(no subject)
Title: A Cheating Bet
Pairing: Tao/Kris, minor Chen/Lay
Word Count: 4850
Summary: Chen makes a bet with Tao. In one week (5 school days), Tao must make the school hottie, Kris, fall for him. The rules: no telling anyone about the bet, can only interact with Kris during school hours unless Kris invites him to hang out outside of school. Most important rule: no cheating! Or face the consequences.
“I bet you can’t make Kris fall for you in a week.”
Tao looked up from his book to glare at Chen. “Bet you I can.”
“Oooohh, what’s the bet? Can I join?” Luhan smiled as he placed his tray down and sat at the table.
Chen smiled. “I was just about to propose a bet to our little Kungfu Panda. I was going to bet that he can’t make Kris, resident hottie, fall for him in a week.”
“And I bet I can. No one can resist me. Buing Buing.” Tao did his signature aegyo causing Chen to roll his eyes and Luhan to squeal like a little girl.
“So what’s the prize? And the rules?”
“Let’s see, if I win, you have to do my homework for a week.” Chen smiled as Tao groaned at the thought of extra homework. Then he perked up and grinned.
“And if I win, you have to dance for me whenever I want for a week.”
“Even during school?”
Tao nodded. “Even during school but not during class.”
“So what are the rules? Are there any?”
“Nope, anything is fair game. Just you only have a week and you can’t tell anyone about this bet. Oh and you can only talk to him during school hours. You can’t approach him outside of school unless he makes the initiative.”
“So I have to make him fall for me only during school hours? That’s not fair.”
Chen grinned. “Who said anything about fair? And if you’re caught cheating, the bet is off and you’ll have to do my homework for two weeks and clean my room this weekend.”
“What?!?! That is unfair.”
“I know your tendency to cheat so I’m trying to prevent that from happening.” Chen grinned. “Oh come on, you’ve had a crush on Kris forever. You know practically everything about him from constantly stalking him so you should have no problem getting him.”
Tao spluttered. “What?!?!? I do not stalk him.”
Luhan scoffed. “Oh come on. You know you do, no denying it, Taozi. Now eat. So when does the bet start?”
Chen smiled brightly. “Now.”
~
Tao leaned against the wall. He clutched the paper to his chest and looked around the corner. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…okay there is it.
Tao glanced around before walking around the corner and stopping in front of the locker. He quickly slipped his note inside and walked away without a backwards glance.
Kris opened up his locker and a piece of paper fell to the floor. He bent down and picked it up. He saw his name written on it and opened it.
Come to the gym if you want to play a game.
Kris was intrigued and closed his locker, neglecting to get his books for his next class. He decided to skip and go to the gym to see who had left the note.
He walked in and found a table set up in a corner of the gym. Someone was already sitting down with his back facing him.
He walked over and sat down. He didn’t let his surprise show on his face when he found himself facing Tao.
“Hello.”
“Hi. Shall we play?” A deck of cards were on the table.
“Play what?”
“How about something simple? Like ‘Go Fish’?”
Kris raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that a bit too simple, almost childish?”
“I thought we’d start off simple and work our way to more harder games.”
“There’s gonna be a next time?”
“Maybe…would you care to make this simple game a bit more interesting?”
Kris leaned back in his chair and looked at Tao, smiling innocently. “How?”
“A little wager. If I get more pairs, we hang out after school in the park. If you get more pairs, I’ll do whatever you want.”
Kris looked at Tao skeptically. “Whatever I want?”
“Whatever is physically possible for me to do, yes, and that’s saying a lot.” Tao gave Kris a wink that Kris took to be a trick of the light.
“Alright, I’ll take your wager. Now let’s play.”
Tao smiled and shuffled the cards before dealing them out.
The two played in relative silence.
Kris looked at Tao who was quietly studying his cards. “So why did you want to play cards with me?”
Tao shrugged. “I thought you could use a break from classes. This is something simple and stress-free. Have any twos?”
Kris shook his head. Tao drew a card and after checking his cards, placed down a pair.
“But why now? If I remember, we don’t have any classes together or even talk so why this sudden break? Have any sixes?”
Tao shook his head. “Why not? Do I need a reason to ask you to join me for a random game?”
“You should or else this is random.” Kris narrowed his gaze at Tao. “You’re not stalking me, are you?”
Tao looked at Kris surprised. “Me? Stalk you? Hello Mr. Ego. I just thought it would be fun to play a game with you. That’s it. Nothing more. Got any jacks?”
Kris pulled a card from his hand and handed it to Tao who smiled and added it to his stack of pairs.
The two continued to play in relevant silence.
“Ha! I win.” Tao smiled as he counted up his pairs.
“How is that possible?”
Tao just smiled as he recounted his cards for Kris to see. “So I’ll see you after school in the park? We’ll play ball okay?”
Tao cleared off the table, patted Kris’s cheek, and walked away, leaving Kris to stare after him, still unsure of what had just happened.
~
Tao smiled as he walked towards the park near school. He set down his bag and pulled out his ball and began to warm up, trying to shoot the ball in.
“Can I join you or this a closed court?”
Tao spun around and saw Kris smiling at him. Kris put his bag down next to Tao and walked over to him. He took the ball, dribbled it a few times, before shooting. The ball went straight in.
Kris grabbed the ball and twirled it on his finger. He grinned. “So shall we play a game?”
Tao collapsed on the floor while Kris kept shooting hoops.
“So loser treats to drinks?”
Tao looked up to see Kris smiling down at him. “What are you talking about? We didn’t set a wager.”
“No but isn’t it courtesy for the loser to treat the winner when they go out for drinks afterwards? I don’t know about you but after that, I’m really thirsty and would like to get a drink.”
Tao glared at Kris as he sat up. “Why do I have to treat?”
“You lost. Simple as that.”
“But there was no wager.”
“So you need a wager to do something?”
“Well no…but it’s not fair.”
“Hello? You lost. That makes it fair.”
“No.” Tao crossed his arms and pouted. Kris couldn’t help finding the antic cute even if it was slightly childish.
“Come on, Tao. You buy the drinks and I’ll treat you to a snack, okay?” Kris walked over to their bags and placed Tao’s ball near his bag before picking his up. “Now come on, I know the perfect place.”
Tao stared at Kris, his stuff, and back to Kris. Kris smiled and motioned for Tao to follow. Tao sighed and gave in, curious to what place Kris had in mind.
~
Tao stood outside the door, unsure if he should go inside or not. It was the cute panda-themed café he sometimes passed on his way home from school. He’d never been inside since he was either too busy or too broke for a short break. This time, he was neither of those things but was still hesitant to step inside.
“Hey, are you coming or what?” Kris stuck his head out the door and looked at Tao.
“Uh yeah. Sure.” Tao quickly went inside and followed Kris to a table against the wall. He glanced around, amazed at all the panda things. He was squealing inside at all the cute panda things.
“So what would you like to drink?” Kris held out the menu to Tao who glanced at the different items (everything was panda-shaped).
“Uh…I’ll just have a fruit smoothie.”
“I’ll have a latte and how about this little cake?” Kris pointed to a small chocolate cake in the shape of a panda. “Thanks.” Kris smiled at the waitress and handed her the menu. She blushed as she wrote down their orders and left.
Kris looked at Tao and smiled. “So you like to play games and bet. Any other hobbies?”
Tao gave Kris a small smile. “I practice wushu. But other than that, no other hobbies. What about you? I see you enjoy games but maybe not betting?”
“Hmm…well I don’t mind the occasional bet and game but I typically just play basketball a lot. So why’d you want to play with me?”
“Huh?” Tao looked at Kris confused.
“Why did you choose to play with me at school and then after school?”
“I thought I told you already. It seemed like you needed a break.”
“So you’ve been observing me…” Kris smiled as he watched the different expressions play over Tao’s face before it became a blank mask.
“I may have noticed you from time to time. You’re easy to spot. And easy on the eyes.” Tao smiled as the waitress returned with their orders. He took a sip of his smoothie and smiled happily.
Kris gave a small smile before nudging the cake towards Tao. Tao looked at the cake then Kris, puzzled.
“Go on, eat it. It’s my treat.”
“Oh but…I thought you weren’t serious about buying me a treat.”
“I mean what I say. Now eat. You’ll like it, I promise.”
Tao looked at it again before picking up the fork and taking a small piece. He took a bite and let out a little moan before quickly taking another piece and eating it.
Kris chuckled quietly to himself as he watched Tao devour the poor little panda cake. “Wow, you devoured that in like 10 seconds flat. You must really like cake.”
Tao looked at Kris, fork still in his mouth. He finished eating his piece and swallowing. “Uh yeah…I uh I kinda have a sweet tooth and cake is my favorite. Kinda my little weakness you could say.” He looked at the plate and saw one bite left. “Oh, I uh…well you didn’t get to try the cake. Here, have the last bite.”
Tao scooped up the piece of cake and held it out to Kris. Kris leaned forward and took the last bite. Tao couldn’t help the blush rising to his face as Kris looked at him as he ate the last bite. He looked away. Kris smiled and leaned back in his chair.
“So shall we go then since we’re both done?”
Tao looked back at Kris and noticed their empty glasses and plate. “Oh uh sure.”
Tao gathered up his things and followed Kris out of the café. “Uh I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” He gave Kris a small half wave and walked away without a backwards glance. Kris watched him walk away with a small smile on his face.
~
“So how’d it go yesterday?”
“Uh I played cards with him and was able to hang out with him after school.”
“What?!?!” Chen looked at Tao. “Already? But how?”
Tao smirked. “Don’t underestimate my skills, hyung. So how’s your day so far?”
“Just the usual. But how did you get Kris to ask you to hang out after school? You were limited to only school hours.”
Tao winked. “I have my ways.”
“Hi boys. How’s the bet going?”
“Great. I spent a good deal of time with Kris yesterday, during and after school.”
“Ooh.” Luhan looked slightly impressed. “So what’s your next plan to spend more time with him?”
“That’s for me to know and you to suffer in silence.”
Luhan pouted. “That’s no fun. And how could you treat your hyungs like that?”
Tao smiled and just ate his food.
~
Tao glanced down the hall before walking towards Kris’s locker to drop off his note. He was about to slip it inside when a voice behind him startled him into dropping the letter.
“What are you doing?” Kris raised an eyebrow when he saw Tao standing in front of his locker. He looked down and noticed a piece of paper on the floor. He bent down and picked it up. He saw his name on it and smirked. “Leaving me another note? For what this time?”
He opened it up and read it.
“Hmmm…well now what game did you have planned this time?” He turned and held out an arm. “Shall we?”
Tao looked at Kris’s arm. “Are you kidding me? Do I look like a girl to you?”
“No but I felt like being chivalrous for some reason. Anyway, come on and let’s head to the gym for this little game you planned.”
The two walked over to the little table set up in the same corner as before. A deck of cards sat in the middle.
“So what game is it this time?”
“Know poker?”
“A little?”
“Hmm…then what about war? It’s a simple game.”
“But doesn’t it last for a while?”
“A bit, why? You don’t like spending time with me?”
“No, that’s not it but don’t we have a thing called class to attend?”
Tao shrugged his shoulders. “I’m a good student, get decent grades. I can miss class a few times. It’s fine. Besides, I can always get my notes later. You?”
“I’m fine. So let’s begin. Did you want to place a bet on this game as well?”
Tao smiled. “No, it’s fine. Let’s play.”
“How did you win?” Kris looked at Tao in amazement. Tao just smiled and gathered up the cards.
“I’ll see you later. Bye Kris.” Tao waved goodbye and left the gym.
Kris gathered his things and followed Tao but when he left the gym, Tao was nowhere to be seen.
~
Tao smiled as he set his tray down. Chen glanced up and turned back to his food. “So things are progressing nicely. He should be mine by the end of the week.”
Chen mumbled something before stuffing his face. Tao grinned and turned to smile at Luhan who had just joined them. “Hi gege, how are you?”
“Good and from what I’ve heard and seen, your plan is working well.”
“It is?” Tao’s eyes lit up. “What did you hear?”
Luhan grinned. “Oh nothing important.”
“Gege, tell me. Buing buing.” Tao put on one of his aegyo faces.
Luhan chuckled and patted Tao on the head. “Maybe later. Now eat your food.”
Tao pouted and glanced around the cafeteria. He noticed Kris looking at him and smirked. He caught his eye and sent him a wink before turning to chat with Chen.
~
Tao walked to his locker and found a note stuck on it. He took it and opened it. He smiled as he read it.
He slowly made his way towards the gym and found Kris seated at their table in the corner.
“So what game have you decided for us to play?”
Kris smiled as Tao took a seat. “A change of pace from card games. Still simple but…well, you’ll see.”
Tao glanced at the table and saw the familiar black and red checkered table and the pieces that accompany it. “Checkers?”
“Yes, simple and quick. So what color do you want to be?”
Tao said nothing but grabbed a black and red piece, mixed them up behind his back and held it out to Kris. Kris picked a hand and was given black.
Tao smiled. “Let’s begin.”
“How did you win again?” Kris stared at Tao in amazement. Tao just smiled and cleaned up the board.
“So I guess I’ll see you later?” Tao made to stand up but Kris’s hand on his wrist stopped him.
“Meet me after school. We’ll play another game of basketball, alright?”
Tao smiled gently and removed Kris’s hand from his wrist. “Thanks but no thanks. Being beaten by you once is good enough for me.”
“We don’t have to play basketball. Just meet me after school, okay?”
Tao looked at Kris and smiled. “Sure. I’ll see you later.” He leaned down and placed a kiss on Kris’s cheek before grabbing his bag and leaving.
Kris sat frozen, unsure of what had just happened. He placed a hand on his cheek where Tao had kissed him. What was this feeling going on inside him?
~
Tao walked towards the school entrance to find Kris already waiting for him. He smiled and walked over to him. He winked and walked away, letting Kris follow him.
Kris grabbed his arm as they left campus. “Hey, it’s rude to just leave someone waiting for you.”
Tao looked over his shoulder and smiled. “I knew you’d follow me so why wait? So where did you want to go?”
Kris smiled. “Follow me.” He reached for Tao’s hand and led the way.
Tao paused at the entrance to the building. “You want to go here?”
“Yeah, why not?” Kris smiled as he turned to look at Tao. “Why? You don’t like shopping?”
“Oh no…uh that…I mean…”
“Come on, let’s go.” Kris tugged on Tao’s hand and pulled him inside.
“We-we can go some place else that isn’t the mall.”
“What’s the matter? Why are you so hesitant?”
“I-I…well the thing is…”
“Are you afraid of spending all my money?”
“What?!?!?” Tao looked at Kris in shock. “S-s-s-spend your money?”
Kris smiled and placed a kiss on Tao’s cheek. “You’re cute. Now come on.” He pulled on Tao’s hand and led him towards a store.
“I should warn you before we go any farther that you’ll regret this.”
“Now how would I regret this?”
Kris stared at Tao in shock as Tao happily munched on a piece of cake. He looked at the bags at Tao’s feet and around his feet. “B-b-but how?”
Tao smiled. “I warned you. I enjoy shopping, even more so when someone else foots the bill. How’s the wallet holding up?”
Kris reached into his pocket and pulled it out to take a peek. “Suffering. I think this will have to be the end of your little shopping spree.”
“Oh that’s fine. I was just about done anyway. You’ll help me carry these home right?” Tao blinked innocently up at Kris who couldn’t be sure if it was an act or not after all that had just happened.
~
Tao smiled happily at Chen as he sat down at their table. “You are so going to lose this bet, Chen. I hope you’ve been practicing.”
Chen scoffed. “Don’t count on it. From what I hear, you went to the mall with Kris and made a huge dent in his wallet.”
Tao shrugged. “I warned him but he chose to ignore it.”
“Yeah well as someone that has been on the receiving end of one of your many shopping sprees, all your efforts may have been a waste now. No one in their right mind would want to be with you after you spend almost all their money.”
“And yet, you’re still here.” Tao smiled brightly at Chen who sighed.
“Just because I’m one of the exceptions doesn’t mean he is.”
“You don’t know that. Oh hello Luhan gege.”
“So what did you buy yesterday when you spent Kris’s money?”
Tao smiled and began to gush about all his purchases.
~
Tao smiled as he noticed the note sticking out of his locker. He opened it up and smiled as he read it. He folded it and stuck away in his bag.
Kris walked towards his locker and paused when he noticed a note stuck on in. He grabbed it and opened it up.
As much as I would like to join you in the gym for another game, I decided I couldn’t miss class today. I’ll see you around.
Kris kept his expression neutral as he folded the note back up and stuck it inside his bag. He opened his locker, grabbed his books, and left for class.
~
Tao was gathering his things from his locker when it was slammed shut. He scowled as he moved his hand that could’ve been crushed if not for his fast reflexes. “What the hell was that?”
He turned and found Kris standing next to him. “What do you want? You know you almost crushed my hand with that move.”
“Why’d you decline my invitation?”
Tao shrugged his shoulders. “I had classes to attend.”
“You had no problem skipping before.”
“Yes, well I felt like I should go to class today. I already skipped three times in a row. A fourth might have been pushing it even if I am a good student, typically.”
“Why do I get the feeling that’s just a bunch of bullshit? Want to give me the real reason why you declined?”
Tao smiled brightly. “Nope, now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go home. See you tomorrow I guess.” He patted Kris’s cheek and walked away.
Before he was even a few feet away, Tao felt an arm wrap around his waist before he was slammed against the lockers and his mouth covered with Kris’s. His eyes widened in shock and surprise before closing as he gave himself over to the kiss.
Kris kept Tao pressed up against the wall, letting all his frustration pour into the kiss. He heard Tao moan, snapping him back into his senses, and he pulled away. He stared at Tao who was breathing a little heavily.
Kris pushed away and left without another word.
~
Tao walked to his table looking a bit confused to see Luhan and Chen already seated there and whispering amongst themselves. “Hey…what’s going on?”
Luhan and Chen looked up and smiled at him. “So today’s the end of the bet? Has Kris fallen for you yet?”
“Yes, he just hasn’t made it official.”
“Oh really? Well you have until the end of the school day. If he doesn’t claim you by the end of the day, you’re stuck doing all my homework for a week.”
“Oh he’ll confess by the end of the day. Don’t worry. And you’ll all be there when it happens.” Tao smiled and ate his food.
~
Tao smiled as he sat at their little table in the corner of the gym, waiting for Kris. He heard the door open and stood up smiling.
Kris walked over to the table and sat down. “So what do you have planned today?”
Tao held up the box. “A game called Battleship. You’ve heard of it?”
“Yes.” Kris raised an eyebrow. “Why battleship?”
“Thought it would be a fun game to play, trying to blow up your opponent’s ships. Seems like you have a lot of stuff you want to blow up if your kiss yesterday was any indication of your feelings.” Tao smiled as he set up the game.
“You do know this game could take some time?”
Tao shrugged. “So? Does that mean you don’t want to play?”
“No I do. Let’s get started.”
“Yay! I won. And since I won, can I ask a favor of you?”
“Depends on what it is.”
“Will you confess your feelings for me?”
Kris looked at Tao. “What makes you think I have feelings for you?”
Tao shrugged his shoulders. “Seems like you do.”
“Well,” Kris placed his arms on the table and leaned closer to Tao, “why don’t you confess your feelings to me first? And just so you know, I know that you’ve been cheating.”
“What do you mean?”
“Like you could’ve won this game that easily without peeking over at my board. I saw you when you thought I wasn’t looking. And I know you cheated on the other games we played as well, except for basketball because my skills can’t be beat, even with cheating though it was cute that you tried.”
“Wait, you know I’ve been cheating and still wanted to hang out with me?”
“Yes. I thought it was cute, you cheating to try and get me to spend more time with you. I was intrigued. Though I’ve been intrigued for a while now after hearing Luhan and Chen talk about you all the time.”
Tao’s eyes widened. “You hang out with Luhan ge and Chen ge?”
“Me and Luhan go way back but I have a couple classes with Chen. They told me all about your cheating habits among other things.”
“What other things? Wait, then…”
Kris smiled. “Yep, this whole bet you have with Chen. I convinced him to make a bet with you, though it didn’t take much convincing.”
“So-so he was just teasing me with having to do his homework for a week when he already knew -“
“I believe so. I don’t know the full details of the bet. But the bet was a ruse to get you to speak to me. I’ve noticed you stalking me but too afraid to make a move.”
“I have not been stalking.”
“Oh really? So the fact that you happen to always walk by my classes no matter what time of day it is to just get a peek at me isn’t stalking?”
“No, not when you compare it to the other people that actually do stalk you. What I do is mild observation.”
“Yeah mild observation every hour.”
“Wait, that means you know about my shopping sprees -“
“- and your love of pandas -“
“- and you still suggested we go shopping?!?!? Are you crazy?”
“Yes, since I’m crazy in love with you.”
“What?!?!?!” Tao stopped and stared at Kris.
Kris smiled and stood up from the table. He came over and pulled Tao up from his chair. He stared down into Tao’s eyes and smiled. “I love you, Tao. You intrigued me from the first and made me fall completely, madly in love with you these past few days. Please be mine.”
“I-I-I-“
“Yes, he’ll be yours. Now kiss him.”
Tao turned his head and found Luhan and Chen smiling at them from across the gym, not to mention a few of Kris’s other friends.
“Hey, no interfering.”
Chen scoffed. “We’ve been doing that so that point is invalid. But you’ve been cheating.”
“Not on the bet, just at the games. So ha!” Tao stuck his tongue out at Chen. “And I expect you to keep your end of the bet. So be prepared for a lot of dancing next week, Chen Chen ge.”
Just as Chen was about to make a noise of protest, one of Kris’s friends, wrapped his arm around Chen’s waist. “Now Chen Chen, don’t get so worked up. Let Kris ge and Tao have their moment before Luhan ge had interrupted.” Luhan had the decency to look slightly guilty. “And to be honest, I’m looking forward to your dancing.”
“Xing Xing…” Chen buried his face in Yixing’s neck in embarrassment.
Yixing smiled and gently kissed the top of Chen’s head. “We’ll leave you two alone for now. At least we were here to witness your confession and help Tao win his bet. We’ll see you two later.” He winked before nudging everyone else out of the gym.
Luhan broke away from the crowd to rush over and hug Tao. “I’m sorry we mettled but it was for your own good. I hope you’re not too mad at us. I’ll make it up to you later with cake and something from Gucci. Now go kiss your man.” He gave Tao a quick squeeze of support before bounding away before Tao could even respond.
Tao stared at the closed door, still trying to let everything sink in.
Kris chuckled and pulled Tao into his embrace. “Sorry for that but can we get back to the situation at hand?”
Tao looked up at Kris. “Which was?”
“This.” Kris smiled as he leaned down and gently kissed Tao. Tao smiled into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Kris’s neck.
~
Chen grimaced from his spot at the table. “Do I really have to?”
Tao smiled as he took a bite of the cake Luhan had bought him. “Yes. That was part of the bet. If you knew you were going to lose, why agree to my terms?”
“So you wouldn’t be suspicious.”
“And this is what you get as consequence. Now get ready to dance.”
Chen buried his face into Yixing’s chest. “Xing Xing…”
“Fair is fair. Come on, it won’t be so bad. I’m looking forward to seeing your dancing skills.” Yixing smiled.
“Come on, Chen Chen ge. Get ready to dance.” Tao smiled from his spot in Kris’s arms, his hand poised over the play button on his ipod.
“Fine.” Chen stood up, prepared to keep his end of the bargain.
“Yay! Go Dancing Machine Chen!” Luhan smiled as he clapped and cheered.
A/N: wanted to write a fic based off Tao’s cheating habit XD and this is what came out XD hoped you enjoy ^^
Pairing: Tao/Kris, minor Chen/Lay
Word Count: 4850
Summary: Chen makes a bet with Tao. In one week (5 school days), Tao must make the school hottie, Kris, fall for him. The rules: no telling anyone about the bet, can only interact with Kris during school hours unless Kris invites him to hang out outside of school. Most important rule: no cheating! Or face the consequences.
“I bet you can’t make Kris fall for you in a week.”
Tao looked up from his book to glare at Chen. “Bet you I can.”
“Oooohh, what’s the bet? Can I join?” Luhan smiled as he placed his tray down and sat at the table.
Chen smiled. “I was just about to propose a bet to our little Kungfu Panda. I was going to bet that he can’t make Kris, resident hottie, fall for him in a week.”
“And I bet I can. No one can resist me. Buing Buing.” Tao did his signature aegyo causing Chen to roll his eyes and Luhan to squeal like a little girl.
“So what’s the prize? And the rules?”
“Let’s see, if I win, you have to do my homework for a week.” Chen smiled as Tao groaned at the thought of extra homework. Then he perked up and grinned.
“And if I win, you have to dance for me whenever I want for a week.”
“Even during school?”
Tao nodded. “Even during school but not during class.”
“So what are the rules? Are there any?”
“Nope, anything is fair game. Just you only have a week and you can’t tell anyone about this bet. Oh and you can only talk to him during school hours. You can’t approach him outside of school unless he makes the initiative.”
“So I have to make him fall for me only during school hours? That’s not fair.”
Chen grinned. “Who said anything about fair? And if you’re caught cheating, the bet is off and you’ll have to do my homework for two weeks and clean my room this weekend.”
“What?!?! That is unfair.”
“I know your tendency to cheat so I’m trying to prevent that from happening.” Chen grinned. “Oh come on, you’ve had a crush on Kris forever. You know practically everything about him from constantly stalking him so you should have no problem getting him.”
Tao spluttered. “What?!?!? I do not stalk him.”
Luhan scoffed. “Oh come on. You know you do, no denying it, Taozi. Now eat. So when does the bet start?”
Chen smiled brightly. “Now.”
~
Tao leaned against the wall. He clutched the paper to his chest and looked around the corner. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…okay there is it.
Tao glanced around before walking around the corner and stopping in front of the locker. He quickly slipped his note inside and walked away without a backwards glance.
Kris opened up his locker and a piece of paper fell to the floor. He bent down and picked it up. He saw his name written on it and opened it.
Come to the gym if you want to play a game.
Kris was intrigued and closed his locker, neglecting to get his books for his next class. He decided to skip and go to the gym to see who had left the note.
He walked in and found a table set up in a corner of the gym. Someone was already sitting down with his back facing him.
He walked over and sat down. He didn’t let his surprise show on his face when he found himself facing Tao.
“Hello.”
“Hi. Shall we play?” A deck of cards were on the table.
“Play what?”
“How about something simple? Like ‘Go Fish’?”
Kris raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that a bit too simple, almost childish?”
“I thought we’d start off simple and work our way to more harder games.”
“There’s gonna be a next time?”
“Maybe…would you care to make this simple game a bit more interesting?”
Kris leaned back in his chair and looked at Tao, smiling innocently. “How?”
“A little wager. If I get more pairs, we hang out after school in the park. If you get more pairs, I’ll do whatever you want.”
Kris looked at Tao skeptically. “Whatever I want?”
“Whatever is physically possible for me to do, yes, and that’s saying a lot.” Tao gave Kris a wink that Kris took to be a trick of the light.
“Alright, I’ll take your wager. Now let’s play.”
Tao smiled and shuffled the cards before dealing them out.
The two played in relative silence.
Kris looked at Tao who was quietly studying his cards. “So why did you want to play cards with me?”
Tao shrugged. “I thought you could use a break from classes. This is something simple and stress-free. Have any twos?”
Kris shook his head. Tao drew a card and after checking his cards, placed down a pair.
“But why now? If I remember, we don’t have any classes together or even talk so why this sudden break? Have any sixes?”
Tao shook his head. “Why not? Do I need a reason to ask you to join me for a random game?”
“You should or else this is random.” Kris narrowed his gaze at Tao. “You’re not stalking me, are you?”
Tao looked at Kris surprised. “Me? Stalk you? Hello Mr. Ego. I just thought it would be fun to play a game with you. That’s it. Nothing more. Got any jacks?”
Kris pulled a card from his hand and handed it to Tao who smiled and added it to his stack of pairs.
The two continued to play in relevant silence.
“Ha! I win.” Tao smiled as he counted up his pairs.
“How is that possible?”
Tao just smiled as he recounted his cards for Kris to see. “So I’ll see you after school in the park? We’ll play ball okay?”
Tao cleared off the table, patted Kris’s cheek, and walked away, leaving Kris to stare after him, still unsure of what had just happened.
~
Tao smiled as he walked towards the park near school. He set down his bag and pulled out his ball and began to warm up, trying to shoot the ball in.
“Can I join you or this a closed court?”
Tao spun around and saw Kris smiling at him. Kris put his bag down next to Tao and walked over to him. He took the ball, dribbled it a few times, before shooting. The ball went straight in.
Kris grabbed the ball and twirled it on his finger. He grinned. “So shall we play a game?”
Tao collapsed on the floor while Kris kept shooting hoops.
“So loser treats to drinks?”
Tao looked up to see Kris smiling down at him. “What are you talking about? We didn’t set a wager.”
“No but isn’t it courtesy for the loser to treat the winner when they go out for drinks afterwards? I don’t know about you but after that, I’m really thirsty and would like to get a drink.”
Tao glared at Kris as he sat up. “Why do I have to treat?”
“You lost. Simple as that.”
“But there was no wager.”
“So you need a wager to do something?”
“Well no…but it’s not fair.”
“Hello? You lost. That makes it fair.”
“No.” Tao crossed his arms and pouted. Kris couldn’t help finding the antic cute even if it was slightly childish.
“Come on, Tao. You buy the drinks and I’ll treat you to a snack, okay?” Kris walked over to their bags and placed Tao’s ball near his bag before picking his up. “Now come on, I know the perfect place.”
Tao stared at Kris, his stuff, and back to Kris. Kris smiled and motioned for Tao to follow. Tao sighed and gave in, curious to what place Kris had in mind.
~
Tao stood outside the door, unsure if he should go inside or not. It was the cute panda-themed café he sometimes passed on his way home from school. He’d never been inside since he was either too busy or too broke for a short break. This time, he was neither of those things but was still hesitant to step inside.
“Hey, are you coming or what?” Kris stuck his head out the door and looked at Tao.
“Uh yeah. Sure.” Tao quickly went inside and followed Kris to a table against the wall. He glanced around, amazed at all the panda things. He was squealing inside at all the cute panda things.
“So what would you like to drink?” Kris held out the menu to Tao who glanced at the different items (everything was panda-shaped).
“Uh…I’ll just have a fruit smoothie.”
“I’ll have a latte and how about this little cake?” Kris pointed to a small chocolate cake in the shape of a panda. “Thanks.” Kris smiled at the waitress and handed her the menu. She blushed as she wrote down their orders and left.
Kris looked at Tao and smiled. “So you like to play games and bet. Any other hobbies?”
Tao gave Kris a small smile. “I practice wushu. But other than that, no other hobbies. What about you? I see you enjoy games but maybe not betting?”
“Hmm…well I don’t mind the occasional bet and game but I typically just play basketball a lot. So why’d you want to play with me?”
“Huh?” Tao looked at Kris confused.
“Why did you choose to play with me at school and then after school?”
“I thought I told you already. It seemed like you needed a break.”
“So you’ve been observing me…” Kris smiled as he watched the different expressions play over Tao’s face before it became a blank mask.
“I may have noticed you from time to time. You’re easy to spot. And easy on the eyes.” Tao smiled as the waitress returned with their orders. He took a sip of his smoothie and smiled happily.
Kris gave a small smile before nudging the cake towards Tao. Tao looked at the cake then Kris, puzzled.
“Go on, eat it. It’s my treat.”
“Oh but…I thought you weren’t serious about buying me a treat.”
“I mean what I say. Now eat. You’ll like it, I promise.”
Tao looked at it again before picking up the fork and taking a small piece. He took a bite and let out a little moan before quickly taking another piece and eating it.
Kris chuckled quietly to himself as he watched Tao devour the poor little panda cake. “Wow, you devoured that in like 10 seconds flat. You must really like cake.”
Tao looked at Kris, fork still in his mouth. He finished eating his piece and swallowing. “Uh yeah…I uh I kinda have a sweet tooth and cake is my favorite. Kinda my little weakness you could say.” He looked at the plate and saw one bite left. “Oh, I uh…well you didn’t get to try the cake. Here, have the last bite.”
Tao scooped up the piece of cake and held it out to Kris. Kris leaned forward and took the last bite. Tao couldn’t help the blush rising to his face as Kris looked at him as he ate the last bite. He looked away. Kris smiled and leaned back in his chair.
“So shall we go then since we’re both done?”
Tao looked back at Kris and noticed their empty glasses and plate. “Oh uh sure.”
Tao gathered up his things and followed Kris out of the café. “Uh I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” He gave Kris a small half wave and walked away without a backwards glance. Kris watched him walk away with a small smile on his face.
~
“So how’d it go yesterday?”
“Uh I played cards with him and was able to hang out with him after school.”
“What?!?!” Chen looked at Tao. “Already? But how?”
Tao smirked. “Don’t underestimate my skills, hyung. So how’s your day so far?”
“Just the usual. But how did you get Kris to ask you to hang out after school? You were limited to only school hours.”
Tao winked. “I have my ways.”
“Hi boys. How’s the bet going?”
“Great. I spent a good deal of time with Kris yesterday, during and after school.”
“Ooh.” Luhan looked slightly impressed. “So what’s your next plan to spend more time with him?”
“That’s for me to know and you to suffer in silence.”
Luhan pouted. “That’s no fun. And how could you treat your hyungs like that?”
Tao smiled and just ate his food.
~
Tao glanced down the hall before walking towards Kris’s locker to drop off his note. He was about to slip it inside when a voice behind him startled him into dropping the letter.
“What are you doing?” Kris raised an eyebrow when he saw Tao standing in front of his locker. He looked down and noticed a piece of paper on the floor. He bent down and picked it up. He saw his name on it and smirked. “Leaving me another note? For what this time?”
He opened it up and read it.
“Hmmm…well now what game did you have planned this time?” He turned and held out an arm. “Shall we?”
Tao looked at Kris’s arm. “Are you kidding me? Do I look like a girl to you?”
“No but I felt like being chivalrous for some reason. Anyway, come on and let’s head to the gym for this little game you planned.”
The two walked over to the little table set up in the same corner as before. A deck of cards sat in the middle.
“So what game is it this time?”
“Know poker?”
“A little?”
“Hmm…then what about war? It’s a simple game.”
“But doesn’t it last for a while?”
“A bit, why? You don’t like spending time with me?”
“No, that’s not it but don’t we have a thing called class to attend?”
Tao shrugged his shoulders. “I’m a good student, get decent grades. I can miss class a few times. It’s fine. Besides, I can always get my notes later. You?”
“I’m fine. So let’s begin. Did you want to place a bet on this game as well?”
Tao smiled. “No, it’s fine. Let’s play.”
“How did you win?” Kris looked at Tao in amazement. Tao just smiled and gathered up the cards.
“I’ll see you later. Bye Kris.” Tao waved goodbye and left the gym.
Kris gathered his things and followed Tao but when he left the gym, Tao was nowhere to be seen.
~
Tao smiled as he set his tray down. Chen glanced up and turned back to his food. “So things are progressing nicely. He should be mine by the end of the week.”
Chen mumbled something before stuffing his face. Tao grinned and turned to smile at Luhan who had just joined them. “Hi gege, how are you?”
“Good and from what I’ve heard and seen, your plan is working well.”
“It is?” Tao’s eyes lit up. “What did you hear?”
Luhan grinned. “Oh nothing important.”
“Gege, tell me. Buing buing.” Tao put on one of his aegyo faces.
Luhan chuckled and patted Tao on the head. “Maybe later. Now eat your food.”
Tao pouted and glanced around the cafeteria. He noticed Kris looking at him and smirked. He caught his eye and sent him a wink before turning to chat with Chen.
~
Tao walked to his locker and found a note stuck on it. He took it and opened it. He smiled as he read it.
He slowly made his way towards the gym and found Kris seated at their table in the corner.
“So what game have you decided for us to play?”
Kris smiled as Tao took a seat. “A change of pace from card games. Still simple but…well, you’ll see.”
Tao glanced at the table and saw the familiar black and red checkered table and the pieces that accompany it. “Checkers?”
“Yes, simple and quick. So what color do you want to be?”
Tao said nothing but grabbed a black and red piece, mixed them up behind his back and held it out to Kris. Kris picked a hand and was given black.
Tao smiled. “Let’s begin.”
“How did you win again?” Kris stared at Tao in amazement. Tao just smiled and cleaned up the board.
“So I guess I’ll see you later?” Tao made to stand up but Kris’s hand on his wrist stopped him.
“Meet me after school. We’ll play another game of basketball, alright?”
Tao smiled gently and removed Kris’s hand from his wrist. “Thanks but no thanks. Being beaten by you once is good enough for me.”
“We don’t have to play basketball. Just meet me after school, okay?”
Tao looked at Kris and smiled. “Sure. I’ll see you later.” He leaned down and placed a kiss on Kris’s cheek before grabbing his bag and leaving.
Kris sat frozen, unsure of what had just happened. He placed a hand on his cheek where Tao had kissed him. What was this feeling going on inside him?
~
Tao walked towards the school entrance to find Kris already waiting for him. He smiled and walked over to him. He winked and walked away, letting Kris follow him.
Kris grabbed his arm as they left campus. “Hey, it’s rude to just leave someone waiting for you.”
Tao looked over his shoulder and smiled. “I knew you’d follow me so why wait? So where did you want to go?”
Kris smiled. “Follow me.” He reached for Tao’s hand and led the way.
Tao paused at the entrance to the building. “You want to go here?”
“Yeah, why not?” Kris smiled as he turned to look at Tao. “Why? You don’t like shopping?”
“Oh no…uh that…I mean…”
“Come on, let’s go.” Kris tugged on Tao’s hand and pulled him inside.
“We-we can go some place else that isn’t the mall.”
“What’s the matter? Why are you so hesitant?”
“I-I…well the thing is…”
“Are you afraid of spending all my money?”
“What?!?!?” Tao looked at Kris in shock. “S-s-s-spend your money?”
Kris smiled and placed a kiss on Tao’s cheek. “You’re cute. Now come on.” He pulled on Tao’s hand and led him towards a store.
“I should warn you before we go any farther that you’ll regret this.”
“Now how would I regret this?”
Kris stared at Tao in shock as Tao happily munched on a piece of cake. He looked at the bags at Tao’s feet and around his feet. “B-b-but how?”
Tao smiled. “I warned you. I enjoy shopping, even more so when someone else foots the bill. How’s the wallet holding up?”
Kris reached into his pocket and pulled it out to take a peek. “Suffering. I think this will have to be the end of your little shopping spree.”
“Oh that’s fine. I was just about done anyway. You’ll help me carry these home right?” Tao blinked innocently up at Kris who couldn’t be sure if it was an act or not after all that had just happened.
~
Tao smiled happily at Chen as he sat down at their table. “You are so going to lose this bet, Chen. I hope you’ve been practicing.”
Chen scoffed. “Don’t count on it. From what I hear, you went to the mall with Kris and made a huge dent in his wallet.”
Tao shrugged. “I warned him but he chose to ignore it.”
“Yeah well as someone that has been on the receiving end of one of your many shopping sprees, all your efforts may have been a waste now. No one in their right mind would want to be with you after you spend almost all their money.”
“And yet, you’re still here.” Tao smiled brightly at Chen who sighed.
“Just because I’m one of the exceptions doesn’t mean he is.”
“You don’t know that. Oh hello Luhan gege.”
“So what did you buy yesterday when you spent Kris’s money?”
Tao smiled and began to gush about all his purchases.
~
Tao smiled as he noticed the note sticking out of his locker. He opened it up and smiled as he read it. He folded it and stuck away in his bag.
Kris walked towards his locker and paused when he noticed a note stuck on in. He grabbed it and opened it up.
As much as I would like to join you in the gym for another game, I decided I couldn’t miss class today. I’ll see you around.
Kris kept his expression neutral as he folded the note back up and stuck it inside his bag. He opened his locker, grabbed his books, and left for class.
~
Tao was gathering his things from his locker when it was slammed shut. He scowled as he moved his hand that could’ve been crushed if not for his fast reflexes. “What the hell was that?”
He turned and found Kris standing next to him. “What do you want? You know you almost crushed my hand with that move.”
“Why’d you decline my invitation?”
Tao shrugged his shoulders. “I had classes to attend.”
“You had no problem skipping before.”
“Yes, well I felt like I should go to class today. I already skipped three times in a row. A fourth might have been pushing it even if I am a good student, typically.”
“Why do I get the feeling that’s just a bunch of bullshit? Want to give me the real reason why you declined?”
Tao smiled brightly. “Nope, now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go home. See you tomorrow I guess.” He patted Kris’s cheek and walked away.
Before he was even a few feet away, Tao felt an arm wrap around his waist before he was slammed against the lockers and his mouth covered with Kris’s. His eyes widened in shock and surprise before closing as he gave himself over to the kiss.
Kris kept Tao pressed up against the wall, letting all his frustration pour into the kiss. He heard Tao moan, snapping him back into his senses, and he pulled away. He stared at Tao who was breathing a little heavily.
Kris pushed away and left without another word.
~
Tao walked to his table looking a bit confused to see Luhan and Chen already seated there and whispering amongst themselves. “Hey…what’s going on?”
Luhan and Chen looked up and smiled at him. “So today’s the end of the bet? Has Kris fallen for you yet?”
“Yes, he just hasn’t made it official.”
“Oh really? Well you have until the end of the school day. If he doesn’t claim you by the end of the day, you’re stuck doing all my homework for a week.”
“Oh he’ll confess by the end of the day. Don’t worry. And you’ll all be there when it happens.” Tao smiled and ate his food.
~
Tao smiled as he sat at their little table in the corner of the gym, waiting for Kris. He heard the door open and stood up smiling.
Kris walked over to the table and sat down. “So what do you have planned today?”
Tao held up the box. “A game called Battleship. You’ve heard of it?”
“Yes.” Kris raised an eyebrow. “Why battleship?”
“Thought it would be a fun game to play, trying to blow up your opponent’s ships. Seems like you have a lot of stuff you want to blow up if your kiss yesterday was any indication of your feelings.” Tao smiled as he set up the game.
“You do know this game could take some time?”
Tao shrugged. “So? Does that mean you don’t want to play?”
“No I do. Let’s get started.”
“Yay! I won. And since I won, can I ask a favor of you?”
“Depends on what it is.”
“Will you confess your feelings for me?”
Kris looked at Tao. “What makes you think I have feelings for you?”
Tao shrugged his shoulders. “Seems like you do.”
“Well,” Kris placed his arms on the table and leaned closer to Tao, “why don’t you confess your feelings to me first? And just so you know, I know that you’ve been cheating.”
“What do you mean?”
“Like you could’ve won this game that easily without peeking over at my board. I saw you when you thought I wasn’t looking. And I know you cheated on the other games we played as well, except for basketball because my skills can’t be beat, even with cheating though it was cute that you tried.”
“Wait, you know I’ve been cheating and still wanted to hang out with me?”
“Yes. I thought it was cute, you cheating to try and get me to spend more time with you. I was intrigued. Though I’ve been intrigued for a while now after hearing Luhan and Chen talk about you all the time.”
Tao’s eyes widened. “You hang out with Luhan ge and Chen ge?”
“Me and Luhan go way back but I have a couple classes with Chen. They told me all about your cheating habits among other things.”
“What other things? Wait, then…”
Kris smiled. “Yep, this whole bet you have with Chen. I convinced him to make a bet with you, though it didn’t take much convincing.”
“So-so he was just teasing me with having to do his homework for a week when he already knew -“
“I believe so. I don’t know the full details of the bet. But the bet was a ruse to get you to speak to me. I’ve noticed you stalking me but too afraid to make a move.”
“I have not been stalking.”
“Oh really? So the fact that you happen to always walk by my classes no matter what time of day it is to just get a peek at me isn’t stalking?”
“No, not when you compare it to the other people that actually do stalk you. What I do is mild observation.”
“Yeah mild observation every hour.”
“Wait, that means you know about my shopping sprees -“
“- and your love of pandas -“
“- and you still suggested we go shopping?!?!? Are you crazy?”
“Yes, since I’m crazy in love with you.”
“What?!?!?!” Tao stopped and stared at Kris.
Kris smiled and stood up from the table. He came over and pulled Tao up from his chair. He stared down into Tao’s eyes and smiled. “I love you, Tao. You intrigued me from the first and made me fall completely, madly in love with you these past few days. Please be mine.”
“I-I-I-“
“Yes, he’ll be yours. Now kiss him.”
Tao turned his head and found Luhan and Chen smiling at them from across the gym, not to mention a few of Kris’s other friends.
“Hey, no interfering.”
Chen scoffed. “We’ve been doing that so that point is invalid. But you’ve been cheating.”
“Not on the bet, just at the games. So ha!” Tao stuck his tongue out at Chen. “And I expect you to keep your end of the bet. So be prepared for a lot of dancing next week, Chen Chen ge.”
Just as Chen was about to make a noise of protest, one of Kris’s friends, wrapped his arm around Chen’s waist. “Now Chen Chen, don’t get so worked up. Let Kris ge and Tao have their moment before Luhan ge had interrupted.” Luhan had the decency to look slightly guilty. “And to be honest, I’m looking forward to your dancing.”
“Xing Xing…” Chen buried his face in Yixing’s neck in embarrassment.
Yixing smiled and gently kissed the top of Chen’s head. “We’ll leave you two alone for now. At least we were here to witness your confession and help Tao win his bet. We’ll see you two later.” He winked before nudging everyone else out of the gym.
Luhan broke away from the crowd to rush over and hug Tao. “I’m sorry we mettled but it was for your own good. I hope you’re not too mad at us. I’ll make it up to you later with cake and something from Gucci. Now go kiss your man.” He gave Tao a quick squeeze of support before bounding away before Tao could even respond.
Tao stared at the closed door, still trying to let everything sink in.
Kris chuckled and pulled Tao into his embrace. “Sorry for that but can we get back to the situation at hand?”
Tao looked up at Kris. “Which was?”
“This.” Kris smiled as he leaned down and gently kissed Tao. Tao smiled into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Kris’s neck.
~
Chen grimaced from his spot at the table. “Do I really have to?”
Tao smiled as he took a bite of the cake Luhan had bought him. “Yes. That was part of the bet. If you knew you were going to lose, why agree to my terms?”
“So you wouldn’t be suspicious.”
“And this is what you get as consequence. Now get ready to dance.”
Chen buried his face into Yixing’s chest. “Xing Xing…”
“Fair is fair. Come on, it won’t be so bad. I’m looking forward to seeing your dancing skills.” Yixing smiled.
“Come on, Chen Chen ge. Get ready to dance.” Tao smiled from his spot in Kris’s arms, his hand poised over the play button on his ipod.
“Fine.” Chen stood up, prepared to keep his end of the bargain.
“Yay! Go Dancing Machine Chen!” Luhan smiled as he clapped and cheered.
A/N: wanted to write a fic based off Tao’s cheating habit XD and this is what came out XD hoped you enjoy ^^