Original post in my EXO Tumblr blog. 

You are humming softly to yourself in the kitchen as you prepare this morning’s breakfast. The teapot whistles as the water starts to boil and you quickly turn your body to turn off the gas. You hear feet shuffling from the hallway so you assume Tao is up.

“Tao?” You shout from the kitchen.

“Uh.” He grunts back, closing the bathroom door. You continue to make breakfast and he appears before you as you finish pouring hot tea into your mugs. You see him slumping onto the chair as he picks up the mug to take a sip of the hot tea. He’s been feeling down the past few days from the recurring pain of his injuries and the comments made by netizens. You glance over to him from time to time as you two eat your breakfast quietly.

Before you’re done with your dish, he abruptly stands up and dumps his plate into the sink before walking over to the couch to watch TV. You follow him to the couch and sit down next to him with your dish. He glances over to you when he feels a thud and reverts his attention back to the screen.

“I’m fine, you don’t need to watch over me constantly.” You jab a piece of banana with your fork and extend your arm towards his lips. He reluctantly eats the banana after you move the banana back and forth in front of his face.

“I know you’re fine, I just don’t want to eat alone.” He scoffs out a laugh and slings an arm around your shoulder. You feed him the rest of your meal as you two watch TV. He seems to be in a happier mood now so you relax a little and remind him that he needs to go to his physical therapy appointment in two hours.

“Can’t even get a break when it’s my birthday.” He grumbles, changing the channel with the remote.

“I’ll bring Candy over after your appointment so we can celebrate together.” He gives a faint smile and murmurs a “thank you” before standing up to go change. While he’s changing, you call Tao’s friend who is currently taking care of Candy right now that you’re going to pick Candy up within a few hours.

You tap your finger against your phone when Tao still did not come out of the bedroom after an hour.

“Are you almost done?” You shout from the couch. He didn’t respond back so you quickly stand up and walk over to the bedroom. The door is slightly ajar so you push it slightly and see Tao burying himself under the blankets.

“Tao? Hey, Zitao…” You speak softly, nudging him as you sit on the mattress. He nudges you back and your fingers lift up the blanket slightly, revealing his sad face.

“What happened?” He hands over his phone to you and you look at the screen. It’s the group photo of him and his fans during his birthday party yesterday. You scroll down to the comments and your heart clenches as you read the netizens’ comments of telling him to leave and several phrases you prefer not to repeat. You dump the phone onto the mattress and lifts the blanket away from his face.

“Do you want me to cancel your appointment for today?” He shuts his eyes and breathes in and out, then nods his head. You quickly call the clinic to reschedule his appointment and then call his friend to tell him to bring Candy over now. He is now resting his back against the headboard and looks at the crutches that is leaning against the wall.

“I don’t like this.” You crawl towards him and snake your arms around his waist as you rest your head on his chest. He sighs out loud and rests his chin on top of your head.

“I don’t know what to do. I feel so lost, I feel so pressured.” You lift your gaze and look at him. He looks back at you, his lips trembling slightly.

“What should I do?” Your hand reaches over to his cheek and your fingers swiftly wipes away the fallen tears. He holds onto your hand and you lean forward, placing a soft kiss onto his lips. He tilts his head and kisses you back, pushing you towards him as he wraps an arm around you.

You two cuddle on the bed as you comfort Tao, your fingers clinging loosely onto his shirt as you look at him.

“Do not make your decisions hastily, take your time. Your fans will understand since this is such a difficult situation to be in.” He shakes his head slowly as he shuts his eyes.

“Everyone is rushing me; my dad, the company, even the members. They all want the best for me, but I don’t want to make a decision that I might regret for the rest of my life.” You his cheek with your thumb, making him flutter his eyes open to look at you.

“No matter what happens, I’ll always be here. I might not be able to help you much, but I will always be here to support you.” He pulls your hand down and interlaces your fingers.

“Promise?” You lean forward and kiss his forehead.

“I promise.” You finally see him flashing his warm smile as he presses his forehead against yours. At that time, your phone beeps with a text message from his friend. He’s waiting outside of the apartment now, so you tug Tao’s arm to bring him out of the bedroom.

“Candy!” You shout as your arms spread out to give Candy a warm embrace. She barks happily with her tongue hanging out as his friend ruffles her fur before leaving. You hold Candy in your arms and lift her up slightly so she can reach Tao.

“Candy, it’s daddy’s birthday today, what should we say to him?” She places her paw on his shirt as she barks a few times before his face. He laughs at the sensitivity and kisses Candy’s nose in return.

“Thank you, Candy.” You two exchange glances and you both smile at each other.

“Happy birthday, Tao.” He leans forward and is about to kiss you when you place a finger on his lips.

“Candy just all over your face, I’m not going to get her saliva all over me too.” He laughs brightly and ruffles Candy’s fur.

“I’ll go wash up then.” You put Candy down so she can roam around the apartment while Tao is in the bathroom. You wait for him outside and as soon as he opens the door, you surprise him with a tight embrace and a kiss on the cheek. I promise I’ll always be here for you.