~Kris~

My fingers wrap around the thin, smooth surface, holding it delicately like a pristine rose fresh picked from a luscious garden. I hold up the champagne flute and smile at the man across from me. It's fitting, toasting to the closing of this final chapter of this book in my life with the man i look forward to spending the rest of my series with.

"Here's to moving forward." I say with the fondest feeling in my chest.

Tao's eyes crinkle from the full grin that seizes his lips, and holds up his own glass, clinking it lightly against my own. "Does it feel weird? I mean, for years you've been working up to this moment, but did you ever expect it to come?"

I nod and chuckle. "I don't think it's set in yet... like... I'm done. When did this happen?"

Tao smiles gently and takes my hand over the table. "You've worked your ass off, babe. You made this happen and i'm so proud of you."

My heart flutters at his sincere words. Today i finished my last final of my last class for my last year. This is it. I'm officially done with University. After years and years of working up to it, i can't believe i'm finally done. No more classes. No more stretching myself thin. No more worrying if i can do this. I did this. I proved to myself that I'm worth more than my father ever said i was. I could have quit and focused on the company a while ago. Hell, i probably should have. But i needed to do this for myself. I needed to show myself my own strength. And here i am, crossing the finish line.

My path was that of my own choosing and i did it with finesse. I made my own way and i fucking succeeded with it. But i could never have done any of it without this gorgeous angel right in front of me. Tao was the foundation that kept me above water for so long. He has been my biggest supporter and even my biggest critic. He gave me everything I needed when i didn't even know how to ask for it. I attribute so much of myself to him and can't even begin to show how much I'm thankful for this eccentrically, confident and sassily pushy man.

"I couldn't have done any of it without you, Baby." I grasp his hand and feel him squeeze in return.

"Probably not, but i would have never let you. I love you more than any of the clothes in my closet. Even if you had decided you wanted to go into something like fine art, i would have supported you the same."

I snort and pretend to be offended. "Hey, i could have totally made it as an artist."

Tao stares blankly at me and rolls his eyes. "Kris, i love you but know your strengths, babe."

I laugh deep and openly at my little diva. The waiter comes by with our meal and his lips twitch at the scene. I'm sure we look like a couple of love dumb kids at the moment, and in truth, we kind of are. I don't walk across that stage for another week. And until i have my diploma in my hand, I'm still a college student. I still have a bit of young adult shenanigans to get out of my system.

"Hey, after we finish eating, do you want to go somewhere with me?" I ask forcing Tao to look up from his food and blink at me.

He tilts his head, considering. I know i haven't been spontaneous since my freshman year of university, but i see a flash of recognition and understanding in his eyes. "Where to?"

I smirk a little and stab my fork into a piece of my steak. "It's a surprise."

Tao blinks once again, but then a sort of knowing smile pulls at his lips and he drops his head, feigning nonchalance. "Well, i guess we have time for it. We're both done with finals after all." Tao glances back up at me and gives me a deep expression, one that says everything i need to know. "I'll follow you anywhere, Kris."

I reach over once again to take his hand and he squeezes mine. His eyes sparkle like a blanket of stars bursting into existence and it's in those stars that i see my forever.

>>>>>>

~Tao~

"It's beautiful."

"Yes, you are."

I blush at Kris' words and smile shyly down at my feet. It's not often that he can disarm me, but sometimes he says things that even catch me off guard. I look up to see his prideful smirk staring back at me. The smug bastard. How dare he treat me like the queen that i am and make me feel like a schoolgirl in front of her crush. I am Huang Zitao. I am THAT BITCH. I'm not a blushing virgin. Damn it.

"Cheesy bastard." I say and he snorts, but pulls me into his arms and slides me between his outstretched legs, so my back is pressed to his chest.

Kris had caught me off guard earlier suggesting a surprise after dinner. Kris had not been spontaneous in the longest time, so of course I was elated.  I was expecting frozen yogurt or something similar, but not this... I couldn't have even tried to guess this.

The lake we sit in front of is stunning in its inky glossiness. Shimmering beneath the stars like a mirror attempting to show the universe how stunning it truly is. It's quiet out here, just the sounds of the nocturnal forest surrounding the lake, alive with their own tasks for the night. It's so beautiful i could cry. Kris had stopped at home on the way to grab his Jeep and i hadn't understood why until we drove all the way out here and he had cut the engine. I watched in confusion as he laid the seats down in the back and then spread blankets around, but once he prompted me to climb into the back with him and had me look up, i realized the reason. I never understood the reason for a panoramic sunroof until that moment.

It's stunning. Stars, brilliant and shimmering held within a dark and dusty sky can be seen across every inch of the roof. Like the whole cosmos is held within the ceiling of Kris' car. It's mesmerizing.

The quiet sound of the woods fills my ears in our silence as I relax back against my boyfriends chest. I could live in this moment forever... with this Kris forever. The spontaneous, fun, hungry for adventure man i fell for. He's always been in there, i just failed to see him beneath the years of exhaustion and stress. Kris never disappeared from me, he just needed a break. I guess we both did. Now we can focus on the future and moving forward together. I just hope we never get lost in the motions again.

"Kris?" Kris hums in reply behind me and buries his face into the side of my neck. "Promise that we will always have this. That even when things get hard, we get stressed, and stretch ourselves so far we feel like we'll snap. Promise we will always come back to this and find our balance once again. That we'll find each other again."

Kris lifts his head and then i feel fingers gently pulling my head to the side so i can look into his eyes. "I promise. I don't even have to think about it. Whenever you need it or when you think i need it, or even if you don't need it and just want some time... we'll steal away, just you and me to breathe in life and remember who we are. We'll always have this, i promise you."

I smile and twist my upper half so i can kiss him deeply. Kris accepts me more than willingly, grasping onto my hips and ushering me onto my knees, twisting my body around to climb into his lap. I settle in comfortably, feeling the warmth and strength of Kris' body against my own.

"Your body deserves to be bathed in the light of the universe." Kris says when he pulls away and marvels at me like he holds a god in his hands.

I blush at his intensity and bite my lips, reaching for my shirt and pulling it over my head. Kris sucks in a breath and i feel his hands slide slowly up from my waist to my chest. I shutter and his eyes darken. The rest of our clothes soon join my shirt and Kris lays me out flat on my back , while he hovers over me and maps out my upper body with his mouth. I moan softly and bury my fingers in his hair, while he slowly moves down.

His lips and tongue leave tattoos of his love across my skin, scrawling and tingling over the surface sending pleasurable shivers up my spine. Kris reaches my apex and licks up from the base to the tip, but moves further down after some more teasing. Once his breath ghosts over my most sensitive area, i shutter and realize his intent. I lift my hips up higher, thanking years of martial arts training, and Kris proceeds to open me up in the most delicious way. 

My bitten curse and choked moan is lost somewhere within the thick and oblivious forest.

When Kris finally pushes inside of me, we simultaneously sigh in a mixture of content and relief. This is my favorite place it be in the whole world. And when Kris starts moving, slowly rolling his hips and solidifying his rightful place between my thighs,  i finally don't feel that part of myself that's always a little empty. This is what i will always crave. The other half of my soul fitting together perfectly once again.

Gentle touches. Soft sighs. Hands and mouths everywhere. The car fills with our moans and words of love, while a symphony of the universes approval plays outside it. Kris takes his time taking me apart. Our naked bodies collide, and my heart swells. Within Kris' arms, with his body pressed close, i feel at home. I feel whole.

.....

"So, wait... You two fucked in the back of Kris' Jeep?"

I sigh and pinch at the bridge of my nose. "Yes, Baekhyun. That is indeed what happened."

Yixing winces and rolls his eyes. "Must you be so blunt, Baek?"

Baekhyun blinks at his best friend and scoffs. "Must you be such a prude, Master?"

Yixing's eyes darken as they narrow at his best friend, and i just sigh. "Why do i even talk to you two?"

"Because I'm a pervert and Yixing is experienced. We're the two perfect opinions for sexual gossip." Baekhyun explains stuffing a large bite of his sandwich in his mouth. "If you wanted mushy love opinions and preschool level naivete you would have went to Jongin and Hunnie."

Yixing looks at me with what i assume is an equal amounts of exasperation i'm also expressing. "He's not wrong, he just lacks a filter."

I snort and pick up my own sandwich and nearly moan. I will never admit it to the man, but damn Kyungsoo is a culinary genius. I'm glad that Baekhyun and Yixing came by on my lunch break to talk. We haven't done this in forever. I missed catching up with my best friends, even if they are ridiculous at times. I'm hoping that we can always have this, even if we move on with our lives and change with the years, i truly wish i could always have my best friends to grab lunch and laugh with.

"So, how was it? In my experience sex in vehicles is always too cramped and restrictive." Yixing comments, snacking on his bagel.

Baekhyun snorts. "That's because you're used to having a whole stadium to perform your kinkery."

Baekhyun winces and Yixing smirks triumphantly, a sign that the smaller was probably kicked under the table.

"It was surprisingly good. I kind of liked the feeling of being exposed to the world. Like the idea of being seen any moment if anyone decided to come to the area where we were parked, kind of excited me a bit." I explain, surprising myself that I'm admitting this out loud.

Though, i know these two would never judge me. They are my best friends for a reason. Baek and Yixing have been with my through many trials and situations. These two hold more secrets than Area 51. It's still jolting that i'm admitting it to myself. The other night i was enthralled by the idea of having sex in a public place and i am still working out some of the implications of that. I guess that's why i told these two, if anyone can help me figure out a developing kink, it's them.

Yixing lifts his eyebrows, his interest clearly peeked. "This is new. Elaborate. How exactly did it make you feel?"

"Oh gods, he's in Dom mode." Baekhyun says in mock horror, barely looking up from his food.

Yixing sneers and kicks Baekhyun harder. "Byun, you'd fucking know it if i was in Dom mode. I'd make you submit in seconds."

Baekhyun smirks and leans over the table. "I'd like to see you try. Word on the street is you've lost your touch since you started dating king prude who looks like he's constantly in some level of pain and makes dad jokes that made me research how to get away with third degree."

"Says that person who has committed himself to the man who spent all of last night and this morning in the health clinic on campus because Sehun dared him to eat an entire brick of fondant." Yixing snaps back. "Now let me analysis our best friends kink and worry about yourself."

"Stop it, both of you I'm not talking about this anymore." I hush them, hiding my face in my hands away from curious onlookers, while they fall into amused giggles. For two of the biggest influences in a multi million dollar company, they act like such children sometimes.

Baekhyun seems to somber a bit and nudges Yixing's hand with his. "But i do want to ask, how is everything going with Junmyeon? Are you two still taking things slow?"

Yixing's face pinks a little and i nearly jump across the table. "No! shut up! tell us everything." I say, my upper torso leaning on the solid surface.

Yixing blushes even darker and takes a deep breath. "It's not like with you guys. We need time to figure it out. To find our sync. We've done some things, but it's all experimental. Two people who's used to a certain dynamic can't drop old habits over night."

"But you've definitely have had his dick in your mouth, right?" Baekhyun interjects.

I sigh and slap Baekhyun's arm. "Yixing isn't like you, Baek. Not everyone enjoys choking on a dick regularly. Especially Yeol's. I've... i've seen that monster. I don't even know how you do that."

"Speaking of Yeol, how is he doing?" Yixing asks, a completly different tone than before, clearly wanting a subject change.

Luckily, Baekhyun is a complete fool for his boyfriend and takes any available opportunity to talk about him. "He's good. Kyungsoo brought him some of his famous seaweed soup this morning and he managed to get it down. He's back at the house now, but Minseok has put that boy on bedrest lockdown. He won't even allow me to hang out in his room because im "incapable of not being a disturbance." as Minseok put it, even though he's MY damn boyfriend." Baekhyun pouts and Yixing and i give him sympathetic pats while also laughing at the lovesick idiot.

"I understand you, Baek. Once, Kris got really sick in his junior year. Like, 'couldn't-even-go-to-class' sick and Kyungsoo kicked me out of our room for a week straight till Kris got better" I sigh, thinking back to that time. "In hindsight, i didn't even mind being away from Kris for that time. It didn't even really feel like a seperation, just a minor inconvenience. I barely even checked on him." My eyebrows bunch and i drop my eyes to my lunch. "Maybe i should have realized that something was wrong then."

"But, you guys are okay now? Even if you went through a rough patch, things worked out in the end?" Yixing asks in a more serious tone.

I look up to find both of my best friends giving me a supportive and meaningful expression. I smile and nod. "Yeah. We're good. It's not like it used to be, but it's not like it has been. It's new. Comfortable. Happy. It's a place i think we have always meant to be in, Kris and i just had to quit being so damn stubborn and talk for once."

Yixing grins and reaches out to take my hand. "I'm really happy for you, Tao. You fought for something so precious and rare. A love like yours, it's special. It's important. I'm really proud of you."

My heart swells and i feel an onslaught of emotions fill my heart. I sometimes forget the amazingly supportive and loving friends i have. This is my chosen family and i don't know what i do some days without them.

"Oh, gods. My best friends and me. Out here living their best lives. Fuck, I'm so proud of us. We getting dick and degrees. Professional, classy, grown up hoes." Baekhyun practically sings and claps.

I roll my eyes and Yixing snorts, but nevertheless when Baekhyun lifts his glass, I'll be damned if we didn't lift ours too. He's not exactly wrong, we are living our best lives.

>>>>

~Kris~

"Do you know how much sugar is in a block of fondant? I'm surprised we didn't have to go get his stomach pumped." Kyungsoo says sounding just as exasperated as he looks. "What would even make someone decide to eat a whole fucking slab of it anyways? He's a moron... an actual moron."

"A moron that you got up extremely early to make food for this morning?" I ask with a tilt of my head, looking up from my menu.

Kyungsoo's eyes burn into mine when he meets my stare. "Baekhyun was in our room all night pacing and complaining since they wouldn't let him into the school clinic after hours. He was monopolizing Jongin's time and in relation my Jongin cuddling time by being his usual annoying ass self. I cook when i'm in a bad mood."

"Come on, Soo. There isn't anything wrong with admitting you care about Park." Junmyeon inputs.

Kyungsoo sends daggers to Jun this time and i have to chuckle at how much anger the smol has pent up inside of him. "I'd rather give Chanyeol a prostate exam than admit i love him."

Junmyeon smirks and peeks up over his menu at our fiery friend. "Who said anything about love."

Kyungsoo tilts his head and places a far more sinister smirk on his own lips. "Junmyeon... don't make me use my power against you."

Minho, who's been decently quiet till now snorts. "What power do you have against Jun?"

Junmyeon a little more somber, nudges Minho. "Don't worry about it."

"No, seriously. What possible power could he have?" Minho asks.

I shake my head and chuckle soundlessly, while Junmyeon whines in despair and Minho looks even more intrigued.

Kyungsoo doesn't waste any time. "I control Jongin, who is best friends with Sehun. Sehun has heavy influence on Yixing, who happens to be dating our subject in question."

Minho snorts and looks at his best friend in disbelief. "Does that actually work?"

Junmyeon nods humorlessly. "Their friendship is like nothing i've ever seen before. I can't win. I'm outnumbered. But the thing is... it works like this no matter who he's up against. He always has some type of connection chain that gets him what he wants."

I finally figure out what i want for lunch and set my menu down. "He's always been like this. Even in high school. Kyungsoo had a whole gang of people who did his bidding and didn't even know it. He worked in the background, running the show, and never faced any of the punishment because he's extraordinarily gifted at getting into peoples heads and convincing them it's their idea."

Minho sits back and crosses his legs, shaking his head at our friend. "You are truly extraordinary, Do Kyungsoo."

Kyungsoo, ever the humble gentleman shrugs it off and raises a hand to call our waiter. After our food is ordered, we exchange a few more banters and simple conversation, before our talk is lead to more formal areas. I had expected it to, due to Minho being let in on the existence of our company and has been exceedingly interested since.

"So, when are you going to let me invest?" Minho asks after a few simple questions over how the company is doing.

I snort. "That would be Heechul's department and it'll probably be never. From day one Yixing has aimed to keep it in his hands and in his hands alone. The master will probably always be a privately owned company."

"Boo." Minho says before moving past it unphased. "So, what are your plans now that you have a chance to focus on the company completly?"

I take a deep breath. Yixing and i have been talking about many things, but i've been cautioned into keeping most of them underwrapps. Most of them.

"Expansion." I say simply.

"To where? Busan? China? Japan?" Junmyeon asks.

I smirk and cross my legs. "Global expansion."

Kyungsoo's eyes do my favorite thing where they get extraordinarily wide and he stills. Clearly Yixing didn't tell anyone about this, but it's not like it's a secret. We've already signed the contracts. The master will be global by christmas.

"You don't stop, do you?" Minho says with an amused look on his face.

I shrug. "Yixing and i have an understanding. Our whole lives we've had people tell us we'd never amount to anything and that we are better off accepting what is given to us. So, we both decided that we will take everything and show them the errors of their way."

Kyungsoo gives me the first true smile i've seen on his face since finals week started and lifts his glass. "Here's to taking everything."

The two next to me also grin and share in the gesture. If anyone understands the sweet pettiness of conquering the world out of spite for it telling us we couldn't, it's these fine gentlemen right here.

>>>>

~Kris~

"How could you even dare to say that?!" The screech pierces through the light chatter around the table.

"Listen, no... just hear me out. I'm not saying Scar was right... I'm just saying, i respect his grind." Sehun explains, holding up his hands to the overly offended Disney enthusiast, Baekhyun.

"How dare you. He killed Mufasa. He ruined Simba's life. He enslaved the other animals and starved the kingdom. He is the epitome of a villain. How can you side with him?" Baekhyun erupts. I swear i almost see a vein popping on his neck.

"I'm not siding with him, I'm just saying, he set out to be king and he got that shit, man. He's not like the rest of these Disney villains that jack around and try to get other people to do their dirty work. Scar showed up and dished out. He's kind of inspirational." Sehun shrugs, but i can tell he's trying his best to keep a smile off his face.

Baekhyun screeches in the highest level of disbelief. "I can't believe what I'm hearing right now. Oh Sehun. Something broke inside of me the day i watched Simba trying to get his dad to wake up and you have the audacity to tell me that monster who killed him is a role model."

Sehun shrugs. "Hustlers gotta hustle dirty sometimes."

Baekhyun is almost fully across the table before Chanyeol catches him and restrains him from throttling a now wheezing Sehun. I shake my head and catch the eyes of Jongdae at the other end of the table who just mimics my actions and rolls his eyes. Tao snorts next to me and gets my attention.

"Calm down, it's not that deep, Baek. We all know you love the lion king, but Sehun is just trolling you. Breathe, babes." Tao says and finally cuts his fork into his piece of cake I've been waiting for him to stab into since he sat down with it.

Without even thinking or me having to ask, Tao sends the first bite of it my way and i smile as i chew happily on one of Kyungsoo's signature carrot cakes. He must have sold his soul for this recipe, because it's practically sinful.

"You tell that to simba's mom who lost her husband and also thought she lost her son that day." Baekhyun shoots back, his eyes welling up.

"Yeah, but then Simba gets adopted by two gay dads and eventually goes back to save everyone and take his rightful place as king." Chanyeol says, soothing a hand up and down his boyfriends arm who has now taken a seat on Chanyeol's lap.

Baekhyun sniffs and nods. "That's true."

Chanyeol coos at Baekhyun. "Don't listen to Sehun. He's just a jealous old hag who will never be a Disney princess."

"Hey!" Sehun protests, "if anyone here desires to be a Disney princess it's Tao, not me."

Tao loudly scoffs and points a fork at the boy. "Don't insult your mother, child. I AM a Disney princess."

The table laughs easily at Tao's sass. "What prince does that make Kris?" Jongin asks seeming to love this oh so much.

I roll my eyes, but close them tightly when i hear Kyungsoo's voice peek out over everyone else's. "Oh, he's definitely Flynn Rider. Shifty, bad guy persona, thinks he has game with that smolder of his, but underneath he's just a big ole softy named Eugene."

The table roars in laughter and Tao actually stands out of his seat to give his coworker a high-five. Great those two are bonding. It's not like that's my worst nightmare.

Everyone calms down and they move on to the next topic, which will mostly likely be just as ridiculous and dramatic. That's just how our friend group is. And that's one of the things i love most about them. These guys are loud, obnoxious, blunt, and at times inappropriate. But i love then with every inch of my soul and i would give up every cent i have and everything i own if any of these boys needed me. 

That's what family is, i guess. It doesn't have to be blood. It doesn't have to be lifelong. It's not just people you share commonality with. Family is love and trust. Family is a bond deeper than anything, even romantic love. I love Tao more than anything in this world, but if he made me choose between him and these guys, I'm not sure i could choose him. And i know for a fact he feels the same way.

Our mixed matched group of odd balls and loose screws is our family. We found them... or maybe they found us. We were always meant to be together and we always WILL be together. This is what family really is and I'll always be biter that i never truly knew what family was until these guys came into my life. But the love and happiness i feel when i look at my best friends, bothers, coworkers, and even sons makes all of those past scars fade away. 

"Can i interrupt you guys for a second?" I ask over the multiple conversations that have broken out.

Yixing is the first to catch my eye and silences everyone with his words. Forever the CEO. "Sure, Kris. Go ahead."

"In light of my final semester coming to a close i just want to share my thoughts about what these past couple of years as well as this group has meant to me." I start.

"Oh gawd. Here he go. Making a bitches makeup run." Baekhyun complains loudly.

Tao snorts. "Baek, shut up and listen."

Baekhyun winks at my boyfriend and salutes. I take a deep breath and shake my head, continuing unphased. "I can't even begin to express how much you guys have done for me. How much you've changed and helped me in becoming the man i am today. You've challenged me, pissed me off, made my hair fall out, and even made me question my choices almost daily. But I'm all the better for it. You guys literally changed my life. You gave me a family and a place to call home. I couldn't have done any of this without you guys and I'm damn proud to call all of you my friends. Thank you for these amazing years and i hope the next however many we get together are even better."

I smile at each one of the boys individually, making eye contact with glossy eye after glossy eye and a few wet faces and i don't need a verbal confirmation to know they understand my feelings. They get it. We all feel the same. All of us are the same, even with how deeply different we all are, we all have a similar story. That's how we ended up here. That's how we all found one another amongst the fog of rejection, pain, and self-hatred. We became beacons for one another. We guided the lost, beaten, and damned to our safe haven. Showed them the kindness they were missing, the love they had been denied, and the support that allowed them to heal.

"To our family. May we always have health, happiness, and each other." Jongdae pipes up, his voice sounding a little rough as he raises his coffee mug into the air.

I, as well as everyone else follows and the sweetest sound of the word, "Family." echoes across the small cafe and seals itself away inside of our hearts.

>>>>

Chickens!

Gosh, i missed you guys. I think i missed myself too. That was a long break, but a much needed one.

A lot has happened in my life and i felt that my focus needed to be on my studies. That didn't leave much time for creative juice. I hope you guys can understand and respect how long of a break i took. Thank you for staying with me through it and coming back for the update. I really love you guys for sticking with me.

Also, a few of you know, but for those who don't, i'm engaged! 💍

I got engaged back in October!! yup, I finally asked AlwaysLay to marry me! Haha just kidding, she will be my bro of honor though and she's still my Minecraft wife.

Anyways, kiddos. We're getting pretty close to the end, so mostly everything after this will kind of be a wrapping up, fluff piece. I'm sure you guys don't mind, because you're a bunch of sappy babies, but you're my sappy babies so I'll take care of you and feed you happy feels.

BaekYeol is up next my darlings. Look forward to it. Hopefully i can get it out here soon, if not, please be patient with me.

I love you guys so much! I mean it. You guys mean a lot to me and you make doing this so amazing. I'm incredibly thankful! ❤️

사랑해요 💕

~M~