Words (TaoXChanyeolXreader fanfic)

Chapter 23: My brother

She didn't argue, letting him push her into the very expensive car his parents had rented or gotten from an embassy or bought or however his parents acquired their cars. If they needed to leave, they could use his even if it didn't have heated leather seats. He was angry and defensive but he didn't know why or what had upset Vic so much. She stared out the window. Silent. Perfectly silent as he drove her through the city.

He walked her up to her door and she stopped with her hand on the knob and turned to look a him. Her expression was serious and sad. He didn't touch her. He wasn't sure if it would be acceptable or not.

"You're parents are nice," she said.

"I would have said pushy," he said.

"No, they were very nice, I'm sorry for getting so upset. It's just a bad topic. I should have said something, I just didn't know what to say," she said.

"You don't need to explain it to me," he said.

That seemed to decide her. She opened the door and took his hand to pull him inside. The apartment was empty but felt more like home than his own ever did. He followed her as she went to put on a kettle and make a pot of tea. She didn't speak as she did it. She didn't say a word until they were seated on the sofa with tea cups in hand. For a moment, she sat beside him. Then she leaned her head against his shoulder and put her knees over his lap. He pulled her in close and waited while she drank most of her cup of tea.

"It's not a nice story," she said.

"I'll still listen," he said.

"My brother is a selfish person and he isn't very good about thinking things through. He is the type of person who falls for get rich quick schemes and expects to be able to charm his way out of any trouble. He dealt drugs and went into debt with bookies over illegal card games. He took acting jobs for the exposure and kept saying he was going to move to LA to get discovered. That kind of thing. Then he'd show up all big bright smiles and expect that to just sweep it all away. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't but it worked often enough that he expected it," she said.