Kris pushed his eyes open, the expression of irritation on his face a direct side effect of the sun shining directly in his eyes. Slowly, he squirmed out from under the covers. He took a seat on the floor, leaning his back against the bed as he lazily went through his suitcase looking for something to wear. He would never let anyone see him behave like this, but sometimes it was nice to not have to try so hard. He let out a heavy sigh, glancing around the room and really taking in his surroundings for the first time.

“So this is it.” He mumbled, then nodded slightly to himself. It wasn’t bad. He knew already that it could be so much worse. Some places he’d gone just had that certain feel to them. He never stayed in those places long.

He got up, stripping off his boxers in favor of fresh ones, and then changing into a clean shirt and pulling on a pair of dark jeans. He wasn’t entirely certain what the day had in store for him, but he figured he was better off just diving into it. He pulled a brush through his hair, then headed out the bedroom door. He was surprised to find Lay on the other side, fist raised to knock.

“Good morning.” The shorter boy said, also seeming surprised. Kris only nodded in response. “Did you sleep well?”

“Mm.” Kris confirmed, unsure of what the other wanted. Didn’t he know the unspoken rule? Don’t make friends, don’t build relationships. Especially when it came to foster kids.

“You’re probably hungry, right?” Lay asked, suddenly springing into motion. He grabbed hold of Kris’s wrist and started pulling him along. Kris yanked his hand back, his eyes wide.

“Don’t you know what personal space is?” Kris asked, and Lay tilted his head in confusion. Kris let out a heavy sigh. “Right. I’m not in Canada anymore.”

“What’s the matter?” Lay asked, and Kris shook his head.

“Nothing.” He denied easily, and Lay looked a bit doubtful, but grabbed Kris’s hand again anyway.

“Then let’s go eat.” Lay said, all but dragging him out to the kitchen. “Umma made kimchi stew.”

“For breakfast?” Kris asked, surprised. Lay looked at him strangely, not for the first time.

“You like kimchi, right?” He asked. Kris nodded, unsure of what else he could do as Lay ushered him into a chair. A moment later he was given a bowl of food.

“Are you excited for school?” The umma asked, and Kris raised a single brow.

“Why would I be?” He asked, and she seemed to deflate a little bit.

“Because a good education is important.” She insisted. He shrugged.

“If you’re into that sort of thing.” He reasoned. She pursed her lips for a moment.

“You’ll see what I mean soon enough.” She said, dropping the conversation in favor of a new one. “We’ll have to go shopping, though.”

“Shopping?” Kris asked, looking up from his food.

“You need more clothes. And a backpack for school.” She said simply, and Kris looked like he’d just been told he had a second head.

“I have a backpack.” He said, looking undeniably confused.

“But you need one for school.” She repeated, as though he had misunderstood. Kris, for his part, really had no idea what to make of this woman.

“Alright..” He said, finishing his food in silence.

When the time came to go to the store and do the, allegedly, necessary shopping, Kris was certain he had stepped into an alternate universe. Lay continually grabbed his hands, ignoring the taller males obvious discomfort. Lay and ‘umma’ were intent on dragging him into every store they passed. Every minute felt like hours to the emotionally distant youth, and he really just wanted to go back to bed.

“Lay, don’t let your hyung get bored.” Umma said, and Kris glanced up. That was one question answered; he now knew who was older.

“Yes, umma.” Lay agreed. He went over to Kris with a curious expression. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine.” Kris said, looking bored.

“You don’t really like shopping, do you?” Lay asked, and Kris shrugged. He didn’t like much, but he wasn’t about to tell this kid that.

“I would rather be reading.” He finally said, and Lay perked up.

“There’s a bookstore. Do you want to go there?” He asked. Kris couldn’t deny that the temptation was there, but he wasn’t going to make himself look eager. Lay didn’t really seem to need confirmation anyway. “Come on~”

He had Kris’s hand in his in a moment, and the taller didn’t look nearly as composed as his usual self when he stumbled along behind the other. Lay approached the umma rapidly, then quickly talked her out of some pocket money. She didn’t seem to mind, though. She just took down Kris’s sizes and continued on shopping as Lay all but dragged the elder to the bookstore.

“Can you read Korean?” Lay asked quickly after suddenly stopping short. Kris rolled his eyes and offered the younger a small shove toward the store.

“Of course I can read Korean.“ Kris said, heading into the store.

“Well, I just wasn’t sure. You’re from Canada, aren’t you?” Lay asked. Kris sighed.

“No. I’m from China. I lived in Canada for a little while.” He said, and Lay seemed surprised.

“Where else have you lived?” He asked, and Kris quickly realized that this boy was going to be a huge headache for him until he left. There was no question in his mind that this would be another temporary residence.

“I was in Japan for two years when I was younger.” Kris said, bending over to look at a row of books. Lay stayed close by the entire time.

“Seriously?” He asked, seeming excited. “So you speak Japanese, too?”

“No..Mandarin, Cantonese, English, and Korean.” Kris said absently. “I lived with Chinese families in Japan.”

“But wouldn’t you have learned at school?” Lay asked. Kris sighed again, straightening up.

“No.” He said. “I was too young for school. Why do you ask so many questions?”

“Because I want to know you.” Lay said simply, and Kris looked completely caught off guard by this answer. He quickly composed himself, however, and moved on to another shelf, a book already tucked under his arm. Lay followed behind him like an obedient puppy. “Do you want to learn Japanese?”

“Isn’t four languages enough?” Kris finally snapped, and Lay looked injured by the reaction. Silence fell throughout the rest of their time in the bookshop, and Kris preferred it that way.

When they finally left to meet up with umma again, Lay still hadn’t spoken a single word. He was afraid that if he continued to speak he would annoy the elder, and Kris would begin to hate him. He had no way of knowing how legitimate that fear was, but he didn’t want to push his luck. He was holding onto the hope that Kris would eventually accept him as his dongsaeng. Something most referred to as a pipe dream.

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A/N: I know this chapter is a little short, and I know Tao hasn't been introduced yet, even though the main focus is TaoRis. If I stick to my outline (which I will probably do) Tao will not be introduced until chapter 5. Sorry guys~

I'm surprised I've had the time to update this so quickly, myself. I go to school 10 hours per day (I show up an hour early, and I leave almost 3 hours after my final class. Oh, Student Council...) Not to mention the 20 minute commute. Then there's homework, personal hygeine, and of course, sleep! For anyone who reads my other fics as well, Holding On should be updated tomorrow or Friday. Thursday I'm way too busy.

And, a big THANK YOU to everyone who subscribed to this already! I was really surprised (and flattered) at how quickly the numbers increased! And, I read every comment, even though I don't generally get a chance to reply to them. They make me very happy! *hint, hint*

Ok, that's all~ It's passed my bed time :3