Tao hated eggplants. He absolutely despised eggplants, mostly because they tasted horrible, but also because he had a problem with its name. Why, he thought, would you name a purple, squishy plant eggplant? It's not like the disgusting thing hatches out of an egg.

       So that's why he was looking at his breakfast this morning with a particularly distasteful glare. Because his cook, and gardner, Chanyeol, had put eggplants in it.

       "Chanyeol! Why are there eggplants in my breakfast!?" He yelled into the kitchen, sounding exactly like a whiney little kid.

       "Because, SIR" Chanyeol retorted, strutting out from the doorway, "you need to stop being a picky little and eat all your vegetables."

       Tao made a face and grumbled, "But you know I hate eggplants. And I thought I was supposed to be the one in charge here, you know, since you're my cook and you're supposed to respect my orders."

       Chanyeol snorted, "I'll start listening to you once you lose your 'little kid' attitude." He glanced at the clock, then eyed what Tao was wearing, which were his pair of his favorite pajamas. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be meeting that new butler soon?" He gestured to Tao's outfit, "Maybe you should go get changed."

       Tao glanced at the clock, gave a little yelp, and rushed upstairs to change, but not before flashing Chanyeol one last look.

       Tao had been born into a rich family and had had his own house since he turned 19. He still went to school but had proven that he could live on his own. His family had also supplied him with a butler, cook, gardener, and cleaner. The old butler had served Tao for a long time, but had had to retire because he was getting old and Tao didn't want to hurt him on the job. So he asked his dad to get him a new butler and after a week of waiting, the new guy, or girl, was finally here.

       Trotting to his room, Tao dug around in his closet and found a blue long sleeved shirt. Deciding it would have to do, he threw that on, along with a pair of his favorite black skinny jeans. Then he sprinted to the bathroom to check that there were no drool marks on his face and no food in his teeth, before finally heading downstairs. Almost slipping and cracking his face open in the process.

       As he jumped down the last step, the doorbell rang. Tao rounded the corner to find Baekhyun, his cleaner, already opening the door. A little gasp of surprise slipped out of his mouth as his new butler came into sight.

       He, thank the heavens, was tall and good looking. With melted, dark eyes and shining brown hair ruffled in an appealing manner. He wore a white t-shirt hidden under a jacket suit that hung off his tall frame. A pleasant smile graced his lips as he bowed to Tao. "Good morning Sir, I'm going to be your new butler from today on. My name is Kris, it's a pleasure to meet you." His voice was deep and held a rough edge that made Tao weak in the knees.

       Tao bowed back, a light blush already creeping onto his face. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Kris. Please, make yourself at home" He stepped aside to let Kris in. As Kris took in the fancy living room, Tao smiled at him, "So, how does your new home look?"

      "It looks wonderful. Everything's so clean, " Kris grinned back at Tao.

      The younger boy melted a little on the inside.

       Baekhyun waddled inside a second later, carrying the new butler's suitcases. "And it's all thanks to me everything's the way it is," he said, his voice dripped sass. "If I wasn't here I don't know how dirty this house would be. With Tao throwing his socks around everywhere and not cleaning his room."

       Tao smacked his cleaner's arm, only to have Baekhyun jab him back in the stomach.

       "Oww..." Tao whined.

       "Ugh, this little kid." Exasperated, Baekhyun picked up Kris's suitcases and with a last eye roll, led Kris up the stairs to his new room. The young master gave Baekhyun's retreating figure the stink eye, but after a moment followed them to Kris's room.

       The room was reasonably sized and clean, with a window on one wall that let in plenty of light. A bed sat in the middle of the room, with the headboard pushed up against one wall. A small lamp sat on a desk that stood beside the bed paired with a chair. The room also had a door that was conveniently connected to Tao's room, just incase Tao had an emergency.

       After Baekhyun and Tao explained where the bathrooms were and the other basic stuff, Kris seemed comfortable enough in his new room, so they left him alone to unpack his things.

       Tao sighed as he closed the door to his room, wondering how he would ever restrain himself from just tackling his new butler and kissing the life out of him. Shaking his head in defeat, he curled up on his poofy bed with one of his favorite books and buried himself in the story.

                                                                                                                ****

       *knock knock* Tao was pulled from his story by the sound. Jerking his head up, he glanced at his door then at his clock. It was already twelve in the afternoon, and he realized he had spent the last two hours reading.

       "Master Tao? May I come in?"

       Tao smiled at the sound of his butler's voice. "Of course, you can come in whenever you like." The door opened and Kris stepped inside, flipping the hair out of his eyes. "Kris, you don't have to be so formal with me. My old butler just called me Tao," the younger boy told him as Kris came to stand by his bed.

       Kris stared at Tao for a moment, "Hmm, but I would prefer to call you something formal because I'm already used to it."

       Closing his book, Tao shrugs, "Well, you can call me something formal if you really want to. Doesn't bother me much." He gives Kris what he hopes to be a charming smile and says, "I want you to treat me like a friend though, not like some old man, okay?" Kris nods and smiles. "Baekhyun and Chanyeol treat me as a friend so I want you to as well."

       Kris chuckles, "They seem to like to tease you a lot."

       Tao pouts and hugs his book to his chest, "They used to be like you too, all respectful and everything. Until they gradually got used to me. Now they just see me as a friend." Tao pats his bed, motioning for his butler to sit down. "Now, what did you come here to see me for?"

       The bed sags as Kris sits down, "I just wanted to know what I'm really supposed to do as your butler." Absently, he plays with the edge of Tao's blanket. "Your parents sort of went over it with me but they weren't really specific."

       Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Tao tries to remember what his old butler did for him. "Well, let's see. Henry, my old butler, woke me up in the mornings, drove me places I needed to go, like school. He drove me to school and picked me up everyday. I remember he also took care of me whenever I was sick. Just, basically whatever I needed I guess." He looks up to find Kris staring at him in a daze. Narrowing his eyes, Tao waves a hand in front of Kris's face, "Hello? Earth to Kris."

       Kris jerks his head back, looking sheepish. "Sorry Sir. Ok so send you to and from school, take care of you when you're sick. Wake you up in the morning. Got it."

       So he was listening, Tao thinks. Nodding, he smiles, "Yep, and the rest of the time you can do whatever you want."

                                                                                                                  ****

       The rest of the afternoon passes uneventfully, except Baekhyun scolding Tao again for leaving his books on the dinner table. Evening descends on the house and Chanyeol cooks dinner with the help of Baekhyun. The four seat themselves at the table and Chanyeol and Baek immediately start bombarding Kris with questions about himself.

       "Where were you born?"

       "Guang Zhou."

       "Where's that?"

       "China."

       "How old are you?"

       "Twenty one."

       Tao watches admiringly from his seat as Kris answers all the questions patiently. After a while, the two run out of things to ask, but Tao has formed a question in his head.

       "Are you gay?" Tao blurts the question out, not quite thinking about what he just asked. Chanyeol looks up at him, startled. Baekhyun chokes on his rice.

       Kris raises an eyebrow in surprise and after a moment of hesitation says, "Why would you ask that?"

       Blushing, Tao looks down at his plate and tries to make an amendment, "W-well, it's just that these two are gay, for each other I might add. So I just...wanted to know if you were too.You totally don't have to tell us if you don't want to."

       Baekhyun slaps Tao on the arm, "Yah! Did you have to bring us two into this?"

       Making a hurt face, Tao rubs his arm, but before he can answer, Chanyeol wraps his long arms around Baekhyun and pecks him on the cheek. "Well, whatever," he declares. "Know you know, so we don't have to hide anything anymore." Baekhyun turns bright red at the kiss and tries to struggle out of Chanyeol hold but only succeeds at smushing his face into the latter's chest.

      The whole time, Kris just sits quietly in his seat, watching the scene unfold in front of him with an amused expression. After Baekhyun finally stops struggling to break away from Chanyeol, they all turn back to Kris, expecting him to say something.

       "Yes," he says.

       Tao frowns, "Yes what?"

       "Yes, I am gay."

 

 

AN: ermegerhd that was horrible wasn't it. I was cringing internally the whole time writing this and while reading this.

Honestly, I have no idea where this story is going, so expect more random crap.

Thank you to those who subscribed :)

--EL