Words (TaoXChanyeolXreader fanfic)

Chapter 25: Liar

Tao woke him later. He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep but his arm was numb from Vic's weight on it. He felt warm and heavy. It could have been one of those perfect moments but Tao's expression threw him off. Tao was wasn't quite frowning. On someone else, the expression might have looked neutral but Chanyeol couldn't remember Tao ever looking at him like that.

He held out his free hand and Tao took it but the expression didn't change. Tao squeezed and his hands were still cold from being outside. Chanyeol wasn't awake enough yet to ask the questions that were building up in his head so he just pulled Tao's hand in and pressed a kiss to his fingers.

"Is everything alright?" Tao asked in a whisper.

"My parents ambushed us tonight, they tried to be nice and just ended up being overbearing and bringing up all the wrong things. She told me what happened to her aunt," he said.

Tao nodded but his expression didn't relax. Chanyeol struggled out from Vic's hold and laid her back down on the cushions. She didn't wake. He looked down at her for a long moment before grabbing hold of Tao's hand to pull himself to his feet. Tao gave him a little smile but his attention was on Vic. Chanyeol was fully awake now and could feel the force of Tao's discomfort though he didn't understand it.

"I'll go," Chanyeol said leaning in to press a kiss to Tao's cheek. It drew Chanyeol's attention back to him. His eyes were dark, his brows drawn together in confusion or maybe anger or something else entirely.

"No," Tao said, "You don't have to."

"Then tell me what's wrong," Chanyeol said.

"Nothing," Tao said.

"Liar," Chanyeol said.

Will responded by pulling him away from Vic and into the hall where he backed him up against a wall. For a moment Chanyeol was sure that Tao was going to scream or even hit him but instead he just leaned in and rested his head against Chanyeol's shoulder. Chanyeol startled then looped his arms around Tao's shoulders and held onto him. His nose was cold and his hair just a little damp where snow had melted into it. He smelled like nighttime and winter and Chanyeol cuddled in closer.

"Tell me," Chanyeol whispered.

"I'm a selfish idiot," Tao said.

"Possibly true but I still don't understand what you are so upset about," Chanyeol said.

"She loves you. That she liked you, that she enjoys spending time with you, that you can make her smile...." Tao fell silent and Jem said nothing though his heart beat picked up speed. He pulled Tao in a little closer and tried not to be terrified of what he was going to say next.

"Tao?" he finally forced out when Tao had been silent longer than his heart could take.

"I love that about you. I love that you and Vic are what you are as much as I love this thing that we have but I hadn't realized that she loved you that much, like that. That kind of trust isn't easy for her. She doesn't sleep on people and she doesn't tell that story. People treat her differently when she does. Like she's just another statistic or some sad story to be pitied," he said.

"And you think I would do that?" Chanyeol asked.

"No," Tao said and Chanyeol wanted to strangle him as the silence stretched again but this time he didn't need to prompt, "You are a better choice than I am. In everything. You're smarter than I am, you're going to have a better career than I ever will, you are more patient, kinder. You're better than just about anyone. I had never once, since the day we first sat out on the bleachers behind the school and didn't look at each other while we talked, I never once considered that I could lose her."

me eithe=,