours in your mouth. The tears of heartache seeping into your soul. The beauty of imagination. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Chan gasped, nearly letting the boy who had been leaning upon him fall to the ground but quickly grabbed him again before that happened. “There are two of you?” 

“Guess that was bound to happen sooner or later, that others have met before us.” 

Minho made a point. It would be foolish to assume that none of their other soulmates had met before them, that they would have found them first. After all, Minho and Chan knew each other before they met Felix or Hyunjin. That these two boys would have found each other first wasn’t implausible, especially since they were near the city limits and not their town. 

“Hi! I’m Felix!” the freckled boy shouted as he jumped in front of his new soulmate that Chan was still holding up.

“And I’m Hyunjin! That one over there is Minho and the other one is Chan!”

“‘That one?’ Yah, Jinnie, show some respect!” Minho scolded, digging his fist into the younger’s head.” 

Laughing at the ridiculousness of the scene in front of them, the two boys cleared their throats, eyes darting around and taking in the different shades around them. 

“I’m Seungmin. And that’s Jeongin. And it seems like all of us are soulmates.”

“It does appear that way,” Chan snickered. “You guys have pretty contrasting colours. Seungmin is orange and Jeongin is blue. 

For the first time in his life, Chan could see the beauty of the sky, the dazzling blue almost making him tear up. That was the first thing that everyone said they gazed at when they found their soulmate but of course, Chan didn’t have that pleasure just yet but thanks to Jeongin, he could now stare at it’s gorgeousness as much as he wanted. Not only that but as autumn began to creep in, Chan could now see the beautifully coloured leaves upon the trees because of Seungmin, the different shades of orange now mixing with Felix’s yellow and revealing such a mesmerizing sight. 

“Where are you guys headed?” Hyunjin prodded as he wrapped his arms around Jeongin, not caring that they had literally only been introduced all of two minutes ago but Jeongin didn’t seem to mind, patting the elder’s hand as it remained securely around his waist. 

“The city. I assume you guys are too.”

“I think you could use some help getting there,” Chan winced, knowing how badly Seungmin was hurting right now from the look on his face. “How about we talk along the way?” 

Soulmates four and five.

“Minnie, you should tell Channie that it still hurts. You need to go to the doctor.”

“It’s fine, Innie. I don’t want to bother him. He’s been pretty busy lately. I can…deal with it for a little longer.” 

He really didn’t mean to eavesdrop but as he walked towards the boy’s room to call them for dinner, Chan couldn’t help but overhear the whispered conversation where his name had been dropped, one that sounded like it needed his attention. Chan knew he could try and hear what was being said from here a little while longer but rather than being secretive, Chan knew that he could always talk to his two youngest soulmates and they would be forthcoming if they wanted to be. 

Stepping into the room, Chan made no attempt to hide his presence but stopped immediately when both boys spun around at the sound of the door opening, Seungmin quickly dropping his shirt when he noticed who it was. 

“Hey, is everything alright?” Chan asked carefully, waiting to see if either of them would say anything and even though Chan could see that Seungmin was definitely hesitant, Jeongin couldn’t seem to hold back anymore. 

“Seungmin’s injuries haven’t fully healed yet.”

“Innie!” 

While Seungmin looked somewhat betrayed after hearing Jeongin blab about his secret, Chan was more thankful than ever that Jeongin cared enough about Seungmin to say something like that to him. It had been nearly a month since Chan had met the two younger boys and in that time, just like the others, they fit right into their little family. 

They had managed to find a rather sizable house to rent near the gates of the city for a decent price between all six of them, somewhere where they weren’t in the middle of the hustle and bustle but still within the city walls, something that made Hyunjin absolutely giddy with excitement since he could now visit his parents whenever he wanted and they were more than happy to have their only son back near them. 

Of course, when Chan’s parents had found him at their front door, his mother promptly broke down crying, his father hugging him so tight to his chest that it very nearly cut off circulation, even more so when they heard that he was moving back to the city. Once they had gotten over the elation, their eyes moved to the five young men standing behind their son. It had been a long and arduous task trying to explain that their son was an anomaly when it came to soulmates, that there were still more to find since all of them were still being robbed of certain colours in their lives but it didn’t seem to faze Chan’s parents, both of them welcoming their son’s soulmates with open arms and telling them that they were so thankful to them for looking after their boy. 

To make ends meet, all of them had gotten employment in the city too, which is where Minho, Felix and Hyunjin currently were. Chan had set up his business for readings once again but had decided to do it every second day for longer hours, allowing him to spend more time with his soulmates, something which healed his soul greatly. Today was Jeongin and Seungmin’s day off and Chan was thankful that he had been home to discover that Seungmin wasn't doing all that well. 

“Minnie, is that true? Are you still hurting somewhere?” 

Seungmin’s head hung low as he nodded it, wrapping his arm around his waist and beginning to sniffle but Chan didn’t know if it was because he was in pain or because he was afraid that Chan would be angry for hiding something like this from him when he knew how much the elder would hate someone he loved hurting in such a way. 

“Hey, Minnie, shh, shh. My love, why are you crying? It’s ok,” Chan soothed, sitting on the younger’s bed and scooping him up into his lap and placing a soft kiss on his lips to soothe his cries. 

It seemed to work as Seungmin wrapped his arms around the elder’s neck and snuggled into the embrace, grabbing onto Jeongin’s hand as he reached out to show that Seungmin had absolutely nothing to worry about. 

“What hurts, baby?”

Once again, Seungmin hesitated but knew there was no turning back now that Chan knew there was something wrong. Falteringly, Seungmin reached down for the end of his sweater, pulling it up slightly to reveal his stomach and a worryingly dark bruise that had formed there. Seungmin had begged them not to take him to a doctor when they had first arrived in the city, Hyunjin and Minho patching him up at home instead but since then, Seungmin’s injuries had all cleared up. Or so Chan thought. A bruise shouldn’t have lasted this long if it was healing and it made Chan anxious. 

“Oh, Minnie…”

“I’m sorry, I should have told you earlier,” Seungmin whispered as he worried his lip between his teeth. “It’s just that everyone has been busy. You’ve all been working really hard and-”

“We’re never too busy for you, my love. Never. All right? 

All Seungmin could do was nod shyly as he rested his head on Chan’s shoulder, knowing that the other’s would scold him a little more harshly for hiding his pain from them. Hyunjin would probably flip his lid since he had actually asked if Seungmin was alright last week because he had flinched when he accidentally hit him in the ribs when they were playing around and Seungmin had said he was fine. 

“Thank you for looking out for him, Innie,” Chan breathed as he turned to the youngest still holding onto Seungmin’s hand, peppering his face with kisses to show his appreciation, something which earned him plentiful giggles. 

And Seungmin had been right. When the others returned from work, they had all erupted into chaos when they heard that their baby was hurting. Felix had touched his face so gently to check if he was ok while Hyunjin had burst into tears, berating himself for not noticing earlier. Of course, after some comforting cuddles from Seungmin, all seemed to be forgiven. Meanwhile, Minho was scouring all the information he could find to locate the best doctor in the city for Seungmin. Only the best for his soulmate. 

That’s how Seungmin found himself at the doctors the next day with Chan by his side. That was the great thing about being self employed, Chan could take days off whenever he pleased. All he had to do was reschedule appointments, something that Felix said he would take care of so he wouldn’t have to deal with any possible angry customers. How could anyone be mad at the literal sunshine that Felix was? And Felix definitely used that to his advantage. 

The younger was clearly nervous but with Chan by his side, he felt a little more at ease. He had always hated going to the doctors, that was why he had asked the others not to bring him in the first place but he knew that there was no way he was going to get better without some help. 

“You ok, Minnie?” Chan whispered as they sat in the examination room and awaited the arrival of the doctor. 

The mousy haired boy nodded slowly, resting his head on the other’s shoulder before the door swung open, revealing a young man who looked way too young to be a doctor but if he was here, it could only mean he was qualified. He had his eyes firmly locked on a chart in his hands, one Chan could only assume belonged to Seungmin since they had to answer a lot of questions when they arrived here. 

“I hear we have someone who isn’t feeling well today. Seungmin, yes?” 

Seungmin once again remained silent and nodded his head, something that Chan was going to say the other couldn’t see since he hadn’t looked at him yet but the doctor seemed to have a sixth sense and sat at his chair to beginning scribbling some notes down as he got confirmation that his information on his patient had been correct. 

“Seungmin, I’m Jisung. I’m going to be giving you a check up today, alright? It says here that you’re allergic to penicillin. Nothing else? Ok, I think we can work with that.” 

Jisung finally managed to tear his gaze away from his notes, swivelling in his chair and flying across the room on it to sit straight in front of Seungmin and Chan but nearly falling backwards when he met eyes with the youngest first before moving onto Chan. 

Tasting fresh mint for the first time. A pang of jealousy eating you up inside. Newly grown grass tickling your toes. Luck that brings you everything you’ve ever wanted in life. An invigorating embrace from the one person you wish to hold close forever. 

Beautiful shades of green that began filling up Chan and Seungmin’s world. 

“Holy shit…” 

Jisung’s eyes blew wide at the realisation of what had just happened, the young man slumping back in his chair as he raked his hand through his now ruffled hair, Seungmin and Chan both giggling at his predicament. It was clear that he had never met any of his soulmates before but this had almost become a common occurrence for the other two still staring at the young man. 

“Wait…I can only see two colours…why?”

“Does it get tiresome? Having to have this conversation with so many people?” Seungmin snickered as he placed his hand on Chan’s knee, knowing that he’d had to go through this so many times already. 

“Not if it means someone else joining the family.”    

“You’ve had this conversation before?” Jisung butted in, clearly forgetting that he was supposed to be checking Seungmin over. 

Chan smiled dotingly, reaching out to hold Jisung’s hand, the young man clearly shaken up about what was happening. In instances like this, Chan always remembered the time he connected with Minho and how strange the feeling was to him and even though he had gotten used to it by now, for Jisung, it was something entirely new, something quite scary, to have your life change before your very eyes. 

“Yes and there are others that you’re going to need to meet. We’re only two of your soulmates, there are others, four others, in fact. Well, for now.”

“For now?” Jisung paled, pushing the glasses back up his nose, not sure if he could take any more surprises.

“How about you help Minnie first and then we’ll explain? You could come to our house for dinner,” Chan suggested. That had always been the best way to introduce the new additions to the rest of the family and get to know them. Food was a great buffer. 

“This is definitely the strangest way I’ve been asked on a date.”  

Jisung’s laughter filled up the room, making both Chan and Seungmin’s heart swell at the beautiful sound. It was already rather clear that he would have no trouble slipping into conversations with the others but they would be there to help him if he needed it. 

“So, before anything else, let’s make sure Seungmin here is feeling better, huh? Can’t have my soulmate suffering now, can I?” 

Soulmate number six. 

“It doesn’t look good, Channie.”

Chan cradled his head in his hands, trying to magically push the horrific pressure building up there away. He had just finished his last reading for the day, doing a record twenty appointments in eight hours but it had been like this for the last week, his day being completely overtaken by people demanding that he find their soulmate. Since they had returned to the city, he had been inundated with requests and knowing it would always help to bring in more money for their ever growing family, Chan was taking them on with no thought for how exhausted it was making him, both physically and mentally. But when Jisung had called out to him as he wished his final customer goodbye, Chan wasn’t sure why until he felt something dripping down his nose, bringing his finger up to wipe away some blood. That was when he knew he had pushed himself far beyond his limits. 

“I’ll be fine, Sung. It’s not as bad as it-”

Swaying slightly as he stood, Chan was forced to grab the side of the table to steady himself, his vision blurring before Jisung was rushing to guide him back down to his chair. 

“Channie, love, please don’t push yourself any more than you already have. I hate to see you hurting like this. If you keep doing this, I don’t know how long you can keep going.”

“What does that mean?” Chan mumbled, trying to focus his gaze on the concerned boy in front of him. 

“It means that, as your physician, your boyfriend and soulmate, I’m advising you to stop doing these readings.”

Ever since Chan had been able to do readings, he had always hated doing them, not feeling any sort of happiness even though he was giving people what they wanted most. He was always looked down upon for his gift even though people wanted him to use it for them and it made him feel worthless at times, so when Jisung suggested that he give it up, it shouldn’t have been that big of a deal. However, it was a big deal to him now. Ever since he had found his own soulmates, he understood why everyone was so dead set on finding theirs. Chan could in no way describe how much brighter the young men had made his life, how they had saved him from the darkest depths and brought him back to the surface in a way that made him feel like he could breathe again. He loved them all so much and he knew that they loved each other and him more than anything. Now, to know that he would never be able to bring that kind of happiness to others in the same form, knowing he was the only one that could, made him more than a little upset. 

Still, if Jisung was telling him that it was for the good of his health, trusting in his skills as a doctor, then there was very little he could do in the way of arguing. He also knew that when the others found out, there was no way in hell they would let him continue if it was going to end up destroying him from the inside. 

“Ok, Sungie. I understand. I guess I’ll have to find a new form of income.”

“You need to look after yourself first and then you can worry about money. Your health always comes first and we’ll be here to help you in every way that we can, ok?” the younger smiled, leaning down to press a kiss to Chan’s forehead before the other pulled him down to join their lips, a slow and thankful kiss to show that they were all going to be ok. 

Of course, Chan had been right when it came to the other’s reactions on the subject. Before Jisung had even finished his explanation, Felix was up out of his chair, saying that there was no way Chan was going to continue. The others were there right along with him, not letting Chan even explain that he had already decided to cease his readings. They obviously thought that he would fight them on this but were thankful when they heard from Chan himself that he was going to do as Jisung asked and stop altogether. To say that they were surprised was an understatement but they were very quick to apologise for assuming what he would do in the form of comforting words and an even more comforting group hug, the eldest being squished in the middle of all of their arms. 

After things had calmed down and they had managed to detach Felix from the elder’s side, they all sat down to have a pleasant evening meal together, sharing laughter and stories as they often did but just as they were halfway through Jeongin telling them all about the first time he had met Seungmin and screamed bloody murder upon discovering who he was, a loud banging echoed throughout the house, enough to make practically everyone jump in their seats. 

Taking the lead, Minho and Hyunjin left their places at the table to see who was disturbing their dinner so late in the night. Looking out the peephole of the door, Hyunjin couldn’t quite make out the person on the other side, only managing to see the dark hair on their head, making him feel even more uneasy about who was there. Still, the visitor seemed to sense that there was someone on the other side of the door and began ferociously knocking once again. 

“Hello?! Hello, please! I need to speak with the Clairvoyant! I need him to do a reading for me! Somebody told me that he’s stopped doing them. Is that true?”

“Sorry but it is. He’s not reading for anybody anymore. We announced that today,” Minho told the stranger, a fierce sense of protectiveness over his first soulmate coming into effect, like he was ready to pounce should this person demand something from Chan.

“No, you don’t understand, please! I’ve saved up money for this. I’ve travelled for two weeks to get here! I…I need this. I don’t want to be alone anymore.”  

Having left his own place at the table along with everyone else, Chan’s heart couldn’t help but break when he heard the terrible sadness in the young man’s voice. For many that came to him, finding their soulmate was just a folly, something that sounded like a cute idea because everyone had heard stories about it when they were little. Many people could be happy without a soulmate but this young man, whoever he was, sounded like he desperately wanted to find their special person, more than they needed anything else in the world. 

Taking pity on him, Chan placed his hands on Minho and Hyunjin’s shoulders, a sign that they could stand down. 

“I can do one more. Just one more.” 

“Chan…” Hyunjin whined, obviously worried that Chan would keep saying that until he drove himself into an early grave.

“This is the last one, I promise, Jinnie.” 

The elder gave a small squeeze to Hyunjin’s wrist, a silent promise that, starting tomorrow, he would officially give up doing readings for people, something which Hyunjin seemed to accept. 

Opening the front door, Chan was surprised when there was nobody there, not a soul in sight until he looked down to see the young man that had been causing such a hassle sitting on his front steps, shoulders shaking and small sniffles coming from his crouched form. Doing his best not to frighten the stranger since he had obviously not heard Chan open the door, he bent down and placed a comforting hand on the young man’s shoulder, something which caused him to seize up, like he was afraid he was going to be asked to leave the premises.

“Hey there, no need to be upset. It’s ok, I can do this for you.”

“Really? You don’t mind?” the young man babbled, stumbling over his words as he reached up to wipe the tears out of his eyes, spinning around to face Chan before everything began to finally settle into place for them both. 

Watching the sun finally fall beyond the horizon. The ambition to find everything you wanted in life. Amethyst gleaming under the sunlight. The saccharine taste of grapes. Lilac and foxgloves bombarding your sense of smell. A galaxy of stars in your lover’s eyes. 

While Chan was accustomed to the feeling, what he didn’t expect was all the spaces in his life to finally be filled by the arrival of this young man. Each little area that had been gray earlier on in the night in his vision suddenly started to mesh together. His entire world was now dazzling before his eyes, entirely in colour. This young man had added the final colour to his world. 

“Violet, huh? You’re the last one. My final soulmate,” Chan chuckled, the gobsmacked face of the boy in front of him causing him to laugh further. It seemed that he would not have to spend the money he had saved on finding his soulmate but his time was not wasted, for they were standing right in front of him. “Guys, you might want to come out here.” 

As he heard the thundering footsteps coming from the dining room, knowing there was about to be a lot of screaming and shouting, Chan turned back to the young man, cupping his cheek and wiping away a few stray tears. 

“What’s your name?”

“Changbin. I…I don’t understand what’s happening.” 

“You will. Come in out of the cold. We were just having dinner. Would you like something to eat?”    

All Changbin could do was nod dumbfoundedly, taking Chan’s hand as it was offered to him and walking through to the front hall before he was met with six other faces, his whole world exploding into colour and making him dizzy, something that Chan should have known was going to happen but it had slipped his mind. He was too damn happy to even think straight right now because he had found his final missing piece. 

Soulmate number seven. 

The final one.

“Hey! You got to sit beside Lix last night, Innie. I wanna cuddle him tonight,” Jisung pouted, pushing Jeongin off of the freckled boy’s lap and taking his place. 

It seemed to annoy Jeongin to no end that his snuggle partner was being stolen from him, a cross glower distorting his face but it was quickly vanquished when Minho scooped him up, kissing the young man’s lips softly and making that frown completely disappear as they curled around each other on the ground. 

Seungmin and Hyunjin were currently laying out the snacks on the picnic blanket, finishing quickly and closing the basket before Seungmin pulled the elder down upon his chest, beginning to gaze at the stars above them. 

It had been Chan’s request, to have a night outside of the city, no noise or blinding lights to disturb them, just each other’s company to heal them in the many ways that they needed right now. Breathing in the fresh air as the stars hung above them in the sky, Chan threw his head back, relishing in the peace he was sharing with his seven soulmates. 

“Channie, have you ever thought about the colours that we saw when we met each other?” Changbin piped up from where he had his head laid upon Chan’s thighs. 

“What do you mean, love?” 

“Well, when everyone met me, they saw violet, when they saw Jinnie, you saw indigo. Lix was yellow, Min was red, Sungie was green, Innie was blue and Minnie was orange, right?” 

Thinking about it for a minute, Chan nodded his head to accept Changbin’s line of thought but wondered where he was going with it. 

“But do you realise that you reflected our colours back to us?” 

Chan paused for a moment, not quite catching on to what the younger was trying to get across.

“When you met me, you showed me violet like I showed you. But the same goes for the others. Minho showed you red but you showed him red as well and so on and so forth. Every one of us seemed to have a set colour but you did not. You reflected what we showed you. You were basically a rainbow of colours. Isn’t that neat?”

And when Chan thought about it, he realised that it was something that had never occurred to him. When he had met Minho, they had both shown each other red, which was simple enough but when they had met Felix, Minho had shown Felix red just like he had with Chan but Chan himself had actually shown Felix yellow, just like he had shown him. He showed Hyunjin indigo, Jeongin blue, Seungmin orange, Jisung green and Changbin violet, just like he had said. He didn’t hold just one colour within himself but a whole rainbow. 

“That is…really strange but then again, I think everything about us is a little strange,” Chan chuckled, leaning down to press a kiss to Changbin’s lips. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

Chan knew that he had come a hell of a long way since that day a year ago when he had met Minho. There was a time when he was certain that he would live his life in solitary, never knowing the love that was written about in storybooks, never feel the warmth of another’s love. Now, it was different because he had seven boys that were the absolute center of his universe, those he would do absolutely anything for and he knew that they would return the favour should he need it. And they had. They had saved him from the loneliness that he thought would always follow him no matter where he went. More than anything, they saved him from himself. 

There would never be a day that went by that Chan wouldn’t be thankful for the young men who had found their way into his life. The young men who made his life vivid, bright and oh so colourful.