“No, this is ridiculous,” Kris said stubbornly.

“Come on, Kris,” said Chen from the back seat of the otherwise empty van, “you know you need someone to watch out for you.”  They sat in the white, unmarked company van, waiting for the others to arrive. Tao stood quietly by the side door.

“But he’s so weird,” Kris replied. He turned in his seat to look back at his friend, “I’ve never seen anyone so uptight. Or quiet.”

Chen shrugged, “He seems okay.” Kris stared at him and his eyebrows shot up questioningly. Chen threw his hands up, “Okay, so he doesn’t talk a lot, but that doesn’t mean he’s a freak.”

“I don’t even think he breathes.”

Chen smirked. He loved Kris; they had been friends since middle school, but sometimes he was too much. He wasn’t sure how he put up with the attitude during the past years of stardom.

Kris faced forward as the door slid open and the missing party members filed in. Luhan, his fashion director, climbed in next to Chen, and Xiumin, who took care of arrangements and schedules, took the seat next to Kris. Chen had the job of his personal trainer, but it was a very loose title; Chen came with him to the gym anyway, it was just an excuse to get him in the action. Kris didn’t go anywhere without him.

Tao climbed in last and slid the door shut behind him, then squeezed between Luhan and Chen in the backseat. They both tensed up, but tried to keep their faces straight. Kris huffed. I told you he’s weird, he thought. The driver hopped in and they drove off towards the airport.

Kris had to admit that Tao had a special gift in keeping people back. He’d never had a bodyguard ward off people so easily; even the screaming fangirls didn’t press in, after seeing the way he led them through the crowd.

They made it with ease to the hotel. Lay was there when they arrived, waiting for them in the lobby. He held up four cardkeys. “I’ve checked us all in already.”  He handed a card to Chen first, “I got you your own room, like you asked.”

“What?!” Kris shouted, “B-but, you said there’s always got to be someone with me! And now you’re taking that back?”

“You won’t be alone,” he said, handing a card to Tao, “the two of you will be together.”

“W-“

“And a key for you guys,” he said, passing another card to Xiumin, “It’s a joint room, like Tao and Kris’.” Xiumin and Luhan nodded and hoisted their bags over their shoulders again, heading for the elevator. Kris rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

“Why can’t I just stay with Chen like usual?”

“You snore too loud,” Chen said, “I can’t sleep. You can keep him up this time.”

Kris Tao and prodded him in the side with a stiff finger, “What about you? You can’t possibly want this.”

Tao shrugged and picked up his bag, then reached over and grabbed Kris’ suitcase too. He turned and sped to catch up with Xiumin and Luhan, who were just boarding an empty lift. They held the door for him so he made it just in time.

Chen clapped him on the shoulder, “Sorry, Kris,” he linked arms with him and pulled him to the elevator doors and pushed the ‘up’ button. “It won’t be so bad. It’s only three nights.”

Kris groaned.

Kris and Tao sat in the living room of the large suite they booked for the long weekend. Tao sat Indian-style in an overstuffed armchair, curled over a book that sat open in his lap. His index finger tapped his lip now and then absently as he read. Kris was laying on the sofa, trying to watch a movie on the flatscreen, but he couldn’t focus on it. He kept glancing at his bodyguard out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t understand how he could be like this.

“Hey,” Kris called. Tao slowly looked up from his book, his finger still tapping his lip, “do you ever talk?”

Tao nodded.

Kris rolled his eyes.

“I prefer to have something important to say, before I let my mouth fly open,” he said slowly. Kris’s eyes grew wide and he grinned, “Maybe that’s something you should think about.”

He gaped at him, then chuckled and tutted in disbelief. “Hey, you just… j-just mind your own business,” he said, trying to sound stern.

Tao smirked, his eyes crinkling, and let his eyes fall back to his book. Kris shook his head. Unbelievable, he thought, the nerve. He glared at Tao, who was too engrossed in his novel to notice. Knowing he was being ignored, Kris jumped up and stomped all the way to his room, letting the door shut noisily behind him.

@NaerEllen - I could talk like that forever.

@Xandra - Super diva Kris is super diva.

@U-BIG-B2ST - Updates shouldn't be too far in-between. Welcome! <3

@Viivian - I'm glad you're intrigued! Thanks for the sub!