It smells like cooking asphalt when they make their stop. The sun is slanting down against them and the constant hum of the engine is cut off. Tao leans against the hot metal of the bus, head hitting hard when he tilts his head back, squinting at the sun high in the sky.

Baekhyun thinks it must burn, with the way that Tao's vest has big gaping holes for his arms, dropping low around his shoulder blades, a thin strap of cloth tracing between them and along his spine. But he has a lazy smile edging on his lips, his hair sticking with sweat to his forehead.

“This place is a ing hell hole,” Jongdae says bare feet digging into the small patch of grass at the rest stop they rolled into.

Baekhyun clicks his tongue, one hand pushing his sunglasses over his eyes, the other patting over his pocket, looking for any stray cigarettes.

“I want something to drink,” Tao says lazily, tilts his head down to meet with Jongdae's eyes, “please.”

Jongdae wrinkles his nose, shakes his head, “What am I? Your mother?” he hisses and snorts.
“I want something to drink too,” Minseok adds in, he shifts back to rest his weight on his arm, feet planted over the road, flyaway hair swooping with the rush of the cars over the highway.

“Fine,” Jongdae huffs, he stops to look at Minseok, who smiles at him widely, reaching into his pocket for some loose change and pressing it to Jongdae's palm.

Baekhyun moves closer to the shade from the bus, eyes casting over Minseok, who has headphones popped into his ears, eyes looking carefully over the cars going pass them.
Tao smiles up at him, eyes sleepy and long arms limp on his sides. He looks like his melted from the heat and Baekhyun smiles back, says as much aloud and Tao laughs. Loud and overly bright coming from someone with Tao's intense eyes, the severe shaved sides he sports, his tallness and deadly grace.

He's wheezing and Baekhyun can feel the way his cheeks are hurting from smiling too hard at Tao's laughter.

“Baekhyun,” he chokes off, before he starts laughing again, clutching at his sides and leans forward with the force of his laughter.

“Hey,” Yixing says around a straw, sipping at his bright yellow slurpee, looking all too comfortable from spending some time in an air conditioned store, “Where's Jongdae?”

Minseok looks up at that, taking one headphone out of his ear.

“He went to get me something to drink,” he says and Tao raises his hand.

“Me too,” he says slowly, still clutching at his sides.

“Lazy,” Yixing says and passes by them to get back inside the bus.

-

Baekhyun is sitting on the small couch cramped into their even smaller living room area when Tao slips into next to him, newly shirtless and Baekhyun can see the dark edges of his tattoos, ink dark black, spelling out the date the band formed over the line of his jutting hip bone, the thumb prints of his mom and dad over his spine, the nothing is impossible in this world crawling up his side.

“You want some?” Tao asks when he waves around the giant plastic cup of soda, smiling when Baekhyun shakes his head, flicking his eyes away from Tao's chest.

The engine of the bus leaves a buzzing feeling over his skin, Tao's body warmth pressing uncomfortably to his side, hair sticking down.

“Gonna turn up the AC,” he mumbles, gets up and doesn't bat an eye when Tao lets himself all all over Baekhyun's empty spot.

He's concentrating on the knob by the refrigerator, fumbling with his sweaty fingers, when Minseok bumps into him, pushing up to his toes and smiling at him like Baekhyun just told him he won the lottery.

“Oh my god,” he hushes, hands going to flick the dial to a lower degree, knocking Baekhyun's fingers down, “are you for real?”

Baekhyun considers taking the dumb route, he's opening his mouth to ask Minseok what the he's talking about but then his hand is being pressed to a sweaty palm and Minseok pulls him to his bunk, ripping the curtain away and ignoring Jongdae when he pulls a wounded face.

He forgets how strong Minseok really is most of the time, but he's forced to remember quite clearly when he gets shoved roughly to the corner of the cramped sleeping space, Minseok climbing after him, yanking the curtain close, leaving a stifling warm darkness over them.

There's a moment and then the bluish light of Minseok's laptop, Baekhyun watches him as he opens up notepad, opens up a browser and type out xoxo zitao huang.

Baekhyun hates Minseok, he decides when he clicks on images and it's of them, predominantly Tao, in various places, performances, appearances, interviews.

“He changes his hair a lot,” Minseok adds (in what Baekhyun must think Minseok thinks it's a helpful tone), “I liked it best when it was blue,” he goes on, clicks on a picture of him coming out from a Starbucks, smiling wide and blue bangs coming to touch the top frames of his sunglasses, “how about you?”

Baekhyun thinks saying he always likes Tao in any style isn't going to make this easier so he opens his mouth and manages a mangled sound.

Minseok looks at him concerned and then clicks of a picture of Tao with his current hair, shaved at its sides and red, “yeah you're right this one looks best on him.”

Baekhyun wants to punch him, but then Minseok folds his arms around his chest and they bulge in a way that Baekhyun will never manage. Baekhyun hates Minseok's stupid arms.

“Why are you doing this?” Baekhyun asks desperately, wanting to close the pictures of Tao out, go to his own bunk and bury his face into his too flat pillow.

Minseok looks at him, hair getting damp from the sweat gathering around his temples, “I just want to help,” he says and pulls up the empty notepad document, “you like him right?”

Baekhyun doesn't want to admit it, he doesn't want anyone to know, he wants to take it to his grave and live a life full of angst over a band mate that will never like someone like Baekhyun, a boy like Baekhyun.

Minseok goes back to the browser, scrolls down the page until he finds one of Tao and Baekhyun, it's from last winter, Tao in his edgy coat, scarf swallowing up half his face. He's smiling, Baekhyun knows, can tell it's the toothy half smile half laugh by the way his eyes squint into half moons.

“How long?” Minseok asks instead, enlarging the picture, and Baekhyun has to look at himself in a puffy winter coat, knit hat over his hair, smiling small at Tao's fully pleased face.

He tries to count up the days, the hours, the minutes, seconds. But he's lost track and instead he sighs and mumbles against his palm.

“For a while, now.”

Minseok nods and opens up the empty document again, hesitating for a bit before he types out operation get the mack on.

“What are you?” Baekhyun balks, “in high school?”

Minseok shrugs, “Well I can't put Operation Get Tao to Like Baekhyun so He Stops Having That Stupid Look On His Face now can I?”

Baekhyun frowns and closes the laptop over Minseok's fingers.

-

They've got a show that night, the bus stops at the back of the venue and Baekhyun can hear the far away noises of fans. The night is still too warm but it's a lot more comfortable than the heat of the high afternoon so Baekhyun takes it with a small pleased smile.

Tao shuffles out of his bunk a minute after the wheels of the bus stop turning and he's got a sleepy gaze going on, hair standing up to the side.

“We're here?” he asks and Jongdae nods when he comes back from the kitchen.
“We've got to go and get set up,” he says and Yixing passes by them, guitar already in hand and pulling the door open.

The sticky warm air hits them and Yixing waves at the pack of girls trying to get a better look at them, leaving over the railings and bodyguards, trying to get closer.

Baekhyun takes a deep breath and tries to pull out an apathetic look, looking unnerved, there's a couple of cries of his name, shrill and too loud and it makes him feel pleased that at least someone wants him.

Baekhyun knows Tao's out when he hears the shouts multiplied in magnitude, louder and twice as many. He spares a look back at him and Tao is sleepy eyed, pulling a shirt over his chest.

Tao grins at the girls, puts his hand up in a greeting and hurries off to catch up with Baekhyun, it takes him by surprise when there's a large hand on his lower back and then the strong solidness of Tao's body pressed to him, hands going to wrap around him and feet sliding up next to Baekhyun's, taking giant steps to match his and laughing when Baekhyun loses a bit of his balance.

“Where are we again?” Tao whispers to his ear halfway to the back entrance and Baekhyun stops for a second, trying to remember the name of the city.

“I have no idea,” he answers and Tao's laugh gets even more bright.

-

“What's up Nashville?” Jongdae drawls against his microphone, eyes shinning under the stage lights, the strap of his guitar pulling down his tank top, “how are you tonight?”

There's the roar of the crowd and Baekhyun blinks the sweat from his eyes, wonders if he should do like Minseok and start wearing a headband (poor guy sweats like it's his job behind his drum set. Baekhyun likes to very originally call him Sweaty Minseok (he thinks Jongdae likes to call him Sweety Minseok but well)).

“Baek,” Jongdae says, pulls him from where he'd been trying to look at Tao and his bass, “how you liking the crowd?”

Baekhyun pretends to think it over, scrunches his nose up and can hear Tao's laughter start from the other end.

“Think they aren't loud enough,” he says with a shrug and Tao jumps in, crowding over Jongdae and talking into the microphone.

“It's that right?” he asks and the crowd answers back, a jumble of screams and stomps, so loud it feels like his ears might die and in the mist of it all he hears a loud Yixing have my babies!

Tao laughs, bends over his bass and Yixing raises his eyebrows fingers strumming over his guitar, “I'll think about it babe,” he adds a wink and Baekhyun rolls his eyes.

“Here's an idea,” Minseok says from his platform at the back of the stage, “it's called why don't you actually sing?”

Baekhyun thinks Tao may have an actual heart attack with how much he's laughing, he presses a key down on his keyboard and grins up at Minseok, “Always have he best ideas, don't you?”

Except Baekhyun knows that's a lie, Minseok has the worst ideas.

Jongdae is introducing Wolf and Baekhyun sticks his tongue out at Minseok.

-

They're on Black Pearl when Tao manages to shuffle across the stage without anyone noticing and Baekhyun looks up just in time to see Tao lean into his microphone, body bracketing over his, singing Baekhyun's part with him and the crowd's screams are too much, the music gets drowned out and Jongdae looks half annoyed half impressed.

Baekhyun is half scared and half giddy.

Tao smiles at him soft when he pulls away, fingers playing out his parts, eyes done into half moons like in that damn picture.

All Baekhyun can do is smile back.

-

Minseok pushes past all of them for first shower and Baekhyun whines when a sweaty and smelly Yixing lays half on him. It's too hot and he's too tired to move away so he lets his head limply rest on the couch and looks at Tao from his upside down view.

“Quit staring,” Yixing half whispers half hisses at him, “you're not being subtle at all.”

Baekhyun frowns at him, tilting his head up to look at him. 

"What do you mean?" he asks and Yixing sighs at him. 

"You make this face when you look at him, kinda like," he pulls out dopey eyes, mouth hanging open and Baekhyun's frown deepens. 

"Not true," he says and Yixing sets him a look. 

"You were doing it just now," Yixing says, "you look like an idiot."

Baekhyun wants to hit him but he's not in the right position so he knees him instead. Except he forgets Yixing has abs of steel and he feels his kneecap shattering. 

"You're such a little ," Baekhyun groans and clutches for his knee. 

Yixing smiles at him lazily and it's the half concerned smile that makes Baekhyun ask. 

"Do you think he could like me back?" his eyes shift to where Tao crowds over the small kitchenette, eating cereal from a plastic cup. 

Yixing follows his gaze and then look back at him. 

"Probably," he says, "you know how Tao is, he likes pretty things no matter what they are."

-

Baekhyun doesn't like how hot spring has been lately, the heat sticks to his skin and leaves a shiny film of sweat over him.  It's unpleasant and it makes his breath come out ragged from simple things like running and existing.  

He wakes up when the bus hits a pothole, it startles him awake and he groans when he feels the covers over his bunk stick to him.  It's unpleasant and he's two seconds away from going back to sleep when Jongdae sticks his head past the curtains.

“You're awake,” he says helpfully and Baekhyun frowns at him.

“Not for long,” he throws his arm over his eyes, closing them tight in hopes that Jongdae will leave.

“It's the second today,” Jongdae whispers, Baekhyun can just imagine the shift of his eyes as he says it, “Tao is sleeping and we're stopping by a mall to buy him something.”

He hasn't forgotten, but he was hoping everyone else has.  Tao's birthday has been nagging at the back of his mind since he circled it on his calendar months ago.  

“Ok,” he says, muffled from where his arm has dropped to his mouth, “give me a sec.”

He stares at Yixing's bunk over his for a second, hard enough that there's black spots over his vision and he sighs, wanting to go back to sleep but knowing it would be too much of a problem to deal with it later.

He fishes for his toothbrush under his pillow and tries to think what to get Tao.

-

There's no mob of girls when they get there, Baekhyun thinks it's because it's too early for anyone to be up shopping, or even just to be functioning.

Yixing drifts away from them as soon as they enter the mall and Baekhyun looks around when Minseok and Jongdae leave him behind.  He hasn't been able to place what he's going to get Tao, there's a lot of things he likes and barely anything he doesn't.  Which does nothing to narrow down the possibilities.  He wonders from shop to shop, some of them still setting up for the day and he smiles awkwardly at the employees when they try to help.  

He's passing by a toy store when he sees the displays of stuffed animals, all with glossy eyes and cute stitched on smiles.  He backtracks and makes eye contact with a stuffed husky.  Baekhyun presses his lips together and thinks why not?  There's no way Tao isn't going to like it.  He walks into the toy store before he loses his nerve.

The lady behind the counter asks him if he wants a bow to go around it's neck and Baekhyun figures he might as well go all out.

-

They don't have a show that night, the bus is parked in a random motel's parking space in some random town, all Baekhyun knows is that night is darker than most and that there's fields of corn in the distance that make him feel a bit out of place. 
 
Tao's ears are glinting under the rushing lights of the streets passing by, Baekhyun catches the small bracelet hanging from Tao's wrist and remembers catching Minseok going back into the bus with a small jewelry bag.  

He's squeezed in too tight between Tao and Yixing and it's getting hard to breathe when Tao looks so pleased with all the shiny things the rest of the band has given him.  Baekhyun feels inadequate with the stuffed wolf toy hidden in between the sheets of the his bunk.

“Baekhyun,” Tao turns to look at him, gaze turned solely on him and the van feels too suffocating for a moment before Tao smiles, “I'm 21 now,” he says in awe and Baekhyun laughs at that, nods, and smiles back.

-

The club is packed by the time they slip the bouncer enough bills to cut the line.  Baekhyun looks around, suddenly alone and disoriented before he catches Minseok's patch of cotton candy hair and Tao bending over him to keep conversation, getting pulled along to the bar.

He's grinning and it's bright and big under the strobe lights, Baekhyun swallows and shakes his head, wincing when his shoes stick to the floor and when someone bumps into him, sending half the drink over his shirt.

“Ah, I'm sorry,” he says when the guy just gives him a disoriented look, pushing past him.  

His shirt sticks to his chest and it feels disgusting and warm.  It's already an unpleasant night but Tao is at the bar smiling wide when Minseok buys him his first legal drink.

Even over the crowd that splits them apart, Baekhyun can see the grimace of his first sip, the distaste, the disappointment.

Minseok raises his own bottle up, eyebrows in question and Tao offers a grin, wide and almost amused.  Baekhyun can just hear Tao swearing he likes it.  

Yixing presses his shoulder close to his for a while, head bopping to the side with the electronic beat, eyes sleepy and hands tapping at his thighs.

“I have no idea where Jongdae is,” he says over the music, Baekhyun shrugs, tearing his eyes away from Tao and Minseok, flicking over the mob dancing, his eyes catch on the little red scrap around a wrist, the one that Minseok has suddenly been sporting recently.  The arms wave around wildly, Baekhyun eyes flit over to Minseok, the small smile behind the bottle.

“Center of the universe, like always,” he laughs, looking at Yixing who looks back at him, rolling his eyes and raising his hands in a giving up notion.

A hand drops to the small of his back, pushing slightly towards the bar, where Tao has managed to milk his bottle of beer for way too long.

Minseok is gone by the time they make it over, Yixing takes his seat and Baekhyun hovers awkwardly before Tao's hand finds his.  His fingers are cold from the beer bottle and he shivers at it, letting himself be tugged gently to him.

“This tastes like piss,” Tao whispers when he bends him down, ear bumping to his mouth, “being 21 is losing it's shine.”

Baekhyun laughs, loud and forced but barely audible over the music, the jeers and shouts of the crowd.  His heart is beating too fast and there's sweat trailing down the side of his head.

“I like it,” he admits, takes the bottle and tipping most of the contents down his throat, he has a hard time swallowing, feeling too big for his skin when Tao looks at him, eyes watching him intensely.

“It's probably the only thing you like,” Tao says jokingly.

I like you dies at the back of his throat, his courage not building fast enough, he nods, forcing his mouth into a smile.

“Yeah,” he says, “not much I like.”

-

The air is cool when Tao finally manages to pull him outside, there's no one in sight, just lights and sounds but no bodies for them.

“The van is coming up now,” Tao whispers, voice a little worried at the end.

“Stay,” Baekhyun says, “it's your party.”

Tao looks silently at him for a second, there's something that flicks in his eyes and it breaks a soft smile over his lips.

“Don't be stupid,” he says, walking over to open the door of the car.

“No you,” Baekhyun frowns, “don't be stupid.”

“I think it's against the law to call me stupid on my birthday,” Tao comments instead, taking a seat all the way at the back of the van, fingers catching around Baekhyun's wrist and pulling him in, thighs flushed close, shoulders bumping.  

He feels like he's eons away, Tao so close to him, pulling out his phone and scrolling through his messages, barely giving Baekhyun the time of day.  He bites his tongue, closes his eyes and pretends to go to sleep.

-

The air in the tour bus is stale, Baekhyun wrinkles his nose against it and Tao leaves him to go to the kitchenette, running a hand through his hair.

He thinks it's now or never, he stands stupidly in the living room area before darting to the bunks.  He bumps his knee in the dark and bites down a hiss, trying to be quiet with Tao in the other room.  

The stupid wolf gets tangled up in his bed sheets, he's sweating, red faced and frustrated, two seconds away from ripping his sheets to shreds when Tao speaks up.

“Wow, your face is like really red,” he says, a cup of orange juice halfway to his mouth, “like a cherry.”

Baekhyun goes still, before he jerks and his head, hits too hard against the bottom of Yixing's bunk.  His teeth bite down harshly against his tongue and he can taste the beginning copper taste of blood.  Great.

“Are you ok?” Tao asks, voice going soft, like it always is.  Baekhyun thinks Tao should carry a microphone around with him, it would reduce all the leaning he has to do in order to hear him.

“Yeah,” he grits out, pulling violently at the sheets and finally pulling out the stupid toy, “this is for you, happy birthday.”

He nearly shoves it at him, but Tao's sturdy chest barely stumbles as he takes it, eyes gone into a shade of something Baekhyun can't recognize.

“What is this?” Tao asks, the corners of his mouth are quirking up, slow and unsure.

“It's your gift.  It's a toy wolf, Tao,” he deadpans, arms gone awkwardly limp, “just take it.”

“It's cute,” Tao says then, fingers playing with the ribbon around it's neck, “thank you.”

Baekhyun nods, shrugging, trying for indifference but then;

“Our family is complete,” Tao says, “you, me and our baby.”

Baekhyun can hear the smile in his voice, the overly sweet, overly happy smile Tao sports when he says it.

“Don't be stupid,” Baekhyun sighs, “we're not ready for another family member.”

Tao sets him a look, steady and unrelenting, “I'm gonna name him Baby.”

“So creative,” Baekhyun says, “get out of my face.”

Tao moves too fast for him, his head hits Yixing's bunk again but all feeling goes to the touch of Tao's lips to his cheek, soft, lips chapped.  Tao is too warm against the already hot night, but Baekhyun knows his flush is from the kiss.

“Thank you, Baek,” Tao says, just barely above a whisper, more mouthing it against his cheek.

“Get out of my face,” Baekhyun wheezes out, hand pushing Tao's face away from him. 

Tao laughs, shoves the toy wolf at his face, “look he recognizes his mom,” he says entirely too cheerfully and Baekhyun scowls and slaps the wolf away.

“You're drunk,” Baekhyun decides, because Tao talking about them being a family is too much, and him smiling like that is making his heart feel strange.

Tao laughs louder.

-

It rains the next day, the rain is warm and it runs down the planes of Tao's back, the lights are too bright up on the stage and they glint down against Tao.  Jongdae keeps shooting him glares when he turns to get a drink, before making a joke and introducing the next song.

Yixing walks up to him, glossy electric guitar hanging from his neck, hair plastered down with the rain pounding heavily against them.

The fans had stayed all through the storm, and they could not turn away from such dedication.  

To the fans Yixing just looks as spaced out as ever, but Baekhyun has learned, over the years, how to read those expressions.  The way he has his mouth pressed into a line, eyes blinking slowly.  He wants to know what's up, what's wrong Baekhyun.  

He shakes his head, stopping to look at the way Minseok is also looking at him, eyes wide and pink hair spiking up with the rain into big clumps.

Tao doesn't walk up to him, Tao doesn't look his way.  Tao bops his head and mouths the words to Jongdae singing and throws smiles at the crowd.

Baekhyun keeps forgetting what he's doing, after years of playing the same notes, singing the same words, he forgets them when Tao forgets him.

-

His shoes are soggy, they squeak when he walks back to their tour bus.  The water inside sloshes around his toes and he wrinkles his nose at them.

“Of course it stops raining when we're done,” Minseok says, cheerfully and from his perch on Jongdae's back, “I feel like a sponge.”

Yixing is already halfway up the steps and Baekhyun watches him take his shoes out and carry them into the bus.

He ducks down to do the same and the wet gritty concrete of the parking lot feels overly rough against the soles of his feet.

-

The bus is rolling pass towns, rest stops, night activity.  The purr of the engine constantly wakes him up, nervous and unsure stomach coiling into itself in an entirely too unpleasant way.  Sleep is hard to catch and Baekhyun is forced to spend the late hours of night staring at the bottom of Yixing's bunk, squinting when a street lights pass over his eyes, stomach lurching when they hit a pothole.

His eyes burn, gritty with sleep that just won't come to him.  He sighs, rolls over and bites his lip when he sees Tao looking at him, dark eyes bright under the night, with the slits of light passing over his face in a glowing orange.

“Hi,” he whispers, pushing the curtain more out of the way, “can I come in?”

His brain is screaming no, please don't.

He nods, pushing himself closer to the wall, in a breath when Tao starts to climb in.  Their noses bump together and Tao's knees are too knobby, poking painfully at Baekhyun until he settles himself, curled up towards him, hair falling over his eyes, blinking at him with too sleepy eyes.

“Too hard to get up bed, sleep here,” he slurs and Baekhyun nods again, “you're so warm, even after the rain.”

“Zitao,” Baekhyun sighs.

“Baekhyun,” Tao yawns.

-

They're playing a carnival on his birthday, the sun is white hot and Tao is walking around with a shirt that does nothing to protect him from UV rays.  Skin cancer has never looked so sinfully attractive.  

He bites his tongue and taps against his keys, barely catching anything Jongdae says until the familiar tune hits him.

Happy Birthday to you

The crowd goes along (even those that are only in the crowd for the other acts) and Baekhyun sees a couple of neon signs wishing him a good birthday.

Happy birthday dear Baekhyun

Pass the roar of the crows, Jongdae's powerful voice, Yixing's drawl and Minseok's sharp tone, he can hear the childish singing from Tao, dragging out towards the end. 

Their eyes meet and Tao does a wiggle of his eyebrows, grinning and letting his bass hang from his neck, swinging a bit when he leans forward and makes a heart for Baekhyun.

The sun is making him sweat, Tao is glistening under the lights of the stage and it's just too much to look at.  He looks away, and smiles at the crowd, throwing his arms up in celebration.

-

They don't go out, Tao smells when he presses up to him, their skin sticks with sweat and Minseok is watching them, eyes squinting against the setting sun, beer dangling from his fingers.  Jongdae taps on his shoulder and he stops looking at them enough to smile at him.

“Happy birthday,” Tao stage whispers, and stuffs his hand into his pocket, “from me and Baby.”

The chain feels cold and lightweight against his palm, it shines when the sun hits it.  Something weights down at his palm, a heavy silver ring that he's seen on Tao's fingers, taking turns on each digit.

“This is yours,” he says stupidly and Tao smiles at him.

“And now it's yours,” he says, “oh,” he reaches up to his ear, running a finger up the heavily studded edge of it and deciding on a little silver hoop at the top, “and this.  Yixing said I had to make it really obvious.”

He winces back when Tao reaches for him, but Tao is too strong for his own good and Baekhyun's mouth goes dry when Tao keeps him still, one hand pushing his head to the side, calloused fingers running down the line of his cheekbone, the other hand putting on the earring on his own ear.

“There,” he says, pulling back and smiling happily.

“These are all yours, they don't count as presents,” Baekhyun says in mock annoyance.

Tao frowns at him, looking down at him and taking a deep breath.

“Baekhyun,” he says.

“Zitao,” Baekhyun whispers back.

“Me and Baby need a father figure, you just can't pretend we're not your family.”

“What?” Baekhyun blinks back, he's startled away from the lull of the late dusk and Tao shakes his head.

“If you like me, you would take me and Baby in, because you love me enough to make this family,” Tao explains slowly.

“Baby is a toy wolf,” Baekhyun slowly says back.

“And he needs a mother,” Tao says solemnly.

“If we're doing this I refuse to be the mom.” Baekhyun frowns.

“That's fine,” Tao says, “I've always been prettier.”

“Wait,” Baekhyun swallows, “what!?”

“Just say you like me back,” Tao goes shy, voice low, “so I don't look like an idiot for giving you my ring.”

Baekhyun runs a thumb over the thick silver band, thinks of the way his ear has gone heavy.

“Tao...” he starts, “what are you playing at?”

Tao shakes his head, “I'm not playing,” he says quickly, “I could've given you anything for your birthday but it turns out I only want to give you me.  Please take it, there's no return policy for my heart and I would hate to throw it out.”

There's a blush high on his cheeks and the sun is making him soft, unsure, fragile, everything Tao isn't supposed to be.

“You're serious,” Baekhyun breathes and Tao nods.

“I like you a lot,” he says, “and I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted us and Baby to be a family.”

Baekhyun laughs, choked up and too bright but Tao smiles at him and it's enough to reach for him and press his own smile over Tao's.

-

It's too hot, his bunk is too stuffy and his mouth is full of fake fur.  There's skin sticking to his skin in a squelching combination of sweat and drool.  His neck is too stiff and his chest is pressed too tight against the wall of the bus.

They hit a pothole and a limp arm goes over his hip, grounding him enough to smile, open his eyes and and turn around.  Tao's eyes are close, lashes fanning over his cheeks.  Baby has ended up over their heads and Baekhyun can see the wet patch, the clumps of fur where his mouth had landed.

He can hear Jongdae getting out off his bed, the hissing from Minseok that it's too early and then the rustling of bed clothes.

His phone is reading way too early in the morning, so he presses a quick kiss to Tao's chin and buries his face against his neck.

“Morning,” Tao slurs, hands going to slot their mouths together.  He's smiling too hard to keep kissing him, and Tao is too sleepy to do keep at it for both.  

The rolling of the bus lulls them back to sleep.