The Universe Makes Mistakes Sometimes - Touch

Red Wine and Rings

Jungwoo bit his lip as he looked down at his phone. Doyoung had left the room to make the two of them breakfast, and so Jungwoo had decided to check it.

Unknown: come early to school on Monday

Unknown: meet me in the sports shed

Unknown: this is Yukhei by the way

This was what Jungwoo had wanted, right? He wanted to meet Yukhei and find out if he had a soulmark too. It was probably likely that he did have one, otherwise what was Yukhei texting him for? Or maybe it had nothing to do with the soulmarks at all, maybe Yukhei wanted to beat him up. Maybe Yukhei thought that Jungwoo had made him feel that pain on purpose?

A drop of red dripped onto Jungwoo's hand. He'd been biting his lip so hard he'd drawn blood. He swiped his tongue across his lip, tasting iron.

"Sooo update, we don't have anything in the fridge and Mom told me to go to the shops to buy stuff, but I'm lazy, so hows about we just go to Costa or something?"

Jungwoo almost said yes. He loved Costa and its sweet drinks and whipped cream and toasties. But if he was sitting centimetres away from Doyoung, eating, with his hands, the chance of Doyoung seeing the...mark...was high.

"No thanks. I've gotta go home and take a shower. I accidentally spilt a drink on your crop top, and now I stink of alcohol. Sorry about the crop top by the way, I'll-"

"Nah it's fine. I've got loads. If you buy them in bulk, you get discounts," Doyoung grinned proudly "But are you sure you don't wanna go? You can just shower here and borrow my clothes."

Jungwoo shook his head "Taeho wants me to go home."

"Ah okay then. I'll ask Mom to drop you off."

~~~

"Thanks Mrs Kim!" Jungwoo yelled over the balcony, waving as Doyoung and his Mom drove away.

He unlocked the door, stepping in.

The first thing he noticed was the smell of alcohol. And the smell of woman. Really, it was only perfume, but Jungwoo liked to think he could smell ovaries and cervixes too...disgusting.

"Taeho?" he asked tentatively. The whole of the apartment was covered in bottles of beer and cheap red wine - much cheaper than the one they'd consumed on their delayed Valentine's day date.

Jungwoo stopped just outside the bedroom door. What if Taeho was in bed with a woman? His heart beat faster as he pushed the door open...

...And let out a sigh.

Taeho was sprawled spread-eagled over the covers, still asleep.

No women were in sight.

~~~

Jungwoo showered and dressed before cleaning up. He took out a large bin bag, throwing away bottles of cheap alcohol and takeout boxes.

Jungwoo cursed as he knocked over a bottle of red wine, causing it to smash against Taeho's bedside table.

He sighed as he began washing down the sticky surface. He opened up the drawer, making sure none of the liquid had gotten into anything, and his eyes settled on a box.

It was small and red and velvety. Jungwoo opened the box and gasped.

It was a ring.

An engagement ring.

It wasn't big and golden with a dazzling diamond on top. No, it was small and sleek, a silver band covered in intertwined silver vines. It was beautiful.

Did this mean Taeho was going to propose?

Taeho came home drunk, he ignored Jungwoo sometimes, and Jungwoo was pretty sure he was cheating on him.

But Taeho also watched movies with Jungwoo, and stroked his hair when he had nightmares about his parents, and called him pretty and cute and his one and only.

And didn't Jungwoo come home drunk too, whenever there was a party? Sometimes he didn't even come home at all - like last night. And Jungwoo ignored Taeho whenever he was upset with him, and didn't Jungwoo have a soulmate now? Didn't that count as cheating too?

There and then, Jungwoo made a decision; if Taeho asked Jungwoo to marry him, Jungwoo was going to say yes.

He closed the box and went back to cleaning.