Luhan raced down the stairs, out of the building and straight for the gym of the complex. It had been almost three hours and a half and Tao wasn't back, that wasn't a good combination. When the boy reached the gym he pushed through glass doors, looking around for the taller male. His eyes widened when he saw the other slumped down on the weight bench with the heavy weights on his chest.

"Tao!" Luhan yelled his voice bouncing on the walls of the empty room as he rushed over to the other. Tao tried to react at the call of his name, looking around and trying to focus. Luhan grabbed the weights and with a groan and all his strength he managed to lift them and place the heavy gear back on its rightful place. The blonde cupped the others face and called his name worriedly.

Puffs of airs left Tao's lips as he tried to get more oxygen to his body. His eyes tried to focus on Luhan, but they just kept slipping shut or rolling to the back of his skull without his consent. He shook lightly his head and took another puff of air.

"I'm fine" Tao choked out, trying to stand up and walk past Luhan. As soon as all his weight was entrusted to his legs, they gave out. Luhan was quick enough to catch the boy, not allowing his head to knock on the floor.

"No you are not, you just exhausted your body, and how were you planning on going back to the dorm?" Luhan asked with the other's head in his lap, watching as Tao gasped and huffed for air, skin glistening in a thick layer of sweat.

"I was" Tao started, gulping loudly before continuing "I was going to wait for a while, like I usually do"

"You mean that this has happened to you before?" Luhan asked, Tao answering with a nod, eyes tightly shut.

"Could you get me the water bottle from my bag?" Tao asked, covering his eyes with a hand. Luhan nodded and placed the younger’s head on the floor lightly before walking up to the bag that was at the corner of the room. He took the bottle from the side of the bag and walked back to Tao.

"Come on, up" Luhan said, pulling the other's body into a sitting position. He opened the bottle and held it in front of Tao’s lips. The younger took the bottle with shaky hands and downed the water in long gulps, sighing loudly when he finished the liquid.

"Why did you come here, you're not exactly a workout in gym person" Tao said eyeing the other. Luhan bit his lip before answering.

"I got worried" Luhan said truthfully. Tao looked at the floor, passing the empty bottle from one hand to the other.

"Well, I'm fine now, you can go up ahead and sleep, I’ll be in the room with you in a bit" Tao said, signaling towards the door and trying on his best reassuring smile to try and convince the other. Luhan shook his head and looked at Tao once again.

"Why do you do this?" Luhan questioned the other "why do you work yourself to death"

Tao just stared at the floor. How could he tell the other, this was his way of distraction, his way of forgetting everything. This was his way of forgetting anything that hurt him inside. All his anger and frustration just got numbed away by the burning of his muscles when he exercised, and if you asked him, it was a more productive way of numbing the pain than cutting himself or getting drunk or doing any of those other things that people thought would work to numb pain. It was even a better way of releasing his anger than punching Sehun in the face for how he hurt Luhan before.

"Let me help you" Luhan pleaded. Tao looked up to the other, eyes showing nothing but sadness and sorrow. Once again, Luhan was offering help, a help that Tao wasn't sure if it even existed.

"How can you help a broken heart Luhan?" Tao questioned, eyes waiting for an answer that he thought that wouldn't come, but it did, and it took him completely by surprise.

"With another broken heart Tao" was all that Luhan said, a sad smile on his face. Tao stared at the other in shock for a moment, before he noticed that Luhan was leaning in. It took a moment for him to react, urging his body to do the same.

They moved their bodies closer until their faces were mere inches apart, both breathing the same air. For both it felt like a dream, not able to believe what was going on.

At the end it was Tao the one who closed the space between them, connecting their lips in a sweet kiss. A tear slipped from Tao's eyes as he cupped the other's face. They both pulled back, staring intently at their eyes. A wide smile spreading on their faces.

"I love you Tao" Luhan said, resting his forehead against the blonde's, the smile still playing on his lips.

"I love you too Luhan" Tao responded, with his very first wide smile in a long time, more happy tears escaping him.

After their exchange of words, Tao tried to stand up again. He managed to stand up, but his legs still felt exhausted so Luhan helped him walk. He slipped one of Tao's arms over his shoulders and wrapped his own arm on the younger's waist. When they got to the dorm Suho attacked them with lots of questions, only a few getting answers as Suho just kept talking most of the time.

Luhan helped the other to the bathroom, sitting the other on the toilet while he the water.

"Ok the water's warm" Luhan announced turning to face the other. Tao just looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" Luhan asked looking at the younger.

"Aren't you getting out?" Tao asked pointing at the door.

"You can barely stand up straight, plus it's not the first time that you take a bath with someone in the bathroom" Luhan remarked. Tao just sighed and stood up, removing his shirt. He held the shirt against his bare chest and looked at Luhan.

"You can at least turn around" Tao demanded, Luhan complying with an eye roll. He heard Tao's clothes hit the floor, followed by the shower curtain closing.

"Ok, I'm in, you can turn around while I finish" Tao announced. Luhan turned around and took a seat on the toilet, waiting for the other.

"Hey Tao" Luhan called over, waiting for the other to respond. Tao hummed while he washed his hair, allowing Luhan to continue.

"Does this mean that we are boyfriends?" Luhan asked, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Why do you ask?" Tao questioned from the shower, muttering a curse as some shampoo got in his eyes.

"Well, we didn't actually made it clear… I mean we sort of did with what we did but we didn’t? God I’m just talking nonsense, forget it." Luhan said scratching the back of his neck. Tao continued washing his body, fully understanding what Luhan had meant even if the older man thought he didn’t.

"Luhan, would you be my boyfriend?" Tao asked while he turned the shower off. The shower turning off was the signal for Luhan to turn around. Luhan blushed lightly, answered a yes.

"Great, now, would you do me a favor?" Tao asked. Luhan knitted his eyebrows together and turned around a little. This time he blushed like a mad man as he snapped his head back to the door. Tao had wrapped a towel around his waist, this being the only cover in the younger's body.

"Yah! Don't look! Now could you please get me some clothes?!" Tao scolded at the elder, Luhan nodding frantically and scurrying to their room. He grabbed one of Tao's bags and gave it to the younger. He waited outside for Tao to come out dressed.

While he waited he brought a hand over to his chest, feeling how his heart just wanted to jump out of there. How could he have been that careless, just turning around like that, what if Tao hadn't had time to get the towel. Now that would have been embarrassing.

In his wait, he had the bad luck of watching when Sehun and Kai came back. Kai smiled at him, just heading back to the kitchen to get something. Sehun however just stood there and glared at Luhan, hand wrapped on the doorknob of his own room. Luhan didn't notice that he had held his breath until an arm wrapped itself around his waist.

He looked up to see Tao glaring at Sehun, arm tightening around him in a protective way. Sehun just snorted and twisted the knob, entering his room and slamming the door behind him. When Sehun disappeared, Tao let go of the older boy’s waist and settled by holding Luhan’s hand instead.

At the sound, Kai rushed over to the hallway, asking if Sehun had done anything. The couple just shook their heads and walked to their room.

Tao dropped his bag on the same place where it had been and crawled over to his respective bed. He started to look around his phone when he noticed Luhan walking to his bed with a faraway look. The younger felt as if his heart was being squeezed at the sight of a sad Luhan.

He knew that the words that Sehun had said had managed to get into Luhan's head, and all Tao wanted to do was to brush them away.

He thought for a moment before an idea popped to his mind. He grabbed the edge of the cover and pulled it open. The raven haired man scooted to the side until his back was pressed with the wall and looked over to where Luhan stood.

"Luhan" He called out. Luhan turned around, still trying to get used to hearing Tao's voice more often. He looked over to the bed, where Tao was pulling the covers open and was patting lightly the free side of the bed.

Luhan smiled and walked over to the other, grateful that Tao had made the offer. He slipped under the cover and tried to get as close to the other without bothering him as he could. He didn't want to bother anyone else, knowing that he was already hated by one person, he didn't want to add someone else to the list.

Luhan pouted at the thought, and also at the fact that he was still close to the edge of the bed and didn't want to bother the other.

"I'll go to my bed, I don't want to make you uncomfortable in this already small bed" Luhan muttered, already shifting to stand up.

He was sure that he was going back to his bed until arms pulled him back down. He could swear that at this point his face must have resembled a tomato, this being the third time in that day that he was forced against the other's chest. The arms wrapped around Luhan and kept him in place, they boy practically laying on top of the younger. Luhan squirmed in the arms trying to escape.

"Luhan calm down, it's ok" Tao assured, sighing calmly and getting ready to sleep. Luhan did as he was told and stayed still, still trying to ease his wild heartbeat. He placed his hands next to his face on the other's chest and lightly closed his eyes. He listened to the other's heartbeat, the sound coming a little hurried. He smiled at the thought of him being the reason for the other's changes and reactions, snuggling closer to the warmth, the fresh sent of soap mixed with the younger’s natural scent surrounding him in a calming way.

Tao smiled a little and tightened his grip on the other, as if he would disappear if he let go. He could feel the other relaxing in his arms, his breathing becoming calm and slow as Luhan drifted off to dream land. He could feel himself being pulled by sleep's strong grasp, eyes slowly slipping shut. Before drifting off, Tao buried his nose on the other's hair, placing a light kiss on his head.

"Thank you" Tao mumbled, sleep taking full control of him soon after.

....

A soft hand shaking him lightly woke Luhan up. The boy looked confusedly at the culprit, finding Suho standing next to the bed. He panicked a little, realizing that he was on Tao's arms, the younger still fast asleep.

"Don't worry, I just came to wake you two up, I didn't expect this though" Suho said, a happy smile covering his face. Luhan glanced over the man's shoulder, checking if the door was closed, which thankfully it was.

"You two look good together" Suho commented, running a hand through Luhan's hair and then Tao's. The youngest stirred a little in his sleep, a content sigh leaving him as he tightened his grip on Luhan a little. Luhan smiled at the boy that held him, turning back to pay attention to Suho.

"We are going to start our work and research for the university, wake him up and get ready ok" Suho said tenderly. Luhan nodded and rubbed a hand through his face sighing sleepily. Luhan then thought of something and turned to face the door, right before Suho opened it.

"Don't tell anyone, ok Suho. I want to be sure that he's comfortable and when he is we will tell the others ok" Luhan explained, a hidden plea visible to Suho in the elder’s eyes. Suho just smiled in understanding, pulling the door opened and walking out quickly so that no praying eyes could see the newly formed couple.

Luhan turned back to Tao, watching as the boy slept peacefully. The other looked so tranquil that he didn't want to wake him up, but he knew that he had to.

"Tao" Luhan called, lips pursing when the only response he got was a barely audible snore.

"Taozi" he tried again lightly shaking the younger, this time getting slightly more positive reaction as Tao stirred in his sleep again. Then he thought of an evil plan that was worth a shot. He slowly lowered himself next to the other's ear.

"Taozi, Sehun wants to enter the room" Luhan whispered smirking. The smirk turned into an amused smile when Tao jolted back to life, pressing the older to his chest and glaring at the door. The younger’s glare turned into a frown when he saw that there was no one in the door. Tao looked down at Luhan when the other chuckled.

"Calm down, it was a joke, we need to get up and you weren't cooperating" Luhan told the other, an innocent smile playing on his lips. Tao just looked at his boyfriend in disbelieve, a tired huff leaving him. He allowed his body to fall back on the bed and covered his face with his hands for a moment, before they were pulled away.

"Come on, we need to get ready, we've got research to do" Luhan told the younger, placing a light peck on his lips. Luhan smiled when he saw the light pinkish color that Tao's face acquired, jumping out of the bed and looking for his bag. Luhan found his clothes and ran to the bathroom to get ready, leaving behind a dazed Tao.

Tao stayed there for a while, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He brought a hand up to his lips to touch them. He couldn't believe it, no matter how many times he tried to convince himself, he couldn't help but believe that this was a dream and that he would wake up eventually in the loneliness of his room.

The young man just shook his head and got his clothes, waiting for Luhan to get out of the bathroom. While he waited, he ran a hand through his arms and legs, his tired limbs hurting because of last night's exercise. He knew that he had been reckless, and that it would be difficult to work with all the sore muscles, but he needed to distract himself in that moment.

When Luhan walked in to the room Tao stood up from the bed to go shower.

"Oh Tao, I almost forgot to give you your jacket back" Luhan said, pulling the thick black clothing piece from his bag. Tao looked at it deep in thought for some time before smiling.

"Keep it" was all that the taller said before walking out of the room. On his way to the bathroom Tao encountered Sehun, the younger roughly shoving Tao out of the way with his shoulder. Tao decided to ignore him, not wanting to cause any problems in the group even though his arm hurt like hell where the other had pushed him.

In the room, Luhan just stared in shock at the jacket. Tao had just handed over his favorite jacket, and to him of all people. He was about to put it on when he thought of the questions and the stir that it would cause amongst the group, so he just placed it back in his bag.

When Luhan got to the living room, where most of his friends were located, he smiled and walked up to the kitchen. He grabbed some toasts and a glass of juice and headed for the table. Chanyeol, who was also in the table, chatted casually with Luhan, but the older couldn't help but feel Sehun's stare on the back of his neck.

When Tao walked out, the man walked up to the kitchen, grabbing a bowl of cereal. Tao just ate his food at the counter, not really sure if Luhan wanted the others to know or suspect that something was going on between them.

The group headed off to the university starting the long day of studies and research, the half of the group that took classes here in Korea walking off to their lessons. After they goofed for a while Xiumin told the others that they should start working, everyone taking a roll in the job, sometimes singing or dancing to help time go by faster. Before they knew it the other half of the group joined them, goofing along and doing what had to be done there, filling paper after paper. When most of the job for that day was done, they all took a break. Tao and Luhan sneaked off to an empty room that no one used to talk a little.

Luhan was currently seating on Tao's lap, back pressed against the other's chest. Tao had his arms around the other, head resting on Luhan's shoulder.

"I don't know what to do" Luhan confessed, Tao turning his head a bit to look at Luhan.

"About?" Tao questioned.

"I think we should tell the group about us, so then we don't have to hide like we are doing now" Luhan started, shifting his position to look at the younger.

"Then let's tell them" Tao said, shrugging and looking at the other.

"But I'm scared of their reaction, especially Sehun" Luhan continued, looking back at his boyfriend.

"Who cares about Sehun?" Tao asked nonchalantly.

"I do, he's not exactly taking this in a good way, what if he hurts you?" Luhan said, looking at the floor in fear.

"Well, we'll do whatever you want when you're ready, and don't worry about Sehun, I can take care of him if he gets y with me, and if gets near you in any threatening way, he better pray to whatever he believes that I spare his life" Tao told the other, very sure of his words. Luhan smiled and looked around before planting a sweet kiss on Tao's lips. Tao didn't hesitate on kissing back, enjoying the feeling of the other's lips. They broke apart quickly, not wanting to risk getting caught.

The couple walked hand in hand to the door of the room, letting go when they opened the door. They bought water bottles and walked through the library so that no one would suspect about them.

The couple knew that this wouldn't be easy, but together they could face it.

What they didn't knew was that they were never safe from the praying eyes.

---

HEY THERE!!!!!!

Did you guys see Tao’s new mv, black white (AB)?! It was amazing!!!

Also! In just a few hours it’s my birthday!!!! So yay!

Double reason for celebration!!!1

So here’s a nice update for you guys and I’ll try updating soon as well!!

So as always! Comment!! Subscribe!!!

And until the next update!!!

Peace out! <3