tan²( ⅓ π )

Yixing put Chen's pyjamas in the hamper and took a quick, cold shower – hoping Junmyeon wouldn't wake up. It was still a little bit early and they had gone to sleep rather late after working on the homework. And then he also didn't want Junmyeon to know of his little problem, he felt like such a ert. After the shower he got dressed and went to the canteen together with Junmyeon. When they got in they walked straight into Chen, and not so long later Yixing could hear Tao shouting his name happily. They all went to get some food and suddenly Chen went over to a tall boy Yixing thought looked familiar and naturally sneaked an arm around his arm and sniffing the food he was getting. The tall boy jumped slightly and looked down before he shrieked (not at all so manly) 'Chen'. Yixing turned to Tao hoping for some answers or something – he wasn't completely sure, but he had felt like he needed to turn away from Chen and the other (maybe because they were so intimate). But Tao looked like a tomato and seemed to pretend like he wasn't there, and Junmyeon looked just as confused as Yixing felt. Chen turned to look at them, and introduced Junmyeon and him to Yifan. Tao was sneeking glances at the tall boy, but mostly pretending like he wasn't there, and Yifan seemed to look rather intently at the other – hoping he would meet his eyes. They all got some of the school's average food and got a table together. Tao quietly sat down next to Chen, who was completely engrossed in a conversation with Yifan Yixing didn't catch much of. Junmyeon looked utterly sat back at how fast Chen was talking, so Yixing patted his shoulder and Junmyeon whispered to him and asked what they were talking about. Yixing barely avoided to not cringe by the air so close to his neck, and when he whispered back that he wasn't sure himself Junmyeon let out a sigh and looked at him somewhat more relaxed and his lips turned into a smile. They finished eating their food partly listening to Chen and Yifan's conversation before they left for class. Yifan was a third year and left for another building as Chen told him and Junmyeon that he knew him from his university math class.

“Does he know Tao?” Yixing asked, and Chen let a laughter roll of his tongue.

“He was over at our room to return me some notes of mine just before I had to run for an appointment, and Tao ran straight into his arms. Something had fell down behind him in the bathroom, and when Tao realised it wasn't my arms he'd run into he almost started crying again. Luckily Yifan whispered something to him, that made him realise that he wasn't another ghost and that I was standing right there. He turned to look at me and I patted his head to ensure him I was real. But I really had to run, so I made Yifan promise that he'd stay while Tao showered, because he seemed to have a magic touch on Tao, and left them. When I came back Yifan was coming out of the bathroom drying his dripping wet hair with a towel.”

“You managed to reach Tao's head to pat him?”

“Hey! I'm not that short! Be quiet” Chen growled. “Besides, that was at the beginning of this year, Tao's grown a lot.” Yixing laughed so hard he had to hold onto Junmyeon beside him and ruffled Chen's hair. “He still haven't looked Yifan in the eye since that incident though.”

◊

After school Yixing met up with Tao and the others in the dance group. They decided to practice outside since the weather was nice. When they were taking a drinking pause, Yixing walked up to Tao who was bent in two, stretching. Yixing smacked his teasingly and Tao yelped.

“What did you do that for?” Tao nagged.

“It was so tempting I could resist.”

“Hmph, I could file you for ual harrassment!”

“Then I'll file one back for forcing me into the shower.” Tao looked really sat back by that last reply. Yixing barely kept himself from saying 'burn'.

“Chen told me you had showered together with Yifan…” Yixing said, leading. He was hoping Tao would spill why he was so out of character with Yifan. Though it seemed kinda obvious, Yixing still wanted to hear Tao's version of it.

“He's just so patient…” Tao stared into the distance. “I still don't understand why he agreed to stay with me.”

“Well… maybe he wanted to get to know you?”

“It was so strange, I couldn't take my eyes of him. When Chen left he asked what I wanted him to do. I whispered that it was enough if he stood out side the bathroom. So he stayed, but when I shrieked in the shower, he came running in, asking if I were ok. I couldn't stop shaking, so he just dropped his clothes to the floor and walked in, hugging me tight. He kept holding me tight until I stopped shaking, and then he turned off the water and reached for the shampoo and washed me throroughly, then rinsed it all off. He did everything for me and I was just so stunned. I mean, I make people shower with me alot, but no one's ever made me feel so secure. I'm just so shocked by the feelings I get when I see him that I can't … seem to face him?” Yixing pulled Tao closer and ruffled his hair. He didn't know what to say, but he knew Tao was afraid to meet his feelings, and that it was hard for him just to talk about it. The break had went on for a while and the other guys seemed to get impatient, yelling at them to hurry up. Yixing smacked Tao's again as he stood up, and Tao turned to look at him with was he supposed was to seem scary but he could see the other smiling, so he only smirked and winked, following him to the others.

◊

On Friday Tao asked Yixing a question that came so out of the blue that he choked on his food. They had went out for food after practice, the two of them had stayed too long so the canteen was closed, so they had went outside campus to grab something to eat. It was no luxury, but at least it was something partly nutritious. They had been eating in silence, both tired after staying to practice more after all the others, and Tao had just finished learning him wubuquan. Sure, it wasn't that difficult, it had none of those fancy kicks Tao kept showing off to not forget them, but it was a lot to remember. Then Tao had broken the silence, asking “what do you think of boys dating boys?” Yixing hadn't really made up an opinion about it, Tao's question had come so utterly out of thin air Yixing was coughing really badly. He had no idea what to say.

“I don't know,” he said when he wasn't coughing so hard anymore. “Why do you ask?” Tao didn't answer him, so Yixing expected him to be lost deep in his own thoughts, staring at the sky, but when he looked at him he sat there with his eyebrows furrowed boring holes into the table.

“I told Chen, and he told me about how his cat sometimes recieves so much pleasure that when he seems to realise he gets all timid.” Yixing looked at him terribly confused. “I don't understand either, but he told me that maybe I was like that. Maybe I liked being with Yifan so much that when I realised I got so shocked that I didn't dear to get close to him again, afraid that I might… give after? I didn't really understand him, but I've been thinking he maybe meant that I had … feelings for him?”

“Tao, I have no idea what Chen meant, but if you have feelings for Yifan, it is not something that bothers me. I hope you can sort it out.”

“What do you feel when you're with Chen?” Once again, Tao's question came unexpected.

“I don't know…” Yixing caughed as he thought of the incident with Chen's pyjamas. He was definitely not a saint himself. “I guess, I like him,” he trailed off. He had never actually admitted it to anyone, not even himself, and the words that rolled off his tongue shocked him. The weight of them seemed to come falling down like a weather but with the weight of a big block of lead. Tao's laughter kinda called him back to earth.

“Oh, you don't say.” He turned to look Tao laughed of him. “Sorry, but you're really obvious.” Tao said in a more quiet voice, his cheeks blushing a bit.

◊

On the way back to campus, Yixing noticed Tao had fallen back. He turned to see what happen and saw Tao turned to stone, staring at what he then saw was Chen and the university math-gang. Chen was screaming 'what', pushing a very tall tower he'd never seen on campus before. He was almost as tall as Yifan who giggled at them, and Yixing felt a burning sensation before he called out. Chen turned and his pouting turned into a big grin. Yixing dragged Tao with him and Chen gave him a big bear hug.

“Xing~! They were making fun of me!” Chen pouted as he hid his face in Yixing's neck.

“You were making fun of yourself, Chenchen,” the high tower hit Chen laughing. Chen suddenly turned, fire burning in his eyes and kicked the tower's legs repeatedly. The tower was shocked by the quick turn, but even as he tried his best to protect himself he couldn't stop laughing. The two went at it until Yifan went in front of Chen, shielding the new guy and looking at Chen calming him down. Yixing swore he could see Tao's eyes sparkle for a second there.

“Tao, Yixing, this is Canlie. He takes math with us at the university, he's majoring in IT.”

Other than Canlie, Xiumin was there, sending Yixing weird looks. The tower, Canlie, looked like a true nerd. He had big glasses and was wearing a T-shirt with “and then God said,” and some scary looking integrals or something Yixing guessed was the Maxwell's equations for electro-magnetic waves, “and then there were light”. His glasses made Yixing think of the Harry Potter-glasses he'd seen Chen with posted on Weibo, with the caption 'Chenry Potter'. Yixing had felt his hands twitch to save it, but he somehow controlled himself. Still, evenings when he knew Junmyeon wasn't looking, he'd find the picture… Yixing snapped out of his thoughts, and looked at Yifan sneaking glances at Tao endearingly. But what bothered him were the interaction between Canlie and 'Chenchen'. Chen was smacking his arm he was absolutely dumbstruck being lifted into the air. When he came to it he trashed to violently Canlie had a hard time putting him down safely, so Yixing approached and supported him as the tower but him down. He would deny that he went there to make a distance between the two of them, gently guiding (pushing) Chen to his side away from him. Xiumin started giggling, attracting attention, but he waved it off. Then, surprising Yixing, Tao spoke up, his voice more certain than he'd ever heard it around Yifan.

“Hey, are you doing anything now? How about karaoke?”

Canlie seemed to convert into a teeth-model at Tao's suggestion, and draped his arm around Yifan, pushing him down.

“Yeah, come on guys!” He smiled from wisdom teeth to wisdom teeth.

“Wait, can I invite my roommate? I think you could use to get out a bit.”

“Junmyeon? Of course! Tell him bring Baekhyun and Jongin as well,” Xiumin encouraged.

“I'm calling him now,” Yixing smiled as he turned, not walking away wanting to ensure the distance between Chen and Canlie. “Hello? What are you doing? Want to come out? Bring the other Koreans, we are going karaoke.” Junmyeon hesitated on the other side, but Yixing gave him no choice. They went to the running track to wait for them. Jongin was the first one out, shortly followed by Junmyeon. Canlie and Yifan went to buy some beverages (Yixing doubted they would buy non-alcoholic, but he said nothing not wanting to scare good student Jun away. Jun turned away before watching the labels through the bags, answering a telephone.

“Baekhyun can't come.”

“Well, then I guess we're all here. Let's go,” Yifan smiled and Canlie draped his arms around Yifan and Yixing, being the closest. Yixing tried to subtly shake him off, but Canlie merely chuckled and tightened his grip, his elbow around Yixing's neck. The glare Yixing sent him only made him happier.

“So, how do you know Chen?” Canlie asked.

“We're classmates,” Yixing answered monotoned.

“Come on, Xiumin tells me you like math,” Canlie pushed against him.

“That I like math? Xiumin?”

“Yes, that you like staring while others solve questions. Sound like a strange kink to me, but hey, I won't judge.” Canlie coughed as he finished, Yixing had elbowed him rather hard. Luckily, Chen seemed to be busy discussing how to best prove formula for the sum of geometric series with Xiumin, while Junmyeon and Jongin looked rather lost. Tao seemed to have let his mind pass through a wormhole and have yet to return.

“Because what, your kink is gossiping about strangers' lifes? Sounds kinkier,” Yixing glared. Canlie put all his weight on him, laughing. Through their endless bickering, Canlie actually managed to present less hideous. Not that Yixing would admit it. Hearing about Canlie's endless fascination for games, recently 2048, which was the reason he had applied to the same math course as Chen was taking at the university next year, discrete mathematics.

“Isn't that mostly about IT anyway?”

“Well, yes, but it's more fun to know how to do it for hand. Then the computers' way of working becomes so much more magical. But, wait, why do you know?”

“He might be failing math, but he's way more geeky than me,” Xiumin came out of nowhere, tackling Yixing in a head lock.

“It's really fun to hear him slip. Out of the blue, he starts rambling about these complicated theories, like he's talking to himself how the universe is stringe-y for minutes before he just stops. Staring out in the blue.” Chen said.

“Yeah, he's almost as out of it then as he is when he starts staring at Chen.” Xiumin laughed. Yixing kicked him in the leg.

“Isn't that the same? I thought you always started thinking about some insane theory or a song or something. Your look is so familiar to when your jamming and just stop, to thirty minutes later write down papers of sheet music.” Yixing turned to look at Chen, who suddenly turned tomato red. “Not that I stop and watch you for thirty minutes or anything,” he mumbled as he turned his head.

“Wait, you jam?” Canlie butted in.

“Yeah, I play the guitar, and sometimes write stuff down.”

“Hey, me too man! Let's stop by my place and get my guitar!” The others cheered, well Xiumin turned red, and went to Canlie's place. “Han! Are you home? I'm here with Xiumin's friends,” he shooted as he opened the door and kicked off his shoes and waved the others in. Canlie's place was a lot cleaner than expected. Lu Han came walking out of an another door, his hair soaking wet and dressed in a short robe.

“Xiu–?” He asked before seeing his boyfriend and throwing himself over him. “Xiumin!” Xiumin was still a bit pink, but let Lu Han be a big koala, smiling. Until Canlie coughed anyway. “Chen, how are you?” He greeted Chen, before sending Yixing a look that Yixing could only describe as creepy. After greeting everybody, Lu Han excused himself saying he needed to get dressed. Canlie argued that he didn't need Xiumin for that, as he dragged him with him, but Lu Han didn't seem to care and Xiumin seemed to be out of it. Yixing doubted they would be short.

“Play,” Canlie made Yixing stop looking at the door where he was wondering if his friend Xiumin would be okay. Lu Han seemed to be a lot to handle. Yifan had went over to the sofa and was putting the beverages on the table. Chen pushed Tao with him to the sofa and made him sit next to Yifan who kindly offered him a drink Yixing vaguely noted as harmless soda, but Tao grabbed a beer instead. Yifan seemed shocked and wondering if he should stop him, but relaxed a notch and let him as he saw Chen laughing. Yixing took the guitar and sat next to Chen who where mixing soju and cola with napkins, and Canlie sat down next to him, making him scout closer.

“Oneshot, everyone!” Chen cheered, giving everyone a glass each, even to Jongin and Junmyeon who seemed rather sceptic, sitting on the smaller sofa. But they went along with it anyways as Chen raised his glass and sang ganbei, cheers. Yixing put his glass down again and after checking the tuning, he started playing something. Something that positively sounded like he was high. Canlie, cheered, loving it, and he and Chen made drinks and drank so fast Yifan was sure Tao, Junmyeon and Jongin were getting troubles. Tao, unlike the two others, kept asking for it, making Chen and Canlie exstatic. And Tao very drunk. As Tao leaned over Yifan, staring him dead in the eye, ready to jump him, Yifan decided that enough was enough. With a tint of pink on his cheeks he lifted Tao up, and Tao circled his legs around his waist, looking like a cat about to attack. Yifan was certainly red as he walked over to Canlie's bedroom. Junmyeon and Jongin was sure they heard a yelp of help, but they were too afraid of the wushu queen to do anything about it. Chen was busy staring down Yixing, and Canlie and Yixing was to busy with the music to notice anything. Eventually though, they had handed the two Koreans enough alcohol to make them sing a long too, the two bedrooms completely forgotten.

◊

The next morning, Yixing woke up, his head spinning. When his vision started clearing though, he almost fainted. Seeing Chen's lips right in front of his eyes. He was freezing, but Chen was tangled with him, keeping some areas burning hot. He saw Canlie with Junmyeon and Jongin in his arm's on the sofa, before Chen shifted, purring, making him notice a problem between his legs. A problem sticking out high up on Chen's hips. He carefully removed himself from Chen, too stressed to see a similiar problem there. As he had removed himself and was getting up, Xiumin walked in laughing by the sight, making Yixing jump a meter up in the air. Yixing glared at him, but he only laughed harder, and Chen whimpered. Yixing looked around for a blanket before finding one and cover Chen with it, glaring at the still laughing Xiumin once more before walking awkwardly to the bathroom. Because he was stiff after yesterday's training he hissed when Xiumin laughed even harder. On the way to the bathroom though, unsure which door to take, he walked in on a scared Yifan under a sleeping Tao. Yifan shifted, as if to show him, and Tao stirred, violently forcing Yifan back into the previous position. Yifan looked really helpless there, whimpering on the floor. Yixing was sure he could smell something, and Yifan whispered how Tao had used him to satisfy his needs, drunk. But it seemed like he'd made Yifan satisfied as well, and Yixing decided to close the door as Tao started moving, making Yifan cry. He definitely did not want to see that. Luckily, he made it to the bathroom this time, and as Tao had almost scared his problem away, it came back to life as Chen unlocked the door (how?) and walked right in, locking the door again, yawning and stretching his arms, showing his slightly chubby tummy. This time Chen's problem was right in front of his face, making in it slightly hard to overlook.

“Xiumin told me you would be here,” Chen's eyes tightened, making him look like a cat ready to kill. He threw of his shirt, and Yixing felt like he was about to drool, gulping. “In fact, he gave me the spare key,” he laughed dryly as he jingled a key right in front of Yixing's eyes. Judging by his voice he was still drunk.

“Chen –” Yixing whimpered, but Chen kept approaching. “Chen, don't, you're drun–” he said as Chen fell down, he barely caught him. He carefully putted Chen down on the toilet seat, and picked up his shirt, carefully sliding it back on. Yixing could smell fresh alcohol on his breath and he mentally cursed Xiumin. He grabbed a glass, filling it with water, shaking Chen concious enough to take a sip, before splashing his own face with ice cold water, waking up. On the toilet seat, he heard Chen whispering 'I like you', making him heat up again. But it was time to get Chen home, he shouldn't sleep on a toilet seat, so he tried to wrap Chen's arm around his shoulder and help him walk, but Chen was hopeless, making Yixing lift him up as a bag of rice. Yixing fumbled with the key before making it out, greeted by Xiumin and Lu Han gloating in the kitchen eating breakfast, before sighing disappointed 'aw', before turning back to the food. Yixing ignored them, and got Canlie help pick up the Koreans, before walking out, hailing a cab. The dorm, was close, but with Canlie barely walking better than the Koreans and Chen not walking at all, it was still too long. Luckily, thanks to cheap Chinese taxis not caring about passenger limits, they arrived quickly at the dorm. The driver seemed eager to get them out before any of them puked. They tried to be quiet, happy that someone had left the school gate open, and made it all the way to Yixing's room. He could probably have tried fishing for Chen's keys in his pockets, but he didn't feel it would be right. They dumped Junmyeon with Jongin in his bed, and as he tried to get Chen settled in his, Chen dragged him down. Canlie laughed like a madman and tucked them in under the duvet, finding Yixing's glare absolutely hilarious, and laughing,

“What, you were so close to doing it on the carpet anyway, have fun!” before shutting the door. Yixing resigned to his faith (to get a problem once again), and made sure Chen was comfortable.

◊

Yixing felt something wet on his lips as he was stirred awake. But then, he felt something bite, and yep, if he wasn't awake then, he was now. He opened his eyes to see Chen gnawing on his lips, grinning as he drew blood. Yixing shook him, trying to get him to wake up. When he finally got him to open his eyes, he panicked, letting go of Yixing's lips and pushing him off the single bed.

“Ouch,” Yixing whimpered, and he soon saw Chen leaning over the bed, profoundly apologising.

“Oh dear, oh dear, are you okay? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I swear. Oh my, your lips are bleeding!”

“Ssssh, I'm okay, it's okay.” Chen started rambling and Yixing's head was throbbing so badly he swore he wanted to take a Tao and make Chen shut up, and get some more sleep. That seemed hard though, with Chen jumping of the bed, running to the bathroom. He came back with the whole first aid kit, still apologising.

“I'm so sorry, I must still be a bit drunk. I sometimes bite people I like when I'm out of it, gosh, I'm really sorry!” He continued as he poured antiseptic on a cotton pad and pulled Yixing back up on the bed, sitting him next to himself. He leaned over, dabbing it on his lips, his eyes barely inches away from his lips. When he finished cleaning the cut, he stared at it closely, inspecting the damage, both of his hands on Yixing's face. It seemed like he was in a trance, so Yixing – starting to feel a bit uncomfortable – moved his lips about to speak. Just then Chen snapped back, moving away his lips, searching for a band aid.

Chen kept staring after he put on the bandaid. Again, as Yixing was about to say something, Chen got up, and hurried to the bathroom. On the way though, he fell, slipping even though there was nothing there. Worried, Yixing got up to help him, and as he helped him up, Chen refused to make eye contact. Yixing put his hands on Chen's face like he had before, and when Chen finally looked at him he gulped, looking down again. Yixing followed his gaze from where he was watching Chen's cheeks deepening their colour to their feet. About halfway there though, he realised the reason for Chen's embarrassment. Hearing the two Koreans shuffling in the other bed, he quickly pulled Chen into the bathroom with him, locking the door and ignoring Chen rambling shocked protests. He's waited to long for something they both wanted, and he would get things straight now. And he wouldn't mind helping Chen a little extra after they did that.

Skip next chapter if you don't like , you won't miss any of the plot. Thank you so much for reading, even short comments are welcome ^^