Footsteps echoed across the hardwood floor as a figure walked around the quiet motel suite, replying on the moon to provide him with enough light to not trip over anything. The person stopped and not so quietly ransacked the kitchen for something, anything, to drink. They smiled when they found a small water bottle hiding in the back of the fridge.

The figure disregarded the name written plainly on the label and drank the cool liquid until their thirst was sated. To anyone who was with them, it was just a thirsty member looking for relief; but to the young EXO M maknae, it was a ghost searching for a murder weapon.

Tao shivered under his blankets, if he pulled them up over his head any higher than his feet would be exposed. Everyone knew that feet was what monsters grabbed the moment it became available, and he wouldn't risk it.

Tao had made the fatal mistake of listening to one of Xiumin's ghost stories on the way back to China; and since they all arrived late and were dead tired, he knew he couldn't watch TV to distract him.

He jumped when he heard the footsteps come back down the hallway. As the noise for closer and closer to his room, he tightened his grip on his blanket and desperately scanned the floor. His eyes located his wushu stick tucked slightly under his bed and sighed, at least he'd have a weapon if anyone dared come in.

He held his breath and waited for the walking to stop. They had passed by his room and was opening a door next to his. Tao sighed, it was just Lay.

The door closed quietly behind him, and the black haired boy relaxed when he heard the soft 'click' of the handle. He laughed to himself and loosened his grip on the blankets, you’re just paranoid. You need to get more sleep.

Just when he started to doze off, he heard dragging outside the window. Tao's body tensed up and he stared wide eyed at nothing, R-Raccoons... Probably what Chen said... Raccoons...

He almost relaxed, but then he remembered something else, Chen said that back in Korea

As if planned, the harsh scraping sounds returned louder and lasted longer. Tao sat straight up in his bed and stated at the window. Not out it, at it. There was no way he was going to get up and investigate the noise. Millions of thoughts about murderers and zombies and ghosts filled his mind, and his head started to spin. Tao was psyching himself out to the point where he swore he could see shadows darting across the room, or the outline of tall figures hiding in the corners.

Tao yelped and fell out of bed when something tapped on his window. His body began to shake and he stumbled to his feet, not forgetting to grab his wushu stick of course. His sweaty hands fumbled with the door handle, and the boy let out a mental cheer when it opened. He didn't waste any time running down the hallway and into the one place that was the safest in any situation like this, the duizhang's room.

Tao didn't pay any special attention to how loud he was, since it was nearly impossible to wake the leader. Tao closed the door behind him and looked towards the bed. The room was dark, but the low glow of a cell phone charging light allowed the maknae to see the Kris's sleeping face.

Tao shifted uncomfortably where he stood, rethinking his whole escape from terror plan. Those thoughts quickly left his mind when he heard the dragging noise again, accompanied by the high pitched hiss of cats. In less than a second Tao was crouched down in front of Kris, stick still in hand, and poking his cheek softly, "Yah... Kris ge..." he whispered, "Wake up... Ge... Please wake up."

The leader groaned and shifted under the covers, but shows no signs of hearing Tao. The younger male jumped suddenly when he heard something crash outside, unintentionally jabbing the end of his wushu stick into the leaders face.

"Ah!" he hissed in pain, shooting up in his bed and rubbing his cheek. He glared and turned to yell at whoever was disturbing his sleep until he saw Tao standing as stiff as a board. The black haired boy was staring wide eyed out the window with his weapon clutched tightly in his hand. Kris was rather surprised to see the maknae; he wasn't one to pull pranks, and if he was pulling one then he really at hiding.

"Tao? Are you okay?" he asked softly. Tao shook his head and looked over at him.

"S-sorry for waking you..." he cringed when he heard dogs barking and shuffled a little closer to the leader, "But I-I really can't sleep."

Kris furrowed his brows together and rubbed his eyes. He picked up his cell phone to check the time, squinting as the bright light flooded his vision, 2:09..., "Did you have a dream about those seongsang fans again?"Tao shook his head, "Was it Xiumin's ghost story?" he paused, then shook his head again, "What is it?"

"I keep hearing things outside."

"They're just animals, like cats and raccoons."

"It's not just animals. Besides Raccoons are in Korea."

Kris stated at him funny, "Who told you that?"

"Chen."

He sighed, "Raccoons aren't limited to Korea. They’re in places like America an here too, probably."

Taos eyes widened, "They're in America?" he nodded, "I don't wanna go back there," Kris shook his head and smiled slightly, “So… can I sleep with you for a little bit?”

He looked at him for a little while longer. Tao was definitely scared; the leader worried that if he continued to stay up the dark bags under his eyes would get even darker and make him look even more like a panda. He also had a soft spot for the maknae; Tao was just a kid and becoming an idol was probably difficult for him. They hadn’t seen their families in a long time and Kris took care of him during their trainee days.

With a small smile, the leader scooted over in his bed and patted the available space, “Come here.”

“You’re presence is just fine,” Tao walked to the bed and sat on the ground next to him, “I don’t want to be too much of a bother.”

The room was silent for a bit. Tao heard the bed shift and wondered if Kris had lied back down, but the next thing he felt was arms slide under his own and wrap around his waist. His body jerked when he was pulled up suddenly and into the bed.

“Kris I said I was fine-”

“It’s not good to sleep like that,” he stated managing to look in the younger boys eyes with the little about of light they had, “We’ll both be in trouble of we don’t go to bed soon,” Tao was about to protest again, but Kris adjusted their positions so the arm around his waist pulled him closer to his chest, “Now I’m not much like that panda bear in your room, but it’ll have to do.”

Tao smiled at his comment, “No, but you’re better at comforting me than he is.”

“Go to sleep Tao.”

He sighed and closed his eyes, but opened them again when he heard another thing crash outside. Kris felt his body shake again his hair gently, “Their just cats…”

Tao found the mother like gesture comforting and nuzzled his head closer to the elder man. Then the two heard singing. It was faint, but still loud enough for them to make out a couple of words, “Luhan can’t sleep either…” he concluded, recognizing the voice.

“Mhmm… think of it as a lullaby,” Kris mumbled, feeling himself get drowsy.

“Yeah… G’night Kris.”

--

Kris woke up the next morning with a heavy feeling on his chest. He looked down and saw that their positions had changed during the night and Tao was now using the crook of his neck as a pillow, while his arm hugged him protectively. He smiled and slowly lifted one hand up to ruffle his hair.

The younger murmured some incoherent words and slowly opened his eyes. He squinted when the bright light hit him and slowly looked around. His eyes locked with the leaders and he smiled, “Morning...”

“Sleep alright?”

He nodded and closed his eyes again, the room fell into a comfortable silence after that, “…. I don’t feel like moving.”

“Who said you had to?”

“We gotta wake up don’t we?”

“Not for another…” he reached for his cell phone and checked the clock, “… Five seconds.”        

“Five seconds? Ge, that’s-”

“Wake up!” Lay yelled, throwing the door open, “If you don’t I won’t hesitate to throw more water on you like… oh?”

Needless to say, he was surprised to see their impossible leader already awake, with the maknae in his bed no less. Tao flinched at the loudness of his voice and retreated under the sheets while Kris stared blankly at the intruder.

“What happened here?” Lay asked walking over to the bed and poking the mound of sheets that was Tao.

“Maknae couldn’t sleep, so I let him sleep with me.”

“What a good Duizhang you are. I’m still shocked to see you awake on your own,” he smiled, then grabbed the blankets and yanked them off. Tao whined and fell off the bed while the older male laughed, “Are you okay?”

Tao meant to pout at him, but it turned into a glare and he gulped. Kris smirked as he swung his legs over the edge and headed for a new pair of clothes in the dresser, “Be careful Lay, he’s got his wushu stick with him.”

Lay’s eyes widened and he looked back, seeing Tao casually grab the thing from the floor.

“He wouldn’t use it on us,” Luhan sighed, then turned his gaze to Kris, “Don’t be so mean to the kids in the morning.”

Kris smiled and shrugged. Lay sent him a glare as he left the room, throwing a 30 minute warning over his shoulder. They were alone once again, and Kris could feel him staring at his back, “What is it Tao?”

“Last night…” Kris cocked his head back and looked at him, “Thanks for letting me stay here.”

He nodded, “My door is always open.”

Tao smiled and nodded, then hurriedly left the room to get ready for today’s schedule. Kris chuckled when he was gone and shook his head, “Cute…” he looked up when he noticed someone walk past his room and called out to them.

“Xiumin!”

The man stopped and looked at him, “Yeah?”

“Those noises last night… did you hear them?” he nodded, “What were they?”

“Cats. They knocked over a couple of flower pots.”

He nodded and thanked him. Kris finished dressing quickly and walked into the room. He was about to tell Tao what the noise was, but saw him collapsed on the couch sleeping again. He smiled and brushed the bangs out of his face. He remembered how cute the boy had looked last night, and wondered what would happen if he told him it was nothing to worry about, ...I guess it wouldn’t hurt anyone if he thought it was a ghost for a little while longer…

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