Everything was but a daze as he stared at the sleeping Tao who knocked out a few minutes ago in his bed. With a tug and push from Kris, the younger boy stumbled into Yixing’s room completely antsy. It took some coaxing and reassuring on Yixing’s part to make the dark haired boy feel comfortable enough to speak to him honestly. When he did, Yixing’s heart burst. He couldn’t believe that Tao thought all of those things about him, that he felt that way.    Tao listed everything he absolutely loved and despised about Yixing in his heartfelt ramblings. The thing that stuck out the most to Yixing was that Tao thought he was possessive-smothering so. The older Chinese male had never viewed himself as controlling, oppressive, or obsessive.   He was protective.   But Tao saw it differently.   He exclaimed that he couldn’t breath. That he had so much freedom to do as he pleased with Yixing and none at all, all at the same time. It was disheartening and made him feel like he was walking on egg shells that could crack at anytime. It was like an earthquake waiting to happen if Tao judged from Yixing’s moods. No one could tell when he would snap, and Tao being the closest, made him more vulnerable to the after affects than any of the rest.   Yixing had never felt like a bad person. He was always doing what was right, what was good, and he knew this cockily so.    But hearing words such as those being applied to him by the one person in Agit that he so incandescently wanted to protect, tore a hole through the middle of his heart. It punctured him painfully, and brought tears to his eyes as he continued to stare at the sleeping figure.    He wanted to do nothing more than to show Tao a better him. To let the younger know that he only worried so bad because he was scared for so many things. He lived in fear of his emotions and he pleaded with himself sometimes to just calm down. There was so much riding on his shoulders and he was determined to do the right thing by every little person he had to carry and support. That included Tao so naturally he wanted the boy to want him and his family. He didn’t want to force him, so he would back off, he would let Tao form his own opinions and carry out his own actions.   The boy was old enough to make his own decisions whether Yixing agreed with them or not. The truth of the matter was that he was not Tao’s father. He did not carry the same title as he did to his blood siblings who looked up to them as their male guardian standing strongly besides their mother. Yixing was a friend first to Tao, then a companion sticking closer than even a brother, but he would never be Tao’s father. So it was time he stopped acting like one.   He rose from the bed, wiping his hands harshly against his heated tears. Kris had asked him to talk to Jongdae as well. He figured while his heart was already torn so wide open and willing to listen, he might as well go and ask Jongdae for a talk as well.   Looking back to the bed once more as his hand turned the knob, he saw Tao bury his nose into the sheets, taking a deep breath before settling into a fitful rest once again.  Stepping out into the hallway, he could hear that Luhan had to have arrived back to the suite as Xiumin was mumbling nonstop in his room rather than wailing. Yixing was curious as to what had the older boy crying so much lately, but he figured that Xiumin would rather be comforted by his pronounced friend instead of him who couldn’t even comfort Tao accordingly.   He peeped out into the sitting room, noticing Jongdae was sprawled in the arm chair carrying on an argument with Kris who was perched on the edge of the sofa, elbows on knees with a scowl on his features. Yixing became nervous to interrupt them, seeing as though their history was rather…weird? It wasn’t rare to see them in heated discussions before they went into that falling out and then erupted into that awful fight that made everyone unknowingly chose sides against Kris who really was rather innocent to the hidden emotions and knowledge everyone harbored.   He just stayed behind the wall, listening in on their disagreement to see if his presence was needed to break it up.   “Are you sure? You know you have a lopsided way of viewing things right?” Jongdae scratched at his leg.   “Yes I am sure. She has her in a complete bunch every time he steps in the room. You should see it! She goes from the woman we all know to a complete weakling, like putty! The shameful part is he doesn’t even know that he has that kind of control over her.”   “What do you mean he doesn’t know? If that was me I would be anxious to do it again to test-,”   “Yeah I know,” Kris interrupted. “You’re completely nasty, I understand, you don’t have to go through exactly what you want to test.”   “Excuse me? I am nasty? The last I checked, I wasn’t the one who slept with our boss and owner of Agit Night thinking I could get ahead! As a matter of fact, that isn’t just nasty and completely wrong of you, but idiotic as well!” Jongdae insulted.   “Not idiotic! I managed to get just what I wanted, but it didn’t come from Nana, that is all. You have no room to talk. I am sure you thought about doing so yourself multiple times,” Kris shot back.   “Yeah yeah,” Jongdae waved his hand as he rolled his eyes. “Thoughts and actions, I wonder which one is more lethal?”   “Obviously actions are more lethal as they behold results. But what kind of results? I think Yixing has had the best reaction from Nana yet he doesn’t even know it! I am telling you,” Kris sat up more animatedly. “He walks in there, no eye contact, and asks what she wants and Nana squirms every time as if to say “I want you again in my bed” but she never does. The funny thing is, you can see it on the tip of her tongue! Its pathetic and painful because Jae has to witness all of this as well. Between laughing or feeling sad for my friend, I don’t know which emotion is stronger.”   “Man, that’s poetic,” Jongdae snickers. “So much for telling me to die as if you were heartless and then admitting you feel sad for someone with unrequited love.”   Kris paused, looking at Jongdae’s face warily, “You know I didn’t mean that. I was just angry.”   “Yeah sure, anger is a good look on you. You looked hot,” Jongdae teased, laughing at Kris face that went from sincere to completely confused.   Kris got up from his seat walking over to Jongdae and enveloping him in a bone crushing hug, “You’re such a jerk,” he laughed as Jongdae squirmed and fussed to be let go of. The smaller male, though strong, was completely weak when Kris thought it was cool to use his size to encompass the smaller male’s body and drag him around, saying he was “showing affection” even though he knew Jongdae hated his hugs or touches.   “Let go of me you insufferable tree! Do I look like I wear a sign that says free hugs?” Jongdae scoffed, pushing Kris back and off of him.   “You always look like you need a hug to me,” Kris smirked, plucking Jongdae in the forehead.   “Yeah well, that probably was your fault I looked like that anyway!” Jongdae said watching as Kris realized he was the one at fault for Jongdae becoming depressed. Jongdae smirked as he watched Kris began to look sorrowful again.   “I’m sorry,” Kris bowed his head.   “I thought I forgave you already? You can’t take the heat of the truth?” the slender male laughed.   “It makes me feel ashamed,” Kris muttered honestly.   “You should,” Jongdae poked out his tongue, jesting at the other. He figured sometime soon he would sit Kris down and let him know it wasn’t his exact fault for why he was depressed. Sure he knew that his mom was in jail and had been served the death sentence that had been carried out only three months ago. But he didn’t know the dirt of Jongdae’s past.    The sound of someone clearing their throat snapped them both from the slight daze they had retreated in. Eyes focusing in on Yixing caused him to fidget rather uncomfortably, “Do you guys mind if I talk to you, Jongdae?”   Jongdae looked warily at Yixing before looking a Kris who wore a proud expression. Kris quickly righted him