VENA AMORIS for EVERYONE
For: ☆EVERYONE
Title: Vena Amoris
Pairing(s): Chanyeol/Baekhyun, side Kaisoo
Rating: NC-17
Warning(s): Mentions sex and drinking.
Length: 6292 words
Summary: There’s no need for sparks between them. The golden words in their arms and the threads of destiny around their bodies, tying them together forever, are more than enough. Soulmates!AU
“This could perfectly be the night of my life” Chanyeol tells Jongin as they get in the car together. His bright smile and positive attitude only grant him a huff from his friend. The boy is clearly not interested in his weekly speech.
“Save it, man. It’s the same every weekend.”
“But today we’re not doing the same as always.” He says with a hopeful grin. Jongin only stares at him, clearly not willing to go with his friend’s idea.
He starts the engine. He knows it’s a miracle his friend still wants to go out with him. With the pass of the years Chanyeol has learned to go with whatever the other wants, but Jongin is a sexy person, a creature of the night and he always ends dragging him to clubs.
It’s not that Chanyeol doesn’t enjoy a night of beer, low quality cocktails and dirty grinding of bodies, but he thinks he’s slightly past the clubbing age. Plus, he’s sure; he won’t find his soulmate in some dark club.
“You’re my best friend, man!” He says as he pulls neutral and waits for the red light to change.
“I need you there?” He adds lamely, trying to cheer the other. He knows it’s not personal; Jongin just woke up particularly moody today for a lot of reasons.
By the time his friend looks at him again, the anger in his eyes has already melted. “Whatever,” The brown haired boy says as he lights up a cigarette, “we have an awful reputation all over the club district. It would be good to stay away from a while.”
They do.
Both of them, to be honest.
That’s why tonight -if Chanyeol’s plan goes smoothly for once- instead of getting wasted and dirty dancing the whole night; they’ll be getting wasted and listening good music the whole night.
They drive for almost an hour and finally park in the back of a small bar in the limits of the city. The building can perfectly be described as “small”, but the secret ‘Limelight’ has to offer is the beautiful garden they have in a secluded area. During weekends they convert the venue in a vivo bar and some of the best musicians of the city play there - high quality performances technically for free, Chanyeol thinks.
This is exactly the way Chanyeol would like to spend all his Friday nights. And it’s such a childish thing, but he dreams of playing there too.
Playing in the bar would fulfill his frustrated musical dreams. However that’s a dream that needs to wait for when he graduates and starts to build a career as an architect and maybe some confidence. For now he’s pleased with having the chance to listen the others and living of his internship.
When they reach the door and the guard tells them how much they need to pay, Jongin signals to Chanyeol to go on and pay. However, when the man asks him for his id, the other makes a face so bitter, he’s sure he'll storm back to the car.
“I’m paying! And we're both legal, don't worry.” He chirps, before Jongin has time to walk back to the car and demand him to go to some shitty club in the other side of the city.
Once inside, he’s sure Jongin won’t run again; he’s an artistic little shit too. The whole place screams of new ideas and young people.
They pick a table, in the garden of course. Chanyeol starts with mineral water and whiskey. Jongin asks for an Indio. Chanyeol thinks the night already went to hell.
They make the waitress return a few times before a soft orange light starts to bath the whole place. By the time the sun sets they have finished with almost ten beers and the first band is preparing on stage. He thinks the singer is amazing; he’s only vocalizing, but he can already tell that he’s a good one - then realization hits him.
“Hey! Isn’t that Do Kyungsoo?” He blurts.
Jongin reacts surprisingly well, at least from his perspective. The boy only loses his hold around his beer and spills the amber liquid all over his white shirt and the peanuts the waitress just gave them. An obscure beer never looked this good against linen before.
Chanyeol would have laughed at his friends’ misfortune if it wasn’t for how the little commotion attracted the singer’s attention. Do Kyungsoo is looking at them with a mixture of horror and disgust.
They met Kyungsoo a couple of months ago; in one of the worst clubs they had ever visited. The kid had been heartbroken and probably high on cheap pills, and yet, he had managed to get Jongin’s attention. His friend had been hypnotized by him since the first glance. When he tried to approach the short boy, Kyungsoo had thrown his arms around his neck and whispered three extremely important words in Jongin’s ear; who in exchange had moaned two words when the boy started to kiss his neck.
The next thing Chanyeol knew from his friend was that he was calling him at six in the morning, asking him to pick him from some shitty motel. “He fucking left.” Jongin had said when Chanyeol passed him a cup of coffee, “We’re soulmates and he left me as a cheap one night stand.”
It was sad. Seeing his friend cry in fear of having wasted his chance to be with the love of his life had been painful, scary even.
Chanyeol can’t deny he’s losing hope. He’s especially optimistic about going outside and meeting people only because he’s scared of losing his beliefs.
It doesn’t matter if his parents divorced, or that his sister married a guy she wasn’t destined to be with, or that his best friend has an evasive soul mate; he’s determined to find the person who owns the words tattooed in gold in his wrist.
Even if logic tells him he shouldn't be waiting to hit gold; he thinks destiny is a mixture of conscious decisions and the whims of life. Leaving everything to destiny is not the right way. Sometimes, when time doesn’t solve things, you need to go ahead and solve them by yourself; even if fear is the only motivation.
“- soulmates bullshit!” Jongin says, finally pulling him from his thoughts. He looks at him standing and walking inside the bar. He’s sure the boy needs time to cry alone.
He sighs and rubs lime and salt over the rim of his beer. Destiny will eventually get them.
He rolls up his sleeves and looks at his forearm, to the words tattooed in gold in his wrist. He reads them over and over again; expecting to find something new there, a clue, a signal, a shining, something that indicates that he’s close.
There’s nothing.
The next one to play is a girl, a clarinetist. He couldn’t care less. He’s not sure of how many performances he tunes out as he gulps down the rest of the beers they ordered. But just as he thinks of going to the car, where he’ll probably find his friend crying his sorrows, he sees something that makes him stay.
In the table next to his, there’s a tiny guy quietly sipping water; pretty fingers wrapped around the glass, rosy lips pressed against the rim. He would think the boy looks adorable if it wasn’t for how the white shirt he’s wearing frames his broad shoulders and chest. The boy also has soft black hair falling all over his eyes. He’s the perfect combination of adorable and manly. Chanyeol’s heart beats sadly inside his ribcage at the sight.
A few minutes later he sees the boy huffing, moving the hair from his face and revealing the prettiest pair of droopy eyes Chanyeol has ever seen. Suddenly he feels like standing up and going to his table, inviting him a drink and maybe stealing a kiss from those beautifully shaped lips - but what if he doesn’t have the right words? What if the first thing he says is not what the boy is expecting? What if the boy’s first words are not what he wants?
He sits there, with his legs cramping and trying to get the guts to talk with the boy. Long minutes pass. The boy refills his glass; Chanyeol doesn’t feel ready. The boy looks around trying to kill time, Chanyeol looks away in fear of being caught staring. He’s frozen in his seat. This is the first time he feels scared of talking to someone; never before he felt at loss of words when he tried to approach a stranger. It has to mean something, the red haired boy thinks.
After a while the boy walks to the stage and dedicates a reverence to the public. “I hope you’re all having a good night,” The boy says as he smiles and Chanyeol sinks deeper in his chair - he has such a bright smile. “I’m Byun Baekhyun from K’Arts and tonight I’m going to play the piano for you.”
Baekhyun sits and extends his slender fingers over the keys. He looks beautiful covered in the pale light of the moon.
Chanyeol runs a hand through his mess of red hair and chuckles. He’s praying to not be the only one feeling this.
The mood in the bar is immediately adjusted when the black haired boy starts to play. The song sounds magical. It’s amazing how the boy seems to be telling them a story without lyrics. Chanyeol recognizes the music from somewhere, but he can’t conjure the lyrics yet. To him it sounds like a quest, a constant longing to find and reach something.
He’s still trying to remember lyrics when Baekhyun’s pink lips separate and surprises him with his lovely voice.
I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete
The tiny boy has such a powerful voice; full with emotions and accompanied by his music he's capable of evoking feelings in the public. He sings with so much intensity, as if he felt exactly what he sang. Chanyeol’s eyes start to mist with tears, he feels identified.
Oh Simple Thing, where have you gone?
I’m getting old and I need something to rely on
so tell me when you’re gonna let me in
I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin
He listens until the song ends and everyone starts to clap. He would like to offer a rose to the beautiful musician, a demonstration of the admiration he managed to incite in him. And then, in that second, unexpectedly, destiny decides his time has arrived.
It starts with an itch in his forearm. He stops clapping in order to scratch himself; he expects a bump caused by a mosquito bite, instead he find the place warm to the touch.
When he looks down, his pulse becomes frantic. Along the words in his wrist, there are inked golden vines growing and intertwining across his palm, reaching his fingertips where they pulse timidly, as if asking him to reach for something.
It can only mean one thing.
He looks around, trying to find whoever looks uncomfortable. To his surprise, in the front, still in the stage, the Byun guy is scratching his forearm through his sleeve.
It’s exhilarating, to see that destiny might the playing the right cards on him for the first time.
He felt it in the second he saw Baekhyun, he felt it when he heard him sing and he feels it now as the Vena Amoris tells him that his soulmate is close.
He’s sporting his dumbest smile when the pianist finally spots him and he stops breathing. Will Baekhyun approach him? Will he finally listen his words? Will his phone stop vibrating soon for the love of God?
He wants to throw the device to the fountain, but he sees Jongin’s name in the screen. There’s nothing he can do. He would like to stay and let destiny sweep him of his feet; find out if he says he words the other has tattooed; and if Baekhyun has the ones that belong to his arm, Instead, he takes Jongin’s call.
“Can we please go home now?” The boy says in the other side of the line with a trembling voice. That’s a signal to him. Friendship duties are calling.
If he’s destined to Baekhyun it won’t take them long to find each other again.
He takes his jacket from the back of the chair and throws a moderate tip in the table. He affords a last longing look at the pianist, who’s now entertained chatting with the next performer, and leaves the bar.
He finds Jongin sitting inside his car. He doesn’t question him; he just sits with him and drives. “I told him I want to be with him.” The boy says as he lights up his nth cigarette that night.
“You can always try next week, Jongin.” Chanyeol suggests, voice getting muffled by the sound of the wind.
After dropping Jongin at home, he drives to his apartment complex and waits inside his car until his pulse returns to its normal speed. The whole elevator ride is used to try to clear his mind. It’s useless; the excitement is still running in his veins.
Once inside his apartment he decides to skip shower and go straight to bed. He throws his clothes everywhere and crawls to the mattress naked. The tall boy looks at his tattoo under the moonlight. It’s clearer than ever, the golden ink moving and creating new designs in his skin.
“I just want to make things right.” He whispers to himself before falling asleep.
The next two days are spent between doing homework, cleaning the apartment and trying to block the thoughts about Baekhyun along with all the anticipation from his mind.
The strategy works pretty well, until Sunday night when he decides he wants to cook something. He has always enjoyed cooking and he is proud of his abilities, so he tries to outdo himself. He spends hours in the kitchen. The result: enough ‘Lemon butter chicken breasts’ to feed a family. As he eats he can't avoid the feeling of loneliness in his chest; he wishes he had someone to share with - No… he wishes he could share with Baekhyun.
Monday morning comes like a soft caress, surprisingly. He doesn't remember falling asleep last night, but he feels totally recovered from his weird weekend.
He gets enough time to take breakfast, fix his hair and even throw the chicken leftovers inside a tupperware. At 8:20 he swings his backpack over his shoulder, locks the door and does his best to smile. If he's close to meet his soul mate, his life can't be so bad, right?
At 8:40 he stops in the gas station near to uni. He removes his sunglasses and checks himself in the mirror. His red hair is carefully pushed up and he doesn’t look like he corpse, even if homework is taking its toll on him.
When there's only one car in front of him, he lets his head hang from the window and peers absentmindedly at the driver. The person seems to be chatting with someone over the phone. Then, he opens the door and the first thing Chanyeol notices are the pretty fingers holding a plastic bottle with the emblem of K'Arts.
He doesn’t wait for his turn; he reverses and goes straight to uni. Destiny needs to give him a fucking free minute. He's not ready to meet Baekhyun... yet.
On Tuesday he spots Baekhyun in his favorite bubble tea store when he’s coming out of the restroom. This time he doesn't run away, he just looks from afar and wonders when he will have the guts to approach the other.
From his point of view this is matter of luck; maybe part of the games theory. He can offer the right words and get the right words in exchange. At the same time he can offer the wrong words and still win a date or two, see how long they can make it last. The third option is to be swallowed by loss.
He realizes the boy can probably feel that he's close, because he’s looking at his arm and throwing glances around the shop every now and then. Chanyeol sighs in relief, that’s good sign of being destined to be with someone.
As he leaves the store he catches Baekhyun ordering the 'pastel de chocolate'. That’s the specialty of the place; a mixture of condensed milk, chocolate, ice and even brownie turned into a beverage with tapioca pearls. He wonders if the black haired boy has a soft spot for sweets.
Later that day, he giggles as he thinks of giving chocolates to Baekhyun on their first date. Maybe the next time they meet, after all destiny seems to be pretty obsessed with them.
His Wednesday passes as normal as any other week. He assists to all his classes without problems and he eats outside without any kind of issue.
It’s when he’s going home, after his hours in the office, that he sees Baekhyun’s car. They’re stuck in the traffic jam for almost 15 minutes. Half of the time is spent stealing glances at the boy and the other half trying to not look like a suspicious person.
He hears Baekhyun sing to two songs, high notes and rap cuts included.
During Thursday he decides a visit to the supermarket is necessary. He doesn’t have any food left and he’s been washing his hair with only soap for two days.
He drives to the supermarket in the area where he used to live as a child, as mere impulse of longing and maybe because he considers the apples are bigger in that store.
The place is almost 30 minutes away from the center of the city. That’s why he can’t understand why in the drugstore section, chatting animatedly with the cashier, is Byun Baekhyun in all his tiny beauty and wearing a shirt too big for him.
Finding him in such an odd place was unexpected, but as he clutches his bottle of shampoo he starts to reunite courage; he wants to talk with Baekhyun today.
He starts to get close, a shy grin growing in his face - “He’s really big. I’m not even sure which size should I buy.” The black haired boy tells to the dependent with a smile clear in his voice.
Chanyeol stops walking. He wants to mute the whole conversation or to run away and hide behind the shelf of the cotton swabs. Instead he stays and listens until his heart can’t with it anymore.
“Oh please, you still can’t manage to score with him. Why are you even buying condoms?” She says hitting his arm.
“Because I’m taking him to bed soon. It’s just matter of time. He can't run away forever.”
"Byun Baekhyun, he's going to feel stalked and put a restriction order against you." The girl chastises, but still hands him a packet of condoms. "The textured ones are my favorites. Use them wisely."
"Hey, noona. Please hand me scented lube too.”
That’s it. He drops the bottle of shampoo and leaves the place without buying anything.
Byun Baekhyun is not his soulmate. He can’t be, because he clearly has found his soulmate already.
Chanyeol stays in bed until midday that Friday. He doesn’t have classes on Friday and during Fridays he’s supposed to work on his personal projects for the developers company. Fridays leave him free to mourn.
He has clear how stupid is to cry for losing something he never got to have.
Being serious, he probably left himself go. He took as signals things that weren't explicit signals. He's even starting to doubt if he really saw the pretty boy looking at his arm. None of the clues were concluding. He’s not one hundred percent sure Byun Baekhyun is his soulmate. And even if he is… he already has someone.
The Vena Amoris system is full of glitches after all. Malfunctions and irregularities happen because destiny is as organic as the world it leads; sometimes they fix themselves, sometimes the error is permanent and leaves irreparable scars in the lives of people.
At four the hunger becomes too much. He regrets having abandoned his cart without buying anything the last day.
He only finds strength to take his phone from the floor and dial the number of the only person who understands him. “Jongin,” He starts, “FEED ME! I’M SO HUNGRY!” He half cries in the phone.
Jongin chuckles; he’s used to this. “Mom made bulgogi. Maybe if you run my sisters will leave you some.”
Across the park, only five minutes away, if he runs, live the Kims. It takes him three minutes to arrive, because the elevator was especially fast and he’s especially hungry.
“Wow, man. Are you that hungry?” Jongin asks when he opens the door.
“I don’t have any food left and I seriously need to tell you something important.” He says panting.
“Am I finally going to know the reason of spazziness during the last week?” Jongin says.
“Yep,” Chanyeol nods “but you need to feed me first.”
He tells Jongin the whole story; starting a week ago and everything that happened while he was away. He tells him about all the ‘occasional’ encounters during the week. The part about the drugstore makes his friend laugh until he falls from his chair.
When Jongin recovers Chanyeol gets a pat in the back and then a slap in the back of his head. “Didn’t you say he was touching his arm too? You found him in like four different places all across the city; do you seriously think it was all a coincidence?”
“Hey, no one owns the guy. Even if he’s seeing someone, he can always leave him for you.” Jongin says as he gives him part of his bulgogi. “Give more credit to yourself, man. You’re pretty charming. Maybe he’ll fall for you in the same way you fell for him.”
He’s deeply moved by Jongin comforting him, until he speaks again. “Are we clubbing tonight then?”
Chanyeol’s answer naturally was a rotund no, but ignoring Jongin’s puppy eyes is not an easy task. So, after a lot of pep talk, being forcefully shoved in the shower and correctly dressed and styled according to his friends’ taste, he’s more ready to have a clubbing night than he’s been in the past five years.
“Listen, Chanyeol.” Jongin says when they’re in the parking lot “If for some reason your Byun guy is in the club, don’t dare to waste time. You’re going to talk with him, find if he’s your soul mate and even if he isn’t take him home and show him why you should be the one for him.”
“What if he’s not interested?” Chanyeol mumbles.
“Oh, he will.” He says before leaving the car.
Inside, Chanyeol let’s himself go for the first time in years. He sits in the bar and before he knows he’s five beers past his usual resistance and he’s throwing jokes everywhere. Everyone around him seems to be infatuated with his smile and it’s invigorating; to have confidence in his body for the first time in a week.
A lot of people chats him up and he kindly turns down all of them. His interest is set in a certain black haired singer and no one seems to be in the same level as him.
At midnight Jongin disappears from the bar, leaving Chanyeol at his own luck. “He followed someone to the restroom.” The bartender says, waving a hand dismissively. “He looked awestruck when that short guy approached him.” She adds giggling. “Talking about following people to the restroom… there’s a guy behind you wearing eyeliner; he’s been eying you the whole night.” An impish smile forms in her face “You might score tonight, Chanyeol.”
He’s sure his face turned as red as his hair. Still, the confident smile of the girl and the alcohol in his body, make him turn around - as discreetly a drunken man can afford.
He follows the gaze of whoever is looking at him and is pleasantly surprised to find Baekhyun in the other side of the dance floor.
He's still staring at him; a grin adorning his face. His stomach starts to do backflips because he looks like he’s dressed to impress too and he’s drinking what seems to be a ‘fuzzy navel’. He wants to taste the Peach Schnapps directly from his mouth.
The bravery recollected during the night finally shows as he stands and starts to walk across the dance floor, bodies bumping against him and cutting his sight a couple of times. When he finally reaches the other side he sees a lot of people, but none of them are Byun Baekhyun.
Maybe he’s too intoxicated and the alcohol is playing tricks on him; making him see what he wants to see, hallucinations of his soul mate.
He returns to the bar and gives the usual tip to the bartender who seems to be as confused as him.
He needs to get out from there, everything is too cramped and he can barely breathe. He pushes the back door open and steps in the lonely alley behind the club. He was so sure, he was ready to throw his doubts away and play his last card.
Outside, the October moon shines big above him; it doesn’t leave any opportunity to the stars. When the cold wind clears his mind a little, he writes a short text to Jongin explaining he had to go home without him. He's about to go look for his car when the back door opens again; heavy metal hinges creaking.
"Hey!" An exasperated voice calls. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Chanyeol is not in his five senses yet, so it actually takes him a while to comprehend what the voice said and all the implications these words carry. If this is part of a joke or of his imagination he thinks he might cry.
He looks behind him to where Baekhyun is standing in the stairs, with his hand on his hips. He only shrugs. That apparently irks the boy, because in a second, he’s is right in front of him, looking ready to break his nose. "Me?" He breathes.
Chanyeol starts to laugh; waves of relief running through his body. Baekhyun is already close; he only lifts his hands to hold his face. "Hello, soulmate." He whispers before swooping down and stealing a kiss from those lips he has been dreaming of during the whole last week.
There’s no need for sparks between them. The golden words in their arms and the threads of destiny around their bodies, tying them together forever, are more than enough.
Running hand in hand with Baekhyun feels like part of French movie. Half of the way he looks at the back of Baehyun’s head, hair bouncing cutely. Every time the boy looks back at him and smiles he feels like his heart is about to jump from his chest. He never thought he would find his soul mate in one of Jongin’s shitty clubs.
He also never thought he would abandon his car in order to rush to Baekhyun’s apartment, laughing with childish happiness as they dodge people. Or that his world would spin so fast when Baekhyun tiptoes to press their lips together in the doorway of condo.
Even when Baekhyun releases him, after long minutes of kissing and smiles bashfully, his world keeps spinning.
Baekhyun's smile slowly fades “Chanyeol,” He asks, “Are you alright?”
‘How do you know my name’ He wants to ask, because he didn’t have the chance to tell him. Instead he tries to nod- then he sees black and lets himself go.
Mornings with hangovers have never been Chanyeol’s thing; everything is too bright for his sensitive eyes, the migraines almost split his head open and the dehydration in general makes him stay in bed the whole day. But for some reason this hangover is being pretty kind to him.
His mouth is moist and his head doesn’t hurt. It’s not even light what wakes him up, but a cold caress against his cheek and a melodious voice whispering in his ear.
“Good morning, sleepyhead" The voice continues once he stirs awake as the hand moves to caress his torso.
A finger dipping in his navel is what finally shakes the sleep from him. He opens his eyes, squinting to Baekhyun’s face - and whole boy in general - all over his vital space. "It took you so long to wake up. Don't you think you've made me wait enough?" The black haired boy says pouting.
Chanyeol would give everything to kiss that jutting bottom lip; maybe a peck to his cupid’s bow is necessary too.
He’s still a little disoriented. Everything last night happened so fast. However, things seem to be okay between them, because even if his mouth still tastes bitter from everything he drank last night; Baekhyun’s tastes like a gulp of fresh air when he parts Chanyeol’s lips with his tongue.
It’s not as magical as their first kiss. It’s better. Their first passionate kiss, Chanyeol thinks; trying to memorize every second of it.
“Would you say that it’s too soon to do it?” Baekhyun blurts suddenly, after a few minutes into their make out session. He’s holding himself up with his hands pressed to Chanyeol’s chest. “I mean, I would like to think that we’ve been dating for a week.”
Baekhyun has a lovely way to cheat. “So, you think that our occasional encounters during the last week were… dates?” He asks grinning.
“Yeah, dates planned by destiny.” The boy says with a dramatic tone. “We were together in the same place, stealing glances at each other. It sounds a lot like a date.”
He’s openly laughing by the time the shorter boy finishes, deep sound rumbling inside his chest. “You knew? Every time you knew we were together and yet you didn’t approach me?”
“Hey!” The boy complains “It’s not like you took the initiative either. And to be fair i thought you had to start the conversation.”
“Still, we’re not having sex yet.” He says trying to sound serious and making Baekhyun pout again “Not until I take you to an official date at least.” He adds.
Baekhyun recovers his smile, bright like last night’s moon. “You’re right. We need to learn to hold proper and serious conversations first.” He says angelically.
He holds Baekhyun’s shoulders and rolls him, so he’s pressed against the mattress. Once in control, he starts with his mission. “What about Wednesday?” He asks as he presses a kiss under Baekhyun’s chin. “I can give you a ride after work.” The boy under him giggles and he plants some butterfly kisses along his jaw. “We can go to my apartment. I’ll cook for you.” He starts to suck at a spot behind the other’s ear. “Make sure to bring clean clothes,” He moves to lick at the shell of his ear before whispering hotly “because I’ll make sure to put in use those condoms you bought.”
Baekhyun obviously likes the idea, because he openly moans and crosses his legs around his waist “I think it’s a great plan,” He says, holding onto Chanyeol’s biceps to gain some leverage. “but I’m going to have to reject you if you leave me alone to take care of this hard on.” Baekhyun reinforces his point by moving his hips gracefully against Chanyeol’s. “Take responsibility, Chanyeol. Don’t make me wait.”
Oh, Chanyeol thinks, he can play along; he's dying to play along. One minute they were trying to hold a conversation like adults and the next one he was lowering his body; pressing himself to the other and softly sliding himself up and down, urging Baekhyun to move in the same rhythm.
It doesn’t take them too long to be done. What takes them long is to recover their breaths and for Baekhyun to be brave enough to move Chanyeol from his neck.
It’s too soon to feel this attached, Chanyeol wants to say. The look of happiness in Baekhyun’s face is enough to shut him up.
“Let’s get some breakfast.” Baekhyun says as he rolls himself from the bed. There’s a wet spot in his briefs; Chanyeol finds himself unwilling to look away. Then the other shimmies them off and he’s faced by a soft butt.
He can’t believe he’s this attached to a butt he still doesn’t have the pleasure to meet.
By the time Wednesday comes, Chanyeol has become frantic. They have been messaging and sending photos to each other, but he really wants to have the real thing in his arms again.
At six an unexpected downpour starts. He only sighs; the traffic jam is going to be a nightmare.
However an hour later he’s driving across the city to the K’Arts campus. He finds Baekhyun already waiting for him by the gates. It takes him a while to recognize him thanks to the huge pink umbrella he’s holding.
Chanyeol honks and opens the copilot door for Baekhyun, so he can get inside soon. In the second the lower half of his body is inside the car, he drops the umbrella and launches himself to Chanyeol, aiming for his lips. “You seriously have a thing for making me wait.” Baekhyun reproaches.
It’s difficult to reject the short boy when in the moment they enter Chanyeol’s apartment, and they feel in private, he’s clinging to his shoulders and pressing himself against him; an almost successful attempt to make him forget about dinner, skip the talk and go straight to the good part.
“Dinner is ready.” Chanyeol mutters againt the lips of the other “Let’s eat first. I left everything in the oven.”
Baekhyun gurgles but disentangles himself from him and leaves him enough space to move freely. The little boy is confident about his feelings.
He removes his shoes and pads behind Chanyeol, who leads him to the kitchen and sits hin in the stool. “Lemon Broccoli Pasta for a rainy day.” Chanyeol says presenting him the dish. He already has a fork in his hand.
“I can’t believe this is so good.” Baekhyun moans after a few minutes, taking a sip from his wine. “Please move in with me, marry me or whatever is necessary so you can cook for me.”
“Hey, no need to hurry.” He chuckles. “We don’t have to put a compromise over us. I’ll willingly cook every night for you; if you want.”
The sound of metal hitting against porcelain resonates across the kitchen. In a blink, the shorter boy is leaning over the bar, his face millimeters away from Chanyeol’s “I hope you’re not scared of compromise, Chanyeol -” The latter gulps, adam’s apple bobbing. “because you’re my soulmate and I’m not planning to let you go.”
The black haired boy returns to his seat before adding “Among the millions of options this world offers and all the possible life companions, the Vena Amoris offered me the best match. Why would I reject its suggestion when I wanted you since the first second?” He pauses for a second, “Would you reject it?” he questions.
Chanyeol reaches for his hand, which is nervously playing with the rim of his glass “I wanted you too - the first glance was enough to know I wanted you forever.”
Baekhyun intertwines their fingers “Then, would you deny love at first sight when you’re victim of it?”
The tall boy only shakes his head negatively and brings Baekhyun’s hand to his mouth to kiss it.
Chanyeol thinks they have always been a morning couple. Some of his favorite memories come from their mornings spent together under the blankets and their shared breakfasts.
Once again, like every morning in the past two years, he wakes up to Baekhyun kissing his fingers. He knows he has been playing with his hands since he woke up; it’s one his habits.
Nonetheless, this morning slowly progressed until Baekhyun started to lick the center of his palm; his warm tongue mapping every bump and crevice. “Do you think we should get engagement rings?” He mutters as he trails a line of kisses from his wrist and up to his forearm.
“Do you want to be with me forever, Baekhyun?” He asks, letting the other do as he wants with him.
The shorter boy bites in the crook of his elbow in retaliation “Do I look like I want to be somewhere else?” He says and finally lifts his head, only to hide it in the crook of Chanyeol’s neck a second later.
He briefly wonders if the other feels embarrassed. He massages Baekhyun’s nape and presses a kiss to the crown of his head. They stay like that until his boyfriend relaxes again and starts to nuzzle behind his ear.
“I don’t think I’ll ever feel like this with someone else, Chanyeol. You’re my only one.”
The taller boy smiles and runs his hands across his boyfriends’ nude back. Once his hands are firmly holding onto Baekhyun’s waist he pushes the boy to the other side of the bed and hovers over him “Hello, soulmate.” He starts “Should I buy gold or platinum?”
Final author's note: This was an attempt to fill the soulmates prompt with a slight touch of pick up lines one. I hope it was of your liking!
In the other hand, once the exchange is over this will be posted on my lj with an extra smut scene, because we all like healthy relationships with morning sex, right?
Title: Vena Amoris
Pairing(s): Chanyeol/Baekhyun, side Kaisoo
Rating: NC-17
Warning(s): Mentions sex and drinking.
Length: 6292 words
Summary: There’s no need for sparks between them. The golden words in their arms and the threads of destiny around their bodies, tying them together forever, are more than enough. Soulmates!AU
“This could perfectly be the night of my life” Chanyeol tells Jongin as they get in the car together. His bright smile and positive attitude only grant him a huff from his friend. The boy is clearly not interested in his weekly speech.
“Save it, man. It’s the same every weekend.”
“But today we’re not doing the same as always.” He says with a hopeful grin. Jongin only stares at him, clearly not willing to go with his friend’s idea.
He starts the engine. He knows it’s a miracle his friend still wants to go out with him. With the pass of the years Chanyeol has learned to go with whatever the other wants, but Jongin is a sexy person, a creature of the night and he always ends dragging him to clubs.
It’s not that Chanyeol doesn’t enjoy a night of beer, low quality cocktails and dirty grinding of bodies, but he thinks he’s slightly past the clubbing age. Plus, he’s sure; he won’t find his soulmate in some dark club.
“You’re my best friend, man!” He says as he pulls neutral and waits for the red light to change.
“I need you there?” He adds lamely, trying to cheer the other. He knows it’s not personal; Jongin just woke up particularly moody today for a lot of reasons.
By the time his friend looks at him again, the anger in his eyes has already melted. “Whatever,” The brown haired boy says as he lights up a cigarette, “we have an awful reputation all over the club district. It would be good to stay away from a while.”
They do.
Both of them, to be honest.
That’s why tonight -if Chanyeol’s plan goes smoothly for once- instead of getting wasted and dirty dancing the whole night; they’ll be getting wasted and listening good music the whole night.
They drive for almost an hour and finally park in the back of a small bar in the limits of the city. The building can perfectly be described as “small”, but the secret ‘Limelight’ has to offer is the beautiful garden they have in a secluded area. During weekends they convert the venue in a vivo bar and some of the best musicians of the city play there - high quality performances technically for free, Chanyeol thinks.
This is exactly the way Chanyeol would like to spend all his Friday nights. And it’s such a childish thing, but he dreams of playing there too.
Playing in the bar would fulfill his frustrated musical dreams. However that’s a dream that needs to wait for when he graduates and starts to build a career as an architect and maybe some confidence. For now he’s pleased with having the chance to listen the others and living of his internship.
When they reach the door and the guard tells them how much they need to pay, Jongin signals to Chanyeol to go on and pay. However, when the man asks him for his id, the other makes a face so bitter, he’s sure he'll storm back to the car.
“I’m paying! And we're both legal, don't worry.” He chirps, before Jongin has time to walk back to the car and demand him to go to some shitty club in the other side of the city.
Once inside, he’s sure Jongin won’t run again; he’s an artistic little shit too. The whole place screams of new ideas and young people.
They pick a table, in the garden of course. Chanyeol starts with mineral water and whiskey. Jongin asks for an Indio. Chanyeol thinks the night already went to hell.
They make the waitress return a few times before a soft orange light starts to bath the whole place. By the time the sun sets they have finished with almost ten beers and the first band is preparing on stage. He thinks the singer is amazing; he’s only vocalizing, but he can already tell that he’s a good one - then realization hits him.
“Hey! Isn’t that Do Kyungsoo?” He blurts.
Jongin reacts surprisingly well, at least from his perspective. The boy only loses his hold around his beer and spills the amber liquid all over his white shirt and the peanuts the waitress just gave them. An obscure beer never looked this good against linen before.
Chanyeol would have laughed at his friends’ misfortune if it wasn’t for how the little commotion attracted the singer’s attention. Do Kyungsoo is looking at them with a mixture of horror and disgust.
They met Kyungsoo a couple of months ago; in one of the worst clubs they had ever visited. The kid had been heartbroken and probably high on cheap pills, and yet, he had managed to get Jongin’s attention. His friend had been hypnotized by him since the first glance. When he tried to approach the short boy, Kyungsoo had thrown his arms around his neck and whispered three extremely important words in Jongin’s ear; who in exchange had moaned two words when the boy started to kiss his neck.
The next thing Chanyeol knew from his friend was that he was calling him at six in the morning, asking him to pick him from some shitty motel. “He fucking left.” Jongin had said when Chanyeol passed him a cup of coffee, “We’re soulmates and he left me as a cheap one night stand.”
It was sad. Seeing his friend cry in fear of having wasted his chance to be with the love of his life had been painful, scary even.
Chanyeol can’t deny he’s losing hope. He’s especially optimistic about going outside and meeting people only because he’s scared of losing his beliefs.
It doesn’t matter if his parents divorced, or that his sister married a guy she wasn’t destined to be with, or that his best friend has an evasive soul mate; he’s determined to find the person who owns the words tattooed in gold in his wrist.
Even if logic tells him he shouldn't be waiting to hit gold; he thinks destiny is a mixture of conscious decisions and the whims of life. Leaving everything to destiny is not the right way. Sometimes, when time doesn’t solve things, you need to go ahead and solve them by yourself; even if fear is the only motivation.
“- soulmates bullshit!” Jongin says, finally pulling him from his thoughts. He looks at him standing and walking inside the bar. He’s sure the boy needs time to cry alone.
He sighs and rubs lime and salt over the rim of his beer. Destiny will eventually get them.
He rolls up his sleeves and looks at his forearm, to the words tattooed in gold in his wrist. He reads them over and over again; expecting to find something new there, a clue, a signal, a shining, something that indicates that he’s close.
There’s nothing.
The next one to play is a girl, a clarinetist. He couldn’t care less. He’s not sure of how many performances he tunes out as he gulps down the rest of the beers they ordered. But just as he thinks of going to the car, where he’ll probably find his friend crying his sorrows, he sees something that makes him stay.
In the table next to his, there’s a tiny guy quietly sipping water; pretty fingers wrapped around the glass, rosy lips pressed against the rim. He would think the boy looks adorable if it wasn’t for how the white shirt he’s wearing frames his broad shoulders and chest. The boy also has soft black hair falling all over his eyes. He’s the perfect combination of adorable and manly. Chanyeol’s heart beats sadly inside his ribcage at the sight.
A few minutes later he sees the boy huffing, moving the hair from his face and revealing the prettiest pair of droopy eyes Chanyeol has ever seen. Suddenly he feels like standing up and going to his table, inviting him a drink and maybe stealing a kiss from those beautifully shaped lips - but what if he doesn’t have the right words? What if the first thing he says is not what the boy is expecting? What if the boy’s first words are not what he wants?
He sits there, with his legs cramping and trying to get the guts to talk with the boy. Long minutes pass. The boy refills his glass; Chanyeol doesn’t feel ready. The boy looks around trying to kill time, Chanyeol looks away in fear of being caught staring. He’s frozen in his seat. This is the first time he feels scared of talking to someone; never before he felt at loss of words when he tried to approach a stranger. It has to mean something, the red haired boy thinks.
After a while the boy walks to the stage and dedicates a reverence to the public. “I hope you’re all having a good night,” The boy says as he smiles and Chanyeol sinks deeper in his chair - he has such a bright smile. “I’m Byun Baekhyun from K’Arts and tonight I’m going to play the piano for you.”
Baekhyun sits and extends his slender fingers over the keys. He looks beautiful covered in the pale light of the moon.
Chanyeol runs a hand through his mess of red hair and chuckles. He’s praying to not be the only one feeling this.
The mood in the bar is immediately adjusted when the black haired boy starts to play. The song sounds magical. It’s amazing how the boy seems to be telling them a story without lyrics. Chanyeol recognizes the music from somewhere, but he can’t conjure the lyrics yet. To him it sounds like a quest, a constant longing to find and reach something.
He’s still trying to remember lyrics when Baekhyun’s pink lips separate and surprises him with his lovely voice.
I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete
The tiny boy has such a powerful voice; full with emotions and accompanied by his music he's capable of evoking feelings in the public. He sings with so much intensity, as if he felt exactly what he sang. Chanyeol’s eyes start to mist with tears, he feels identified.
Oh Simple Thing, where have you gone?
I’m getting old and I need something to rely on
so tell me when you’re gonna let me in
I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin
He listens until the song ends and everyone starts to clap. He would like to offer a rose to the beautiful musician, a demonstration of the admiration he managed to incite in him. And then, in that second, unexpectedly, destiny decides his time has arrived.
It starts with an itch in his forearm. He stops clapping in order to scratch himself; he expects a bump caused by a mosquito bite, instead he find the place warm to the touch.
When he looks down, his pulse becomes frantic. Along the words in his wrist, there are inked golden vines growing and intertwining across his palm, reaching his fingertips where they pulse timidly, as if asking him to reach for something.
It can only mean one thing.
He looks around, trying to find whoever looks uncomfortable. To his surprise, in the front, still in the stage, the Byun guy is scratching his forearm through his sleeve.
It’s exhilarating, to see that destiny might the playing the right cards on him for the first time.
He felt it in the second he saw Baekhyun, he felt it when he heard him sing and he feels it now as the Vena Amoris tells him that his soulmate is close.
He’s sporting his dumbest smile when the pianist finally spots him and he stops breathing. Will Baekhyun approach him? Will he finally listen his words? Will his phone stop vibrating soon for the love of God?
He wants to throw the device to the fountain, but he sees Jongin’s name in the screen. There’s nothing he can do. He would like to stay and let destiny sweep him of his feet; find out if he says he words the other has tattooed; and if Baekhyun has the ones that belong to his arm, Instead, he takes Jongin’s call.
“Can we please go home now?” The boy says in the other side of the line with a trembling voice. That’s a signal to him. Friendship duties are calling.
If he’s destined to Baekhyun it won’t take them long to find each other again.
He takes his jacket from the back of the chair and throws a moderate tip in the table. He affords a last longing look at the pianist, who’s now entertained chatting with the next performer, and leaves the bar.
He finds Jongin sitting inside his car. He doesn’t question him; he just sits with him and drives. “I told him I want to be with him.” The boy says as he lights up his nth cigarette that night.
“You can always try next week, Jongin.” Chanyeol suggests, voice getting muffled by the sound of the wind.
After dropping Jongin at home, he drives to his apartment complex and waits inside his car until his pulse returns to its normal speed. The whole elevator ride is used to try to clear his mind. It’s useless; the excitement is still running in his veins.
Once inside his apartment he decides to skip shower and go straight to bed. He throws his clothes everywhere and crawls to the mattress naked. The tall boy looks at his tattoo under the moonlight. It’s clearer than ever, the golden ink moving and creating new designs in his skin.
“I just want to make things right.” He whispers to himself before falling asleep.
The next two days are spent between doing homework, cleaning the apartment and trying to block the thoughts about Baekhyun along with all the anticipation from his mind.
The strategy works pretty well, until Sunday night when he decides he wants to cook something. He has always enjoyed cooking and he is proud of his abilities, so he tries to outdo himself. He spends hours in the kitchen. The result: enough ‘Lemon butter chicken breasts’ to feed a family. As he eats he can't avoid the feeling of loneliness in his chest; he wishes he had someone to share with - No… he wishes he could share with Baekhyun.
Monday morning comes like a soft caress, surprisingly. He doesn't remember falling asleep last night, but he feels totally recovered from his weird weekend.
He gets enough time to take breakfast, fix his hair and even throw the chicken leftovers inside a tupperware. At 8:20 he swings his backpack over his shoulder, locks the door and does his best to smile. If he's close to meet his soul mate, his life can't be so bad, right?
At 8:40 he stops in the gas station near to uni. He removes his sunglasses and checks himself in the mirror. His red hair is carefully pushed up and he doesn’t look like he corpse, even if homework is taking its toll on him.
When there's only one car in front of him, he lets his head hang from the window and peers absentmindedly at the driver. The person seems to be chatting with someone over the phone. Then, he opens the door and the first thing Chanyeol notices are the pretty fingers holding a plastic bottle with the emblem of K'Arts.
He doesn’t wait for his turn; he reverses and goes straight to uni. Destiny needs to give him a fucking free minute. He's not ready to meet Baekhyun... yet.
On Tuesday he spots Baekhyun in his favorite bubble tea store when he’s coming out of the restroom. This time he doesn't run away, he just looks from afar and wonders when he will have the guts to approach the other.
From his point of view this is matter of luck; maybe part of the games theory. He can offer the right words and get the right words in exchange. At the same time he can offer the wrong words and still win a date or two, see how long they can make it last. The third option is to be swallowed by loss.
He realizes the boy can probably feel that he's close, because he’s looking at his arm and throwing glances around the shop every now and then. Chanyeol sighs in relief, that’s good sign of being destined to be with someone.
As he leaves the store he catches Baekhyun ordering the 'pastel de chocolate'. That’s the specialty of the place; a mixture of condensed milk, chocolate, ice and even brownie turned into a beverage with tapioca pearls. He wonders if the black haired boy has a soft spot for sweets.
Later that day, he giggles as he thinks of giving chocolates to Baekhyun on their first date. Maybe the next time they meet, after all destiny seems to be pretty obsessed with them.
His Wednesday passes as normal as any other week. He assists to all his classes without problems and he eats outside without any kind of issue.
It’s when he’s going home, after his hours in the office, that he sees Baekhyun’s car. They’re stuck in the traffic jam for almost 15 minutes. Half of the time is spent stealing glances at the boy and the other half trying to not look like a suspicious person.
He hears Baekhyun sing to two songs, high notes and rap cuts included.
During Thursday he decides a visit to the supermarket is necessary. He doesn’t have any food left and he’s been washing his hair with only soap for two days.
He drives to the supermarket in the area where he used to live as a child, as mere impulse of longing and maybe because he considers the apples are bigger in that store.
The place is almost 30 minutes away from the center of the city. That’s why he can’t understand why in the drugstore section, chatting animatedly with the cashier, is Byun Baekhyun in all his tiny beauty and wearing a shirt too big for him.
Finding him in such an odd place was unexpected, but as he clutches his bottle of shampoo he starts to reunite courage; he wants to talk with Baekhyun today.
He starts to get close, a shy grin growing in his face - “He’s really big. I’m not even sure which size should I buy.” The black haired boy tells to the dependent with a smile clear in his voice.
Chanyeol stops walking. He wants to mute the whole conversation or to run away and hide behind the shelf of the cotton swabs. Instead he stays and listens until his heart can’t with it anymore.
“Oh please, you still can’t manage to score with him. Why are you even buying condoms?” She says hitting his arm.
“Because I’m taking him to bed soon. It’s just matter of time. He can't run away forever.”
"Byun Baekhyun, he's going to feel stalked and put a restriction order against you." The girl chastises, but still hands him a packet of condoms. "The textured ones are my favorites. Use them wisely."
"Hey, noona. Please hand me scented lube too.”
That’s it. He drops the bottle of shampoo and leaves the place without buying anything.
Byun Baekhyun is not his soulmate. He can’t be, because he clearly has found his soulmate already.
Chanyeol stays in bed until midday that Friday. He doesn’t have classes on Friday and during Fridays he’s supposed to work on his personal projects for the developers company. Fridays leave him free to mourn.
He has clear how stupid is to cry for losing something he never got to have.
Being serious, he probably left himself go. He took as signals things that weren't explicit signals. He's even starting to doubt if he really saw the pretty boy looking at his arm. None of the clues were concluding. He’s not one hundred percent sure Byun Baekhyun is his soulmate. And even if he is… he already has someone.
The Vena Amoris system is full of glitches after all. Malfunctions and irregularities happen because destiny is as organic as the world it leads; sometimes they fix themselves, sometimes the error is permanent and leaves irreparable scars in the lives of people.
At four the hunger becomes too much. He regrets having abandoned his cart without buying anything the last day.
He only finds strength to take his phone from the floor and dial the number of the only person who understands him. “Jongin,” He starts, “FEED ME! I’M SO HUNGRY!” He half cries in the phone.
Jongin chuckles; he’s used to this. “Mom made bulgogi. Maybe if you run my sisters will leave you some.”
Across the park, only five minutes away, if he runs, live the Kims. It takes him three minutes to arrive, because the elevator was especially fast and he’s especially hungry.
“Wow, man. Are you that hungry?” Jongin asks when he opens the door.
“I don’t have any food left and I seriously need to tell you something important.” He says panting.
“Am I finally going to know the reason of spazziness during the last week?” Jongin says.
“Yep,” Chanyeol nods “but you need to feed me first.”
He tells Jongin the whole story; starting a week ago and everything that happened while he was away. He tells him about all the ‘occasional’ encounters during the week. The part about the drugstore makes his friend laugh until he falls from his chair.
When Jongin recovers Chanyeol gets a pat in the back and then a slap in the back of his head. “Didn’t you say he was touching his arm too? You found him in like four different places all across the city; do you seriously think it was all a coincidence?”
“Hey, no one owns the guy. Even if he’s seeing someone, he can always leave him for you.” Jongin says as he gives him part of his bulgogi. “Give more credit to yourself, man. You’re pretty charming. Maybe he’ll fall for you in the same way you fell for him.”
He’s deeply moved by Jongin comforting him, until he speaks again. “Are we clubbing tonight then?”
Chanyeol’s answer naturally was a rotund no, but ignoring Jongin’s puppy eyes is not an easy task. So, after a lot of pep talk, being forcefully shoved in the shower and correctly dressed and styled according to his friends’ taste, he’s more ready to have a clubbing night than he’s been in the past five years.
“Listen, Chanyeol.” Jongin says when they’re in the parking lot “If for some reason your Byun guy is in the club, don’t dare to waste time. You’re going to talk with him, find if he’s your soul mate and even if he isn’t take him home and show him why you should be the one for him.”
“What if he’s not interested?” Chanyeol mumbles.
“Oh, he will.” He says before leaving the car.
Inside, Chanyeol let’s himself go for the first time in years. He sits in the bar and before he knows he’s five beers past his usual resistance and he’s throwing jokes everywhere. Everyone around him seems to be infatuated with his smile and it’s invigorating; to have confidence in his body for the first time in a week.
A lot of people chats him up and he kindly turns down all of them. His interest is set in a certain black haired singer and no one seems to be in the same level as him.
At midnight Jongin disappears from the bar, leaving Chanyeol at his own luck. “He followed someone to the restroom.” The bartender says, waving a hand dismissively. “He looked awestruck when that short guy approached him.” She adds giggling. “Talking about following people to the restroom… there’s a guy behind you wearing eyeliner; he’s been eying you the whole night.” An impish smile forms in her face “You might score tonight, Chanyeol.”
He’s sure his face turned as red as his hair. Still, the confident smile of the girl and the alcohol in his body, make him turn around - as discreetly a drunken man can afford.
He follows the gaze of whoever is looking at him and is pleasantly surprised to find Baekhyun in the other side of the dance floor.
He's still staring at him; a grin adorning his face. His stomach starts to do backflips because he looks like he’s dressed to impress too and he’s drinking what seems to be a ‘fuzzy navel’. He wants to taste the Peach Schnapps directly from his mouth.
The bravery recollected during the night finally shows as he stands and starts to walk across the dance floor, bodies bumping against him and cutting his sight a couple of times. When he finally reaches the other side he sees a lot of people, but none of them are Byun Baekhyun.
Maybe he’s too intoxicated and the alcohol is playing tricks on him; making him see what he wants to see, hallucinations of his soul mate.
He returns to the bar and gives the usual tip to the bartender who seems to be as confused as him.
He needs to get out from there, everything is too cramped and he can barely breathe. He pushes the back door open and steps in the lonely alley behind the club. He was so sure, he was ready to throw his doubts away and play his last card.
Outside, the October moon shines big above him; it doesn’t leave any opportunity to the stars. When the cold wind clears his mind a little, he writes a short text to Jongin explaining he had to go home without him. He's about to go look for his car when the back door opens again; heavy metal hinges creaking.
"Hey!" An exasperated voice calls. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Chanyeol is not in his five senses yet, so it actually takes him a while to comprehend what the voice said and all the implications these words carry. If this is part of a joke or of his imagination he thinks he might cry.
He looks behind him to where Baekhyun is standing in the stairs, with his hand on his hips. He only shrugs. That apparently irks the boy, because in a second, he’s is right in front of him, looking ready to break his nose. "Me?" He breathes.
Chanyeol starts to laugh; waves of relief running through his body. Baekhyun is already close; he only lifts his hands to hold his face. "Hello, soulmate." He whispers before swooping down and stealing a kiss from those lips he has been dreaming of during the whole last week.
There’s no need for sparks between them. The golden words in their arms and the threads of destiny around their bodies, tying them together forever, are more than enough.
Running hand in hand with Baekhyun feels like part of French movie. Half of the way he looks at the back of Baehyun’s head, hair bouncing cutely. Every time the boy looks back at him and smiles he feels like his heart is about to jump from his chest. He never thought he would find his soul mate in one of Jongin’s shitty clubs.
He also never thought he would abandon his car in order to rush to Baekhyun’s apartment, laughing with childish happiness as they dodge people. Or that his world would spin so fast when Baekhyun tiptoes to press their lips together in the doorway of condo.
Even when Baekhyun releases him, after long minutes of kissing and smiles bashfully, his world keeps spinning.
Baekhyun's smile slowly fades “Chanyeol,” He asks, “Are you alright?”
‘How do you know my name’ He wants to ask, because he didn’t have the chance to tell him. Instead he tries to nod- then he sees black and lets himself go.
Mornings with hangovers have never been Chanyeol’s thing; everything is too bright for his sensitive eyes, the migraines almost split his head open and the dehydration in general makes him stay in bed the whole day. But for some reason this hangover is being pretty kind to him.
His mouth is moist and his head doesn’t hurt. It’s not even light what wakes him up, but a cold caress against his cheek and a melodious voice whispering in his ear.
“Good morning, sleepyhead" The voice continues once he stirs awake as the hand moves to caress his torso.
A finger dipping in his navel is what finally shakes the sleep from him. He opens his eyes, squinting to Baekhyun’s face - and whole boy in general - all over his vital space. "It took you so long to wake up. Don't you think you've made me wait enough?" The black haired boy says pouting.
Chanyeol would give everything to kiss that jutting bottom lip; maybe a peck to his cupid’s bow is necessary too.
He’s still a little disoriented. Everything last night happened so fast. However, things seem to be okay between them, because even if his mouth still tastes bitter from everything he drank last night; Baekhyun’s tastes like a gulp of fresh air when he parts Chanyeol’s lips with his tongue.
It’s not as magical as their first kiss. It’s better. Their first passionate kiss, Chanyeol thinks; trying to memorize every second of it.
“Would you say that it’s too soon to do it?” Baekhyun blurts suddenly, after a few minutes into their make out session. He’s holding himself up with his hands pressed to Chanyeol’s chest. “I mean, I would like to think that we’ve been dating for a week.”
Baekhyun has a lovely way to cheat. “So, you think that our occasional encounters during the last week were… dates?” He asks grinning.
“Yeah, dates planned by destiny.” The boy says with a dramatic tone. “We were together in the same place, stealing glances at each other. It sounds a lot like a date.”
He’s openly laughing by the time the shorter boy finishes, deep sound rumbling inside his chest. “You knew? Every time you knew we were together and yet you didn’t approach me?”
“Hey!” The boy complains “It’s not like you took the initiative either. And to be fair i thought you had to start the conversation.”
“Still, we’re not having sex yet.” He says trying to sound serious and making Baekhyun pout again “Not until I take you to an official date at least.” He adds.
Baekhyun recovers his smile, bright like last night’s moon. “You’re right. We need to learn to hold proper and serious conversations first.” He says angelically.
He holds Baekhyun’s shoulders and rolls him, so he’s pressed against the mattress. Once in control, he starts with his mission. “What about Wednesday?” He asks as he presses a kiss under Baekhyun’s chin. “I can give you a ride after work.” The boy under him giggles and he plants some butterfly kisses along his jaw. “We can go to my apartment. I’ll cook for you.” He starts to suck at a spot behind the other’s ear. “Make sure to bring clean clothes,” He moves to lick at the shell of his ear before whispering hotly “because I’ll make sure to put in use those condoms you bought.”
Baekhyun obviously likes the idea, because he openly moans and crosses his legs around his waist “I think it’s a great plan,” He says, holding onto Chanyeol’s biceps to gain some leverage. “but I’m going to have to reject you if you leave me alone to take care of this hard on.” Baekhyun reinforces his point by moving his hips gracefully against Chanyeol’s. “Take responsibility, Chanyeol. Don’t make me wait.”
Oh, Chanyeol thinks, he can play along; he's dying to play along. One minute they were trying to hold a conversation like adults and the next one he was lowering his body; pressing himself to the other and softly sliding himself up and down, urging Baekhyun to move in the same rhythm.
It doesn’t take them too long to be done. What takes them long is to recover their breaths and for Baekhyun to be brave enough to move Chanyeol from his neck.
It’s too soon to feel this attached, Chanyeol wants to say. The look of happiness in Baekhyun’s face is enough to shut him up.
“Let’s get some breakfast.” Baekhyun says as he rolls himself from the bed. There’s a wet spot in his briefs; Chanyeol finds himself unwilling to look away. Then the other shimmies them off and he’s faced by a soft butt.
He can’t believe he’s this attached to a butt he still doesn’t have the pleasure to meet.
By the time Wednesday comes, Chanyeol has become frantic. They have been messaging and sending photos to each other, but he really wants to have the real thing in his arms again.
At six an unexpected downpour starts. He only sighs; the traffic jam is going to be a nightmare.
However an hour later he’s driving across the city to the K’Arts campus. He finds Baekhyun already waiting for him by the gates. It takes him a while to recognize him thanks to the huge pink umbrella he’s holding.
Chanyeol honks and opens the copilot door for Baekhyun, so he can get inside soon. In the second the lower half of his body is inside the car, he drops the umbrella and launches himself to Chanyeol, aiming for his lips. “You seriously have a thing for making me wait.” Baekhyun reproaches.
It’s difficult to reject the short boy when in the moment they enter Chanyeol’s apartment, and they feel in private, he’s clinging to his shoulders and pressing himself against him; an almost successful attempt to make him forget about dinner, skip the talk and go straight to the good part.
“Dinner is ready.” Chanyeol mutters againt the lips of the other “Let’s eat first. I left everything in the oven.”
Baekhyun gurgles but disentangles himself from him and leaves him enough space to move freely. The little boy is confident about his feelings.
He removes his shoes and pads behind Chanyeol, who leads him to the kitchen and sits hin in the stool. “Lemon Broccoli Pasta for a rainy day.” Chanyeol says presenting him the dish. He already has a fork in his hand.
“I can’t believe this is so good.” Baekhyun moans after a few minutes, taking a sip from his wine. “Please move in with me, marry me or whatever is necessary so you can cook for me.”
“Hey, no need to hurry.” He chuckles. “We don’t have to put a compromise over us. I’ll willingly cook every night for you; if you want.”
The sound of metal hitting against porcelain resonates across the kitchen. In a blink, the shorter boy is leaning over the bar, his face millimeters away from Chanyeol’s “I hope you’re not scared of compromise, Chanyeol -” The latter gulps, adam’s apple bobbing. “because you’re my soulmate and I’m not planning to let you go.”
The black haired boy returns to his seat before adding “Among the millions of options this world offers and all the possible life companions, the Vena Amoris offered me the best match. Why would I reject its suggestion when I wanted you since the first second?” He pauses for a second, “Would you reject it?” he questions.
Chanyeol reaches for his hand, which is nervously playing with the rim of his glass “I wanted you too - the first glance was enough to know I wanted you forever.”
Baekhyun intertwines their fingers “Then, would you deny love at first sight when you’re victim of it?”
The tall boy only shakes his head negatively and brings Baekhyun’s hand to his mouth to kiss it.
Chanyeol thinks they have always been a morning couple. Some of his favorite memories come from their mornings spent together under the blankets and their shared breakfasts.
Once again, like every morning in the past two years, he wakes up to Baekhyun kissing his fingers. He knows he has been playing with his hands since he woke up; it’s one his habits.
Nonetheless, this morning slowly progressed until Baekhyun started to lick the center of his palm; his warm tongue mapping every bump and crevice. “Do you think we should get engagement rings?” He mutters as he trails a line of kisses from his wrist and up to his forearm.
“Do you want to be with me forever, Baekhyun?” He asks, letting the other do as he wants with him.
The shorter boy bites in the crook of his elbow in retaliation “Do I look like I want to be somewhere else?” He says and finally lifts his head, only to hide it in the crook of Chanyeol’s neck a second later.
He briefly wonders if the other feels embarrassed. He massages Baekhyun’s nape and presses a kiss to the crown of his head. They stay like that until his boyfriend relaxes again and starts to nuzzle behind his ear.
“I don’t think I’ll ever feel like this with someone else, Chanyeol. You’re my only one.”
The taller boy smiles and runs his hands across his boyfriends’ nude back. Once his hands are firmly holding onto Baekhyun’s waist he pushes the boy to the other side of the bed and hovers over him “Hello, soulmate.” He starts “Should I buy gold or platinum?”
Final author's note: This was an attempt to fill the soulmates prompt with a slight touch of pick up lines one. I hope it was of your liking!
In the other hand, once the exchange is over this will be posted on my lj with an extra smut scene, because we all like healthy relationships with morning sex, right?