Tao woke up feeling surprisingly rested the next day. Minseok had already left, carefully sliding out of bed but still waking Tao up earlier that morning. Tao had set an alarm and gone back to sleep wanting to get as much rest as possible before his lecture. He still groaned and slid out of bed laying on the floor a reenactment of the mornings where he had not slept at all. He did not want to go to class, he knew who would be there and despite there being one hundred other people in the lecture, one of those people would be Kris.

 

Tao made it to class at exactly two o’clock with no time to spare, as the professor was a stickler for starting on time. Unfortunately, his seat put him directly in behind Kris and his friend Chanyeol only a row separating them.

 

Tao winced watching Kris laugh and smile and be happy. Tao tried to focus on his notes but everytime he looked up to copy from the slide show he caught a glimpse of Kris. It wasn;t until about ten minutes into the lecture that a distraction ame in the form of a boy slamming into the seat next to him.

 

Tao jumped in surprise just narrowly avoiding getting hit in the face with a backpack. “Sehun,” he whispered sending a small glare as he smacked the backpack back into the boys lap. “What the hell?”

 

“Sorry,” Sehun smiled sheepishly.

 

Tao rolled his eyes but gave an amused smile as he watched Sehun pull out a stack of papers from the mes of his backpack. How this boy passed any of his classes being so disorganized Tao had no idea.

 

“Where were you,” he asked jotting down some nonsense definition from the powerpoint.

 

“I was in a meeting with a T.A. She would not let me leave,” Sehun groaned shuffling for a clean piece of paper. Tao pitied him and handed over a small stack from his binder.

 

“Maybe she likes you,” Tao whispered.

 

“God I hope not, she is so...not my type.” Sehun shuddered.

 

“Why what’s wrong with her?” Tao questioned.

 

“She’s a girl,” Sehun said eyeing Tao thoughtfully for a moment before turning back to the front.

 

“Oh,” Tao nodded, “that is definitely a good reason.”

 

Sehun smiled softly to himself, before he caught something from the corner of his eye.

 

Kris.

 

Sehun glared harshly. Tao caught him glaring and followed his gaze.

 

“You shouldn’t get so worked up,” Tao placated patting the others balled up fist, Sehun’s knuckles were turning white with the effort.

 

“I don’t like him,” Sehun bit out relaxing anyways.

 

“I know, but trust me he’s not a bad guy, really.”

 

Sehun cut a look at Tao disbelieving. “Usually people jump at the chance to trash talk their exes.”

 

Tao smiled bitterly. It was something Jongin had repeatedly told him to do, just curse Kris out and and he’ll feel better. Tao tried it just made him feel worse, putting all the blame on Kris when he too had done wrong. He should have been more supportive, or encouraging. Should have seen Kris’ vulnerabilities and done more, something, anything. “I guess I’m just not that type of person,” he whispered instead.

 

Sehun shook his head, but was smiling. “You are a better man than me Tao.”

 

The professor let them out then, class ending on the dot as always but still surprising the two students. They looked down at their papers to see they had written nothing.

 

They both groaned.

 

~~♦~~

 

Walking out of your classroom only to be assaulted by a bouquet of roses is always a great way to start the day. Of course only Minseok could testify to that.

 

He had been walking out of his first lecture when he was attacked by powder pink roses. He squawked in fright falling back into the arms of his professor, the only one still in the room with him as he’d been asking her a question. The professor laughed and set the poor boy back on his feet stepping away from the scene but not quite leaving. Most people in the hall were watching the strange scene of a boy being attacked by some rogue flowers...well not totally rogue they were in the hands of another. The boy was bowing so his face was not visible to Minseok at first, but when he stood yelling, “please date me!” Minseok balked in horror, and recognition.

 

“Luhan,” he squeaked, voice cracking and pitched. “What. Are. You. Doing?”

 

Luhan smiled, a large goofy face contorting smile, “Confessing.”

 

“Confessing what? That you're insane?” Minseok growled, he was never one for mornings.

 

Luhan raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, “So sassy today, did you have a bad morning? What can I do to make you feel better, honey buns?”

 

Minseok’s eyes widened in shock, people around them cooing and giggling. Reminded of their audience he grabbed Luhan by the arm and dragged him into the empty classroom, not closing the door (wouldn’t want them getting weird ideas) but hiding them away from prying eyes.

 

“You are really crazy you know that?” Minseok sighed. “You barely know me.”

 

Luhan smiled, “The ancient egyptians did not know anything about the sun beyond it’s warmth and beauty yet still worshipped it.”

 

“What,” Minseok deadpanned.

 

“I’m comparing you to the sun,” Luhan whispered.

 

“Thanks I got that,” Xiumin rolled his eyes. “What does it have to do with your strange fixation on me?”

 

This wasn’t the first thing to happen today, Minseok had woken to about ten different good morning texts starting at about 5:00am and going until Minseok finally answered every 15 minutes. Luhan’s excuse was he didn’t know what time Minseok would wake up and he wanted to ensure he would wake up to a fresh one. (Did texts go stale? Why had no one told Minseok that. )It was completely crazy...but oddly endearing.

 

This on the other hand, was ridiculous.

 

“you are like the sun, I need you to live. Your smile gives me air to breath, your voice like sustenance.”

 

“You are crazy!” Minseok groaned hiding behind his hands a blush on his face. “I’m leaving.”

 

“Wait I haven’t read you my poem yet. Luhan pulled out a piece of paper which had been folded and creased many times. Clearing his throat as Minseok watched in part horror, part surprise he read, “The saying that you're the only one I see/That, I believe, is a lie/In my eyes, I see many people/But, amidst this group of people/I only search for you”

 

Minseok balked in embarrassment, this man was the epitome of cheesiness. “You...are so embarrassing, I am walking away now.”

 

“But, Baozi, my little dumpling you haven’t answered my question!” Luhan yelled.

 

“I need a coffee…” Minseok groaned.

 

“Great idea for a first date. I always knew you were the smart one. I’ll pay.” Luhan grinned shoving the flowers (they matched the colour of your blush!) into Minseok’s arm and hooked the other one with his own dragging the embarrassed(frustrated) boy away.

 

…

 

‘Well at least I get free coffee right?’ Minseok thought to himself pathetically.

 

~~♦~~

 

Tao and Sehun were sitting in a popular study spot midway between their next lectures when they were approached by someone they really didn’t want to see. They had been quietly talking to one another as they nursed coffees, when Sehun looked up to spot his cousin Jessica waving at him. He smiled brightly until he saw who was trailing behind her, her usual group of friends as well as her new boo Kris. Sehun gripped Tao’s thigh in comfort not even noticing he was doing so.

 

It didn’t take long for Tao to spot the source of Sehun’s discomfort. It was as if he was never going to get a break today.

 

“Sehunnie,” Jessica called brightly once she was close enough to not disturb the people studying. “I’m glad I found you. I wanted to formally introduce Kris.”

 

Kris gave Sehun a confused smile completely ignoring Tao’s presence except for a quick look in his direction.

 

“He’s not as good looking as you said he was,” Sehun hummed.  Sehun would never claim he wasn’t a petty guy.

 

“Sehunnie,” Jessica admonished with a fond roll of her eyes. She was used to her cousin’s stand offish attitude but it usually wasn’t directed at her boyfriends, he always got along with them well. She noticed the boy sitting there quietly, and figured the attitude was his strange way of trying to impress the boy. ‘How cute,’ she thought.

 

“Like I care what you think,” Kris scoffed narrowing his eyes at Sehun.

 

Sehun smirked, “You should, I am your girlfriend’s cousin.”

 

Kris looked a little regretful for a second before recovering, “You started it, I was simply returning the attitude.”

 

Sehun scoffed, a mockery of the same action Kris had done just before.

 

“Kris, please be nice, he is important to me,” Jessica said. “I want you two to get along.”

 

Kris nodded in acceptance pulling Jessica closer to himself and pleading for forgiveness with a charming smile. Jessica giggled.

 

Sehun cleared his throat. “Is that all?”

 

Jessica turned to glare lightly at Sehun, “Really Sehun show some respect. He is your elder and so am I. Now, I introduced my friend, it’s your turn.”

 

Sehun returned the glare playfully before turning to Tao, “This is my friend Tao. Tao this is Jessica, we are cousins.”

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Tao whispered looking at her shyly. She was really pretty and intimidating, looking much like a regal queen. She also had the reputation to match, being called an ice queen by all. He hadn’t seen any of that in the last few minutes but if she was as protective of Sehun as he was of her then that could change.

 

“Hello Tao, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” she smiled, looking for all the world friendly and amicable.

 

Tao’s smile widened at the warm greeting, sitting up and making eye contact with her.

“This is my boyfriend Kris,” she introduced cuddling up to Kris with a proud smile.

 

“Uh, we know...each other already,” Tao mumbled not wanting the charade to carry on.

 

“Oh, you do?” Jessica asked looking between the two with confusion.

 

“We run in the same circle of friends,” Tao supplied as an excuse. He just wanted this to end.

 

“Ah, right I remember seeing you with Kris-Oppa sometimes,” Jessica hummed, her smile picking back up to it’s former radiance. “How do you know Sehunnie?”

 

Tao looked at Sehun who he was glaring harshly in Kris’ direction. “I'm rooming with Minseok we met last night.”

 

“Oh,” Jessica said. “You seem so close already though.”

 

“We had no choice to talk what with his friend Luhan monopolizing Minnie Hyung’s time and got along well,” Sehun shrugged. “Plus we are in some of the same classes.”

 

“How nice, well you should come to dinner sometime Tao, I bet Uncle will love you.” Jessica smiled before checking the time, “Well, we better be off to class you two have fun!”

 

With that the couple flounced off together, Tao slumped in his seat glowering at Kris’ back.

 

“,” Tao muttered, then louder, “Your cousin seems nice though.”

 

“hm,” Sehun agreed looking at Tao carefully. That was probably the most awkward situation he had ever been in, and his Dad once walked in on him watching .

 

“Yo yo yo man!”

 

Both men looked over to see Luhan walking up to them his arm swung around Minseok casually both with coffee cups from a local cafe in their hands.

 

“Yo yo yo? Who are you a rapper from the 80’s?”

 

"I'm speaking English leave me alone, it's probably better than yours!" Luhan replied defensively sitting down with a huff and spilling a little bit of his coffee.

 

Sehun rolled his eyes. "Where'd you get the coffee hyungie and where's mine??"

 

"Ge bought it for me."

 

"Ge?"

 

"It means older brother in Chinese.," Tao explained.  

 

"Why are you calling him that aren't you the same age?" Sehun frowned.

 

"so? All couples have cute nicknames for each other.

 

"Couple?" they all chorused.  

 

"Yeah today was our first date," Luhan smirked.

 

"Where was I when we agreed on that?" Minseok asked gaping at the other.

 

"Aw, my Minnie is so shy~♡"

 

"Not shy," Minseok mumbled with narrowed eyes. "I just don't think I agreed to you being my stalker."

 

Luhan pouted as Minseok ignored his rambling to sip out of his coffee. "My Minnie has such sass"

 

"Seriously though you must have some drive to put up with Minseok’s pretentious coffee order," Sehun smiled.

 

"Me, pretentious? Please Mr. You are all beneath me" Minseok scoffed.

 

"So, I have high standards, sue me," he replied with a haughty look only to smirk when Minseok gave him a level stare.

 

“Well, as fun as this was I should get to lecture,” Tao interrupted nudging Sehun to pass his bag.

 

“Oh, let me walk you,” Sehun offered grabbing his and Tao’s bag not letting Tao carry it on his own.

 

“What? No, you don’t have to,” Tao protested.

 

“It’s no big deal I’m heading to the bus stops anyway,” Sehun argued sticking his tongue out as Tao lunged for his bag.

 

“Fine, but you can only walk wit me to the buses then we split up.”

 

“We’ll see about that,” Sehun shrugged mischieviously. Tao pouted before turning to his Hyungs.

 

“Bye lu-ge, see you at home Seokie-Hyung,” he greeted.

 

“By panda,” Luhan muttered opening his laptop on the table clearly planning on studying (or watching the latest episode of his drama whatever).

 

“Bye Tao, Sehunnie~” Minseok waved.

 

Once the two juniors were gone Luhan and Minseok shared a glance.

 

“They are worse than us,” Luhan said.

 

“Agreed,” Minseok smiled.

~~♦~~

A Note from the Author

Wow, I am so sorry but you have no idea what I just survived. The worse few weeks of my life in terms of school work. I thought midterms was bad? They have nothing on hell week. Right now I am in the last few hours of an all nighter, my last assignment for woman and gender studies was due at 12 online but I have to get to the school by 8am to hand it in physically. It is late....so I'll get a deduction but I spent 4 days on this stupid essay just rollling around in bed not wanting to do it AT ALL. I don't even know what was so difficult. Anyways, sorry for the rant. I hate this class right now. ><

Good news though is that I am all done my assignments and just have a couple of exams next week. Christmas break is so soon and I'll be ale to go home! ah, I almost miss my polluted hometown. My only light was the 96 on my term paper for enviromental science (considering i'm an english major that is amazing on two levels~~)

Don't know what to say about this chapter except...here? it's a mess I'm sure but I put effort in it so...hope it's good. 

~gwen