The roof was dark except for the lights from the city, and the stars looked just as hidden as they had before.

Chanyeol, in surprise, turned to see Chen and Baekhyun standing nearby.

“Woahhhh-“

He barely had time to get the words out of his mouth before he saw a glimmer of light, Baekhyun’s expression go to the one he knew so well as shock, and his entire world was rocked as the screams hit his ears.

“HAPPY COMING OUT DAY CHANYEOL AND BAEKHYUUUN!!!!!”

Popping out of nowhere (nowhere being a heating duct, but as high as Chanyeol was it was nowhere) with a cake covered in candles were the other six members, bright grins on five of their faces and the candles of the cake the sixth was holding illuminating his nervous, apologetic smile

“What the…” Baekhyun tried to start. “Y’all…”

“Can we be all sentimental later? I don’t want wax on my cake, so blow this out first, please,” Sehun demanded.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol met eyes, the corners of their mouths rising exponentially fast before they raced over to see who could blow out the most candles the quickest. Naturally, there was no way of determining a winner and the members (aside from Tao, who was busy with the cake,) clapped and cheered. Through the clamor, a sarcastic voice that could only belong to the maknae said, “How did I figure you guys are good at blowing?”

“Lay-hyung, since you have the cake knife, could you cut it, please?” Tao asked.

“He smells like a weed farm,” Xiumin said with a crinkled nose. “Do you honestly think that’s a good idea?”

“Then you cut it, hyung.”

“Why don’t you do it?”

“Because I have something important I want to say. Baekhyun-hyung, Chanyeol-hyung… I…”

All confidence the man had had moments before melted immediately as he looked at the two standing before him. His eyes immediately fell to the ground as tears began to well into them.

“I can’t possibly… If I used my entire life, I could not possibly apologize enough. The truth is, I was really angry, and I let that anger get the best of me, and I tried to get you kicked out of the group. Fortunately, everyone else here is a much better person than I am.”

“I don’t feel comfortable with them in our group.”

A couple of beats of silence followed.

“And why would that be, Tao?” Chen asked in a voice that took no measures to hide his sharp irritation.

“Because, I mean… two-”

“Say the word ‘men,’ ‘guys,’ or ‘dudes,’ and I will see to it that you’re the one ousted from the group.”

“Hey, hey, dial it back,” Lay said in an appeasing but firm tone. “Tao, what on Earth does them being gay have to do with this group?”

“I mean… y’know… we… take showers together and stuff.”

“You go to the showers with other members. Chanyeol usually goes alone. When Baekhyun goes with someone else it’s only because someone asked him, and it’s usually Chen,” Xiumin said.

“Apparently I’m not attractive. Thanks for pointing that out," Jongdae sulked.

“Seriously though, do you ever feel ‘threatened’ or whatever it is that Tao’s concerned about?”

“If I’d felt ‘threatened’, which I wouldn’t have because we’re talking about Baekhyun, I would have already known he’s into guys. Seeing as I’m the best friend of both of them and I had no clue, I’d say Tao’s just being a ing moron.”

“What about the skinship? Won’t it be kind of weird now?”

“No.”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Allow me to reiterate: You’re being a ing moron.”

Tao realized that his heart was beating against his chest. He hadn’t expected all four of them to be so against the idea. “I mean, I’m no homophobe, but I thought you guys might be uncomfortable.”

Chen switched from a deadpan expression to giving Tao a curious look and lacing his fingers together so he could rest his chin on them. “If we’re ousting the gays now, then please write me a three-to-five page essay with a primary and at least three secondary sources as to why you and Sehun should not be the first ones to go.”

“You-“

“Of course,” he continued over Tao, “you also have the option to get your head out of your and accept the fact that you’re the only one with a problem in this group and that those two are here to stay. That is all. ‘Night, guys.”

“Chen, wait,” Lay said, reaching out to touch the arm Chen had just used to prop himself up to a standing position. “We’re not done talking.”

“What else is there to talk about?” Chen whined.

“We called this meeting to figure out what to do.”

“Why do we have to do anything?”

“Knowing Tao, Chanyeol and Baekhyun probably know he has the recording and are worried as the dickens.”

“‘As the dickens?’” Xiumin asked, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly.

“I talk to Baekhyun’s grandma a lot, okay? Anyway, the point is that we should do something to let them know that we don’t give a .”

Chen gasped loudly “Do you talk to Baekhyun’s grandma with that mouth?” He earned himself a glare.

“What should we do?”

“So they decided to throw you a party.”

“Aw, Tao, it’s whatever!” Chanyeol answered, beaming despite his eyes being red. “I just want us to keep being a happy family. Don’t cry, bro!” Promptly, he ran around the heating duct and hugged the hell out of him.

“Don’t trust what he says,” Lay said as he worked on the cake under Xiumin’s guidance. “Trust how he smells. You’re… gonna have to talk to him again tomorrow.”

“Well, I’m not stupid high and I forgive you,” Baekhyun said. “It’ll take a bit, but time heals… or some mushy metaphorical crap like that.”

Nearby, a nudging fight between Kai and Sehun had risen to an audible level before Sehun hissed out “FINE!” He cleared his throat and his lips before opening them again. “I’m sorry for recording it in the first place. It was an invasion of privacy and I will never do it again until next week.”

Baekhyun snorted in good spirits. “Close enough. We’re totally cool.”

“We have the worst maknaes,” Kai muttered.

“That means you, too,” Tao managed to squeak out. The strain in his voice finally alerted Chanyeol to the fact that he was killing him, and he inhaled greedily as he was let go.

“And the logic behind that completely untrue statement is…?”

“It’s like in Japan, y’know,” Baekhyun answered. “If you have two holidays with only one day in between, that day automatically becomes a holiday.”

“Maknae by association,” D.O. said, nodding.

“Wait, when was this decided?”

“Isn’t it pretty much common knowledge?” Suho asked, confused.

“No,” Kai said sorely. “NO,” he was forced to hopelessly reiterate when the other nine nodded their heads.

“Anyway, uh, yeah, there was something else,” Sehun muttered just loudly enough for everyone to hear before he scurried off to an air conditioning unit about ten feet away, grabbing something off the top that was hidden from view and scurrying over to Tao’s side. The others craned the necks to see the object Sehun held, and as he held it out at arm’s length, it became clear that it was a cupcake.

“I hate you for what you did but I like you even more for taking the responsibility. So we like, decided to get this for you.”

“He decided to get it for you,” a cacophony of voices corrected. Sehun’s ears began to turn red.

“So, um… yeah. Take the goddamn cupcake.”

Tao was smiling warmly as he did just that. “Thank you.”

“For ’s sake, one of you two need to confess already,” Chen groaned.

“Not until Chanyeol and Baekhyun kiss,” Sehun shot out immediately. It was clear that he had planned this defense. “It’s their party.”

Chanyeol inched back around the heating duct. Baekhyun inched away. Chanyeol started walking. Baekhyun started walking away, and the situation continued to escalate until Baekhyun was flying down the stairwell, into the dorm, and into his room, followed several seconds later by Chanyeol, who had only paused to kick off his shoes back in the entry. He pulled himself into the room, unsurprisingly losing traction and tumbling onto Baekhyun’s bed as said bed’s owner laughed hysterically from where he was hiding behind the door. Still on his high, Chanyeol inevitably cracked up as well, before he felt a pair of lips press down onto his.

“Come on, let’s go back up.”

“Shiiit,” Chanyeol whined, “Your bed is so comfy, though. And it would look better with you in it.”

“Right now, would you rather sleep, or get in on some sweet, sweet cake action?”

“CAKE, I forgot!” Chanyeol shouted, jumping immediately to attention. “The most important of the food groups!”

“Y’know, I wanna comment on how weird you sound, but I don’t think you talk any differently when you’re sober.”

“Less talking. More cake.”

Hand-in hand, the two went back to join the others on the roof.

“Baek?”

“Yeah?”

“How are we gonna get Sehun and Tao together?”

“We’ll see when we get up there.”