A warm feeling washed over my heart. The vulnerable state he was in was difficult to see, but let's just stay I didn't quite mind that he wanted me to be there.

"Okay." I replied softly. I saw Tao smile as I placed both of my hands on either side of his waist. I began to massage him again. I continued like that for the next few moments, silence falling upon the room except for a few groans here and there. The poor boy, I couldn't imagine how much it was hurting. After another period of silence, I spoke up.

"I'm canceling your schedule for the next few days. Understood?"

I spoke calmly but sternly, knowing he would fight back. Tao was certainly just as hardworking as everyone else, but sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night and hear him practicing in the other room. Yes, we're performers, but sometimes we just need to put our health before perfection, and I seem to be the only one that realizes it.

"But-" he started to say.

"NO." 

"Fine." He let out a loud and disappointed sigh. Although I had been massaging his skin for a while now, it was never awkward. I couldn't help but smile once more as I rubbed under his belly button, making him jump. I broke out in laughter as he shot up, half laughing and half yelping. He, still partially laughing, reached his hand up and pushed me as revenge.

"Y-yah!" I said through my laughs "No bullying the leader." He stuck his tongue out at me and poked my sides, trying to find somewhere I was ticklish. Yet, to his dismay, he found no such spot. I smiled to myself at his attempt at revenge. He pouted at this, causing me to bring up my hand to his head and ruffle his hair.

How can someone that looks so into intimidating be such the opposite?

"Get some rest. And if you need anything, just tell me. I have the next few days off too."

"Thank you Kris gege." he nodded his head.

"Mmmm." I got up and walked I over to the blinds. I opened them, earning a groan from the maeknae at the sudden burst of light. I walked out, closing the door behind me as the realization of what just happened dawned on me. I had just spent the past hour with Tao, and I wasn't nervous at all. I was... Myself. And I felt closer to him now than I had ever felt before. My feelings increased tenfold as a light layer of blush flooded my cheeks.

I had just massaged Tao.

I sat there on the couch, replaying the moment over and over in my head. I would be a liar if I said a few sensual thoughts didn't sneak in from time to time. Yet, that's not what was making my day. It was the simple fact that I had made more of a connection with him than I had ever done before. I felt like a 12 year old girl who had feelings for her 25 year old schoolteacher.