summary: everyone knows about the red string of fate: a delicate thread tied at the base of the pinky finger, something that connects you with your soulmate. your one perfect person. your other half. so why do you have thirteen strings?
warnings: alternate universe - soulmates, idol!au, this is still set in svtverse, angst and fluff, smut in later chapters, swearing, group dynamics, reader is slightly insecure and shy, mentions of loneliness, trust and abandonment issues, some jealousy and being possessive
summary: everyone knows about the red string of fate: a delicate thread tied at the base of the pinky finger, something that connects you with your soulmate. your one perfect person. your other half. so why do you have thirteen strings?
word count: 3k
warnings: fem!reader, some angst if you squint, swearing, suggestive content but nothing explicit
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It’s almost comical. Your eyes flitting around so frantically. You have no clue who to look at, since there’s so many of them. All you can catch is shocked faces, wide eyes, mouths dropped open.
They are pretty. All of them. They’re so handsome. Your heart races. There’s an insistent tugging on your pinky, as if some invisible force is telling you to move. Get closer. To who? All of them? At the same time?
You start to get dizzy.
“I think-” You manage to sputter out to no one in particular. Behind you, Seungcheol shifts so he can get a look at your face. What he sees probably alarms him, because he is cursing and moving closer, hands gripping your upper arms to keep you steady. You sway.
“I need to sit down.” You complete meekly.
Immediately, there is a flurry of movement and voices. Gently, Seungcheol guides you to a newly vacated couch, making you sit. You stare at the floor, a warm wood, trying to take deep breaths. You do what you have seen health videos tell you to: you crouch forward to plant your head between your knees, clutching your legs with your trembling hands.
“Should she lie down?” You hear someone say. The voice is tinged with worry and caution, and you feel tears spring into your eyes.
You didn’t want this to be how you met your soulmates. You had always heard it described as this magical feeling of being complete. Like all the stars had aligned. Falling into a bed of roses. Elation. Ecstasy.
All you feel is overwhelmed and overstimulated.
“Hey,” someone says your name gently, kneeling down next to you. You recognise Seungcheol’s voice. “I think you should lay down, sweetheart.”
The pet name makes something in your stomach lurch. Guilt gnaws at you. They are meeting their soulmate too, for the first time. This should be a happy moment for them.
“I’m sorry.” You manage to choke out.
“No, no.” His hand runs over your shoulder blades, back and forth. Your muscles relax immediately under his touch. “You’re okay. I can’t imagine how overwhelming this is.”
You finally lift your head, wiping your eyes. You probably look like a mess, and fleetingly you think you should’ve straightened yourself up after work before you showed up here. They all look like walking landscapes, and you look like a raccoon with running mascara.
“We could leave?” One man says, making a few of them shift back. Ice cold dread grips at your chest.
“No!” It comes out too forcefully, and everyone freezes in shock. You swallow hard.
“I mean, don’t leave. Please- please stay.”
A little of the thick tension in the air breaks at your words, and some of them seem to relax the tiniest bit. They settle, on the other couches, or taking seats on the floor before you. You sniffle, and seconds later, one of them who is sitting on the other side of you is handing you a tissue. You look up at him. His hair is darker than Seungcheol’s, and longer too. But the rest of him is way skinnier. His features are so…. delicate. Whimsical almost. Your breath stills for a second.
He’s a vision.
You can feel your emotions rising again, like a tide. You give him a small smile, suddenly feeling nervous. He’s so handsome it makes you rethink your place in the world. He only grins back at you, a teasing little twinkle in his eye.
“Cute.” He mumbles.
Your cheeks catch fire and you hide your head in your hands, hearing a few chuckles around the room. You realise you have thirteen sets of eyes on you, and you sigh loudly.
“This is a lot to take in.” You comment. The beautiful man who handed you the tissue shifts.
“Then let’s take it one step at a time.” His voice is simultaneously soft and pretty. Can a voice be described as pretty? You’ve decided it can, after hearing him speak. “Have you eaten dinner?”
You look up, shaking your head. “I bought it, but then I abandoned it on my living room floor to run all the way here.”
Another spattering of chuckles. Then a voice pops up from the couch to your right.
“What did you order that was so heavy? You were fighting for your life with those bags.”
You give him an exasperated look. “Exactly! I don’t know why they were so heavy. I just got some chicken and rice.”
“Was the chicken made of iron?”
You giggle, but stop short when realization hits you. You gasp and point at the man. “It was you! String number 1! I followed you here.”
His resulting smile is fond, and you have to will your face to not burst into flames. “It was me.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” You mumble. You regret the question as soon as you ask it. Truthfully, you don’t want to know. If he saw you and went away instead of walking towards you, you didn’t even want to know what that meant. Did he not like what he saw? Probably. He was gorgeous too. God, what was up with these guys?
“I’m sorry.” He says, and you realise everyone else is also looking a bit forlorn. They must have caught on to your shift in mood. So this is what the soulmate connection is about. “I wasn’t thinking. I was overwhelmed.”
You can absolutely understand that. Even now, you feel like someone has stuffed cotton where your brain should be. You give him a placating smile. “It’s okay. I’m not exactly being the best soulmate right now either.”
“Hush now.” The man next to you speaks again. You really need to learn their names. “So, dinner?”
You nod sheepishly. One of the men sitting on the floor leaps up, and it startles you how tall he is. And well built too. You gulp at the sight of his bare arms, the white tank top he is wearing sticking to his torso like second skin.
“I’ll cook!” He pipes up. “What do you like eating?”
His eyes are wide as he waits for the answer. You are reminded acutely of a golden retriever.
“Whatever you have is fine.” Your voice is thin, wavering.
“He can make anything you ask.” Seungcheol says. There’s a hint of pride on his voice that makes your lips twitch. The golden retriever nods in confirmation.
“Oh, um.” You think. “Whatever will take the least time.”
You really don’t want to inconvenience them. You did barge in here unannounced. You try to tell yourself that they are your soulmates. They are built to care for you and you are not an imposition. But you’ve spent your entire life by yourself. You are hyper independent, and the thought of anyone doing anything for you has you squirming uncomfortably.
He’s already gone though, and within minutes you hear the clinking of pots and pans. Another one of the men gets up to join him in the kitchen. You smile uncertainly at the rest.
“Maybe you all can tell me your names?”
——————————
The food prepared by golden retriever- Mingyu- is divine. There’s no other word for it. It’s a huge bowl of Ramyeon. But he really pulled out all the stops. There’s dumplings in the soup, thin slices of meat, a whole lot of veggies, eggs. You feel full after only half the bowl. Joshua sits with you on the dining room table while you eat, with Mingyu still pattering around in the kitchen. The rest of them are scattered in the living room, and you can hear Seungcheol telling them to give you more space and not descend on you like a pack of hyenas. You fight back a smile at his analogy.
You understand why Joshua is the one to keep you company. There’s something very warm and welcoming about his presence. His smile reminds you of the sun, and his voice is so gentle that it relaxes your nerves. He asks you what you do for work, and you tell him about just moving here. How hard it is to settle into a completely foreign place, but how much you are enjoying it nonetheless. You ask him about the stage name thing that Seungcheol mentioned, and your jaw drops when he explains who they are and what they do for a living.
“No wonder the lady downstairs called security.” You muse, stirring the contents of your bowl absentmindedly. “I’m sure that happens a lot.”
“People showing up claiming to be soulmates?” Joshua laughs. “Too often to count. I would be more suspicious if it stopped happening.”
You giggle. Before you can think of anything else, Joshua’s hand is snaking into your free one, and you still immediately. The same tiny little sparks shoot through your skin that you felt when Seungcheol grabbed your arm for the first time. You look up at him, and your heart kicks hard at your ribs. His smile is soft. In the dim glow of the dining room, he looks stunning.
“I’m glad you’re here.” His voice is low, almost as if he is afraid to disturb this tranquility that floats between you two. You can’t help but to squeeze his hand. You hope he never lets you go.
“I’m glad too.”
Someone clears their throat and you jolt, whipping around to see Jeonghan leaning against the door frame.
“Your room is ready.” He smiles at yours and Joshua’s intertwined hands. Reluctantly, you pull away from him, standing up. Joshua has already begun clearing the table. You miss his touch, but something is tugging at you to move towards Jeonghan too.
God, this will be difficult.
Your room turns out to be upstairs, and Jeonghan explains to you that they occupy the three top floors of this apartment building.
“You need a lot of space for thirteen people.” He looks at you sideways, a small smile gracing his lips. “Fourteen now.”
Your heart pounds. He wants you to live here.
Of course he does, dumbass. Your mind supplies crudely. You’re his soulmate. You’re going to live here. With all of them.
It’s overwhelming you, again. You push the feeling down.
Your room is bare, naturally. Minimalistic. Jeonghan explains where the toiletries and other necessities are. You nod along, but you are more distracted by him than anything else. He is only wearing an oversized shirt and sweatpants, and when he steps close, you can smell his cologne. It’s clean and fresh. You wish you could breathe him in more properly. His hair looks soft to touch. You wonder how it would feel if you ran your fingers through it.
“Pay attention, angel.” He snaps his fingers in front of your eyes. You blink and feel your face heat up.
“I am.” You lie. He hums, not buying it at all. His eyes are too shrewd as he stares at you. A little smirk plays on his face. Then he steps closer, into your personal space. Your breath hitches, but you don’t step back like you normally would. Your instincts are screaming at you to stay close to him.
His hand reaches up, the lightest brush of his fingertips tracing down the side of your face. You almost sigh, catching it in your throat before it leaves you. Up close, you can see the faintest hint of freckles running down his neck. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. You catch the tips of his ears. How red they are. It makes you feel better, that this is affecting him too.
“Am I distracting you?” He whispers. His breath hits your lips. It takes everything in you not to kiss him there and then. But you can’t stop your eyes from wandering down to look at the plush of them, pink and slightly shiny.
He leans forward, and his lips land right at the corner of your mouth. It sizzles just under your skin, your eyelids fluttering shut at the feeling. His skin is soft, his eyelashes brush over your cheek. He lingers for a few seconds. Your breath is frozen. Your lungs beg you to breathe, but suddenly you’ve forgotten how to do just that.
When he pulls away, the air leaves your mouth in a long whoosh. You feel lightheaded as Jeonghan moves away.
“Get some sleep, bub.” He smiles as he makes his way to the door. “Tomorrow is a new day.”
You don’t move until the door is clicking shut behind him. You blink at the bare wall, wondering what the hell just happened.
Tomorrow is a new day.
———————————
Kwon Soonyoung knows he’s staring. He just can’t help it. He tries to look away, tries to be nonchalant about it, but it really isn’t possible. There isn’t one single nonchalant bone in his body.
You are deep in conversation with Wonwoo about some book you both had read. He watches your hands move, gesticulating your thoughts. You look passionate about this mystery book, and he catches how Wonwoo looks at you, smiling softly as you express your frustration about some character Soonyoung doesn’t know.
He bristles. He wants to spend time with you too. But he doesn’t know how.
After ten years of being in the same groups as his soulmates, Soonyoung had grown comfortable. But it wasn’t always like that. Soonyoung might look confident, but he’s an introvert at heart. He loves affection and attention, from the crowd, from the cameras, from his members. But he doesn’t know how to ask for it when it comes to you. With his members, he would usually just bother Jihoon or poke fun at Seungkwan. What about you, though? Would you really be comfortable with any of that?
When Mingyu and Joshua call for dinner, your and Wonwoo’s conversation is cut short. They all crowd around the long dining table, cheerful voices blending over each other, and Soonyoung tries to be subtle when he deliberately sits next to you, but one look at the way Dokyeom waggles his eyebrows at him tells him that he isn’t fooling anyone. He feels his ears burn. Whatever. You’re his soulmate too. He is allowed to want your attention.
Dinner is a busy affair. Everyone is interested in one thing or another, talking about coming schedules, your office, whether it would be okay to bring you to Music Bank filming for tomorrow. With a new comeback on the horizon, they were all working hard. At the same time, there is a small amount of guilt about leaving you at home alone when they’re busy with schedules. You don’t seem to mind at all. You reassure them lots of times. You had spent a great deal of time in your room in the last two weeks, decorating it to your liking between work and other commitments you had. The one or two times Soonyoung had been in there, he had seen the little trinkets on your desk and shelves. Colorful covers and curtains. Super cute.
“Tomorrow is a must-attend, though.” Dokyeom pipes up. “You haven’t seen us perform live yet.”
You nod. Soonyoung watches your profile. The swoop of your nose, how the light hits your cheekbones just right. His fingers twitch. He wants to touch you so bad.
“Hoshi is someone you need to see live.” His name jolts him out of his trance, eyes widening at Dokyeom’s words. He has the slightest hints of a smirk on his face, and when you turn your head to look at Soonyoung, Dokyeom winks at him.
Soonyoung feels warm gratitude fill him. He really is thankful. If left to his own devices, he doesn’t think he would be able to break the ice with you at all.
“Now I just have to come.” You beam at him, and Soonyoung’s heart starts doing somersaults. “I’ve seen videos. But I’m sure that is nothing compared to the real thing.”
This. This is what he wanted. Your eyes on him, seated ever so close to him. He is seconds away from closing the distance, from smashing his lips to yours, licking into your mouth. He wonders how you taste. He wonders if you would moan into him-
Stop.
He clutches his hand tight around the chopsticks, knowing it will leave indents on his skin. He swallows hard to keep his urges at bay. You need time. He knows this. Seungcheol and Jeonghan had been very clear. You had gone from not having anyone to having thirteen soulmates all at once. It wasn’t like that for the rest of them, who met over the years as trainees, young minds easy to mold and adjust.
You had lived so much of your adult life with no one but yourself. Soonyoung’s heart aches at the thought. He wishes he could hold you, tell you how much he already loves you. Because yes, he loves you. He loves you so bad it pains him to stay away. But he waits. Just like all his soulmates wait. It has to come from you, the invitation of intimacy. For now, he wants to get to know you as a person.
So he smiles wide when you praise his dancing, takes pride in the fact that you seem to be impressed by him. You listen intently when he talks about the stage, and Soonyoung feels giddy having your eyes on him. He wonders if you know what you’re doing to him. You must. You’re just so comfortable to be around, like a warm cup of tea and soft blankets after a grueling day of practice.
Dinner disappears from his plate and into his mouth before he even realizes it. He is too engrossed in you, now talking to him with the same enthusiasm as you talked to Wonwoo with. He misses the satisfied smile on Dokyeom’s face, or the looks the boys exchange with each other.
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