Window.
Grounded.
It’s only when he pushes the window open that Kris notices he’s not even sure what he’s going to say.
It would have probably been a good idea to plan on the flight, to maybe figure out at least a few words of comfort to have on hand. With most kids, Kris could improvise and they’d be satisfied – but Tao had been different. He’d looked at Kris differently than everyone else had, and Kris had just frozen. So it would have made sense for him to try to come up with some sort of strategy to get out of Tao’s house with the boy completely cheered up. Especially with Kris’ neck on the line.
But part of Kris feels like even if he had tried to plan something, it wouldn’t be right. And he’d wind up forgetting anyway.
Kris blinks a few times too many as he tries to think, stepping into the warmth of the heated building with considerably less caution than before. He can’t remember the exact protocol of what he’s supposed to do when he’s already presented himself to the child he’s visiting. Does he light up again? Does he announce himself? He’s never been appointed a long-term assignment, much less called back for a spontaneous second visit. It’s been almost a year since he’d left the Academy, and he’s a bit dusty on the laws.
He stands on the spot for a moment, hearing the sniffles coming from the bed just a few feet away, unsure whether to advance just yet. The light starts glowing from somewhere in his chest as he makes up his mind about that part at least, the dim warmth creeping to his fingertips and up his throat as he bides his time.
“I already know you’re there.”
Kris’ head snaps up, out of his trance, and he has no problem in finding Tao’s piercing eyes in the dark, his own faint light reflecting in his pupils.
“You don’t need the light, I don’t want you to see me,” Tao says weakly, and Kris loses his location for a moment as he rubs his eyes roughly with the heels of his hands, covering his incandescent eyes.
Kris shuts his glow off before it reaches his face, tucking his wings in quickly and taking a few steps forward. He watches the mass of blankets and pillows that is Huang Zitao and waits for his eyes to be visible again,
The tears are gone from Tao’s eyes when he finally looks up, but they’re refilled in a matter of seconds as he looks defiantly up at the Dragon towering over him. “Why are you here?”
Kris blinks a few more times, but the extra break to think does little to stop him from saying what he shouldn’t. “Guess.”
Tao falters a bit indignantly, but his eyes fall to rest on his hands on top of his blankets as he answers. “Because I’m crying.”
“There you have it.” Kris grumbles before he can catch himself, sitting on the very edge of the bed so he doesn’t feel as stupidly tall.
“I meant –“ Tao pauses, smart enough to have a filter, but ignoring it just as Kris had. “Why you? Why didn’t Chanyeol come back?”
“Chanyeol?” Kris pretends not to know, acts casual, as if he doesn’t know the name of the being who had taken his place a week ago.
“Chanyeol. The Phoenix.”
Kris shrugs. “Don’t ask me. I have no idea either.”
“He was really nice…” Tao mumbles, his eyes flicking up to Kris for another second before he retreats back into his own bubble.
The Human and the Dragon sit there in the darkness, avoiding each other’s gaze and waiting for the other to say something first.
Both of them are too proud to admit how curious they are about the other.
Tao settles back into his pillows, running his tongue over his swollen lips and wiping his reddening eyes with the sleeve of his sweater. Kris examines his talons, letting his body language show that he’s completely indifferent while his brain is actually scrambling for something to say that isn’t awkward.
And it’d probably be best if it wasn’t callous, either.
“I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to help before…” He says after much deliberation, digging his nails into the back of his hand as he gets the apology over and done with. “I’ll try harder now.”
Tao exhales, looking in Kris’ eyes and getting him to turn his head back in his direction, shaking his head so his hair ruffles. “No, it’s fine, it’s fine, I wouldn’t know what to say to me either.”
The corner of Kris’ mouth turns up slightly, and his shoulders relax.
With a few soft-spoken questions, Kris manages to get from Tao that the punks at school had been bothering him again, and had even dragged his new friend into the bullying.
“He’s so nice to everyone,” Tao voices, his eyebrows knitting together delicately on his forehead. “He even tutored one of the kids with me in math for a project once. I don’t understand why they’d pick him to beat up.”
“He must be an easy target…?” Kris says, trailing the pitch upwards so it turns into an open-ended question, trying his hardest not to sound menacing. He’s actually trying his best to be helpful, but he’s not very eloquent.
“I mean… He’s an exchange kid. He probably doesn’t understand half of the things I say…” Tao allows, picking at his earring as he speaks. “That could be true. Even I just started trying to talk to him this week.”
Kris nods. “Then it’s the same reason that they pick on you.”
“You think I’m easy?” Tao puffs out his chest a little, though Kris doesn’t see it in the dark.
The defensive tone in his voice is enough to make Kris laugh slightly. “I mean, I don’t know how you act around other people, and I know I’ve only seen you when you’re upset – “ He tries, tiptoeing carefully so he doesn’t mess everything up. “But if you reached out to that kid, you must be nice, too. You have a heart then, right?” Kris realizes he’s just thinking out loud at this point, trying to figure out Tao’s personality for himself, for his own benefit. “I guess… They’d see that as weak.”
Tao blinks.
“So… There’s nothing wrong with you. It’s their problem, not yours.” Kris concludes, and he gets a surge of pride for actually sounding like he does know what he’s doing, after all.
The shadow of a smile is just visible underneath Tao’s fringe of jet-black hair as he picks at his thumbnails, laughing softly at himself. “I do cry a lot.”
Finally exhaling, Kris stands up, reaching to rest his hand on Tao’s shoulder and then hesitating, retracting his hand and deciding against any physical contact. He brings his hands back to his chest and ruffles his hair so it’s back to its windswept, devil-may-care style instead. “Don’t. You – Your eyes look funny all red like that. Don’t let them get to you. You’re doing the right thing.”
Tao snorts bitterly from his bed.
“Goodnight, Huang Zitao,” Kris says solemnly, bowing deeply and keeping his gaze on the floor. “I guess I… Hope I don’t have to see you again?”
Their eyes meet for a brief moment and the Creature gives the Human a terse nod and half of a smile before he turns and starts toward the window, his mission for the night completed. Tao finally summons the courage when his scaled hand reaches for the handle.
“Do you - Can Dragons cry?” He says softly, innocently, loud enough for Kris to hear but quiet enough that he almost misses it.
Kris’ hand reverts back to skin as he tilts his head in Tao’s direction. He thinks it over briefly. “Yeah, I guess they could.”
And he’s out the window before Tao can ask him to be more specific.
~
Kris closes the window shut behind him and spreads out his wings as he hovers in the air next to the sill, shaking his head and letting the familiar heat of his shape shifting engulf him, ready to fly across the country and clear his mind in the cloudy sky.
Kris closes the window shut behind him and spreads out his wings as he hovers in the air next to the sill, shaking his head and letting the familiar heat of his shape shifting engulf him, ready to fly across the country and clear his mind in the cloudy sky.
As he’s about to take off, he turns his head left, where some movement in the darkness had caught his eye.
If Chanyeol hadn’t waved, Kris wouldn’t have even noticed him perched on the roof. His bright, smiling eyes contrasted the darkness surrounding him, and he didn’t seem put off at all as Kris gave him one brisk glance and immediately took off to go back home without a single word or acknowledgement of his presence or greeting.
A/N: I'm so sorry I took eternity to get this out :( I'll try to maybe use the time I'll have over winter break to write more! When it gets more interesting soon it'll probably be less difficult for me, I've been having a block. Thank you so much for subscribing! <3
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