Did I Remember Wrong?
12 weeks with EXO :)
POV: Tao
Genre: comedy, fluff, crack
Warning: incredibly crazy but cute Tao haha
The last thing Tao remembered was the glaring white lights of the enormous twelve ton truck coming towards him.
The last thing Tao remembered was glancing down as himself lying the middle of the path of the giant bulldozer.
The last thing Tao remembered was opening his mouth in a silent scream.
**
Except it wasn't so silent anymore.
"Aaaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" Tao let out a blood-curdling scream as he bolted from the bed, eyes rolling about wildly and lips parted, panting for breath.
His scream was so loud that he failed to hear the crash at the side of his bed as someone fell off the armchair in shock.
"Aaaaa-" Tao began to scream again, when he felt a firm hand clamp over his mouth.
"I would've thought that truck would have at least squeezed out the craziness in you, but I was wrong."
Wide-eyed, Tao turned to stare blankly at the owner of the voice, and the hand. It was a face he didn't recognise, rather handsome and chiselled, warm eyes, firm nose, mouth set in a thin line.
Tao stared at the man in shock. He couldn't breathe. Why couldn't he breathe. Oh, because the man was suffocating him with his hand.
"Warrgh!" Tao shook off the man's hand and backed away from him, eyeing him with a look of fear. "Who are you?!"
The man's face morphed from shocked to concerned to suspicious. "You don't remember me?"
Tao blinked. "Am I supposed to?"
The man rolled his eyes. "Well hell yeah!!"
"Oh." Tao continued to stare at the man, chewing on his lower lip. "I really can't... Remember..."
Just then the doctor burst in with a very worried look. "Tao-sshi!! How are you?"
"Fine. Just that... There is this stranger in my room."
He pointed to the other man, who buried his head in his hands in frustration.
"He is Suho!! You've got to know him! Unless you've lost your memory..."
"LOST MY MEMORY?!" Tao shrieked. "Ohmygawd that only happens on movies!!"
"Answer these for me. Who is Suho? Where does Suho live? Where do you live? What day is today? What happened to you? What were you doing? Are there other casualties?"
Tao looked down, thinking hard. But all that appeared with an empty void. He really clean forgotten everything...
"No... I mean... I don't know..."
The doctor sighed and pulled Suho quickly to a corner. Tao tried to prick his ears and managed to pick up some of the conversation.
"...so what should I do?" Suho looked exasperated.
"It's best you don't tell him about you. That you're his..... ...."
"But will he know? What if he doesn't remember?"
"He should, within a week."
WEEK?! Tao thought. Imagine living a week in a world that you don't know and don't recognise!! That's terrible. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and began to moan.
Immediately there were two pairs of hands on him. "Are you okay?" "Tao what's wrong?"
"LEGGO ORF MEEEEE!!!!!"
**
"So... Where do I live?"
On the day of his discharge from hospital, Tao was standing beside Suho as he signed him out and did the paperwork for him.
Suho shrugged. He obviously wasn't going to reveal anything to Tao.
"Hey! Then where do I go now?"
Suho turned and stared at him pretty hard. "Hmm... I have an extra room in my house..."
"NO NO NO NO NO WAYYYY" Tao backed away from the man, who began to chuckle uncontrollably.
"You've got no other place. Unless you can think of one."
"My parents!!" Then Tao remembered his parents live in China, and groaned.
Suho seemed to notice that Tao knew that wasn't a choice, and he grabbed the taller man's elbow, pulling him along.
Tao opened his mouth. "B-"
"Just shut up and come."
**
Suho brought Tao to his house. It was a small apartment with two bedrooms and a kitchen and a living room and a bathroom. Small, but cosy enough for two. Tao stood at the doorway and blinked.
There, on the mantlepiece, was a picture of Tao and Suho laughing together while pointing at something. And there was another picture of Tao and Suho at what seemingly looked like Tao's high school graduation.
"Oh... So I do know you..."
"What the. Duh!!? I wouldn't randomly take in strangers..." Suho laughed and shook his head in amusement.
"Anyway, you're sleeping in here." Suho gestured to a room. "It's pretty messy though, god knows why the previous owner didn't clear his room since, like, computers were invented or something."
Tao stared at the older incredulously. What kind of a host does this to their guest?
Grumbling, Tao yanked his bag towards the room. And stopped short at the door.
**
There were pandas, soft plushy ones, cutout standee ones, money box ones, little collectible ones, and even drawn ones, everywhere - on the floor, table, wall, even ceiling. And there were trophies, lots of them. Tao stepped closer to look. They were from martial arts competitions.
And the thing that made him sit roughly on the ground in shock due to his knees buckling under him was the caricature figurine beside the bed.
Prominent nose, small mouth, eyes curved into little crescent moons, and puffy lower eyelids.
Oh god, Tao thought. That's me.
That's me!!!!
I live here? I'm the owner of this room? Oh my goddddddd!!!!
I live in the same apartment with Suho?! Oh my gooo-
Wait.
Does that mean...
He and I....
We are LOVERS?!
Suho burst into the room and found Tao screaming on the floor.
"Wha wha wha...." He approached the hysterical boy on the floor. Tao screamed louder and kicked him away with surprising skill, causing Suho to sprawl flat on his back, groaning.
There was a smile on Suho's lips as he stood, wincing. "Seems like you remember your skill. That's... Relieving." He shot Tao a pained look and walked away.
Tao stared at him, and then he clutched his head and groaned.
**
During dinner, Tao couldn't look at Suho in the face. It was just so awkward - his sudden realisation earlier about how Suho could be his lover. He just felt so creeped out by the idea of... Hugging...and...Kissing... That guy.
Tao shuddered suddenly, causing Suho to raise his eyebrow, munching on his carrots.
"What now?" He sighed.
"N-nothing..." Tao managed a weak smile and resumed his dinner. Somehow the food tasted great and he felt happy eating it. Was this his favourite meal? And it was prepared by Suho. Suho cooked my favourite meal? Oh my goooodddddd....
Tao bit back an urge to groan again, as he knew Suho would just freak out and try to touch him, again.
No, if Suho was really his lover, he was definitely NOT ready to go touchy feely with him.
**
"Goodnight."
Suho was standing over Tao with a sad look, as Tao climbed into bed that night.
"Goodnight Suho..." Tao watched as Suho sighed and left the room.
Why is Suho so sad? Tao swallowed as he remembered the possibility of Suho being his lover. Was he sad that I couldn't remember him? Did he miss the old me? Did he miss hugging...and...kissing... me?
Tao suppressed a shudder, and made a firm promise to himself.
Tomorrow, I will find out what I feel towards Suho.
**
The next morning dawned quickly, and Tao got out of bed in a flash, ready to carry out his plan.
After all, it was already day 5 of the one week that he had to discover who he was and who Suho was to him. The hospital stay did nothing to help him recover his memories, so he figured he needed to act quickly.
Tao tiptoed to the neighbouring room, and pushed open the door. There on the bed, laid Suho in a slumber, his limbs flung messily on the bed, mouth slightly open, blankets strewn clumsily over his body.
Tao silently went over to the man and pushed him closer to the edge of the wall, and then climbed onto the bed with him, wrapping his arms around the older man's waist, and closed his eyes.
Not even five minutes later, he was awoken with a huge shriek and a rough shove that sent him sprawling to the floor.
"Argh damn!! Why'd you push me!!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Suho roared, his face burning red in shock.
"I... I..." Tao panicked and clambered to his feet, blushing furiously.
Suho collected himself, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. "Tao... You... Do not hop onto my bed like this."
"Why...?"
"That..." Suho groaned and ruffled his hair. "Forget it. Uh, I've got to go to school."
That reminded Tao. "Do I have school?"
Suho turned to him with an exasperated look. "You don't remember?!"
"No..."
Suho slapped his forehead. "No. You don't. You just graduated and you're waiting for university applications to start next month, okay?!"
"Oh..."
"So just stay at home today."
"Okay..."
Suho blew out his breath through his mouth and stomped out of the room. Tao rubbed his aching back and pouted.
I... I still don't know what I feel about Suho. Maybe he's just pushing me away because he's shocked? Anyway, I'm not done with this plan yet.
Nodding to himself in steely determination, he left the room in search for Suho.
**
After breakfast, Tao spotted Suho at the door, getting ready to go to school. He was sitting on a bench near the front door, his back facing Tao, putting on his shoes.
Aha, my chance. Tao went up to Suho stealthily and wrapped his arms around the shorter man, resting his chin on his head snugly.
Tao felt the other man freeze, and his fingers stopped tying his shoelace in mid-motion.
"Tao... What are you doing?!"
"Hugging you." He stated the obvious.
Suho didn't move. He was still frozen in shock.
Tao hurriedly pecked Suho on the cheek and let go of him, making him wobble dangerously and nearly crash on the ground.
"Goodbye Suho!! See you later." Tao called over his shoulder, as he quickly scuttled to his room, a smile growing on his face.
Hey hey what is this I'm feeling? Tao chuckled and buried his face in his hands, once safely in his room. Am I blushing? Oh my gooodddd.....
**
That evening, Tao was clumsily attempting to prepare a dish of omelet rice but in the end the egg just can't flatten itself nicely on the rice so he gave up and it became fried rice with omelet at the side.
He had just finish separating the food into two plates when the front door opened and Suho entered the house, peering about warily as if he anticipated some attack.
Tao waved at him from the kitchen. "I cooked dinner!"
Suho visibly relaxed. "Thank god, I was hungry."
"Yay that's great! Because I cooked... Omelet rice!" He held out a plate with something that... barely resembled... Omelet rice.
Suho looked at it, and then accepted the plate without batting an eyelash. Tao furrowed his brow. Did he use to cook this horribly last time, too?
Suho brought the plate to the living room, where he sat down and crossed his legs, eyes glued to a drama serial on the television. Tao pattered over and sat beside him, a little TOO close to him. Suho turned to stare at him, and inched away slightly.
"Suho ah... Do you hate me?" Tao pouted sadly.
Suho choked on his rice. "N-no I don't, Tao. What made you think so?"
"Well, I tried to hug you and you pushed me away... I sit next to you and you move away..."
"That's because you're too close!!" Suho threw his hands up, and knocked his plate over on the process.
"Aaaahh..." He tried to grab the rice with his hands, and ended up with a shirtful of rice and egg.
Tao couldn't help but burst out laughing. "You're so silly!" He giggled, and proceeded to pick a grain of rice from Suho's cheek, and ate it.
Suho turned a strange shade of pink, and he stood hurriedly. "I'm going to clean up" he muttered under his breath, and almost ran to the kitchen.
Tao watched him as he dashed off, with a tiny smile on his face.
Could this mean...
**
The next morning, Tao awoke to another loud shriek and another rough shove that sent him flying off the bed, but this time he was more prepared. Tao rolled on the soft blanket that he had laid out on the ground, laughing hysterically as Suho sat up with an estranged look on his face.
"T-Tao, I said n-no lying on my bed..."
Tao just giggled. He was really enjoying this.
Suho groaned once again. "I think you have really lost your mind..." He shook his head, shoulders slumped, and trudged out of the room.
Tao didn't try to attack Suho again, because the latter was on a constant lookout for him the whole morning. It was a Saturday, and that meant no school for Suho... And that also meant stay-home day for Suho.
Tao caught Suho sitting in the kitchen, desperately dialling numbers. "Answer, Luhan, damn it stop ing Sehun and answer MY PHONE!!" He yelled, seething.
Then he threw his phone in the sink and covered his face, making a loud strangled sound.
Tao approached Suho cautiously. "Suho ah..."
"What?" Suho looked up at him, eyes tired.
"Let's go out for lunch. Since Luhan..." That name sounded vaguely familiar to Tao, "... doesn't want to go out with you."
Suho moaned. "That's what I'm avoiding."
"Me?"
"Yes, you." Suho looked like he was going to cry. "I think you need time to... to fully regain your memory and I think... me being here is just hindering you."
"No you're not!!" Tao protested. He thinks he is hindering me? Tao thought, exasperated. "But Suho, you..."
Tao walked purposefully towards Suho, narrowing the gap. Suho's eyes widened and he quickly stood up and tried to back away, but ended up tripping over the leg of the chair and flying backwards.
With superspeed reflexes, Tap swooped forward to catch his falling friend, and stop him from crashing head first into a cabinet behind him.
But that left them in a very intimate, uncomfortable position. Tao's lips hovered directly above Suho's as he gripped tightly onto the smaller man's waist. Suho's hands flailed about uselessly for a while, before resting on Tao's upper arms.
"U-uh..."
Tao's heart was pounding madly. Was he supposed to react like that when Suho was in his arms? Was he supposed to have his heart pounding and his throat running dry and his palms starting to sweat and his face feeling so hot?
That's it, Tao reasoned. That's because Suho is my lover.
And he leaned down to seal the gap between their lips. Suho tasted soft and sweet and manly all mixed together, and Tao liked it very much. His eyes fluttered shut.
That made him fail to see Suho's expression, which was stuck between horrified and just plain stunned.
"I'm sorry I forgot, Suho." Tao murmured as he ended the kiss, brushing his lips against Suho's own. The other boy's eyes had glazed over and he was still like a corpse.
"Suho?" Tao pecked him on the nose. That seemed to be the wake up call for Suho, who suddenly snapped to reality and let out a muffled yelp, pushing Tao off him and stumbling out of the kitchen in shock.
"Suho! Suho!" Tao ran out to see Suho disappearing out of the house, slamming the door shut behind him.
He leaned on the door jamb, puzzled. Why is Suho running away? Huh. Did he lose his memory too?!
**
It was night by the time Suho returned to the apartment, his face a weird ashy-grey colour, obviously not over what had happened earlier that noon.
Tao sat in the couch, watching a romance serial and nonchalantly chewing on some apple chips. He looked up when he saw Suho, and grinned broadly.
"Su..."
Suho marched up to him, causing his words to die in his mouth. He flicked off the television and sat facing the younger boy, eyes grave.
"Tao. I need to ask you something. This is important."
Tao's eyes widened at the severity of the look in Suho's face.
"Yeah...?"
"What exactly do you remember? I really need to rule out the fact that you have completely lost your mind, because that is a bigger cause of concern."
"I didn't LOSE MY MIND!! I... I remember that you and I are lovers and..."
"Wait. WHAT?!" Suho's face turned a strange shade of green. "LOVERS?!"
"Are we not?" Tao was feeling extremely alarmed at Suho's reaction. "I mean, I really felt something when I kissed you and hugged you and I feel deliriously happy so I thought..." He voice died off at the sight of Suho's face paling.
"Tao, we are flatmates. We are FLATMATES, Tao. Oh god."
Tao felt his jaw drop all the way to the ground in immense shock. Flatmates?! We aren't lovers?! So I have been intimate with a guy that is merely someone I share an apartment with?!
Then it hit him. All the memories rushed back into his head.
Tao coming to Korea two years ago, excited to study Korean in a foreign international school.
Tao finding Suho online, who agreed to share an apartment with him as long as he does not bring girls in and host any parties.
Tao living with Suho for the past two years, growing used to each other's crazy antics like talking to themselves in the toilet and playing with stuffed toy pandas, and complaining about how horrible girls are over a bowl of popcorn or chips and soda.
Tao and Suho, a perfectly platonic relationship.
Tao blinked back to reality, and stared, horrified, at Suho's ashen face.
Then what were those feelings he had when he hugged and kissed Suho?!
Tao fell back onto the couch, and did the first thing he brain told him to.
"Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhh!!!!!"
**
Tao didn't know how he was going to face Suho in the morning.
He tossed and turned in his bed, still trying to adjust to the thousands of new memories and emotions and feelings flooding his head.
But there was one feeling that wasn't there before he met with the accident.
And that was the feeling that was keeping him awake, at 3AM at night, unable to go to sleep.
The feeling of attraction towards his flat mate of two years.
Tao moaned helplessly and wrapped himself in the blanket, round and round like a sushi.
Oh my gggggooooddddddd.....
**
The next day dawned. It has been exactly one week since Tao woke from his coma. And it was time to go back to the checkup.
And Suho was supposed to go back with him.
But Tao doubted that the older man would actually want to, given he had unconventionally confessed his feelings to Suho. Very unconventional, indeed.
Breakfast was the most awkward meal Tao had ever had in his entire meal. Suho had prepared eggs and sausage, and they sat at the table, chewing in silence, avoiding eye contact.
But the tight bubble was broken when Tao and Suho both reached out of the pepper pot at the same time, and their hands brushed.
"S-sorry!!" Tao managed, as Suho flinched from the touch.
"Uh, Tao, remember to go to your checkup today." Suho stood in a hurry, face unreadable.
"You're... Not coming...?" Tao looked down sadly, knowing that Suho usually cannot say no to his pitiful pout.
He was glad that didn't change, because a few seconds later, a loud sigh was heard, accompanied with an "oh alright."
**
At the hospital after the mandatory checkup, the doctor peered at Tao anxiously, as Suho looked on, worriedly.
"Is there something wrong, doctor?" Suho asked uneasily.
"Nothing... Hmm. Can you leave the room for a while?"
Suho sighed and stepped out. The doctor turned back to Tao.
"You said what?!"
"I thought he was my boyfriend" Tao dipped his head, looking sheepish.
"People don't usually develop feelings that fast, you probably liked him even before the accident."
"What?!" Suho tumbled through the apparently half-open door, shocked.
Tao and the doctor turned in surprise to see Suho standing in the room, looking busted.
"Uh, I was, you know..."
"EAVESDROPPING!!" Tao shrieked. "Aaaaarrrrrrrgggghhhh..."
He choked on his saliva when the doctor smacked his chest with newspaper.
"We're in a hospital, please mind your volume, Tao-sshi."
"Wait." Suho grabbed the doctor's arm. "So he's fine? We can go?"
The doctor managed a weak smile and nod before he felt a whoosh and Suho yanked Tao out of the room and dragged him at superhuman speed out of the hospital.
The doctor blinked. "What just happened?"
**
Tao felt himself pushed and pulled until they were at the basement car park. Suho let go of his arm and turned to face him, expression burning with... Anger? Passion? Tao didn't know.
"Is it true?" He breathed.
"What?"
"Liking me even before the accident."
"... I can't remember..."
Suho groaned loudly and looked like he wanted to smush his head repeatedly on the wall behind him.
"You are so confusing, Tao."
"I am?" Tao chewed on his lip, and then broke into a smile.
"The past doesn't matter, what matters now is that I like you."
Before Suho could react, Tao strode over and kissed him really hard in the mouth, and Suho's eyes widened in response, he didn't kiss back but he didn't pull away.
When they broke apart, Tao took one look at Suho's dazed look and burst out laughing.
"Your face... Just makes me... RLAB!! Ahahahahahaha..."
"K-kissing me is n-not s-some laughing m-matter, T-Tao..."
"I know, but I like you."
"What, that doesn't mean you c-c-can k-kiss m-me!!"
"It doesn't?" Tao cocked his head like a 4-year-old child, and Suho couldn't help but smile.
"Don't pull your aegyo on me now, Tao."
"You like me too, don't you."
Suho's face turned a brilliant shade of red. He stared at Tao in shock, as if it was the first time he heard Tao say something intelligent.
"I do?"
"You do." Tao giggled. "Honestly, you reacted like a freaking-out fangirl when I kissed you. And I actually thought you were the one who lost your mind!!"
"What the hell Tao." Suho couldn't hide the fact that he was on full-blown blush mode now. And Tao knew that perfectly well.
"It's okay," Tao shrugged with a small smile playing on his lips. "I can't force you to like me. But then I'm shameless so I'm going to tell YOU," he jabbed Suho's chest with a finger, "that I like YOU, like it or not."
"Tao. I need to strangle someone now."
"Not me!" He sing-songed, and started to walk off.
"Tao!!"
"Hmmmmmmfffmmmmmmcan'thearathing...."
"TAO!!" A firm hand grabbed his arm and yanked him backwards, towards a wall. Suho pushed him until he was flat against the pillar, and he leaned up real close (as close as he could with his short stature).
"You do not order me around, you're just a Tao-zi, I'm older and I'm your hyung so listen to me!!" Suho ranted, breath fast and hot on Tao's face.
Tao simply stared at him with an amused smile. "Yes, hyung?"
"I do not like you, understand?"
"Okay." Tao felt crest-fallen.
"I love you, understand?"
"Oka- WHAT?!"
Suho reached and planted a quick kiss on his lips.
"Hell I honestly thought all these years you would pick up so much as one hint. You are the most oblivious guy on earth, I swear. A old lady could pickpocket you and you won't even know. A gigantic truck could appear in front of you and you won't even notice it. Oh god right, that's how you ended up losing your memory. Seriously. I don't know, I... Argh."
Tao stared at Suho, unmoving.
"When you were acting all lovey dovey with me I was flipping out and I thought you went bonkers because I knew there was no way you would actually like...someone like me. After all these while liking you, I probably grew immune to the possibility of you liking me, or something. Ahahah. I've gone mad haven't I. Okay someone bury me now."
Oh. My. Gggggooooooddddddd.....
Tao didn't know how to react to this. So he did the first thing his mind told him to.
"Waaaaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhh!!"
A/N: ok seriously what am I writing. This is ridiculous but oh well. I'm just transferring all my madness into this fic. Sorry Tao for making you go bonkers this time. But it's actually fun haha.
Any Sutao shippers? Haha I would think this is a rare ship (despite that awkwardly cute pepero kiss on china love big concert that they shared)
*RLAB: roll like a buffalo. Means ROFL. (EXO fans will know this.)
*Tao-zi: peach in Chinese.
i am currently overflowing with oneshots like seriously. idk which one to post first sighhh
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