Baekhyun doesn’t have a lot to work with—a few pieces of paper, a pen, sometimes his own phone’s installed app—but nothing really comes close to the actual thing. There were times of relapse—depression strikes at any moment and he can’t deny that he’s been to a hospital maybe once or twice—he doesn’t really remember. It was usually up to Jongin and Kyungsoo to check him into the emergency room, wipe away the sweat dripping down his forehead—even hold his hand until he fell asleep. He’s gotten better at hiding it, though, since Jongin and Kyungsoo think he’s better now but truth is, nothing’s changed.

            “Baekhyun, do you want anything from the grocery?” Baekhyun was good at lip-reading, and Jongin’s were especially nice to read. He’d jokingly comment your lips look so kissable and then he’d get a dirty look from Kyungsoo because he never really knew how to control to volume of his voice. Since, well—he’s never really heard himself.

            You sound like a broken clarinet is what Kyungsoo would say when Baekhyun pissed him off with countless questions—and Baekhyun could actually believe that if it wasn’t from Kyungsoo or Jongin—but he accepts the gesture. Being around the two was more of Baekhyun’s saving grace—and he’s jealous, jealous of the fact that they actually found each other, with cheesy looking tattoos gently wrapped around their ankles like notes on a staff.

            Baekhyun would replay it in his mind—Jongin told me this—took me three stations to gather the courage to talk to you, glad I did—when we were on the train that we always coincidentally ride together and we’d exchange glances every now and then. And then I panicked and said that I stare at you from afar a lot, which was hella creepy, but the deed was done and viola, we’re here with these on our ankles—not too good for Jongin if you ask me.

            Nah—I love it.

            Baekhyun sighs, tapping his pencil against his notebook. He doesn’t really know what it sounded like, he’s just imagined a thump each time in his mind—heck, he doesn’t know what a thump sounded like.

            The problem with Baekhyun is that he relies too much on lip reading that it’s absolutely impossible for him to know what you’re saying without looking at your lips—which has caused a lot of misunderstandings before. And Baekhyun can’t help it—he wants to know what you’re saying, he wants to hear you—to find out if you’re his soul mate—even if he already accepted the fact that he’ll never find his.

            “Don’t be so negative—“ Jongin has gotten used to Baekhyun staring at his lips more often than his eyes that he wonders if Baekhyun even knows what he actually looks like. “Just because you wont hear what your soul mate is going to say, doesn’t mean you wont have it tattooed on you. Heck—maybe once he says it, it’ll appear on your ankle and you can live your life peacefully.” Jongin usually has lunch with Baekhyun on Mondays and Wednesdays, whenever Kyungsoo was in class.

            “But Jongin—“ Jongin signals the elder to lower his voice, something they’ve grown accustomed to since Baekhyun never really knows if he’s shouting at the tip of his lungs—he doesn’t even find it rude anymore.

            “But Jongin—“ he says, hushed. “—the rule is that you’ll only have it tattooed when you hear it—and that’s, well, physically impossible for me.”

            Of course, it’s not like Baekhyun has set his life into believing that that could determine who he was going to spend the rest of his life with—it’s more of a choice, and Baekhyun takes his situation as more of immunity than a disability.

            “Immunity?” Jongin mouths, and he doesn’t really need to speak out—Baekhyun had that knack. The elder nods, and he’s swinging his head so hard because there’s nothing more in this world that he believes. “Immunity from being trapped with someone you may or may not like—I take it as a good thing.” He says promptly, gaining a raised eyebrow from the younger.

            “Trapped is such a strong word—the whole reason as to why, by some freak of nature, the first words of your soul mate is tattooed on your ankle is because the presence of being soul mates is there—it’s blatantly saying that you’re made for each other, you get it?” Jongin makes sure he slowly mouths his point—because Baekhyun gets annoying whenever he can’t manage to catch up and they end up in this mess wherein Jongin is repeating what he’s saying at least 7 times. “Soul mate is your match made in heaven—it’s a given that you’ll be perfect for each other.”

            Baekhyun understands his point—yes, there might be some equally deaf person out there that shares his knack and skill for lip reading and for the rest of their lives they’ll find the vigor of romance in the endless search for the sound of their voices—it’s all that romantic that’s got Baekhyun interested.

            “Jongin—our destinies are never predetermined.” Baekhyun scholarly says, making Jongin roll his eyes. The boy was deaf—but he wasn’t stupid at the slightest. “I think you make your own destiny—and if my destiny is with someone I’m not comfortable with, then why follow that predetermination and let yourself suffer? Like, sure, you’re happy with Kyungsoo and all but—what if I’m not happy with whoever I’m with?”

            Jongin sighs. “Baekhyun—“

            “—Hey.” Kyungsoo says as he pulls a chair from across Baekhyun and beside Jongin, slouching and eye bags heavy. Baekhyun subtly understood this as the fact that Kyungsoo just came from calculus, and the boy never seemed that energetic after the 11 am to 1230 pm class, regardless of the amount of cups of coffee his ingested into his system.

            “Rough day?” Jongin says as he nuzzles his into Kyungsoo’s hair, and he’s smiling into the strands like smelling the boy seemed to make him happy—Baekhyun will never understand. “Sorry I didn’t take calculus with you.”

            Kyungsoo sighs, his hand travelling to Jongin’s chin. He pats the sharpness and smiles, a bit exhausted and Baekhyun only ever sees him that tired after this instance, and when he’s trying to teach Baekhyun chemistry problems. “Yeah—it’s fine, I understand.”

            Baekhyun often feels his heart swelling when he sees the two—maybe he wanted that for himself—maybe the idea of a soul mate is tantalizing the senses that he lacks and all he wants is maybe, just maybe, for someone to fill up that lack. “You guys are gross.”

            Kyungsoo gives Baekhyun an exhausted smile, and Jongin can only nuzzle his nose into the crook of Kyungsoo’s neck, timidly dozing off at the smaller’s warmth. “Well—if you weren’t so negative, maybe you’d find your match as well.”

            But Baekhyun maybe didn’t want that.

            “I’d like it better if people thought I was mute than deaf.”

            Kyungsoo glares at the elder, and all he can do is lift his hands up in defense. “Don’t kill me—I’m a disabled citizen.”

            “Baekhyun—you seriously need to accept things as they are—Chanyeol!”

            Baekhyun reads the last words Kyungsoo spouts in confusion—one minute the boy’s teaching him a life lesson, the next he’s calling out a name that he’s never heard—read—before. Baekhyun follows Kyungsoo’s gaze across the cafeteria, and he sees a lanky figure trudging generously through the newly mopped floors. Who was this guy? And why does Kyungsoo know him?

            “Chanyeol, hey, sorry—I had to run out as soon as class ended. Didn’t want Mr. Kim to be on my tail.” Kyungsoo says with a sigh—the only reason Kyungsoo is ever tired in calculus is because he somehow got himself into a terror professor’s class—the kind that fails students without remorse. Rumor has it he spends his nights grading papers, marking them far below acceptable grading schemes while he takes a sip of his wine.

            Baekhyun is ready to read his lips—which looked delectably plump, but he isn’t going to say that—but the lips never move and all Kyungsoo receives is a nod. “You want to meet at my apartment for the project? I can’t stay out too late out at night since I have—uh—“ Kyungsoo gives Baekhyun a look and the elder just nods, shrugging.

            “—Baekhyun to take care of. He can’t be left alone and I’m mentally worried about his state.” Baekhyun could be moved to tears if Jongin wasn’t laughing, obviously not buying his lover’s explanation. But Baekhyun still has his eyes on the giant, and he’s so curious—so curious as to why those lips never move.

            Again—the boy only nods, his wild set of teeth and equally wild pair of eyes glistening against the afternoon reflections of the glass. By now, Baekhyun loses interest and wants to turn away—but is intercepted when the wild pair of eyes land on his small frame.

            “Oh—sorry, this is Baekhyun.” Kyungsoo motions to the elder, and he doesn’t look at Baekhyun, smiling at the giant as if he was in a rush. “He rooms with me and Jongin.”

            Again, another nod.

            “Baekhyun, this is Chanyeol. He’s my partner for the calculus learning activity so he’ll be hanging around the apartment for a while—is that cool?”

            Baekhyun shrugs. “It’s cool.”

            Baekhyun is so curious—he wants Chanyeol to leave so that he can make Kyungsoo spill about this beautiful, tall stranger—and faintly why does this stranger’s smile seem to warm his insides.

            And now the man’s extending his hand to shake hands with him, he happily obliges.

            “Oh, he’s mute by the way—so he can’t speak.”

            Baekhyun reads Kyungsoo’s lips before he can introduce his name—his thoughts quickly intercepted with the newfound information. “You’re mute?!”

            Suddenly, Chanyeol feels a light sting encapsulating his ankle, and his eyes widen slightly and oh —did Chanyeol not want this to be happening right now.

            His expression darkens, and his eyebrows are slanting and Baekhyun can’t understand—he’s not speaking his lips aren’t moving and all he can see is this pained expression—but the looks on Jongin and Kyungsoo’s faces say otherwise.

            “Baek—oh, —“

            And then Baekhyun understood when he sees black ink set fire to the tall man’s pale skin.

 ---

            “Come on, Baek—it’s not your fault—well, not intentionally, at least.”

            Baekhyun locked himself in his room that night—and he  and all he wants is to dig a hole and die. He finally manages to find his soul mate but all the consequences are wrong—everything is wrong and he feels terrible. Imagine explaining to your future children that your father is mute—and that’s literally what his ankle says and oh my god—

            “Baekhyun, you seriously need to get out of there, I don’t like it when you don’t eat dinner.”

            Baekhyun finds himself defeated, his stomach rumbling as his cautiously opened the door. The matter at hand is that hey—he found his soul mate, and he’s mute, and Baekhyun’s deaf—it’s pretty much a mess.

            “You guys don’t have to be awkward, you know.” Baekhyun says after a few minutes of heavy silence, picking at his rice generously. “I understand what happened back there—alright, woop dee doo—I found my soul mate. He exists—we’re going to get married and have babies and live the rest of our disabled lives together—“

            “—Baekhyun.” Kyungsoo warns, and the elder doesn’t hear it, but he can see the darkness creeping up on Kyungsoo’s face like mist. “Don’t you dare take it that way.”

            Baekhyun shrugs—Kyungsoo never bothered him before. “Well, it sure seems that way—we’re going to have equally disabled children—“

            “—Baekhyun, I think you should stop.” Jongin takes a deep breath, and Baekhyun can’t hear him either but his expression is as dark as his lover’s—and suddenly Baekhyun feels the guilt. “—Sorry.” He mutters, turning his attention back to his food. It’s essentially not Baekhyun’s fault that he’s thinking that way—not that the couple across him would understand.

            The truth was—both boys were disabled and that, my friends, is a circus.

            “I’m just stating facts—at least neither of you have the words You’re mute tattooed unto your ankles—I am one hundred percent responsible for that.” Baekhyun may seem heartless—but the idea of his husband to be having his disability tattooed unto his ankle like it’s the most normal thing in the world seems sickening—and Baekhyun feels it’s aftermath at the bottom of his stomach.

            “It’s seriously not your fault—“ Jongin retorts, and Baekhyun has to stare at them again to understand. “—You have your reasons, you barely have any friends like yourself.”

            “Like myself?” Baekhyun lifts an eyebrow—and Kyungsoo is hitting Jongin’s leg from under the table. “Baek—he didn’t mean it like that.”

            “He didn’t mean it like that? Like—I’m some freak who has a specific group of likeness?” Baekhyun feels his cheeks flush—indeed, it’s the first time he’s encountered someone like him, but he can’t accept the fact that he isn’t deemed normal. “So you guys—you have your own set ofpeople, and because my ears don’t work the way yours do—I’m not part of that group?”

            Suddenly, Jongin realizes the weight of his words, jumping to his toes to try to calm the elder down. “No—no, Baek—I was just—“

            “—I understand.” Baekhyun huffs his cheeks. “Sorry for always imposing my incapacity.” And Baekhyun is out the door, his jacket and school bag neatly folded against his arm. “Tell Park Chanyeol that I’m sorry about his tattoo—he’s free to choose who he wants to love and I’ll never file for adultery.”

            Kyungsoo sighs. “Let him be—he’ll come back when he’s calmed down.”

 ---

          It takes Baekhyun only around 4 hours—and that’s Kyungsoo closest approximation when he hears the door unlocking at 1 am. He’s sighing, sitting on the dining table. Jongin had retired to their shared bed and room an hour ago, seemingly a bit guilty with what he said.

            “Welcome back.” Kyungsoo says, and he knows Baekhyun can’t hear him with his back turned to the younger.

            “Welcome back.” He repeats, and Baekhyun is staring at his lips now, nodding effortlessly. “We need to talk—you know Jongin didn’t mean it that way—he was just happy that you finally found your soul mate.”

            Baekhyun isn’t really listening—he isn’t looking at Kyungsoo and Kyungsoo notices that, sighing into his mug. “I know you’re not listening—reading—me now, but hear Chanyeol out. He’s a good guy—“

            “—I know he’s a good guy, definitely looks like it.” Baekhyun is reading now, and Kyungsoo breathes a sigh of relief. “I just don’t want him to seem obliged to date someone who permanently announced to the whole world how incapable he is.” Because Baekhyun was guilty—and he wanted to avoid the giant as much as he could. “I just don’t want it to be awkward since, you know, this soul mate thing isn’t really my style.”

            Kyungsoo doesn’t really sees the underlying subject, but he knows what Baekhyun means. “Don’t lie—you stare at me and Jongin a lot, you know how these things work.”

            “I know how they work—I just don’t want it to work—for me at least. And for, well, someone like Chanyeol—he can’t speak! How am I so sure that he’s my other half? What if he’s a demi? What if this is a mistake?”

            Kyungsoo massages his temples. “Baekhyun, you can’t just go ahead and assume that—“

            “—But its true! He can’t speak—he’s mute, Kyungsoo, mute! I’ll never get to hear him, and he’ll never be able to speak to me, it’s like a comedy show—summary is two freak shows try to confirm they’re made for each other but due to their freaky-ness, its impossible and then they all die in the end—the end.” Baekhyun is shouting, Kyungsoo notes, but he pushes it aside because they boy can never control his volume anyway. “It’s stupid—Kyungsoo, really. Chanyeol should find someone who can love him regardless—“

            “—why cant you do it?”

            Baekhyun opens his mouth to speak again—but he immediately shuts it. “What?”

            “I said—“ Kyungsoo breathes. “—Why can’t you be the one to love him regardless of his situation? Why does he have to find someone when fate already tattooed your words on his ing ankle—“

            “—Because we’re both ing disabled, can’t you get that?”

            Kyungsoo doesn’t—he doesn’t understand why it’s such a big deal.

            “No, I don’t get it. You can’t hear him, and you’ll never need to because the guy is six-feet tall, warm as hell and is the nicest guy you’ll ever meet—and he’s mute, so ing what? He’s awesome—I don’t see your ing point.”

            “You don’t understand—can’t I have a relationship that renders the couple only 50-percent abnormal? Doesn’t matter if I’m that 50-percent—I just don’t want it to be a hundred.”

            Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything more—and Baekhyun retreats back to his room.

 ---

            “Baekhyun—someone’s trailing after you.”

            He didn’t really expect the giant to be the one chasing after him—heck, he’s permanently damaged the guy, and for some reason, he’s gained a stalker.

            “How do you know?” Baekhyun asks, eyeing Jongdae’s lips from across his desk. The elder would always lean back and make sure Baekhyun was looking at him before he spoke up—and he’s also one of the only people who’s gotten used to the intimate stares the younger gives when he’s gazing at his mouth.

            “Well—a little bird told me that you found your soul mate—got him tattooed and all that —but he’s some mute giant who cant speak so you’re at wit’s end.”

            Baekhyun raises an eyebrow. “So—is that little bird going by the name Kim Jongin or was I misinformed?”

            Jongdae shrugs. “Just saying—a soul mate is a soul mate, regardless of situational demi-ness. You should stop avoiding him.”

            Baekhyun peeks over his shoulder and Chanyeol is there, his eyes aren’t smiling but they’re filled with curiosity, and Baekhyun can’t help but stare back.

 ---

            “Baekhyun—Baek—Byun—“

            Baekhyun can’t hear him, but Jongdae is throwing crumpled notes unto the boy’s desk, relentlessly trying to catch his attention. When the boy finally drains the remaining of his patience, he looks up from the textbook neatly placed on his desk.

            Jongdae is giving him wide eyes, pointing towards the window to make the younger turn into the direction. Baekhyun raises an eyebrow—what the hell was this old man implying?

            “Look. Out. Side.”

            He reads his lips and gingerly turns his head towards the wide windows, wherein everyone else had already taken a gander at the seen unfolding at the campus quadrangle. He regrets it though—the color draining from his face as he sees mouths vibrating—but never any sound.

            He sees the giant in question, holding up 1 out of the several giant illustration boards that were leaning against the school’s basketball court, and Baekhyun has to cover his face in embarrassment because it clearly reads byun Baekhyun, please speak to me, I’m ready to spend the rest of my life with you and god damn it that goofy smile is so shameless—

            “You really should give him a break.” Jongdae says with a genuine smile, he isn’t laughing at Chanyeol and thinks its exceptionally sweet. “He seems like a nice guy.”

            Baekhyun sighs—he agrees with Jongdae.

            Chanyeol did seem like a nice guy.

 ---

            Chanyeol is scribbling text all over the sketch pad (sponsored by Jongin, for that matter), enthusiastic smile plastered on his face. Baekhyun had finally agreed to meet with him after the big surprise during Baekhyun’s 3 pm class—and Baekhyun is amused. Very amused.

            “You’re adorable.”

            Baekhyun manages to cover his mouth before Chanyeol shoots him a glance, a soft and gentle smile towering over his way. They’re in the college café—eyes digging through the scene because Baekhyun and Chanyeol looked so physical good together—and of course, they seemed like a match made in heaven—being soul mates and all.

            “You want to have dinner tomorrow night? I’m going out of campus to buy stuff and thought you’d like to come with.”

            Baekhyun contemplates. “You know—you really don’t need to write stuff down, I’m extremely good at lip reading.”

            And suddenly Chanyeol is nodding diligently, giving Baekhyun the same toothy grin each time. For the first time they’ve met, Chanyeol moves his lips eagerly and Baekhyun wants to kiss them for some reason—they kind of resemble Kyungsoo’s—

            “Sure—of course, I’ll go.” Baekhyun abruptly says, and he doesn’t really understand why he agreed so easily but next thing he knows he’s riding behind Chanyeol’s back on his motorcycle—and Baekhyun’s never ridden a motorcycle.

            “You sure this is safe?” Baekhyun asks for what seems the hundredth time, and all he gets is a nod from Chanyeol. Chanyeol is driving so recklessly that Baekhyun has to clutch his stomach in order to keep his lunch in there—where it belongs.

 ---

            “So—no tattoo yet?” Jongin asks, setting down Baekhyun’s favorite mug filled with hot chocolate on their usual dining table. Baekhyun shakes his head, turning away from the younger in shame. “I mean—of course, I still don’t have a tattoo, the guy hasn’t spoken a word—and he can’t of course, not like I’m expecting him to be able to suddenly speak by god’s nature—“

            “—Baekhyun, volume.” Jongin mouths, and Baekhyun sighs. “Sorry—I’m starting to think this relationship seriously isn’t going to work. We’re not official, so to speak—I could be Chanyeol’s demi or me his—it’s a mystery, really.”

            Jongin shakes his head. “You never know—it might appear eventually without you hearing and without him speaking—by laws of nature, you’re soul mates.”

            Baekhyun hates to admit it—but the 3 weeks he’s spent with the giant has been great—but there’s always that painful pang that what if—what if, he wasn’t his?

            “I’m just trying this out—I’m not serious about him or anything, in case something goes wrong.” Baekhyun huffs at his bangs, and he’s wondering what time Kyungsoo’s coming home because hot chocolate for dinner does not seem too appetizing.

            “You sure about that? You didn’t look like you weren’t serious back at the cinema, or at the amusement park—or even during lunch at the cafeteria—“

            “—Oh my god, have you been spying on me?” Baekhyun feigns offense, and Jongin is rolling his eyes. “I’m so offended—that’s a violation of human rights there, young sir.”

            “Shut up, Baek. You’re in love.”

            Baekhyun lifts an eyebrow. “Sorry—I don’t hear what you’re saying.”

            “You can’t hear me—but you sure as hell can read my ing lips, asswipe.”

            “Oh my, Kim Jongin, watch your language or else Kyungsoo’s going to leave you.” Baekhyun taps on the younger’s extended arms. “And no—I’m not in love. What don’t you get from trying it out?”

            “As I said, Mr. Byun—you seem so different nowadays that I can barely see the old you—you know, the current you may still be an , but now you’ve earned the title low-key .”

            Baekhyun fakes a smile. “Thank you—I appreciate that.”

            “Whatever makes you happy, Baek—but I swear, you’re in love.”

            Baekhyun spits out his tongue as he watches Jongin slump to the couch, leaving him alone in the dining room to smile on his own.

            He’s not in love—see, he’s smiling because there’s a chance this relationship doesn’t pull through, that he was meant for someone else—and that this disabled-disabled relationship really wont work out, since mother nature wouldn’t permit it any other way.

            Suddenly Baekhyun’s smile disappears, and he doesn’t know how to bring it back.

 ---

          “Water? Alright, wait here.” Baekhyun is out with Chanyeol, and he’s self-conscious since he’s been here a few times, and everyone around the area knows about both boy’s situations. Not that they couldn’t help it—Baekhyun couldn’t hear what the coffee barista was saying since he liked making his coffee and taking orders with his back facing the customer, and Chanyeol has to provide an on-the-spot game of charades for Baekhyun to finally find out what he wants.

            They looked like a crazy couple—ehem—couple of friends.

            “Here—“ But Chanyeol isn’t at their shared table when he comes back—Chanyeol is somewhere else and he doesn’t know where.

            He leaves the café abruptly, taking his coat over his shoulders. Chanyeol isn’t exactly aware of things around here—he shouldn’t be, but he’s been dying to find out where Baekhyun lives originally—and he can’t help but blurt out it’s sketchy as —but regardless, Chanyeol still goes.

            He passes by countless amounts of alleyways—it’s almost sun down and he can’t find Chanyeol and it’s horrible—he’s scared that he might have wandered into some weird gang—and he’s responsible and oh my god—

            He heaves a heavy sigh of relief when he spots the same brown glorious crown of hair stalk into a sketchy looking shop—but he isn’t fully relieved yet because what is he planning on doing there—

            “—Chanyeol, what are you doing—“

            The boy spins on his heels, hiding something behind his back. He eyes both him and the cashier, and Baekhyun makes out the place as a tattoo parlor—he doesn’t really know exactly.

            “What exactly were you planning on—“

            He doesn’t get to finish his sentence when Chanyeol pulls him out, the cashier’s eyes still glued unto the unlikely duo.

 ---

            “So—Chanyeol was at a tattoo parlor—so what?” Kyungsoo says as he brushes Baekhyun’s hair—something he’s got accustomed to doing since the elder couldn’t be bothered. “I’m pretty sure he just wandered in there.”

            “But listen—he hid something behind his back and for some reason it disappeared—he did something in there and he wont tell me.” Baekhyun has been feeling a bit heavy with the thought, but he wills against it.

            “Maybe you’re right—I guess.” Baekhyun sighs and closes his eyes, missing the smile creep up on Kyungsoo’s face.

 ---

            It’s been nearly 3 months since Baekhyun started experimenting with Chanyeol—he thought he’d never get the destined tattoo and all the since, well, Chanyeol was mute and had no capacity to tell him his first words—and Baekhyun was deaf and wouldn’t have been able to hear it.

            He mentally prepared himself for the day that tells him haha sorry, just kidding, he isn’t yours. The rule with demi’s were—those tattoos were never permanent. They eventually disappear—and for Baekhyun’s case, that’s the only way he’d find out if he was Chanyeol’s—and Chanyeol was his.

            “It usually takes 3-4 months—anything that’s closer, really.” Jongin says one day over breakfast—and he doesn’t really realize that Chanyeol’s been showing up for breakfast lately—he doesn’t really mind, anyways.

            Those days passed by quickly—and then 3 months become 4, and 4 became 5—the words you’re mute still neatly tattooed on his skin.

            And for once in a long time, Baekhyun is relieved.

            “So we’ve confirmed that he’s yours—don’t stress about your own too much.” Jongin says over lunch this time, and it’s just the two of them. “You don’t need the tattoo if you’re in love with him.”

            Baekhyun huffs air through his cheeks. “I’m not in love with him—yet, I think.”

            Jongin rolls his eyes. “Baekhyun—are you serious?”

            “What?!” Baekhyun says in defense. “Love is ambiguous—I don’t see why I have to name it this early on.” Baekhyun pouts. “Love is love and Chanyeol is Chanyeol and that’s all good—but seriously, I don’t want to label.”

            “Okay—whatever you say.” Jongin says with a sigh.

 ---

          The next time he and Chanyeol go out, it’s to the same place he found Chanyeol wandering into. He doesn’t really understand why the boy was so pent on bringing him here—but hey, he’s going to find out sooner or later.

            “You want to put a tattoo on me?” Baekhyun reads Chanyeol’s lips in disbelief—what?

            “What?” Baekhyun repeats out loud, and he doesn’t really know what to feel. “Yeol, I don’t think that’s how it works—“

            But Chanyeol is pleading, and Baekhyun can’t say no to whatever face Chanyeol makes.

            “Fine—okay, I understand.” Baekhyun says with a sigh, taking the seat. “What are you going to pin on me? Do you still even remember your first word’s to me?”

            Chanyeol mouths surprise and Baekhyun just goes with it—and he doesn’t really know if its okay to defy the rules of nature—frankly, he doesn’t really give a damn at this point—because Chanyeol is perfect and—

            He loves him.

            Damn—Jongin was right.

            Baekhyun loves Chanyeol.

 ---

            “So—did you really plan this tattoo out or did you just say that on the spot.” Baekhyun is deadpanning the boy for his lack of romance, and he’s eyeing the freshly (and painful) tattoo on his pale skin.

            “And you’re deaf—but I’ll love you regardless. You’re like—50 percent swoon-worthy and 50-percent may I have a different soul mate—“

            “Yeah, yeah—I’m the one who said you’re mute the first time I saw you—I guess we’re even.” Baekhyun says with a gentle smile. They spend their breaks together as much as they can—because once you find your soul mate, you should never let them go. They have both their ankles exposed, leaning against the campus park benches.

            “Now that I think about it—“ Baekhyun stops talking, and Chanyeol looks down to where Baekhyun had bent himself over, feeling pointed metal touch his ankles softly. He’s curious—what was Baekhyun attempting to do?

            “—that’s better.” Baekhyun says with a smile, leaning back to Chanyeol’s side, and finally, he has someone to nuzzle his nose into, too.

            Chanyeol smiles at Baekhyun’s gesture of getting closer, wrapping his arm around the smaller boy’s shoulders in contempt. His eyes drift down to his ankle, and his smile grows bigger because Baekhyun is so cute—he’s the luckiest guy in the world.

            “You’re mute, but that’s okay.”

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