Tao sighed as he watched the leaves scatter on the wind before settling on the ground. They crunched softly under his feet as he walked down the path heading towards to his apartment. He remembered a time when he was a small child dancing in the park as the colors changed before his eyes. It was then that he first realized he was different, special even. If he concentrated hard enough, he could speed or slow time. Although he never told his parents or friends, he had spent several years experimenting in his free time, but he never put much effort into finding out just how much he could do. He would rather ignore it and meld in with the rest of society.

 It had been a long day thanks to his editor giving him a hard time. The deadline for his next book had passed last week, but his mind was blank. Hours were spent in front of his computer as he tried to think of a good plot and eventually he had decided to go on a walk in the hope of finding some inspiration. He ended up at a small café where he had a lovely chat with a stranger for a few hours, and it helped his mood some, but he was still at a loss for his book.

Lost in thought, Tao started to cross the usually empty street in front of his apartment. He didn’t see the car barreling down the road or hear the shouts of warning, but he felt the body slam into his and push him out of the way. Stunned from hitting the ground, it took him a moment to understand the scene before him. A man was lying on the street, bleeding heavily, as a car raced away.

“Hey, are you alright?” He asked, voice shaking, as he crawled over to the man.

A pair of soft eyes met his briefly before fluttering shut as his body shuddered and then became still. Heart in his throat, Tao desperately shook his shoulder, trying to wake him. Nothing worked. The man’s chest didn’t move and there was no heartbeat. He was dead. Guilt washed over him as he realized someone had died because he hadn’t been paying attention. If only he could go back and do it again he could prevent this from happening.

Tao gasped as the thought hit him. Why couldn’t he go back? He controlled time, so surely there was some way he could stop this. It seemed simple enough, reverse time to before the accident so he could avoid the car on his own. Admittedly he had never tried to actually go back in time, but there was nothing saying he couldn’t.

Taking the man’s large hand in his own, he closed his eyes and concentrated. His skin tingled as the power built within him and he mentally pictured himself a few feet from the street, seconds before he stepped onto the road. A strong wind hit him as he latched onto the thought and pulled it closer, willing the world to return to that time. Just as he released his power, he stole one last glance at the man who had saved his life. A brief flash of familiarity hit him, but he was being dragged backwards before he could complete the thought. The world faded into black with a soundless scream rattled his bones and tore at his ears.

*********

Gasping, Tao lurched out of bed and landed on the floor with a loud thud. His pulse was racing and a feeling of dread filled him as images flooded his mind. A bloody body laying limp in his arms. Tears mixing with rain and whispered words of love. Tires squealing as a red sports car raced away. But what hit him the hardest was the deep sense of loss that accompanied them. Taking deep breaths he finally managed to calm down, the images slowly fading before disappearing altogether.

He stumbled into the kitchen where he made himself a cup of coffee and his laptop. As expected, his editor had sent him several emails ranging from pleas to outright threats if he didn’t come up with a rough draft soon. Something flickered in the back of his mind as he glanced at the date on the messages, but he shrugged it off. He must still be shaken from whatever nightmare had woken him up.

An hour later he was on the street heading to his friend’s house in hope of getting free food. Kyungsoo was a great cook and usually took pity on him if he managed to show up before his boyfriend had eaten everything. Tao didn’t know where Jongin put it all, but he was rarely seen without some snack the older had made him.

Knocking on the door, he impatiently waited to be let in, but no one appeared. Frowning, the couple was supposed to get back from their trip last night and had promised him a large breakfast as an apology for leaving him on his own for a week, he knocked again. Sighing in defeat, they must have stayed longer then they originally anticipated, he trudged back onto the street in search of a cheap meal.

It was late afternoon, his stomach still rumbling when he remembered the small café he had visited the day before. The food was delicious and reasonably priced. He was whistling to himself when he stepped into the building. Everything looked just the same as the day before, cozy and inviting. He glanced at the other patrons before turning to the cashier and giving his order.

“I haven’t seen you in here before.” A deep voice said behind him.

Accepting his food, Tao turned to the stranger and felt a small shiver go down his spin. Something about the tall blonde male seemed familiar, but he couldn’t place it. “I just stumbled onto this place yesterday. You’re a regular I take it?”

“Yeah, it’s a great place to unwind after work. My brother loves the food here, so I usually bring him something back. I’m Kris, by the way.”

Tao nodded as he sat down across from him, already enjoying the other man’s company. “Zitao, but you can just call me Tao. What do you do?”

Kris smiled as took a sip of his coffee. “I’m a manager for my brother on paper, but in reality I’m more like an underpaid babysitter for a spoiled diva.”

“What does he do?” Tao was captivated by Kris. There was something about him that was familiar, but he couldn’t figure out why. The way he smirked even as he smiled, the way his eyes softened when he talked about his brother, it was if he was seeing it all for a second time.

“He models.”

“A diva model, that must be hell even if you are his brother. I have a friend that did modeling for a while before he opened his own agency. There were times when I just wanted to strangle him with how egotistical he could get. Now all he does is complain about how models these days are so stuck up and never give any consideration to the poor people who have to put up with them.”

Kris laughed, the sound almost musical as his eyes formed crescents. “Sounds like something Baek would do. What’s his agency?”

“Premier Exotics.”

“Wait, you’re friends with Luhan? The Luhan, the biggest name in international design?”

“Yup. My roommate, Yixing, had managed to get in the same company as Luhan when he was just starting and they became close. Naturally, that meant our apartment became the unofficial hangout for their group.”

“Nice. My brother has been trying to get into that agency for years, but there never seems to be an opening.”

“What’s his name, maybe I can put in a good word for him.” Ignoring his growing unease, Tao watched in amusement as Kris frantically dug in his pockets for a business card.

Once had found one, he handed it over with a large smile. “His name is Byun Baekhyun. He hasn’t done anything major yet, but I’ve got some things in the works. In a few months he’s going to be the cover for a big magazine.”

Glancing at the card, Tao noticed the name listed for manager was different than the one Kris had given him. “Wu Fan?”

“I spent several years in Canada before coming to Korea which is why everyone calls me Kris now, but professionally I go by Wu Fan.”

“I think I like Kris better, it sounds so foreign.” Tao loved the sound of Kris’s laugh and the way he would tilt his head to the side slightly when he was happy. Again, the feeling of dread hit him, but he pushed it aside. “Well, I have to go, but I’ll give Luhan your card next time I see him.”

 “Appreciate it.” Just as Tao turned to leave, he felt a hand pull on lightly on his wrist. “I was wondering, well... I’m always here at the same time every day?”

Tao chuckled to himself at the way Kris looked at him. It was a mix between a plea and embarrassment. “Good, then I’ll always know where to find you. See you tomorrow Kris.”

The relief on Kris’s face was almost comical as he sighed. “Yeah, see you later.”

An hour later he was slowly walking home, enjoying the fall colors, when his phone rang. Not bothering to check the ID, he answered it. “Hello?”

“Huang Zitao! You were supposed to have the first draft of your book on my desk last week! What the hell are you doing?”

“I know, I know. Just give me a little bit more time, I’ll have it for you next month.”

“Next month doesn’t do me any good when my boss asks me for an expected release date, Zitao.”

“I’m really sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t always cut it kid. I can buy you three more weeks, but if I don’t have something by then…”

“I will, don’t worry.”

“You had better.” 

Sighing, Tao pocketed his phone. So much for having a good day, he was no closer to coming up with a plot then he was this morning. Lost in his own thoughts, he mindlessly stepped onto the street across from his apartment. Suddenly he was pushed forward, the sounds of tires digging into the pavement filling his ears as he crashed on the ground.

He staggered to his feet in panic as he saw a body laying in the street covered in blood. A lump grew in his throat when he saw the way the male was breathing, coughing up blood as his eyes glazed over from pain. “Hey, are ok?” Tao asked, his voice a whisper as he touched the male’s arm. The man tried to speak, but his words were lost as he continued to cough.

Tao felt his heart twist when he recognized the man dying before him. “Kris?” His eyes focused long enough to meet Tao’s and he gave him a weak smile. A second later his eyes closed and his breathing stopped. “Kris!” Tao cried as he shook the male, hoping he would wake up even though he knew the truth.

Tao’s head suddenly felt like it was on fire. He screamed as memories flooded his mind, reminding him that this had happened before. “No. No, no, no…” he chanted as he held his head. He went back in time to prevent this, why didn’t it work? Why was Kris still dead? A large headache started to form and he felt like his head was going to split. He reached out toward Kris, hoping this was somehow just a dream.

*****

Jerking out of bed, Tao’s breathing hitched as he was hit with images from a car accident. Running into the kitchen, he fired up his computer and opened his email. His heart sunk as he saw the same emails from the day before glaring at him unread. The date hadn’t changed from yesterday. Realization slowly dawned on him. Somehow he was reliving the same day, the day Kris died to save his life.

Determined not to let it happen again, Tao didn’t step foot out of his apartment. If he didn’t go anywhere, Kris wouldn’t be hit trying to save him and things should go back to normal. He’ll wake up tomorrow and time will have moved forward again. It was a simple plan, foolproof, and he was able to calm himself down enough to watch some TV and mess around on his computer.

Blinking his eyes, Tao felt disoriented. He was walking, but he wasn’t quite sure where he was. Spotting his apartment, he hurried toward it hoping the sense of dread would leave once he was safe inside his own room. He faintly heard a shout before someone ran into him and pushed him onto the ground. His head cleared as he looked behind him. A car was racing away from a body, leaving the poor person to bleed out. Crawling over, he quickly recognized the male as Kris, the one he had been trying to avoid.

“Why?” He whispered to himself. “I didn’t even do anything.” He sat on the ground, refusing to touch the dying male. A sense of defeat filled him as he felt something pull him backwards.

*****

The next morning he didn’t wake up sweating or screaming from a nightmare, but filled with a new determination. If he couldn’t do anything to prevent himself from crossing that street, he had to find a way to make sure Kris wasn’t there to save him. He rummaged through his cupboards and fixed himself a quick breakfast before heading out.

“Tao, what are you doing here?” Luhan asked as he waved his friend into his office.

“I was wondering if you wanted to get something to eat. I heard about this nice café not far from here that I wanted to try out.”

“Sure, why not? Anything to get away from these whiny models.”

“Still giving you a hard time are they?”

“Yes. Apparently the brand of their eyeliner will decide whether or not their photos come out good. its eyeliner, one brand is just as good as the rest.”

“You’re still looking to hire a fresh face, right?”

“Yeah, why? You finally going to accept my offer?”

“If I don’t come up with something for my editor soon I might have to. Come on, we don’t want to be late.”

Luhan glanced around the room with a nod of approval. “Nice and homely, I like it. How did I not know this was here?”

Tao felt his skin prickle as someone got in line behind them. “It’s easy to miss unless you’re looking.”

Ignoring the way his heart jolted at the deep voice, Tao turned to look at the slightly taller man. “You’re a regular I take it?”

“Yup. I come here every day when I need a break from work. My brother can be really demanding when he wants to be.”

Remembering that Kris had never met him, he asked curiously, “what does your brother do?”

“He models.”

Luhan’s head snapped up from his coffee at the answer. “Really? What’s his name?”

“Byun Baekhyun.”

“And you’re his manager I take it?”

“Yes.”

“Is he looking for work, maybe to join a larger agency?”

Kris furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at the eager man. “Possibly. Who are you?”

Putting on his best smile, Luhan flipped his hair and smirked in a way that drove the ladies nuts, “Luhan, owner of Premium Exotics.”

Kris stared at him for a moment before laughing in that way that made Tao’s knees weak. He would love to hear that sound more often, once he stopped him from dying of course. “No kidding?”

“And I just so happen to be in the market for a fresh face for my next campaign, think he’ll be interested?”

As the two quickly delved into a lengthy discussion, Tao slipped out of the building. Hopefully, Luhan would keep Kris busy long enough for him to get home safely. He forced his unease down as he approached his apartment, nothing seemed out of place. Carefully looking for any cars, Tao made his way across the street. He was almost to the other side, when he felt someone push him forward. As he fell, he looked back and watched in horror as Kris was struck by the car. Crying out in frustration, Tao ran. He darted through the trees in the park, blindly trying to get as far away as he could.

*****

Waking up, he groaned in frustration. How the hell was he supposed to save the idiot if he kept coming out of nowhere? There had to be something he could do, some way to set things right and get time moving forward again. He just had to find it. Tao headed toward the café that afternoon with a plan. He was going to carefully study everything that led up to the accident in hope of finding a clue.

Several days later, and he was at a loss. No matter what he did, things always ended the same. Trudging toward the café, he didn’t even bother getting something to eat and just flopped down at one of the tables.  Closing his eyes, he rested his head on his arms and groaned in frustration.

A shadow fell over his table as something was set down next to him. “Here, you look like you could use some cheering up.”

Snapping his eyes open at the deep voice, Tao looked up to see Kris settling into the seat next to him. He was looking at him with mild curiosity and it was making Tao nervous. “Thanks,” he mumbled as took the cup sitting next to him. He was shocked to find it was his favorite, the one he had been buying every time he came here.

“I’m Kris by the way.”

“Tao.”

“You seem familiar, do you live nearby?”

Tao looked at Kris in confusion. As far as Kris knew, this was the first time they had met, how could he recognize him? Or know how he liked his coffee. “Sorry, I have to go.” Tao quickly excused himself and darted out of the shop, ignoring the hurt look on Kris’s face. This time, when he felt the push, he picked himself up and ran inside. He didn’t look back, he didn’t need to.

As the week progressed, Kris seemed to remember more and more about Tao, and it was scaring him. They would meet in the café and talk for hours before Tao finally forced himself to leave. One time he had gotten so caught up in the conversation, that he didn’t notice the time. One second he was laughing, enjoying Kris’s smile, and the next he was face down on the ground and Kris was dead behind him. After that, he made sure he left with enough time to prepare himself for the inevitable.

“Tao, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he mumbled as he glanced at the clock again. It was getting harder. Even if Kris was remembering some things from their previous meetings, there was still a barrier between them. For Kris, it was like they were long lost friends randomly meeting up after years spent drifting apart. Slowly, Tao had realized that he had fallen for Kris. The way his whole face would light up whenever he talked about his brother. His smile was always half smirk when Tao said something funny, and he was always encouraging him.

“Are you still thinking about your book? I’m sure you’ll come up with something, you just have to stop thinking about it so hard. Let the ideas come freely and the story will be so much better than a forced plot. Reading your works, I can always tell when you were writing something you loved verses forcing the words just so you could meet a deadline.”

Tao blinked in surprise. “You’ve read my stuff?”

Kris blushed as he picked at his cup. “I don’t know, I’ve just been feeling like it’s something I should do. It’s how I always spend my mornings, a warm cup of coffee and one of your novels. It also helps pass the time when Baek’s busy with a shoot and I have nothing else to do.”