When Kai's eyes cracked open, the bed was empty beside him.  Still half-asleep, his arm swept over the rumpled sheets.  The space was still warm, so he knew last night hadn't just been dream.  A comforting realization, but... You liar, Do Kyungsoo.  Where are you?  He let out a disappointed sigh as he arched his back in a stretch.  He knew the accusation was unfair; it wouldn't be Kyungsoo if he didn't get up early, and it wasn't as if he was expected up for another hour at least.  Yet he couldn't deny that he was a little bit upset waking up alone.  

For the first time that he could remember, he got up of his own accord.  He hated mornings, and he would probably regret this later, but right now he was energized by the thought of finding Kyungsoo.  By all accounts, it was like any other morning, but for him, it felt exciting and new.  Everything felt different now.  Or would it be?  He didn't know, but he wanted to find out as soon as possible. 

When he strode into the kitchen pushing down his bed hair, Suho, Chanyeol and Sehun looked up at him as though they'd seen a ghost.  Kai ignored their exlamations of surprise, because all he could focus on was Kyungsoo's back as he prepared breakfast on the stove.  Just like he always did.  This time, however, he thought he saw Kyungsoo shiver as they announced his entrance, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Well, this is a surprise!  How did you know Kyungsoo was making bacon today?  Did you smell it in your dreams?"  Baekhyun clapped a hand on his shoulder as he came up behind him.  Kai barely acknowledged him with a nod, eyes still trained on the chef in question.

"This morning is just full of surprises," Suho noted, staring oddly at Kai with an inscrutable smile.  Sehun bobbed his head at Suho's side, eyes shifting merrily from Kyungsoo's frying pan to Kai.  

Kyungsoo finally twirled around, frying pan and spatula in hand.  He met Kai's eyes for a split second before shovelling the crispy bacon onto plates.  As Sehun and Baekhyun lunged for their portions, his gaze made its way back to him with a sheepish grin.  Even this small eye contact was electrifying.

"I wasn't expecting you so early, Jongin-ah.  I know you like bacon."  Kai heard the apology in his words, and instantly smiled back that he was forgiven.  Kyungsoo offered him a heaping plate, which he accepted, intently brushing his fingertips against his.      It would have to be enough, for now.  Why can't they all just go?

Kai munched at a strip impatiently, hardly noticing as Sehun snatched half his breakfast away.  Kyungsoo had gone back to frying eggs as the other members chatted about practice,  but he angled his body toward Kai's chair as he worked and continually stole glances in his direction.  Everytime he did, his heart gave a thump and he felt like laughing, as if they shared some great, frustrating, inside joke.  

Kai waited until almost everyone had trickled out to get ready and it was only him, Kyungsoo, and Suho (reading a self-help book from Kris).  Kyungsoo, who had been eating leaned against the counter, threw his half-finished plate in the sink and beckoned to Kai on the pretext of helping him clean.  Kai was only too happy to comply.  He grabbed dishes off the table and headed for the sink, brushing dangerously close to Kyungsoo on his way past the stove.  So close he could smell the shampoo on his freshly showered hair.  The suggestion made his hair stand on end.  Thank goodness for tiny kitchens.   

As they bustled about the kitchen, they took every opportunity to bump into each other - wrists, shoulders, hips, thighs.  Every touch was like an electric shock.  They barely looked at each other, but then again, they didn't have to.  When Kyungsoo stationed himself at the sink, Kai saw a perfect opportunity to lean over his shoulder, returning a final set of plates.  With his breath on Kyungsoo's ear, he was about to whisper something when - 

"Ahem!  Kai, how is your back?" Suho's voice sounded from behind him and he quickly turned to the side to face him.  He had almost forgotten Suho was in the room with them, and judging by the wide-eyed expression on his face, Kyungsoo had as well.  He fought back the urge to respond rudely; he knew it wasn't fair to be angry at their leader for being where he had every right to be.  

"Fine.  It's...fine."  He thought more seriously for a moment, glancing at Kyungsoo.  "I actually haven't noticed it much..."  Kyungsoo met his eyes for a brief moment before they both looked away.

"Oh, good.  I was just thinking maybe you had gotten up early because it was still bothering you."  Suho sat forward, hands clasped over his book, with a look of familiar concern.  

"No, that's because I slept so well before that."   Kai gave a half-smirk, to which Kyungsoo rolled his eyes and turned back to the sink.  

Suho smiled brightly, the furrow on his brow evaporating as he got up from the table.  "Well, you'll still be late if you don't hurry and wash up now."  He walked over to Kai and Kyungsoo by the sink and pressed lightly on his shoulder.  "I'll finish up here with Kyungsoo."

Again with the annoying smile.  You think you're helping, hyung, but you're not.  He hesitated until Kyungsoo gave him the slightest nod before pushing off the counter.  Tired and irritated, he mentally cursed everything within view.  But just as he passed Kyungsoo, he felt a gentle squeeze on his wrist.  It was almost enough to calm  him.  Almost.

Kai tried to shower and dress quickly, but as soon as he was ready they were being rounded up for practice.  The whole ride there he bore a hole in the back of Kyungsoo's head while the latter tapped his knees nervously, or excitedly, or both.  Luckily, they both had a lot of practice hiding how they felt for each other.  It didn't make it easy, only doable.  

Throughout practice, they continually found their way to each others' side, but they were never alone and it was never long enough.  Kai knew he should be focusing on the work, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Kyungsoo.  His handsome, adorable, unique little hyung.  Who liked him.  Kim Jongin.  Before, his thoughts had been quiet and painful, since he assumed nothing could happen between them.  Now, those thoughts were loud, hopeful, and nearly impossible to ignore.  He was so close, it was tantalizing.

Kyungsoo seemed to find this a lot easier to handle - either that, or he had a much better poker face than anyone gave him credit for.  He'd always been more patient than Jongin, though, and capable of zoning out of anything besides the task in front of him.  Kai, who could only do that while dancing, found it fantastically infuriating.

When they were finally given a break, Kai immediately looked over at Kyungsoo, but he was already discussing something with Chanyeol.  Unable to get his attention, he rushed out, heading for the bathrooms.  He hoped he would eventually corner Kyungsoo in there or catch him on his way back.  

Halfway there, he heard footsteps gaining on him.  A smooth white hand caught his wrist and pulled him into an empty conference room off the hallway.  He couldn't help but smile idiotically at the sight of Kyungsoo stealthily closing the door behind them.  He turned to face him, eyes wide, face serious.  Kai liked this manlier side of Kyungsoo.

"We need to talk," he said, voice deep and in earnest.

"I know."  Kai nodded and they stared at each other for a moment.  His mind was racing; he had so much to say, he didn't know where to begin.  

Instead, he leaned forward and Kyungsoo's hands clapped the sides of his face just as his lips crashed into his, pushing him back against the door.  Kyungsoo immediately opened his mouth to allow him in.  His tongue swept over the cavern of his mouth as Kyungsoo on his lips.  His left hand rested on Kyungsoo's hip while the other rubbed up and down his slender neck, fingers twirling his short, black hair.  Kyungsoo's hands moved down his chest and pulled him closer as they wrapped around his lower back.  

Kyungsoo let out a moan and his teeth grazed his tongue, which only made Kai push harder against his lips.  After minutes of this they had to break off for air. Breathing heavily, Kai left a trail of kisses down his neck as Kyungsoo blew into his ear.  He started to mark him, against his better judgement, when someone pushed against the door behind them, breaking off his bite.  He pulled away, startled, as an irritated voice sounded from the other side.  

"Who's in there?  Open this door! We need the room!"  

Kyungsoo's eyes popped in fear and surprise as he nervously turned the handle.  They were met with the stern face of an SM rep and what looked like two girl trainees.  Kai sighed in relief that it wasn't someone they knew.

"What were you doing in here?" The staff member looked both of them up and down.  Kai shuffled his feet and tried to pat down his messy hair before realizing this probably made it look more suspicious.  Although Kyungsoo looked like a scared deer, he acted far more natural.  

"We were just talking during our break and we thought the room was free.  Sorry, we'll head back now."  Before the woman could ask any more questions, Kyungsoo gave a slight bow and pulled Kai out of the room, letting go of his hand as soon as he passed the girls in the hallway.  He rushed back toward their practice room, Kai following close behind.  A part of him wished he could pull Kyungsoo to another empty room to continue, but he knew they were late as it was.  He would have to wait.  Again.  

He knocked Kyungsoo's shoulder as he caught up with him.  Kyungsoo shook his head, blushing a deep red until they both cracked up in laughter.  Still smiling, they slunk back into the practice room.

"Yah - where were you?  I was about to go looking," Chanyeol accosted them loudly.

"Just...lost track of time," Kyungsoo mumbled.  

"More important question,"  Baekhyun piped in,  "What's so funny?  What'd we miss?  You both came in smiling like idiots!"

"Uhh -"

"How is that a more important question?"

"Well, who cares where they were - they're here now.  And I want to hear something funny."  

"That's enough, guys!" Greg, their choreographer, shouted from the front of the room.  "No more fun!  We really should get started."  Kai skipped over to his position, deliberately avoiding Baekhyun's pleading stares.  Hopefully he would forget by the end of practice and they wouldn't have to make something up.  Too many close calls!  Aish!  They would have to be more careful.

____________________________________________________________

It wasn't until the very end of practice that Kai saw another opportunity to be alone with Kyungsoo.  They both seemed to have the same idea.  

"Kai," Kyungsoo drawled softly by his side.  "Would you stay back to show me that one move...You know, the one in the middle..."

Kai pretended to consider this.  "Ok," he grinned.  "If!  You make whatever I want for dinner."

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes.  "Deal."  Finally, Kai thought.  Everything seemed to be running smoothly.  With no one else here, there was no chance of being caught.

But such was not their luck.

"Oh, I'll join you," Sehun said, ruining Kai's plans for the evening with three simple words.  "Since I'll have to wait for food anyway."

"Alright," he answered, trying to sound warm.  Kai felt like strangling Sehun at that moment, though he really only had himself to blame.  It was entirely in Sehun's character to stay late with him to practice.  Just this one night he was hoping it wouldn't happen.

Kyungsoo wasn't too happy about this turn of events either, which explained why he got frustrated during their practice and made so many mistakes.  It wasn't too long before he gave up,  excusing himself to 'start making dinner.'  He insisted that Kai and Sehun stay and keep working.  Kai only agreed because dancing did, after all, relieve his stress.  Besides, if he stayed extremely late - with Sehun, no less - he could get back at Kyungsoo for leaving him so early.  A bit unfair, maybe, but Kai was too upset to think more clearly about it.  

He just wanted to erase the day if he could.  Forget about everything that hadn't gone the way he expected, from the very moment he woke up, until now.  

Dancing didn't work, even after Sehun left, and even though he practiced up until curfew.  He returned to the dorm - hungry, tired, and still upset.  That is, until he found the extra cheesy kimchi spaghetti wrapped especially for him in the kitchen, and a half-asleep Kyungsoo curled up in his bed.  That, he had to admit, was far better than he expected.  

And when he laid down by his side and Kyungsoo reached for his arm as if it were a reflex, as if it was meant to be curled around him, all of Kai's doubts evaporated.  If every day ended like this - 

It was all worth it.  

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

WOW, do I .  At updating, I mean.  I'm busy, yes, but I'm also lazy :p  The chapter is a bit rushed at the end, and I didn't really edit enough, so I apologize for any typos and pacing issues.  

So yes, THIS IS NOT THE END!  Sorry if that was confusing.  It may end in a few chapters, though, depending on....

THESE POLLS!  VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!

THANK YOUS ALL FOR READING MY DELUSIONAL FANTASIES!!  SUBBERS AND COMMENTERS ESPECIALLY :D

<3 kab

.

.

.

P.S. KAISOO IS REALLLLL  (D.O. voted Kai as the most handsome and they watch Pororo together and they share clothes and had a breakfast date in London and had the sweetest moment in the 'Angel' performance and yeahhhh...)