“We won!” Tao yelled at Kris, and the other was just as happy. They were still on the field and were gathering together to celebrate their victory. Tao and Kris were hugging, and Taeyong, Yuta and Sicheng were embracing Mark, while Baekhyun was with Taeil, Yukhei, and Doyoung. 

Johnny was slowly making his way towards Tao and Kris, and Tao went and hugged Johnny when he was close to them. 

Again, as he always did, Kris ignored the pit in his stomach and smiled at his friends and the interactions.

“Ugh! I don’t know what to wear!” Tao yelled as he clutched his closet doors in his hands. Meanwhile, Kris was sitting on Tao’s bed laughing at his friend's misery in his own very outstanding outfit. 

Outstanding it at least was in Tao’s eyes; a button-up black , with black, ripped jeans that fit perfectly on Kris’ muscular body. It sent heat to Tao’s cheeks whenever he stared at the taller, and maybe another place too. 

“Just wear something casual, I know you’ll look good anyway” 

Tao felt the heat reach his face even more at that comment; it wasn’t often that the older would say stuff like that.

“Of course!” Tao answered with a cocky smile, trying to hide his burning cheeks. He got changed either way in a nice black button-up, and some light blue ripped denim pants, and just as he was closing his closet door, and Kris got up from his bed, a notification popped up on Tao’s phone.

Kris watched as Tao’s eyes lit up shortly, and how his fingers threw a fast reply “Who was that?” he asked “No one” Tao answered and suddenly picked up his team jacket and put it on.

“Are you gonna wear that to the party?”

“Yeah? Why?” He shot back “It’s doesn’t really scream party does it?” Kris tried to reason. He wanted his best friend to look great tonight, no other reason. He wanted him to shine tonight, and have fun with him, and just bond and hang out with their friends too, and maybe, maybe get the truth out of him too. But that’s not important.

“Does that matter? We won today and it’s our team jacket” Tao argued, as he took one last look in the mirror and motioned for Kris to follow him. 

“I just don’t think it suits the look” Kris argued back, maybe it wasn’t that it didn’t fit, but that Tao put it on for someone 

“Kris, it doesn’t matter. It’s just a party it’s not that big a deal. It’s not a business meeting” Tao almost spat at him.

That was something new. Since when did they argue that much?

They walked out of Tao’s house and got into the car that was waiting for them “Tao I didn’t mean to-” 

“It’s fine. Let’s just go to the party” he spoke as he looked out the window of the car that started to move away from the neighborhood.

“What do you think it’s like at the party?” Tao asked, even though he had settled on giving Kris the silent treatment, but he couldn’t. He wanted to hear his voice, he hasn’t heard it in a long time, and even though he agreed with both Sehun and Johnny to let go of him and move on, he couldn’t, not when he was one seat away. He looked at his side profile, as Kris looked outside, and he found himself lost once again. He was so effortlessly breathtaking. The way his thick eyebrows, looked as though he was frowning most of the time. The bridge of his nose, the way it had no crooks, and his lips. Tao loved them. They were thick and looked so so soft.

All of the feelings he had tried to drown made their up like puke and Tao feared he wouldn’t be able to keep them in.

“I don’t know” Kris suddenly answers and Tao almost gets caught red-handed as Kris turned his head to face him. He was quick to look out of the window though and hoped Kris hadn’t noticed his red ears.

“I guess there’s gonna be music and dancing, drinking too I guess, I don’t know” Kris answered with a shrug “Do you think it was a good idea we invited the music club and the dance club? What if someone finds out?” Tao asked 

“Are you scared that we’re gonna be caught?” Kris asked with a chuckle “Yeah Kris” Tao also let out a chuckle, he loved Kris’ deep chuckle. The way he squinted his eyes slightly, and the smirk on his face. He’d fall on his face every day if it would make him chuckle just a bit. 

“You know what my father is like Kris” Tao continued, and even though he sounded anxious, he had a smile plastered on his face, and he moved his hand to cover his mouth, scared of being questioned suddenly.

“Don’t be scared Tao, if someone is gonna catch us, I’ll make sure to get you out there immediately, trust me”

“I trust you” Tao answered even though it wasn’t needed, even though he knew Kris knew he trusted him, but he felt like he had to. As if their friendship had been shredded back to the point they had to confirm that they were as close as they were. 

“That’s good” Kris let out with a nod “Let’s just have fun tonight" 

Which they knew they would as they stepped inside Yukhei’s house. It was filled students to the brim, and Tao was sure that some of them weren’t even members from the clubs they had decided to invite. He saw Xiaojun at the dinner table playing a drinking game with Kun, Sicheng, and Yuta, and he wasn’t a part of either group. 

He and Kris made their way through the rest of the house, and they entered the living room and saw hoards of students dancing and drinking. 

“A few more than expected appeared” Yukhei’s voice suddenly sounded in their ears, and two arms wrapped themselves around their shoulders “I can see that” Tao spoke and let Yukhei drag them further into the room as he spoke to them in a mess of Korean and Chinese.

"You're wearing our jacket cap! Nice! We should all have worn them, right Kris?" Yukhei commented, and Tao gave Kris a sly smile "I guess" 

“LOOK WHO IS HERE” He suddenly yelled, and the hoard turned their focus to the three “CAPTAIN” A voice sounded from a drunken Baekhyun and the hoard followed and yelled “Captain!” and their bottles and cups filled with alcohol were raised into the air.

The music pumped in Tao’s ears, but it seemed fun, and watching so many of his friends loosening up, he felt like he’d enjoy the party, well watching Baekhyun dance around with a smile on his face made him believe that.

They got their drinks and went around, hanging out with the team; Yukhei had joined the party at the dinner table and poor Yuta sat beside Sicheng, a hand over his shoulder with a confused look as the 3 others yelled in mandarin. 

Tao felt bad for the Japanese, but he had places to be, and that was right there in the living room with Jungwoo, Baekhyun, Johnny, Kris, and Mark. There were a few girls that Tao came to know were Joy, Seulgi, and Irene.

“So we playing or what?” Irene let out “Playing?” Tao let out, and the girls laughed “Yeah, have you never been to a party before rich kid?” 

Tao shook his head, and the girls laughed once again, and he found himself reaching out for Kris, sitting next to him on the couch, his hand grabbed the other's arm tight

“Well,” Seulgi started out and took a sip of her beer bottle “We’re about to play truth or dare, I suppose you know what that is, right?” Seulgi’s dark eyes left an impression on Tao, because he felt himself hesitating to nod as the dark orbs bored themselves into his head “Good, then let’s get started” 

“I’ve gotta go pee sorry!” Tao spoke up, a bit slurred too, and the group booed at him, he got up and felt the room spin around him, even though he hadn’t been drinking that much “No way guys, I’m not answering that, okay? I’m gonna go to the bathroom now, and when I come back, you’ve forgotten about that” 

“That’s not how the game works Tao” Seulgi speaks up “Well it is now,” He said with a grin and left 

“No way” He mumbled to himself “No way” he mumbled as he stumbled toward the kitchen. 

In there he saw Xiaojun laying black-out drunk on the dinner table, and a guy named Hendery playing with his hair.

On a chair Kun sat with his hand over his face as though he’s ashamed, Tao just laughed, and found himself in the game room, a pool table was littered with red cups and bottles and the midst of it all, he found Taeyong and the guy he recognizes as Jaehyun, playing pool, pretty awful though as Taeyong just pushes the stick into the table, and Jaehyun stands there laughing at him. In the corner though, he notices Doyoung sitting, his arm on the armrest of the couch and his hand covering his mouth, probably hiding a smile. 

‘I really have to piss’ He thought, and as he realized this wasn’t the way to the bathroom, he walked back out, and up the stairs, stumbling up the steps, ready to sleep. His bottom lip he noticed, was numb, and the more he bit onto it, the weirder he felt. 

He leaned against the hallway and ignored the teens sitting or leaning against the walls, as he opened the countless doors only to be met with an unpleasant sight, and he accidentally closed the door a bit too loud. 

But he couldn’t hide the fact that he was a bit by it though. He looked at the time on his phone “it’s still too early” he mumbled and stumbled further down and luckily found the bathroom. 

“Hey when are you leaving,” A voice asked as he got out, and he looked to his right to see Johnny leaning against the wall “I don’t know” Tao answered “In an hour? Maybe?” Johnny said nothing and just nodded. He turned towards him, and reached out to touch his jacket "Is the jacket..." 

"Yeah" Tao answered, even drunk he knew where Johnny was going with that, but as if burned, Johnny retreated his hand “Okay, wanna go down to the others?” he asked that, but he was trapping Tao in the hallway “I don’t know, you know what I have to answer if I god down there, and I can’t” Tao spoke, and he almost let a tear fall down his face “I know, wanna stay here?” Johnny asked and slowly held Tao in his arms “I-I” Tao spoke softly “I wanna see Kris” 

He felt Johnny’s arms tighten “Tao you don’t want him to know do you?” 

“No! Of course not!” Tao yelled and looked at Johnny, and Johnny let go of him “But you wanna go downstairs to the others right?” 

“Yeah” 

Johnny let out a huff but started walking “Come” he then spoke and offered his hand, which Tao took gladly. 

But Johnny didn’t take him to Kris and the others, instead, he took him downstairs where he met Ten, Donghyuck, Kai, and Kyungsoo. There were a few others talking to Donghyuck who Tao didn’t recognize 

“Johnny-” 

“Why do you wanna be with them? Stay here with us” he said and motioned the others. 

“Fine” 

“I have to go now” 

“Now?” Johnny’s hand wrapped itself around Tao’s wrist “Yeah, I’m sorry” he said “It’s been fun guys but I’ve gotta move” He said with a laugh and waved at them “Bye” they yelled back, and then he walked. 

The cold air was refreshing against his hot skin, and he felt light. He stumbled down the steps and walked away from the house, and to the black car that looked out of place in front of the house. 

The owner of the car rolled down the window, and a familiar face came into sight “Sehun~” Tao slurred “Tao” Sehun greeted back. He looked at the Chinese for a bit, eyes going up and down “I like your jacket” 

“I wore it just for you, Kris yelled at me for wearing it” 

“He doesn’t sound nice” 

“He is though” 

“Get in Tao, people are staring” and the Chinese did

He had held his arm, he had leaned up against him, almost cuddled up by his side and even so, he left just like that. He left with all of the secrets he didn't wanna share with him.

"He's kind of weird don't you think?" He the girls whisper, and he left them. 

But there, there at the bar, he found him, not the guy he was looking for, but the guy who knows where he is.

*Sits down in Cap America style "So, you've waited a lot of months for an update?"

well here we are, but uhm as you see a lot of possible pairings and a lot of loose ends were presented in this chapter and sp I included a poll, so you can vote on who you wanna hear about in the next few chapters. The chapters are gonna revolve around this night, so hey choose.