✔ || Ticking (Namjoon x Reader Soulmate AU)

2 - Namjoon's POV

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. He had watched his timer get ever closer to the 24-hour mark, even on the plane, and wondered if his soulmate would end up being American, and how would that work if she was? His manager had been kind and made sure that the group's packed schedule left enough room for the Day so that Namjoon could do whatever he needed to do.

Taehyung might have been freaking out more than Namjoon, though. Taehyung kept barging into Namjoon's space just to grab his arm and squint at his wrist, only to grin and run back to Jeongguk to whisper the time.

Ever since Taehyung and Jeongguk had found out they were soulmates, Namjoon had been jealous. He would never tell them, but just seeing how they fit so perfectly together made him want to pull his hair out. No one else had that problem - Seokjin had his own soulmate that was currently back in Korea. They had been together long enough that they were able to be apart for short amounts of time, but this would be the longest. As the leader, Namjoon was supposed to be there for him as he anxiously swiped through pictures of her on his phone, his leg bouncing with anxiety. But Namjoon was too worried about his timer to really pay attention. Yoongi, Hoseok, and Jimin had it easier. Their timers still read that they each had years until they had to start worrying, so they didn't. They just compared timers, and giggled whenever one of their timers jumped a few hours so that they suddenly got closer to their Days, or consoled each other if their timers slowed down a bit. Yoongi was a good influence for the other two - he believed that life would do what it does and it would work itself out, so there was no reason to worry. Namjoon couldn't understand how they weren't jealous of the members who did have soulmates. He wondered if there was something wrong with him.

Especially when it came to Taehyung and Jeongguk. God, they were just so perfect together. Soulmates were supposed to slowly be able to stand to be apart - like how Seokjin was managing to not come unhinged without his soulmate at his side - but the two youngest members never seemed to reach that stage. Even though they found their soulmates years ago, they still acted like they had just met a few hours prior. The way Jeongguk watched Tae's every move, as if he were memorizing every curve of the elder to draw later. The way Tae suddenly wrapped his body around Jeongguk's, no matter where they were or who was in his way, as if even his atoms couldn't stand being away from the maknae for another moment.

The way they whispered "I love you" as if no one else existed, the way Namjoon imagined whispering it to his soulmate.

Finally, Namjoon's timer hit 0:23:59:59. Taehyung immediately picked up on the change in Namjoon's stance and leapt to his feet, darting over to the leader. "Show me, hyung!" he ordered.

Namjoon wordlessly turned his wrist toward Tae, a small smile playing on his lips. Tae squealed, pressing his knuckles against his lips, and beckoned Jeongguk over. The maknae obeyed, scooting off the hotel couch and joining Tae to hover over Namjoon. Tae grabbed Jeongguk's hands and began to spin around him, laughing and chanting, "Today's the Day! Today's the Day!"

"Well," Yoongi finally spoke from his spot on the other bed, "technically, it's tomorrow."

Jeongguk stopped Tae with a look - how does he do that? Tae doesn't stop for anyone - and checked the clock on the nightstand. "It looks like it'll be tomorrow morning."

Which meant Namjoon had to make it through an interview and a photoshoot acting normal, and then a dinner with who again? It didn't matter, not anymore. He groaned and flopped back on the bed. "This is going to be the longest day of my life."

Jengguk smiled his gentle bunny smile and perched beside Namjoon on the bed. "You got this, hyung. We'll all help you."

Tae shot out a quick text to the group chat and Jimin and Hoseok joined the other four in Namjoon and Yoongi's room. They smiled at the numbers - now at 0:23:56:33. Seokjin joined them a moment later, babbling happily on the phone, explaining the situation to his soulmate. She must have asked to be put on speaker because suddenly there was a phone in Namjoon's face and Seokjin's soulmate was gushing about how happy she was for him. Namjoon thanked her with a blush and Seokjin fixed the call settings to turn it into FaceTime. She demanded to see his wrist and he showed her, and she gushed about her Namjoonie (she was Seokjin's age, and though she didn't mind them calling her by her name, they all had ended up calling her nuna) and how proud she was of him and how she wished she were there.

"I wish you were too, nuna," Namjoon said truthfully. "I don't know what to wear!"

She then ordered him to FaceTime her in the morning - she didn't care about the time zones, this was too important - and she'd help him. And because they all respected her as much as - well, maybe a little more than - Seokjin, he agreed to do as she asked. Then, because she knew that even though she was a part of their family, she wasn't one of the brothers and there was a bit of a difference there, she ended her conversation with Seokjin and the eldest hyung turned his full attention to the leader. The seven of them watched the timer until their manager knocked on the door to tell them to start getting around. Yoongi obeyed first, claiming the shower. One by one the rest filed out, bubbling with excitement for their leader, until only Tae and Jeongguk were left. Tae was still staring at Namjoon's wrist, entranced, until Jeongguk tugged on his arm and whined in a way that always got Tae's attention, and then they too were gone. Namjoon, for whatever reason, mused that even though they only showered together anymore, they would still take the longest getting around. The leader had accidentally walked in on them once and found them just standing under the water, tracing the planes of each other's faces and tangling their fingers in each other's hair. He wondered what it'd be like when he could feel his soulmate under his fingertips. Would he be like the two maknaes, unable to keep his hands to himself no matter how much time has passed since first meeting? Or would he be like Seokjin, who was happy simply sitting in the same room as his soulmate? Who could leave for an extended period of time and be satisfied with a phone call?

Well, he'd know in - he checked his wrist - 23 hours, 50 minutes, and 2 seconds.

Now that the other members were gone, he was getting antsy. He knew he couldn't do anything to change the timer, but he still felt the urge to try. Maybe if he took the day off and went to search -

No, he couldn't do that. They had interviews and besides, no one else could speak English. He literally couldn't sit it out without messing up everyone else's day.

With a groan, he forced himself to his feet and went to brush his teeth. Yoongi was just finishing his shower and said through the shower curtain, "Are you nervous?"

"Yeah, hyung," Namjoon sighed.

Yoongi reached out a pale arm and grabbed a towel from the counter. Namjoon finished brushing his teeth and shucked off his t-shirt and sweatpants to trade places with the blond-haired man, starting his own shower. Yoongi didn't say anything else and quickly finished dressing and brushing his teeth. He left the bathroom and Namjoon slid his eyes shut, trying to calm the thumping in his chest. The water relaxed his muscles, but he was still coiled with anxiety. How would he meet her? What would she look like? Sound like? Would she end up being a fan? Wouldn't that make ARMYs swoon - the leader falling for one of their ranks. Poor Yoongi, Jimin, and Hoseok wouldn't stand a chance.

Namjoon laughed at himself and turned the water off. He dressed and joined Yoongi in the hotel room, accepting the hair dryer when the elder offered it. For the members, he'd be strong. For ARMY. He'd make it through this day and wouldn't worry about his soulmate until the morning. He nodded to himself.

It was the longest day of his life, though.