OUR MISSING PIECE

- in which finding your soulmate entails finding the person with the keys to unlock the lock around your neck, but when you and your soulmate, jimin, can't seem to unlock your locks, you realise that there may be a missing piece to your puzzle; requested by @shiver312

No-one has ever known how to properly explain the term soulmate or even properly explain how finding a soulmate works.

Although many have tried.

But those explanations only ever paint an image of a love so unconditional that nothing can dare smudge it. They don't talk about the abnormalities; the losses, the chance of losing a soulmate before even finding them, the unfortunate circumstance of being born without a soulmate in the first place.

These negatives on what is ultimately inevitable for every human are hidden away from the public; only ever spoken about if a person just so happens to run into one of them—even then, the direction of the conversation is too vague to be considered as really telling someone anything, leaving everyone still as clueless as they were before.

Everyone is born with a silver necklace hanging loosely from their necks with either a lock or two keys hanging from the thin chain. This necklace leads you to your soulmate; your destiny.

The necklace cannot be broken or removed unless you find the person that can either unlock your lock or has the lock that fits your keys. Only then will the necklace fall off your neck, sending a clear message to everyone that allows their gaze to wander upon your neck that you've been found.

The system—while mythical in some aspects—has never been wrong.

However, there is a way for the necklace to disappear without even meeting your soulmate but it's quite grim. If a person dies, their soulmate's necklace will fade away. Of course, everyone expected that it would just grow back with a new soulmate attached to it but fate—God, or destiny as many choose to believe its cause as—makes sure that every person has their perfect match.

What's strange is the fact that some people actually do get redos.

There have been a few cases of people being born without a soulmate. While this in itself is not always unusual, a small group of them have reported back with the shocking news that they've woken up to a necklace around their neck. Doctors and scientists alike were hopeful that the others would experience the same joy of knowing that there is someone out there for you as the small group did.

Only, it didn't happen and the majority of those people were destined to die alone.

"It's a boy, Mrs. Min," the doctor beams, cradling the newborn in his arms as the tired out lady in the bed begins to cry, her face red and dampened with sweat while the father smiles proudly at the two. He informs them that he'll quickly do some tests on the child before returning so that they can properly meet their child.

She watches lazily as he strolls off with her child, her hand numb from squeezing so hard onto her husband's. Upon realising this, she flicks her gaze up to him with a worried frown. He raises an eyebrow at her, urging her to explain the worry in her eyes.

"Did I squeeze your hand too hard?" She croaks, reaching out for it once again. He chuckles quietly and meets her hand in the middle, intertwining the fingers together in a loose hold. Her frown fades into a soft smile.

"Don't worry about that, sweetheart," he mumbles, redirecting his gaze to the door, patiently awaiting the return of his son. "We should be focused on Yoongi."

She nods, unable to fight the growth of her smile at the mention of her son's name. They had settled on it ages ago, determined to show the world that their little boy could shine. It's at that moment that the doctor returns, his face now darkened with solemn news. Her heart skips a beat as her husband shoots to his feet, his rock hard gaze enough to get the doctor talking.

"There's nothing to worry about," he begins, nervously smiling at the couple. "We just thought to inform you that your son doesn't seem to have a necklace around his neck."

"No necklace?" Her husband repeats as the doctor nods slowly, his hands trembling as he awaits the couple's response to the news. "But everything else is fine, correct?"

"Correct," the doctor sighs, clasping his hands together in front of him. "We just thought to tell you in case you thought something else of it."

She offers her husband a tight lipped smile, reassuring him that everything is fine even if their son isn't destined to be with someone. He nods hesitantly, giving his wife's hand a squeeze as he turns to the doctor with a small smile.

"That doesn't matter to us. Just as long as he's safe," he states, watching as the doctor's frown morphs into a small smile of approval.

"Excellent, I'll bring him in shortly."

And with that he leaves, the couple sharing looks of support as they take in the news of their son most likely being alone for the rest of his life.

*

The sun filters in through the murky lecture hall window, your bored gaze following the glow until it leads you to the back of one of your classmates; the warm rays from outside making his skin sparkle a sweet honey colour and his luscious chocolate hair look softer than anything you've ever seen before.

You furrow your brows together at the fact that you're unable to tear your gaze away from him, there being something about his presence that just tugs at your heart strings which is odd considering that you've most likely never spoken to him before. Pondering on the thought, you prop your head up onto your hand and try to get a better look at his face, figuring that it might make sense if you knew exactly whose back you're staring at.

And as if your thoughts were propelled into his from across the room, he turns to face you.

Involuntarily, your lips part in surprise, the softest of gasps falling from them as your back straightens and your eyes widen like a deer's when they are caught in the harsh glow of a car's headlights.

Park Jimin's rosy pink, plump lips curl up into a dazzling grin, his gorgeously golden brown eyes disappearing as they scrunch up into small crescents. His adorably small hand flies to his mouth, palm flattening against his skin to stop his laugh from escaping into the hall.

You immediately drop your head into your hands, flushing a mad red as your fingers seek refuge in the comfort of fiddling with the lock around your neck, the familiar feel of it pressed up against the skin of your hand calming in a way that is rare.

Of course, it just had to be him you looked at.

When your parents were younger, they were both friends with Jimin's parents. In fact, through his parents is how they found each other and unlocked their necklaces. Technically, your parents owe everything to his so it makes sense that the four of them are still friends now.

It's been a while since you last heard your parents' never ending tales of all the stupid adventures they got to with his parents but you can clearly remember the one where the group of them had gone camping under the blanket of stars. The night had ended with them all promising that if they had kids in the future, they'd be friends too.

That's where you and Jimin step in.

He's been by your side since the day you were born. At first, it was enjoyable to have someone that you were so close to do everything with you. It provided you with a sense of security as you believed that you could turn to him whenever you wanted—granted, you still believe that he'll be there for you now even if at times, he's a dickhead.

But then he grew older and figured that annoying you would be the best way to while away his time spent with you.

"Hi, bestie," He chirps, crouching down in front of your desk with a knowing smirk. You lift your head up with a frown, meeting his cheeky gaze with your cheeks aflame. He giggles and pokes your nose, wiggling his eyebrows at you suggestively.

"I saw you staring," he croons, chuckling when you groan in embarrassment and drop your head back onto the table, heart skipping a beat when your forehead hits his hand instead of the table itself. He should never find out that you thought he was attractive underneath the glow of the sun.

"Yeah, because you looked like a slug," you lie, giving him a convincing look as he shrugs, ruffling your hair as he stands. He opens his mouth to say something but closes it again, instead waving enthusiastically at you and walking away.

You scoff and grab at the lock hanging from your neck, hissing as its temperature burns your fingers. Furrowing your brows, you glance down at it, gasping when you notice that the edges of the dainty lock are tinged red with heat.

What the hell is happening?

The lecturer begins to dismiss everyone, his authoritative tone of voice pulling you out of your thoughts surrounding your warmer than usual lock. You listen intently as he rambles off a list of things to be prepared for when walking into the next class, his eyes holding little flecks of excitement in them while his expression remains deadpanned.

Shortly after his in depth explanation of the class' next topic of study, he dismisses the group, wasting no time in taking his own leave. You scoff at that and begin to pack up your own stationery, well aware of the fact that you have plenty of time to do so and make it to the train station with time to spare.

"Y/N," a voice calls, your head lifting up curiously to come staring directly at a smirking Jimin, car keys hanging from his small fingers. "Mum called and said she's with your mum at your place so we should meet there which means I'm driving you home. Let's go."

You sigh heavily despite being grateful for the ride. Taking the train and several busses to get to university is such a pain as it means walking up at ungodly hours in the morning to get ready and returning back home when the sky is fading into midnight blue, leaving you no time to study.

"Thank you," you mumble as you zip up your backpack and swing it onto your shoulders with a soft grunt, his lips stretching out into a smile of his own as you near. You find yourself heating up at the sight of his smile and the fact that he's currently standing really close to you. Chuckling—and also completely unaware of your slight dilemma—he swings an arm over your shoulders and begins leading you towards the exit of the campus.

Soon enough, you're seated in his car, his homely scent practically drowning you as the silence in the car begins to get a little uncomfortable. Glancing at you quickly, he notices the look of awkwardness on your face and decides to break the silence with a clear of his throat.

"That lecture, huh? To be honest, I don't believe it was needed as it related a completely different field," he criticises, looking over at you for your opinion or a confirmation that you agree. He smiles when you begin to slowly nod, your eyes brightening back to life ever so slightly.

"I agree that it was unnecessary, but he did bring up many points that related to our field at different times in the lecture," You retort, humming in approval when he nods with a smirk, his eyes never straying away from the road as he does so.

"Hey, Jimin?" You call, turning to face him as he spares you a side glance and a hum of acknowledgement. You immediately clasp the lock hanging around your neck in between your fingers, biting back your hiss as you notice that it feels hotter than before. "You know a lot about this soulmate stuff, right? I mean with all your friends finding theirs and going through it."

"Sure, you could say that," he snickers, urging you to continue on with a soft smile. Breathing out heavily, you adjust your position before going to explain your problem.

"Just earlier today, I went to grab the lock around my neck but it was really hot and burnt my fingers. And just now, it's doing it again. I don't know what it means but I was hoping you would," you explain helplessly, completely stumped over the bizarre happenings.

"Who did you speak to when those things happened?" He asks curiously, being very vague about what he thinks might be the case but you notice the way his knuckles turn white as he his hold on the steering wheel tightens.

"Both times it was you, actually," you hum, stunned by the coincidence of it all, his own eyes widening in surprise.

"I thought so," he mumbles, reaching over to pat you on the thigh twice, his smile forced by friendly in an oddly terrifying way. "I think we need to talk when we get home."

You agree nervously and soon enough, he's pulling up in your driveway. The both of you head inside, following the sound of high pitched screams until you reach the living room where both your mothers sit with wide grins. You both say hi and give brief descriptions of your day before Jimin urgently clasps onto your hand and excuses the both of you, leading you directly up to your bedroom.

The butterflies inside of you make your stomach painfully turn, your breath stolen by the time you're in the familiar space of your room and sitting on your unmade bed. He grabs the chair from your desk and sits in front of you, eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Now, touch my necklace," he orders, gulping as your cool finger brush over his skin while grabbing the keys around his neck, immediately hissing at the burn. "Does it feel like yours?"

You nod, feeling yourself begin to worry.

"I'm going to try something and you can't freak out, okay?"

You nod again, clenching your bed sheets into tight fists, breathing becoming slowly panicked and heavy. He leans forward and grabs onto your lock gently, his fingers trembling as he lifts his key up and directs it towards your lock. Your heart hammers in your chest at what he's about to do, yet you don't plan on stopping him. Well, you'd like to but it's like your arms are glued to your sides.

Eventually, his key slides into your lock, gaze meeting yours as he twists, the clicking sound of it unlocking seemingly echoing in the room.

Your breath hitches as his eyes widen in disbelief.

"Are we soulmates?" You ask shakily, your gaze stuck on his as you're too afraid to look at anything else. He gulps, lifting your necklace up to show you the lock hanging from it with a small smile.

"I think so," he breathes, looking relieved as your look of shock morphs into one of elation. He grunts as you throw yourself into his arms with a gleeful laugh, arms shaking as he snakes them around your waist and holds you against his chest.

"I'm glad it's you, Park Jimin," you cheer, cupping his cheeks to give them a good squish as he whines at the action. "While you are annoying and sometimes an idiot, you're the sweetest person I've ever met."

He chuckles and taps your nose with his fingers. "I'm glad it's you too, buttercup."

You want to kiss him, you realise, your eyes darkening as you lean in, his hand sliding across your back until they reach your hips. However, as you get close to his lips, you notice the chain of silver still hanging from his neck. Pulling back, you press a hand against your chest, gasping when you still feel the necklace as well.

"Jimin, they didn't go away. Why didn't they go away?" You panic, frowning at him as he sits up too, his eyebrows furrowed in even more confusion. It takes him a while but soon he's looking at you with a soft smile that holds an indescribable emotion.

"This happened to my friend, Taehyung. He and his soulmate, Hoseok, unlocked theirs but it didn't disappear—"

"And what happened?" You interrupt.

"I'm getting there, Y/N. Anyway, later they met Jungkook and realised that he was the missing part when Taehyung's key unlocked his lock."

"So do we have a missing part?" You ask, perfectly fine with the idea, just a tad bit confused as to how you're supposed to find them.

"I believe so," he shrugs, his smile ridding him of any chance to prove how cool he is with all of this. "But for now, we have each other and I say we get back to what we were doing before and then tell our mums."

You immediately nod, smiling shyly as he cups your cheeks and pulls you close to him, his lips just making contact with yours before passionately making out with them. Your lips part in surprise, allowing him to delve into your mouth and push you back onto the bed.

With swollen lips and a few poorly hidden hickeys on your neck, you and Jimin had eventually ventured downstairs to break the news to your mums, hearts still aching for that missing piece—whoever it could be.

*

Yoongi hates a lot of things that are very much present in his life.

For example, he absolutely despises the overbearingly bitter scent of coffee yet he whiles away his days working long shifts in a coffee shop. Sometimes he wonders if he's only working there to torture himself, the idea being much more exciting than the reality of his need to keep the job; a severe lack of money.

But what he hates more than anything else in the world is his birthday—which was only a few days ago, leaving him in a sour mood.

He can't stand having all the attention on him for a single day in the year; everyone smothering him with the love and gifts that he in no way deserves. He knows very well that somewhere in the good hearts of his parents, they are disappointed that he wasn't born with a necklace around his neck.

He should be disappointed as well. Who wouldn't be after finding out that there is no-one in the world out there for them? It's like he's numb to the hate he has for himself, the disappointment merely just a dull throb. He hasn't decided on whether his numbness is a good thing or not.

You see, Yoongi has never really labeled himself as a lucky guy but the events of his birthday seemed to have proved otherwise because Min Yoongi, the boy destined to never find love, woke up to see a necklace with a little lock hanging from his neck.

He had stared at it for ages, trying to overcome his initial shock of realising that he won't die alone after all. He had felt, for what he considers to be the first time in his life, hopeful about what the future could bring for him.

Then came the overwhelming wave of anxiety.

He found himself beginning to tremble at the thought of not knowing who his soulmate could be. For all he knew, fate could've paired him up with some psycho hungry for a bit of human flesh. From there his thoughts drifted to why the necklace suddenly appeared twenty four years later than it was supposed to. Some medical mystery? A glitch in the so called matrix we all live in?

Could it all be some hoax?

That's precisely why he stands behind the counter at work with a noticeable frown, his hands fidgety as he prepares endless cups of coffee.

His boss, a kind young man that's only a few years older than Yoongi, steps out from the back with a deep sigh. Yoongi's head instinctively drops in shame, hands falling limp by his sides as he warms up to his boss' comforting hand on his shoulder.

"How about you do register, kid? I'll get someone else on coffee before you end up spilling something on yourself," he kindly offers, patting Yoongi's shoulder twice before ordering employees to take over for the moody man.

Grateful, Yoongi offers his boss a small smile as he wipes his hands on the kitchen towel thrown across his shoulder. "Thanks, Jin."

"That's sir to you," Jin playfully snaps, winking at Yoongi before disappearing into the back once more, leaving him to do his job alone. Yoongi sighs and fiddles around with the loose threads of his aprons, his free hand habitually clasping around the tiny lock.

He can feel himself getting lost in thoughts of a perfect future with his meant to be, a feeling of warmth and love so comfortingly strong making him relax a little, the tension in his muscles loosening.

Only, the jingle of the bell at the door has him stiffening up again, his eyes blinking back into focus as a man and woman walk up to the counter with their hands intertwined. Yoongi quickly averts his gaze before he begins to feel lonely and offers the couple a soft smile.

"How can I help you?"

The man, a short guy with the most adorable of smiles, the most enticing of eyes and the softest looking, chestnut coloured hair, beams up at Yoongi in a way that has the man's heart fluttering. "Hi, I'd like a chocolate milkshake, please."

The girl, a beautiful sight herself with eyes that sparkle magically underneath the dim lights and features that look as if they were carefully sculpted by a master artist, grins at Yoongi with a little hint of cheekiness in her gaze. "Make that two chocolate milkshakes, please."

"Sure thing," he mutters, trying to ignore the way his heart begins to climb up his throat, a flurry of teasing butterflies taking its place in his chest. They pay him what's owed and thank him for taking their order.

"I'll bring your drinks to your table," he smiles before wishing them an enjoyable morning as they walk towards a tiny booth in the far corner of the shop. Yoongi finds himself gasping at their choice as it's his favourite spot to sit and enjoy a danish during his breaks.

Cursing, he slaps at his cheeks a little and prays that they aren't red as he shuffles off to take over in making their milkshakes.

Jimin doesn't hesitate in getting straight to the point of your little meet up at the coffee shop, his expression serious as his eyes practically glow with an aggressive determination. You find yourself a little taken aback by his commitment towards the subject at hand, your heart hammering against your rib cage because of it.

"Right," he starts, clasping his hands in front of him. "I spoke to Taehyung and he said that finding Jungkook was like a huge coincidence. They had never met before nor had they even had anything in common. It was just by chance that he happened to run into Kookie at the bookstore."

"By chance, huh?" You sum up, twirling a strand of your hair in between your fingertips as Jimin nods, his determined facade slowly crumbling into one of helplessness.

"He or she could be anywhere," he sighs, dropping his head into his hands. You click your tongue in disapproval and lean over the table to sift your fingers through his hair comfortingly. He lifts his head up to shoot you a grateful smile, feeling himself calm when you return his smile with one of your own, your goofy wink making him chuckle.

"What do we do?" You ask gently, hoping not to upset him even more.

"Well, I say we just go by our days and hope that we'll end up bumping into them somewhere along the way," he shrugs, his tone of his voice optimistic in a condescending type of way. You still end up nodding, allowing your hand to drift from his hair and land onto his hand, giving it a soft squeeze of support.

"Two chocolate milkshakes," the deep voice of the man behind the counter with wise eyes the colour of the most beautiful earthy hues and hair so effortlessly styled that it makes him look rather pretty announces, your smile easing out as you thank him and take a quick sip of the delicious treat, your eyes widening pleasantly.

"Wow, this is delicious. Who made it?"

"I did," he shyly mumbles, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment as Jimin hums in approval of the taste as he takes a sip. You peer at the name tag hanging clumsily off his apron to give him a proper praise, the skin around the necklace beginning to tingle a little.

"Well, Yoongi," you start, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he repeats your voice saying his name a few times more. "This has to be the best chocolate milkshake I've ever had."

"I agree," Jimin chimes, taking another enthusiastic sip as Yoongi repeatedly thanks the two of you with an adorably shy smile. You watch curiously as Yoongi's hand clasps onto the lock around his neck, his smile dropping ever so slightly as he flinches when his skin makes contact with the lock.

Eyes wide, you throw Jimin a look, rather relieved to see him throwing the same look back at you. Hesitantly, you allow your fingers to brush over the lock around your neck, your lips parting at the high temperature of the pendant and judging by the way Jimin gulps, you can tell that his is hot too.

"Yoongi," you call, smiling as the man tears his confused gaze away from his lock and meets your eyes. "Is your lock burning up?"

He nods, eyes wide as he is taken aback by the fact that you know that. Although, he can't bring himself to question it, an inner thought telling him to stay quiet and listen to what you have to say.

"Mine is too," you admit, pointing towards Jimin as the man also confesses to his key doing the same thing. Yoongi's lips tug down into a frown, the side of his head beginning to throb as he attempts to make sense of what is happening.

"Do you mind if we try something?" Jimin asks, standing up as Yoongi nods and voluntarily takes a step closer to Jimin. You hesitantly reach out and clasp onto Yoongi's hand, relishing in how right it feels to have him hold onto yours, his fingers slender as he interlocks them with yours.

Jimin lifts up his key, looking Yoongi directly in the eye. "This opens her lock but our necklaces haven't disappeared."

It's at this moment that Yoongi understands what they're getting at. These people believe that he could be the one to help them with their necklace issue. And while he so badly wants to tell them to suck it, he finds himself aching with the need to find out if he is meant to be loved or not.

"Do it," he mumbles, watching carefully as Jimin inserts his key into Yoongi's lock, his heart racing as the older's breath hitches, his grip tightening on your hand.

Click.

Yoongi's lock opens, leaving everyone unsure of what to do next. His hand trembles in yours as you look down to see your necklace slowly disappearing. Shocked, you're pleased to see the same happening with Yoongi and Jimin. Scrambling out of your seat, you wrap your arms around Yoongi's middle, smiling as he numbly drops his arms over your shoulders.

Yoongi soon begins to chuckle in joy as his eyes brim with tears, his hold on you tightening as he presses you against his chest, so damn happy that he'll finally get to experience the love and affection that everyone around him gets.

He won't feel so alone anymore.

Jimin grins broadly, shaking his head fondly as he snugly fits himself into the hug, pressing a kiss to your forehead and then doing the same with Yoongi's. You sniffle as your body begins to tremble, tears rolling down your cheeks in warm streams at the feeling of finally feeling complete.

"We found you," you whisper. "Our missing piece."