Pairing: Chanyeol/Baekhyun
Rating: PG13 idk for innuendo - it's Baekhyun

red string au!

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Chanyeol‘s arm is cold.  He wakes up just enough to notice that it’s hanging off the bed, out from beneath the warmth of his comforter.  With a groan, he tucks it back under his blanket, letting the heat seep into his skin.  The pillow just under his mouth is damp and Chanyeol rearranges it so his face is pushed into a spot with less drool.  If his alarm hasn’t gone off, it’s too damn early for him to be awake.

Then Chanyeol remembers.

He sits up with a gasp, his comforter falling to his waist.  Now his entire upper half is cold, but he’s awake.  On the other side of his cramped dorm is his roommate, still burrowed under his pile of blankets, curled up in a lump.  Chanyeol can see a few tufts of dark hair sticking out and nothing else.  It earns a chuckle.

On any other morning, Chanyeol would be the same, but today is different.  Today is his birthday.

He stretches his arms over his head, tilting his head from side to side until his neck lets out a satisfying pop.  Then he’s grabbing his blanket to uncover himself, but a flash of red stops him.  Chanyeol freezes, eyes wide as he sees a sliver of red cut over dark blue fabric.  His gaze travels along the length, and he swallows when he discovers the end of it is tied in a neat little bow around his pinky finger.

There’s a heart stopping moment where his mind graciously flashes back to last year.  It had been his birthday still, but the setting was different.  He’d been at home, woken by the sound of his mother in the kitchen.  He’d seen red then, too.  It was just the same, just as real.  He’d jumped out of his bed, darting from his room to follow the string until he stumbled outside without thinking.

Standing out on his lawn in just a pair of watermelon print boxers, Chanyeol discovered the other end of his red thread tied around the leg of a confused hen.  She was strutting around their yard as his friends captured it all on camera.  He’d inwardly crumpled from the devastation while putting on a sporting smile.

To see red is to finally discover one’s soulmate and Chanyeol had fallen for that cruel trick once.  He won’t do it again.

Chanyeol tugs on the string, letting it go tight in his grasp so he can see it better.  He’s a little surprised to see it run underneath the pile of blankets where his roommate is sleeping.  Chanyeol pulls on it again and the pile wiggles.

Baekhyun rolls over, head popping out into the light.  He blinks, eyes never fully opening.  “What’re you doing?’ Baekhyun grumbles, wiggling a hand out from his blankets to grab his phone sitting on the small table beside his bed.  That’s when Chanyeol sees it; the other end of this red thread is tied around Baekhyun’s pinky in a neat little bow just like Chanyeol’s.

“You know,” Chanyeol begins, his voice louder than normal.  Baekhyun jolts, eyes opening wider as Chanyeol stands.  “I thought you were better than those heads.”

Chanyeol throws back his covers and storms over to his closet, tripping over his guitar case along the way.  He stubs his toe, grumbling as the pain shoots up his foot.  Most of the contents of his closet are on the floor, but there’s still a few sweaters hanging and he grabs the nearest one.  He’s so angry.  Playing with someone’s emotions this way isn’t a joke.

Chanyeol’s always been soft-hearted, easy to make a friend.  He’s the type who wants to take care of everyone and to have that taken advantage of pisses him off.  He forces his sweater over his head, accidentally shoving his head into the armhole and ripping it back off to try again.  He’s about to pull it on when he hears the sharp intake of air on the other side of the room.

Curiosity has Chanyeol peeking his head around his closet door.  What he finds is Baekhyun holding up his hand, staring wide-eyed at the red bow looped on his finger.  “I see red,” Baekhyun mumbles, then repeats himself, louder, as if he can’t believe it.

“Chanyeol!  I see red!”  Baekhyun rolls completely off his bed after failing to escape his pile of blankets, landing with a pained noise.

Chanyeol watches as the red thread between them coils loosely on the floor and he knows that if he tugs on it, Baekhyun will feel it.  There’s a knot wedged in Chanyeol’s throat that only grows when Baekhyun’s eyes finally find the end of the string.  His mouth drops and Baekhyun sits back against his bed, clearly in shock.

They’ve only been roommates for a few months now, enjoying all the ups and downs of their first year of college together.  Chanyeol would be lying if he said he hadn’t felt an attraction to him, but he’d kept it at bay for the sake of their friendship and the awkwardness it could bring.  But now . . . 

His heart is beating double time and Chanyeol raises his hand as a sign for Baekhyun to wait right there.  Baekhyun just nods dumbly.  Chanyeol wrenches open their door and dashes out into the hall.  Not far down is Joonmyun, always vigilant and early even when he doesn’t have classes.  Chanyeol goes right up to him, waving his hand in Joonmyun’s face.

“What do you see?” Chanyeol nearly yells.

“A hygiene problem,” Joonmyun answers, nose wrinkled.  “When’s the last time you washed your hands?”

“You don’t see anything?”

“Aside from dirt, no.”  Joonmyun peers at him curiously.  “Why?”

Chanyeol lets out a loud whoop, pulling Joonmyun into a hug in his excitement.

Joonmyun wedges his arms between them, pushing at Chanyeol.  “No, please stop touching me when you aren’t dressed.”

“Right!”  Chanyeol jumps back, reaching out to ruffle Joonmyun’s impeccably styled hair because he’s never been able to resist that temptation.  “Thanks!”  And then he’s darting back to his room, closing the door behind him.

Baekhyun’s still sitting just as Chanyeol left him.

“It’s real!” Chanyeol announces.

Baekhyun stares at Chanyeol like he’s gone crazy.  “Of course it’s real,” Baekhyun breathes.  “I just wasn’t expecting -”  Baekhyun’s words fall silent and he stares at where Chanyeol is standing in front of him, his head craned back.  “You.”

Chanyeol’s mood falters, the grin on his face fading.  He hadn’t expected that sort of reaction.  Finding a soulmate is one of the biggest milestones in someone’s life.  Baekhyun’s just looking at him like Chanyeol stole the toy out of his box of cereal.  Chanyeol takes the few steps back and sits on the edge of his bed, dropping his head in his hands.  This isn’t how he imagined things going at all.

Chanyeol is seconds away from getting dressed and leaving when he feels Baekhyun’s hands pushing at his shoulders.  Chanyeol’s arms drop and he suddenly finds himself with Baekhyun on his lap.  Chanyeol’s always been an avid admirer of Baekhyun’s lush behind, but getting to feel it on his thighs is on another level.  He’s still trying to process what’s happening when Baekhyun cups his face, smiling down at him as he scoots forward.

“Seeing as you’re stuck with me for the next, I don’t know, forever, you might as well start getting used to my morning breath now.”

That’s the only warning Chanyeol has before Baekhyun kisses him.  Affection balloons in Chanyeol’s chest and he fits his arms around Baekhyun’s waist in time to keep him from pulling away.  

“Does this means I don’t have to give your hoodies back?” Baekhyun asks, his lips skimming over Chanyeol’s with every word.

Chanyeol smacks his and Baekhyun laughs, nosing his way in for another kiss.  “At least take me on a date before you take me for all I’m worth,” Chanyeol jokes.

Baekhyun hums, fingers sliding sure through Chanyeol’s hair.  “I haven’t even started taking from you,” he teases.  “Breakfast does sound nice though.  My treat.”  Baekhyun kisses him again.  “But only if you’ll let me be your treat after.”

This is definitely not how Chanyeol anticipated his day going and yet he can’t find a single part of him that dislikes the way Baekhyun tucks himself against him later, their hands clasped as they look for someplace to eat that isn’t on campus.  Baekhyun chatters about his week and Chanyeol admires the way his hoodie hangs off Baekhyun’s slight form.

Chanyeol’s not in love, but he knows it won’t take long.  Not long at all.