JUST A LITTLE CRUSH... OR NOT
Title: Just A Little Crush... or Not
Pairing: KrisTao/TaoRis
Rating: PG-13
Genre: crack, romance, fluff
Warning/s: yaoi, language
Verse: expanded
Type/Status: One-Shot; Complete, 2,145W
Summary: Kris is hiding something and Tao is gonna do everything to get to the bottom of this.
~
Kris was just doing his job as a leader. He wasn’t jealous - no, not at all. He didn’t know when that fluttery feeling at the pit of his stomach had started, much less not when it was replaced with something akin to a hollowness whenever he saw the younger lean in a tad too close to one of the other members. But no, it wasn’t jealousy. He was just being protective of his members - yeah, that’s probably it. Never mind that he was only unnecessarily overprotective when it came to one particular member. Okay, maybe he was a little jealous. He reasoned that it was only normal to feel a pang of jealousy though. He was, after all, still the leader.
If a member needed something, he should be the first person to be informed and asked for help… right? Then again, he never really did feel the incessant need to watch over the other members like he did over Tao. Perhaps, it was only because he was the youngest among the brood - childish beyond anything else despite his mature physique. Maybe he did like Tao a little, Kris conceded. It was a mere crush, that’s all. Or so, Kris would like to think. Besides, it’s not like he could let his emotions win anyway. He felt disgusted with himself - knowing that what he felt for someone who’s supposed to be a brother was wrong on so many levels.
“Kris-gege!” The man in question interrupted the leader’s thoughts, making him almost drop the iron he was holding mid-air.
“Uh, yes Tao?” Kris responded after a while, placing the iron on the holder and turning it off to avoid accidents whatsoever.
“Why are you spacing out?” Tao tilted his head to the side, as if pondering about something as serious as the key to solving world peace.
“Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about something,” Kris supplied, hoping that the younger dropped the subject then and there. Then again, Tao, being the kid that he truly was, wouldn ‘t just let anything rest unless he was satisfied.
“What’s it about, gege?” Tao persisted, eyebrows kitted in concentration, as if wanting to read the elder’s mind.
“It’s nothing, really. Just let it go, will you?” Kris huffed, walking towards the kitchen to fetch himself a glass of water. He suddenly felt hot in the face as soon as the younger started to interrogate him. Tao seemed to have that effect on him, that’s all.
“Gege!!!” Tao whined, stomping his feet on the way to the kitchen as he tailed after Kris.
“I said no, Zitao. Go to your room and practice your martial arts, or whatever that jumping thing you do is called,” Kris said as he took a glass from one of the cupboards, padding towards the fridge to fetch some ice.
“It’s wushu, ge. And I already finished practicing this morning at the gym. That’s why I’m bored right now, remember?” Tao’s voice followed Kris wherever he went, not that he really minded all that much.
“And you bother me instead?” Kris spat, taking a few ice cubes from the freezer with his bare hands and putting it in his glass. “Better your Korean then. I have some Mandarin-Hangul translation books on my desk. You can use those.”
“We’re promoting in China, gege.” Kris could already imagine Tao rolling his eyes at his back right now. “I don’t need to learn Korean that much just yet. Why do you want to get rid of me so bad, huh?”
Kris spun on his spot by the fridge as soon as he registered the hurt in the younger’s voice. His heart clenched when he saw Tao’s crestfallen face as he leaned on the dining table, a mixture of guilt and frustration burning his insides. “It’s not like that. It’s just--- I’ve been thinking about things that I shouldn’t be thinking of, okay? I already feel bad as it is, and I don’t need you reminding me of how despicable I am being every time.”
Tao’s expression turned to a surprised one. Of course, he wouldn’t understand, Kris thought. Thinking that he could use more ice to cool himself down, he turned back to the refrigerator, yanking the metal door open violently.
“Ouch!” Kris jolted as he registered that something hard had collided with his elbow. He immediately turned back and he felt his stomach drop when he registered the blood dripping from Tao’s nose, and onto his face - the younger curled up on the floor. He dropped the glass he was holding immediately - thanking the heavens that they only used plastic ones in the dorm. Xiu Min couldn’t be trusted with anything breakable, that’s why.
Kris scrambled towards the younger, barely having time to recover when he found himself falling forwards as he slipped on a particular cube of ice, grunting as he fell on top of the younger. Tao yelped as well, coughing as the collision made his head ache all the more.
“What’s this racket all about? Are you guys --- oh.” Lu Han interrupted from the hall, freezing on the spot as he took in the rather compromising position his fellow members were in.
“Hey, what’s happening in there?” came Lay’s voice from the living room, followed by Xiu Min’s signature breathy laugh.
“Uh… Nothing…? Kris ge is just assaulting Tao, that’s all,” Lu Han said uncertainly, shrugging his shoulders when he realized that Kris wouldn’t really hurt Tao for real.
“As long as nobody’s dead, it’s fine. Get your ass back here. You’re just stalling ‘coz you’re about to lose!” Chen appeared behind Lu Han, mouth dropping open when he saw the situation.
“Hey, it’s not what you think!” Kris amended, hastily pushing himself up and helping Tao to get back on his feet.
“It’s okay! We understand,” Lu Han smiled. “Please, do carry on,” Chen added with an impish smile, placing his arm on Lu Han’s shoulder and leading the two of them back to the living room.
“It’s really not ---“ Kris was interrupted when Tao coughed once again. He panicked when he saw that Tao’s nose hasn’t stopped bleeding just yet. He pulled out a chair and sat the younger on it, taking a bowl from a drawer and going to the freezer to fetch some more ice, taking care not to slip once again.
Kris took a clean kitchen towel from a cabinet and wrapped the ice in it, hurriedly placing it over Tao’s nose to ease the bleeding.
“I’m so sorry, Tao. I didn’t know you were behind me. What were you doing behind me anyway!? Kris sighed exasperatedly as he used the same towel to wipe the dried blood off Tao’s nose, and noticed that the bleeding had stopped.
“Sorry gege. I was just - what do you mean when you said that I remind you of things you shouldn't be thinking of? Did I do something wrong? Is this because of that expensive bag I forced you to buy me last week?” Tao’s lips wibbled as he met Kris’ gaze, the elder softening as he saw the glazed look on the other’s eyes, probably from unshed tears.
“N-No! Of course not. I told you it’s not like that, didn’t I? It’s something personal. Just don’t mind it,” Kris said, cupping the younger’s cheek and rubbing small circles there as a form of assurance.
“Then why won’t you tell me!? We’re brothers, aren’t we!? Brothers aren’t supposed to keep secrets from each other!” Tao pouted, crossing his arms across his chest to show how upset he was.
“You wouldn’t understand, Tao,” Kris said coldly, already turning to make his way out of the kitchen.
“How would I understand when you wouldn’t tell me!? I’m worried because you’ve been acting so weird since last week, and you’ve been distancing yourself from me - as if I’m the reason you’ve changed. I can’t bear the guilt anymore. Tell me what’s wrong and I’ll fix it!” Tao pleaded, clinging to Kris’ arm just in time to stop him from completely going out of the kitchen.
“You really want to know? Huh?” Kris shrugged Tao’s hand off, facing the younger abruptly, their faces mere inches from each other. "You’re right. You’re the reason why I feel like this! I’ve always been a level-headed person but I just had to become this paranoid mother whenever you got into trouble. I was never the jealous type, but I might’ve as well been the green-eyed monster itself whenever I saw you get a little too close for comfort with the others. I usually don’t give in to people’s request, but one puppy dog eye look from you makes my resolve drop in the blink of an eye,” Kris panted, chest heaving as he let all the bottled feelings in him out. He continued with a whisper: “So yes, it is you who made me this way. Still, it’s not your fault. I brought this upon myself - having been so weak to keep myself from falling for someone who’s supposed to be off limits. So I’m sorry for changing; I’m sorry for being so weak; I’m sorry for not realizing that I was falling for you any sooner; I’m sorry… I’m sorry I loved you. I’m sorry I still do.”
A long silence stretched and Kris felt his heartbeat increase ten-fold - mentally smacking himself for his sudden outburst. Tao’s eyes were wide, his mouth agape as he processed Kris’ revelation. Taking the silence as rejection, Kris hung his head low and continued to go out of the kitchen, halting in his steps when he felt a pair of familiar arms wound themselves around his waist.
“I love you too, gege,” was whispered by a meek voice onto his neck, making him turn back around in surprise, expecting Tao to tell him that it was just a joke of some sort. The mockery, however, didn’t come.
“You don’t have to say that, Zitao. I just wanted to tell you that for my peace of mind. You don’t have to say it back just because you’re feeling sorry for me,” Kris said with a bitter smile, patting the younger’s head affectionately.
“No, gege. You listen to me! I love you, we all do. But I just don’t love you. I’m in love with you,” Tao stated with conviction, taking Kris’ hands into his, hoping that the elder would realize that he was being sincere. “You always took care of me when we were in Korea. At first, I thought it was just mere admiration too. But I just knew it wasn’t that day I woke up and realized that you weren’t beside me, as you have gone home to Canada at the time. I tried to convince myself that I was just missing you. But friends don’t really cry 24/7 when they miss a mere friend, right?
“You can’t possibly ---“ Kris started, only to be halted when Tao made to continue.
“I’m serious. I may love you, but you have no right to dictate what my feelings are and what they’re not. They’re not called my feelings for nothi---“ Tao was silenced by a soft pair of lips against his, literally knocking the wind out of him.
Tao’s eyes fluttered shut, Kris’ own following not long after. Kris tilted his head to the side and nipped at the younger’s upper lip, electricity shooting up his spine as he heard the younger mewl into the kiss. Feeling bolder, he gave an experimental flick of his tongue across the other’s bottom lip, taking the opportunity to slip the pink muscle in when Tao opened his mouth willingly, meeting Kris’ tongue with his in a passionate duel.
Kris’ arms wound themselves around Tao’s waist as the latter’s hands made to tangle on the elder’s brown locks, pulling him down a little so as to deepen the kiss. The world didn’t matter at the moment - not when two lost hearts finally found their other halves.
“Hey guys, are you already dea --- oh god! I didn’t need to see that!”
Kris and Tao jolted apart at the sudden interruption, the former glaring at the intruder in the most menacing of ways while the latter's cheeks turned a deep shade of red at being caught.
"Kim Minseok!!!"
"Guys! Help me! Kris is going to kill me! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
~END~
P.S. First EXO one-shot! And a pairing I haven't written before, too. But they're just too adorable, I couldn't help myself! ;~;
P.S.S. Abrupt ending is abrupt. I just love Xiu Min's personality!/squishes that boy
P.S.S.S. I don't have an appropriate KrisTao/TaoRis icon. Sorry!
P.S.S.S.S. Comments are loved!\o/
Pairing: KrisTao/TaoRis
Rating: PG-13
Genre: crack, romance, fluff
Warning/s: yaoi, language
Verse: expanded
Type/Status: One-Shot; Complete, 2,145W
Summary: Kris is hiding something and Tao is gonna do everything to get to the bottom of this.
~
Kris was just doing his job as a leader. He wasn’t jealous - no, not at all. He didn’t know when that fluttery feeling at the pit of his stomach had started, much less not when it was replaced with something akin to a hollowness whenever he saw the younger lean in a tad too close to one of the other members. But no, it wasn’t jealousy. He was just being protective of his members - yeah, that’s probably it. Never mind that he was only unnecessarily overprotective when it came to one particular member. Okay, maybe he was a little jealous. He reasoned that it was only normal to feel a pang of jealousy though. He was, after all, still the leader.
If a member needed something, he should be the first person to be informed and asked for help… right? Then again, he never really did feel the incessant need to watch over the other members like he did over Tao. Perhaps, it was only because he was the youngest among the brood - childish beyond anything else despite his mature physique. Maybe he did like Tao a little, Kris conceded. It was a mere crush, that’s all. Or so, Kris would like to think. Besides, it’s not like he could let his emotions win anyway. He felt disgusted with himself - knowing that what he felt for someone who’s supposed to be a brother was wrong on so many levels.
“Kris-gege!” The man in question interrupted the leader’s thoughts, making him almost drop the iron he was holding mid-air.
“Uh, yes Tao?” Kris responded after a while, placing the iron on the holder and turning it off to avoid accidents whatsoever.
“Why are you spacing out?” Tao tilted his head to the side, as if pondering about something as serious as the key to solving world peace.
“Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about something,” Kris supplied, hoping that the younger dropped the subject then and there. Then again, Tao, being the kid that he truly was, wouldn ‘t just let anything rest unless he was satisfied.
“What’s it about, gege?” Tao persisted, eyebrows kitted in concentration, as if wanting to read the elder’s mind.
“It’s nothing, really. Just let it go, will you?” Kris huffed, walking towards the kitchen to fetch himself a glass of water. He suddenly felt hot in the face as soon as the younger started to interrogate him. Tao seemed to have that effect on him, that’s all.
“Gege!!!” Tao whined, stomping his feet on the way to the kitchen as he tailed after Kris.
“I said no, Zitao. Go to your room and practice your martial arts, or whatever that jumping thing you do is called,” Kris said as he took a glass from one of the cupboards, padding towards the fridge to fetch some ice.
“It’s wushu, ge. And I already finished practicing this morning at the gym. That’s why I’m bored right now, remember?” Tao’s voice followed Kris wherever he went, not that he really minded all that much.
“And you bother me instead?” Kris spat, taking a few ice cubes from the freezer with his bare hands and putting it in his glass. “Better your Korean then. I have some Mandarin-Hangul translation books on my desk. You can use those.”
“We’re promoting in China, gege.” Kris could already imagine Tao rolling his eyes at his back right now. “I don’t need to learn Korean that much just yet. Why do you want to get rid of me so bad, huh?”
Kris spun on his spot by the fridge as soon as he registered the hurt in the younger’s voice. His heart clenched when he saw Tao’s crestfallen face as he leaned on the dining table, a mixture of guilt and frustration burning his insides. “It’s not like that. It’s just--- I’ve been thinking about things that I shouldn’t be thinking of, okay? I already feel bad as it is, and I don’t need you reminding me of how despicable I am being every time.”
Tao’s expression turned to a surprised one. Of course, he wouldn’t understand, Kris thought. Thinking that he could use more ice to cool himself down, he turned back to the refrigerator, yanking the metal door open violently.
“Ouch!” Kris jolted as he registered that something hard had collided with his elbow. He immediately turned back and he felt his stomach drop when he registered the blood dripping from Tao’s nose, and onto his face - the younger curled up on the floor. He dropped the glass he was holding immediately - thanking the heavens that they only used plastic ones in the dorm. Xiu Min couldn’t be trusted with anything breakable, that’s why.
Kris scrambled towards the younger, barely having time to recover when he found himself falling forwards as he slipped on a particular cube of ice, grunting as he fell on top of the younger. Tao yelped as well, coughing as the collision made his head ache all the more.
“What’s this racket all about? Are you guys --- oh.” Lu Han interrupted from the hall, freezing on the spot as he took in the rather compromising position his fellow members were in.
“Hey, what’s happening in there?” came Lay’s voice from the living room, followed by Xiu Min’s signature breathy laugh.
“Uh… Nothing…? Kris ge is just assaulting Tao, that’s all,” Lu Han said uncertainly, shrugging his shoulders when he realized that Kris wouldn’t really hurt Tao for real.
“As long as nobody’s dead, it’s fine. Get your ass back here. You’re just stalling ‘coz you’re about to lose!” Chen appeared behind Lu Han, mouth dropping open when he saw the situation.
“Hey, it’s not what you think!” Kris amended, hastily pushing himself up and helping Tao to get back on his feet.
“It’s okay! We understand,” Lu Han smiled. “Please, do carry on,” Chen added with an impish smile, placing his arm on Lu Han’s shoulder and leading the two of them back to the living room.
“It’s really not ---“ Kris was interrupted when Tao coughed once again. He panicked when he saw that Tao’s nose hasn’t stopped bleeding just yet. He pulled out a chair and sat the younger on it, taking a bowl from a drawer and going to the freezer to fetch some more ice, taking care not to slip once again.
Kris took a clean kitchen towel from a cabinet and wrapped the ice in it, hurriedly placing it over Tao’s nose to ease the bleeding.
“I’m so sorry, Tao. I didn’t know you were behind me. What were you doing behind me anyway!? Kris sighed exasperatedly as he used the same towel to wipe the dried blood off Tao’s nose, and noticed that the bleeding had stopped.
“Sorry gege. I was just - what do you mean when you said that I remind you of things you shouldn't be thinking of? Did I do something wrong? Is this because of that expensive bag I forced you to buy me last week?” Tao’s lips wibbled as he met Kris’ gaze, the elder softening as he saw the glazed look on the other’s eyes, probably from unshed tears.
“N-No! Of course not. I told you it’s not like that, didn’t I? It’s something personal. Just don’t mind it,” Kris said, cupping the younger’s cheek and rubbing small circles there as a form of assurance.
“Then why won’t you tell me!? We’re brothers, aren’t we!? Brothers aren’t supposed to keep secrets from each other!” Tao pouted, crossing his arms across his chest to show how upset he was.
“You wouldn’t understand, Tao,” Kris said coldly, already turning to make his way out of the kitchen.
“How would I understand when you wouldn’t tell me!? I’m worried because you’ve been acting so weird since last week, and you’ve been distancing yourself from me - as if I’m the reason you’ve changed. I can’t bear the guilt anymore. Tell me what’s wrong and I’ll fix it!” Tao pleaded, clinging to Kris’ arm just in time to stop him from completely going out of the kitchen.
“You really want to know? Huh?” Kris shrugged Tao’s hand off, facing the younger abruptly, their faces mere inches from each other. "You’re right. You’re the reason why I feel like this! I’ve always been a level-headed person but I just had to become this paranoid mother whenever you got into trouble. I was never the jealous type, but I might’ve as well been the green-eyed monster itself whenever I saw you get a little too close for comfort with the others. I usually don’t give in to people’s request, but one puppy dog eye look from you makes my resolve drop in the blink of an eye,” Kris panted, chest heaving as he let all the bottled feelings in him out. He continued with a whisper: “So yes, it is you who made me this way. Still, it’s not your fault. I brought this upon myself - having been so weak to keep myself from falling for someone who’s supposed to be off limits. So I’m sorry for changing; I’m sorry for being so weak; I’m sorry for not realizing that I was falling for you any sooner; I’m sorry… I’m sorry I loved you. I’m sorry I still do.”
A long silence stretched and Kris felt his heartbeat increase ten-fold - mentally smacking himself for his sudden outburst. Tao’s eyes were wide, his mouth agape as he processed Kris’ revelation. Taking the silence as rejection, Kris hung his head low and continued to go out of the kitchen, halting in his steps when he felt a pair of familiar arms wound themselves around his waist.
“I love you too, gege,” was whispered by a meek voice onto his neck, making him turn back around in surprise, expecting Tao to tell him that it was just a joke of some sort. The mockery, however, didn’t come.
“You don’t have to say that, Zitao. I just wanted to tell you that for my peace of mind. You don’t have to say it back just because you’re feeling sorry for me,” Kris said with a bitter smile, patting the younger’s head affectionately.
“No, gege. You listen to me! I love you, we all do. But I just don’t love you. I’m in love with you,” Tao stated with conviction, taking Kris’ hands into his, hoping that the elder would realize that he was being sincere. “You always took care of me when we were in Korea. At first, I thought it was just mere admiration too. But I just knew it wasn’t that day I woke up and realized that you weren’t beside me, as you have gone home to Canada at the time. I tried to convince myself that I was just missing you. But friends don’t really cry 24/7 when they miss a mere friend, right?
“You can’t possibly ---“ Kris started, only to be halted when Tao made to continue.
“I’m serious. I may love you, but you have no right to dictate what my feelings are and what they’re not. They’re not called my feelings for nothi---“ Tao was silenced by a soft pair of lips against his, literally knocking the wind out of him.
Tao’s eyes fluttered shut, Kris’ own following not long after. Kris tilted his head to the side and nipped at the younger’s upper lip, electricity shooting up his spine as he heard the younger mewl into the kiss. Feeling bolder, he gave an experimental flick of his tongue across the other’s bottom lip, taking the opportunity to slip the pink muscle in when Tao opened his mouth willingly, meeting Kris’ tongue with his in a passionate duel.
Kris’ arms wound themselves around Tao’s waist as the latter’s hands made to tangle on the elder’s brown locks, pulling him down a little so as to deepen the kiss. The world didn’t matter at the moment - not when two lost hearts finally found their other halves.
“Hey guys, are you already dea --- oh god! I didn’t need to see that!”
Kris and Tao jolted apart at the sudden interruption, the former glaring at the intruder in the most menacing of ways while the latter's cheeks turned a deep shade of red at being caught.
"Kim Minseok!!!"
"Guys! Help me! Kris is going to kill me! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
~END~
P.S. First EXO one-shot! And a pairing I haven't written before, too. But they're just too adorable, I couldn't help myself! ;~;
P.S.S. Abrupt ending is abrupt. I just love Xiu Min's personality!/squishes that boy
P.S.S.S. I don't have an appropriate KrisTao/TaoRis icon. Sorry!
P.S.S.S.S. Comments are loved!\o/