Pairing: Baektao with slight! Taoris 

Word Count: 2420 

Description: Baekhyun thinks he knows the new student but he doesn't know from where.  Tao just wants to go through one life without ever meeting Baekhyun 

The Boy Who Can Change Time 

            Exotic Academy is a school for people with powers or those who can perform magic.  Students are scouted out and recruited by teachers at the school.  Age isn’t a factor to being accepted into Academy and you are allowed to stay as long as you want.  Years in Academy aren’t organized by age; it’s organized by when you enter the Academy which is the time when you first attend. 

            That’s why even on the first day of school, everyone knows each other.  That’s why it is beyond abnormal to get new students.  It’s impossible to jump years no matter how advanced in your powers or magic you are when you arrive.   New students were always put into orientation classes and “how to” courses. 

            But today was different.  Today, a new student was about to enter their class.  No one knew who he was and if he had his way, no one would get to know him either. 

             Baekhyun felt a tap on his shoulder and lifted his head off of the desk with a yawn.  He turned to the person who’d poked him and saw his close friend, Chanyeol, nod his head towards the door where a tall person was walking in.  Baekhyun turned his head and saw a guy with blond hair and dark eyes enter the classroom.

             Almost everyone stopped what they were doing to look at him.  No doubt everyone was wondering why this boy was here.  Was he new? Was he in the wrong class?  The guy didn’t acknowledge or even care that everyone was staring at him.  He headed towards the back of the room and he was walking down Baekhyun’s aisle to get there. 

            Their eyes met for a second.  Only a second.  The boy immediately looked away and continued walking to the back of the room where he took the furthest seat from the front and laid his head on his desk.    

            “I wonder what his power is,” Chanyeol wondered aloud; he nudged Sehun who was sitting beside him but the younger refused to acknowledge him, “unless he’s a wizard.”

            Baekhyun could hear most of the other students talking about the boy, but he blocked out their voices as he craned his head to look at the blond.  It was weird; the boy didn’t look familiar, he felt familiar.

            “Oh .”

Baekhyun was distracted by Chanyeol, who was now holding a flame in his hand.  His taller friend was glaring at three students who were walking into the classroom. 

            “Put that out, Chanyeol.  Are you thinking of starting a fight in class?” Joonmyun grinned at Chanyeol.  With a snap of the brunette’s fingers, the flame in Chanyeol’s hand turned to water and then turned into a snowball that immediately teleported out of the window. 

            Joonmyun, Minseok and Luhan were (according to Chanyeol) the rival group.  In reality, they weren’t bad but Chanyeol couldn’t stand being around Joonmyun or Minseok because of the powers the two possessed: water and snow.  And Luhan naturally stuck with Minseok. It seemed like every time Chanyeol was in the same vicinity as Joonmyun or Minseok, elemental attacks were thrown at each other.    

            “Stop being an idiot,” Jongdae was sitting behind Chanyeol and waved at the three as they got closer.  Joonmyun and Luhan ignored him but Minseok nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement.  Sehun finally stirred. He sat up straight and smiled as Joonmyun sat down in front of him. 

            Chanyeol turned to Jongdae accusingly, “Why are you fraternizing with the enemy?”  Chanyeol turned to face Sehun who was blowing wind onto Joonmyun, “You too!” Chanyeol yelled at the younger. 

Baekhyun put his head back on the desk; he knew Chanyeol was about to go on one of his rants again.  “They’re not our enemy,” Jongdae rolled his eyes.  Sehun merely ignored Chanyeol and laughed when Joonmyun turned around to glare at him while pulling his coat closer to himself. 

            “You’re my friend.  They’re my enemies and therefore they’re yours as well,” Chanyeol flicked his hand and Joonmyun suddenly yelped.  The tip of his notebook caught fire and the wind that Sehun was blowing on him made the whole book ignite into flames. 

            Chanyeol laughed.  Sehun immediately got up to help but sat back down when Joonmyun got rid of the flame by splashing water on the growing flame. 

            Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow at Joonmyun as he entered the classroom and took a seat on the other side of Baekhyun. 

            “What happened?” Kyungsoo turned to Baekhyun; Baekhyun lifted his head off of the desk. 

            “What do you think?” Baekhyun yawned again and put his head back on the desk.  He felt Kyungsoo move a hand over his back and pat Chanyeol.

            “I thought you were going to be good this year.  No more trouble?” 

            “They just annoy me,” Chanyeol murmured.  

            Kyungsoo turned back in his chair and heard a swoosh sound behind him.  Without turning around, he murmured, “Well look who decided to show up.”

            “Well first class is mandatory,” Jongin murmured under his breath.  He leaned forward and draped his arms over Kyungsoo’s shoulders from behind.  He quickly gave a shout when he felt rocks come through the window and hit his face.

            “Ouch.”

            Jongin let go and pouted.  Kyungsoo could tell the younger was pouting.  He turned around and tapped Jongin on the nose. A stupid grin formed on Jongin’s face and Kyungsoo couldn’t help but laugh.

           All of a sudden the new kid got up from his seat.  All eyes turned to him as silence reigned through the room.  Baekhyun lifted his head off of his desk once again to eye the blond as he walked past.  Again, Baekhyun felt a sense of familiarity. 

            The door closed right behind the new student just as Kris flew into the room and landed on top of Luhan’s desk.

            Before he knew what he was doing, Baekhyun was scrambling out of his seat and out of the class to follow the new student.

            “Baekhyun, where are you going?” Chanyeol yelled after him. 

            Baekhyun ran down the hall after the blond, who was walking at a leisurely pace towards the dorms.

            “Hey!” Baekhyun yelled at him. 

The blond temporarily froze before turning around to face him.  He took one glance at Baekhyun before turning around again.   This time he started jogging away.

            “Hey! Stop!  Hold on for a second!” Baekhyun started walking faster after him but the boy broke out in a full blown run.  Baekhyun was about to give up when he suddenly thought of a good idea.  He stopped and held out his palms, aiming it right at the blond. 

            There was a bright light and the boy held his hands to his face and fell down on the ground mid-run.  It gave Baekhyun enough time to run towards the fallen guy. 

            The blond got up from the ground and pushed Baekhyun in the chest, “What do you think you’re doing?”

            “How else would I have gotten you to stop?” Baekhyun rubbed at the place where the guy shoved him.

            Baekhyun stopped.  He really had no idea what to say now that the boy was in front of him.  But it just made him realize with certainty he knew this guy.

            “I know you from somewhere, don’t I?” Baekhyun looked at him, “Where do I know you from?”

            “You don’t know me from anywhere.  You don’t know me at all,” the guy turned around and started walking away again but Baekhyun once again blinded him.

            “Would you stop doing that?” the guy rubbed his eyes again and turned to Baekhyun, “Just stop it!  I don’t know why you keep doing this all the time.  Just leave me alone,” he stopped when he realized what he just said.

            “What do you mean all the time?” Baekhyun asked.

            “.”

            All of a sudden, Baekhyun had a memory of him hugging the blond guy.

            “Tao?” Baekhyun looked at the blond guy who jumped when he heard his name, “Tao?  That’s your name.”

            Tao was about to say something but Baekhyun kept on talking, “Tao,” Baekhyun let the name roll off his tongue and it immediately became familiar, like a name he used to say all the time, “I do know you.  But I don’t know from where.” Baekhyun looked upwards and his eyes met Tao’s dark ones and he got another memory of a younger Tao carrying him on his back when they were kids, probably still in grade school.  

            Tao faltered for a second before his face contorted in anger and Baekhyun jumped back when Tao screamed at him, “Because you aren’t supposed to remember!  Okay?” Tao grabbed Baekhyun by the shoulders, “You do know me!  I’ve known you my whole life!  But nothing good ever happens each time we meet so that’s why I try to change things…every. Single. Damn. Time.” 

            Baekhyun moved backwards, “What?”

            Tao didn’t reply.  He only turned his back and started walking away.

            “Tao!  Wait!  Tell me what you mean by that!  I don’t remember meeting you before today.  But why?  Why do I suddenly remember us playing together as kids?” 

            Baekhyun walked forward and hugged him…his arms wound tightly around the taller’s body and he closed his eyes. 

“Hey are you going to eat that?”

            Beakhyun shook his head as he saw Jongdae look at him.  He pointed at Baekhyun’s plate of food and asked him again.

            “Are you going to eat that or what?”

            “Wait.  What just happened?”

            “You were dozing off.  And I’m hungry so if you’re not going to eat that,” Jongdae was about to reach over and grab the slice of pizza off of Baekhyun’s tray when Chanyeol slapped him, “Baek needs his energy so stop eating his food!”

            A flame formed in Chanyeol’s hand as he threw it at Jongdae who quickly hit his shirt before it could catch, “Why do you keep on doing that?”  Another flame grew in Chanyeol’s hand again and he was about to throw it at Jongdae when a breeze changed its direction.  Chanyeol quickly retracted the fire before it could hit himself.

            Sehun laughed as he sat down beside Chanyeol.  He nudged Baekhyun, “Are you feeling alright?”

            Baekhyun put his head on the table, “I feel so tired.  I feel like I’m forgetting something.”  He suddenly turned to Chanyeol, “Tao?”

            “Huh?”

            “You guys uh...” Baekhyun hesitated, “Do you know what that word means?”

            “Tao?” Chanyeol shook his head, “Is that a person? Do you have friends we don’t know about?” Chanyeol’s eyes widened and he pointed an accusing finger at Baekhyun, “You have friends outside of the hexagon?”

            “No!” Baekhyun answered, “No, I don’t.”  

            Just a short distance away Tao was watching Baekhyun and his friends.  He remembered many lifetimes where he would sit next to Baekhyun.  Sometimes he was like Chanyeol, the best friend.  Sometimes he would be an acquaintance.  A few times he was the enemy.  But most of the lifetimes he remembered, he was the boyfriend.  Tao longed to walk over there and introduce himself.  He wanted to be closer to Baekhyun.  That’s part of the reason why he didn’t fight fate when it decided to put them in each other’s paths all the damn time.  He tried.  He tried moving across countries (even Antarctica) but no matter what, Baekhyun would always somehow show up in front of him (he doesn’t even want to think of why Baekhyun knocked on his door in Antarctica in the middle of nowhere at least 100 miles away from civilization). 

            “Hey.”

            Tao turned around and smiled at the tall blond beside him.  Kris and he were best friends, but their friendship was a bit more unique, a bit more special.  Kris was the only one who knew his secret.  He was the only one who’d been his friend through all the lifetimes.   Kris was his constant. 

            “This is what’s best you know,” Kris muttered, “If you want to keep him alive.”

            Tao put his hands to his face in frustration, “I’ve tried not meeting him every single time.  But I can’t find the exact moment where it’s possible for me to never have met him.  He always shows up and when he does he always remembers.”

            Tao looked sadly at the cafeteria table.  Chanyeol was glaring at Baekhyun who was teasing him about something. 

            “Maybe this time it’ll be fine.”

            Tao nodded regretfully.  He took one last look at Baekhyun before leaving the cafeteria, Kris walking beside him.

            “So what’s the plan now?” Kris stopped Tao by grabbing his wrist, “Are we staying or going?”  

            Tao didn’t know how he’d become so lucky to have a great friend like Kris.  The older boy was willing to follow Tao without question.  He’d always been like that.  Kris wasn’t selfish.  He was caring and protective.  He knew Tao; he knew when Tao was sad or when he was happy.  He knew what Tao would do before Tao knew.

            “I’m planning on going to China.  I need to get away from him.”  Tao said the words with conviction but Kris could hear Tao’s desperate plea in it.  Tao acted tough but he was vulnerable; he still didn’t really know what he was doing.  Most importantly he needed someone who could support his decisions.   Tao never asked Kris directly to follow him; the older always did anyways.  Because Kris knew thaat’s what Tao needed.    

            “I’m going with you,” Kris stated.  Tao tried to hide the smile that appeared. 

            They were now passing the school’s protected boundary.  Kris leaned down behind a bush and brought out a backpack.  He handed it over to Tao.

            “You knew,” Tao stated.

            Kris laughed, “I always know, don’t I?” Kris took off his light jacket and put it into the backpack.  He looked towards Tao.  He was standing at the boundary looking sadly at the school.    

           “We’ll be back here again one day,” Tao said. 

            Kris shook his head.  Tao was used to re-doing life so much, he was afraid the younger wouldn’t stop.  Maybe Tao would live like this forever.  He might never grow up. 

            “Let’s hope not,” Kris grabbed onto Tao’s shoulder and bent forward.  His eyes brightened until they were a ruby sharp red.   Tao clambered onto his back with ease.  This was the way it’d always been. 

             Kris wondered how many lifetimes Tao would have to go through until he saw that his own best friend and sidekick was madly in love with him. 

            “It’s going to be a long flight.   Are you ready?”

            “I always am,” Tao answered.

            Kris kicked off from the ground and flew away from the school.  Tao might not love him yet, but Kris knew that Tao needed him just as much as he needed the younger.  

So basically because Tao has the ability to change time and situations, these chapters won't necessarily be related to each other.  So anything can happen!  

A little tidbit about the characters  --> Chanyeol and Kyungsoo were best friends before attending the school as well as Luhan and Xiumin.  And Tao and Kris have been friends for a VERY long time.  Other than that.everyone met at Academy.