Sanity vs. Soulmate | JeongCheol x SVT

44

Dino and Mingyu had been at each other's throats for what seemed like an eternity by now. I still hadn't got a proper look at Dino, apart from his hair, and we also hadn't had a chance to talk yet, but it was so much fun to watch them – Gyu was currently trying to bite Dino's foot off while Dino was tickling Gyu's sides – that I had no intention of breaking the whole thing off anytime soon. There would be time for proper introductions soon enough. For now, I was more than content with enjoying the scene. They'd run out of energy eventually.
Someone else, however, seemed to disagree with my approach. Out of nowhere a new face appeared in the middle of the scene and grabbed both of the fighting parties by an ear, dragging them to their feet. Their pained expression told me all I needed to know. That couldn't have been enjoyable.
I eyed the referee. Sadly, they were hidden behind Dino and Gyu and I couldn't make out their face. Cheol and Wonu were still seated beside me, so it couldn't be either of them. So who was that? A burglar? But why would a burglar stop a fight in the house he wanted to burgle? Wouldn't a burglar normally try to be unnoticed? Unless, of course, it wasn't a burglar, but a person who looked for potential kidnapping subjects. Someone who didn't want to take some random children from the playground or a dark alley, but who was interested in a mass-kidnapping from someone's house. But if that was the case, why did they choose Mingyu and Dino out of all possibilities? I wasn't exactly convinced Wonu would pay to get his boyfriend back...
Just as I had decided that I'd better let the potential kidnapper know now that they were doing far too much work here and would probably end up empty-handed, they let go of the ears of the two squabblers. I was already inwardly congratulating them on having come to the same conclusion as me - it just wasn't worth the effort - when they pushed past the two of them and directly into my field of vision.
I gawked. I swear, there was nothing I could do about it. My jaw simply made its own decision to drop onto the floor. What in the name of the holy pepperoni just happened???
Standing in front of me was none other than Vernon. Also known as Hansol. My coworker and the not-yet-boyfriend of Seungkwan. I know, I know. I was thinking to myself earlier that it would be funny if both Vernons were the same person. But usually my ideas are absolutely abstruse fantasies that are as far away from reality as possible! Let's be honest, I just thought it was more likely that a kidnapper would turn up at Mingyu's flat than that the last missing member of this little friend circle would arrive. What's wrong with my brain? And why, if I'm normally only capable of making up conspiracy theories, why am I right about Vernon's identity of all things? What is the probability of that, please?
At least I wasn't the only one who was caught off guard by this discovery. Vernon's eyes were wide as mill wheels and his jaw was probably currently having an animated chat over tea and biscuits with my own on the floor. However, Hansol seemed to get his act together far more quickly than I did and instantly started to sign. "Jeonghan? What are you doing here?" "Uhm...", I answered, "That's a bit of a long story..." I had no idea where I was even supposed to begin the story of how I ended up in Mingyu's apartment. So much had happened today...
Just as I decided to start with the train problem and go from there, Vernon's eyes grew wide again and he literally dropped to the floor in one swift movement. His gaze was still fixed on me, unwavering, and it creeped me out a little. There was this expression of utter shock on his face, but also of understanding and excitement. Then, without moving his lips, he started to sign. "THIS is the guy you told us about, right? The one who's voice you can hear?" He ever so slightly nudged his chin in Cheol's direction and I could practically see the excitement sparkle in his gaze. It came rushing over me at this moment in big, unstoppable waves. Vernon KNEW Seungcheol. They were childhood best friends. But he also knew me, before we were introduced via our shared friends. AND he knew my friends because he was Seungkwan's kind-of-boyfriend. Vernon knew all of us! He was like the ultimate connection. WHAT WAS GOING ON??!!
Vernon still stared at me, waiting for an answer I was yet to give so I nodded. There wasn't much else I could do. Vernon's face lit up even more. He seemed ecstatic. And a little crazy. But what's new... The next thing I knew, he flung himself on me and I, completely caught off guard by this hug-attack from usually easy-going, somewhat level-headed, calm Vernon, lost my balance and hit the floor with my back. Hard. But I had no time to concentrate on my aching spine. Vernon was on top of me, squeezing the life out of me. His chest shook with laughter - at least that's what I assumed - and he kept kicking his feet. I felt a little helpless with my hands and upper body completely trapped between crazy Vernon and the floor, but not in an uncomfortable way. I knew, I just had to wait it out. He'd let go of me sooner or later. When I thought about it, it was actually rather funny how excited he got upon finding out that his childhood friend was the same person I had told him about.
Suddenly Vernon's weight disappeared from where it pressed me into the ground. It was too early for him to move willingly so it didn't surprise me to see Cheol dragging Vernon by the collar over the floor away from me, while Mingyu's and Wonwoo's faces were hovering above me with slightly concerned expressions. Dino was standing a little to the side, obviously unsure how to act. We hadn't been introduced yet, so he probably felt rather uncomfortable right now.
"What do you think you're doing?" I heard Coups grunt. He tried his best to stare Vernon down, but his glare had little to no effect on my friend. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at Cheol's hand which was still clutched around Hansol's collar. Relunctually, Cheol let him go and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He kept his gaze on Vernon as the latter fixed his shirt calmly. He didn't seem threatened by Cheol's doorman pose in the slightest. Being friends for years, Vernon was probably used to Cheol's antics.
A light tap on my knees drew my attention away from the spectacle in front of me. "You know Vernon?" Wonwoo had once again plopped down next to me and raised a curious eyebrow. The question seemed to gain Mingyu's attention as well, since he lost no time dropping on the floor behind his boyfriend and wrapping himself around him. Let me tell you, Koala-Mingyu was one of the most adorable sights to be seen. His long legs were somehow fitted around Wonu's waist and his arms not only hugged his waist from behind, but his hands also immediately reached for Wonwoo's. Wonwoo surrendered them willingly to his boyfriend who instantly started to play with them, while he nestled his head in the crook of Wonwoo's neck. All of this happened so fast, so naturally, that I couldn't help but be in awe. They seemed so comfortable in each other's presence and their movements were so smooth and familiar as if they had done this exact thing a thousand times already. I couldn't take my eyes off them. It was strangely calming to watch them interact with each other. I watched as Wonwoo leaned back into his boyfriend's chest with a gentle smile on his lips and I noticed when Mingyu squeezed his hands slightly as a way of response. I saw the almost invisible hairs on Wonu's neck stand up when Mingyu's breath brushed past them and I didn't miss the satisfied look in Mingyu's eyes when he noticed it too. They belonged together. It was as easy as that. In the past, I had always laughed about the phrase "to fit together like puzzle pieces", but now it suddenly started to make sense. They were both so different and yet they seemed to complete each other. They fitted together perfectly, with no space left between them for anyone else. They were meant to be together, to be inseparable, to round each other's edges and corners. My heart clenched a little at that thought. Their hearts were connected. Their souls too. It was so obvious, so easy to see, and I hated myself for the pinch I felt in my heart at the sight. Was I actually jealous? Hurt? I shouldn't be. Not with Cheol standing a few feet away. So why did it hurt to watch them?
I had no answer for my own question or maybe I just didn't want to know the answer. Either way, I decided it would be best to just abandon any thoughts on jealousy and the pair in front of me for now. I raked my head for possible distractions when I realised I had completely forgotten to answer Wonwoo's question about Vernon.
"Yep. I know him." I chuckled nervously, hoping I didn't space out for too long and my answer was still somewhat on time. "He's my coworker and also part of my friend group", I tried to summarise to the best of my abilities. I risked a quick glance to the side only to be met with Cheol's intense gaze. Has he been watching me all the time? Did he notice me staring at Wonwoo and Mingyu? Oh Jisoos, I hope not...
Luckily, he seemed to be more interested in Vernon's and my relationship or whatever you want to call it. His previously scrunched up face started to relax at my words and a small smile started to tuck on the corner of his mouth. He followed his friends' example and plopped down on the ground as well. "So you guys are friends?" I shot a quick glance in Vernon's direction, before I focused on Cheol again. "Yepppp." I let the p pop at the end of the word and showed Cheol a beautiful toddler smile, squinting my eyes and flashing all my teeth. There wasn't really a reason to smile like this at this moment, but I did it anyway. Once my eyes opened again, I was met with a cooing Cheol, who reached out and ruffled my hair. Usually, I hated it when people did that, but thanks to the weather earlier, my hair was already destroyed and ruffling it, couldn't really make it any worse. Besides, it felt nice in a way. It was such an innocent display of affection. It was adorable and it made my insides feel all fuzzy and warm.
The moment was interrupted when Vernon and Dino also flopped down on the ground, forming a rather uneven circle with the rest of us. "Now that we've cleared that up, why did you feel the need to drag me off of Hannie as if I were about to murder him?" Vernon raised his eyebrow and I felt a little jealous at how easy he could do that. Whenever I tried to do the same, it took all my concentration to only raise one eyebrow.
Seungcheol had the decency to blush a little and lower his gaze as he mumbled, "I thought you were..." I looked at Vernon who seemed equally stunned. "You... really thought I was about to murder him? Me??" Cheol tipped his head even lower. "You basically jumped him the second you saw him... What was I supposed to think?" "I don't know, but maybe something else than that I was about to murder him?!" At this, Cheol raised his head to glare at his friend. "As a matter of fact I DID think of something else, but I preferred the murderer version to this one!" Well, that escalated quickly... I looked at the others, but they seemed equally as confused and intrigued as me. Wonwoo was the first to voice his curiosity. "Oh do tell, we're all dying to know: What is worse than being a murderer?" Cheol scoffed and crossed his arms. "I'm not telling you." Wonwoo and I exchanged a glance at his words and simultaneously rolled our eyes at the childish behaviour. When I turned back around I plastered the biggest pout I could muster on my face. "Pleeeeeeease tell us? I really want to know what you thought.." I continued to pout, my gaze fixed unwavering on the sulking child in front of me. It took way shorter than I expected to crack his stoic attitude. "Fineee," he sighed. "For a short moment I thought..." he rubbed his face in embarrassment, "I thought you two were a thing or something. And that you were going to kiss. Or something..." His voice had trailed off towards the end of his confession and I almost didn't catch his words. But I did.
I looked at Vernon who was already staring at me. His face showcased the most bewildered expression I had ever seen. "Me... and Hannie??? Kissing??? How in HELL did you come up with that nonsense?"

B2: Excuse him? No need to be so rude?
B1: For once, I agree with you.
B3: So uncalled for...

Seemingly not noticing his own rudeness, Vernon continued on. "First of all, why would Hannie agree to go on a date with a lemming like you, if he was already dating someone as handsome and gorgeous as me, especially considering the fact that I own more than seven brain cells?" I mean, he had a point. And he really was quite handsome now that I had the time to look at him properly. How did I never notice that before? His eyes were especially stunning! I could lose myself in them for hours... NO, STOP IT, JEONGHAN!! We all know where you're going with this! Stop it right now while you still can!
But really, why are all of my friends so damn gorgeous??
Thankfully Vernon continued to sign and distracted me from my internal crisis.
"Secondly, you know damn well, that I'm head over heels for Seungkwan, mind you?!" He gave Cheol a pointed look. "Thirdly, I did show you pictures of Seungkwan before and they most certainly do not look like Hannie. AND THEY DO NOT HAVE THE SAME NAME EITHER!!!" Vernon's gestures grew more and more aggressive as he continued his reasoning. "And lastly, why would you ever assume I would just go about throwing myself at people and kiss them? You still remember what I told you about me being Ace and what it means to me, right?" Seungcheol seemed to shrink further into himself with every word. "Do you ever think before you act, you goblin shark? How can it be that there are so little brain cells in such a big head? Why is there nothing but air in there?!" Seungcheol shot him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, okay. That's why I didn't want to say it. I know it was dumb... I just panicked, alright? Forgive me? Please?" Vernon huffed but eventually nodded. "Alright. I'll forgive you. It's not your fault you're a big dumbo after all..." Cheol grinned at him sheepishly. "Talking about big dumbos..."
I interjected before they could continue their bickering, turning my full attention to Vernon. "You're ace too?" I saw a small wrinkle form on Vernon's face. "Too?" I nodded. "I'm ace as well." I mirrored Cheol's sheepish grin from earlier. "You're actually the first person I met, who's also ace. But considering my past and the amount of people I've talked to, that shouldn't be such a surprise..." I scratched my neck awkwardly. Vernon sent me a sympathetic smile. He knew all about my self-imposed isolation due to my hearing loss. "In that case, I'm honoured to be your first." He winked at me and I couldn't help but laugh. I loved asexual humour.
A quick glance around the room, however, made me realise that we had lost all the others in our conversation. I was staring at dumbfounded faces, confusion and curiosity written all over them. I tensed. Fudge. I wasn't ready to explain my past to them. Not yet anyway. So, what do I do? What do I do?? I wrecked my brain.

B1: Distraction.
B2: Yop, definitely distraction.

Distraction, yes. That was good. That was a start. I should change the topic before anyone gets the chance to ask about my past or the reason why I didn't talk to a lot of people! Yes, I should definitely do that. But how??

B1: [silence]
B2: [silence]
B3: [silence]

Great. My mind was completely blank. What do I do? What do I do???

I could... run? Running was becoming my favourite strategy after all. Maybe, if I made it out the door in time... I shook my head. No, running hadn't gotten me anywhere so far and it wouldn't get me anywhere this time either. Besides, I wasn't keen on continuing my walk home – or run for that matter – if there was the option of being taken by car. No, I had to come up with something else.
However, I was still waiting for my brain to come up with an alternative plan, when suddenly the whole world seemed to shift into motion. To my right, the Mingyu-Wonwoo couple lost their balance and crashed to the floor, still entangled in a tight embrace. To my left, Vernon scrambled to his feet and tried to help them up, which resulted in him also losing his balance and joining their mess of limbs. At the same time, Cheol opened his mouth to ask me something, but got distracted by the commotion and instead peered around me to get a better view of the chaos.
My first instinct was to do the same. That's when I noticed a movement out of the corner of my eye. Two hands, moving in quick, fluent motions. They started to form words and the words merged into one simple sentence. "Can you hear me?"