The view of the courtyard from this angle is definitely nice, Baekhyun must admit. He might enjoy the view more, however, if he had something better to do than just sit here and stare out the window. He turns his head over to the desk and glares daggers at the back of his boyfriend's head.

“Tell me again why we left the practice room so we could sit in your mother's office doing nothing useful?” He scowls and makes a nasty face, though Kai can't see it.

Kai finishes a few more keyboard strikes, refusing to acknowledge Baekhyun's complaints. He pauses after a few moments though, fingers still hovering over the keyboard, as if waiting for his attention to return to them, and says, “Your idea of 'useful' seems a bit skewed right now, Baek. But give me a moment... I still don't have a working computer at home and since I didn't get to campus today, I need to send this e-mail out to a professor...” His voice trails off, and the fingers resume their typing. 

Baekhyun sighs and abandons the window sill. Instead, he makes himself comfy on the armchair, even daring to hang one leg off the cushioned arm and slinking down a bit. Kai looks over at him and snorts, and then continues with his e-mail.

“There are so many pictures of you in this office,” Baekhyun observes. Kai grunts. “So cute!” He's eyeing one of the baby pictures, and Kai refuses to look up to see which one, less he embarrass himself. 

“Hey, is that one you with a tutu? Oh my God!”

Kai cranes his neck around lightning quick. “What? Where?”

“Aha! Made you look!” Baekhyun cackles and points hilariously at a photograph that's clearly not of Kai but his mother, one of the many professional snapshots of her in the prime of her dancing career. “You looked awfully quickly though. Does that mean, per chance, that there are some pictures of you in a tutu?”

Kai frowns. “No. I just, never know what my mom may have done when I was a baby.” 

“Right. Well, I'll make sure to ask her about it then. Mothers do have this thing about keeping an embarrassing collection of pictures for their kids' boyfriends.”

“And I'll make sure to ask Minzy the same when I meet her.”

It's Baekhyun's turn to look askance. “Don't you dare!”

“Oh, I will and I can!” Kai laughs even though he continues to type. “Almost done now...”

Baekhyun pouts some more, though he does keep eyeing through all of the pictures of Kai on the wall, taking pride in his boyfriend's photogenic self, even from young age. He can't say the same for most of his pictures because he knows for a fact so many of his look rather silly, even if he mostly, purposefully posed that way for them. He wonders where all of Kai's goofy pictures are, because most of the ones on the shelves here are dance related. Then again, dance was everything to Kai for most of his life, so much that it's not strange at all that they're all dance pictures. 

“You know, you still haven't introduced me to your mother,” Baekhyun says.

Kai stops typing. “You... already know my mother,” he deadpans. “You've known her longer than you've known me.”

“Yeah, but I meant, you haven't taken me home, or had the standard 'meet my boyfriend' dinner date. How come I don't get an official introduction? Are you embarrassed of me by any chance?” He his head sideways to stare at Kai, mocking grin on his lips and a tongue partway out. They share a glance for ten seconds - and Baekhyun knows because he counts them, slowly, to the ticking of the wall clock - an intense game of chicken, and finally Kai loses and laughs. He turns away, clicks a few more things on the keyboard and stands up. 

Baekhyun doesn't move. He's still slumped in the chair, left leg over the left chair arm, a daring look on his face. Kai sidles up into the space and puts a knee to the cushion, bending low enough to put them at eye level, and just when Baekhyun thinks Kai is going to , Kai leans in all the way for another heart-stopping kiss. Baekhyun completely forgets his daring attitude. He's been traumatized by Kai far too many times in the last half hour when all he wants to do is hold him to his body, preferably unhindered for a decent amount of time. 

Sadly, Kai pulls away even quicker this time. At least he looks apologetic about it. 

“Alright, I'll take you home for dinner some night, if it makes you happy.”

“Huh?” Baekhyun nearly forgot their earlier discussion. “Oh yeah. Yeah, it will.”

Kai chuckles. “Good. Though you'll know I'm serious if I take you all the way to Texas to meet my dad and his family.” 

“Oh? So when are we going?” Baekhyun tries not to look overly eager, but he knows he probably failed.

“This winter? Let's go. We can avoid some of the horrid weather during the break.” 

And now Baekhyun knows he has the best boyfriend, and he totally believes he's serious when Kai curls his hand around Baekhyun's and leads them out of the office. He almost believes Kai's nonchalant manner too, except for the little smirk sneaking out of one side of his mouth, and Baekhyun knows too well that Kai is proud of himself. Smug, he's being smug, and Baekhyun loves it.

They leave and return under an hour later bearing food from their favorite Thai restaurant, since Baekhyun is sure Minzy will be starving when the last class lets out. They're not supposed to take food into the dance rooms, but Kai doesn't hesitate to break the rules just this once and Baekhyun doesn't stop him. He lets him go first though while Baekhyun sneaks a peak into Minzy's class, miming instructions to go to the room next door when she's done. Back in the hallway he runs into Luhan again, surprisingly without Minseok. Baekhyun checks the hall for him, but the oldest dancer isn't to be seen, and Luhan still looks pretty happy so he figures it's as good a time as any to pry him for information.

“Hi, Baek,” Luhan says first, halting his steps.

Baekhyun smiles slyly at him. “Hi, back. Where's your better half this evening?”

Luhan's smile shies a little, and he looks down, scratching the back of his head. “He, uh... went to get us something to eat. He said he'd be right back though!”

“I see...”

“Yeah.”

“So, what we witnessed earlier...”

Luhan blushes. “Oh that... that was, uhm, well you see...”

“Spit it out, come on now.”

“Alright, alright! I just, well when we finished the second to last class and he said he was tired, I followed him out and then he wanted to lie down, and so I said he could sleep on my... lap. And then...” Luhan pauses, and his hand scratches his hair a bit faster before he drops it a ways. He tugs on his own ear, and his smile grows. Baekhyun thinks it's pretty infectious, except that Luhan won't get on with his tale and that makes him nearly as frustrated as Kai teasing him, almost, but not quite.

“Tell me!”

“And then I asked him out!”

“You didn't!”

“I did!”

“And what did he say?”

“He said he'd think about it, after his nap, and then he fell asleep.”

Baekhyun laughs, loudly and obnoxiously, and Luhan grins back at him with a sheepish expression. He puts a hand on Luhan's shoulder and pats heavily a couple of times. “I'm guessing he didn't answer in so many words either when he woke up.” Luhan chuckles his 'No' and so Baekhyun keeps laughing. He slides his arm up around Luhan's neck and pulls him close in a friendly way. “Well, good luck. Treasure that.” Luhan agrees and they separate down the hall. 

Kai is already eating when Baekhyun walks into the empty dance room. He stuffs his face and then pauses guiltily when Baekhyun glowers at him. Then he continues eating. Baekhyun joins him without saying anything and they eat quietly for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company in the last few private moments they'll probably get tonight.

He's just stuffed the last spoonful of rice into his mouth when Minzy enters. She opens the door shyly, with exaggerated timidness. “Knock knock. Is this the right room?” she asks.

“You can clearly see us, Minzy. Come get your food before Kai eats it all,” says Baekhyun.

She needs no further invitation. “Ohh, food food food! Sorry, I'm not usually this excited about food except when I'm starving. So, you're Kai then?” She deftly opens up the container of food while eyeing Kai over with keen interest. 

“Uhh, yes. Nice to meet you.” Kai wipes his hands quickly with a napkin and offers her one hand to shake.

The three of them stare around at each other, and it would be less awkward except once Minzy refocuses on the food at hand, she still continues to observe Kai between mouthfuls, and Baekhyun has the distinct impression she's measuring up his boyfriend for future analysis. He only hopes that if she has something embarrassing to say about him, she'll save it for when she and Baekhyun are by themselves, and not humiliate him in front of Kai. 

Kai just sits there, patiently. He gulps once, and tries to grab Baekhyun's attention, but the older boy is way too occupied to grasp anything else other than impending doom. He decides it must be up to him to break the ice.

“Is this your first workshop here?” Kai asks.

Minzy nods, still chewing. A moment later she swallows. “Yes. A year ago I visited here with Baekhyun when he was looking around, but I didn't attend the workshop that time.” She eats another bite, and Kai notices Baekhyun biting his lip.  

“Ah, I see. So, you like it here?”

She hums happily. “Oh yes. In fact I would audition to come here permanently too but I think that would be too much for Baek to handle!” And she laughs. “It is a great place though. I was kind of jealous when I visited, and then when I heard he got accepted. Baekhyun's always been eyeing this company. Hmm, I wonder why?”

Baekhyun chokes and Kai grins. “He, he has?” Kai just has to ask, even if he thinks he knows the reason Baekhyun's panicking. Especially because he guesses the reason. “Why is that?”

“Oh well of course! You think he'd know about this company if you hadn't attended it years ago?” She smiles evily at her brother. “Oh I recognize him, Baekhyun. Think I wouldn't remember you cursing his name and stabbing his picture in that magazine you had after you lost the competition?”

“What! Minzy! No... What, what are you even saying. That's a lie. A lie. I mean, a hugely over-exaggerated statement!” Minzy doubles over in laughter. “Don't believe a word she says, Kai!”

“You stabbed my picture in a dance magazine?” Kai's eyes are huge, filled to the brim with shocked merriment. “Just a minute ago you said all my pictures were cute!”

“Aww, he thinks you're cute!” Minzy echoes. “He probably did then too. Too bad the picture was ruined and mom had to trash it.”

“I did not- Ugh! I didn't.... For the last time, I did not stab his picture! I just... might have ripped it out a little forcefully... On accident!” he adds. His face turns nearly the color of an apple as he tries to hide his face behind his bent arms, nose buried in the crook of his elbows. 

“Yeah, some accident,” Minzy cries, and she nearly does have tears in her eyes from laughing. “Hey Kai, if he ever misbehaves you can just come to me and I'll give you plenty of blackmail material.”

Baekhyun's head shoots out from behind his arms. “You just wait! I'll get you back some day.”

“Ha ha, you can try,” she taunts. “This food is seriously good by the way. Do you eat this all the time? I'm jealous.”

For as long as she eats, Baekhyun controls the conversation, ever wary of what may come out of . It's fascinating to Kai because he never had any siblings close to his age. His half brothers are much younger than him, and even though he'd grown close to them in the two years he lived in Texas, they weren't as close as this: siblings who've been with each basically since birth, growing up together and knowing each other's secrets. He can tell Baekhyun loves her, even if she's a brat and taunts him and embarrasses him, and he envies that. He's pretty sure he could watch them together forever, enjoying the bickering. And especially if he gets some benefit out of it.

"So what other kind of dirt do you have on Baekhyun?" He asks suddenly, after a quarter of an hour of only interjecting into the siblings' small talk. 

Minzy gasps. Then she closes and smiles. "Oh I knew I'd like you." 

"Don't answer that, Minzy," Baekhyun warns.

"Oh, I won't. I won't." She winks at Kai. "I'll just tell him later when you're not around. Hey Kai, give me your phone so I can put in my number."

"What! No!" Baekhyun cries. He lunges at her arm, attempting to breach the exchange of hand and phone. 

"Stop it, Baek. You surely can't keep your sister from talking to your boyfriend. What if there's an emergency some day and I need to call him. Or he needs to call me!"

"Yeah, but you're not going to use it for that."

"Oh shush." She pushes him out of the way and he topples over on his side. Kai picks him up by the elbow, his phone safely ensconced in Minzy's hands. 

"This is going to be disastrous," Baekhyun whines. "I should never have introduced you two. Why did I even have you come here?"

"I thought it was to dance?" Kai answers, hesitantly. 

Baekhyun stops squirming at once, both of them freezing as they realize what Kai just uttered: not to watch someone dance, but to dance. It was a mistake, a slip of the tongue when Kai said it, but he realizes now, that he actually meant it. And Baekhyun realizes it too.

"Oh yes, that's right. You wanted me to show him how I dance," Minzy says, oblivious to the staring match between Kai and Baekhyun. Baekhyun's eyes light up, taking in all of Kai's features, from the simple smile on his lips to the way his own eyes light up, matching Baekhyun's, in which Kai sees the glimmer of pride. He can't remember the reasons why he was so scared of this last night when Baekhyun asked him to come. One puppy dog glance from Baekhyun that made him instantly cave in and agree to be Minzy's tutor. And apparently just one more look like the one he's getting today is enough to fortify him. He won't dance to full strength. He can't. But he can at least try a little, if it makes Baekhyun this happy.  

Minzy continues talking but neither one of them hears her for a moment. "Hey, Hey, Baekhyun. Kai. Uhm, should I leave you two alone for a little while?"

"Huh? Oh. No, you don't... have to," Baekhyun stutters.

She laughs. "That's okay. I need to use the ladies' room and then I'll be back. Plus, I think I left my friends stranded somewhere else in the building. I should say goodbye before they take off."

Once again they're alone in the room, and Kai feels almost embarrassed that Baekhyun won't quit looking at him. 

"You're staring at me." Kai states the obvious.

"I know... I can't help it. I just, really really like you right now."

"As opposed to earlier when you just really liked me?" He smirks.

"Yes, now shut up."

"Oh? I wasn't aware I was saying anything much."

"No, but you're smirking, because you know I'm embarrassed right now, and you really should just quit that because... I can't handle it right now. Not when I really really like you, and..." He groans. "Can I just like... kiss you again? Please?"

"I'm not stopping you."

"Oh, thank God." 

Baekhyun crawls on his knees, closing the foot wide gap between them, and Kai expects to be kissed. Instead he receives a hug, Baekhyun awkwardly hovering on his knees above Kai's crossed legs, and he buries his nose somewhere warm in the crook of Kai's neck where where the band of his shirt fits tightly to his skin. Thin arms wrap front and back around Kai's chest, and Kai reciprocates, his own hands reaching out to hold Baekhyun in any way possible. Because of the angle he only manages to get a left arm around his back and he lets his other hand travel to Baekhyun's hip. He's just about to pull Baekhyun down to complete the requested kiss when the door bursts open.

Baekhyun whines and pulls away, about to gripe at his sister. 

It's not Minzy though.

"That guy! I swear he's going to kill me!" Luhan cries. It's clear he's at the end of his tether and desperate for a sympathetic body to hear him out.

Kai still has no idea what though is going on. He stares at him, confused.

"Minseok?" Baekhyun asks, and Luhan immediately nods. 

"I think he's punishing me."

"Still won't give you an answer?"

"No." Luhan nearly cries. "He said if he'll agree to seriously date me only after I've proved myself. Prove myself! I've known him for nearly ten years and now all of a sudden I have to prove to him that he means the world to me and I will never let him go! God, what else am I supposed to do? I've apologized to him endlessly about being stupid and clueless. I've followed him everywhere. I've given him a shoulder massage. I scratched his head. I let him eat his favorite food even though I don't like it as much, and I just begged him to go out with me and he just sniggers and walks away! He likes me right? You know he likes me. He does, doesn't he? Oh God, what if he doesn't actually like me?"

Luhan lets out a horrible groan and sinks to his feet, squatting above the ground with his head buried in his arms. 

Kai still stares at him like he's never met Luhan before or has no idea who this raving madman is. It takes him and Luhan both to realize that in the silence followed by Luhan's outburst, Baekhyun is sniggering too. Luhan peaks at him between his hands, still in a squat, and Kai suddenly worries for Baekhyun's safety.

"You surely don't find this funny..." 

Baekhyun gulps. "Oh but I do. Sorry, it's just... have you actually tried, I don't know, insisting that you like him. Like, really like him. Really really like him?"

Luhan blinks at him.

"How do I do that?"

"Well for one thing, stop freaking out. Second thing, act normal. Third thing, tell and don't beg. And finally, just... kiss him."

"Just kiss him. Just like that," Luhan repeats. "A smooch or just a kiss?"

"Why don't you keep it simple for now."

"Simple..." Luhan nods. "Simple. I can do that." 

"Good."

Luhan doesn't get up, nor does he move even a muscle from his current position. 

"Luhan, get up, and go. Please. I have ten minutes left now of private time with Kai, so... you know.. hint hint... kiss kiss... go."

"Go." Luhan stands up, finally moving towards the door as if in a trance. "Thanks, Baekhyun... I'll go now..." And as he zombie walks out the door, they hear him still. "Going now...kiss kiss...I can do this..."

The door finally closes. Kai sits there in shock, and Baekhyun grins beautifully. 

"You know, Baek, it'll be your fault if Luhan comes in with a black eye tomorrow..."

Baekhyun shrugs. "Maybe. But at least it'll be progress. So, where were we?"

3,390 words

This chapter was too much fun to write. I'm going to seriously miss Minzy when she goes back home, because then who's gonna tease Baekhyun?? At least Kai will have her number this time. Okay, I guess I can live with this :P

So, Xiuhan are shifting into a new phase of their 'relationship' and this one makes me much happier than their pseudo-angsty phase (though it was necessary and absolutely vital to getting them to where we are today). As my sis and beta complained to me though, 'Minseok's going to have to deal with a kissy Luhan now. Omg Baek what have you done!' Hehehe. Oh well. Can we say, Thank you Baekhyun? :)

Sorry this chapter is short. I wanted them to at least get home so Minzy could meet Tao, but I didn't expect Luhan to come busting into the practice room when he did whining about Minseok playing hard to get, so I had to pause to deal with that. Frustrated Luhan; you can imagine it. A writer's nightmare. And/or dream. Hehehe

Btw, aren't Kaibaek just the cutest!! 

<3 Rosie

So, I've been promising to write a grand Xiuhan fic someday, and I've been good at putting it off until I finish Spotlights. But then I suddenly started writing a kitty!au Taohun, and ugh. I'm so sorry. I couldn't help it. I promise I won't get side-tracked though! I've got plenty enough inspiration to keep all of my fics rolling and updated!

But yeah, revisionist kitty!au

Check it out: Little Cat, Who Made Thee