Pairing: Taoris 

Word Count: 2370

Description: Tao's so focused on not losing Baekhyun that he doesn't realize he might lose the one person who's always stood by him, his best friend. 

Second Best in his Heart 

            “Jong---“ Minseok stopped when he saw that Baekhyun was walking behind Jongdae. 

            Joonmyun glared at Baekhyun.  A water bubble was slowly forming in his palm, “What are you doing here, Byun?”

            Jongdae quickly turned back to Baekhyun and pulled his ear, “I told you this was a bad idea.  Just go back to the regular table.”

            “No!” Baekhyun held his hands up in surrender, “I just wanted to,” his eyes turned to Tao who was silently sitting beside Minseok, “talk to my classmate here.”

            Tao didn’t look up from his lunch even when Baekhyun slid into the seat beside him. 

            Joonmyun frowned and nudged Luhan and Yixing who were on either side of him.  As one, the three got up from the table and left. 

            “Hey!  Come on!” Minseok yelled after his friends, but Jongdae grabbed his arm. 

            “Don’t bother.”  The two looked towards Tao and Baekhyun curiously. 

            “You don’t really talk much do you?” Baekhyun nudged Tao.  He was rewarded with a glare. 

            “That’s okay, I like a challenge,” Baekhyun grinned.  He waved his hand and bunnies made up from the sun’s light rays danced on Tao’s lunch.  Baekhyun turned to see his reaction and almost stopped dead.  Tao was smiling. 

            “You’re smiling!” Baekhyun exclaimed, “I’ve never seen you smile before!  So there is a person under there!”

            Tao’s smile quickly turned to a frown and he quickly turned so his back was to the other. 

            “Why do you hate me so much?”

            “You just need to warm up to him, that’s all,” Minseok turned to Baekhyun with a sweet smile but his eyes were cold, “But I don’t think that’s possible with someone like you.”  Minseok got up and walked away.  Jongdae pouted, expecting Minseok to drag him along, but the older left without a word.    

            “Jongdae, how can you stand that person?” Baekhyun turned to Jongdae, “His heart is probably as cold as him.  Maybe colder.”

            Jongdae glared at Baekhyun, “This is exactly why I didn’t want you to come here.” He got up and walked back to his regular table.

            “Hey!” Baekhyun got up, “I’m your friend! You’re supposed to be on my side!”  He sighed and turned to face Tao, “It looks like it’s just u----“ he stopped when he realized Tao was heading out of the cafeteria. 

            He reached out for Tao’s arm when he was in touching distance but Tao moved away just in time.

            “You know you’ll have to talk to me eventually. We are in the same class.” 

            Baekhyun shot a wall of light in front of Tao.  Usually people would stop when they saw it, but Tao walked right through it. 

            Baekhyun frowned as he continued to keep up with Tao’s long strides.  He snapped his fingers and fireworks appeared right in front of Tao’s face.  He walked right into it and had to stop because they kept on following him and blowing up in his face. 

            He turned around; Baekhyun was right in front of him. 

            “I don’t know how to say this,” Baekhyun looked him in the eyes, “But I want you to like me.”

            They stared at each other for 10 seconds before Baekhyun lowered his eyes towards the ground, “Because I think I like you.”

           Tao’s eyes widened and his expression became perplexed and then scared.  He was thinking of running away.

            Baekhyun grabbed onto his hand, “Don’t run away!  I know this is weird and strange coming from me.  Joonmyun and Minseok probably told you to stay away from me and my friends,” Baekhyun looked down.  He looked shy, “But I just really want you to like me.”

            Tao didn’t know what to say.  Baekhyun was staring at him, waiting for a reply. Tao opened his mouth. But before he could say anything he felt a rough tug on his hand.  He was being dragged away.  The grip on his wrist was so strong that he stumbled a few times before falling in step with the person who was holding him; Kris. 

          It wasn’t until they reached their room that Kris let him go and by then Tao felt like there were permanent bruise marks around his wrist.

           “What did you have to do that for?” Tao slowly massaged his wrist but stopped when he got a good look at Kris. 

            He looked mad, seething mad.  His eyes were hard and cold.  He was breathing hard like he was trying to restrain himself from punching Tao.  Tao was about to ask Kris if he was okay when Kris yelled at him. 

            “Why are we doing this?  Why did we come back to this academy?  You knew he would be here!”

            Tao looked at Kris, “We would’ve wound up here sooner or later! You know that!”

            Kris combed his hand through his hair in frustration, “But why are we still here?  Why don’t we just leave?”

            Tao looked desperate, “It can work out this time.  If I don’t talk to him, then he can’t remember me.  I’ll make it work.”

            “I just don’t get it!  It’s never worked before!  We should just leave!”

            Tao’s eyes narrowed, “Why are you acting like this?  Why do you want to leave so badly?”

            Kris threw a punch at the wall, “I’m sick and tired of having to do stupid crap like this!  I’m sick of following you all the time.  Do you ever wonder about me?  Maybe I don’t want to live a thousand lives!  Maybe I just want to live my one full life!”

            “I never asked you to follow me all the time!” Tao shouted. 

            “The only reason I do is because I don’t think you could make it alone!  Each time something happens to Baek, you always lose yourself!”

            “Hey!” Tao poked Kris hard in the chest, “What makes you think I need you? I can do it alone!”

            Tao was breathing heavily and Kris just looked at him with wide eyes.  They silently glared at each other for a few more seconds. 

            “Fine! The next time you decide to jump back in time, don’t ask me to come along!” Kris exclaimed, “It’s not like you need me anyway!”

            Tao faltered for a moment before, “I won’t then!”

            They both glared at each other, panting heavily from the shout match. 

            They stayed that way for about five minutes.  They were both waiting for the other to apologize, deciding if they should be the one to apologize first.  But in the end, Tao left. 

            As soon as Tao left the room Kris screamed.  He felt anger course through him trying to take control.  It was dragon season.  He wouldn’t be able to stay in his human form for long.  As soon as the dragon moon appeared in the sky he would have to transform into a dragon. 

            Dragons were angry creatures and the most powerful creatures on the Earth.  Whenever dragon season came Kris always went away to a secluded forest until the season ended.  There he would be unleash his anger without worrying about injuring someone.  Even better, he wouldn’t reveal his identity to the human race.  There was once a time when dragons and humans co-existed.  But it was a long time ago; no living dragon or human that lived during that time was alive.  Kris was the only dragon who walked the human world, the only one who left the dragon realm since the great division.    

            He left the dragon realm and his five brothers because he wanted to help Tao. 

            The dragon season was getting too close for comfort; Kris would have to leave soon.  

            He didn’t want to leave before resolving his problems with Tao, but he had to resolve them soon. 

            “Why are you dragging me out here in the middle of the forest?” Minseok turned to Luhan with an exasperated look on his face. 

            “I told you before. Don’t you listen?”

            “Yes I heard you, but do you really think we’ll catch a dragon?  Those things don’t exist.”

            “Look.  It’s the only time of the year where the moon of the dragon fully ellipses with the transition moon.  We’re bound to find a dragon!”

            “Look I know you think this story book of yours is a real life story but it’s a children’s book.  There is no such thing as dr ---“  

            A branch snapped and Minseok held out his palm, ready to blast the intruder with snow. 

            “Tao?” Minseok lowered his hand when he saw the blond haired boy come towards them.

            “You’re hunting a dragon?” Tao asked. 

            “It only happens once every five years.  I’m determined to prove Minseok wrong. Dragons do exist,” Luhan stuck his face in front of Minseok’s as he did.  Minseok just rolled his eyes.

            “Like the last two times? Oh I’m ready to be proved wrong,” Minseok began sarcastically. 

            “Why am I even friends with you?” Luhan murmured.

            “Me? Why am I even friends with you?”

            Luhan snickered, “Who else would put up with your crap?  And who else can put up with mine?” 

            Minseok laughed as he threw an arm around Luhan. 

            “Well since this only happens once every five years I guess I don’t mind.”

            Luhan nodded happily and turned around to face Tao, “You want to come Tao?  You can borrow my crossbow!”

            Tao shook his head, “I have somewhere to go.”

            “Kris,” Tao stormed into their shared bedroom.  He stopped when he saw Kris lying on his bed,  squirming in pain.  His face was sweaty and his hair was plastered to his face.  His skin was gray and looked like a cross between a skin rash and reptilian scales.  His eyes were red; a deep fiery ruby red. 

            “I forgot,” Tao said simply.  He sat down next to Kris on the bed but was blasted to the side of the bedroom wall when Kris hit him. 

            Kris might look feeble and weak but his powers were strengthened during this period as well as his mood.  He was transitioning into his true form, a dangerous dragon.  He might kill someone in anger or by accident. 

            “Is everything alright in there?” Yixing’s voice was at their door. 

            “Yeah everything’s fine.  I was practicing a spell,” Tao explained. 

            “Okay.  If you need help you know where to find me.”

            Kris got out of the bed and stood at his full height.  He was a little bit over six feet tall in human form but now he was about seven feet tall and his body was quickly morphing.  But it was morphing in a weird way.  Kris was trying to reject the transformation but it was taking a lot of his power to do so.    

            “I have to go before I turn.”

            “I’ll go with you,” Tao moved to his side of the room to get his suitcase but Kris stopped him.

            “You know you can’t. It’s too dangerous.” 

            Tao nodded, “I’m sorry about what I said earlier.  I didn’t know.  I shouldn’t have yelled.”

            Kris’s eyes lightened back to brown and he nodded.  His skin turned back to a lighter golden color and he returned to his normal height. 

            “But you still said it.”

            “I do need you,” Tao was looking down at the ground.

            Kris sighed. 

            “You’ll come back right?” This wasn’t the first time he’d been in a fight with Kris.  He’d been with the older for over a hundred lifetimes (even more years); fights were bound to happen.  But this was the first time he felt unsure of where they stood.

            “Maybe it’s better if I go back home,” Kris said silently

            Tao tried to deflect his gaze so Kris wouldn’t know how shaken he was, “You’re going back to the dragon realm?” 

            “I miss my family, Tao.  I don’t know what I’m doing here anymore,” Kris sounded helpless, “Maybe this is the way it’s supposed to be,” Kris opened his window. 

            “Kris,” Tao put a hand on Kris’s arm before he could take off, “I need you.  You’re my best friend.”  Kris turned his head over his shoulder; Tao’s voice was shaking. 

            “You need Baekhyun more,” Kris sounded cold but then he frowned, “You won’t miss me at all.” 

            “That’s not true,” Tao said with clarity, “But if you want to go back to your family; I’ll be okay.  I want you to be happy.  I’m sorry…for everything.”

           Kris fully turned around from the window ledge to look Tao in the eyes, “Don’t apologize.  I chose to follow. I could’ve left anytime I wanted.” Kris stepped back into the room and put his hands on Tao’s shoulders, “But I can’t keep seeing you like this.  You change time because you want to stop Baekhyun from dying.  And each time you do, the same things happen all over again.  You don’t learn Tao.  I’m really tired.”

            Tao looked sad, “I know.  But maybe I can save him.”

            “You can save him by staying away from him!” Kris shouted, “Don’t you get that?  I thought you did!  That’s the reason why I followed you!  I thought you understood!”

            “I do!  I just...we always meet anyways even though I want to stay away.”

            Kris gripped his hair, “It’s because after you meet, you never leave!  Goddammit!”  Kris’s eyes reddened and he pushed Tao away. Tao flew across the room and landed on his bed. 

            “You’re so focused on Baekhyun that you don’t even realize that I love you!”

            Tao’s eyes widened at Kris’s confession.  Kris stayed where he was, his chest heaving from the heavy breaths he was taking to control his anger. 

            “Now you know why I can’t stay,” Kris stood where he was for about a minute, waiting for Tao to say something.  If Tao said at least a few words to give him a reason to come back, he would.  Tao stood frozen on the bed, his eyes still widened in shock. 

            Kris shook his head, “Goodbye, Tao.” 

            He turned to the window and ran towards it. 

            The moment he ran out the window ledge, he opened his wings.  He looked majestically beautiful with his red dragon wings as he hovered outside.  He hesitated a dozen yards outside of the building before flying off at full speed away from the academy.