Chapter 4

Kris has only been through the sponsor process once before, and it was with Joonmyun. His parents were the ones who initially sponsored Tao, after they found him wandering around the park one day. He was only a few years old, and he was crying. Kris’ parents had been the only ones who really seemed to care. They took Tao to the police station, and discovered that he had a piece of paper folded up in his pocket with his name and birthdate on it—he was three years old. There was a record of his birth, but the names of his parents weren’t on the record. It was strange, but everyone guessed that Tao had been some big businessman’s illegitimate child with a were-fox woman. It was awful to think about, but probably true.

Kris’ parents had only known Tao for half an hour, but they were already very much attached, and decided to take him in. Kris was ten at the time, and a little hesitant at the idea of such a small person living in his house. Tao, on the other hand, warmed up to Kris right away and barely let the older boy out of his sight. It took all of a week for them to become best friends, and Tao was never more than arms’ length away from Kris if he could help it.

When Kris decided to move to South Korea at age 21 to pursue his education, Tao said right away that he wanted to go too. Initially, he was told no. It was the first and last time Kris ever saw Tao throw a real tantrum. Though maybe tantrum wasn’t the right word, as it wasn’t just anger, there was quite a bit of panic involved too. But the important thing was that Tao cried for three hours straight, clinging to Kris the entire time, and pleading for Kris to let him come along. Though Kris tried to explain that it wasn’t up to him, Tao didn’t seem to get it. So finally, when Kris and his parents just couldn’t stand to see Tao miserable anymore, they relented.

Tao didn’t speak a bit of Korean, while Kris had already studied it for two years in college. He wasn’t great at it, but he could at least read it. Tao couldn’t even go to school until he had learned the alphabet, which didn’t happen until about a month after they’d moved to Seoul. It was around that time that Tao decided to make a move on Kris. A move that Kris immediately shot down.

“You are fourteen years old,” Kris remembers saying to him. “You need to take a step back there, because you are too young for this. Come back to me in three years.”

After that Kris became a lot more reserved around Tao, watching his every move like a hawk and trying to keep a lookout for any funny business on his part. He tried to keep a distance as well—physical and emotional, which was hard because he and Tao had been sharing a room (and a bed) for eleven years. Even after to moving to Seoul, they had two bedrooms but rarely used the second one. After Tao’s confession, Kris started sleeping in the spare room, only allowing Tao in when he shifted to his fox form.

Kris didn’t realize how much his actions were hurting Tao until almost two months later. He walked into the bathroom thinking it was empty, and found Tao standing at the sink with his toothbrush clutched in his hand. Ordinarily Kris would have just backed out with an apology, but when Tao caught sight of Kris he immediately dropped the toothbrush and started looking anywhere but at Kris, which really set off some warning bells.

“What’s going on?” Kris asked.

Tao clamped his jaw shut and started to tear up, which was a dead giveaway that something not right was going on. It took almost an hour for Kris to coax out what was wrong with Tao.

“I was trying to make myself sick,” Tao finally mumbled, his head lowered.

Kris had been shocked. “Why would you do that?” He asked.

“Because you let me stay with you when I’m sick,” Tao said, “And you don’t push me away.”

It was then that Kris realized he was going about this the wrong way. He couldn’t push Tao away like he was, because Tao wouldn’t see as Kris trying to keep him safe, he saw it as a rejection.

“I’m not…I’m not pushing you away,” Kris tried to explain. “You’re underage, and that means I have to be careful, especially if I want to sponsor you in the future. I can’t do anything with you that would be considered inappropriate.”

“But I miss you,” Tao whimpered.

“I’m right here,” Kris said. “Just because we’re not sleeping in the same bed…it doesn’t mean that I don’t still love you just as much as I did when we were back home.”

“It feels different,” Tao insisted. “I don’t like it. I want you back!”

In the end, Kris caved. He always caved to Tao, though not without conditions. Tao promised that he wouldn’t do anything inappropriate as long as he was underage, but Kris still made him swear to more specific terms—there would be no kissing, no subtle or unsubtle innuendo, and no undressing in front of each other. And privately Kris decided that what they really needed was a buffer. Kris had already been toying with the idea of sponsoring another fox. He was guaranteed a job when he graduated, and that meant he could afford to feed himself and Tao, and probably another fox as well.

Truthfully, the idea initially came to him because he really didn’t like the thought of leaving Tao home alone once he started work, especially when Tao was in his fox form. Tao denied it, but Kris knew he got lonely. And Kris thought it would be good for them to have a native Korean speaker in the house, because no matter how much they tried, they almost never spoke the language at home.

When Kris landed his job and broached the subject of adding a new member to their family, he left out the part about wanting a buffer and made it about Tao and the language. Tao was open to the idea, so Kris filed the paperwork. There were two ways to go about becoming a sponsor—either with a particular person in mind, or without one, and at the time Kris was without one. Once he was approved, he went to a halfway house on his own to have a look at some of the were-kids who needed sponsors.

Finding Joonmyun had been an accident. Initially Kris had been looking for someone close to Tao’s age, or maybe even younger than him. But when Kris saw Joonmyun, he just knew that he was looking at someone who would be a perfect fit for their family.

Kris actually walked by Joonmyun at first—he was sitting by himself on a chair in the hallway—and quickly doubled back. It was his hair that caught Kris’ eye. Bright red like Tao’s, it was what tipped him off as a were-fox. Just like Kris had initially missed Joonmyun, Joonmyun hadn’t seen him at first either, and only looked up from his book when Kris came to stand in front of him.

“Oh,” Joonmyun said quietly. “Hello.” He smiled. “Are you a sponsor?”

The hair might have been what caught his eye, but it was definitely Joonmyun’s eyes that drew Kris in. “Yes I am,” He answered. “Are you a were-fox?”

Joonmyun’s smile grew and he nodded, putting his book aside. “I am. My name’s Joonmyun, I’m eighteen.”

Eighteen meant that he would be going to college soon, and Tao was still only fifteen, but at that point Kris decided that age didn’t matter anymore. Joonmyun had the smile of an angel and he was reading Harry Potter—he was perfect.

Tao loved Joonmyun right away. Really, what Tao loved most was that Joonmyun was shorter than him, even though he was older. Joonmyun was the perfect balance of sweet to Tao’s sometimes sassy attitude, but he also had this innate ability to reel in Tao, and sometimes Kris, with one well-placed glare. He was quiet and well-mannered, but he was fun too. He was always up for a game, or a walk in the park when Tao was feeling bored and Kris was too busy to entertain him. Though Kris had taken him in mostly for Tao’s benefit, Joonmyun became a blessing to him too. He was more patient than Tao, and didn’t mind talking about the more serious things that Kris fretted over. Very often when Kris was sitting by himself in the living room, Joonmyun would break his stressful mood by sitting down and propping his feet up on Kris’ lap, sweetly asking what Kris was thinking about.

Kris loved Tao very much already, but he was starting to love Joonmyun too.

A few months before Tao turned seventeen, he cornered Joonmyun and Kris in the kitchen and made an announcement.

“I know what I want for my birthday,” he’d said.

“And what is that?” Kris asked, expecting to hear something like ‘concert tickets’ or ‘a new computer.’

“,” Tao answered. “With both of you.”

Joonmyun had been, unfortunately, eating cereal when Tao said this, and he promptly choked on it. Once they had been reassured that Joonmyun was not, in fact, going to die, Tao explained himself.

“I love you, Kris,” He said, “I always have, and I always will. But I love Joonmyun too—the same way I love you. And I see how the two of you look at each other, I know there’s something there. When I’m seventeen, I’ll be old enough to consent to , and I know I’ll want it as much then as I do now.”

The request wasn’t much of a surprise. Of course it did happen, too. Tao always got what he wanted—but it wasn’t on his actual seventeenth birthday. Instead on that day, the three of them went on an official date, and made out a little when they got home. They went on several more dates and worked out the technical details of a relationship with three people, and only then did they agree that they were ready for .

The ual aspect of their relationship had really been a very recent development, but Kris still remembers how eager Tao had been, and it worries him a little. The day after Tao’s breakdown is Friday, and Kris makes arrangements at work to leave early so he can pick Tao up from school. Kyungsoo agrees to cover for him—uncharacteristically distracted, which is something else that worries Kris. It takes a lot to get Kyungsoo ruffled, he’ll have to ask about it later.

Tao is pleasantly surprised when Kris picks him up, even more so when Kris takes him out for ice cream.

“What are you bribing me for?” Tao asks between mouthfuls of triple-threat dark chocolate ice cream with sprinkles and caramel sauce.

“I’m not bribing you,” Kris says. “I’m buttering you up.”

“Is that what you call it?” Tao asks. He has ice cream on his nose, Kris kisses it off.

“Yes, that’s what I call it.”

They walk around the city while they eat, and eventually they find themselves in the park. It looks like it’s about to rain, but that means that the park is almost empty and he pulls Tao own next to him on a bench.

“I want to talk to you about Sehun, and how you feel about him.”

Tao blushes redder than his hair. “W-what about it?” He squeaks.

Kris wasn’t expecting that reaction. “You seem to be very smitten with him. I would like to know what your intentions are towards him.”

Tao clears his throat. “I…I really like him. I want…I don’t know,” he admits. “I don’t want to scare him away.”

Kris nods. “I knew you felt something for him, because it’s not like you to get as worked up as you did last night. Why aren’t you looking at me?” He asks the last part in a suspicious tone. He’s not scolding Tao by any interpretation of the word, why is Tao acting like he’s in trouble?

Tao fidgets on the bench. “I…I was worried about him,” he says faintly. “After you brought him back to the halfway house…I went to see him that next morning.” Tao gulps. “I said I was a friend from school, they let me in and…we just started talking. I’ve been back five times since then, and that’s how I know how lonely he is.”

To say that Kris is shocked is an understatement. “You didn’t tell me,” he says, stating the obvious.

“I wasn’t sure if it was allowed,” Tao mumbles. “I didn’t want you to tell me I couldn’t see him anymore.”

Kris sighs. “Oh, Tao…I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t know how important this was to you. But I should have, I’ve known you long enough that I should have realized you wouldn’t want to just let Sehun go like that.” He leans forward and kisses Tao’s cheek. “My sweet boy.”

Tao visibly relaxes. “So, you’re not mad?”

“No,” Kris says. “I’m very proud of you, you have a very strong sense of right and wrong and a good sense of judgment. But I do have to remind you, after you nearly jumped me when you were fourteen, that if you want to have with Sehun you can’t spring it on him with no warning, you have to talk to him about it, and talk to me and Joonmyun so we know what it is that you want from us too.”

“I know,” Tao says. “Sehun seems really curious about our arrangement, I was wondering if maybe one night, when he’s settled in, he could…join us? Even if he just watches, I want him to see that we really do know how to make a relationship between three people work, and show that we don’t leave anyone out. I think it would help him.”

Kris nods. “We can talk to Joonmyun about that, and if he says it’s okay with him then we can bring it up to Sehun.”

Tao grins. “Thank you. You know,” he continues, but at that moment there’s a distant rumble of thunder, and they both look at the sky. It’s gotten really dark.

“We better run,” Kris says, holding out his hand. He and Tao race back to the car, making it back just as the rain starts. They’re both breathless and laughing as they climb into the car.

“Wow,” Kris pants. “That was close.” He takes a moment to catch his breath. “So, what were you about to say earlier?”

Tao looks at him and smiles brightly. “I was going to say that I love you, and that you’re a good person. I know that what you do for Joonmyun and I, it’s so important, we really owe a lot to you for taking care of us. I feel like it’s really a thankless job in that you don’t get a lot of recognition for it, but I really think you’re a great man and I really love you so much. I’m so happy that you gave Sehun a chance.”

Kris feels like he could cry, but instead he leans over and kisses Tao gently. When he pulls back Tao is smiling at him like he’s never been happier, and Kris really does tear up.

“I am really glad to have you and Joonmyun in my life,” Kris says. “And Sehun, too. I’m sure we’ve got him, I’m sure of it.”

Tao nods, but Kris knows he won’t believe it until Sehun is in their house.

Kris drives them home, going slowly because of the rain. By the time they get home Joonmyun has already gotten dinner ready. They sit down and eat together, Tao sitting on Joonmyun’s lap (even though he’s really too big and doesn’t quite fit). Once dinner is done and the dishes are washed the three of them move to the couch. They’re about to watch a movie when Kris’ phone rings. The caller ID says that it’s an unknown number.

Kris answers. “Hello?”

“Hello, my I speak to Kris Wu please?”

“That would be me,” Kris says.

“Hello, Mister Wu, I’m with the office of Were-Animal Sponsorship, I’m calling about your request to sponsor Oh Sehun.”

Kris’ heart stops and then speeds up. “Is that so?” Kris asks.

“I’m happy to inform you that you’ve been approved, you can pick Sehun up from the Seochu house any time starting tomorrow.”

Kris’ jaw drops and he stammers a thank you, hanging up quickly before he starts screaming or crying—he could go either way at the moment.

“Is everything okay?” Joonmyun asks, his eyes wide.

Kris nods. “We got Sehun.”

That’s all he manages to say—Tao screams, Joonmyun screams, Kris screams along with them and in the next moment the three of them are hugging and crying, but Tao is crying especially hard. It takes a long time to calm him down.

“Can we get him now?” Tao hiccups when he catches his breath.

“We have to wait until tomorrow,” Kris says regretfully.

“Do you think Sehun knows?” Tao asks.

Joonmyun answers. “I’m sure he does, they told me right away when Kris got approved for my Sponsorship.”

Tao is practically vibrating with excitement. “Can we call him? Can we call him now?”

“I don’t see why we can’t,” Kris laughs, and he calls the halfway house.

They are allowed to speak with Sehun, and he sounds like he’s in tears when he gets on the phone.

“Sehun, are you crying?” Kris asks.

“Yes,” Sehun says. “I’m really happy.”

Before Kris can say anything else Tao snatches the phone away. “Sehun!” He shouts, “You’re going to come live with us!! I hope you have your things packed because we’re going to come pick you up first thing tomorrow! Actually you don’t even have to pack a lot, because we’re going to take you shopping right away! We’ll get you new clothes and sheets and all kinds of things to put in your room, and we’ll go out for lunch and then when we come home we can all watch TV together. You have your own room but if you don’t want to be by yourself then you can sleep in my bed, we can kick Joonmyun into Kris’ bed since he snores, or you can sleep in Kris’ bed, whatever makes you happy you can do it okay Sehun, okay? Because we want you to be happy, you deserve to be so happy you can’t stand it!” It’s hard even for Kris to understand Tao, because he’s still crying.

Kris gently takes the phone away from Tao and puts it on speaker. “Sehun, are you still there?”

He is, and he’s crying even harder.

“Sehun are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” He whimpers. “I’m really happy…I can’t wait to see you all.”

Kris tries to calm down—he might start crying again. “We can’t wait to see you either. We will be there tomorrow morning, really early.”

“Okay,” Sehun says. “I’ll be ready.”

Kris can’t help but smile at the enthusiasm in Sehun’s voice. “Alright, now go try to get some sleep, okay sweetie?”

“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Joonmyun says.

“We love you!” Tao hollers into the phone.

Sehun laughs and then he says, very shyly, “I love you too. All of you.”

When they hear that, they all tear up again. 

Oh god that last part makes me cry every time. I'm such a good writer ^^

I'm afraid I'm going to tortue you now. The next chapter won't be about Kris, Tao, Joonmyun and Sehun. Instead it will be about Kyungsoo and two other people, who shall remain a surprise.

But at least you know Sehun's got a home!