12: Soonie, Dori and Doongie.

"Feeling overwhelmed?" Minho asked, "Wanna talk about it?" Jisung nodded in affirmation. Minho slowly pulled Jisung up, and they walked onto the hall and sat on the sofa.

Minho's arms were still placed around Jisung's figure, and Jisung didn't hesitate to curl himself into the warmth that felt like home.

"I...I." Words got stuck in Jisung's mouth as he tried to speak his mind. Minho didn't say anything, but through his actions, he convinced Jisung that he was there to listen to him.

"I am a born orphan, a nameless child the charity group founded near their church gates. From the day I started walking, I was surrounded by the kids whose parents had left them. I always wondered why my parents left me; maybe they weren't financially stable, or maybe I was a mistake." Minho wiped the tears that streamed down Jisung's cheeks.

"I always wished to get adopted by someone, but as the years passed, I didn't get any, and I grew up too."

"I started depending on myself because everyone who entered my life only left me. Even the sister who took care of me in the orphanage died when I was six. I grew up helping the sisters inside the orphanage and studied at midnight."

"I was a naughty child, though, and the sisters always chased me whenever I did something mischievous." Jisung smiled fondly at the memory, which was the only thing he could name as a sweet dream.

"But the orphanage was taken down, and we were all requested to move somewhere since the place was taken over by a private business tycoon." Jisung's smile slowly faded away, and Minho noticed it.

He slowly placed the younger man's head over his chest and patted Jisung's back in assurance. Like the saying goes, action speaks louder than words.

"I didn't want them to feel a burden on me, so I ran away and stayed on the streets for days starving." Minho tightened his grip around his soulmate.

He can't imagine how much more the latter has gone through. For him, he at least had someone to call as a parent and brother, but for Jisung, he only had the place that took him.

"Fortunately, luck was with me, as Granny took me to her place after seeing my condition. She owned a small takeout restaurant, and I knew basic cooking too, so I helped her and studied with the money I earned."

"She doesn't have a family. Well, her kids kicked her out after taking all the properties from her. She treated me like her own grandson, but soon she left me too."

"Then I entered this industry where everything was even more difficult than I faced in my past, and you know the rest..." Jisung's bottom lip trembled as he recalled the accident.

Minho smiled sadly and slowly picked up Jisung's trembling body and placed him on his lap, tucking Jisung's face in his neck.

"It's ok, let it all out." He whispered in his ear and felt the wet substance in his neck, where Jisung was hiding his face.

"I'm here." Minho closed his eyes while whispering soothing words and comforting him with his warmth.

Minho looked at his side a bit and reached for Jisung's face, wiping the tears that were on the latter's cheek and brushing his thumb softly after that.

This was all he needed. Someone.

Someone to hold onto, to cry onto, to laugh, to feel needed, to hug, to share, to care for him, to understand, to just be there for him, to never leave him

Minho came like a blessing to save him from drenching himself in this dark world of misery and pain.

He's not a soulmate or a friend.

He was just Minho supporting Jisung.

Jisung knew he was being selfish because he knew about Minho's feelings and that by these gestures he might be giving hope to him, but he chose not to think about it because he already has so much going on in his life.

He never felt reassurance in his life like he was feeling now.

He wasn't feeling burdened when Minho held him; he felt loved and wanted.

Minho made him feel things like no one else did. It's not because of the bond, and he was sure.

Maybe he will fall in love with Minho as a person even without the bonding or the strings, because no strings are stronger than the strings in our hearts.

They both separated after hearing a series of meowing to see the cats but still, Minho kept his one arm around Jisung while Jisung placed his head on Minho's shoulder, looking at the small fluff balls in a daze.

"Aww, my babies, are you guys jealous?" Minho asked, looking at the cats, who was looking at the couple like they were jealous.

"This is your papa that I was talking about." Jisung glanced at the smiling Minho in surprise and then at the cats, who have stopped meowing and tilted their head cutely; unconsciously, he copied its action, which Minho noticed in adoration.

"Can I?" Minho asked, pointing at his arms, and Jisung nodded, moving slightly away from the warmth, but he was more intrigued by what the latter was going to do with the small dog.

Minho picked the cats up and patted it, while Soonie, one of the cats and Jisung started a staring contest in silence.

Suddenly, Soonie jumped out of Minho's hands and sat over Jisung's chest, snuggling close to his warmth, making both the soulmates flinch at the sudden action.

"Woh! Woh!Woh! Easy there boy, you startled us." Minho chuckled while Jisung stayed frozen, not knowing what to do. It seemed like he wasn't breathing, and Minho noticed that.

"Jisung, you aren't breathing." The younger man blinked his eyes and breathed out as Minho chuckled.

"It's my first time with a pet." Minho's eyes soften. "Soonie likes you."

"Huh?" Jisung looked up, unconsciously petting the cat, which was snuggling.

"He doesn't like anyone around me. He loves only me and despises everyone else. He won't even hesitate to bite the people he dislikes."

Jisung looked down at the cat. "But he did bite me," Minho chuckled, ruffling Jisung's hair.

"He thought you were some outsider; that's why now look at him," He said, pointing at the cuddled cat. "Being all cuddly and cute," He said, trying to pet the cat.

Hiss!

"Huh!?" Both men exclaimed at the aggressively hissing cat, who glared at its fur dad.

Minho again tried to pet him, only to get another hiss in return. Jisung laughed loudly at the scene, and Minho secretly smiled, feeling content with the situation.

Jisung's laugh was like a sudden beam of sunlight illuminating the darkest corners.

"Seems like he loves you more, this brat!"