Tao contemplated the mannequin wearing his outfit. It didn’t seem right. The pants looked fine but the way the shirt and jacket looked was just wrong. It didn’t sit on the mannequin’s body the way he’d envisioned it in his mind. He sighed and carefully pulled off the jacket he’d spent two weeks working on. Jacket resting on his arm, much like a napkin would on a waiter’s arm, he readjusted the shirt’s position for the hundredth time.

“I just had to get the one professor who likes hands on work from the start.” He muttered while continuing to mess with the shirt, still completely unsatisfied by its placement.   

“I’m pretty sure that if you tug on that shirt one more time it's going to start getting wrinkles at best or tear at worst.” Sehun said quietly as he entered their shared room. He set his backpack down on his bed before coming to stand beside Tao, eyeing the mannequin critically.

“Help me! It doesn’t look right. This is the last outfit and then Baekhyun and I can start working on the actual video for my project.” Tao whined and stepped away from the mannequin, annoyed. He picked up his water bottle from his bed and took a sip while he watched his friend adjust the shirt for him.

Sehun moved it around and it settled perfectly. Just how Tao envisioned when he’d started piecing the outfit together. Tao sealed his water bottle, tossed it on his bed, and made his way back over to the mannequin. He took the jacket and added over the outfit.

Perfect.

“Thank you Sehunnie. It’s perfect now. I just need a shot of it before I move it to the studio where I’m storing them all along with the other students. Do the honors?” Tao handed his best friend his small digital camera. The blond captured the design from multiple angles before handing it back.

“All done. Now forget about this and come with me to get bubble tea. I need to talk to you about some stuff.”

“Are you paying? Because I don’t have any money till the end of the week when my parents deposit into my bank account again. All the materials for this project were crazy expensive.” Tao asked while running a hand through his dyed red hair to make presentable. Once done he was grabbing his essentials.

“Yeah sure. Remind me to get a couple memory cards while we’re out too.”

“Sounds good. I want all the extras too Sehun.”

“Don’t push it Tao.”

“We’ll see about it.”

~~

“Wait so you actually have human emotions for this guy? Like you care for him beyond the general ‘he’s alive so if something happens to him then I should be concerned because I am also alive’ thing you feel? I mean you only care about a select few, as one of those select few, I feel like questioning whether you’re serious or not. This is weird.” Tao sipped his delicious bubble with all the extras he usually didn’t get to indulge in and watched his friend.

“Yes. I’m just as taken aback by it as you are. I know I’m not the type to care. I think I know that better than anyone but it's weird. He’s different. He doesn’t act his age and he cares in his own nosey way. He wants his friends to be happy you know?” The blond stirred his straw as much as he could in his bubble tea and didn’t look up. Tao was at a loss with this new Sehun behavior. It was something he’d never seen before.

“I know that. We’ve been around them long enough now. All the practices and get togethers we’ve managed to squeeze in have made it possible to get to know all of them. Still out of all people you pick the nosey loud senior? Also, can I point out how betrayed I am that you aren’t completely in love with me anymore?”

“Completely in love with you? Oh Tao, you know I will always be completely in love with you. I’m your backup husband remember? Like I’d break a promise I made when we were five. Come on. Really though, the nosey loud senior is the one who gets to me. I find myself looking at him all the time. I want to take pictures of him and create a perfect set of shots to display for my end of the year exhibition.” Sehun drained half of his bubble tea in a couple seconds while Tao tried to process the last bit.

Sehun being his backup hubbie was something he knew like he knew his name. The other bit, the pictures for the end of the year exhibition, that was hard to process. From the moment Tao had heard that Sehun would have to take enough shots to make a display and then let it be shown at an exhibition, he’d been hounding his friend to let his designs be the focus of the pictures. Sehun hadn’t immediately agreed like he’d expected. If anything he’d disagreed or at least that was the way Tao had taken the lack of affirmation.

“Oh Sehunnie...you’ve got it bad. So bad.” Tao murmured quietly.

“Yeah. I figured that out thanks.”

~~

The next day they had a practice to attend. Sehun had helped Tao take his latest creation to the storage place and then insisted they go out for a late lunch before attending practice. They’d run into Baekhyun and Chanyeol at the small cafe and ended up at one table.

“We can start working on the video this weekend. Do you have actual models for the outfits or what?” Baekhyun asked around a mouthful of chicken sandwich. Tao made a slight face of disgust and the older boy blushed as he chewed and swallowed. “Sorry about that. So do you have actual models or do we need to recruit those too?”

“I was just going to ask Sehun and maybe you two if you didn’t mind? I mean there’s more than a dozen outfits but split between the three of you it shouldn’t be too bad right? That is if you all agree.”

“I wouldn’t mind doing it. As long as I can take pictures of the whole production so I can make a potential display for my exhibition.” Chanyeol said before reaching for his glass of cola.

Just the opportunity Tao had been waiting for. Sure it wasn’t Sehun but Chanyeol was also fantastic at his major. He couldn’t let this opportunity go by.

“By all means Chanyeol, please do. Sehun? Baekhyun?”

“You know I always end up giving in to stop your whining. So sure.” Sehun muttered before finishing his salad and pushing away the empty plate.

“I mean, we can get a tripod or have one of the others film when it's my turn to wear stuff. I am all for this. I love fashion. You have got to know that by now. Although if you have more than a dozen outfits then maybe we can ask the others? Turn it into an Exo fashion show. It would do wonders for your project and it would make the whole production much easier and far quicker.” Baekhyun suggested a bright grin on his face now.

The whole idea brought a bright smile to Tao’s face too. If he could get the others to agree then he’d have more models and more press as a designer in the making. It was perfect.

“I’m going to convince the others if it kills me.”

~~

Their practice that afternoon went well. The dancing was just as exhausting as always but they hadn’t done it for as long as usual. The different groups had split up: vocalists, rappers, and visual. So naturally Tao and Chanyeol went off to one side of the room with Yifan to try and work out the flow for the song they’d be performing.

“You know Yifan, you’ve got that whole model appeal going for you right? The hair, bone structure, height.” Tao could admit to himself he’d sounded a bit too eager but really what person wouldn’t be more open to something when they’d just been complimented? Yifan apparently given the suspicious look that immediately took over his face.

“What do you want?” He asked tone just as suspicious as the look on his face. Chanyeol stepped in before Tao could say something to ward off the suspicion.

“Its a project. We need models for it. Tao has an assignment due, Sehun and I need pictures for the project, and Baekhyun needs to submit a video by the end of the month. We need the rest of you guys to help us out. Just wear the outfits Tao has put together and we’ll take care of the rest. Sound good hyung?” Chanyeol explained with a hopeful expression on his face that made him look like an overgrown puppy.

It seemed that Yifan couldn’t resist Chanyeol’s puppy face. Tao wouldn’t have been able to either if he had been in Yifan’s position. It was a force to be reckoned with.

One down. Four more to go.

~~

By the official end of the practice Tao had all of the members in agreement to help him. It was perfect. With that headache put aside he focused his attention on his best friend and his apparent love interest. Knowing what he knew now, the signs were apparent. Sehun was smitten in his own detached way.

The now traditional after practice meal was the perfect time to observe Sehun and Luhan. The younger blond would look towards the older all the time. He’d pay significantly more attention when Luhan was the one talking out of their hyungs. He would try and contribute to whatever conversation Luhan was having at the moment. It was downright odd seeing Sehun being so social or at least attempting to be.

“Tone down the love struck please.” Tao muttered under his breath and his friend turned around with shock and terror in his eyes. Sehun looked around their table to see if anyone had noticed but no one had. Tao had been really quiet. As if he’d give Sehun’s secret up so easily.

“Don’t say that so loudly.” Sehun muttered back. He picked at his food, trying to seem like he was actually eating but Tao was by no means fooled. He knew Sehun’s tells better than anyone. The other was upset now.

“Alright sorry. On the bright side I think you’re not the only one love struck. Luhan’s eyes turned into big shiny pink hearts whenever you said something.”

“Really?” Suddenly Sehun was a teenage girl. Tao was sad to see this drastic change in his backup husband. What a shame too. Sehun was very handsome.

“Yes really.”

What a shame. Truly.