While Kris bathed, Tao went around the room cleaning the place up. “Ew,” Tao collected old take out containers and tossed them in the trash can downstairs.

Tao was sitting on Kris’ bed waiting, when Kris came out with nothing except a towel around his waist. Tao covered his eyes and dove under the covers, “Kris!”

Kris laughed as he slipped on his boxers, a t-shirt, and a hoodie, “Nothing you haven’t seen before.”

“Ewww!” Tao said into the Kris’ mattress.

Kris crawled onto the bed and lay down to backhug Tao, “So…”

“Sooo, what?” Tao mumbled.

“Where’s my….”

“You don’t get anything.”

“I won’t tell you anything then.”

Tao slowly turned around until his face was facing Kris’ chest. Tao took in a deep breath and tilted his head up. He pecked Kris on the lips and immediately brought his face back down. “Tell me.”

Kris sighed. “When I was little, my older brother and I would play basketball together.”

“You have a brother?” Tao said into Kris’ chest.

“Yeah, his name is Kevin. He was really good. We both were, so people couldn’t help but compare who was the better player. My parents always rooted for Kevin. Kevin was always first in their hearts. He had the grades, the athletics; he was an all around well rounded guy. I only have basketball. That was practically all I was good at. No matter how many trophies I brought home, they wouldn’t even glance at it because Kevin’s trophies were always more precious than mines.”

Tao hummed as he grabbed onto Kris’ hoodie.

“My parents always loved him more than me,” Kris’ breath caught in his throat.

Tao hugged onto Kris tighter.

“One day, my brother broke his leg in a game in middle school. We left this house and moved to Canada in hopes that they could cure my brother’s leg with the doctors over there. I became captain of the basketball team at my school there, but suddenly, my parents didn’t allow me to play anymore. They said I wasn’t good enough to be captain.”

Tao looked up to see Kris’ watery eyes.

“They said I would never bring the team to victory. I had to live in Canada for the rest of my middle school years tiptoeing around my parents and especially my brother. No, I wasn’t allowed to remind him of basketball. Of what he was missing out on. I grew taller and taller, while Kevin not so much. My dad blamed me. I was beginning to look like a real ‘basketball player’.”

Tao rubbed Kris’ back, “It’s not your fault.”

Kris smiled lightly. “So I asked them if I could just go back to Korea. There was no point in me staying there. To my surprise, they allowed me to go. They didn’t even bat an eye when I packed up. Before leaving the house, I told them I would definitely become captain of my high school and win the largest tournament of the nation.”

Tao nodded encouragingly.

“My father said it would never happen. I wasn’t good enough to do so.”

Kris let out a strangled choke, “And… and he’s right. Three years in a row and our school still hasn’t won. This is my last year to lead us to victory… and I can’t even get it right.”

Tao looked up at Kris, “Cry. Let it out.”

Kris moved down and buried his head into Tao’s shoulder. He silently cried while Tao hugged him. When Kris was finished, Tao spoke softly, “Maybe you should talk to them again.”

“No, I won’t until I win.”

“What about your brother? How did he feel about all this?”

Kris sighed, “He never really said anything, but I could tell he didn’t mean to hurt me. I know he was just sad that he couldn’t play anymore, but I still don’t want to see any of them.”

Tao smoothed Kris’ hair, “Then we should practice differently. Forcing us to overpractice isn’t the way to go.”

“You’re just trying to get out of it,” Kris smiled into Tao’s shoulder.

Tao swatted Kris’ arm, “I’m serious! You made poor Luhan go to the infirmary!”

Kris sighed, “I know. I’m really sorry.”

“Tell that to everyone,” Tao said as he pushed Kris away.

“What? Why are you pushing me away?”

“You stopped crying.”

“I’m still sad, you know?”

“So?”

“I need a kiss.”

“No.”

“Kiss.”

“……”

“Kiss.”

“……..Where?”

“My cheek.