“Jong Dae, man, what’s up? You’ve been messing up the steps all day. Are you okay?”

Chen nods, letting Kris know that he’s fine. He’s just having trouble concentrating because everybody is staring at him right now. The group has been staring at him ever since he walked out of Kris’s room this morning. Even though he told everybody all they did was sleep, nobody believes him. Nobody but Tao anyway, and that’s only because he’s too innocent to even think of anything else that could happen. They all tried to find reasons to make it seem like more than it was.

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“Your shirt’s on backwards,” had been Xiu Min’s reason. That was because Chen usually slept without a shirt.

“It looks like someone was playing with your hair,” was Lay’s. That was because he did what he could to fix it up after he put his shirt back on.

“We could hear Kris when you went in his room last night,” was what Lu Han felt the need to point out. While difficult to explain, Chen told them all it was because he was giving Kris a massage. Carrying Chen around at the beach had made him a little sore, and Chen wanted Kris to get better for dance practice the next day.

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“Seriously guys. I’m fine. Let’s just get back to the dance.”

“Here, put these on.” Kris hands Chen a hat and a hoodie, talking to him quietly so nobody else can hear, “I know you’re having trouble because they’re staring at you. I’m not blind. Just put these on and you can ignore the people in front of you and next to you. Okay?” Chen nods, pulling the hoodie on as Kris places the hat on Chen’s head, pulling the hood over Chen’s head after that. Chen lets out a little smile, thanking Kris for doing that. “Mhm. Just focus on the dance and let’s get through this, eh?” Turning around to the rest of the group, Kris claps his hands together and talks loud enough that even people in other rooms can hear him. “Now then! Let’s start again, shall we?”

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By the end of practice, everybody is covered in sweat. They ended up having to work extra hard because Chen was suddenly practicing harder than everybody else in the room. Tao, who had left the room right after they were finished practicing, comes bouncing back in with enough water bottles for the whole group. “Min Seok! Lu Han! Yi Fan! Yi Xing! Jong Dae!” Tao yells out each name as he tosses a bottle at each member. “Hehe. Yi Fan and Yi Xing both have Yi in their name.” Tao takes a drink of water with a big smile on his face, obviously finding that little tidbit to be the most interesting thing he’s ever heard.

Lu Han gulps his water down in record speed and throws his empty bottle at Tao, who dodges it effortlessly. “Sit down and be still or something. Don’t you ever run out of energy? I’m already tired from dancing and watching you is just making me ever more tired.”

Tao shakes his head and sticks his tongue out at Lu Han. “Sounds like somebody is out of shape,” Tao teases.

Kris, who’s lying flat on his back, rolls his way over to Lu Han. “He was gone for a while. He obviously bought a candy bar before he got our water. Just wait until his sugar high wears off. It’ll be entertaining.”

“That’s right! I almost forgot.” Tao reaches into his back pocket and takes out a wallet. Tossing it at Chen, he says with a wink, “Thanks for the candy bars.”

“Bars!? Candy bars!?” Chen just groans and lays his head on his arms as Tao joyfully nods. Tao gets down on his hands and knees and crawls over to Chen. Laying down next to him, he takes the second one he bought and pushes it under Chen’s arms. He can hear Chen mumbling quietly, “What is this?”

Scooting closer and leaning towards Chen, he whispers, “Don’t tell the others, but I bought this one for you because you were working really hard today.”

“Technically, I bought this for me. I suppose it’s the thought that counts.” He turns his head to see a smiling Tao, nodding his head in silent agreement. “You’re so childlike sometimes that it’s impossible to even be mad at you.”

Chen and Tao are so into their little back and forth that they don’t even notice Kris until he sidles his way in between them, wrapping an arm around each of their waists and pulling them closer to him. He turns his head in Tao’s direction first. “Hi Panda~. How come you didn’t get a candy bar for your beloved duizhang?” Turning his head towards Chen next, he queries, “And since when did you two become so close that you share candy bars?”

Getting his hand beneath Kris’s chin, Tao turns his head towards him again. “Because I like Jong Dae ge more.”

“Oh, is that so?” Tao nods in affirmation. “Does Jong Dae bake you cakes and let you sleep with him?” Tao shakes his head. “Then why am I not your favorite?”

“Jong Dae ge is prettier,” is how Tao chooses to answer Kris, and the sound of laughter fills the dance room almost instantly.

“Oh man! That’s hilarious. Way to tear down Yi Fan’s pride.”

“That’s not funny, Lu Han!”

“Are you talking to me? Are you even pretty enough to talk to me anymore?” Kris smirks at that, turning to Tao and asking him if he minds being without a mattress for just one night. Lu Han’s eyes almost double in size, and he runs over to Kris, getting on his knees. “I take it back. I take it all back. You’re beautiful, Yi Fan. ing beautiful. If I could have your babies, I would. That’s how gorgeous you are.”

Kris hops up onto his feet, patting Lu Han’s shoulder as he walks by, heading to the shower. “I must be psychic. I had a feeling you might change your mind. I’m gonna go shower.”

“Shouldn’t your new friend come wash your back?” Snickering can be heard throughout the room behind Kris. He turns and eyes the person who said that with a slight smirk on his face. Walking over and grabbing his wrist, he drags him off behind him, the room breaking out into laughter again. However this time the laughter is directed at the person being dragged off.

“Have fun, Tao~,” can be heard from three of the 4 remaining members, Chen too busy munching on his candy bar.

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Passing the soap to Tao, Kris eyes him warily. “You would’ve been the last person I expected to say something like that, Panda.”

As Tao soaps up his hands, he thinks about how he should word the next couple of sentences he has floating around in his head. “I saw how irritated it made you earlier when people would look at Jong Dae ge and say stuff like that.”

“So then why say it?”

Tao grabs Kris’s waist and turns him around to face him, moving his soapy hands up Kris’s chest and onto his shoulders. Using his index finger, he silently tells Kris to bring his head closer to his. Softly biting his bottom lip, Tao gives Kris an innocent look. “I was hoping you’d drag me in here instead of him.”

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A/N : I hit the halfway mark in this chapter and was stuck for a long time. Then I just started typing and I suddenly knew where I wanted the chapter to finish. Lol. I even let Tao get a little revenge of his own by using Chen's money. Hehe.

Now then! So tired because I woke up way too early. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter!

And again (yep, again), if you have a Tumblr, feel free to add me here. :]