Chapter Text
CH 2
“What’s going on?” He hears Sunghoon’s voice but doesn’t register where exactly the voice is coming from. Somewhere close.
“I….I don’t know…” It’s Jay.
“Hyung,” this time Jake makes himself turn around only to come face to face with Jungwon who’s standing right in front of him, sweat coming down the leaser’s face and neck (Jake probably doesn’t look any better himself), stage costume just slightly askew. “Hyung?”
“She’s here.” Jake says and his voice isn’t his own. The tingling is all over his body as he lets those words slip out of his mouth so they can hold weight around all of them.
He can see Jay and Sunghoon share a look.
“She?” Jungwoon nudges carefully.
“My soulmate.” Jake whispers, feeling a smile cracking his face as he starts laughing.
“What’s up with him?” Ni-ki enters, a water bottle in hand almost empty.
Heeseung and Sunoo materialise in no time as well.
But Jungwon doesn’t answer, grabbing Jake by the elbow while Jay and Sunghoon - as far as Jake can hear and comprehend - try to explain the new development to the rest of the team.
“Can you handle the rest of the show?” Jungwon asks.
“Yes.” Jake is sure he can, he just needs this one moment.
“Good.” Jungwon nods. “You sure?”
“Positive.”
“Is she really here?” Jay comes to stand next to him.
Jake nods and starts smiling again, he cannot help it. He’s imagined how it would be like when you are finally in his proximity thousands of times. And now he can feel it. “She called for me. Called my name. I could hear her as clear as I’m hearing you now. And yesterday I could feel she was here in the city. It was even stronger than in Australia.”
“That’s great man!” Jay gives the younger man a half hug and Jake is pretty sure his hyung can feel how he’s shaking.
Finally Jake looks at the faces of his teammates. Some - Sunoo and Ni-ki - are smiling, Sunghoon is a little aloof like he always is but he does produce a small grin, and Heeseung and Jungwon look more concerned then anything else.
“I’ll finish the concert just fine.” Jake says seriously. “Stop.”
He talks straight to Heeseung rather than Jungwon. It’s not the first time the oldest member expresses worry about the soulmate situation.
“I didn’t say anything.” Heeseung shakes his head quietly.
“You didn’t have to.”
“Okey, we’re all good.” Jungwon stands between the two. “Jake hyung we are really happy for you. And now we will go back on stage and finish the last part of the show. And after it’s done we’ll…we’ll see how to proceed.”
Jake doesn’t need to see how to proceed. You are here and he is here and it’s the endgame.
He climbs back on stage, mic in hand, pressing the earpiece back into it’s place. Jake walks to the east side seats that’s where you are, he feels the pull from there the strongest. He spends most of what’s left of the show there unless there’s a choreography involved.
The wait is excruciating. Every second without your voice in his head drags like an hour but Jake focuses on the concert. Their fans are her - who came from all over only to see them, enjoy the music and the show and he cannot let them down. He can wait. He’s waited for a long time.
A very long time.
A push and pull of years.
And Jake remembers every bump on that road. Remembers how it was when he first felt the pull and when he realised what it was, how it became evident that the two of you were closer in Australia and how devastated he was leaving for Korea even if it was in pursuit of his dream.
So Jake does not want to be rude to his teammates - mainly Heeseung - or management or anyone else but he will not take any kind of answer except for “go for it” when it comes to this situation. He’s older now than he was when he just learned about the bond, he now understands that some things in life are forever and some - until you’re good enough. So Enhypen - however close to his heart this band and everything that goes with it is - it’s not forever. It’s until they are relevant and healthy and beautiful enough to entertain. And you…you’re his soulmate. This is forever. Jake is not ready to compromise any more. Not when he’s feeling you so close, not with how much energy is pumping through his veins when you’re this close.
Jake understands that he - even to himself - sounds a little out of his mind, a little too much, bordering obsessive. With his brain, he understands it with his brain. But his heart and body and soul craves. He craves you so much. So much that he’s ready to be unreasonable.
It wasn’t like that at first but Jake is tired, his body is tired, his being is tired of being simply a half when he could be a whole. Now, standing on stage with their fans shouting and screaming their names, Jake doesn’t feel as much thrill as he feels at the prospect of finally seeing you, of being able to touch you. Your hand in his, he saw that in dreams. Soft skin. Very soft…
Jake has to shake his head to try and rid himself of the images of…of the images because to this day he has no idea what you look like. He catches Jungwon’s worried gaze and sends him a grim in return, pulling the black Prada sunglasses from the top of his head over his eyes.
He’s fidgeting, whole body trembling in anticipations.
Their manager didn’t even argue. One look at Jake was enough to understand the younger man will not go anywhere without you.
Besides Jake is not an idiot. The fact that he has a soulmate is in his contract. He’s taken care of whatever trash might go down from the start.
“She’s still here…” He mumbles and Jay is suddenly right beside him as they both stand by the window.
“Just a bit longer man.”
“Thanks hyung.”
“Yeah no problem.”
Jake shakes his head, long hair moving along with his head’s movements. “No I mean ever since I told you guys I had a soulbond you were the only one who never - never - said or done anything to make me think that it’s a liability.”
“Because I do believe it’s something wonderful. Special.” Jay shrugs with a half-smile. Than his friend’s eyes fall to Jake’s hands. “You’re shaking.”
“It’s anticipation.”
Jay doesn’t say anything even though Jake can almost taste the ash of the ambers of words Jay was about to produce dying in his hyung's throat. Nevertheless Jay stays by Jake’s side.
“Do you have any idea how this is gonna work?”
“She will stay and let me find her.” Jake doesn’t look back when Jay sends him an unsure gaze, eyebrows furrowed.
Jake is sure.
You’re here. Very close. You will wait for him.
Jake doesn’t have to worry.
“You’re scaring me…” He hears a voice but it’s not the voice that called to him. “Sister?”
“Aimee please I’ve never asked you for a thing in our lives but I’m asking you to trust me just a little more and not to ask questions. Just…do it.”
“Y/n…”
Y/n. Your name. Jake feels fireworks somewhere behind his eyes going off because everything comes into places: your voice, your name…you waited. You came and he found you, the two of you found each other.
“Are you certain it’s…” Jay starts but Jake interrupts.
“I know.”
It’s like an invisible link. Your head swaps his way as soon as he’s stepping from behind the corner.
When Jake’s eyes finally for the first time take you in, his knees wobble. It’s like a heat wave. He stops because he doesn’t know how to walk all of a sudden. Jay almost bumps into him.
The younger girl behind you whisper shouts: “OH may god! IT’s them. Oh my god. It’s…”
But the two of you are silent.
Everything in Jake is going crazy. Everything. His skin on fire, breathing erratical, his heart is pumping blood as if it’s working for three. And something else - something intangible that somehow gained weight as soon as he saw you - his soul finally feels like soaring.
He feels Jay’s hand on his shoulder, Jake’s pretty sure Jay knows what’s going on through his mind - they’ve known each other long enough and spending a lot of time together a group - so his grip is not bruising but pretty strong. It screams: do not run to her, start hugging and touching because that will scare anyone.
But surely not anyone? You are Jake’s soulmate. It will not scare you?
“Hi.”
And he finally knows what your voice sounds like. The real. Here. In the world not just in his head.
It’s grounding and gentle and a little unsure.
Jakes loves it, loves every element of its sound.
“Hi.” His own voice sounds with awe, heavy accented and eager but he doesn’t care.
Jay’s hand slides from his shoulder and Jake makes two steps forward. You do to. More cautiously but you come to meet him in the middle.
The girl who Jake believes is your sister stays where she was watching the scene with wide eyes and mouth hanging open.
Jake’s hand jerks but he forces it back to his side. “I’m Jake.”
“Y/n.”
“Y/n.” Your name is perfect, he can’t help but want to say it again and again.
There’s not enough time in a day for him to study your face. Your eyes, nose, hair, your neck and the place where it meets your shoulders.
“Can I….can I hug you?” He fires out.
Jake can imagine Jay facepalming himself. And your sister has to slip her hand over her mouth not to let out what Jake believes to be some kind of a shrill sound.
You hesitate, as if you cannot concentrate, eyes running and you take a deep breath. “Ok.”
It’s quiet but it’s permission and the next moment you’re in Jake’s arms. He’s much taller than you and you feel small and fragile in his hands. Your head so perfectly settled under his chin and for the first time Jake feels you relax in his arms, shoulders falling and you all but melt.
People will not understand.
It feels like everything.
Like physical, mental and spiritual compatibility all together. All in one person. Well, two. In you and Jake.
Your don’t hug back but one of your hands settles on one of his elbows.
He has no idea how long you stand there with Jay and your sister as your witnesses and the manager and security team further away but it feels like heaven. It finally feels real.