“So…” Kris began after far too much silence from Tao. “Where are we going?”

            “Gucci,” Tao replied curtly. They stepped on the escalator to go down, Kris standing behind Tao. Suddenly, Tao tripped, and before he knew what he was doing, Kris caught him.

            “That was lucky,” Kris breathed. Tao just nodded, and Kris sighed. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

            “I don’t have anything to say.”

            “Tao, if this is because of what I said on Monday—”

            “It’s not,” Tao said firmly, “I just don’t have anything to say.”

            “It’s about Monday, isn’t it,” Kris sighed resignedly, not really asking it as a question.

            “It’s…not…” Tao mumbled as they stepped off the escalator. Tao walked quickly, but Kris caught his hand, and they both stopped.

            “I know it’s probably really wrong of me to say this, but I can’t help it. Tao…I’m not going to give up on you.” Tao didn’t say anything. “Please, just give me a chance.”

            “I need to get new cologne,” Tao said quietly, turning around and walking towards the Gucci store. Kris let him go with a sigh and followed at a few paces.

            Once they’d entered the store, Kris immediately wanted to leave. And even though it was obviously Tao’s favorite store, it looked like he might have wanted to leave as well.

            “Kris!” Saemi cried, walking towards them. “What a coincidence, seeing you here!”

            “Hi, Saemi,” Kris said, forcing a pleasant smile that he was sure came out looking absolutely ridiculous.

            “I’m just here to buy a new pair of sunglasses. I’ve been saving up for months. Ooh, I know! Why don’t you and I go and grab something to eat after this? We can make it a date,” she said flirtatiously. Kris looked at Tao, who was pouting like he had the day he and Kris first went to the convenience store.

            “I’m actually…here with Tao,” Kris said, making up an excuse. “I was…buying him new cologne.”

            “You were buying him new cologne?” Saemi asked.

            “Yes, uh…” Kris said, glancing over the colognes. He smelled the first one he picked up, and it smelled like Tao. He’d never liked the scent of cologne as much as he did at that moment. “Gucci Guilty Pour Homme.”

            “It’s really expensive,” Saemi told him, but Kris waved it off as Tao gave him a worried glance.

            “Come on, Tao, let’s go check out,” Kris said, putting his hand on Tao’s back to lead him to the cashier. He could feel Tao’s shoulder blades tense up, and he immediately removed his hand. Saemi followed them, still not quite believing what was going on.

            “I’d like to buy this, please,” Kris told the cashier.

            “Ninety-two thousand won, please,” the cashier replied. Kris gulped. It was expensive.

            “You don’t have to do this, you know,” Tao whispered. Kris looked at him for a second. Tao’s round eyes looked back up at him with genuine concern.

            Kris handed over the money.

            “Thank you. Have a nice day,” the cashier said, handing Kris the bag with the cologne inside.

            “Here you go, Tao,” Kris said with a smile. “Happy Friday.”

            “Wait what?” Saemi said. “Is it his birthday? Or a special occasion at least?”

            “No,” Kris replied, “it’s just Friday.” Saemi looked extremely confused, and possibly slightly jealous.

            “We can still grab some food though, right?” she asked worriedly, and Kris shrugged.

            “I just spent all of this month’s budget on Tao,” Kris replied. Saemi gave Kris a furious expression.

            “I just remembered, I have something to do,” she said bitterly, stalking off without buying her sunglasses. Kris laughed as he watched her go.

            “She’s finally gone,” Kris grinned. He turned to Tao.

            “We can return this now,” Tao said emotionlessly.

            “Do you not like it? Isn’t that the cologne you use?”

            “I like it.”

            “Then keep it. I bought it for you.”

            “Just to get rid of her though,” Tao mumbled.

            “No. Seriously, Tao, just keep it. It’s a gift.”

            “You’ll spend this much on me…even though I said I…even though I said you were…just a friend?” Tao asked. The words “just a friend” reopened the fresh wounds in Kris’s heart, but he smiled anyway.

            “Yeah,” he replied simply. It wasn’t as if he was trying to bribe Tao, but he felt good giving Tao something he wanted.

            “Well…thanks…” Tao said, and Kris nodded happily.

            Suddenly, he heard Tao’s stomach rumble. It was loud.

            “Do you want to get something to eat? Chen said something about a pastry shop,” Kris suggested. Tao nodded, putting his hand on his stomach unconsciously. Kris smiled and led Tao to a map, where they located the pastry shop which was conveniently near them.

            It was a colorful store, and it had a warm feeling. The aromas coming from behind the counter were tantalizing and the pastries in the window looked delicious.

            Tao looked like he had just walked through the gates of heaven. His eyes were wide, his lips in an adorably child-like smile. They stepped up to the counter, where Tao looked over every single item multiple times.

            “What do you want?” Kris asked.

            “Cake!” Tao replied immediately, and then shrunk back. “I mean…I’d like cake…”

            “What kind?” Kris asked, and Tao looked troubled. He looked back at the cakes, unable to decide. “That one looks good, doesn’t it?” Kris suggested.

            “Yeah…okay, I’ll take the strawberry-vanilla one.”

            “Okay…one slice of strawberry-vanilla cake and a slice of chocolate cake.” Kris moved to hand over the money, but Tao stopped him.

            “I can pay for mine,” Tao said.

            “That’s silly. I’m older; I should be treating you.”

            “But you bought me the cologne already,” Tao said quietly.

            “It’s okay! I don’t mind.” He gave the cashier the money and they received their cake slices each in a cute little box. “Should we go sit down? We can eat these now.” Tao nodded. They found a small table for two and sat down. Tao immediately took his cake out of the box and began eating.

            Tao’s mouth was so cute. The way it opened wide to take in the cake, and the way he his lips to get any icing off was adorable.

            “Are you going to eat?” Tao asked, and Kris suddenly realized that he’d just been watching Tao and not actually eating at all.

            “Uh, yeah,” Kris replied with a smile. He bit into his cake as well. It was delicious. The chocolaty sweetness only heightened his already good mood.

            Kris wasn’t going to lie to himself. This was a date. It felt like a date, it looked like a date, so it was definitely a date. And he loved it. Even though Tao still didn’t like him as anything more than a friend, and even though Kris knew he’d never have a chance with Tao, the feeling of having Tao all to himself, spoiling him, and caring for him was a feeling Kris could easily get used to.

            It dampened his dream a little when he realized it was a feeling that he probably would never have the opportunity to get used to.

            “Why are you being so nice to me?” Tao asked quietly. He’d already finished his cake and was scraping the icing off the sides of the box with his fork. “I rejected you.”

            “Why should that keep me from being nice? I still like you, even if we can only be friends. I like being friends with you,” Kris replied. Tao stared back at him with that wide-eyed expression Kris liked so much.

            “Nobody’s ever told me that before…” Tao said slowly.

            “Well, it’s true,” Kris said. “I really do like being friends with you. Not to make you uncomfortable or anything, but…you’re a really important friend to me.”

            “That’s…” Tao trailed off. He looked down at his hands and stretched his fingers nervously.

            After a long silence, Tao finally continued.

            “Uh…Kris?” Tao began, startling Kris by using Kris’s name for what he could swear was the first time.

            “Hm?”

            “You asked if I’d give you a chance…I guess I will,” Tao said slowly. “I’ll give you a chance. Just a chance.”

            Kris couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His heart sped up and before he knew it he was grinning like an idiot.

            “I promise I won’t let you down!” Kris cried. “I promise!”

A fan asked Kris which fruit was his favorite. He chose peach, which in Chinese is 桃 (táo). Isn't that adorable? Kris chose Tao <3

A/N: HAPPY NOW? Also, as promised (since I finished this chapter back on Saturday morning, I had time), here's the Kaisoo story! It's super cheesy so be warned.

@tarp_walls: RESOLUTION. VOILA. And you thought this would be a sad chapter, didn't you? ;P

@pripri: I KNOW THEY DO RIGHT?

@aznmusiklife: Kris wouldn't give up on Princess Peach :)

@karinav915: I update every Monday and Thursday :)

@Galdy42: Ah, you're very welcome :D

@Lala1901: I think you'll smile even more idiotically for this chapter hahaha :)

@HepHapBBC: Kaisoo story is up! And Suho and Chen didn't know about Tao and Kris. They were just avoiding shopping. It's all the same to Kris though!

@heegdtop2min: More is here!

@silverphoenix: Perhaps :D

@CloudFu: Kaisoo story is up~ And yeah Yixing is kind of the cool best friend and I love him.

@chigire: Omg I really hope they do something for Tao's hair. That picture from the MAMA album...I died, it was so beautiful.

@koreanfantasy: Thank you~

@BalancedCuppycake: The Kaisoo story is up if you haven't read it yet~ AND TAO + GUCCI = OTP.

@Nakonoshi: Yup! Breakfast couple is so dorky.

@BlueStarLover: I still think that's my favorite Taoris pic so far...and I love Baekyeol <3

@SadisticRainbows: If you haven't seen it yet, the Kaisoo story is up. I think Tao is like...omg gorgeous hahaha.

@LingView: Kaisoo story is up if you haven't seen it yet~ TAORIS <3

@angelsmiles: YES thank you for that pic :) YEAH COME ON TAO SAIL THE SHIP ALREADY.

@Yuki_Hime: Oh trust me, Kris will be thanking Lay immensely.

@You_Love: I'm so happy you commented! Don't worry about bad English, I think it's just fine~

@white_snowy: The picsssss they have to be married yes yes yes.

@kitten83: Baekyeol is in the making!

@JinnyJ: Glad you approve :)

@efeline: Have you read the Kaisoo story yet? If not, it's up~

@AsianInspirits: Well, Kris wants him at the very least :)

@deathangeL_se7en: Noooo don't die!!

@phoenix_taemints: Tumblr, my dear~ 

@ShawolCassieElf: YES OMG I THOUGHT HE LOOKED LIKE DONGWOO TOO. Mind twins~

@s7herry: Tao + shopping = my favorite.

@kawaiikimbap: I wrote a 2min tragedy for Cereal's contest and I avoid rereading it because it's that sad. So yeah I stay away from the tragedy tag too ^^;;

@PikaKyuLove: Lay deserves someone...but it's too much for this fic. Maybe another time~

@sorrowlicher: YES the awkwardness came across :D

@Lee_Hyunjae: Lay is President of the Taoris fanclub, just like Chanyeol is for Hunhan and Yoochun is for Yunjae hehehe.

@seungjinki: You started shipping Taoris because of this? MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. KAISOO YES.

@VitaminBuns: Lolololol Tao's Gucci collection and Luhan's Rubik's cube. I like that.

@Evilblea: Hi! Thanks for reading and I'm glad you think it's cute :D

@MeiXiah: Blush = good things. Usually :)

@taembb__: Kaisoo fic is up :D Glad you like this so far~

@Kahlem: YES aren't they glorious?

@ChibiOwnDisHouse: I'm so so happy you love it <3

@MsChocoChan: I feel weird having named the fic Simple now hahaha. 

@Lemonadismdrew: Kekekeke thanks for reading <3

@dark_heart: Lay/Kris is the best bromance ever. 

♥ Exie

You could tell that Tao was totally judging Saemi, right?

Tao + Gucci = OTP