“Um… Tao? Can I please sit with you guys for a while?” I throw a glance up from my place at the cafeteria, staring straight into the face of a very upset looking Xiumin.

His eyes are red from crying, or so it looks like.

I shrug, pulling out the chair beside me. He places his tray on the table, taking out an exercise book in some strangely timed attempt to study. He won’t look me in the eye.

“What’s wrong, Xiumin? Why aren’t you sitting with Chen?” Suho asks, sitting next to him.

Xiumin looks up from his book, glancing across at me with a knowing look in his eyes. My eyes widen, and I know immediately.

“You like Chen,” I say, hardly a whisper. Xiumin gives a small nod in agreement.

“We’ve been best friends since we were kids, because Chen’s and my parents were already good friends already,” Xiumin explains, a look of pain in his eyes.

“I… we were just friends, we’ve always been just friends. But then one day a few months ago we had a sleep over, and seeing him shirtless…”

I nod in understanding.

“I didn’t even know I was gay, I thought I liked women. But… I don’t know anymore. I really like Chen but I know he doesn’t see me that way. He can’t, he’s straight. Well, that’s what I thought. And then Kris…”

Xiumin looks like he’s about to break down into tears, so I run an arm around over his shoulder, pulling him into my chest.

I know exactly how he feels, and it kills me to think that Chen’s completely ignored his feelings all this time.

“Shh, it’s OK, Xiumin,” I tell him, whispering in his ear.

“I… I kissed him, Tao. We were drunk at his birthday party, and I kissed him. I… I couldn’t control myself,” Xiumin’s tone seems to rise with each syllable, and I’m left in utter shock.

How bad had this been?

“I couldn’t… Chen, he kissed me back, and I felt like it was the best thing in the world.”

Xiumin exhales.

“But the next day he did nothing, he didn’t say anything about the kiss, and he hasn’t said anything since. He completely ignored it.”

Luhan gives Xiumin a small nod, reaching into his pocket for a tissue. He hands it across the table, and Xiumin nods in thanks, running it against his cheeks.

“He… he might of thought it was a joke,” Xiumin continues, tears now freely falling down his face.

“Sometimes he looks at me in a weird way, but I can’t help but stay with him, because of how I feel, and it annoys me that it’s always been like this, since that day. I don’t want to be ‘just’ Xiumin anymore.”

I nod, giving Xiumin a squeeze.

“I think he might like me, but it can’t ever work. He doesn’t even try getting together with me in any way other than just friends. What will our parents think? What am I supposed to do?”

I see Xiumin attempt to turn his head to face Chen and Kris, but I tilt it back to the side, so that he’s facing me once again.

“Don’t worry about what your parents think,” Kai says in a whisper.

“My mum was angry with me at first,” he continues, pulling Kyungsoo onto his lap.

“But in the end, if they love you, they’ll accept you for who you are.”

Kyungsoo smiles warmly at Kai, and I realise that maybe, just maybe, he’s Skyped his mum and introduced Kyungsoo to her. I can’t even begin to fathom what that would be like me doing that.

Mum knows I’m gay, and she’s happy for me. Dad, on the other hand…

I imagine what it would be like introducing Kris to my mother, and I smile stupidly.

I’d have to keep flicking the screen up and down so that she could see his face every time he spoke. He’d be kind, gentle, gallant, and mum would fall for him just as I did.

But this is a reality that can’t happen.

“It’ll be OK, Xiumin,” I tell him.

“We’ll just have to make Chen jealous, now won’t we?” I say, and Xiumin gives me an odd look.

“How?”

I give him a smirk.

“Let’s be a couple.”

I don’t know how much of my actions is me trying to help Xiumin, or me trying to get back at Kris for ruining my life time and time again.

I can’t decide just how far I’m willing to go with this, but it feels better hurting him this way than actually trying to face him about it.

I don’t think I could ever face him, not with Chen hanging off his arm.

I give Xiumin a smile, and we both stand up, hand in hand. I take his tray and place it on mine, scraping the scraps into the bin and placing the trays up on the bench for cleaning.

I wrap an arm around his waist, and when I’m convinced that both Kris and Chen are watching, I pull him even closer, until we’re connected at the hip. I lean down, grace my lips over his neck, and .

Xiumin lets out a small moan, and I open my eyes, surveying my surroundings.

If anything, it’s worked.

I continue my actions, running my lips over his, at his earlobe playfully. Xiumin shivers, and I hold him even tighter. I can see Kris is staring at me flabbergasted, and Chen is glaring, no, seething. Like I’ve broken some unspoken promise.

Everyone’s staring, some in confusion, some with their mouths wide open.

Xiumin senses this, and he pulls me away, out of the cafeteria, down the corridor until we’re safe in my dorm room.

“Chen’s angry,” he breathes.

“Chen’s actually angry.”

I nod excitedly.

“That means he likes you, Xiumin.” Xiumin gives me a tight hug, and I can’t help but hug him back. I’m happy for him. I’m so happy that he’s got something to look forward to.

What have I got?

Kris, a jerk sore loser that can’t hold a decent conversation with me.

Maybe I should just give up.

That's it for the day. You guys deserved a triple update for waiting so long these past few weeks! I'm so sorry I haven't been able to update so frequently; simultaneously finishing work on some other fanfics whilst beginning a new one, as well as Christmas and New Year... It's been a little hectic!

Thanks once again to those subscribed, those who've upvoted, and all of those comments! I can't beleive I've actually hit 10000 views for this thing, it's really crazy!!