Words (TaoXChanyeolXreader fanfic)

Chapter 37: Dust. Shadows. Poets.

Chanyeol's parents had planned to stay until Christmas but they'd been gone on the twenty third to respond to some emergency and rather than spending Christmas morning alone, he woke up with Vic's arm across his stomach to find that Taohad made breakfast. They passed the rest of the winter wrapped up in each other. They settled into a routine of work and school and shared apartments.

As the world started to warm, as exams came around again and the flowers started blooming, Chanyeol found himself looking at the future. He had always had plans of going abroad. He had another year in his program but after that he had been planning to leave the country. He had sat down with his adviser in the last years of his undergraduate degree and had made a plan. A plan for the next ten years that could have landed him at the UN or working for an embassy and it no longer looked like such an important thing.

"I want a home," he said during a phone call to his mother and it had all clicked into place. He had planned for their life and now he found that he didn't want it. He sat down with Victoria and they went through job listings for things for linguistics and translation majors to do with their lives that didn't involve international governments.

On the day of Vic's graduation, Chanyeol let Tao introduce him to Cecily and Ella with a full explanation. Which had led to the rather terrifying experience of being hugged by both sisters who made his mother look laid back and placid. Once the overbearing sisters and all of Vic's friends had finally filtered away and they were left on the green outside the Convocation Hall, he grabbed their hands and pulled them away.

The hallways were empty, everyone headed off to dinner with their families. Victoria still wore her gown though her cap was gone. Tao was carrying her diploma and her bag for her. Chanyeol led them up through the English building until they reached the rooftop. It was an old building and the teaching assistants knew all its secrets. He found the key right where they had told him it would be and pushed the door open to a roof.

"Wow," Victoria said stepping up toward the edge where an old iron rail was rusting between them and the five story drop to the cobblestone courtyard below. They weren't high enough to see everything but it was a good view. Tao leaned against Chanyeol's shoulder and smiled but he wasn't really looking out at the city, he was looking at Victoria.

"I got you something," Chanyeol said and Victoria came back to stand with them. He held out a flat velvet box. Tao raised his eyebrows and Victoria ran a hand over it.

"I have never been prouder to know anyone than the two of you. I love you and I would promise you the world if I could. I can't but I can promise you my heart. As long as you will have me, I am yours," he said.

He passed the box to Victoria and let her open it. He knew what was inside because he had had them specially made. Three simple silver rings with a three strand braid decorating the outside. Victoria passed one to Tao and then gave the last one to Chanyeol. They laced their fingers together and leaned against the rail and looked down at the rest of the world.

On the inside of the band, where it would be hidden away against skin were three words written in Chinese characters.

Dust. Shadows. Poets.

Chanyeol squeezed their hands as they stood in their little circle and knew that he had found his happily ever after. It wasn't like his parents' or like anyone else he had ever met but it was everything he wanted.