It was two weeks until Kris and Tao got to go out again. Of course, Kris had spent every possible minute with Tao for all of those two weeks.

            There was a lot of sleeping on the couch with Tao leaning on his shoulder. It was kind of their default position. But that was the closest they’d gotten, physically at least. Kris didn’t mind.

            It was finally Friday night and all the guys had left. Kyungsoo and Kai probably went on a date, as did Sehun and Luhan, and the others had said they were going to karaoke.

            “Tao,” Kris said quietly, leaning on Tao’s head still.

            “Mm?” Tao asked sleepily.

            “Do you want to go out tonight?”

            “Okay,” Tao replied. Kris turned to him, and Tao’s face right next to his was no less exciting than it had been every other time for the past two weeks. “You choose.”

            “Let’s go to the river,” Kris suggested. “I heard it’s really nice this time of year.”

            Tao smiled and stood up.

            “I’ll get my jacket,” he said, disappearing into his room. Kris smiled to himself as he went to get a jacket of his own.

            When Tao had gotten his (extremely attractive) jacket, Kris put his hand on Tao’s back and led him out the door.

            Tao didn’t tense up like he always used to when Kris touched him. In fact, he turned back and gave Kris a smile. Kris smiled back and he couldn’t help but admire how gorgeous Tao was when he smiled. It was like a new experience every time Tao grinned.

            The walk to the river was cool, and the brisk air was refreshing. Kris and Tao walked close to each other, but Tao had his hands firmly in his pockets, and Kris didn’t dare reach for them in case Tao became uncomfortable.

            When they finally got there, Kris knew he’d been right to bring Tao to the river. It was beautiful. The city was on the other side, bright lights reflecting on the evening water and giving their quiet, cozy side of the river a dazzling glow.

            “Wow, it’s gorgeous,” Tao breathed.

            Kris knew it would have been cheesy to say that Tao was more gorgeous than the view, but that didn’t stop him from thinking it.

            “It is nice, isn’t it?” Kris agreed.

            “You know, I’ve never liked rivers very much,” Tao said. “They scare me, since I can’t swim.” He turned to Kris to continue his story, but he quickly backtracked when he was the guilt on Kris’s face. “No, no, don’t worry! I like it now. It’s pretty and I’m glad we came. That’s what I was getting at.”

            “Well, in that case,” Kris sighed with relief, “I’m happy too.”

            “Should we walk?” Tao asked. “There’s a light down that direction, can we see what it is?”

            “Sure!” Kris replied. They started walking again, still as close to each other as they had been before, but Kris’s hands were hanging awkwardly, and so were Tao’s. He wanted to hold Tao’s hand so badly. Those long, slender, graceful fingers looked like they would fit perfectly in Kris’s large hands. It would make him feel as if he was closer to Tao.

            “Tao,” Kris coughed awkwardly, and Tao looked up. “Can I…I mean, if you want, or if you don’t want to, you don’t have to, but…can I…hold your hand?”

            Tao looked down, and Kris could see the blush appear on his smiling cheeks even under the dim moonlight.

            “Okay,” he replied quietly, holding out his hand somewhat awkwardly. Kris took it in an equally embarrassed motion. They stopped walking and Tao looked up. “It doesn’t feel right.”

            Kris faltered and let go of Tao’s hand quickly, on the verge of apologizing.

            “Here, this is better,” Tao laughed, taking Kris’s hand back and intertwining their fingers.

            Suddenly everything was perfect again. Hearing Tao’s chiming laugh and feeling how flawlessly their fingers locked together was amazing in Kris’s mind. It was like he and Tao were meant for each other. He knew he was probably overreacting, considering the furthest they’d gotten was hand-holding, but he was fairly sure that he wouldn’t find anyone else like Tao for a very long time, if at all.

            “You’re right,” Kris replied, squeezing Tao’s hand. Tao laughed again as he looked up at Kris with his grin, squeezing Kris’s hand back.

            Yeah, Tao was amazing. He had a feeling he’d be saying that a lot.   

            “Ah, it’s perfect tonight,” Tao mused, looking up at the sky where they could see faint stars.

            “It is perfect,” Kris agreed.

            “Wait!” Tao cried. “Stop there!” He let go of Kris’s hand and jumped away. “I want to take a picture of you.”

            “What?” Kris laughed, but Tao had already gotten his phone out and snapped a picture. “Mmm…take off your jacket. Just put it there for a second.” Kris did as he was asked.

            “How’s that?” Kris asked. “Tao, did it work?”

            “No…this isn’t a good place. Move over there. I know there’s no railing but the railing looks really bad in pictures.” Kris laughed as moved to where Tao had told him to go.

            “Take it now,” Kris chuckled. Tao took another picture. He looked at it for a few seconds, and then smiled.

            “It looks good, even though it’s dark out. Ah…before you put on your jacket…can we take one together?”

            “Of course,” Kris replied with a grin, taking Tao’s hand as they posed near the riverside. “Do you want me to take it, or will you?”

            “I’ll take it. If there’s anything I know how to do, it’s take a selca,” Tao replied proudly, and Kris had to laugh. Tao held out his arm at an expert angle.

            “No, this lighting is bad. Just need a little more of the water…” Tao replied, stepping backwards and tugging Kris’s hand. “Just a little more.”

            And suddenly in a heart-stopping moment, Kris could feel Tao’s hand being pulled out of his. He panicked as Tao gave a shriek and fell into the water.

            “TAO!” he cried. “Oh …”

            He had no choice. It wasn’t as if he even had time to make the decision. It just came naturally.

            He jumped into the water wildly after Tao, the thought of “he can’t swim” running through his mind at a million miles per second.

            Tao’s splashes of panic were like a godsend, because if Tao hadn’t been wildly thrashing about, Kris wouldn’t have been able to see him in the darkness. Kris wrapped his arm around Tao’s waist, completely aware of how much they were both shaking from sheer terror.

            Tao clung to him with a death grip as Kris swam them back to where Tao had fallen from. He pushed Tao up onto the bank and climbed up himself as well. As soon as he was standing, Tao ran over to him and hugged him, burying his wet face in Kris’s chest. He squeezed Kris as if he was the only thing between him and the water.

            Kris pulled Tao closer, and he could feel Tao sobbing into his shirt.

            “I was so scared,” Tao wept, “I was so scared.”

            “Shh,” Kris murmured. “You’re okay now.” He rubbed comforting circles into Tao’s back as Tao’s sobs became less violent.

            “Thank you,” Tao sniffled. “I was so scared.”

            “I was too,” Kris replied quietly. “Let’s go back to the dorm and dry off.” Tao nodded into Kris’s chest, and they broke apart. Kris was suddenly aware of how warm it felt to have Tao next to him, and how cold it felt without him there. He reached for Tao’s hand after gathering his jacket which (thankfully, since it held his phone and keys) had been left on the riverside.

            They made it back to the dorm in record time, since they were freezing cold at that point. Kris gave Tao a towel and Tao showered quickly. Kris showered right after Tao and when he got out, Tao was sitting on the couch, his hair still soaking wet.

            “Will you dry my hair?” Tao asked shyly. Kris smiled adoringly at him and nodded. He sat down next to Tao with a towel and went through Tao’s hair gently.

            “I’m sorry the selca didn’t work out,” Kris said. “And about your phone…”

            “It’s okay,” Tao replied, “I’m just happy I got out of there.”

            “You don’t know how scared I was. I felt your hand slipping out of mine and there was nothing I could do.”

            “But you did do something. You dove in. You saved me.”

            “Well yeah, there was nothing else I could do.”

            “You could have just left me there.”

            “Tao!” Kris cried as he stopped drying Tao’s hair suddenly. “You would have drowned if I hadn’t saved you. I couldn’t have just left you there.”

            “And that’s why you’re different from everyone else,” Tao replied, taking Kris’s hand and putting it on top of his head. “Keep drying.”

            But Kris didn’t keep drying. He stared at Tao’s face.

            People really had been awful to Tao. If the way he expected to be treated was to be left in a river to drown, then how had people treated him before?

            And Kris was different to Tao. That fact alone was beyond amazing to Kris.

            He wasn’t sure what came over him, but he took Tao’s chin with his hand and pulled Tao’s face towards his own. Tao looked at him in surprise at first, but didn’t hesitate as Kris got closer and closer to his lips.

            And then suddenly Tao turned away at the last second.

            “I’m sorry,” Tao said quietly. “I want to! But I can’t right now…I just can’t…”

            Kris leaned back on the couch resignedly.

            “This is new to me,” Tao continued, trying to explain. “I like you, I really do. But…I’m not ready. Not yet. Please understand.”

            Kris sat up again and resumed drying Tao’s hair.

            “I understand,” he smiled. He felt Tao’s hand squeeze his knee in a reassuring gesture. “I can wait for you.”

            Suddenly Tao turned around and hugged Kris.

            “You really are different.”

Picture credit: KrisTao西皮团

A/N: TAORIS FEELS AT THE END THERE OKAY. FLUFF GALORE BECAUSE I LOVE FLUFF. And plot bunny creds go to the lovely tarp_walls because she's just incredible like that okay. Go love her please. Also guys. Over 400 subscribers. Thank you all so much. Say hi to me on tumblr, y'all.

@BalancedCuppycake: Lololol Gucci. 

@JulietteShawol1: I guess this chapter was what you were looking for then :)

@elemonie818: Fluff is what I am good at :D

@HepHapBBC: TAORIS FEELS RUNNING RAMPANT AM I RIGHT?

@karinav915: Yes, I particularly liked that ending :)

@Lala1901: The chapter has to end somewhere~

@1412Bunny: THEY ARE AND EVERYTHING IS GOOD IN THE WORLD :D

@chigire: Ahhh seems like everyone liked the last sentence. I'm glad~

@jonghyunnn: Tao is a master of surprise kekeke. 

@13aholic: Yup they're an item now too!!

@aegyoXin: Oh don't worry, there are at least four chapters left after this one. At least. 

@AlwaysMe-: I adore cute Tao omg. 

@kitten83: Yup Chanyeol is a cutie. And Tao does like Kris :)

@SadisticRainbows: Hahaha Tao's cuteness outshines everything else. 

@aznmusiklife: Baekyeol will be a thing eventually~ We'll see how it happens.

@deathangeL_se7en: Not the end yet! There's much still to come. 

@angelsmiles: I squealed writing it too hahaha.

@MsChocoChan: Get used to death then, because fluff is how I roll hahahah :)

@sumomoyuki: I'm glad you liked itttt~

@gatorbitez: Awwwww yay thanks for liking it.

@OMFGitsJC: So much cuteness. 

@Nakonoshi: Tao trusts Kris now, so he's more open :) Taoris is all the cutes. 

@phoenix_taemints: Celebration!!

@fanficgeek: Yup he admitted it finally~

@pripri: Aw yay thank you~

@eongjjang: I'm happy they're dating tooooo they're too cute.

@a_song_4_yoo_rin: Thanks!

@bogobogo: Gull I know what you mean ;P

@sorrowlicher: THEY WILL BE :D

@Baengsin: YAY that was the point of that last line.

@freemyse0ul: Baekyeol is one of my favorites, so it'll happen sooner or later. 

@Yuki_Hime: Ahh thanks I'm glad you like it.

@silverphoenix: You are more observant than Kris :D You're very right, my dear.

@JSeobang: GOOD :D That's my goal. 

@KyuMinLover123: I'm happy, thank you!

@Staceyftw: Kekekeke.

@x__Lay: Taorisssss is the best. 

@MeiXiah: Don't dieee!! Ahhh but I'm happy you liked the cutiness. 

@AsianInspirits: Crazy fool spazzing is what I aim for. 

@Kahlem: Thank you~

@Galdy42: Thank you for reading ahaha.

@tarp_walls: Sorry for the lack of Lay. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW. I should just credit you as a co-author because like...I get all my ideas from you hahaha. How's Yugoslavia?

@maktaemint: Ahhhh you flatter me. I have fans lololol that's weird to think about.

@You_Love: No hablo espanol? Kekeke but yes Baekyeol will happen soon, no se preocupe. 

@mj_a_lover: Nope don't worry I regularly spaz like that to tarp_walls because we're crazy too hahaha. Baekyeol is coming soon.

@efeline: Glad you think so <3

@Lee_HyunJae: I KNOW RIGHT THAT PIC SO GOOD.

@dark_heart: Whoooo I'm happy you liked the chapter! Lay is all-knowing. 

@clarene: The end has been popular hahaha.

@PikaKyuLove: Fighting, Chanyeollie!

@mistyavalon: Thanks!

@TigerFriberg: Yayyy and thanks for being the 400th subscriber :)

@thejewelholic: Of course it's not over yet~ Don't worry!!

@blake_maclaren: Oooh you like the way I write his expressions? I have a very specific vision in mind so I'm so happy it's coming across :D

@Rolllikeadonut: Converting people to Taoris is like...my dream come true. I'm really happy you decided to read~

@sullifxify123: Why did you read it???? I warned youuuuu D: But I'm really happy you're liking the story. Thanks for reading!

Phew! I missed replying to comments. I love all y'all. 

♥ Exie