JP woke up to the loud noises from the next door—footfalls of someone running around, the sound of television in high volume, a woman yelling about how it was too early for the morning kids' shows, a much younger male screaming, "I did it last night! It's your turn this time!" and another voice of a man shouting at everyone to, well, stop shouting.

You should keep quiet, yourself. JP groaned internally. He crinkled his brows and rolled to his side before opening his eyes to the sight of his microapartment.

His surroundings were already clear. The sun was up in the sky, and scattered lights peeked through the gaps of his curtains. Even in this brightness, the young instructor could make out the glow of the red string around his little finger. In fact, the thread appeared to glitter under the sunbeams.

JP blinked, tensing as the sense of strangeness washed over him. Something was out of place here.

The young instructor stared vacantly at his hand, which was resting over an extra pillow. He gave his brain a couple of seconds to process the picture and make sure he was not imagining things. Convinced that the strand of scarlet was not a mirage, JP sat bolt upright. With wide, disbelieving eyes, he examined the band closer.

It was still imperceptible to the touch, but the proof that it was there could not be denied. The gleam, the constant tightening and tugging around his pinky were all too real.

How did this happen? JP mused as he kept gaping at the reappearance of destiny's thread. He had been certain that it had vanished forever. He had been learning to come to terms with the chance that there was no saving the severed connection between him and Sky.

At the thought of the assistant professor, the memories of last night came rushing back to JP. He raked every corner of his apartment with his gaze, searching for a certain someone. The small sofa. The makeshift kitchen. The floor. Nothing. He could not find any sign of Sky.

JP got out of bed and walked to the bathroom in the hope that the man would be there. Turning the knob, the young instructor's face fell at the discovery that the door was not locked. The empty area was an expected view, yet JP could not stop himself from feeling disappointed.

He returned to the main room and stood in the middle of his mini-living space, studying the red string around his little finger once more. Sky had promised to stay until he woke up, but where did that man go? Could it be that he had changed his mind and left upon learning that their red string had come back? After all, it was only when this mysterious thread had gone missing did Sky resolve that he wanted to be with JP. Now that the source of the main issue had resurfaced, it might have also brought back the assistant professor's resistance to the idea of fate controlling him.

While JP was busy contemplating, a dark blue garment over the arm of the solo sofa caught his attention. Upon closer look, he realized that it was Sky's blazer.

The young instructor picked up the piece of clothing and brought it near his face, inhaling the familiar perfume that lingered on it. As the sensual scent broke through his sanity, JP found his mind thrown back to the heated moment he had shared with Sky last night. His body recalled the feeling of the senior educator's touches—the way his strong arm had wrapped around his lithe frame, the way his long fingers had entangled against his hair, the way his tongue had expertly explored the inside of his mouth.

JP wished to experience that kind of pleasure once again, wanted Sky to kiss him like there was no tomorrow. Closing his eyes, he placed his palm on his abdomen and continued to breathe in the alluring aroma. He slowly moved his hand down, his insides fluttering as he imagined it was Sky's larger hand caressing him. He let his fingers brush lower against his stomach. Lower. And lower, until—

"What do you think you're doing, you naughty boy!"

The shriek of his female neighbor flung him back to reality and made him return to his senses. JP jumped out of his skin and whipped his head to stare, agape, at the wall where the cry had reverberated.

"Stop running around, you little rascal! Look at the mess you just made!"

The Philosophy instructor pictured a toddler overexcitedly playing and a mother chasing after him. He gave his attention back to the thing in his hand and felt a raging blush creep all over his face and neck as he thought about what he had been doing a while ago.

As if it were on fire, JP abruptly replaced the blazer on the sofa and walked away from it.

'You dirty fool. What were you thinking? You were just about to get off to—'

Mortified, he covered his eyes with his hands and paced across the room, stopping only when he hit a solid object's edge.

JP peered through his fingers and realized that he had reached the small kitchen counter. A scowl crossed his face once he noticed a soiled frying pan in the sink. He could not remember seeing it there yesterday, and judging by the grease floating in the water, it had not been long since it had been used and thrown under the kitchen faucet.

Odd, but what piqued JP's curiosity the most was the mush of egg on a plate near the sink. He could tell it was fried, but he could not figure out if it was supposed to be overeasy or burnt. It still had runny yolk, some had turned completely dark brown, and a large part of the egg white was no longer white.

Before the young instructor could determine whether someone was trying to make a sunny side up or a scrambled egg, his door clicked, causing him to turn at it.

Sky entered with a brown paper bag in hand. JP let out a sigh of relief, comprehending that he had not run away from him again.

"You're awake," the assistant professor said, approaching JP, "I was hoping to return before you were up. Are you feeling better now?" He stopped in front of the younger man. Without waiting for a response, Sky leaned close to JP's face.

The Philosophy instructor closed his eyes, thinking—hoping—Sky was going to give him his morning kiss. Instead, the man pressed their foreheads against each other.

"Good. Your temperature had dropped."

To hide his disappointment and embarrassment, JP asked, "Where have you been?"

"I bought you breakfast," Sky answered, holding the paper bag up, "I wanted to make you one, but—"

"You just don't have the talent for it," JP blurted out, his head lighting up as if he had just stumbled upon the discovery of the century. He glanced at the sink and raised a brow at the disaster, that was, the fried egg. "That makes sense."

Even so, he found it endearing how Sky had actually tried. It was heartwarming to know that he had put an effort into doing something for him. How JP wished he had been awake to witness this prominent man fumbling in his kitchen. It must have been quite a sight.

"Mom never let me in the kitchen," Sky deadpanned, but JP could not tell whether that information was the cause or the effect of his terrible cooking skills, "Forget about it. I bought you a bacon-and-egg sandwich for breakfast, and would you like me to make you a coffee?"

JP smirked as he caught on to how the assistant professor was attempting to steer clear of the subject. Deciding to let him get away with it, he stood on his tiptoe to peck Sky's mouth.

He touched the side of the older educator's face, noting the roughness on his jaw because of the light stubble that was beginning to grow. This was the closest rugged appearance that he had seen of Sky, what with him always presenting himself in a neat and proper manner at the university. The young instructor thought he rather preferred this current look as it added so much to the man's sex appeal.

JP shivered, his chest skipping, when the assistant professor held his hand that was on his face. The string tangled around their connected fingers and radiated a brighter crimson, reminding the young instructor of that one important matter that they needed to discuss.

"The red string..." he started, but wavered, seeing the adoring expression on Sky's face.

"Has played as well," Sky supplied, "It disappeared only to help us realize our true feelings, and now it has made itself visible to us again, as if to declare that we will be forever bound to each other no matter what." Without taking his stare off JP, Sky moved his head ever so slightly to kiss his destined partner's palm. "It seems like we lost in this fight against fate, but I don't mind it this time. Not when we finally got each other."

At the soft gesture, JP smiled. Right, they should focus more on enjoying their time off together instead of trying to unravel the secret behind the red string.

"I'm going to take a shower first, and we can eat breakfast together afterwards. So should I be expecting a warm, creamy coffee once I'm done?"

"A creamy coffee, it is then," Sky muttered with a quirk of his mouth.

»»————-　➴　————-««

At one point, the fact that he had a guest at home had slipped away from JP's mind. It was only when he stepped out of the bathroom and saw Sky sitting on the floor at the coffee table did he remember that he was not alone. And it was only when he recognized the way the man slowly eyed him up and down did he become conscious that he had nothing on but tight boxers and a small towel over his head.

"Oh, my God! Please excuse me!" he exclaimed, wide-eyed. He fumbled for the towel, unfurling and holding it close. All it did was cover his chest while leaving his legs totally exposed.

JP thought his fever might have come back. He had just taken a cool shower, but it was as if his whole body was aflame as Sky kept staring at him, keen like a beast sizing up its prey.

The young instructor scrambled to his bed. Squatting, he pulled the drawer beneath it and randomly took out a set of clothes.

"I've been thinking," Sky then spoke, the solemnity of his voice making JP look over his shoulder, "Let's live together. You should move in with me at my place."

Taken aback, JP squeezed the clothes in his hands. "What's with the sudden idea?"

"My condominium is too spacey for a single person, and I believe things will become a lot simpler if you stay with me. You don't have to worry about getting home anymore, even if it's raining or it gets late. You also don't need to stay until night at the office when there's a report that you need to rush; you can just bring it home with you and continue working on my computer. I can even help you with the job." Sky stood up and advanced toward JP. "You're free to utilize everything at my place. If you want, you can have full reign in the kitchen since I never really used it."

Amusement bubbled in JP's chest at the last statement, but he was quick to stifle the snicker. With a lopsided smile, he pointed out, "So, in the end, you just want me to become your personal cook." He got to his feet and put on the beige shirt just as the assistant professor cleared the distance between them.

"It's only fair, considering how I have recently become your personal driver," Sky shot back in a playful tone. His arm wound around JP's smaller frame. He artfully entwined their fingers, only to take the short pants from the young instructor's hand and throw it across the floor. "But that's not the only reason. I just want to keep you close and see you every day, even at times when we're not at work," he added before capturing the young instructor's lips in his.

JP shut his eyes, welcoming the enticement, and flung his arms over his partner's shoulders. He tugged on Sky's bottom lip in between his teeth while the assistant professor took his time slowly gnawing his upper one. Craving for more, JP swirled his tongue to tease the other man. He grinned triumphantly against the kiss when Sky let out a groan and held the back of his head firmly in response to the daring move.

JP's glory was short-lived because it didn't take a whole minute before the assistant professor was monopolizing the situation again and dominating his mouth.

Sky let go of the younger educator's middle, only to cup his face with both hands and tilt his head back. He pressed his tongue into the Philosophy instructor's mouth, drew it out, and ran it across JP's lips before pushing it back with more eagerness.

JP sucked in a deep breath as Sky's kiss grew hotter and heavier. Engulfed in the man's provocative aroma and warmth, his mind floated in bliss. The headiness made him lose track of the time and their surroundings. He wasn't even sure anymore if he was still in control of his body or when his mouth had started moving on its own to catch up with Sky's enthusiasm.

Yet, despite having a major part of his senses launched into oblivion, that hard thing poking him in between his legs didn't escape his awareness.

JP's eyes flicked open as he suspected what it was. With only the thin fabric of boxers covering him below, it was nearly impossible to mistake that for anything.

No way, he thought, stunned. His chest swelled with amazement at the discovery.

Sky was aroused. He was hard because of him. The knowledge made JP so happy and relieved that he could cry.

The assistant professor then broke up the kiss and moved his mouth to JP's ear, licking its outer shell.

"Oh, Sky..." JP gasped, his voice hoarse with lust, when Sky grabbed him by the waist and ground their clothed privates against each other. He gripped a fistful of his taller soulmate's shirt, arched his back, and relished in the feeling of Sky's hard-on firmly pressing on his own arousal.

"You asked me yesterday if I would be able to look at your naked body without getting turned off. It was impossible to tell you then, considering I had never seen you naked before, but seeing you earlier..." Sky breathed heavily.

JP tilted his head to the side and made a long, sultry hum as Sky grazed his moist lips against the side of his neck. The assistant professor sucked and tongued JP's skin, the wet kisses lasting for a minute before his mouth brushed across the younger man's jawline and found his earlobe back. "All I could feel was the desire to push you. Against the wall. Down on the bed. On the floor. Even now, I'm tempted to just completely strip you off and fuck you senseless."

"We... we c-can't... here..." JP tried to explain in between moans and ragged breathing. Despite his words, he threw his head back, pleasure consuming his judgment, when Sky resumed necking him and slipped his hand under his shirt. Long fingers stroked his back, tracing his spine and moving down to his waist, to his buttocks, and to his bare thighs.

JP fondled the back of Sky's head, disheveling his hair, and thrust his hips forward to rub his groin harder against the stiffness in Sky's pants. His mouth might be saying it could not be done, but his whole body screamed for his soul mate to pin him down and make a mess out of him.

As Sky's kisses and touches became more and more intense every second, JP got the point that it was the man's answer to all of his yesterday's questions, a confident declaration that, yes, he could feast his eyes on his exposed body without getting put off, and yes, he would have no problem making love with him.

Sky didn't leave any room for doubt that he could. And he would. He definitely would.

However, before they had the chance to go all the way, another scream from the other side of the wall destroyed their momentum.

"Here, see! This is so dirty!"

Startled, JP unwittingly shoved Sky away from him. He swiveled around to gape at the wall behind him.

Unbelievable. Granted, this was a normal rowdy Sunday morning on their apartment floor, but that didn't mean he was fine with having his peace ruined so many times in a single day.

JP got distracted and paused from mentally criticizing his neighbors when he spotted his shorts on the floor, reminding him that he was still practically half-naked. On the upside, it might have been for the best that they were prevented from going any further in their making out. Considering how thin the walls were in the apartment, there was a high chance that his whole neighborhood would hear his cries of pleasure, if ever. It could have ended in his disgrace.

With a sheepish expression, JP picked up his shorts and put them on before facing Sky back. He smiled awkwardly. "So should we eat—"

He froze mid-sentence, a chill crawling deep in his flesh as he made out the dark look on Sky's face. The assistant professor was glaring daggers in the direction of the loud voices; his jaws were clenched tightly. Oh, he was pissed. And it was far graver than the 'irritated-at-Dion' kind of pissed.

While initially finding the expression scary, JP could not help but chuckle as he compared the heir of the SDV University to a child sulking after his favorite stuff had been taken away.

Sky leveled his glower at JP, a clear question rolling in his unimpressed eyes. 'What's funny?'

Grinning, JP walked to Sky and said, "No, I was thinking you're right. I need to move in with you at your place."

He gently touched the older educator's face with his right hand and mentally patted himself on the back when Sky seemed to lighten up a bit.

On a mission to completely appease him, JP threw his arms over Sky's shoulders and hooked his twined hands on his nape. The assistant professor promptly responded by holding JP's waist.

Their surroundings suddenly turned quiet. The mood became sweet. All they needed was romantic music, and they were all set for a slow dance.

"I have one more question," JP said quietly, giving his partner a loving gaze.

Sky dipped his head to plant a quick kiss on the young instructor's lips. Instead of drawing back, he rested their foreheads against each other. "What is it?"

"It may be too late to ask this, but what does it make us now?"

Without missing a beat, Sky answered, "Boyfriends. Lovers. Soul mates. Whatever you prefer to call it."

"Boyfriends, lovers, huh?" JP hummed thoughtfully before a teasing smile formed on his lips. "How can that be if you haven't properly confessed your love to me?"

The assistant professor leaned his face away. Giving JP a contemplative look, he muttered, "You told me before that falling for me was like jumping from a skyscraper. If that's the case and there's no other way for you but to jump, I won't be stopping you. Instead, I'll be waiting for you below and making sure I'll catch you."

Caught off guard by Sky's mushy statement, JP flushed. Never had he imagined that someone as serious as his soul mate would someday whisper sweet nothings to him. To cover up his embarrassment, he joked, "It's hard to catch a person from that height. Chances are we will both end up having all our bones broken."

"If you can be crazy enough to jump from that height without any harness, then I too can do something equally insane. I will catch you with everything I've got, regardless if it's going to cost me everything."

"Oh God, you're so in love with me," the young instructor uttered under his breath, feigning an incredulous tone and staring at the taller man with wide eyes. Yet, deep down, his heart waltzed in celebration.

"I am," Sky confirmed with a smirk. He reached for JP's hand and kissed his knuckles. The string gleamed with the brightest shade of red. Fiery like the two flaming hearts that had finally become one, a vivid scarlet like the color of true love.

He brought their faces closer once more and brushed his lips against the tip of JP's nose. "And you are too, with me."