this is how an angel cries

 

 

 

 

 

"What do you think?" Yixing asks in this bored sounding tone that manages to make Tao flinch each time. Though he doesn't have much to complain about, Yixing was kind enough to inform him (at 5 am before Tao has to wake up); that he doesn't need to look like a girl today, because apparently, Yixing is an old friend of Kris. "Blue or pink?" 

 

"Uh... blue, I guess" Tao says, eyes darting over towards where Kris is seated, chatting aimlessly with Kyungsoo and Kris' cousin, Luhan. "I don't know, can you mix them together or something?"

 

"You know," Yixing sing-songs as he picks up another example of flowers that will apparently be the flowers on the guests tables, "for a guy that's been trained to act like a girl you sure don't know your colours."

 

"I didn't think I'd be able to plan my wedding," Tao says back, finally looking at Yixing. Yixing is a nice man, albeit a bit weird, but nice. He speaks in one tone and Tao has been waiting on edge for the moment Yixing collapses because he looks tired. Holding up tulips and red roses, Yixing asks for the hundredth time that evening, "which one?" 

 

Tao groans loudly, slumping into the nearest chair. "Why do I have to do this? Can't Prince Kris do it?" 

 

Yixing blinks as a response. 

 

"It's custom for the bride to pick the decorations for the wedding," Kyungsoo offers helpfully, coming up from behind Tao with a shy smile. "Would you like something to drink? You look tired." 

 

"Why is he calling Kris, prince Kris?" Asks Yixing. 

 

Kyungsoo this time, blinks. 

 

Tao holds back a groan because groaning isn't very feminine, and it could be considered rude if he wasn't the prince's future bride. 

 

"I don't know," Kyungsoo answers slowly, "maybe he's just trying to be polite? Not everyone is rude like you, Lay." 

 

"They're getting married" says Yixing whilst holding up a bouquet full of yellow flowers to empathize his point. "I thought formalities were dropped when you're getting married." 

 

"If you guys are just chatting can we introduce me to Tao?" Luhan, a small looking boy, with big eyes and a small face and body frame. Tao almost blushes when he see's Luhan because Luhan looks more like a princess than him. "I'm Luhan, Kris' eldest cousin." 

 

"Eldest?" Tao asks in disbelief, before shutting his mouth and mouthing a small 'sorry'. Luhan merely laughs.

 

"I get that a lot, Kris is only 18 though, you know? I'm only 24." 

 

Which is something that definitely doesn't suit your face. Tao thinks blinking away his shock and offering a gentle smile, the smile his mother had taught him to use when meeting royalty, before bowing a bit, almost forgetting he's not wearing a long skirt to pull the sides out of. 

 

"Oh, I'm Huang Zitao." Tao says softly, voice flittering and girly as he his head and smiles, 'it is an honour to meet you." 

 

"It isn't, trust me" the prince gruffs out, arm coming around Tao's waist as he narrows his eyes on Luhan before letting out a loud sigh. Tao refrains from stiffening from Kris touching him because it's something he must get used too, and quickly, though Kris hasn't touched him once since they've meet each other (given its only been 2 days). 

 

Luhan huffs loudly at that, but Tao isn't fooled, he was watching with narrowed eyes the whole time Kris settled his arm around his waist. Tao almost scowls, he's testing me. "I'm nice to everyone but you Wufan." 

 

"That's wonderful" Yixing drawls lazily before holding out another colourful bouquet, "this one or the yellow one, Tao?" 

 

Tao shoots Yixing a dirty look, "the red one." He decides with a loud sigh, "because red is the colour of the fire kingdom." 

 

"Oh that's right you come from the Air kingdom," Luhan says wistfully, "can you fly?" 

 

Tao bites his bottom lip a bit wondering why Luhan would asks such a question, everyone knows that the people from the Air kingdom that can fly were killed the moment their feet floated off the ground by the Wind Capital. Tao offers a hesitant smile before shaking his head, awfully aware of Kris' burning gaze. 

 

"Why do you look so scared princess? Is something wrong?" Kyungsoo says worriedly, quickly snatching out a face cloth and chirping out a 'I'll get water!' before scurrying off. 

 

"Oh... no, I was just... surprised, people... people that can fly are killed in the Air kingdom, so..." Tao smiles. "No one tries to fly anymore." 

 

If Luhan wasn't shocked, he pretended quite well. Big doe eyes blinking away his shocked expression. "Why?" 

 

"Oh really" Kris says with a small frown, "I can fly." 

 

"That's because you possess a dragon spirit, Kris." Luhan says with a roll of his eyes, "Yixing is from the Water Capital, except he's been living in the Fire kingdom since he was a kid." 

 

"Guilty as charged" Yixing says blandly before holding up a silver ribbon and a gold ribbon, "gold or silver?"

 

"Yixing," 

 

"Gold" Tao says with a tilted head. "Or would that be too bright?" 

 

"Yixing let's take a break" Kris says, tugging Tao by his waist away from Yixing's prying questions. "I think Tao is tired of choosing colours, we have a few days before the wedding anyway---"

 

"And I have to put in orders quickly," Yixing snaps back for once having a bit of tone to his voice, before he's holding up two different cards, "which one do you prefer, Tao?"

 

"Princess Tao" Kris points out with gritted teeth, slowly loosening his grip on Tao's waist, fingers merely brushing against Tao's prominent hip bones. 

 

Yixing eyes twinkle at that. "He's still just Tao," he says a 'duh' tone, "I mean, he can still refuse to marry you and remain Huang Zitao, still." 

 

To this Tao blinks, "what do you mean refuse?" Luhan slaps a hand over Yixing's apparently big fat mouth before giving a sickly sweet smile. "I was told I have no choice," he says slowly narrowing his eyes, "I was told the moment I turn fourteen that I have too---" he chokes down the words of I had to abandon my family, because he can't break down here. He can't admit how leaving home has really taken a toll on him. Kris looks away with a guilty expression, before finally letting go of Tao's waist. 

 

"You do have a choice..." Kris says carefully, almost too carefully. "You could've---can---refuse, or marry me." 

 

"I don't suggest the first option" Luhan chirps in happily, "I mean how often does a commoner get the option of marrying a prince? And the palace is sending your family money, right? Your family is quite poor if I remember correctly, I'm sure the twins and your baby brother need the money---"

 

"Mulan died" Tao states monotonously.

 

Letting out a loud frustrated sigh, before stepping back. "I... I'm just going to go back to my room, you can pick whatever colours you want, Prince Kris." Before turning around and marching off, angry steps almost sounding like they're echoing off of the marble walls; haunting him that he isn't home and that everything has changed. 

 

When he finally makes it to his room, he slams the door closed knowing full well he's breaking a rule by locking his door. Kyungsoo had informed him the second day, 'no locking your doors incase of an emergency'. Tao though, considers him having a mental breakdown enough of an emergency. 

 

He had been lied too --- he was forced to wear dresses, grow out his hair and to stop helping his aging father with everything that needs to be helped with. He had been told flat out that "Huang Zitao, you are to marry the prince of the Fire Kingdom." There was no options for him. 

 

Hitting the back of his head against the large wooden door, he let's out a loud frustrated sigh, fist shaking in rage when he remembers why he's even here in the first place. His mother had been right, being around royalty never brings good fortune. 

 

 

♚

 

 

nine months prior.

 

 

"There's a prince in the village," Luna whispers excitedly as Krystal beside her places lilies into a basket for her mother to make wine out of. Tao is sitting on the top of the hill beside Sehun, whom had taken to flicking blasts of wind at Tao's semi-long hair; he had just forgotten to cut it recently. That's all. 

 

"A prince?" Krystal says with stars in her eyes, "do you think he'll whisk us away and make us filthy rich?" 

 

"Is that all women dream of?" Sehun says bluntly as he sends a spiral of wind floating above him, "I dream of getting a nice bride and a horse. Not getting filthy rich."

 

Tao grunts in reply.

 

"I'll marry Tao" Sehun laughs out, "he looks enough like a woman for me."

 

Luna wrinkles her nose at him, just as Krystal chucks a flower stem at him. 

 

"Taozi is much more manly than you, Theshun" Krystal mocks making an exasperated lisping sound, making Sehun chuck the stem right back at her, cheeks puffed out as he leans towards Tao. 

 

"They're bullying me," he whines.

 

"You were bullying Tao for looking like a girl!"

 

"Hey!" Tao laughs out, "you're only supporting his dumb reasoning." 

 

Suddenly Krystal's smile suddenly disappears and Luna's eyes look way too wide for her delicate small face, Sehun slowly turns around laughter dying out as he goes,

 

"Why the shocked expression?" 

 

Tao is the last to turn around, giant black eyes blinking up at the tall man dressed in bright red suit of armor, a long golden sash across his chest as he steps off his horse, metallic boots clinking as they hit the ground. For a second Tao thinks the man of clear status of wealth is going to walk briskly past him and ask Luna or Krystal to marry him, that he'll dramatically get onto one knee and propose and they'll be happy and send him and Sehun cards every holiday asking them to come visit, and they'll all have a bit of wealth because they're best friends. 

 

Instead, the prince looks him dead in the eye. 

 

"What is your name?" He says in this accented way that screams royalty, someone of much higher status, slowly gulping away his fear, he speaks, voice low and curious. 

 

"I'm Huang... Huang Zitao." 

 

"Looks like Taozi is a prettier girl than you two will ever be," Sehun mocks, breaking the odd tension that had taken over them all. Krystal in response chucks another stem and hisses a small 'he's not pretty!'

 

"I'm Prince Kris Wu, from the Fire Kingdom, may you come with me?" 

 

Tao briefly thinks of saying no flatly to the extended hand in front of him, but then he might be killed or something. His mother always said that you can never be too cautious with royalty. Seeing his hesitation, Sehun nudges him. 

 

"Well? Royalty is asking you to go, get your as---royal tussie up and move." 

 

Tao shoots him a dirty glare, slowly crossing his arms in a defiant type of way. "Why?" He decides to ask, cranking up his neck again to stare at the prince standing above him. 

 

Kris scratches the back of his neck, "would it be weird if I wanted to get to know you?"

 

"Aww!" Luna whines from the bottom of the hill, already on her tippy toes as she rushes up hill to be closer to the drama as Krystal gushes behind her.

 

The word 'yes' is at the tip of his tongue, but he merely tilts his head, wondering why on Earth would a guy want to suddenly get to know him, sure he's heard before he's pretty with his hair long and that he looks like a girl (well, that's Sehun's bias opinion). But he doesn't think he's good enough looking to be the apple of a Prince's eye. 

 

"I'm a guy." Tao manages to say just as prince Kris grabs his hand and tugs him up with a wide smile.

 

"I know."  

 

 

♚

 

 

Its not like Tao hates the prince being around him so much, it's not bad, actually. Kris is nice and helpful and even though he was probably spoiled and never had to get his own cup of water, he doesn't complain much. 

 

Tao's dad is smitten over Kris within the first 12 minutes of meeting him. 

 

"You're very perfect," Tao's dad gushes, "such a kind Prince lighting our fire and helping an old man cut wood." He sticks his thumb out at Tao who's seated on the ground behind them sipping on water because Kris was absolutely terrified of the idea of Tao touching an ax. "Compared to that boy over there." 

 

"It's because I don't want him doing this," Kris says with a gentle smile whilst bringing down the ax and smoothly cutting the wood right in half. "He could hurt himself." 

 

Tao's father seems disgruntled for a second before shrugging his shoulders and wagging his son over with his middle finger, "well, that's what boys are for. To help out, he's tough, he'll survive if he hurts himself." 

 

Tao obediently gets up, limbs stretching out in all directions like a cat before he skips towards them, standing beside Kris and smiling brightly. "Thanks, you know, for the break." 

 

Kris blinks for a second before nodding dumbly, muttering "it's fine." 

 

"Tao, son, take over for the prince would ya? He's probably tired and all." Tao nods obediently, holding out his hand expecting for Kris to hand him over the ax and let him finish all the work. That plan however goes downhill when Kris stubbornly refuses to let Tao's hands anywhere near the metal object. "Prince?"

 

"Oh its just..." he trails, eyes scanning for an excuse, "ah,  I just... I don't get to do such manly activities all the time, since in the palace full of fire users we don't exactly need wood for a fire. So, I'd like to finish, if that's okay?" 

 

Tao's dad laughs loudly, clamping a hand on Kris' shoulder and grunting. "Weird boy, fine, Tao stay here and help him out if he needs it." 

 

Tao nods, sitting back down on the grass when his father leaves before stretching out and yawning. "Are you sure? I can do it. I do it all the time." Kris kind of looks disturbed from the mental image of tiny Tao wielding such a heavy object like an ax before smiling hesitantly. 

 

"It's fine, I was telling the truth." 

 

Tao blinks. "Of course you were, why else would you want to do such a mundane chore?"  Kris would was already about to swing the ax down in one swift moment to cut the wood in half goes completely red and practically chokes on his own saliva before dropping the ax and tripping backwards. 

 

Tao completely horrified rushes to Kris' side, quickly kneeling down and waving his hands in front of Kris' face, groggily the fire prince opens his eyes with a completely beat red face. 

 

"You... you have no idea why I'm even here, with you, do you?" Kris murmurs slowly, and Tao blinks.

 

"Actually now that I think about it, why are you here?" 

 

Kris groans, the tips of his ears going red before he falls back into the soft welcoming grass. 

 

 

 

 

 

shinee's song Nightmare makes me have an eargasm. Oh. my. ing. god. Like seriously, GO LISTEN TO IT. And hohohoho you've been tricked Tao. Tricked. 

And awww, their romantic meeting. And awwww Tao is doubting their marriage. And awwww Kris likes Tao based on first-love. (Ew) 

Okay den. Theehun (lmfao Sehun's lisp)