at some point acutal stuff will happen, have faith. i love you all. 

“Yes, but can I be your fake-bestman at your fake-wedding or not?” Lu Han asks wearing an exasperated frown, as he plants himself on Tao's very organized desk at the office of EXO. 

Tao is about to explain for the eleventh time that morning that there won't be any fake-marriage ever, because he is sure that if being fake-engaged with Jongdae is this stressing being fake-married would be even worse.

“Stop it Lu Han, don't you see how the poor kid is stressed out?” Yixing interjects before Tao can say anything and he is about to turn and smile at his favorite ge that came to his rescue, but any thankful thought he might have entertained dies right then when Yixing adds “And I'm obviously going to be the fake-bestman.”

Tao thinks he's going to have white hair before he turns thirty at the rate things are going. He can see the spark of challenge in Lu Han's eyes and he knows the two elders employees are about to launch themselves in a battle of 'who is the favorite ge', but luckily for him he is spared from the sight when the door of the office slams open. Kris is standing at the door, wearing black glasses and a black beanie that completely hides his hair. He could probably erase Christmas' joy from the planet with one of those looks.

“Lu Han!” is the first thing that he screams. Tao and Yixing both shrink down taking a breath of relief. “In my office. Now”

Kris stalks into his office and Tao sees a little wisp of blue hair at coming out of the beanie at the nape of Kris' neck. It can't be. “Is his hair blue?” he asks Lu Han who is doing a very bad job of hiding his satisfied grin.

“It's not permanent,” is the only thing he says, before he calmly walks into Kris office and closes the door.

“Anyway, how was picking the rings?” Yixing sits at his desk and turns on the rustier of the two old computers the office has. At least Tao hopes his sacrifice will get them new ones.

“Walking out of that shop I felt like I was on my walk of shame the morning after,” it was as close as it could get to the feeling of being stared at by someone that thought you get off on your boyfriend's sass and whip.

“At least he put a ring on it.”

He is not sure if talking with his colleagues relieves his stress or increases tenfold. He turns the ring on his finger and thinks that, at least, it's nice, nothing like what he thought Jongdae would pick.

“That is the trick, they have to believe it is real and that I'm not just flaunting around. If I got you a ruby they'd know instantly and I sure as hell don't want to give us away the moment we step out of the car,” was Jongdae's reasoning.

There is a loud crack coming from Kris' office and Tao takes it as his cue to leave. “I have to pack my bags anyway,” he excuses himself, leaving Yixing to deal with the deathly combo of a very angered Duizhang and a very amused Lu Han.

On his way home, though, Tao stops by at his favorite coffee shop, he needs it. It is past rush hour, just the right time to get his favorite coffee from his favorite waiter. He sits in a table far from the counter, something that he wouldn't usually do, but he doesn't want to be disturbed by the coming and going of other patrons.

He hasn't been sitting two minutes that a piping hot mug is placed in front of him along with an extra cookie. Tao smiles, greeting his savior and already feels his body lighter.

“We haven't seen you for a while, I thought we had lost one of our most loyal customers,” Joonmyeon is always pleasantly smiling, with his eyes crinkling on the sides. He is so cute Tao would just put him in his pocket and keep him forever.

“I have been busy with work.”

“Oh, another construction site?” Joonmyeon sounds really concerned.

“No, nothing of the sort... I'm doing some charity job,” being Jongdae's date to a wedding when he clearly couldn't get himself a real one because no man in his right mind would date him totally counted as charity. Leaving out the part where Jongdae is basically holding him by his balls.

“That's nice of you. Well, enjoy your coffee,” Joonmyeon smiles one last time and goes back to his job.

As he looks at the nice curve of his in those new jeans, Tao thinks that if he survives the week-end he is so totally going to ask him out.

The much dreaded morning of their leaving comes and Jongdae is out of Tao's apartment at six in the morning clearly displeased with the neighborhood, the color of the walls, the flowers the lady next door placed on her balcony, and being generally himself, only with the addition of a weird edge to his voice.

Tao is squeezing his bags inside Jongdae's car when he realizes that Jongdae is awake and driving at six in the morning.

“How many coffees did you have?”

Jongdae scoffs, tapping his foot nervously. “I'm not paying for a caretaker.”

“Give me the keys.”

“Are you serious?” Jongdae looks unimpressed.

“Yes.” Tao is not going to back down.

Jongdae seizes him for a minute and Tao actually holds his gaze firmly, with the same confidence one would have in front of a grizzly and remembers why you do not stare at wild animals.

“Fine,” Jongdae huffs in the end.

Jongdae's car is E