16: The Storm (Part II)

Kris pressured Tao into playing a few rounds of pool against some of the other surfers, during which time Tao learned several things: 1) That he at playing pool and 2) Jongin's group turned out to be pretty decent guys. Junmyeon was actually a middle school teacher. He had a kind and compassionate demeanor that showed as he made his rounds, tending to not just his friends, but Tao's as well.

Chanyeol didn't seem all that bright but provided a sense of comical relief throughout the storm. He had everyone in stitches while he told his version of how he and Jongdae had obtained all of the milk and instant pudding for the wrestling match at Kris' house the other night (to which Kris scowled and muttered several curses).

Kyungsoo was somewhat placid but aimed the occasional verbal jibe at his friends. He also worked at one of the island's many local food markets, which consisted primarily of fish and fruit. Thankfully he worked for a fruit vendor and was able to avoid smelling fishy 99% of the time. Tao laughed when he thought about the other 1%.

As the hours passed, Baekhyun didn't do much socializing. Since listening to the music on Tao's mp3 player, he'd shut his eyes and appeared to be sleeping, or close to it. Earlier that evening he'd commented on Tao's awesome taste in music. Tao didn’t know why he found it so shocking that he might actually have some things in common with other people. Music had always been his savior during times of need. It was comforting knowing that someone else shared the same level of passion for music as he.

After losing his 5th round of pool to Kris, Junmyeon, and Kyungsoo, Tao claimed a seat on the floor at the foot of the sofa where Baekhyun slept. Chanyeol was still situated in the chair next to his friend, shoulders slumped, chin to chest, arms crossed while babbling incoherent conversations in his sleep. Tao chuckled under his breath.

Kris got along with everyone, excluding Jongin, of course. The two surfers had yet to speak to each other despite the fact that they were stuck in the same room together. No one said anything about it either, but Tao was quite the perceptive individual. He’d seen Lay, Minseok, Jongdae, Luhan, and Sehun looking from Jongin to Kris whenever the two surfers weren’t looking. There were no looks of judgment. Instead, his friends appeared to be curious. Were they out of the loop when it came to the rivalry between Kris and Jongin? Tao wondered if that were possible, given that the surfers had known each other for quite some time, but then he recalled the night when Kris had showed him his room.

"This is my room.” Kris had said. “I don't usually let people in here, so don't tell the others that I showed it to you."

Looking back, it confused Tao even more. Why had Kris let him in? What made him so special? Why had Kris kissed him on the beach that night? Then there was the kiss they’d shared in the ocean the other morning...

Tao was startled when someone plopped into the spot next to him. He was surprised to see that it was Jongin of all people. Jongin kept his eyes trained on the one-sided pool match unfolding across the room. Kris called Junmyeon a cheater, which was followed by Junmyeon telling him not to be such a sore loser. Obviously that didn't go over well. Kyungsoo was leaning against the wall and rolled his eyes as the two argued pointlessly over their match.

"I'm not sure who's more stupid,” Jongin began with a yawn, “Junmyeon or Kris."

Tao was suspicious but graced Jongin with a reply. "Kris probably takes the cake on that one." What was this? What were they doing? Being civil? Tao hoped their conversation had a point, because if not, he’d be tempted to deck Jongin in his nose.

"Listen..." Jongin cleared his throat and lifted his chin proudly. "Thanks for letting Baekhyun borrow your mp3 player."

Tao wasn't sure how to respond. A thanks hadn’t been on his list of expectations from the other. "Y-Yeah. No problem."

They watched Kris throw his pool stick on the table, which strained his injured shoulder, causing him to spew a slew of colorful curses. Apparently he'd lost again. Tao was about to get up and find something else to do until Jongin spoke again.

"So about the other morning..."

"Yeah what about it." Tao was getting testy. Jongin muttered something that he couldn't quite make out. "What was that?" he sneered.

"I said," Jongin gritted his teeth, "That I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what? Being an epic ?"

Jongin didn’t seem to like that but let it slide. "I guess you could say that."

The guy hadn’t said exactly what he was sorry for but Tao knew what he meant. Seeing as how Tao wasn't one for apologies either, he figured the least he could do was extend the gesture as a sign of good will. "Sorry about... you know... your nose and all. I got pretty pissed off when I saw Kris bleeding."

"To be honest, I kinda deserved it."

"Why don’t you guys get along?"

Jongin shrugged. "His father and my father were rivals. I guess we just sorta followed suit."

"Oh."

"Our dads were competing the day of the accident."

"You mean, when Kris' dad--"

"Yeah." Jongin shifted again. Apparently this was a sensitive subject. "To be honest, if Kris’ dad hadn’t, you know, my dad wouldn’t have won that year.”

It all made sense now. Jongin and Kris had a history together and they were both striving for the same thing. But that wasn’t an excuse for Jongin stoop so low. Now was Tao’s chance to speak his peace, not just for himself, but for Kris as well.

“I don’t get you,” he stated all too bluntly.

Jongin furrowed his brow. “What do you--“

“You make it sound like you want to follow in your dad’s footsteps. That’s fine. Fan-ing-tastic for you. But what do you think you’re accomplishing by playing dirty? Would winning even be worth it if you had to stomp all over people just to get there?”

“I... that’s...” Jongin struggled for words.

“Next time think things through before you go ting all over everyone else. You didn’t just make yourself look bad, you made your friends look bad too.” With that, Tao rose from his seat, leaving a stunned Jongin on the floor while he joined Kris, Junmyeon, and Kyungsoo for another round of pool.


-


As time passed the noise outside began to taper off. They’d been cooped up in the game room for hours. Baekhyun drifted in and out of sleep. Chanyeol and Jongdae ended up playing beer pong--no surprise there--while everyone else either chatted, played games, or swapped surfing stories. With so many people gathered in one place, all of the alcohol had been demolished.

Kris had settled for a couple of beers and was finishing off his second one when he caught sight of Jongin and Tao chatting in the corner. Jongin said something that made Tao roll his eyes and Kris frowned. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like it at all. Since when were Tao and Jongin on speaking terms? Kris stood from his seat, set his empty beer can on the corner of the pool table, and strode across the room.

“Alright, Taozi. Time for bed.” He grabbed Tao by the elbow but it didn’t go over well.

“Since when did you call all of the shots?” Tao wasn’t drunk but he was a little tipsy.

“It’s late and you’re well on your way to feeling like in the morning if you don’t call it a night.”

Tao frowned but didn’t argue. “Fine! But I have to pee first!” The fussy youth shuffled lazily toward the bathroom. They didn’t have running water but what else were a bunch of semi-drunk surfers supposed to do? Hold it?

“He’s not all that bad you know.” Jongin inclined his head in the direction that Tao had just left. “I can see why you like him.”

Kris narrowed his eyes. What was Jongin trying to do? He couldn’t help but be highly suspicious. Kris folded his arms, jaw tense. His shoulder was still sore.

“He’s smart and kinda...” Jongin searched for the word. “y.”

Kris almost smiled but stopped himself. He wouldn't give Jongin the pleasure of decent conversation. Tao was his. The competition was his. And that was just how things were going to be. "How would you know?" Kris nearly growled. "You don't even know him. You've been talking to him for what? An hour?"

Jongin leaned his head against the wall and stretched. "Tao seems like the type of person you meet the first time, and you either end up liking or hating him. What you see is what you get with that one." Jongin pointed a thumb back towards the hallway as if to solidify his point. "He gave me a pretty good beating the other morning. And I have respect for that."

Kris snorted. The malicious spark in Jongin's eye did not go unnoticed. The guy was messing with him. Trying to get a rise out of him, and unfortunately, it was working.

"Jongin." Junmyeon suddenly spoke up, capturing his friend's attention with a soft, implied warning. "Why don't you help me clean up. Stop sitting around and make yourself useful."

Jongin rolled his eyes before standing. On his way past Kris, he made it a point to roughly bump shoulders with him. Kris bit the inside of his cheek and swallowed his anger. It was a waste of breath to pick a fight with Jongin. Instead, he'd save his revenge for the upcoming competitions. If Kris won, he'd not only complete his father's work, but would finally gain Jongin's overdue respect. Both were of equal importance.

Tao reentered the game room, looking fussier than usual. It'd been a very busy past couple of days, Kris deduced, taking in the other's alluring, half-lidded eyes, messy hair, and wrinkled clothes.

"Ready for bed, Taozi?"

"Lead the way, surfing instructor." Tao stepped aside with a grand bow.

Kris chuckled while grabbing a flashlight and leading them towards their bedroom for the second time that night. "This will be our second sleepover together," he grinned crookedly on their trek up the stairs.

"Tch! Yeah, by force!"

"Force?" Kris leaned against the door frame outside of their room. "Last time I checked, I didn't see you being forced to share a room with me." He leaned closer to stare directly into Tao’s eyes. "Admit it. You want to room with me. Don't you?"

Tao elbowed past Kris, entered the room, and slammed the door in his face. To anyone else, it would have been conceived as a bad sign, but Kris knew better than that. He smiled and shook his head. This was going to be interesting.

“What in the do you think you’re doing?” asked Tao when Kris pulled back the blankets.

“Well obviously I’m getting into bed so I can sleep.” The surfer slid in next to Tao.

“GET OUT!”

Kris yelped when the heel of Tao’s foot connected with his side, pushing him to the very edge of the bed.

“Taozi! I’m gonna fa--UMPH!” Kris fell onto the floor, taking half of the blankets with him.

Suddenly they were wrenched away and Kris was left sprawled out across the bedroom floor, staring up at the white ceiling with a throbbing shoulder. How was he going to do this? How was he going to get Tao to open up without making him feel uncomfortable? Using the edge of the bed to pull himself up, he found Tao in a blanket burrito with only his nose poking out. Fine. If Tao wanted to play that way then Kris could play that way too. Grabbing a corner of the outermost blanket, Kris yanked with all of his might. Tao unrolled from his burrito and fell onto the floor with a curse. When the teenager reappeared at the opposite side of the bed, he did not look happy, hair disheveled and face burning red with anger.

“God! You’re so annoying!” growled Tao. “I’m going to sleep somewhere else!” He stomped towards the bedroom door but Kris stopped him.

“Now let’s be logical,” said Kris while holding up a hand. “We’ve done this before. So let’s figure this out.”

Tao crossed his arms and huffed.

“It’s been a long day. We’re both tired. So let’s just lie down and talk for a bit until we go to sleep,” he reasoned.

Tao considered this a moment. “Just talking?” He looked to Kris for any signs of deception but saw none. “Fine,” relented Tao, “But just talking and that’s it.”

They spent the next couple of minutes remaking the bed before sliding beneath the blankets. They both rested on their backs, Tao with an arm draped over his stomach while Kris rested his arms against his chest. Thank god for the unsettled wind outside because silence would’ve been unbearable at the moment.

Tao spoke once some of the tension had left his body. “So what did you want to talk about?”

“Anything. Everything. We don’t talk much,” stated Kris.

Tao turned his head to look at Kris. “What do you mean we don’t talk? We talk every day.”

Kris looked to Tao. “No I mean real talk. Not arguing or talking about surfing. I just, feel like there are some things we've been avoiding.”

Tao understood what Kris meant. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for this conversation. They’d been friends for a while, but somewhere along the way, they’d ended up being much more than that. Tao knew he liked Kris but wasn’t sure what the next step should be now that he’d sorted out his feelings.

“So about the other morning...” Kris trained his gaze back to the ceiling overhead.

Tao did the same. “What? With Jongin?”

“No. I mean the um, you know, the other thing.”

“You mean the...?”

Kris nodded and Tao gulped. They were finally going there. They were finally going to talk about the kiss and Tao’s wildly beating heart didn’t much like it.

“Yeah. I just...” Kris rested his hands behind his head. “I want to know what it meant for you. If it meant the same for you as it did for me.”

By now Tao could swear his heart was beating in his skull. He swallowed and took a shaky breath. “I... I didn’t expect... It just sorta... And then I...”

“Do you like me, Tao?”

And there it was. The question of the century. The one question Tao had been stewing over constantly. He knew the answer. But could he admit it? Could he say it out loud?

“Yes.” His answer was whispered but seemed to echo endlessly throughout the room. He thought Kris would , flash a sunny smile and crack a joke or two, but none of those things followed. Instead, Kris rolled onto his side and rested his head onto an open palm.

“Me too,” replied the surfer.

Tao looked to Kris in shock. “Really? You do?”

Kris pulled the blanket up his body. “Yeah. Even though you’re kinda mean to me sometimes.” His lips curled into a lopsided grin.

“I am not mean!” Tao replied as he claimed the same relaxed posture.

“Well to be fair, I kinda like it.”

Tao sputtered. “What do you mean you like it! You know, we were having a decent conversation until you decided to make it about your es!”

Kris arched a brow. “Now hold up, Taozi. You think I have a ?”

“Well what else would you call it then?”

Both males looked to each other and immediately recoiled in upon themselves. They knew the four letter word that summed up their feelings for each other. It was on the tip of their tongues. But to say that word was to admit something that neither of them was ready for yet.

“So where does this leave us?” asked Tao.

Kris reached out a tentative hand to play with Tao’s bangs. “I was hoping you might let me try that thing again. That is, if you’re willing.”

Kris was annoying and said stupid things and was always doing something to get a rise out of Tao. But he was also kind, dedicated, compassionate, and loyal. Looking back on it now, Tao was surprised he hadn’t fallen for Kris sooner. Without giving it much thought, Tao nodded.

Their third kiss was different from the rest. It held no hesitation, but instead, an underlying tenderness that nearly melted Tao from the inside out. If he’d had any doubts about his relationship with Kris before, he certainly didn’t now.

Kris curled his fingers into Tao’s hair and pulled gently, their lips moving together with a perfect give and take, bodies pressed against one another, legs tangled beneath the blankets. Tao had never been good with words but thought he could show how he felt through his actions. He pulled Kris closer, and then sliding a shaking hand beneath the back of Kris' shirt, traced his fingers along the curve of Kris' spine.

Kris breathed in Tao as he took charge and rolled on top, pushing the younger into the mattress and smothering him in breathless kisses before he had a chance to protest.

Tao lost grips with himself when strong hands ran roughly down his sides, bunching up the fabric of his shirt, teasing the flesh that lay just beneath the bottom hem. This was followed by a sharp gasp that allowed Kris the opportunity to taste him for the first time. It was unlike anything Tao had ever imagined.

Perhaps it was due to the alcohol he’d consumed, or maybe Tao had finally lost it, but he thought that he might actually be able to do this--have a serious relationship with Kris. This was perfect. This was everything he needed without ever knowing it. And when Kris broke away to trail butterfly kisses along the curvature of his neck, Tao decided to throw caution to the wind and give in to what his heart wanted.

Tao’s shirt was peeled off first and was followed shortly thereafter by Kris’. Seeing the surfer shirtless on the beach was one thing, but seeing Kris like this in bed was so much more intimate. It was also the first time Tao had ever seen the other look self-conscious. By nature, Kris was unfailingly confident, but appeared unsure and vulnerable at the present moment. It gave Tao courage and strength knowing he wasn’t alone in his insecurities. Couple that with the fact that Kris looked partially ruined--hair a mess, lips swollen, and face flushed--it gave Tao the momentum to push past his boundaries.

Kris noticed something in Tao that switched, and just like that, the surfer was flipped onto his back with the Tao straddling his hips.

“T-Taozi! Wha--“

“Payback’s a ,” said Tao with a vulpine grin.

Kris’ stared wide-eyed at his current predicament. Not only had he been caught off guard by Tao’s boldness, but it was a total turn on as well. The surfer gripped the sheets and tried not to focus on the fact that Tao was straddling him willingly. Suddenly the room felt much hotter and Kris started to sweat. “P-Payback? What in the hell did I do to deserve payback?”

“Everything,” replied Tao while placing his hands to either side of Kris’ head. “For laughing at me when I fell on the beach the first day we met. For introducing me to your friends. For teaching me how to surf. For drowning my phone and making me question myself every single minute of every day.”

Kris was at a loss for words. Then he grabbed ahold of Tao's bare waist and easily regained control. Tao pouted when he was pushed back into the mattress again. Kris had a fiery determination in his eyes as he placed a subtle kiss at the base of Tao’s jaw.

“That’s for calling me an idiot.” Kris grazed his lips along the teenager's jawline before placing another fleeting kiss just below his lips. “And that one’s for being the worst surfing model ever.” Then the tip of his nose. “For giving me so many chances.” And middle of his forehead. “For smiling when it really counted.” The side of his temple. “For being you and nothing less.” Kris grinned against Tao’s skin on his course towards his lips where he hovered.

Tao didn’t think he could take it anymore. A lump was rising in the back of his throat and his eyes were starting to water. This , he thought as he resisted the urge to cry.

Kris looked directly into Tao’s eyes, saw the tornado of emotions swirling in them, and smiled before planting one last lingering kiss to parted lips. “And that’s for making my heart race every time I think about you.”

In one swift motion, Tao smashed their lips together, earning a muffled yelp from the blonde.

“Mmmph! T-Tao! Mmwha!”

“Stop talking or else I’ll punch you.”

Kris panted for air and gaped at Tao in wonder.

“I mean it.” Tao said sternly.

And for once, Kris actually listened.

They stayed up for half the night, kissing and talking until they fell asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.


-


Kris awoke the next morning with Tao nestled against his side. It was still cloudy and rainy, but the worst of the storm had passed. He remained there for a long time, enjoying the warmth, contemplating his next move. Last night had been perfect, but he was worried Tao would wake up and revert back to his usual self. Kris really hoped that they’d be able to move forward instead of remaining stagnant like they had been. He had a plan that might improve his chances.

Sliding carefully out of Tao's arms so as not to wake him, Kris left the room and crept into the hallway. All was quiet as he made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. The snacks Tao and Jongdae had purchased had been rummaged through the night before. No one had anticipated the arrival of more people, therefore, they’d only prepared enough food for seven hungry surfers, not twelve.

After fumbling through the pantry and a few stray grocery bags on the counter, Kris scrounged up a couple of granola bars and two pouches of kid’s fruit juice. It was very third grade but it would have to do. With items in hand, Kris started back up the stairs, turned the corner, and received quite a shock. Luhan and Sehun where in the hallway outside of their room, which would’ve been fine, if not for the fact that the elder had his employee pinned against the wall in a hot-n-heavy lip lock.

Kris coughed.

“Kris! Sorry! We um...” Luhan scrambled for a decent excuse.

Kris promptly continued down the hallway. “Don’t wanna know. Don’t need to know,” he stated while passing his friends, “I didn’t see .”

Once inside the sanctuary of his and Tao’s room, Kris quickly shut and leaned against the door, releasing the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Well that had been awkward. He knew something was going on between his boss and fellow coworker, but that didn’t mean he wanted to walk up on the evidence. Suddenly, Tao stirred and sat up in bed, and Kris thanked the heavens for delightful distractions.

“Morning, Taozi.” He hopped onto the bed, earning a squinty-eyed scowl from the other. “I got us some breakfast.”

Upon the mentioning of food, Tao perked up and eyed the items in Kris' hands, then quirked a brow. “Granola bars and... juice?” he asked, voice still raspy from sleep.

Kris laughed sheepishly. “Sorry. Most of the good stuff got picked over last night.”

Tao appeared to accept this as he accepted the humble breakfast from Kris. Their fingers brushed during the transfer, and the slightest hint of a blush tinted Tao’s puffy cheeks.

Kris opened his granola bar and took a large bite. “Hm! Mmnyot badd.”

“I have never thought about stabbing someone with a granola bar, or if it’s even possible, but I swear to ing god,” Tao glared, “If you talk with your mouth full one more time, I will find a way.”

Kris didn’t say anything but merely closed his mouth and continue chewing around his goofy smile. Although the weather was gloomy, they created their own metaphorical sunshine, both males smiling brightly as they ate their breakfast together in comfortable silence.

A few minutes passed. Kris really wanted to break the ice with Tao, to let the other know that what happened last night hadn’t changed, that he still felt the same way and was perfectly okay with that. He figured the best way to do that was with a sense of normalcy.

“So guess what?” Kris took a far too casual sip of his juice.

Tao swallowed his last bit of granola. “Gee, I don’t know.” His grumpy reply gave Kris reassurance.

“I saw Luhan and Sehun making out in the hallway just now.”

“WHAT!” exclaimed Tao.

“That was my exact reaction too.”

“THOSE LITTLE ERS. I KNEW IT.”


-


It took an hour or more for everyone to wake up and find their way downstairs. Minseok was already in the living area, or what used to be the living area, surveying the damage. Debris littered the room, part of the roof had caved in where the palm tree had toppled over, and everything was wet and ruined.

“Sorry about your house, Minseok.” Lay placed a comforting hand to his friend’s shoulder.

Minseok managed a hopeful smile. “It’s no big deal. The insurance will pay for it. I’m just glad everyone’s alright.”

“What about the neighborhood?” inquired Junmyeon.

They all shuffled over to the front door. Minseok turned the knob and opened it warily. Once they'd confirmed that nothing was outside waiting to fall in on them, they walked outside and stared in horror at the state of the neighborhood. The houses along the street were in various stages of disarray. Part of one house’s roof was sitting in the middle in the road, while another’s roof had completely collapsed in on itself. One neighbor was outside cursing the heavens for placing a palm tree on top of his garage and Ferrari. There were several downed power lines, one of which was still sparking and crackling. Mother Nature had performed her job well. The neighborhood was in shambles. If things were this bad inland, it could only be assumed that they’d be in even worse shape at the shore.

Everyone turned to Luhan who smiled sadly. “We can always rebuild. Everything will be alright, so long as I have you guys to help me.”

If Luhan’s forced optimism wasn’t bad enough, then the heartbreaking look in Kris’ eyes certainly was.

Tao grabbed the taller’s hand and gave it a reassuring sqeeze. It’ll be alright, he wanted to say.

Kris turned to him, worked up a faint smile, and squeezed his hand a couple of times.

I know, Taozi. I know.