destined | l.mh | 2
genre: fluff | soulmate!au, genderswap!au pairing: student!mark x female!reader warnings: mentions of mark’s ding dong, divorce, and urination word count: 2746 summary: it’s a fact of life that soulmates swap bodies. when mark wakes up in a bed that isn’t his, he’s delighted. you, on the other hand, absolutely despise it. a/n: thank you for all the support for part 1! to clarify: bolded and italicized words show a shift in the scene! feel free to send me any asks :)
you wake up with a dull pounding in your head. it feels like you’ve slept for weeks from the taste of your dry breath. pursing your lips, you try to remember if you drank anything alcoholic before sleeping, but it’s hard to come up with any coherent thoughts. it’s like your mind is filled with television static, constantly buzzing.
it’s only when you trail your hand down and feel a thick collarbone that you’re suddenly cognizant of your surroundings. you sit up, glancing at the olive curtains by the window and the sticky notes littering the nightstand to your right. you know that the color of its wood is supposed to be darker to match the headboard of your bed that’s supposed to have a slight grain and not just be a solid plank.
don’t panic, you tell yourself. maybe you're just sleepy, or still in a dream. you don’t want to create a fuss that might disturb your roommate.
your roommate! you reach for your phone but find the device and charger missing from its usual plug point. trying hard to keep your breathing steady, you glance down, landing on the half-naked muscular frame before you.
“holy shit!”
your eyes widen with shock, and you instantly caress your adam’s apple after hearing the deep voice and looking around. no one else is here, at least to your knowledge, so you must’ve been imagining the words. as you move your hands to feel your chest, you swallow in nervousness, the thick feeling in your throat immediately alarming you.
wait. an adam’s apple? that shouldn’t be part of your body, the same way that your missing breasts should be. you pull the waistband of your sweats upwards hastily, immediately spotting something that definitely shouldn’t be part of your body.
before you can process what you’re seeing, a shriek escapes you. it’s hoarse and thicker than your own voice, and it only prompts you to freak out more. you’re a boy. you’re suddenly a boy. you -
“mark? did you see anot — ,“ a tall man slips into the room, softly stepping on the carpet while rubbing his sleep-ridden eyes. his words stop midway when his gaze lands on you, glaring at him with your hand still gripping your sweats above your waist.
“what did you do to me?” you attack, feeling vulnerable and confused. this has got to be the weirdest dream you’ve had in a while. the newcomer rubs his shirt lazily, smacking his lips and raising an eyebrow, “what?”
you tug down the pants, causing the man’s eyes to widen in panic and disgust as he backs away, “what the fuck!? put that away!”
and you scream.
his name is yuta. he is a junior in college and shares a small apartment with mark, his underclassman and the owner of the body you’re in. currently, yuta ╾ after lots of convincing ╾ has you settled in the kitchen, legs tightly wrapped around the barstools.
“other than learning that mark sleeps commando, this is great.”
“huh?” you mumble as yuta leans over the counter, a pleased grin taking over his feature. he sways slightly as his eyes crinkle at the edges from his wide smile, “mark has wanted a soulmate for so long.”
“soulmate?” your stomach drops as you repeat the word, your face automatically contorting with disdain as it rolls off your tongue. through all your initial panic, you failed to realize that you now had to endure the week-long switch and the new lifelong partner. your tongue never tasted as bitter as it does now.
"oh yeah, mark won't talk much about it, but you should see the way he lights up when i talk about winwin. oh, winwin is my soulmate! maybe you can meet him sometime," yuta explains, all the while giving you a perfect, straight smile. you sigh a little, knowing it was going to be a little tougher to let this mark know that you weren't going to stick around.
"listen, i'm not a huge fan of . . . all this soulmate stuff," you start and yuta quits swaying, fazed by your words, "huh?"
"i mean, it's great that mark wants one or whatever but maybe he can just fall for someone naturally. without, um, swapping bodies. and we can forget about this whole thing afterward," you bite your lip. who knew that it would be this awkward to explain your views to someone. yuta simply laughs, leaning against the counter, "i'm sorry, but hearing this from mark's body with his voice is just surreal! i can't wait until mark really meets you!"
your eyes widen, "did you not hear what i just said?"
"oh i did," yuta gives you a smirk, and you're sure that if you weren't currently stuck in some random boy's body talking about the one topic you couldn't stand, especially since it's happening to you, you would definitely be interested in him. unfortunately, you were.
yuta turns around, pulling out a carton of eggs from the fridge, "omelets?"
you frown, wondering what the handsome man is up to as he pulls out shredded cheese and some various greens. his movements are fluid and relaxed, without care. watching him skillfully chop up the lush vegetables makes your stomach growl, and he laughs a little at the sound, "mark loves cheesy omelets. now that you have his body, you might as well learn what makes his tastebuds happy."
"yuta," you sat sternly as he cracks an egg onto a black skillet, "i can't do this."
he sighs a bit as he hovers over the fluffy eggs, watching them solidify slightly before tossing in the cheese and greens, "you have to. you're literally going to have a soulmate at one point or another, and it just happens to be now. don't you like the idea of finding your perfect partner, decided by the forces of fate?"
"honestly? i rather find my own partner by myself."
"wow, i see that you're taking mark's feelings into account," yuta slides a pristine plate with a golden omelet towards you. it's gorgeous and exudes a rich aroma, cheesy and fresh. you watch yuta's muscled back through his shirt when he begins to chop more leaves and sigh, "i'll just tell him. i'm sure he'll understand."
"understand what?" a melodic voice reverbs through the kitchen. it doesn't sit well with you that it sounds so familiar, so ingrained in your head. yuta looks up at the newcomer and flips his bangs out of his eyes before he gives you a flirtatious smile, "so this is what you look like."
when you turn around on the barstool, you nearly shriek. your body stands in front of you in all its bare-faced glory, adorned with a baggy sweater and leggings that bunch around the ankles. you know that mirrors and cameras skew your face a bit, but you felt unfamiliar now that you're truly seeing yourself. your eyes and your nose and your lips - so strangely placed but so fitting. your body looks you over with interest and you realize that watching you check out yourself is one of the weirdest sensations you’ve ever experienced.
besides this whole swap, of course.
yuta finishes up two more omelets quickly and sets up a plate by the stool beside you before sliding you another meal. he whips off the striped apron neatly and hangs it before looking at the both of you, "i'll let you two talk."
you silently pray that yuta would stay, but he's gone in a blink of an eye, and you're left with the spitting image of yourself. it scratches the back of its neck for a second before sighing, "i'm sorry i'm so silent. i didn't know this would happen so soon."
when he speaks, it feels like the air stills. the beat of your heart seems to pump at a steady pace, but the tingling sensation from your flushed ears and cheeks seem to intensify. his words provide a wave of comfort, of familiarity, of belonging, and you have no idea why his presence feels like it's meant to complement yours.
is this how it felt when your mom first met her soulmate?
you watch as he settles on the stool next to you, carefully adjusting his position as to provide you with ample space.
“i’m mark, by the way. yuta must’ve mentioned it.”
"seeing how i needed some explanation for my new form, yes, he did," you reply teasingly, making mark curl inwards in amusement. his eyes kept darting from your eyes to the curve of your jaw, taking in his own features, and it makes your head dizzy. the way his gaze roamed you made your temperature rise uncomfortably, and you shift in your seat, “i’m ____.”
heaviness fills your nerves as you think about your parents. you never asked for a soulmate, and now that you apparently have one, it seems impossible to escape. the way your body seems to react automatically to his presence and how your mind hangs onto each word he says is frustrating. mark coughs and raises an eyebrow, “you, um, have a nice roommate. she’s very quiet.”
“quiet, huh? she’s anything but,” you remark, knowing the girl must’ve been shocked seeing you act strange in the morning. you feel blood rush to your cheeks as you remember how enthusiastic mark supposedly is about this whole thing. he must've had the biggest smile on his face when he explained what was happening to your roommate. good god.
"i'm going to wash up in the bathroom, we can talk on the couch?" you suggest and mark nods, his glassy eyes somehow more glazed than ever. did he expect you to be as happy as he was?
then again, most people are.
you look around quickly before mark points to the left, "by the living room, left of the closets."
giving him an embarrassed nod, you dash into the small bathroom, locking the door hastily. the pristine walls and neatly folded towels above the toilet surprise you: there's no way those two are this neat. you place your hands on the counter, leaning over the sink and taking in the body in the mirror.
mark isn’t unattractive. in fact, he’s the exact opposite. his boyish looks and charming smile reflecting back make you blush, washing his chiseled cheeks with a pink tint. the sight only makes your mind stutter more, and it takes a few breaths to remind yourself that you weren’t about to fall for someone you’ve already decided to cut out of your life. your eyes wander to the toilet next to you and you immediately freeze, thinking about the horrific scene this morning. how in the world would you be able to go to the bathroom?
your hands can’t stop sweating, and mark easily notices your discomfort as you slip back into the kitchen, heading towards the back to where he’s settled on a small couch. he cocks his head, concern washing over his new features, "are you okay?"
"um," you swallow, leaning back, "yeah, i was just wondering how i'm going to pee."
"huh?" he scrunches his eyebrows together and your heart pumps faster as you clarify, "urination? peeing? sweet bladder release?"
his cheeks grow warm and his eyes widen with realization, "oh! oh, shit."
"mhm."
"aren't there youtube tutorials?" he thinks aloud and you snort, "ah yes, the video where someone shows their experience with aiming."
mark laughs at your comment and retorts back with equal sarcasm, setting you at ease. he feels like a comfortable rhythm ╾ as if he's the name to a song that you've been searching for. his arms drape behind you on the cushions and you find that soon enough, your body is close to his. with him, you feel open and safe, which is unusual because boys don't normally make you feel this great, especially with just a bit of conversation.
then again, he is the one set in your stars.
"you're really nice, ____. i'm glad it's you," mark murmurs after a particularly heavy laugh. you shrug and squint, "what's me?"
"my soulmate. i just think you’re . . . , “ he trails off, afraid that whatever he may say may scare you away.
you drag your palm on your sweatpants, feeling the muscled thighs below your fingers. before you can speak, mark runs a hand through his locks, giving you a smile and sighing, "i must've come off really strong, sorry. but i'm genuinely happy that you seem fine with all this. some of my friends hate soulmates, and i honestly don't know how they'll react when it happens."
when mark speaks, you wish it didn't resonate within you. you wish that his words didn't hit you as hard as they did, or that you didn't find yourself reacting to them as much as you did. he says aloud the guilts within, and you know that as much as you're drawn to him and want to stay in his company, you should really be going before you feel any worse.
"that's unfortunate," you reply stiffly and mark plays with the strands of his hair, "yeah. i don't want to seem weird - "
"you sleep with no underwear."
" - granted. but even though it hasn't even been an hour, i feel like i've known you forever," he hangs his head shyly, "is that strange? is it just me?"
you shake your head unconsciously, not sure whether his honest nature was a good thing or a bad thing. when your mom began seeing her soulmate, she was so hidden about the whole thing. her movements were quick and sly, and when she came back home, it was like she never left her spot, like her soulmate had never existed. mark didn’t feel like the kind of guy who could sneak around like that.
think about your parents. the divorce. the horrible soulmate system.
before mark could say anything else, you stand from the couch, guilt and resolve pumping through your veins.
"i should really get back to my roommate."
"that's how she left?" yuta says, his hands on the counter. mark nods, about to fan himself with his sweater but abruptly stopping.
"yeah, i figured that it's probably better for her to get her thoughts together," he sighs, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees in thought, "but yuta?"
"hm?" the taller singsongs as he arranges the newly-bought groceries on the counter.
"i felt so comfortable around her, you know? like it felt like she understood everything i meant, even when i didn’t know what i was saying,” mark’s fingers writhe with confusion and intrigue, “when you met winwin, was it like that?”
yuta hums for a bit before opening the fridge, “yeah . . . yeah, like your minds are connected.”
mark nods in agreement. while he isn’t a big fan of you knowing what his naked body looks like, it seemed like you weren’t thoroughly weirded out by the whole thing. his fingers find the familiar wooden windowsill, leaning towards the glass and letting his eyes graze the sky above.
he shifts to the side when yuta leans into the view as well, quietly adjusting himself to the spot. after a few seconds, there’s a cough, and the japanese man hangs his head a little, “mark, i want you to be a bit careful though.”
“huh? what do you mean?”
“just, i wouldn’t just start spilling all your trust into her. i would get to know her first, maybe ask about her past first,” yuta expresses. his words come out velvety and slow, still uncertain in front of mark’s new body. it’s strange talking to mark like this, and he wonders if the boy felt the same when he looked like winwin.
mark’s face is just plastered with an unreadable emotion, “why does it matter what her past is like, ____ is still my soulmate. all that i care about is her now, not back then.”
yuta sighs and smiles reassuringly. he doesn’t know whether he’s trying to protect mark or convince himself that this will all go well, but something in his gut makes him worry more than he usually does. he tells mark that he’s headed out, presumably to run more errands, and mark flops onto the couch with bliss before his eyes widen with panic.
“shit! i forgot to get her number!”
prev | masterlist | next
