Excitement is one of the many emotions coursing through Chanyeol at the moment. As he walks towards the government building dressed head to toe in white, he notices the sudden like heaviness of his stomach. He never thought that he would actually make it here. The nicely trimmed hedges lining the pathway are starting to look more and more like targets. His hands start to shake as he takes to the small set of stares. The double oak doors that greet him loom menacingly; threaten to squish him into the wall if he gets any closer.

“Will you slow down and wait for me!” His mother squawks. She is halfway up the brick walkway, hiking her purse up her shoulder. Chanyeol can’t help but bounce in place while she hobbles towards him. Today is the biggest day of his life; the summer solstice of his eighteenth year. The only thing standing between him and his future seems to be his mother who is not accustomed to heels.

When she finally gets to him, she takes her time fixing her bangs before patting him on the back. “Are you ready?” she huffs and Chanyeol has to laugh. For this, he has always been ready.

They walk into the foyer, which has been decorated for the day’s event. The blue signs, indicating where to go, are ignored by Chanyeol’s mother as she grabs her son’s hand and presses forward. She swerves around corners as if she was the tour guide for the place. She has been here many times; for Chanyeol’s brother, for her siblings, for herself. Though she knows the place like the back of her hand, this is Chanyeol’s second time and the white sequenced walls make him feel like he is in a never ending maze.

They come to a halt at a table set up just before the doors to the outdated ballroom. After stumbling over his name and his class, Chanyeol is given a number and told to go into the room to his right.

His mother hauls him into one of the tightest hugs he has ever received. This is not a sudden burst of emotion. He is the baby of the family and after today, he will no longer be living with her. She had been avoiding the subject ever since he got his letter, but it must be too much now that they are actually here. She pulls away, dabbing a pink handkerchief at her eye and rambling words of encouragement. With a stiff final nod she turns and heads through the doors with the other parents.

Chanyeol plays with the last button of his suit jacket to keep himself from skipping down the hall.

The designated waiting room is filled with people his age, each clad in white, making it look like he just step through the gates of heaven. The angels sit around tables in groups of five. Some talking animatedly with their neighbors, others picking at anything they can get their hands on to calm their jitters. The empty chairs have numbers on the spine. Chanyeol takes his time weaving though the cramp aisles while simultaneously checking the unintentionally mutilated paper in his palms to find his spot.

While the unoccupied seats slowly fill up, he makes small talk with the person besides him. The girl, name Raina, has traveled for four hours to come here today. Chanyeol feels Lucky that he was required to come to his own city hall. He doesn’t think he could sit in place for that long. He was feeling fidgety with just the five minute that has passed.

It is not long after that everyone is lined up numerically and is ushered into the cream coloured ballroom. Its high ceilings were painted with beautiful art works that were engraved with gold. The sight of it entrances Chanyeol as soon as he steps into the room. He cranes his head, mouth dropping in awe as he shuffles along.

With his attention being zoned in on the fancy ceiling, he collides into Raina, who squeaks in complaints, when the line stops. He apologizes to her half-heartedly, eyes roaming over the audience that takes up a good portion of the room, hoping to find his mother. She sits in the third row, giving him a look that tells him that he better smarten up. His face contours in mockery as he follows the angels in turning around.

In front of them, there are foldable aluminum chairs. They string across the room, shining-almost like they were polished for the occasion. No one makes a move to sit down. They are not placed for them. No, they were set there for the next group.

Chanyeol bites into his lip to hold back his widening smile. Any second now he is going to meet his destiny. The person that the law has matched him with from his blood and finger prints that they took when he was born. The person that he has known the name of since his first summer solstice.

His master.

The door to the left side of the room opens and in marches another batch of kids his age. They too are dressed all in white, the only difference that they have from Chanyeol and his group is that they held confidence in their step and have red ribbons wound around there right wrist.
These ribbons are originally clear. They hide a design of thin needles that pierce into the skin and extract and deposit blood. They are a very important part of the ceremony.

The second line stops in synchronisation. Chanyeol looks down at his fate as the announcer greets the mass. The distraught look the boy in front of him gives him sets a spark of panic in his own chest.

The national anthem starts in the background as they stare into each other’s eyes. The boy’s lips move and Chanyeol is instantly mesmerised by the plumpness of his lower lip. What would it feel like to touch those, to kiss those, to hear them speak? The last part sends a jolt to his brain. The guy was trying to communicate with him. He starts to pay less attention on the shape and more on the words that they are trying to form. What’s your…. What’s your number?

Chanyeol blinks and mouths out ‘24’.

‘Are you sure?’  Chanyeol signal to the peace of paper clutched in his hand with his eyes. The guy trails his own down only to look away. He worries at his lip and then sighs, mouthing something along the lines of ‘they must have made a mistake.’

Chanyeol’s heart constricts, feeling like he was suddenly pushes of a cliff. Sure they had just met, but the thought of this person who was supposedly his one true match thinking that the government screwed up hurt him. Chanyeol liked everything about this guy right off the bat, from his spiked bangs to his round eyes. Why wouldn’t he feel the same? Were Chanyeol’s ears too big? Was he ugly in this guy’s perspective?

Was he too tall?

His height had always been a soft spot when he was younger. People in his classification were supposed to be petite. If he knew that the person he has been dreaming of was going to reject him for that, he would have stopped drinking milk long ago.

Chanyeol slumps. He really wanted to be with this guy. It would be better to confirm that it’s not him before he gets even more attached.

“Do Kyungsoo.” He whispers the name he has always known, just enough to be heard over the music. The boy’s thick eyebrows shoot up and he nods hesitantly.

“Park Chanyeol?”  Chanyeol returns a solemn nod.

The anthem ends and there is silence for a moment before the announcer, a slender man dressed in black, returns to the microphone. “Well, let’s begin.” He says, then in a strong voice, “Thralls, kneel.”  Chanyeol’s line instantly drops to their knees. There were many words taught to them for the simple action, it seems as though they were going to follow polite orders today. “Claimers, please take your seats.” There is a moment of shuffling and echoed squeaks as Kyungsoo’s line settles down.

“Today is the day that these young people will pledge to their bond so that they will become joined together for the rest of their lives. Some of you will look at the person in front of you and be instantaneously committed to them. Others will have doubts in their minds on whether or not this will work out. Don’t worry, these feeling are natural and it’s perfectly normal to be scared. But let me assure you that after spending some time together you will find out why this is a necessary law.” He pauses to drink from a water bottle.

He goes on to a light the history of the ceremony. He speaks of how it came to be, how the gods, long ago, blessed the weaker humans with a stronger partner that would help them banish all their flaws so they too could stay alive. He also talks about how science has help people find there bond member quicker. By the time he is wrapping up his speech of things that people already know, Chanyeol’s knees have a steady throb passing through them.

“Now Thralls, I want you to take the red ribbon off of the person in front of you while saying the words that you have learned.” Finally the participation part of the claiming has come.

Chanyeol’s hands shake as they reach for the tie. He slowly pulls at the ends of the bow as he repeats the words numbly with the group. “Master, I relinquish my power to you. From this day forward I come to serve you and only you. Be it praise or scorn, I will do everything I can to please you. Your wish is my command.” Chanyeol is barely able to whisper the last part. For years he watched actors on TV say the exact same words and would dream about the day he would be allowed to say them too. Saying them out loud was a little over whelming.

The material in his hands is smooth. He rubs it in between his fingers to buy himself some time. His half of the bond is complete, now all that has to be done is for Kyungsoo to accept. It wasn’t common nowadays for thralls to be rejected, but it still happens once in a while.

He presents the ribbon delicately in both his hands, palms facing upward to show his vulnerability with the inside of his wrist. He bows his head to a lower level and waits in anticipation.

“Now claimers, it is your turn for your words.” Chanyeol’s  vision is starting to blur and as the ribbon slips from his grasp, he hangs on to the only thing that he can see; Kyungsoo’s pant leg. The prick of the needles as they push into his neck is a lot less painful than he expects it to be. The initial sting is dulled by the blood flowing into his vain. Suddenly, he is hyper aware of Kyungsoo. How he is breathing shakenly, and the way he softly presses down on the entry point.

“This ribbon is my acknowledgement to your belonging.” The claimers say in unison. Chanyeol feels a sensation on his neck-the warmth of knuckles brushing agents his skin. Then there is tightness on his Adams apple, not because of shortness of breath- though he does deeply inhale to fend off the tears. Kyungsoo tightens the bow on the side of his throat as he continues his speech.

“From today onward you are mine to teach, mine to correct, and mine to care for. I will help you to be the best you can be. For that to work you need to heed to my requests. You will obey me.”

Now with the bond complete, it is not traditionally part of the ceremony for Chanyeol to keep his forehead parallel floor. He does it because all of his joints are screaming at him to summit to the firm voice above him. He rejoices in the feeling; it means that he is accepted, that he belongs.

The next few sentences the announcer says go unregistered to Chanyeol as he tries to adjust to all of these new emotions.

The audience applauds and the claimers stand up. With that the ceremony ends and people drift off in their newly formed pairs to greet their loved ones.

Kyungsoo make no sign of moving so Chanyeol stays in his bending position.

And cough comes from over Chanyeol’s shoulder and Kyungsoo looks up. "Excuse me, I'm Chanyeol's mother. If it would be alight with you, I would like to have a word with my son." Her voice was sugar coated. The only time Chanyeol really hears that tone is when she is dealing with someone of importance. Witch she is. She has to make a good impression; Chanyeol is not hers anymore.

Kyungsoo nods. "Chanyeol," he speaks in a warm tone. "Stay here and talk with your mother. I'll go get us something to drink."

"Yes sir." Chanyeol whispers. Kyungsoo heads to the hallway where the parents entered. There was a small vending machine in the connecting hallway where he was mostly likely to fetch the beverages.

 When Kyungsoo is out of ear shot, Chanyeol's mom speaks. "So, how do you feel?" She grabs him by the shoulder to help him stand and gives him a hug.
"Great." Chanyeol admits honestly as he pats her back. "It's more than you said it would be."

"Has the bond fully awakened?"

"The stars are gravitating toward him as we speak. I can't believe I'm his."

She pulls away, smile stretching across her face. "He is a looker, isn't he?" she comments slyly.

"No one can compare." Chanyeol says in an over exaggerated euphoric voice, making fun of every romantic movie he has ever seen.

"Now, I find that hard to believe.” she huffs. “What about your father?” She lightly smacks him in the chest with the back of her gloved hand. “He was perfectly handsome."

Chanyeol rolls eyes. "He was five foot two with a beard."

"Like I said; Perfection."

"You have to say that. You were bonded with him." he chuckles.

"Not necessarily. Just look at my friends’ partners." She makes a face. She starts to list the details of flaws in her friends’ mates, but somewhere around the third Chanyeol gets distracted with a nagging tapping coming from his chest. It wasn’t necessarily annoying, just light bursts of pressure that refused to be ignored. His eyes starts to drift to the function doors, He stops trying to focus on what his mother is saying for blatantly staring at the entrance.

Kyungsoo appears, pushing his way up the stream of guests to get back into the room. He rearranges his out of place hair before continuing on his way to the stage. His fingers play with a can in one of his hands. Chanyeol find himself wondering if whether or not they are callused.

"Chanyeol! Chanyeol!" A thwat to the head has his attention brought back to his mother.

"Huh? What did you say?" he asks dumbly.

"Okay, pick up your jaw from the floor." His mother takes hold of his chin to make him look at her. "I know you’re a bonded man now, but that doesn't mean you can ignore me. You are going to have to ask him to visit once and a while."

"Oh, you won't have to worry about that." Kyungsoo voice interrupts, sending shivers down Chanyeol’s spine. "My family also lives in the city. So I requested an apartment in between the two homes." Kyungsoo smiles and passes a can to Chanyeol. "You can visit with your mother anytime you want."

The apartment they receive is modest. All the furnishings come with it. It contain one bedroom with a king size mattress, but the living room is big enough for several people to lounge around in. It is there that Kyungsoo take residence on the fold up couch.

After the claiming, Kyungsoo seems to distance himself from Chanyeol as much as possible. Chanyeol has tried on several occasions to get close to him, but somehow Kyungsoo always has a way of evading him.

Kyungsoo is always busy, or at least that’s what he says.

True or not, he is up before the birds. At most; he is home for about a half hour around five every day to eat something before he wordlessly heads back out until ten, where he collapses on the faux bed. Kyungsoo is speechless in all of Chanyeol’s attempts of connection. The only time the two communicate is over the phone on what Kyungsoo will pick up for dinner.

When Chanyeol expresses his concerns to his mother in one of his many visits, she proposes that Kyungsoo needs adjusting to their new life style. Chanyeol is fine with that. He backs off, thinking that Kyungsoo needs a couple of weeks to warm up to him. But weeks turned into months and their relationship makes no progress.
Now with a year passed, Chanyeol can't stand Kyungsoo's standoffish attitude. All those self-doubting thoughts he had during the claiming are plaguing his mind, coming back over and over again to . Chanyeol is going insane.

He sits on the floor of his bedroom with a shoe box in front of him that he has dragged out from under his bed. Inside is the ribbon from the claiming tied around the juice can. Chanyeol fingers the end of it, all the emotions from that day flashing back to him. The excitement, the nervousness, the absolute pure bliss. Chanyeol smile tightly. Where did they all go? Are they still there, buried deep under worry and misery? Or have the flown away from him, never to return?

A blue light blinks on in the corner of his eye. He reaches blindly to the side to retrieve his phone. Just a few more moments of what could have been is all he asks for. His gaze, not wanting to leave the shoe box world, numbly drifts to the screen. It’s a text from Kyungsoo, asking if the local chicken joint takeout would be alright for supper.

Take out again? Mother would not approve.

Wait. Mother?

Flashes of the past few months passes through his memory. Any time he was seeking advice from the woman she was in the kitchen, always interrupting his dialog to get him to help in some sort of way.

It seems so obvious now. She always used to drag him into the kitchen when he was little to make him help out. Back then, he used to object profoundly. But now he realizes with shocking revelation that she has been silently helping him.

Chanyeol types out a quick message to Kyungsoo, asking if it would be alright if he cooked instead. It takes a while, but Kyungsoo answers in the affirmative.
Chanyeol shoots up from the floor. He rushes to the kitchen, slipping some in his socks on the tile on the way. He searches the fridge for something acceptable. How did he never notice how bare the shelves were?

He would have to go shopping.

The market is only down the street and it takes twenty minutes to get there and back. Chanyeol immediately starts preparing the vegetables as soon as he gets in the door. There is only one main dish that he know off by heart and that is only because he like to stick his head in the pot whenever his mother was making it as a kid.

He makes a mental note to start taking cooking classes.

He hums as he chops up the ingredients. Cooking for Kyungsoo makes him feel light. It makes him giddy just thinking of the smile he would get from Kyungsoo when he has Chanyeol’s home cooked meal. Chanyeol even pretends that the task was an order, even it wasn’t. With that thought, he can’t stop smiling to himself.

Kyungsoo walks in the door just as Chanyeol puts the last side dish on the table. Pride builds in his chest at the timing. Kyungsoo looks over the food silently for a moment, his face stoic. Then quietly moves to a chair.

The haunting clang of chopsticks on china truly gives away how awkward the meal is. It feels like they are dinning in different continents. The anticipation carves away at Chanyeol; he can't help but to peek through his lashes to assess Kyungsoo's judgement. Kyungsoo gives nothing away on his face, almost looking bored as he takes small portions to his mouth. He doesn’t hesitate to eat anything though, so that's good, right? That means he likes it?

Chanyeol is still unsure by the end of the meal. Kyungsoo stands up and starts to gather the empty platters. Chanyeol can't help but stare at Kyungsoo as he retreats to the kitchen. When he hears water starting to run, He hurries to finish of the last bit in his bow, scooping up what is left and waddling into the kitchen.
One of the sinks is already half filled with bubbles when he enters. He goes over to the garbage bin to clear the plates of residue, sneakily eyeing Kyungsoo as he set the dishes in suds.

"I'll do them." Chanyeol offers.

"It’s okay." Kyungsoo replies, reaching for a sponge. "You cooked."

Chanyeol chews on the inside of his cheek. Something about it didn't set right with him. It was a fair way to split up the chores and should be all good, but as he eyes Kyungsoo's profile he notices just how slanted Kyungsoo’s shoulders are and how he has deep bags under his eyes are. "Please let me do them." Chanyeol sullenly insists.

Kyungsoo stops his motions just as he about to dunk his hands back into the water. "How about I wash, and you dry?" He suggests with a twist to his lips.
"Okay."

They get down to work. There is a lot, since this was the first time that Chanyeol cooked without assistance and he dirtied almost every utensil they have. Kyungsoo is as silent as ever. It kind of makes Chanyeol eerie. What was he thinking about?

Chanyeol picks up a saucer, wiping it with a dish towel before slipping it into the cupboard. He thinks about how couples on T.V. would talk and play while doing stuff like this. They would joke and fling bubbles at each other. Kyungsoo would never do that with him. Chanyeol is even amazed that they had the conversation that they did today. Kyungsoo wasn’t one for words, as Chanyeol was one to express himself excessively.

It makes him feel that they weren’t even matched in the first place.

Memory from the claiming ceremony comes to Chanyeol. Kyungsoo looked so panicked at the time. It was like he knew from first glance that they wouldn’t get along.

Chanyeol picks up a glass, twisting his lips as he wipes the rim. Maybe Chanyeol really had the wrong number. He goes to put the cup into the cabinet. They must have made a mistake.  It misses the edge and drops to the floor. It breaks on contact, shattered pieces fly in several directions.

The sound startles Kyungsoo, making him raise his attention from the soapy water.

“Oh my.” Kyungsoo breathes. He moves to the retrieve the broom from its hiding place. Then he crouches down so he can get better access to the shards.

He is just about done sweeping the glass into the pan when he hears a murmur from above. "I'm sorry I'm not good enough." Chanyeol voice aches.

Kyungsoo stands up. "What was that?" he questions distractingly as he pours the glass into the garbage.

"Why am I not good enough?!" Chanyeol suddenly shouts, his sorrow turned into anger.

Kyungsoo looks up at him, surprise evident in his eyes. “What-What do you mean?” he blubbers.

“Am I such an inconvenience that you try to avoid me as much as possible?”

“Inconvenience? When did I- When did I ever say that?”

“Come on!” Chanyeol groans. How can anyone be this dense? “The first thing you do is clean up the mess. You didn’t even check to see if I was okay.”

There a pause as Kyungsoo thinks this over. “Are you okay?” he asks calculatingly.

Chanyeol huffs in disbelief. “No, I’m not okay. I want to know what I did to deserve this cold shoulder.”

“I’m not giving you the cold shoulder.” Kyungsoo insists.

“It sure feels like it! You never talk to me.”

“What would you like to talk about then?”

“Anything! Everything!” Chanyeol’s frustration rises with his voice. How come Kyungsoo doesn’t get it? Was he the only one that had these thoughts, these feelings?  “We don’t know a thing about each other and we have been bonded for a year! I don’t even know where you go after your classes! You’re probably ing someone else in the evenings.”

As soon as he says it, Chanyeol instantly regrets it. Kyungsoo eyes flash red. He lunges for the taller male, forcing him into the counter so that the edge digs into the back of his thighs.

Kyungsoo holds him there with the pressure of his forearm against his chest, Seething, “I haven’t touch anyone, and you should stop going any further with those accusations when I’m out there each night working may off at an internship so we can have a better future! So you can have a better future.”  The words are spat out in disgust.

Chanyeol feels the bond pull him downwards, demanding that he summit to Kyungsoo. There is a nagging feeling in the back of his brain telling him to apologize. A great sense of disappointment settles over him, making him feel like he has suddenly shrunk to the size of a mouse. He ignores all these feelings. He refuses to just let this lie just because Kyungsoo used a hard voice.

“I wouldn’t have that suspicion if you at least consummated our bond.” Chanyeol mutters bitterly.

Kyungsoo eyes soften. “Is that what this is about? You want to have with me?” He drops his arm and steps back a bit.

“Of course I do! You claimed me for heaven’s sakes!” Chanyeol lifts an arm hopelessly in the air. Trying to jester at the point he was trying to get across. “But it’s not only that. I want you to be here for me.”

Now that Kyungsoo had backed up some, Chanyeol has some room too. But it’s not enough. The air is thin and he feels like the only way he can get enough in his lungs is if he separates their personal bubbles. “I can understand you interning throughout the week,” He explains as he inches past Kyungsoo.  “But do you have to take the weekends too? I’m so lost without someone next to me.”

Kyungsoo ends up trailing behind him. “Don’t you have friends that can keep you company?”  he quires.

“That’s not what I mean!”  Chanyeol finds himself pacing the length of the living room, hair in his hands as he tries to figure out what to say. “You’re supposed to teach me, you’re supposed to correct me, you’re supposed to love me.”  He can’t take it anymore. He crouches down, hoping that will stabilize the spinning world.  “Why don’t you love me?”

The sentence is croaked out. He is sobbing now, air rushing into his lungs like someone finally broke a dam. There is a noticeable heavy pause that makes his inside turn with worry of what is going to happen next.

But he said it. He said the thing that has been on his mind for over a year. And no matter how much he might want to, he is not going to let himself regret it.

“I-I do though.” Kyungsoo has moved to crouch beside him. It’s awkward and neither of them know what to do. Kyungsoo tries to swipe Chanyeol’s bangs from his face but Chanyeol moves his head to the side, letting it rest in the crook of his arms.

He takes a deep breath. “You never act like it. You never even gave me ground rules. Even growing up I had rules. How am I supposed to live like this?!”

“That is just the thing, Chanyeol!” Kyungsoo tries to catch his eye, but Chanyeol wants no part of it. “Your nineteen now, you don’t need to live by anybody’s rules!”

“I’m a slave, Kyungsoo!” Chanyeol screams. It’s the loudest he has ever been and he wouldn’t be surprised if the police were call for disturbance.

He takes a moment to collect himself. This time when he talks, he voice is merely a whisper. “I need guidance in my life to live happily.”

“I thought that you didn’t want me to tell you what to do. From the moment I saw you, you looked so self-assured; Independent.”

“That’s just the thing.” Chanyeol sniffs, rubbing his eyes messily with his shirt sleeve. “I’m not and I really need you to step up and be an actual master for me.”

It is then that Chanyeol can tell that Kyungsoo understands. He has the same calculating look that he did in the beginning as he lets Chanyeol’s words sink in. His eyes move side to side, not really looking at anything, while he bites his bottom lip. Finally he gathers himself enough to stare Chanyeol in the eyes as he asks, “Are you sure that you want me to do that?”

Chanyeol feels like he could sob all over again, but he holds back to give a shaking nod.

“I can do that then.” Kyungsoo whispers and he is so close that Chanyeol can feel his breath on his bangs. Then comes something that both of them were not prepared for but at the same time, felt so natural. A kiss to the temple. So gentle, and reassuring.  Chanyeol soaks it in, basking in it. He can tell with that one action that this will change everything. That this is their true beginning.

“Come on, get up. I need to get that cleaned for you.” Kyungsoo breathes. Chanyeol didn’t even really register until then that he had been injured by the glass. It was only three miniscule cuts to the shin, but now that all of his pent up emotions were let out, he could finally feel the sting.

Kyungsoo stands then grabs both of Chanyeol’s hands so he could use him as leverage. They hobble their way to the bathroom where Kyungsoo places him on the toilet seat and cleans up the nicks. It all seems so surreal to Chanyeol as Kyungsoo warmly smiles at him while he bandages him up, helps him to the bedroom and tucks him into bed before laying in the usually empty side.

It was the first time that they slept in the same space. It was the first time that Kyungsoo’s arm wrapped around his waist. And in Chanyeol’s fuzzy mind in between awake and asleep, the first time that those plumped lips that had mesmerized him since day one met his.

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A/N:
I wrote this in two different parts of my life, spanning in the course of a year. I apologize if the writing after the ceremony is off. It just took me a long time to regain my words and I feel like they are not as good as “before”.
-Owl