There wasnt that much of a difference between their ages and while he was the younger, sometimes he felt like zitao was more childish. But Tao was rather protective and his arms were warm and strong so sehun didnt mind his personality. 

 

At the end of the long day, Tao was always there. Sehun had to study for his college exams and tao had never ending assignments but he always found time for sehun. They would lay in bed together, him refusing to close his eyes because it always felt like there wasnt enough time. 

 

But Tao would kiss his forehead and tuck sehuns red hair under his chin and however hard he tried to keep his eyes open, they would droop closed. 

 

People sometimes wondered why they stuck around each other. College life was hard, there was little time for relationships but the way sehun figured it, if not now; when? Its not like they were little kids, relying on their parents anymore and sehun worked for money to pay bills (not toys) instead of asking his mom.

 

At the end of his freshman year of college (zitaos sophomore year), Tao celebrated with him because sehun had passed all his tests and survived a year of time in the big league. This wasnt elementary school, it was the real world. 

 

They went out to dinner at his favorite ramen restaurant and somehow kai and chanyeol tagged along, boisterous and loud. He'd been expecting something quiet, more layed back like getting drunk at their apartment and falling asleep after letting off some party crackers or something but this turned out to be okay (even though kai somehow found it funny to stick chopsticks up his nose and chanyeol just wouldn't stop laughing when he did that). 

 

When dinner was over, chanyeol and kai split from them, heading in the other direction, chanyeol flitting around and kai pushing him away and the two of them generally acting like buffoons. 

 

Sehun made them some hot chocolate when they returned home because it was a warm summer night but the air conditioning was a little too cold and he was lazy enough that he didnt want to step up on the ladder and turn it down (they had a wall ac and the remote was broken). 

 

Zitao gave him a smile and a kiss and they sat on their bed together, blankets pooled around them with Taos head on his shoulder. The TV was on, the lights off and the noise low and sehun was content to just stay there. 

 

They were young, yes, but sehun was going to make it on his own. Just him and zitao.