Hey people, sorry for the wait. COLLEGE IS RUINING MY LIFE OK RANT OVER.

I hope you enjoy this and it doesn't disappoint... :/

THE BIG REVEAL

Tao’s POV

We stay in bed till late the next day, watching movies on the screen in Kris’s room until we get a text from his father letting us know he’ll be over in a couple of hours. Dragging ourselves out from under the comfy covers, we head into the bathroom for a quick shower, and maybe a little fun, but eventually we manage to force ourselves to finish up and return to the bedroom.

We can feel the tension building in the air as we finish dressing and relocate into the kitchen. I glance at Kris, wondering if he’s as nervous as I am. I find my answer in the stiff way he’s standing at the counter and the slight crease in his forehead as he fixes up some food for us.

I move up behind him and wrap my arms around his waist, pressing a light kiss onto the back of his neck before resting my head on his back. He stops moving about and relaxes into my arms, letting out a small sigh as the tension drains out of him. I lift myself up slightly so I can rest my chin on his shoulder before nuzzling my face into his neck and murmuring, “it’ll be ok. No matter what he tells us we’re going to be ok, they can’t hurt us anymore.”

I feel him shiver slightly as I press little kisses into his skin in an attempt to take his mind of what’s coming. It seems to work, and he seems a little more relaxed ten minutes later when we’re seated at the table eating.

As we wait, we pass the time by planning a get together with all our friends, discussing who to invite and what we’re going to do. It lightens the atmosphere and we’ve almost forgotten what’s coming when there’s a buzz from the intercom. We tense up and my eyes snap up to meet his. I shoot him an encouraging smile and watch as he heads over to the intercom to let his father in.

When the lift opens and his father walks in, accompanied by Sungmin his bodyguard, he pulls Kris into a tight hug, murmuring something into his ear that I can’t hear but is probably not for my ears. When he releases Kris he turns to me and I bow low as I greet him. I’m taken by surprise when he tugs me into an embrace too, speaking words of immense gratitude into my ear for what I’ve done for Kris.

As he pulls away I reply “you don’t need to thank me, Kris is mine to protect.”

He nods slowly as the double meaning of my words sink in and I notice a faint flush on Kris’s cheeks as he ducks his head at the possessiveness in my voice. I bow to Sungmin in greeting before leading them all over to the sofas. I motion for him to take a seat before subtly reaching out to Kris and pulling him down next to me. He shifts closer, pressing his thigh gently against mine in a gesture of comfort, the heat from his body reassuring me.

Kris’s dad runs through some of the decisions made at the meeting he attended today before leaning back slightly in his chair and letting out a sigh. He turns on a small recording device, explaining that he only wants to have to tell this once. Running his hands through his hair he in a deep breath, taking a moment to sort through his thoughts.

This is it then.

He lifts his eyes momentarily to ours, scanning our expressions before slowly starting to speak. “I’ve never fully explained to you my origins, where my life began and what I did as a young man. I grew up in a happy household until I was around eight and that’s when things went downhill.” He glances over to Kris, “you know my parents died in a car accident when I was eight, that’s why you don’t have grandparents on my side, but I’ve never really gone into much detail about what happened after that.”

He hesitates slightly and shifts his gaze over to me. I tighten my grip on Kris’s hand before sending him a small look of encouragement. It seems to work and he takes a breath before continuing.

“I had no family and no one who wanted me, so I was left by myself for a while whilst the authorities tried to decide what to do with me. That’s when someone stepped forward, saying they’d look after me. It took a few months, but eventually he got custody of me and I moved in with him. He was Lay’s grandfather.”

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise and I don’t need to look at Kris to know that his expression mirrors mine, I can tell from the slight shift in his tense posture.

Kris’s dad seems to have expected this reaction and forges on, “he had a son; Lay’s dad, Yuan, who was one year older than me. At first he viewed me with intense dislike; as a young boy he felt that his father was replacing him. Eventually, over the years, we became close enough to say we were best friends, even brothers. He had a sister who was away at boarding school, so I rarely saw her.

I spent practically all of my time with him, we even shared a bedroom. We became inseparable. Over time, his father introduced us to his business; he ran a gang, well more than a gang, more like an organisation. They had lots of money, connections and power.

We began taking on more roles in the business; he was training us to take his place in case something happened. He did well doing so, it was a dangerous game we played back then, and eventually the balance shifted and one day Yuan’s father’s right hand man came home to us with the news that Yuan’s father had been shot and we’d never be seeing him again.

It hit is both hard and for weeks we mourned together. He’d been a tough, ruthless man, but he’d treated us well and we knew he’d loved us, even if I hadn’t been his real son. I felt like I’d lost a parent all over again and I found refuge in Yuan who was the only person I truly felt connected to.

Years passed and we’d taken over the business, running it as well if not better that Yuan’s father had. I was nineteen when Yuan’s sister came home after finishing her studies. Her name was Meiying and she was eighteen years old. After spending several years abroad, she’d grown up and she was more beautiful, smart and funny than I’d ever remembered.”

He looks up at us sadly, “I fell for her instantly and eventually, after lots of effort on my part, she fell for me too.” He looks over to Kris and I do too, observing the look of slight confusion on his face. “I know you’ve always thought your mum was my first love but she wasn’t, and yes she knows all of this.”

He shifts in his seat, getting more comfortable before continuing. “We dated in secret, not wanting to make our relationship public in such a dangerous environment. Yuan was very reliant on and protective of me, and I knew he wouldn’t want me distracted, especially by his sister.

A year or so passed and we spent every moment we could together. She wanted to tell Yuan but I was against it; knowing him better than she did, I knew he wouldn’t approve. Eventually I gave in a bit and mentioned dating to him. He was furious, shouting at me that his loyalty was to him and the business. At the time I got angry too, unable to understand why he’d react so strongly to the idea of me dating someone, but I’d find out the real reason later.”

He lets out a long sigh before running a hand through his hair, obviously building up to the worst part of the story if the faint pain in his eyes is any indication. “After a particularly close call on one of our interactions with another gang, Meiying decided she didn’t want to stay there anymore. She wanted to move somewhere safe and she wanted me to go with her. The idea of leaving Yuan was painful but I was in love with her and losing her seemed even worse.

We planned to leave one night when Yuan was scheduled to be at a meeting with a rival business. We were going to transfer all our money into a different account so he couldn’t trace us, take out as much cash as we could, and take a train up to Beijing where we’d board a plane to America.

To say I was nervous when I woke up that morning would be the understatement of the year. I was terrified, unsure whether this was the right decision to make and filled with regret at the idea of leaving Yuan who meant the world to me.”

I shift in my seat, squeezing Kris’s hands as a feeling of apprehension bubbles up in me; the look in his eyes makes me think I don’t want to know what happens next.

“When I saw Meiying in the kitchen that morning however, and saw the look in her eyes, I felt certain that I wanted a future with her and that I’d give up the world to keep her safe.

Yuan could probably sense that there was a shift in the atmosphere that day and I guess that’s why he did what he did. It was the afternoon and he had a few hours to kill before he had to go to the meeting. I was downstairs, trying to keep myself distracted when he came up to me.”

He seems to zone out, becoming absorbed in his story as he continues, “he took my hand without a word and led me out into the garden. I didn’t object, surprised but happy to spend some time with him before I left. I’ll be honest and say I was fighting back tears as he took me to our spot in the garden where we always used to play as children.

He seemed so unsure of himself then, a side I rarely saw but was certain that he only ever showed that side of himself to me. I was taken by surprise by the emotions in his eyes as he looked at me. I was struggling to interpret them when he moved closer and forced me to look at him.”

The far away look in his eyes fades slightly as he seems to remember where he is. “To cut out the details because this is very personal, he confessed to me.”

I feel my eyes widen in shock. That was unexpected.

“Confessed as in….?” Kris asks.

“Yes confessed as in told me he was in love with me. Looking back now, I have no doubt that if it wasn’t for Meiying, I would have accepted his confession,” he observes Kris’s shock and says, “yes I’m biual, but the point is that I was already committed to Meiying and I couldn’t accept him. It makes sense now why he was so protective and possessive over me, and why he became so angry at the thought of me dating someone else.

He looked so broken when I told him I couldn’t return his feelings. It hurt so badly as I watched him walk away, fighting against his tears. I wanted to run to him to tell him it would all be ok, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know what to do, so in the end I did nothing. I decided to go along with the plan even though I felt even worse than before.

It would be a lie to say that he wasn’t the reason I cried when I took the train up to Beijing with Meiying. I never told her about his feelings, unsure whether it was my place to say anything.

Several days passed and he didn’t send anyone after us. My heart broke for him when I realised he was accepting my decision. The image of him alone back home was burnt into my mind but I tried to focus on Meiying, realising that now she was everything I had. I knew that with time my love for her would probably overwhelm and replace the feelings I had for Yuan, but he had no one.

She was like a vitamin to me, exactly what I needed, and as we waited to head to the airport she did everything she could to take my mind of things, talking about what our new life would be like in America. She’d been there before and described it to me vividly.

Just as I thought there was maybe some hope for our happy ending, everything went horribly wrong. We were attacked on our way to the airport. One of our rival gangs had heard of our disappearance and had tracked us to Beijing.”

He looks up at us, deep pain in his eyes as he relives the memory, before saying in a hoarse voice “they killed her. Right in front of me and I could do nothing to help her. It was only by sheer luck that they didn’t kill me too, though I spent the next few years wishing they had.

Yuan came after me after that, love had turned to hate. I’d broken his heart and now he’d lost his little sister because of me. It was only sheer survival instinct that kept me moving, trying to hide away, nursing my wounded heart and trying to find some meaning in life again.

I desperately wanted to see him again, to turn back the clock to the time where we were together and everything was ok, but I felt certain that if I went back, he’d kill me. Fear kept me away.

Eventually he stopped hunting but I knew he’d never stop waiting for the moment when he could avenge his sister.

Years passed and finally I met your mother. She was studying overseas in America and walked into the coffee shop where I was having my morning dose of caffeine. I was studying at university at that time, having decided to put my money to good use and to find something to take my mind off everything.

To put it simply, she saved me. I don’t know what she saw in me back then, but amongst the wreckage inside of me, she must have seen something worth saving.

After that, I eventually let her draw close enough to start putting back the pieces in my heart and I found something worth living for. I started studying hard and overtime, after we moved to Korea for a short time, I started making a name for myself.

I don’t know why Yuan waited this long to get revenge, but I do know that until he had his strategically planned marriage, and probably even after then, he didn’t have someone to help put back the pieces, and now the pain has morphed him into a twisted, bitter shadow of what he once was. He’s no longer the man I used to call brother or best friend; he’s now the person who hates me the most.”

He ducks his head down as he finishes his story, blinking back the moisture in his eyes and reaching over to switch off the recorder, checking it saves the file. I sit here in stunned silence, trying to wrap my head around what I’ve been told. I can sense Kris doing the same.

Eventually I come to the conclusion that this long awaited explanation doesn’t change my resentment towards Zhang Yuan, but maybe it helps me to understand him. My view of Kris’s father has now changed however; I’ve developed more respect for him now. Who knew that he’d experienced such a painful past? Yet even after that he’d managed to find hope and has worked so hard that he’s become one of the most powerful businessmen in China.

I excuse myself momentarily, needing a moment of quiet time to myself and heading to the kitchen to make some drinks. I also have a feeling that Kris needs some private time with his father, and Sungmin’s sudden presence beside me reaffirms that thought. He doesn’t say anything, letting me think, and simply helps sort out glasses and drinks.

Once we’ve sorted them I grab some pre-prepared fruit out of the fridge as an afterthought and we take everything back into the lounge. As we enter I feel unsure of our welcome as it seems we’ve walked in on a private moment between Kris and his dad, but when he turns to me, the gleam of tears in his eyes and a smile that forms on his face when he sees me, I relax and head over to join them.

As we enjoy the fruit and drinks I voice a thought that has been plaguing me ever since Kris’s dad finished his story. “What about Lay? How are we going to tell him?”

There’s an uncomfortable pause as we all take a moment to consider this, before Kris’s dad speaks up. “That’s one of the main reasons I recorded this account. We’re going to have to tell him and I don’t think he’ll want to meet me in person, so I made this recording for when the time is right to tell him. We should explain it all to him before we start the court proceedings, then he’s not kept in the dark. I doubt Yuan has told him anything of these matters.”

I nod slowly, agreeing to this before saying, “I think Kris should be the one to give this to him and be there when he finds out.”

They look up at me in surprise before Kris replies apprehensively, “why?”

“Well you’re his friend for one, and he’s obviously been freaking out worrying over you, so it shows he’s connected to you. If he hears it from you who he knows has been hurt by this, he might be more likely to believe this.”

There are nods of agreement from the three of them and I subtly slip my hand back into Kris’s as I say “I can be there too if you want.”

Kris squeezes my hand gratefully, before turning to his father and asking him when he thinks they will be ready to take this case to court. I feel a mix of eagerness to just start so we can get it over with, and fear of having to stand there in front of people and recount my testimony of what happened to me.

Kris’s dad leaves a short while later and a few sombre minutes pass before we decide to start the process of inviting our friends over in a few days in order to take our minds off things. I can feel myself cheering up slightly as I listen to Baekhyun ramble excitedly though the phone, hearing him yelling to Chanyeol who happens to be with him. Kyungsoo is also overly enthusiastic and it’s nice to hear Jongin there too. Luhan and Sehun are their usual adorable selves over the phone and I’m forced to end the conversation rather abruptly for the sake of my ears as they get louder and more excited at the thought of finally seeing us again.

Kris calls the others, including Lay who’s with Joonmyun who’s tutoring him for upcoming exams. Once we’re done we decide to relocate to the bedroom where we pass the rest of the evening distracting ourselves with movies and games. As I watch Kris laughing at something on the TV I feel a smile of satisfaction forming on my face, filled with joy to see him happy again.

We’re going to get through this.

Ok, I hope that was ok. I personally like it so I hope you do. It took longer to explain that I thought it would but I didn't want to rush it because this story has been waiting for this for ages.

Please COMMENT to let me know what you think... I honestly love hearing your opinions, not just what you like but what you don't too :)

Thank you all for reading my story. It's got a little more to go yet but I can vaguely see the end in the distance now .

Thank you to Aileen <3 for reading this chapter through for me :) Your encouragement was much appreciated XD

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