Kris was silent at dinner that night. He couldn’t believe that he’d been just as confused as Kai that entire time. No, more confused, because he thought for sure he was straight. Suddenly he found it difficult to believe everything he’d told Kai and Tao about how Sehun and Luhan were perfectly acceptable, because back then it didn’t apply to him. He kept glancing over at Tao, seeing his face and suddenly realizing just how beautiful he was and hating it all the while because Tao had just ruined his entire identity. Every now and then Tao made eye contact with him, and every time it happened, his heart jumped and the butterflies in his stomach only intensified.

            He was beyond confused by the end of dinner. He was straight. He was straight. But he liked Tao. He really liked Tao.

            “Lay,” he moaned, flopping down on his bed as Lay did his homework. “I’m so goddamn confused.”

            “About what?” Lay asked, not looking up.

            “I think I like Tao,” Kris said. “No, I know I like Tao.”

            “I know.”

            “What? I didn’t even know until just before dinner, how could you?”

            “Kris,” Lay said matter-of-factly, putting down his pencil and looking his roommate in the eye, “for someone so observant, you’re really, really dense.”

            “I…I…”

            “It was really obvious. Really obvious. But putting that aside. You seem very sure that you like Tao, and I’m also very sure you like Tao, so we know you’re not delusional. In that case, why are you confused?”

            “Because I’m straight!” Kris cried. Lay laughed at him.

            “Not if you like Tao you’re not,” he chuckled. Kris made a strangled-sounding noise.

            “But I can’t be…I can’t…”

            “Kris. You yourself have lectured multiple people in this house on why it’s okay to be gay. Sometimes love sneaks up on you, and sometimes that love may be a boy. You have to accept that. Listen, from what I can see, you really like him. You probably have for a while. So I don’t know what the problem is. So what if you’re gay? If you’re bi? Does that matter?”

            “Accepting it is easier said than done,” Kris mumbled, but he knew Lay was right.

            “That may be true, but would you rather live your life in denial, or actually have a chance with the person you love?” Lay asked sensibly. Kris considered this.

            “I like him,” he sighed. “I really do.”

            “Then it’s settled. Go confess.”

            “What? That soon?” Kris asked, shocked.

            “Yeah!” Lay said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “What have you got to lose?”

            “A lot,” Kris sighed. “Tao is a little…I mean, we’ve talked about Sehun and Luhan and he’s really uncomfortable with it.”

            “Oh,” Lay said, thinking. “Well, that’s a problem, isn’t it?”

            “Yeah. I can’t just confess my love to a straight guy…I mean, it doesn’t work that way. I know he’s straight. I can’t just do that.”

            “Well, why not?” Lay asked suddenly.

            “What do you mean ‘why not?’” Kris demanded.

            “Maybe he’s just as confused as you are.”

            “I doubt it,” Kris said. “He seemed pretty sure.”

            “Well, you never know until you ask, right?” Lay proposed. Kris sighed.

            “I can’t.”

            “It’s up to you, Kris. Like I said, you can live in denial or you can go for it.”

            “Lay, it’s not denial; it’s that I’m a guy who likes a guy who doesn’t like guys. That’s not denial at all.”

            “Well. Whatever you want to do. But don’t wallow in sorrow and don’t complain to me about how lovesick you are in a few days.”

            “I won’t,” Kris said.

            “We’ll see,” Lay smirked.

            That weekend went interestingly. Kris had gone back and forth debating whether or not he would tell Tao. In fact, he got all the way to Tao’s door a few times before he turned back, telling himself that he was delusional to think that Tao could ever reciprocate his feelings.

            Every time he opened his mouth instinctively to tell Lay how depressed he was, he’d see Lay’s triumphant smirk, and he would shut up quickly. His silence didn’t last long, however.

            “Lay, what do I do?” he asked concernedly on Sunday night.

            “I’m trying to sleep,” Lay groaned. Kris disregarded Lay’s annoyance and continued.

            “I have tutoring with him tomorrow. What do I do? What do I tell him?”

            “Honestly, Kris I would be so much happier if you would just tell him already. Tell him that you’re head over heels for him and please stop annoying me.” Kris sighed and shut his eyes. He couldn’t sleep. Not with the image of Tao’s gorgeous face and those perfect, kissable lips and those amazing eyes imprinted on the backs of his eyelids.

            “Damn it,” he muttered into his pillow. “Damn it.”

            Confusion was a regular state of mind for Kris by Monday afternoon.

            Monday afternoon was also when Kris had to walk with Tao to and from tutoring.

            Xiumin chattered all the way there and Kris couldn’t get a word in edgewise even if he wanted to. And tutoring was straight work the entire time. Aerin would scold them when they started talking about something other than English.

            It was the walk back that made Kris feel like vomiting. Xiumin had gone back with the 2-C boys and Kris was left alone with Tao for the first time since the previous week.

            “I think the quiz this week should go really well,” Tao said happily. “It seems like everyone is doing well.”

            Kris nodded tersely in reply. Tao looked up at him curiously. Kris couldn’t look directly at him. Those eyes would surely be his downfall.

            “Is something wrong? You’ve been really quiet all afternoon,” Tao said. Kris’s heart was beating so hard and fast that he felt like he was going to fall over. He had to tell him. He couldn’t keep living like that, wondering if Tao would ever know how he felt.

            “I…I don’t know if I can tell you,” Kris gulped. Tao smiled cutely and Kris’s heart rate only increased.

            “You’ve let me confide in you,” Tao said understandingly, “it’s only fair that I listen to whatever you have to say. Just tell me whatever it is.”

            “I can’t,” Kris mumbled, but Tao was having none of it.

            “It’s okay! I’m here for you just like you’re here for me,” Tao said. Kris gulped.

            It was now or never.

            “Tao…I…” Kris began, looking at Tao who looked back with an encouraging expression. Kris took a deep breath and stopped walking. Tao looked curiously at him, not quite sure what was going on, but he stopped and turned to Kris and looked at him expectantly. Kris breathed in again. “I like you…”

            “I can’t hear—”

            “I LIKE YOU,” Kris interrupted quite a bit louder than he’d intended. He immediately regretted it.

            Tao’s face fell quickly, and he looked almost scared. He broke eye contact with Kris and looked at his feet.

            “I’m sorry,” Tao said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

            “No, no,” Kris mumbled, “just forget I said anything. I know you don’t…I mean, I know that…just forget I said it.”

            “You’re my friend,” Tao said hollowly. “I like you, just…not like that.”

            “I know, I know,” Kris said. “It was stupid of me to say something like that. I don’t even know why I did it, I was just…” he looked at Tao’s expression. It looked almost betrayed, and Kris hated knowing that he put that ugly look on Tao’s beautiful face. “I didn’t mean it,” he lied. “It’s nothing. Let’s just…let’s just go home.”

            “Yeah,” Tao replied, still not looking directly at Kris.

            It was wrong. It was all wrong. 

A/N: I know this chapter is short but it was at a good stopping place so~ Oh yeah I changed my tumblr url: just-kiss-mi.tumblr.com~

Also there are a LOT A LOT of comments that I haven't replied to so I'm going to reply to ALL OF THE COMMENTS today!

@IrisButterfly: Hehehehe.

@kitten83: CUTE PLUMPY BAOZI HAHAHAHAHA <3

@AlwaysMe-: Of course it did~ And YES it did take Kris long enough ahahaha.

@aznmusiklife: Or will he? >:D Ah, but Kris realizing is the first step~

@missmacyy: New reader yay! AND YES I AM ONEW AND TAO BIASED <3 LET'S BE FRAAAAAANS~ And I'm so happy you're liking the story.

@BlueStarLover: Hahahaha king Kris :) And YES those Taoris pics. Perfection, right?

@silverphoenix: Yes~

@kiikiichan: Jealous Kris is hot.

@Lala1901: Observant Kris is not observant when it comes to himself hehehehe. TAO SMILE DANCE I like that hahahaha.

@kitty_kat: THE MOST? You flatter me~

@Claire: Krease hehehehe

@MeiXiah: YAY you noticed that subtle Hunhan was not subtle AT ALL hahahaha. 

@kawaiikimbap: OMOOOOO I specifically tried to write like the line before it so it wouldn't sound ual and then I failed =_= Ah well~ And of course jealous duizhang is super y. I AM SO HAPPY YOU'RE LIKING THIS :D

@xxjenjaexx: I love my OT12~

@SadisticRainbow: I know right? Jealous Kris = y Kris. 

@--kyusmirk: I KNOW I hate Saemi the cashier. Why I wrote her I don't even know.

@PikaKyuLove: Aerin is not that cool hahahaha :)

@angelsmiles: I love Lay and jealous Kris and oblivious Tao you don't even know hahaha. So much.

@BalancedCuppyCake: He's SUCH a sassy dancer. I love that kid. I'm liking him more and more these days. Yixing is climbing up my bias list...And yes, now Kris realizes it!

@ShaZam: Yeahhhhh Kris is that in love with him. I would never fail a test just to be with someone I like...but then again, I'm a nerd so...And Tao's homophobia...that is a problem indeed.

@aegyoXin: Yeah! Actually if you look closely, Aerin is a name that I use in all of my chaptered fics...I'm surprised nobody has noticed yet.

@heegdtop2min: Ah! Don't cry~

@chigire: I scolded Kris for failing his test hahaha.

@Lee_HyunJae: Jealous Kris + Fail Kris = it all evens out hahaha.

@AsianDrama: Omooo I hope nobody does that for me. Unpopular opinion: Grades are more important than love.

@s7herry: I love cute and innocent Tao :D

@VitaminBuns: Wahhh thank you!

@yuesan: I AM ONEW BIASED :D Let me love youuuuuu~

@phoenix_taemints: Update voila!

@JinnyJ: Not so genius since he's now failing hahahaha. 

@Nakonoshi: I feel like Kris's mama sometimes too.

@twinkletoe: KAISOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

@white_snowy: Hi~ I love new readers! No Xiuchen unfortunately~ Maybe in another fic though!

@mj_a_lover: Eheheheheh thanks <3 And I love that Kris was so observant with Kai even though his situation was like...exactly the same.

@karinav915: He diiiiiiid~

@pripri: For being so observant, Duizhang is really oblivious hehehe~

@elemonie818: Here's an update for youuuuu~

@JangDaeByul: Ah haaaa that's always good to hear. When someone who doesn't normally ship your pairing likes it :)

@insaneleeee: Kai deserves a huge award for that.

@clarene: YES TAO/FOOD = OTP. I'M SO HAPPY YOU NOTICED THAT.

@yuesan: Yes! I need to include more Hunhan...I'll try to work it in~

@Galdy42: No, thank you! I love when people like what I write :D

@sungkyu: Yaaaaaaay~

@dark_heart: Kai says you're welcome :)

@Staceyftw: (:

@vanndee13: You get butterflies? AHHHH I'm flattered~ Thank you so much for loving it!

@CloudFu: Tao X Cake <3 Yup. Tao's homophobia is a problem, isn't it? You'll find out what happens~

@butterflybabe13: THANKS <3

@MsChocoChan: Tao is even more dense than Mr. Dense Duizhang himself hahahaha.

@cminutebyminute: There will be more for you to read, worry not!

@sumomoyuki: We'll see more frustrated Kai~

@SuJuloveMingi: Don't worry, more Kaido is on its way!

@UndergroundMemories: It's cute~

@Alutka: Yup yup!

@jonghyunnn: HE DOOOOOOES!

@deathangeL_se7en: I update twice a week~ Mondays and Thursdays! Look forward to it~

@13aholic: True true~

@shesback: I love your comment <3 Makes me feel happy! I try to find new Taoris pics to put up every week. I have a bunch lined up for now :)

@taembb__: YEAH SRSLY go for it, boys! But nope! That can't happen yet~

@Mulgoki: You make me so happy when you say they're different because I'm trying so hard to give them each their own couple dynamic.

@JulietteShawol1: Yay!

@renprix: Apparently he's not as observant as he thought he was ;)

@CheWxXxiii: I am definitely going to write more Kaisooo :D

@efeline: I'm happy you think it's cute~

@bogobogo: Tadah!

@yshaness: YAY that is good to hear.

♥ Exie

P.S. It took me 45 minutes with minimal interruptions to reply to all these comments. I do this out of love for youuuuuu~