hide your heartbeat - vmon/taejoon

fact #10

Namjoon runs towards the sound. He runs towards his soulmate.

The banging gets louder as he gets closer, and eventually he finds a bathroom and — someone is stuck inside. And the voice is familiar, it's so familiar—

"Taehyung?" He says quietly. Taehyung doesn't hear him over the sound of his own yelling, so Namjoon calls out his name again, and the banging stops.

"Namjoon?" He asks, his voice muffled behind the door. "Fuck, thank god. Please help, I'm trapped here."

Namjoon swallows a lump in his throat and looks down. He wraps his hand around the door handle and pushes it down and — the door opens. "Thank you," Taehyung says, his voice breathless and face flushed, "thank you. What are you—"

"You're my soulmate."

Taehyung freezes for a moment, and it's just for a moment, but dread instantly takes over Namjoon's mind with thoughts like, what if he's not? What if he's not my soulmate? But then Taehyung opens his mouth and closes it, and Namjoon's heart flutters in his chest.

"I am?"

Namjoon doesn't know what to say, but it's okay, because Taehyung wraps his fingers around his wrists and tugs him inside the bathroom, towards the sink. "Look."

The water is hanging in the air. He points at his watch, too. "Everything's frozen here. Is it like this outside?"

Namjoon nods.

"Is that... us?" Taehyung asks softly.

"I think so."

"I thought my water-bending powers finally came to life," Taehyung says, his eyes moving from the water to Namjoon.

"I thought my childhood fantasy of humankind disappearing from the surface of earth finally came to life," Namjoon tells him, and smiles when Taehyung barks out a laugh.

"That's morbid but relatable," Taehyung admits, still grinning as he paces. He sucks the inside of his cheek, and says, "So, we're soulmates? You're my soulmate?"

Namjoon shrugs.

"Is that... okay?"

"Is it okay with you?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Taehyung asks. "I... I'm not a hopeless romantic—"

"You're not. I'm sorry about that—"

Taehyung goes on, "But you were right and — I don't know. I didn't think it would be okay with you. You hate me."

"I don't hate you," Namjoon tells him. "You were right, too, you know. At debate class. About almost everything you said."

"I didn't want to be," Taehyung frowns. "I wish you were happy. I think you'll make a great doctor if you actually want to be one."

"But you knew I don't."

"I know you don't," Taehyung tells him. "What do you mean, though? Almost right?"

"I'm as brave as you are," Namjoon grins. "I decided to drop out. I want to study music. I know it's a little late but—"

"It's not late!" Taehyung says, and moves closer to Namjoon. "It's — are you for real?!"

"Better late than never."

"Better late than never," Taehyung repeats, and his voice drops. "Joonie. I wanted to talk to you about debate class."

"It's fine—"

"It's not, and I'm sorry about it," he says earnestly. Something swells up inside Namjoon's chest. His heart, probably. "I could've talked to you in private—"