The Waves Will Pull Us Under (Tides Will Bring Me Back To You)

Chapter 3 - Three of us

"Hyung, are you home?"

Silence follows Taehyung's question, and he figures that his brother is either out, or he's gotten so involved in his studies that he hasn't heard the younger speak.

He finds his answer as he walks into the house, seeing the tall male hunched over a pile of books that Taehyung can't imagine reading in his lifetime. Large words printed on the pages read 'trigonometry' and 'philosophy', but really, Taehyung doesn't give a damn about the nerdy shit his brother is studying at University level.

University. What a joke. Taehyung's best friend is in the same year level as his older brother, yet for some reason, his brother has the brain of a damn elephant, and takes four University level classes out of the five subjects he studies. What a nerd, Taehyung thinks as he watches the older scribble notes on a half blank sheet of paper.

"Hey, Namjoon hyung! Answer me!" the younger demands, tapping his brother not so gently on the shoulder.

Namjoon turns around to face Taehyung, a blank expression plastered on his face. "Yeah? Oh, welcome home. How was work?"

Taehyung sighs. "Work was work. You know that's not what I'm trying to talk to you about..." he trails off, looking impatiently at his older brother.

"Seokjin is fine," Namjoon says with a drawn out sigh. "Y'know, it would be great if you asked about how I was once in awhile."

The younger shakes his head. "Maybe when your name is inked into my skin, I'll start caring," he retorted, earning a groan from the other.

"Well that would be fucking weird." Namjoon turns back to his workbooks, scribbling some more notes on a blank sheet of paper.

As distant as they seem, Taehyung and Namjoon are quite fond of each other. They simply have a different way of showing it. The way they act cold towards each other jokingly seems to reduce the amount of real arguments they have. It's a good compromise, and it works for them.

Taehyung sits next to Namjoon, shoves aside some of the elder's books and rolls his sleeves up. The name 'Seokjin' stares back at him, and he can't help but sigh.

"Joonie Hyung, when will I get to meet him?" Taehyung whines, slumping across the cleared off section of the table.

Namjoon shrugs in return. "When he's feeling up to it, I guess. He's still saying he doesn't want a soulmate interfering with his life yet. It's frustrating. Do you know how many times I've almost slipped up?" he mumbles, putting his pen down atop his notes.

The younger nods, burying his face into his arm. "I can imagine... I want to meet him already, he seems so cool!"

He gets a nod in response. "He is cool... he's just cautious. I'm sure you'll be able to meet him soon enough," Namjoon reassures.

"I can't believe you get to go to Uni with my soulmate..." Taehyung mumbles, frowning.

Namjoon honestly sympathises with Taehyung. He was in his and Seokjin's shared English class one day when he had seen it. Seokjin had worn a sleeveless shirt because of the heat, and Namjoon hadn't really expected to see his own brother's name on his best friend's wrist, but life has never been all that predictable really.

Of course, Namjoon had tried to say something to Seokjin, but he'd barely gotten past 'Tae' before Seokjin had told him to shut up, that he's too busy for a soulmate. Namjoon, of course, had gone home and talked to Taehyung about his friend. Watched his brother's face light up when the name 'Seokjin' was uttered. Then noticed the sparkle fade from his widened eyes when Namjoon told him that Seokjin didn't want to meet him yet.

It took a bit of explaining, but Taehyung was eventually able to grasp the situation, though he refuses to stop asking about his soulmate.

Namjoon is left in the dark about his own.

He wonders why he wasn't the first to find a soulmate, considering he has not one, but two names scripted across his forearm. Both of his close friends have already found their soulmates, so why not him? It would probably bother him more if he wasn't so caught up with his studies.

Namjoon is so lost in his own mind that he doesn't notice Taehyung getting up. He only notices a few minutes later when he glances to his right and doesn't see his younger brother.

With a sigh, Namjoon gets up from the table and drags himself to his own bedroom, deciding to catch up on some well needed rest.



Jeongguk
[Received] 14:24
Hyung

Jeongguk
[Received] 14:24
How are we going to find him?

Jeongguk
[Received] 14:25
We don't know anything about him...

Jeongguk
[Received] 14:26
Should we ask Hoseok hyung? He knows everyone apparently