***

Tao sleep walked to the canteen, with Luhan guiding him the whole way, one hand on his back and the other pushing other people aside. When they reached their table, where Kai was already waiting, Luhan pushed Tao onto a chair and ordered him to sit. Tao had absolutely no objections.

“Hey” Jongin greeted them, then began a conversation about something that Tao was having a hard time focusing on. A date, maybe? Contemplating going back to sleep again, Tao pulled out his phone to check the time, looking at his background drowsily. Why on earth was he so exhausted? Maybe it was just one of those days. He rubbed his hand over his face, then slapped his cheek a few times.

“Your hair looks ridiculous, by the way” Luhan said offhandedly, and Tao knew this comment was directed at him because Luhan was almost never rude to anyone else. Why the idiot thought it okay to treat Tao like this was anyone's guess- maybe he just got a kick out of picking on his biggest friend. Tao sighed and pulled out his phone again, and went onto the camera app to check his reflection. It was true; his blonde fringe was sticking up and making him resemble a disgruntled hedgehog. He groaned and tried to flatten the offending tuft of hair, but it was decidedly uncooperative, and refused to do what he wanted. He grumbled, making Luhan and Jongin snicker at him.

“Shut up” Tao whined, collapsing in a pitiful heap on the table with a whump.

“Make me” Luhan retorted, like a five year old. When Tao peeked over his elbow, he saw Luhan was even making a face at him.

“I really will, c'mere” he reached towards him and pretended to smack him. Luhan yelped when Tao stood up, towering over him like a spectre, but it was obvious he was just putting it on,

“Hey, Jongin, are you seeing this? He’s attacking me! This guy-ah!- is so violent. Ow!”

Tao spotted Chanyeol and Baekhyun approaching, both bearing trays laden with food,

“Guys, Luhan is bullying me. Beat him up for me? Please?” Tao begged, with his arm around Luhan's neck in a loose chokehold that still had Luhan thrashing and laughing, trying to excape. Both of them ignored him, and Baekhyun had the gall to give them a disgusted look before he sat down.

After everyone sat down again, calmly, and everyone was starting to eat, Chanyeol announced that,

“There’s a new kid in my class”

“So?” Tao complained, still grouchy that neither of them would help him get back at Luhan. 

“And he sits next to me. Seems nice enough,”

“Well, that's good for you, Chanyeol,” Tao condescended.

“What's your problem, Mr Grouchy-pants? I was just trying to make conversation,” Chanyeol pouted, hurt.

“Then make it about something interesting”

“What is up with you today?" Chanyeol asks, exasperated,

"He's tired," Luhan explains, “but that shouldn’t really be an excuse, should it? Mr. Grumpy Wumpy,” Luhan aims this last jibe at Tao, along with a well aimed slap on the back, making Tao pitch forward. “Tell me more about this new boy” he encourages Chanyeol.

“Uhh, he’s called Sehun? Only talked to him for, like, 5 minutes,” right, because Chanyeol actually does work in lessons. “I could invite him to sit with us tomorrow if you guys wanna meet him?”

Sat on the bus to college the next day, Tao is considerably less tired. He'd even smiled at the bus driver, which wasn't a very common occurance. Because Tao had been catching the same bus for more or less three years now, he knew most of the people who catch it regularly at least by appearance. This morning however there was a new face, one he'd never seen before. That wasn't not such an odd thing, he mused, but he was very good looking. He had smooth brown hair, and a very nice face, with serious looking eyebrows. Tao wanted to look a little longer, but he knew that might be a little rude, so instead he forced himself to look out the window, even though there wasn't very much to see at that time in the morning.

Through the dim light and grimy window, Tao noticed his stop approaching, so he pressed the bell and got up to walk down the bus. The boy he'd noticed earlier got up too. That got Tao wondering; was he a college student too? He tried to subtly observe him from the corner of his eye, but it didn't work as well as it does in cartoons. He could see both of their reflections in the window beside them. He really was good looking, tall- maybe even as tall as he was- and slender. He had a nice too. The bus pulled to a stop, lifting Tao from his subtle observation, and they both stepped off together. 

The five minute walk into college from the stop was fraught with cold. Tao regretted not bringing his gloves, because he knew it was going to be freezing, and he'd prepared them, but still somehow not remembered to pick them up. And Tao had lost the pretty boy among the people flooding the gates for the early morning classes. But no matter, if he was going to be a bus regular, maybe he'd see him again.

“What are you thinking about so hard?” Luhan collapses on my shoulder, nearly bringing him down.

“Nothing” I grin pushing him off, ready for a fight. He was too tired for it yesterday, but there was nothing stopping him today.

“Someone’s happy today” Luhan pushed him back,

“Am I? I hadn’t noticed”

“Well whatever, let’s go find the others,” he gave Tao a rough shove, then ran away laughing. Tao took up the chase immediately, and they ran through the hallways yelling at each other until they reached the canteen, slightly sweaty and out of breath. They had a free period first, technically, and since none of them really studied that hard, they usually spent it together there. Doing nothing.

Tao, Chanyeol and Luhan were sharing a bag of skittles from the vending machine nearby and talking about something Luhan saw on TV last night, when Chanyeol saw something over my behind them and waved, beaming. 

“Sehun, get over here!” Chanyeol called, causing heads to turn and embarrassing everyone in a five foot radius. Chanyeol would probably never learn the meaning of subtlety. Tao rolled his eyes and turned around, looking for the new boy that Chanyeol wanted them to meet so badly, and then had a pleasant surprise. It was the guy from the bus. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

wow you don't quite realise just how much you've improved until you look at your old work ^^; i know this chapter was kind of slow but i promise it picks up soon

i am new to shipping taohun btw mostly bc im really stubborn, so forgive me

anyway comment subscribe yadda yadda <3 the next one should be up fairly soon

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