Color of My Pain

1| Pink

Hobi groaned at the soreness in his limbs, at the dull mauve beneath his skin.

"Sorry babe, I'm getting ready." He mumbled sleepily.

He was fully aware that he was alone. He just liked to pretend his baby could hear him. One day soon, he would. For now though, Hoseok was forced to go through the motions of high school, counting the days till he was free to pursue and avenge his one true love. His cork board showed a map of his city and cities nearby. It was crisscrossed with strings and strings and pins, the dizzying pattern of one desperate to find his other half. To anyone else, the board was pure madness. But in Hobi's eyes, it was his proudest accomplishment.

Hobi drove himself and his best friend Namjoon to school. Namjoon wasn't generally a morning person, but today he was excited.

"I swear he's close Hobes," he gushed.

"I mean, how though, you felt no changes until last night, how does that mean he's here now?" Hoseok wasn't being a buzz kill, he was worrying.

Namjoon had always done this. He'd freak out and say his soulmate was close by, the pair would wait for days, exploring new areas to find the mystery man, but no luck.

"Well, last night I stubbed my toe-"

"Wow..." Hobi rolled his eyes and swung into the parking spot.

"No! Hobi, I swear! I barely felt a thing!" Joon declared. "Pinch me!"

"Tempting," Hobi laughed, shaking his head and grabbing his backpack from the backseat.

"No, really Hoseok. I'm ready."

Rolling his eyes, but grinning in a conspiratorial way, he reached over and pinched him. The patented method of minimal skin, and thumb against index finger. The surefire method of making Namjoon yell in pain.

Namjoon didn't flinch.

He smiled humbly down at his arm and at Hobi's fingers.

"No way." Hobi started smacking him repeatedly and grinning widely. "No heckin way!"

They got out of the car laughing and rejoicing over Namjoon's proximity.

"We've got to look for him today." Hoseok warned. "No zoning out."

"Got it, sarge-- oomf!"

Namjoon's clumsy ass had waltzed straight into a locker door, effectively slamming it on the unfortunate fingers of one who hadn't jumped back fast enough.

"F- wait..." The guy turned to face them. "Did, COLOR? DUDE WHAT COLOR!"

"P-pink." Joon stuttered.

Hoseok watched in fascination as the scene unfolded before him, knowing it could go in a myriad of directions.

Namjoon and his soulmate could hug, relishing the solidity of a wish finally come true. They could kiss, knowing that finally, they were whole.  Laughter and shouting, the chorus of their combined rejoicing could ring through the halls. However, in the case of Namjoon and his soulmate, they just stared. Drinking in with their eyes the sight of their promised. It looked like they were breathing for the first time.

Hoseok would be lying if he said he weren't envious. He longed for the day when he could scoop up his baby and take him far away from anyone who would ever hurt him.

Namjoon regarded Hobi's inner monologue with a knowing glance. He could understand his pain. One night, before Hobi was old enough to drive, he'd crawled through Joon's window, sobbing helplessly.

"What if I don't get there in time? What if I'm not strong enough to save him?"

Namjoon had kept him close and tried to reassure him as best he could.

He grabbed Hobi's arm. "Jin, this is my best friend. Jung Hoseok."

Hobi smiled brilliantly, pulling Jin into a hug. "Its good to meet you man."

Jin laughed out a thank you.

Hoseok's first class was P.E. He thrived in P.E. For as long as he could remember, it had been his mission to be strong. For his soulmate.

The urge led to summers spent at the gym, straight A's in P.E., and a healthy-ish diet. Hobi cared a lot, but he also had a soft spot for junk food.

Namjoon used to complain about the unfairness of Hobi's aptitude, but he stopped when he found out the reason for Hobi's relentless dedication.

A steady green thrum buzzed in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't sick; his soulmate was. He was tempted to go for a drive, but didn't, skipping classes could keep him from graduating. On the way inside, he let his coach know how he was feeling.

"If you need to sit out, just go ahead."

"Thank you."

He managed to run his laps with the dull green, but as they climbed the wall, things began to worsen.

A blinding white fear suffused the green and Hobi had to stop to catch his breath. Why was he scared?  What was going on?

Black.

Everything was black.

He couldn't hear. He couldn't focus. His baby was was sick and someone was hurting him. Someone was scaring him.

Now Hoseok was angry and the bruising colors of his soulmate's pain were all he could see.

The color's were mixing and overlapping.

Lavender.

But that worry belonged to Hobi.

Could no one see what's happening?

Yes, they saw.

For instance, his very own best friend watched horror struck as Hoseok fell.