Chapter 3

None of them sleep very well that night, all three of them too busy thinking about Sehun and hoping that he’s okay. Kris has a strong feeling that Sehun has cried himself to sleep, if he’s slept at all. The thought makes him want to cry himself, and through the night he periodically hears Tao sniffling. All Kris can do is hold Tao and Joonmyun close, and do all he can to convince himself that soon he will be able to hold Sehun too, to comfort him when he cries.

After that restless night’s sleep, Kris heads off to work with a mixture of apprehension and excitement knotting his stomach. He’s not sure how his boss will react to the request he’s about to make, but he’s 80% sure that it won’t be a problem. Kim Heechul can have a bit of a temper, but he’s also a sponsor, to a were-panther and a were-tiger, Kris is sure he’ll understand the situation. There’s also the fact that Kris has a good relationship with Heechul already—Heechul was his TA in Kris’ freshman year of college and in his own words, ‘the only student in that hellhole of a classroom with a shred of hope for the future.’ Even after Heechul had graduated, he’d kept in contact with Kris and kept tabs on him. Heechul became a managing supervisor at a firm that designed logos for other companies, Kris was barely out of grad school and he was already assured a job.

Kris went straight to Heechul’s office when he got to work, and he didn’t have to wait long for Heechul to call him in.

“Here’s my favorite pupil!” Heechul cries as Kris walks in. He walks around his desk, complaining, “You have been ignoring me, my protégé! Leaving me alone with these people who know nothing!”

Kris rolls his eyes, all too used to Heechul’s theatrics. He notices that Han Geng, the were-tiger, is collapsed in one of Heechul’s decorative chairs.

“Stop shouting,” Han Geng whines, “Please, it’s too early for this.”

Heechul waves a hand at him, his attention focused on Kris. “What can I do for you on this lovely day?”

“Well,” Kris says nervously, “I was wondering if there were any positions available at a slightly higher level than the one I currently have.”

Heechul nods. “So you want a raise.”

“Not exactly,” Kris says, “I don’t want a raise for nothing, I’m willing to put in more hours if I have to. Therefore—”

“What do you need more hours for?” Han Geng asks. “Wouldn’t that take you away from your foxes?”

“Ah yes!” Heechul shouts. “How are they? It’s Tao and Joonmyun, correct?”

“They’re great,” Kris says with a smile, “How’s Siwon?”

Heechul sighs, “Same as always, running around like a good little choir boy in the daytime but at night—”

“Heechul!” Han Geng cries warningly.

“So why do you need more work?” Heechul asks.

Kris gulps again. “Well, I’m looking to sponsor another fox.”

“Oh,” Heechul says. “I see.” He ushers Kris around to the chair in front of the desk before taking his own seat once more. “Tell me about this fox.”

As quickly as he can, Kris fills Heechul in on Sehun’s visit and how the teenager has managed to worm his way into Kris’ heart already. “I just can’t leave him there,” Kris emphasizes. “Not after he broke down like that in my arms. It was heartbreaking.”

“You sure he wasn’t faking it?” Heechul asks seriously.

“I’m positive,” Kris says. “If you had seen him…there’s no way anyone can fake that.”

“Well okay then,” Heechul shrugs. “I believe you. Come sit while I take a look at your records.”

“Shouldn’t I leave?” Kris asks. “This isn’t very professional…”

Heechul rolls his eyes and doesn’t answer.

“When have you ever known Heechul to care about professionalism?” Han Geng laughs. “I thought you knew him!”

Kris just sighs and shakes his head. It’s true, Heechul will be Heechul, and Kris is too tired to argue with him at the moment. He makes small talk with Han Geng while he waits for Heechul to say something, and it doesn’t take long before he calls out in triumph.

“It is done!” He shouts.

“What’s done?” Kris asks, turning towards his boss.

Heechul grins smugly. “As it turns out, your contract allows for a raise after a certain period of time, which had already passed.” He suddenly scowls. “Somebody in the treasury department hasn’t been doing their job right, I’m supposed to be notified of these things.” Then his grin returns. “You’ll be getting a 3.5% increase on your paycheck, starting with your next one. Which if my memory serves correctly, is in two days.”

Kris is stunned, staring at Heechul wide eyed. He suddenly feels like he could cry. He doesn’t know what that will work out to, but he knows it’s a lot.

“And,” Heechul continues, “You’re eligible for another raise in five years.”

Now Kris feels like he might cry. “Thank you so much,” he says weakly. He stands and bows 90 degrees.

“Oh, stand up,” Heechul says.

Kris does, but he continues talking. “This will be such a help, I really can’t thank you enough, this will make a world of difference when I start the Sponsor process…”

“I know, I know,” Heechul says patiently. “I’m aware of how it is. This raise doesn’t come without work you know—not a whole lot more really. But you’re a three year employee now, and that loyalty deserves a reward. I expect you’ll get a few more projects a year, and by the time your next raise comes around you may be able to start taking commissions.”

It’s too far off for Kris to think about, and he’s too overwhelmed, so he settles for thanking Heechul over and over again until he’s finally shooed from the office, though not unkindly. Once Kris goes back to his office (shared with three other people), he manages to finish up one of his projects and start a new one, and he squeaks in a little time to read over the rules for Sponsoring a were-animal, just to make sure they haven’t changed, and uses his company privilege to print the paperwork. He’s going to start it as soon as he gets home, but as the day wears on he just can’t stop thinking about the task at hand. He’s got a lot of work to do before Sehun can come live with them. Kris zones out for a few minutes, thinking about the furniture in the spare room and wondering if he should replace it. He snaps out of it when a pen bounces off his forehead.

“Ow,” Kris mutters crossly, glaring at Kyungsoo, his co-worker and (unfortunately) best friend. “Why are you so mean to me?”

“You were thinking, it looked painful,” Kyungsoo says. “You also look very tired. Everything alright with Tao and Joonmyun?”

Kris nods. “Yes, they’re okay. We’re trying to take in a new fox, actually.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “You are a glutton for punishment, Kris Wu. Well, I wish you luck with that, you look like you’ll need it.”

Kris eyes the forms he needs to fill out. “You’re not far off there.” He looks over at Kyungsoo, who is back to working intently on what looks like a CD cover. “Sure you don’t want to be a Sponsor yourself?”

Kyungsoo laughs, eyes never leaving his screen. “Not a chance, bro. I’ve known Tao and Joonmyun long enough to know better than to torment myself with that kind of mischief.”

By all standards, things have been progressing quickly, but it’s not fast enough. Since starting the process Kris hasn’t been allowed to see Sehun in person, though they do get to talk on the phone. At the end of each day Kris calls the halfway house and spends a few minutes talking to Sehun before passing the phone along to Tao and Joonmyun. Sometimes Kris stands around and listens to Tao and Joonmyun talking, just to make sure that everything is going well. Since Sehun sort of fell into their lives, they haven’t had much of a chance to talk about how they feel now that they’re adding a new member to their family.

A week after Kris filed the initial paperwork a counselor came by to have a look at the apartment and interview the three of them. Kris showed her the bedroom that Joonmyun and Tao shared, and then the third guest bedroom that could be Sehun’s if he wanted it. That was really the most important thing—making sure that Sehun would have space of his own while he adjusted, if he wanted it. It’s been three days since that visit, and they haven’t heard anything. Kris knows it’s rough having to wait, but he doesn’t realize just how stressful it is on the boys until Tao breaks down. The night starts out normally, with the three of them sitting down to dinner. Then towards the end of the meal Tao suddenly stands up from the table and runs down the hall, slamming the bedroom door shut before Kris and Joonmyun even have a chance to process what’s just happened.

“Should I follow him?” Kris asks Joonmyun.

Joonmyun looks at him helplessly. “I don’t know. I know something about this is bothering him but I don’t know exactly what.”

Kris sighs and stands up. “Okay, I’ll try to get it out of him. Do you want to come?”

Joonmyun smiles and shakes his head. “No…I think Tao just needs you right now.”

Kris’ heart twists a little—he knows Joonmyun isn’t upset, but Kris feels the need to make sure he’s alright anyway. “Are you sure?”

Joonmyun stands up and Kris follows suit, waiting to see if Joonmyun will come to him. He does, wrapping his arms around Kris’ waist as Kris holds him close.

“It’s okay,” Joonmyun says. “I’m honestly saying this because I know Tao as well as you do, and I know that it’s you he needs right now. I’ll go to him later and I’ll comfort him to, but he’s not going to talk to me about this and I don’t mind.”

Joonmyun is so wonderful, he truly is. “You know, you really are a blessing to me,” Kris tells him.

Joonmyun tilts his head up and grins at Kris. “I know I am. Now go give Tao a hug and make him talk.”

Kris gives Joonmyun a brief kiss before going to do just that. Tao is in his and Joonmyun’s room, and Kris knocks before opening the door just a crack. “Tao, can I come in?”

There’s a sound somewhere between a squeak and a sob, and Kris isn’t sure if it’s a yes but it doesn’t sound like a no. He peeks his head into the room. Tao is curled up in the middle of the bed, and he picks himself up a little when he sees Kris. Since Tao isn’t yelling at him to get out, Kris figures that he’s allowed in and steps into the room, gently closing the door behind himself. He sits next to Tao on the bed, and right away Tao curls into Kris’ side, clinging to him.

“What’s wrong?” Kris asks.

Tao doesn’t answer right away, but he usually doesn’t. He’s been this way for as long as Kris can remember—never forthcoming about his own problems but so quick to ask others about their own. On more than one occasion Kris has found that it can take upwards of an hour for Tao to say what’s bothering him, and the only thing to do is be patient and just stay with him. So Kris arranges Tao a little more comfortably on his lap and pets his hair until he finally speaks.

“It’s unfair,” Tao whimpers before dissolving into fresh sobs.

“What is?” Kris asks once Tao has calmed down again.

“These people,” Tao says, “They say they care about Sehun and they, they do this. They leave us hanging, they leave him hanging, and we don’t know if—if he’s going to come live with us or not, and why not? What are they doing that’s more important than this? Why aren’t they helping Sehun?” He buries his face in Kris’ shirt, crying weakly.

“Oh sweetheart, I didn’t know you felt so strongly about this,” Kris says. “It’s only been a few days, my love, this is normal.”

“But it’s not fair!” Tao repeats. “Sehun’s all alone! What about him? What about what he wants?”

It’s heartbreaking to watch Tao cry, but Kris can’t help but to feel a little proud of him. “You’re a regular crusader, aren’t you?” Kris sighs, petting Tao’s hair again. “Always so worried about other people. You seem to be more knowledgeable about what Sehun wants than I am—care to tell me?”

Tao sniffles and picks his head up. “You already know,” he says. “He wants a family. He wants someone to love him.”

Kris nods. “He will get that, because he will come to live with us.”

“But he needs us now!” Tao cries. “And these stupid officials are letting him stay—no, they’re trapping him in that awful place!” He’s practically screaming by now. “I hate those houses, I hate them!”

Kris tries to calm Tao. “Sehun said they took care of him,” he says, but Tao talks over him.

“Oh, yeah, they take care of him,” he says. “But Sehun…he told me that he didn’t want to leave his family, but he had to because his parents’ sponsors couldn’t afford another person. Sehun was just taken away from them and dumped in that house, and the people there, they aren’t…they can’t hug the kids, it’s not allowed, even if they ask for it, they can’t even hold their hands for extended periods of time, whatever that means. And Sehun said that sometimes he has nightmares, and he wakes up crying, and nobody comes in to ask if he’s okay, and if he tries to find someone they just send him back to his room. He said that nobody loves him anymore.”

Kris has nothing to say to that. What can he say that could possibly make Tao feel better? There’s nothing that he can say that will magically bring Sehun into this room right now, and that’s just about the only thing that will make Tao stop crying.

“Getting this worked up about it isn’t going to help,” Kris says as Tao continues to sob. “At this rate, all you’ll do is make yourself sick. Come on now, try to breathe.”

Tao sits up and inhales deeply, coughing when he exhales. He sounds awful.

Kris sighs and rubs Tao’s back. “Would you like some hot chocolate, Taozi?”

Tao sniffles and nods.

“Do you want me to send Joonmyunnie in here so you can snuggle with him?”

Tao hesitates for a second, then shakes his head. “N-not yet,” he hiccups. “I need…a few minutes.”

Kris nods, trying to ignore the real physical ache in his chest. “Okay baby. I’ll be back soon.” He kisses Tao’s forehead and then leaves, trudging back to the kitchen. Joonmyun is just finishing up the dishes.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Kris says.

Joonmyun shrugs. “I don’t mind.” He looks over his shoulder. “How did it go?”

Kris isn’t sure how to answer that. “He said that Sehun told him he feels like nobody at the halfway house loves him.”

“And Tao got upset over it,” Joonmyun sighs. “How very like our boy.”

Kris retrieves the hot chocolate mix from the pantry and then fills a small pot with water and sets it on the stove to boil. It’ll take longer, but that’s okay since Tao needs time. While he waits for the water Kris shuffles over to Joonmyun, hovering until Joonmyun grabs his arm and pulls him closer.

“You are so like Tao,” he sighs. “In that you both have trouble asking for things. If you want a hug, well you really don’t need to ask at this point.”

Kris rests his forehead on Joonmyun’s head, holding him so close that he can feel Joonmyun’s chest rise as he breathes.

“Joonmyun?”

“Hmm?”

“…I love you.”

“Oh Kris. I love you too. I love you and Tao very much.”

“Joonmyun…”

“Yes?”

“I…am I doing enough for Sehun? Should I be…I don’t know, calling the department and asking what’s taking so long? Did I do everything right?”

Joonmyun pulls back slightly and smiles at Kris. “You did well, hyung. Really. There’s nothing more you can do at this point, and I think we’ve got Sehun, I truly do.”

Kris nods. “Thank you.”

Joonmyun’s smile grows and he rises onto his toes to plant a kiss on Kris’ cheek. “You’re welcome. By the way, your water is boiling.”

Kris reluctantly backs away and takes three mugs from the cupboard, measuring the water into them. Joonmyun stays close to his side.

“You know,” Joonmyun says, “I’m a little surprised by how quickly Tao got attached to Sehun. I think it’s safe to say that Tao has a little bit of a thing for him.”

Kris smiles at that. “Yeah? I think it’s more than a ‘little’ thing.”

Joonmyun hums. “We’ll have to remind him to take it slow.” He laughs softly. “I’m happy for him though. He needs someone to fuss over. To adore, really.”

Kris nods. Tao’s always been the baby, the one that everyone wanted to spoil. It’s nice to see him so willing to take in someone younger than him and so eager to lavish that same love on someone else. Not that he doesn’t fuss over Kris and Joonmyun, but he does so in a different way.

“Sehun isn’t even in the house yet and already Tao loves him so much,” Kris says. “I’m really…I’m happy for him but worried at the same time. Because then this happens.”

Joonmyun sighs and peels away from Kris, going to the fridge and getting the whipped cream. He drums his fingers on the countertop, looking thoughtful. “While it’s probably not the best thing in the world, I don’t think we need to be overly concerned about it. Tao doesn’t really suppress his emotions, he just bottles them up sometimes. Not all the time, and not for a long period of time. He’s not good at keeping things hidden.”

Kris snorts. “I’ll say. He’s such a bad liar.” He dashes a little cinnamon on top of the whipped cream and the hot chocolates are finished.

Joonmyun grabs a tray and together the two of them go to the spare bedroom. Tao is sitting up when they come in, and he’s still sniffling a little, but he seems to have stopped crying. Right away Joonmyun crawls onto the bed and wraps Tao up in a tight hug, kissing his face. Tao manages to smile, turning his head to catch Joonmyun’s lips. Kris lets them fool around for a minute, and when they settle back on the pillows he sits next to them, holding out the tray so they can each take their mugs. They drink the hot chocolate in silence for a while, content to just cuddle. Eventually Joonmyun turns to Tao and brushes his hair away from his face, taking in the redness of his eyes and the tear tracks on his cheeks.

“When Sehun moves in with us, we’ll do this again,” Joonmyun vows. “And mark my words, he will be with us soon.”

I PROMISE THE NEXT CHAPTER IS NICER!!!