“Why are you behaving like this hyung? Do you hate me?”

Kris averted his eyes. He was looking through the transparent glass in to his left side; towards the beautiful view Seoul has during night time, from their 12th floor apartment. He was being neutral, but in fact it was agitated inside.

“Tell me hyung, look at me!” Tao said, insisted while he grabbed Kris’s wide shoulders and shook them a few times. Kris freed his shoulder from Tao’s grasp, harsh, making the hands almost tossed in the air if it’s not attached to his body.

“I am sick of your childish act, you know. Why don’t you sleep alone tonight? Why do I have to sleep with you every night? I’m not your mom,” Kris yelled at him while pointing at him. 

“But… but I thought you like it,” Tao frowns then took a step back. 

“No. Never. Tell me who will ever like to sleep with a person who sleep talks and touches your body in the middle of the night?” Kris uttered.He averted his eyes to the ceiling when Tao started to gawk at him.

“I did?”

“Hell yeah! Even cuddles! I don’t like it. Hate it!” Kris said, sitting on the couch, crosssing his arms. Tao then sat at the couch, following.

“Sorry. I try not to do it tonight. Please hyung, sleep with me…” Tao begged, holding Kris's wrist.

“No way. I better go and sleep at mom’s place tonight. I’m so sick of you.” Kris looked at him and pulled away his hands from Tao’s embrace. He rolled his eyes, took his phone on the desk and got up. He walked towards the door.

“But hyung…”

“No!” Kris uttered loudly. He did not look back while walking towards the door.

“Hyung, wait!”

“Whaaat???” Kris uttered while roughly turning his body towards the latter.

“Please switch on the lights in the room for me. I’m afraid of the dark if I’m alone, hehe,” Tao beamed, showing his whole teeth while feeling shame.

“Aishhh this kid!” Kris looked obviously irritated, almost knocked his knuckle on Tao’s head. He lighted on all the lights in the apartment, also in the kitchen and bathrooms and left the apartment by slamming the door shut, without any final word. No ‘goodnight’ or ‘take care’ like he always did.

“Goodnight hyung,” Tao frowned, looking at the door. He rested his back on the bed, looking at the ceiling while hugging the comforter. By closing his eyes tight under the light, he was hoping that he could sleep.

* * *

Two weeks before

“Don’t go easy, hyung.”

“No. Never!” Kris smirked. He threw the ball in the air, free, high above them. Tao easily grasped the ball once he leaped, because of his height. He giggled while dribbling the ball, feeling that he could make it into the hoop.

But then, Kris seized the ball before he could ever realize. Dribbled it three times, while looking at Tao’s eyes while Tao was trying to seize the ball from him, he flung the ball backwards and the ball went into the hoop. Kris won.

“That's not fun! I could never have the chance to have the ball. Not fair!”

“Eh? You said you don’t want me to go easy with you?” Kris giggled.

“Okay. Alright, don’t go easy with me. Just one more time, the one who lose, will buy dinner,” Tao offered his second bet.

“Deal… hey!” Kris surprised when Tao grabbed away the ball in his arm before his response. Tao dribbled the ball away but Kris easily snatched the ball. Tao quickly blocked Kris’s way from shooting the ball but Kris is not an easy rival. Knowing that his chances of winning was 0% that round, he quickly hugged Kris’s waist. The ball rolled away.

“Aaargh no no no stoooppp!!!” Kris yelled. Tao unleash his grasp off the grunting Kris, ran towards the ball and shoot. He won.

“Yaahhhh! That’s cheating! Argh this kid, do you know that I’m very allergic to body contact? How dare you hug me?” he grunts while rolling on the ground. Tao crouched down beside him with the ball in his arms.

“Hihihi… whatever. By the way, I’m craving for fried chicken. Ppali, let’s go for fried chickens! Yehet!”

“Chicken is not my style.”

“C’mon hyung… Ah! How about spicy ddeokboki? Ppali I’ll teach you how to eat those foods. I’m sure you will like it,” Tao pulled Kris’s hands up while he gradually stands up but Kris was stronger, so Tao end up lying beside him on the grass.

“I don’t eat spicy stuffs. Besides, are you kidding me? Ddeokboki for dinner? If you keep asking me what to eat, then you have to pay it by yourself,” Kris said while he rose up. Then Tao dragged him to lay on the ground again.

“You want me to treat or not?” Kris asked, grinned.

“Please hyung… for once?” Tao grinned.

“No,” Kris said, quickly stood up and walked away. But Tao rushed towards him, walking beside Kris while keeping their pace synchronously.

“Alright, alright, what do you wanna eat then?”

“Shabu-shabu hot pot sounds nice though…”

The sun sunk while they were walking towards a shabu-shabu restaurant nearby. Although their friendship was just 26 months old, they were just like brothers.

Maybe a bit more than that.

* * *

Thank you for reading!

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