“You came back.” Tao’s voice, Sehun thought, was not at all like Tao’s voice. It wasn’t full of anger and frustration and spite and…yet it was Tao speaking.

 Sehun swallowed, unable to look away yet feeling a desperate need to leave the room, to turn around and run like he was being chased by the monster that he knew lived under his bed as a child. A loud thud on the dorm room door gave Sehun the distraction he needed.

“Hey, it is me.”

Baekhyun. Sehun threw the door open quickly, Baekhyun jumping a foot backwards, shocked at the very sudden response.

“Whoa! Were you waiting for me?” Baekhyun winked, having regained his composure he strolled into the room. “Hey Tao, looking a bit…creepy tonight.”

Sehun glanced at Tao, expecting to see him half reclined on the bed, continuing to stare like he could eat Sehun up with his eyes. Except he wasn’t, he was lying down, his eyes wide open, staring blankly towards Sehun’s bed.

“Hey man, are you okay? I mean, if you are trying the whole insane thing you are doing a great job.” Baekhyun bent over, waving his hand in front of Tao’s face.

Tao took a moment to react, when he finally did it was rather sudden, his long limbs jerking as he assumed a sitting position. “Baekhyun?”

“The one and only.” Baekhyun turned towards Sehun. “Do I want to ask what you guys were doing in here?”

“Nothing!” Sehun and Tao answered in unison, shooting each other disgusted looks.

“Ha- that is what people who are definitely doing SOMETHING say.” Baekhyun plopped down on Sehun’s bed, hanging his legs over he began kicking his feet playfully. “So you want to know why I am gracing you with my presence this evening.”

“You want something.” Sehun guessed, taking a seat at his desk he swiveled in his chair until he was facing the other men.

“You wound me.” Baekhyun clutched at his chest, falling back on the bed as he made a shooting sound. As quickly as he had fallen he sprang back up, clapping his hands. “Okay, you are right. I want something. But I promise it is something you two want too. You just don’t know it yet.”

“What is it?” Tao ignored the beginnings of his headache, too busy with his suspicions of what Baekhyun was about to propose.

“I can’t tell you right now, but if you meet me in the science lab after classes tomorrow I can show you.”

“You came here to tell us to meet somewhere tomorrow so you could tell us something you want to vaguely hint at tonight?” Sehun was not impressed.

“Yes. Exactly. Now who wants to cuddle?” Baekhyun held his arms open, squeezing his hands open and closed. “Hugs are free today.”

“Get out.” Tao pointed at the door. Baekhyun pouted. Undeterred he jumped from Sehun’s bed onto Tao’s wrestling the younger boy into an awkward hug.

“My little Tao cuuuddddlllessss so well.” Baekhyun cooed, managing to get his words out before Tao utilized a weaker version of his martial arts skills and twisted Baekhyun’s arms.

“Owww. Owww. Okay, okay, I am going! Geez.” Baekhyun let Tao go, standing he rubbed his arm. “Now don’t forget about tomorrow.”

Sehun and Tao didn’t confirm nor deny, watching as Baekhyun nearly skipped from the room. Sehun shut the door after him, turning to peek at Tao, wondering if what had happened before Baekhyun showed up would happen again.

“I have a headache, I am going to bed.” Tao moved to pull the covers over him, turning on his side to face the wall. Sehun didn’t know what to say, what to do, so he ended up going to bed as well. He didn’t bother turning his side lamp off, unsure of what the night would bring.

***

Tao nearly choked on his orange juice. He began coughing, hacking as he attempted to breath.

“You shouldn’t drink so much.” Baekhyun shook his head at Tao, the younger boy wishing he wasn’t currently choking so he could tell Baekhyun to shut up.

Tao’s choking fit had come on suddenly, the product of a rather surprising turn of events. He was sitting in the cafeteria eating breakfast with Baekhyun and Sehun (begrudgingly) when the first surprise occurred.

“Hey, if it isn’t the new big man on campus.” Luhan took a seat at the table, clearly referring to Sehun. Tao was ready to tell Luhan that he must be mistaken when Minseok followed suit, sitting down and greeting Sehun like an old friend. Chanyeol was the next offender, which didn’t really surprise Tao considering the mega crush on Sehun he was currently brooding over. The real shocker was a one-two punch – which left Tao nearly dying as he swallowed a mouthful of orange juice.

Jongin and Kyungsoo approached the table together, not completely a surprise given the fact the two were known to be close enough. Perhaps not good friends since Tao was pretty sure Kyungsoo didn’t do friends, but tolerated each other and didn’t’ rebel in each other’s company. And then…

“I heard you turned Chanyeol down. I think very highly of you for that.” Jongin sat down, keeping his insanely regimented posture.

“Hi. I am Kyungsoo.” The shy boy took a seat next to his brother, “I hope we can be friends.”

Tao’s near death experience started at that very moment.

Baekhyun began pounding on Tao’s back, making snarky comments as Tao regained the ability to breath.

“You – friends-“ Tao choked.

Minseok answered for his younger brother. “Baekhyun told me about Sehun turning Chanyeol down and well, it kind of made a lot of people want to get to know him.”

“Hey! I am right here!” Chanyeol, mouth full of food, slammed his hand down on the table. “What kind of friends are you guys anyway?”

“I don’t remember turning Chanyeol down.” Sehun answered cryptically, keeping his cool, only adding to the way the other guys looked at him with a mix of admiration and fascination. Chanyeol on the other hand….

“See!” Chanyeol gloated, a blush evident as he shoveled another spoonful of food into his mouth. “Wait... What?”

“Kyungsoo, have you seen the new Avengers movie?” Baekhyun halted any further talk of Chanyeol’s potential romantic pursuits, too busy staring at the younger boy who sat across from him.

“No.” Kyungsoo kept his answer short, very Kyungsoo like Tao thought.

“We should go this weekend if you aren’t busy.” Baekhyun offered.

Tao wanted desperately to tease Baekhyun at the moment but he refrained from doing so. Probably because the scene was painful enough, he didn’t really need to add to it. Baekhyun had a huge crush on Kyungsoo, be the fact the boy with “the best eyes and smile and have you seen the way he looks in his uniform?” didn’t seem very interested in Baekhyun at all.

“Maybe.” Kyungsoo paid more attention to his food than to Baekhyun, picking at his eggs.

Baekhyun seemed undeterred, attempting to strike up a conversation with him. Tao soon started talking to Minseok and Luhan about their upcoming match