Kris scanned his eyes over the peaceful sleeping face of the boy beside him. A smile spread across his face as he watched the boy moved closer to his warmth clutching the adorable panda stuffed animal in the crock of his arm. Kris’s smile slowly fades as he thinks back to the events prior to the sleeping boy falling asleep beside him.

~Flashback~

“I’ll check it, be right back” Kris said as he left a wide-eyed Tao in his bed. It’s probably my mom saying good night, Kris thinks grabbing his phone and unlocking the main screen. To his surprise, however, there was nothing missed. Must be Tao’s, Kris decided picking up the other phone from the table. *One New Text* blinks across the phone when Kris clicks on the unlocking button. Sliding his finger across the screen Kris reveals a message he assumes to be from Tao’s mother. Moving across the room to bring the message to Tao, Kris scans the phone and stops dead in his track. No not Taozi too, he thinks seeing the sender line filled with an ominous Unknown. Kris decides to read the message.

What would your teammates think if they saw this? Do you think I should tell? Behave yourself and I won’t. Well maybe. Sweet Dreams. –Unknown

Tao can’t see this, ever, Kris thinks to himself as his finger presses down on the delete button. Placing Tao’s phone back down on the table, Kris walks back to Tao’s bedroom. He tries to control his anger so that Tao won’t be aware of the incident.

“Who was it?” Tao asks hair messed up.

“Nobody” Kris says smiling at the other as he slides into the open space Tao had indicated to earlier.

~End of Flashback~

“I’ll protect you my panda baby” Kris whispers into the sleeping boy’s ear before planting a feather light kiss on his exposed temple. Closing his eyes and listening to the gentle breaths of the sleeping boy beside him Kris slowly drifted off to sleep.

“Kris” Kris hears his name being called, pulling him from his dreams. The sight he sees when he wakes up, however, is better than what he had been dreaming of.

“Good morning Taozi” he mutters out sleep still lacing his voice. Kris hugs the boy closer to him with one arm as he swipes his other hand across Tao’s bangs so he can see his eyes.

“We have to get up Kris” Tao says, “We’ll be late for school” he adds.

“Alright” Kris says opening his arms to allow the other to crawl out of the bed.

“You can wear anything that will fit you from my closet if you don’t want to wear the same clothes to school that you wore yesterday” Tao says as he stretches down to touch his toes.

“I think I am going to head back home I’ll see you at school okay panda?” Kris says.

“Alright” Tao says. Kris notices the small pout.

“Don’t worry my panda” Kris says standing up and wrapping Tao in a back hug. “If you want, you can come over to my place after school.” Kris adds kissing Tao’s temple again. Kris can tell that Tao is still pouting so he whispers into Tao’s ear “We can watch your favorite movie.” Tao lets out the desired sequel that Kris was looking for.

“I can’t wait Kris” Tao says jumping around as much as Kris’s embrace would allow.

“I’ll see you at school babe” Kris says giving another kiss to the temple of the other before walk