Words (TaoXChanyeolXreader fanfic)

Chapter 17: December

And shortly after that, December was upon them. Tao's sisters appeared from the woodwork, dragging away at what little time Victoria wasn't devoting to studying for exams. They still had their study time, which included far more touching than it had before but almost no time spent in one another's laps. Tao was even more distracted by the two of them but had taken to using Chanyeol as an excuse to avoid any family bonding trip he didn't want to be a part of.

"Cecily has this boyfriend now, he's filthy rich, has a father embroiled in some sort of horrendous scandal and is a bit of a douche. She dragged us all to brunch yesterday and now she's dropping hints about showing up for dinner. If she does, Vic is going to kill us all, just wipe out the family line so she can get some studying done," Tao said after throwing himself down the sofa in Chanyeol's living room.

"And you decided it was safer to be here?" Chanyeol asked.

"Essentially, once it's all over I'll help her hide the bodies. We had that written into our wedding vows specifically but I need to survive the carnage first," Tao said, "Cecily will call, I will ignore it, she will call Vic, Vic will tell her I am out. I will be free for another day. Tomorrow, Ella and Cecily and Jessamine and Douche-face will all come and find me and I will be forced to go Christmas shopping with them all."

Chanyeol had pages and pages of notes and grammatical trees spread out in front of him. He was just as deep into studying for finals as Vic was but he didn't growl when he was interrupted like she did which Tao seemed to take as an invitation. As someone who was used to being alone, Chanyeol found it both sweet and annoying and the combination usually left him too confused to tell Tao to get out.

"You should come," Tao said.

"Shopping with your sisters?" Chanyeol asked.

"Yes," Tao said.

"Cecily and this boyfriend you hate so much are very together. I believe you said Ella and Jessamine are engaged and you and Victoria are married, I would not fit into any of that. I would be the odd awkward, seventh wheel," he said.

"Seventh wheel isn't a thing," Tao argued, "I need to start laying the ground work so when I go and introduce you to my mother and father, I have them on my side. Mom is going to find it very strange, dad isn't going to care but I still want to make sure that Cecily and Ella like you enough that they'll help make it all seem normal to them. Cece can convince anyone of anything, even our mother."

"You want to introduce me to your parents?" Chanyeol asked.

He turned around but couldn't see more of Tao than his legs hanging over the side of the couch. He got up and came to lean over the back of it. He looked down at Tao who was fiddling with the case of his phone. He flipped it open and shut. Open and shut. He looked up at Chanyeol, tilting his head back and shaking hair out of his eyes. He covered up his nervous expression with a confident smile that up to that point, Chanyeol had assumed was as natural as breathing for him.

"Yes," Tao said.

"Why? Isn't that just going to make things more complicated than they have to be?" Chanyeol asked. He stared down at him and tried to keep the creeping smile off his face. He wanted to look serious but his lips kept tugging up at the corners.

"This isn't a passing thing. If you were the guy I was seeing on the side or if it was something we did because we just wanted to have some spicier sex, then sure, yes it wouldn't be worth the weirdness of telling my parents or yours but that isn't what this is. I want this to be something that lasts. I know we haven't figured out exactly how it works yet and it's still new and strange but this is a relationship taking its first steps not a phase we're all going to grow out of," Tao said and then his expression faltered, the cocky smile letting in a flicker of vulnerability as he said, "At least it isn't for me."

Chanyeol climbed up over the top of the couch and Tao's eyes went wide. Chanyeol settled a knee on either side of Tao's waist and smiled at the memory of Vic sitting over him the same way. Leaning over Tao while he was flat on his back made Chanyeol 's thoughts race but Tao's flash of doubt was gone, replaced with a very different kind of nerves. Tao was still holding his phone between his hands so Chanyeol pulled it away and tucked it into his own pocket.

"It isn't for me either," he said.

that was h7,