Park Chanyeol has yet to meet his ‘soulmate’, seeing as how he should be in his twenties and not look eighteen, but thankfully this is no oddity. He’s even heard of people living to be eighty and up because they’ve never met the one. He hopes that he doesn’t have that cruel fate. Yet, he hasn’t met anyone so he keeps up with the bills by doing odd craigslist jobs. Yes, working for strangers started out from a desperation that crawled out from deep within him, but now it has become a hobby/profession of sorts for him.

 

Today he had another odd job planned for the afternoon at, and he quotes, ‘precisely 3 o’clock sharp, not a minute later.’ It was a decorating job, the person needed an extra eye to help with the Feng-something of the place.

 

 

 

Chanyeol makes it to the home at 3 o’clock, but naturally, he was one minute off. He lets out a sigh inside his car and parks it along the side of the road, the breaks squealing as the vehicle is pulled to a stop. The car door creaks open with much struggle from the poor man inside, when he finally gets out he is met face-to-face with a glaring shrimp-man.

 

The shorter male was glaring at Chanyeol with a passion he couldn’t understand and hands upon his hips. He was a piece of work, or more of a beautiful mess. The man also had glitter, streamers, and flour all over him. He wore a simple white, long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans. Close to what Chanyeol was wearing, the famous long-sleeve and jean look suiting him for ages.

 

“Why are you late?” The shorter male demands.

 

Chanyeol absentmindedly slams his car door shut and smiles sheepishly. “I’m only two minutes-.”

 

“Are you ing blind? Its 3:30!” He snaps.

 

Oh yeah that’s right, Chanyeol thinks, my clock is still off.

 

“Look, I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to-.”

 

The smaller man pinches his nose and sighs. “Just get in the house.” Then he turns away from Chanyeol and marches up to the house. He mutters something along the lines of, “The service in this town is still impeccable, I see.”

 

Chanyeol has no choice but to follow the shorter man inside. The house isn’t very large, almost like a trailer but with a garage and basement attached. But inside it is clear that the owner knows how to accommodate space and good quality carpet. Chanyeol looks around at the barren walls, he finds a bunch of empty photo frames on a shelf. He is drawn to them but it quickly drawn out of his thoughts when the other male snaps his fingers.

 

“W-what?” Chanyeol turns to looks towards the other, who is carrying a box of Halloween decorations. “Do you want me to put those up?”

 

The male looks appalled and simply blinks at Chanyeol with wide eyes. “I beg your pardon? Why would I, Byun Baekhyun, let you, a stranger from off the street, decorate my home?” He sounds so offended which makes Chanyeol want to snort so bad.

 

“Hey, you’re the one who put in the ad on a public website.”

 

“Good point.” He grumbles. “Please grab the ladder from the garage and meet me out back.”

 

Chanyeol smiles at the figure walking away, he’ll get through to that grumpy puss today, and he knows it. He follows Baekhyun out a door near the kitchen entry way that leads into the garage, the male disappears through another door that leads to a workshop, leaving Chanyeol in the garage. He searches around the four walls before finding said ladder hanging on a hook by the door. “Today is not your day, Chanyeol.” He mutters before reaching up and pulling the ladder down.

 

He stumbles into the backyard from the workshop to see decorations spread out on the lawn. It’s a fair decent sized yard, a fence circles around with four trees and some sort of twig bush thing. Baekhyun, the tiny terror, seems relaxed for the most part. Practically tranquil as he eyes the decorations. Chanyeol could see himself helping this guy again in the future though. He didn’t know if that was a problem or not yet.

 

“Well stranger, let us head over to that tree and get to pinning this witch!” He says happily while pointing the tree farthest from the deck.

 

Thank god this pays well, Chanyeol thinks to himself.

 

 

 

 

At one point, while helping the miniature man find the perfect place pin the witch, Chanyeol notices something inexplicably (almost) taboo. Baekhyun had a nice . It was hard to miss when he was standing over Chanyeol and wore jeans like that. And because of this new found piece of knowledge, he decided to throw Baekhyun off a little bit.

 

 

“Right here?”

 

By not doing his job properly at all. “Maybe a little to the left.”

 

“Better?” Chanyeol didn’t even look.

 

“Higher.”

 

“Now?”

 

“Over to your right a bit.”

 

Baekhyun huffs. “If I move over too far I’ll fall!” He whines.

 

“And I’ll catch you.” Chanyeol says mindlessly. “Now c’mon, over to the right. Perfection takes effort.”

 

Baekhyun lets out a defeated sigh, lifting his left leg up a little bit and he leans over a tad. “Good?”

 

“Eh…”

 

“C’mon dude!” Baekhyun snaps and turns to look at Chanyeol, catching him in his ogling. “Hey, am I paying you to stare off into space or help me decorate?” He snaps.

 

Chanyeol jumps a little. “I was, I just got a little distracted.”

 

Baekhyun narrows his eyes at Chanyeol, but he doesn’t say anything else. Without another word he tacks the witch to the tree and climbs down. When he hits the ground he stalks over to Chanyeol and glares at him.

 

“You’re a .”

 

Chanyeol pulls a weak smile. “But it’s endearing, right?”

 

Baekhyun rolls his eyes and looks to the ground. “Surprisingly so.” He replies back.

 

--------------------

 

It has been two years since Chanyeol had the pleasure of meeting Baekhyun, it was sort of an eye opener. He’s also learned many things over the years, but one thing he is reluctantly sure of: Byun Baekhyun might actually be the worst at picking out movies and other things…

 

It is when they watch ‘The Breakfast Club’ that Chanyeol truly notices.

 

 

A couch made for four people has been taken up by two bodies, Chanyeol and Baekhyun. With the smaller man closer to the edge while Chanyeol props himself up with is elbow and runs a hand through Baekhyun’s hair. The movie is okay, but Baekhyun is so much better.

 

The male might be a complete when it comes to decorating and making jokes, but he has a decent heart behind that wall of diva. And it might be a coincidence that Chanyeol has noticed that he has started to age.

 

Soulmates are a touchy subject for Baekhyun, but no one really knows why. Yet Chanyeol wants to scream to him that they are soulmates, despite if the latter doesn’t really like him like that.

 

He’ll take his chances.

 

Chanyeol comes back to reality and decides it’s now or never. He leans forward and presses a small kiss on the top of the other male’s head. Baekhyun jerks his head forward and slowly turns around with wide eyes, meeting a loving stare.

 

“Why?” Baekhyun croaks out, placing a hand on the spot that Chanyeol touched.

 

Chanyeol feels slight anxiety over the thought that he might get rejected but decides to go for it anyways. “Byun Baekhyun, we’ve known each other for two years. And through those years, I’ve realized something…”

 

Baekhyun’s eyes widen.

 

“…We’re soulmates.”

 

Baekhyun immediately rolls off of the couch and distances himself from Chanyeol. “What the hell did you just say to me?”

 

Chanyeol sits up. “Haven’t you noticed? We’re aging. That means we’re-.”

 

“I know what that means, dammit. I just…” Baekhyun suddenly pouts. “You were so nice.” He whines.

 

Chanyeol furrows his eyebrows. “Thanks… but is there an actual problem?”

 

Baekhyun stays silent for a moment. Fear slowly falls onto his features, then it washes away. He looks Chanyeol in the eyes with an unforgiving look. “Chanyeol, I’m 24 years old right now. But technically I’m around five-hundred years old.” Chanyeol’s eyes start to brim with tears, he knows now what Baekhyun’s problem is. “And I bet you know why I’ve stayed this young. Chanyeol, I’m so sorry but I’m not growing old. Hell no.”

 

“You don’t have to do this, Baekhyun.”

 

“It’s already started.”

 

Chanyeol feels a tear run down his face. “Why do you fear death? Ageing? Soulmates? Why are you so selfish?”

 

“Chanyeol, you haven’t changed throughout the years.” Baekhyun suddenly says after a moment of silence.

 

“And what the hell does that mean?” He growls. He stands up and takes a step towards Baekhyun who takes a step back.

 

“It means you’re the same Park Hoon that I met five hundred years ago.”

 

“Then why do you keep killing me? Just accept the fact that I’ll always come back for you Baekhyun. Grow old with me dammit.” Chanyeol pleads but Baekhyun just shakes his head. “Baekhyun, stop being so selfish.” Suddenly blood starts to pour from the walls and from a slit in Chanyeol’s neck.

 

“Baekhyun…”

 

“Baekhyun…”

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun wakes up to Chanyeol shaking his shoulders violently, he turns around to meet the eyes of the man he’s been having nightmares about lately. Of course Chanyeol doesn’t know, but he has to figure it out soon. They’re soulmates and Baekhyun’s afraid.

 

For many generations he’s been killing his soulmate for the purpose of living forever, it’s crazy but Baekhyun doesn’t want to age. But now that he’s gotten to know Chanyeol or the reincarnate of Hoon, he doesn’t know anymore. Everything has become more emotional, so rich in text that he can’t think too hard about it or he’ll throw up.

 

“What do you need?”

 

“You were whimpering in your sleep, what’s wrong?” Chanyeol asks, face full of concern. It makes Baekhyun want to throw up again.

 

Baekhyun shakes his head. “Don’t worry, nothing bad was happening.” Chanyeol nods and reluctantly rolls back over to his side of the bed…