Warning: Language only.

O.o o.O

“Okay, guys,” Jongdae began authoritatively. “We’re only letting you in on this because Kris has his hackles up around us already, and anything we do will immediately be met with suspicion and rejection. This is a delicate operation, and I need to know you’re all fully committed to meeting our objectives.”

Chanyeol snorted. “What, getting baby Tao laid?”

Baekhyun laughed so hard he fell backwards, but Luhan screamed, loud and shrill, leaping up to cover Tao’s ears with both hands. 

“You can’t just say that! Baby Tao is still innocent!”

Indeed, Tao was looking away with an embarrassed flush to his cheeks.

“It’s the truth, though!” Chanyeol insisted.

“Taotao is too good for yucky Kris-hyung,” Sehun said, pouting heavily with his arms crossed.

“Yah, brat,” Luhan said, smacking Sehun on the back of his head. “Stop pretending to be cute.”

“I am cute,” Sehun sniffed, cuddling up to Tao and grabbing at Tao’s hand to rub away the (nonexistent) pain on his head. 

Luhan rolled his eyes, mouth opening to retort just as Jongdae interrupted with, “Guys, come on, I have class in like twenty minutes, chop chop.”

“We need to have group hot pot,” Sehun sighed out with a roll of his eyes. “Seriously,” he muttered under his breath. “Its like the older you are the dumber you are. Exhibit 1, Lu-hyung.”

“Hey!” Luhan smacked Sehun again. “Be respectful to your elders.”

“Ow, Taotao,” Sehun whined, falling dramatically into Tao’s lap. “Lu-hyung is abusing me.”

Tao rubbed Sehun’s head indulgently. “Shh, Sehunnie. The hyungs are speaking.”

“SO BASICALLY,” Baekhyun said loudly, voice rising above all the ambient chatter, “we’re getting Kris drunk to - what? What are we trying to achieve by getting him drunk?”

Silence.

It was YOUR idea, Jongdae mouthed to Minseok, who looked away and pretended he didn’t see.

“Or,” Baekhyun said, starting to look confused, “what is the end game? It can’t possibly just be getting baby Tao laid…” He looked around the room for some sort of confirmation. “…is it?”

“Uh,” Jongdae began hesitantly, locking gazes with Yixing, who nodded him on encouragingly. “Well. Uh. Obviously, the end game is. Uh. Confession, of course. For Kris-hyung to confess to baby Tao. Yeah.”

“Everybody knows that already. I’m pretty sure even the kimbap ahjumma across the street knows by now,” Baekhyun said. “What I want to know is why we’re getting Kris drunk at all.” He paused. “After all, torture is always more fun when the person remembers it.” Another pause. “Or at the very least, when they are conscious for it.”

“No one needs to know about the you’re into,” Jongdae said, smacking a hand onto Baekhyun’s face and giving a hard shove. 

“Stop changing the subject!” Baekhyun griped, swatting at Jongdae.

“Jesus ing christ,” Chanyeol breathed out. “How long have you guys been going about this like headless chickens?”

“Excuse you,” Jongdae said archly, “we had a goal in mind, therefore we had a direction and were not headless chickens, thank you very much.”

Yixing raised his hand. “I had a plan,” he piped up. “All drawn out with diagrams and everything.”

“Yeah,” Minseok nodded. “Good plan.” He reached over to high-five Yixing.

“Well, what happened to that plan?” Baekhyun asked. 

Yixing shrugged. “I think I used it as scrap paper when I was cramming for midterms.”

“In any event, we don’t have it anymore,” Jongdae said. 

“We need a new plan,” Baekhyun said immediately, swiping Jongdae’s (new) squeaky gavel from him and hitting it on the floor repeatedly. “NEW PLAN.” 

“We do not,” Yixing said stubbornly. “We already have one.”

“Dude,” Minseok said, patting Yixing on the shoulder. “You used the plan as scrap paper.”

Yixing paused for barely a second. “Okay, fine. New plan.”

Tao just wished the words didn’t sound so ominous.

O.o o.O

Kris didn’t realise that The Plan now included their neighbouring suite also, so when Chanyeol approached him one late afternoon, asking to go out, Kris merely shrugged and picked up his wallet and phone, ready to leave.

“Uh, dude, no, you’re not going out like that,” Chanyeol said, eyes wide with unabashed judgement. 

“What do you mean? We’re not gonna go anywhere fancy.”

“Yeah, but it’s Friday. I figured we’d meet up with a few of the others later, for clubbing?”

“Oh,” Kris intoned dully. He looked down at his sweatpants. “Okay, dude, gimme a couple minutes. Just wait outside.”

“Sure, man. I gotta change too. Make myself look pretty for you.” Chanyeol cooed.

“Ugh.” Kris shut his bedroom door in Chanyeol’s face.

They eventually made their way to a bar they normally frequented, dim and quiet, the two of them sitting at their usual small table in the corner to chat and catch up.

“It’s nothing serious,” Kris said, as Chanyeol about Tao. “The kid just has a crush, that’s all.”

Chanyeol raised his brow, the look in his eyes saying it all as he took a sip of beer. “Dude, you gotta stop saying like that, you know.”

“What do you mean?”

Chanyeol looked vaguely aghast at Kris’ genuinely puzzled face. “…That Tao’s feelings aren’t genuine? That somehow you know better than he does what he’s feeling? like that?”

A long pause. “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh,” Chanyeol sighed, shaking his head. “I’m just saying, Tao might be super naive and way, way too gullible for his own good, but he’s not stupid. He knows what he’s doing - and you should know that too.”

Kris didn’t answer, choosing to down his drink instead.

O.o o.O

Sehun stared wordlessly from where he lounged on Tao’s bed, watching Minseok carefully smudge eyeliner onto Tao and Luhan pick through Tao’s clothes for an outfit.

“Baby Tao, where’s the new underwear we bought last time? Remember you said how the seams kept showing in these?” Luhan turned with a pair of ripped black jeans in his hands, and Sehun scoffed a little because those jeans looked too small for Luhan, never mind Tao. 

“In the drawer? Ge, I don’t -”

“Shh. Don’t interrupt my genius.” Minseok pinched Tao’s lips shut, leaning in again with a small brush.

Sehun rolled over slightly, focusing in on Luhan, who was now sifting through Tao’s t-shirts. “Lu-hyung, are you just gonna wear that?”

Luhan paused, before turning to stare at Sehun with a stretchy grin and eerily wide eyes. “My darling Sehunnie,” he began. “I know you didn’t just diss my outfit.”

Sehun stared back, reevaluating his entire life’s choices. “Nope.”

“Good.” Luhan turned back. “And anyway, I have plenty of time to put on battle gear and warpaint before ~The Plan~. You remembered to eat, right?”

“Yeah. Taotao and I had burgers.” Sehun rolled over again to watch Tao once more. Minseok was just finishing up, dusting off stray eyeshadow from Tao’s cheeks. “Minnie-hyung, will you do me next?”

“Yah, I’m not your makeup artist. Okay, Peaches, take a look.”

“Wow,” Tao said, lifting the mirror close to his face. “Wow, gege, I look so different.”

“Me,” Sehun said, scrambling over to take Tao’s seat. “Minnie-hyung, do me now.”

“Yah, brat, what did I say?” Minseok sighed, already reaching for the BB cream.

Sehun just wiggled in his seat, satisfied.

O.o o.O

Okay, so Kris was a little drunk. He and Chanyeol had ended up meeting Baekhyun and Jongdae a couple hours later, and since the three of them had a hellish week (two research papers due earlier today, within an hour of each other), their quiet drinks had quickly devolved into a sloppy mess of loud drinking games and way too many soju bombs to count.

So now they were at (Kris looked around himself, squinting against the lighting) - another bar, presumably, and they were waiting for the others to come for another couple drinks before going to a club. 

“Who’re we still waitin’ for?” he asked Jongdae. 

“Just a couple others,” Jongdae said, surprisingly sober for someone that had started the night with three Jägerbombs in quick succession.

“Maybe lets get some snacks while we wait,” Kris said, hoping that greasy food would sober him up a bit.

“FOOD IS FOR THE WEAK,” Baekhyun yelled across the table. “MORE SOJU BOMBS.”

Chanyeol whooped, both hands in the air as he flagged down a waitress to place the order.

“Fries,” Kris tried to interject. “I want fries.”

“No fries,” Chanyeol told the waitress. He leaned over, looking at her with huge eyes. “Absolutely no food allowed at this table.”

The poor waitress could only nod, rushing off with a blush on her cheeks.

“LET ME EAT,” Kris demanded, trying to flag another waiter.

“WEAKLING,” Baekhyun shrieked. “For that, your punishment is to down your drink!”

Kris stared down at his rum and coke. The bubbles in the black drink seemed to be laughing at him. 

“Kris-hyung can’t do it,” Jongdae said. “He’s already two behind on the drink count; there’s no way.”

So, yeah, Kris was drunk. And when Kris was drunk, it was a million times easier to manipulate him because his competitive nature would become a million times more apparent. 

“ you, yes I can,” Kris scoffed, and tipped his head back to finish the drink in two gulps. 

It was another two rows of soju bombs later that the ones they were waiting for finally showed up.

“Holy , is that baby Tao?” Baekhyun breathed out, eyes wide and staring at point over Kris’ shoulder.

Kris gave a cursory glance over, already turning his head back to his drink before his brain processed what he had seen and whipped right back around to stare at the vision descending upon them. “Uh,” he said intelligently as Luhan and Minseok approached the table, Tao and Sehun hanging back behind them.

“Sorry we’re late, guys. A round of shots on me!” Cheers erupted as Minseok went off to the bar with a wave, Luhan shoving Jongdae in closer to Kris as he seated himself in their booth.

“What’s got you so quiet, Kris?” he smirked.

“Nothing,” Kris choked out, watching as Baekhyun reached over to cup Tao’s cheeks in both hands, cooing right into his face.

Minseok returned to the table, eyes glinting dangerously in the dim light. “Tequila shots!”

Kris glanced over at Tao, who had ducked his head with a blush, before turning back to stare at the plastic tray of shots set down in the middle of the table. 

Yeah, tequila shots sounded right just about then.

O.o o.O

“Well this’s a s’prise,” Chanyeol grunted, shifting Kris’ arm back into place around his shoulders.

“I hate you so much right now,” Sehun gasped, knees about to buckle under Kris’ weight. “You owe me like twenty thousand shots and a million favours.”

“We’re almost there,” Tao panted, a passed out Baekhyun draped over his back. 

“Good thing you work out, baby Tao,” Jongdae said, stumbling over his feet as he flung out an arm to pat Tao’s head. Next to him, Minseok just sighed and held Jongdae tighter against him.

Tao himself couldn’t even sigh, having carried Baekhyun’s dead weight for several blocks already. His laboured breaths were harsh against the quiet night; taxis had taken one look at a passed out Kris and Baekhyun and had flatly refused to take them, which led to them trying (and occasionally failing) to walk the distance back to their dorm.

Forty-five minutes later, they finally made it back, Chanyeol and Sehun sweating profusely as they dropped Kris onto the floor of M suite, not even bothering to carry him to his bed. Luhan was nice enough to grab Kris’ pillow and blanket for him before disappearing off to drink some more with Sehun, the younger boy whining about how his night had been forced to end early. Off in the second bathroom, the dulcet sounds of Jongdae vomiting could be heard, as well as Minseok’s soothing voice as he fed him the occasional sip of Pocari. 

Tao went to K suite to set down Baekhyun in his own bed before collapsing onto his back, panting. He was pretty sure he had sweated off most his makeup along the way, and a quick swipe of his forearm across his face only proved him right, streaks of black eyeliner and golden eyeshadow appearing on his damp skin.

“Tonight wa' fun, wa’n it?” Chanyeol slurred, stumbling over to lie down next to Tao on Baekhyun’s floor. 

“It was,” Tao panted, chest still burning. “Kinda short night, though.”

“Yeah, blame Kris f’r bein’ lightweight.”

“I heard you sneaked three servings of ddeokbokki while Jongdae-hyung and Baekhyun-hyung drank with Kris-ge. And they ate a full meal before meeting you guys.”

“Yeah,” Chanyeol admitted easily, patting his stomach. “’S yum. S’ry we di’n make it t’ th’ club.”

“It’s okay, hyung. I had fun.”

“Aw, baby Tao, y’re so sweet.” Chanyeol rolled over onto his side, patting Tao’s cheek.

Tao sat up, heaving one last breath. “Okay, hyung, I’m gonna head back. Do you need help getting to your room?”

“Nah,” Chanyeol said, rolling over on the floor until he reached Baekhyun’s bed. “Jus’ g’na sleep ‘ere.” 

Tao immediately reached for Chanyeol as he almost yanked Baekhyun off in his own struggle to get on the bed. “You okay, hyung?”

“Yeah,” Chanyeol mumbled, throwing an arm over his face. “Lights off, please.”

“Okay,” Tao said softly, turning the light off and easing the door closed. “Goodnight, hyung.”

O.o o.O

It was a rough awakening for Kris the next morning, having slept on the hardwood floor all night and the bright sunlight greeting him from the open blinds in the living room. 

“Uuuuugh,” he groaned, heaving himself upright as he looked around himself blearily. What the actual happened last night? The last thing he remembered was downing shots next to a heavily made-up Tao, with Jongdae cheering encouragements on his other side. 

He felt like , hair greasy and sticky, his shirt and skinny jeans from yesterday crumpled and uncomfortably tight on him. He shuffled out of his clothes, shivering in the cool morning air; he needed a shower, pronto. He was just pulling his shirt over his head, not bothering to the rest of it, when he heard a door open and a soft “Ge?” call out. 

Kris looked over so quickly his head spun, literally, his vision doubling so he had to close his eyes as he massaged the bridge of his nose. “,” he mumbled.

“Oh,” Tao said softly. “Um. Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

“No,” Kris said, sitting amongst his mess of a blanket, shirtless and only in his boxers. “‘M good.”

“Oh, um, okay. Uh.”

“Shower,” Kris grunted, leaving his clothes on the floor as he stood to stumble to the bathroom. 

“Oh,” Tao said again, darting back inside his bedroom with pink cheeks.

Twenty minutes later, Kris felt moderately more alive as he stepped out of the bathroom in just a towel, blinking when he saw that someone had cleaned up his stuff off the floor, everything now folded neatly on his bed. He sank onto his mattress with a sigh, unfolding the blanket and setting the towel on his pillow under his wet hair. Realisations could come later, after a nap.

A soft knocking roused him from slumber hours later, around one in the afternoon. “Ge? Ge are you awake? Do you want some food?”

“What?” Kris mumbled, “Who’s it?”

“It’s me, ge.” Tao’s head peeked around the door. “I made some kimchi jjigae. Do you want any?”

Kris’ stomach growled at the thought of food. “Yeah. That’d be great, thanks.”

“I’ll bring you some,” Tao said, ducking back out again. He returned a few minutes later, cradling a large bowl with a pot holder. He had a bottle of Pocari and a bottle of water tucked under each arm. 

Kris sat up in bed, tucking his blanket around his waist as he belatedly realised how he was. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Tao chirped, shuffling forward cautiously, eyes fixed on the bowl as he took care not to spill any. “I brought you something to drink also,” he said, setting the two bottles down on the bed before turning to Kris with a smile that abruptly faltered. “Um. Let me know if you need anything else.” He turned and bolted out the door before Kris could even thank him for his thoughtfulness.

Even after Kris finished his soup, he lazed about in bed for another hour or so before he decided to get dressed and venture out into the suite, maybe to thank Tao for cooking if he was around. 

It turned out Tao was around - he was watching television with Yixing, because the first thing Kris heard when he opened his door and took one step out was Yixing’s soft voice saying, “Everyone had their bets on the club, but I guess house takes all this time. Next plan, though -”

Maybe it was the hangover. Maybe he was just grumpy after having slept the whole night on the floor. Maybe he was fed up with all these little games that his suitemates and friends were playing, or maybe it was because he was just so done with the whole situation. Whatever it was, Kris could feel his blood pressure rising as he stomped into the living area with a harsh, “Plan? Last night was another one of your plans?”

Tao’s eyes were wide with barely concealed horror as he gazed up at him from the sofa, arms clenched tight around his panda bear. Yixing stood up, hands already held out placatingly. “Kris,” he said. “Look, it’s not what you think, okay? Let’s talk about it.”

“There’s really nothing to talk about,” Kris said, eyes narrowing as he scowled at the two of them. “I’m sick of all you guys planning things behind my back, I’m sick of you trying to push me and Tao together, I’m sick of you guys thinking there’s something more because there isn’t and there never will be!” 

He ignored Tao’s tearful plea of “Please, ge, please,” as he stormed back into his room, slamming his door so hard the walls reverberated from the force.

Kris paced his room, hands shaking. Did Tao even really like him? Or was it all part of some plan? Some bet? 

He froze when he heard the bedroom door next to his close quietly, the sound of Tao’s muffled sobs filtering through the thin walls. 

He sat down heavily on his bed, heart pounding in his chest.

This was not what he had wanted.

O.o o.O

/Part 15

O.o o.O

AN: If you've noticed, I'm not marking this as M even though there's swearing in it, and I'm going through the other chapters to take down the M-rating to replace with a warning for the language. I had a think and decided that just swearing on its own isn't really mature content. 

For my actual AN, I am SO SORRY it's been so long m(-_-)m. To everyone still reading this - thank you SO MUCH for not giving up on me or the story. It warms my heart to know there are people enjoying this, and it pushes me to write even with the constraints of managing RL problems also. I hope all of you have a lovely holiday season!!!