Baekhyun’s first thought when he felt conscious enough is that his neck hurts like hell. He groaned mentally at how was that even possible because Byun Baekhyun never sleeps in an uncomfortable position and his pillows make sure of that. So why the heck is his neck hurting? He groaned mentally as he tried to recollect any relevant memories that might explain his predicament. With his eyes still closed, he felt for his fingers and clenched them slightly but he felt something soft on the gaps filling his fingers. He tried again and his sleepy head registered a slight whimper.

          “Are you trying to pull my hair out, Baekkie?”

          Startled, Baekhyun had an adrenaline rush that coursed through his limbs managed to lift off the weight that was on his thigh. Now he felt the numbness that was on his thigh, he stumbled back on the couch where he seemed to have fallen asleep. No wonder why he was having some neck cramps. But why the was he sleeping on a couch? Even when he is drunk, his body automatically searches for a bed to lie onto.

          “If you are trying to kill me, you’re gonna have to try harder than that,” quipped the earlier voice that has protested that their hair is being pulled at. The voice sounds shrilly at an early morning and it’s annoying Baekhyun effectively. He opened his eyes to lash out at the person who has the nerve to lay down on his thighs for a long time – judging from the void of feeling there at the moment.

          “Who the are you to tell on me this m..orning?” Baekhyun’s anger dried in his throat when he has seen the other person sprawled on the ground with an arm covering his eyes. A lightly dark skin covered the guy who is on the floor and when the arm on his head was lifted, those adorable dark bags under the eyes showed up. Tao also opened his eyes and Baekhyun wanted to take the fit he threw back because aside from the permanent tired look that Tao has, the sadness in his eyes were also evident because of the red lining his eyes subtly. Tao has been crying?

          What..?  then Baekhyun remembered. His bestfriend’s boyfriend has went away and Chanyeol followed him to China only to find out that his boyfriend is going to marry one of his friends that is apparently Sehun’s boyfriend because of who knows what. And Tao was crying because the two persons who are about to marry are his hyungs from Fantasia. He’s feeling upset for the other two because he saw how they were happy with their respective boyfriends before the mess started.

          Tao has told him this last night when he was crying and both of them eventually fell asleep with Baekhyun sitting with his back resting on the couch while Tao used his thighs as his pillow. The elder was running his hand on Tao’s hair because he realized that it helps to soothe the younger. Or that is what his brain tells him.

          “Ugh,” Tao groaned and it snapped Baekhyun awake and checked on the younger on the floor.

          “I’m sorry. I was pretty surprised,” the elder grasped one of Tao’s hand to haul him up back to the couch. The younger followed without any words and moved a little gracefully for Baekhyun’s liking (he found it a little y. Just a bit) and sat back on the couch. It didn’t help that he leaned to the elder’s side and buried his face on Baekhyun’s arm and let out puppy whines. It called out to Baekhyun’s caring instincts and he raised his arm instead to pull Tao back to his thigh which feels better already.

          I’m totally regretting this if somebody will see is like this, he thought but he can feel his hands resume its previous activity from last night and he can feel Tao’s breathing evening out. It has been silent from then on except for a few wheezes that came from Tao who seemed to be trying not to cry again. Everytime he does that though, Baekhyun would pause and lets out a soft hush before the panda boy relaxes again. He really cares for his hyungs, doesn’t he?

          “What could they be doing now?” Tao asked rhetorically but Baekhyun answered anyway.

          “I’m not sure. Haven’t heard from Yeollie yet.”

          Tao sighed. “I feel bad from Kris hyung. And I miss him,” the younger shifted a bit so that he is looking up at Baekhyun. The latter stilled his hand and looked down at Tao who was not looking like the usual brat that he is when he is with Baekhyun in their not-so-dates. As much as Baekhyun wants to deny, this panda-looking boy has taken a soft spot in his heart already. He got to admit that he likes that feeling of safety that he gets when he’s around this wushu-wielding kid.

          “You’re pretty close to Kris?”

          “Yeah. I treat him as a big brother. Ever since we met just a year ago, he had been acting like it. Though sometimes he nags worse than my dad,” Tao chuckled. “He always makes sure that one of the hyungs are going to pick me up from school and though I should be embarrassed or something, I actually like it, especially if it’s Luhan hyung,” a dejected sigh followed that but Baekhyun kept quiet because he knows Tao would want to keep on talking.

          “Luhan hyung is just new but he’s cute and funny but there is something like a switch in him that turns him all sensual and y. That’s why Kris hyung likes him.”

          “WHAT?!” Baekhyun exclaimed and instead of getting mad or something along that line, Tao was snickering.

          “Kris hyung doesn’t like Luhan hyung like that. They’re more like long lost brothers. I guess they just clicked right away because they have more things in common,” Tao shrugged and the earlier gloom came back. Baekhyun squirmed because it has been a while since they were like this and the tension in the air is suffocating him. He needed to ease it or else he’ll go crazy.

          “Hey, panda boy.”

          “Yeah?”

          “Where are your parents?” Tao could always tell him off like he always does if the question is too personal. It became quiet again and Baekhyun was about to shove Tao off of him when the younger spoke.

          “They’re back in China. I actually came here because I want to try going into artist agencies and get scouted. I’ve always wanted to become famous,” Tao locked gazes with Baekhyun and the elder is seeing Tao in a new light. He never thought that the bratty panda boy has this side of him, serious and sincere. The thumping inside Baekhyun’s chest were growing stronger.

          “I went here with nobody but my parents’ money and some broken Korean but I came across Kris hyung. He helped me to adjust here. I just got side tracked from my original plan.”

          Baekhyun mused at this information. It now made sense that he hasn’t paid much attention to Tao before back in high school. The kid looks scary and mysterious but also very quiet. He’s not really a fan of those. “But didn’t you audition?” his own memories of struggles to being a trainee came back to him. It wasn’t easy and he almost lost his bestfriends along the way.

          “I guess my love for wushu overrode that one. And besides, I heard that trainees aren’t exactly living in heaven,” Tao has heard of Baekhyun’s situation, of course. “I just chose between that and the happy life that I am living with school, wushu, my job and my hyungs. That