So I had a very dear reader and friend over yesterday (the same friend who made the poster for "Babe with the Power") and I was reminded that I hadn't updated this in a while, and I really had no idea what to do about it so finally I sat down and said I WILL DO SOMETHING and this came to me and some of it I've been wanting to play around with for a while so here you go :D

Continuity: Throughout Chapters 2 & 4 (The last bit takes place after Chapters 21 and 23)
Kris-centric
Pairings: ohohohohoho :D

#16:Wings

Tao was fascinated by Kris’ wings when he was younger. He used to sneak up behind Kris and randomly touch his wings—patting them, twirling the longest feathers between his fingers. Kris secretly loved it, because for one thing he found Tao’s fascination adorable, and he liked having his wings touched, so he did nothing to stop Tao from doing whatever he wanted with his wings.

But when Kris started to learn to fly, Tao’s opinion changed. Suddenly he hated Kris’ wings. He didn’t want his Kris to learn to fly, because then he might fall and get hurt, or else fly away and never come back.

Kris also started winding up in the Healer’s rooms with burning pain in his bones as they hollowed out, which made Tao hate the wings even more. Kris didn’t deserve that much pain, he was too good for that kind of suffering.

When Tao was six he finally confessed these thoughts to Kris. He snuck into his room one night when he was in a lot of pain, and feeling helpless he started to cry and blurted out his true feelings.

To his surprise, Kris laughed.

“This isn’t funny!” Tao yelled tearfully.

“I’m sorry,” Kris gasped. “It’s just…it’s so sweet of you to worry about me like that.”

Kris flipped his bed sheets down and patted the mattress. Tao climbed in and wrapped his arms around Kris’ waist.

“Well somebody has to worry about you,” Tao muttered.

Kris patted his head. “I know, but you don’t have to hate my wings and you certainly don’t have to worry about me flying away. I like my wings and I like flying, but I’ll never leave my baby.”

Tao held out his hand. “Pinkie swear, you’ll never fly away from me.”

Kris nodded and hooked their pinkies together. “I swear.”

*             *             *

Chanyeol was jealous of Kris’ wings. He’d always wanted to fly, and sometimes he thought that it wasn’t fair that only one person got to have that gift. Watching Kris flutter his wings and soar around the courtyard would make his stomach churn with envy, and he sometimes had to fight to keep a smile on his face.

He’d watch Sehun hug Kris and sneakily grab hold of the edge of his wings, wrapping them around their bodies.

“Bird hug!” Sehun would squeal. Kris would wrap his wings even tighter around the pair of them, sometimes tickling Sehun’s nose with the feathers. Sometimes Kyungsoo would join in, tugging at Kris’ shirt and whining until he was let in on the fun hugs.

Chanyeol wondered if Baekhyun would like to be wrapped up in a pair of wings. He’d nearly picked the wings when the Matron came for him, why didn’t he have the flight affinity too? It wasn’t fair, he wanted the wings so badly.

Once when Chanyeol was watching Kris practice, Kris looked over at him, huge smile plastered on his face, and asked if he wanted to fly.

Chanyeol’s heart leapt into his throat and he nodded.

Kris wasn’t strong enough to take him very high, but he hooked his arms under Chanyeol’s shoulders and lifted him up a few feet. It was the most exhilarating two minutes of his life, and when Kris put him down again, he patted Chanyeol’s shoulder and told him that any time he wanted a ride, he shouldn’t be afraid to ask.

Chanyeol was never jealous of Kris’ wings again, because now he knew he had no reason to be. Kris was willing to share.

*             *             *

Sometimes Suho would wake up in the middle of the night to Kris’ arms around his waist and face pressed against his shoulder blades. Suho would turn around and Kris would still be awake, eyes wide in the dim light.

“Couldn’t sleep,” he would mumble, and Suho would let him huddle closer and pretend he didn’t know that Kris was crying. Kris had a family just like the rest of them, and he had a baby sibling he had never and probably would never get to see. Who knew if the child was even aware that he existed.

When Kris still couldn’t sleep, Suho would reach one hand behind Kris’ back and search until he found the ridge of a wing, and he’d gently scratch his nails up and down the line of small bones. Kris would shut his eyes and sigh, sometimes arching his back or fluttering his wing to get Suho to scratch harder or move to a different spot. It always helped him to fall asleep.

Kris looked so cute when he was asleep, not that Suho would ever say it out loud. But when he had his head on Suho’s chest, mouth slightly open and totally relaxed, Suho had to remind himself that Kris was in fact a year older than him.

Sometimes Suho would stay awake long after Kris had fallen asleep and run his fingers through the feathers on his wings. His skin was tough, but the feathers were soft and almost silky in some places. It amazed him that these delicate, pretty things could make Kris fly. Of course he knew that they had caused Kris great pain. Sometimes it scared him to think about Kris’ skin ripping apart as the wings unfolded from under his skin, and he’d shiver and pull his hand away.

Suho knew he could have never handled being gifted with flight. He has his cool water tricks, and that was enough for him. No matter how cool it would be to fly, he knew he’d never be as strong as Kris, never strong enough to have wings.

*             *             *

Chen absolutely loved Kris’ wings, they were like a fluffy blanket that he could wrap himself up in any time he wanted to. Kris never minded Chen curling up in his lap and pulling a wing around himself; he was so small just one was enough to cover him completely. Kris’ wings were the perfect place to hide when he was scared or sad—they were fluffy and dark and warm, and of course they came with Kris, who (in addition to having such nice wings) gave the best hugs in the world.

Of course, Chen wasn’t the only one who liked to use Kris’ wings as their own personal hideout. He had to compete with all the other kids for Kris’ attention. normally he didn’t mind, because again, one wing was enough for him and he didn’t take up much room. It was only when it was Kai he had to share with that things got personal.

Chen stomped his foot and glared at Kris’ lap. “You had your turn already!”

Kai poked his hand out from under a wing and made a shooing motion. Chen folded his arms and pouted.

Kris looked up from his book and sighed. “What am I going to do with the pair of you?”

He pulled his wing out of Kai’s grasp and tilted his head up. “Kai, I have two wings. You only need the one, and Chen needs some hug-time too.”

For a second, Chen thought Kai would argue, but finally he scooted off of Kris’ lap to make room.

Chen would have rather had Kris all to himself, but he was desperate so he crawled under his other wing and huddled into his older brother’s side.

Kai poked him. “I was here first,” he hissed. “You’re not being fair. Why should you always get what you want?”

Chen growled. Kris’ wings blocked most of the light, but he could see enough of Kai’s face to know he was scowling. “It’s your fault any way. You just had to go and tell that story and it freaked me out so now—”

“Oh of course,” Kai interrupted. “It’s always my fault.”

“Well you tease me all the time!” Chen whispered. “And you’re the only one who does it!”

Kai looked furious. “Well, duh! You never do anything unless I tease you!”

Chen gaped at him. “What?!”

“Don’t deny it, all you ever do is sit by yourself and pout. If I didn’t dangle bugs in front of you, you would never even say anything!”

“I talk!” Chen protested tearfully. “I do things! I play 'I Spy' and I tell stories and stuff.”

Kai crossed his arms and frowned. “Never with me.”

Chen opened his mouth and closed it again, thinking back. To tell the truth, he couldn’t remember ever doing anything with Kai that didn’t involve fighting.

“Why didn’t you ask me to play with you?” Chen finally asked.

Kai scoffed. “We always ask—”

“No,” Chen interrupted. “Why didn’t you ask?”

Kai looked at him sadly. “Would you have said yes?”

Chen kicked him in the leg. “Yes you dummy! If you had actually stopped teasing me I probably would have!”

“I like teasing you!” Kai fired back, “It’s the only fun thing we do together!”

“You’re impossible!”

“You’re impossibler!”

“That’s not even a word!”

They glared at each other for a few seconds. Kai looked away first. “Would you really have said yes?”

Chen slumped back and shrugged. “Maybe, I don’t know.”

Kai inched closer. Chen eyed him for a second and then held out his hand. Kai took it and laced their fingers together.

“Ask me for real tomorrow,” Chen muttered. “Maybe I’ll say yes if you can be nice to me.”

Kris grinned to himself. He had long stopped reading his book (it was kinda hard to do with two kids hiding under his wings anyway), now he was just listening to his kids. He loved how everyone seemed to forget that he could hear them when they talked under the cover of his wings.

*             *             *

Ohohohohoho *sings* I’m playing the pairing game, no you didn’t imagine it~~~~~~

aka yes that was fluff in the last bit and it was done on purpose

KAICHEN BECAUSE I DO WHAT I WANT

:DDDDDDDDDDD

Maybe I'll pick up where that left off in the next bit, kekekekekekekekeke

PS I have my Chinese oral test on Thursday D: PRAY TO EXO-M FOR ME!!!!