Tao just wanted to destroy what had destroyed him all that time ago, to put it out of its existence...but it only hurt him more than he ever could have imagined. Missing someone turned out to be his worst fear.
This is a sibling relationship just to let you know I hope you enjoyed! Especially since its a bit of a switch up from groups! -Stroni-
⁎ *⁎°✶
Tao slumped up the steps to his packhouse, he hadn't been here for about three weeks after running out on everyone in search of...he sighed, drawing his head back to look at the sky. How had things gotten like this? Standing there for a few more minutes the sound of the door opening snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Tao," Suho examined his pack member, seemingly not surprised that he was back. Kris stood taller behind him, a hard glare locking with his eyes. "You coming inside?"
Tao sighed again, bringing a hand up through his hair. He simply nodded to his two alphas, pushing past them in the doorway and walking to the kitchen, not remembering the last time he had eaten a meal. That was a bad call on his part, sensing the rest of the pack too late as he froze in place, scanning the room as multiple members were either stood at the back of the room, sat at the dining table or conversing at the breakfast bar. All conversations stopped once Tao walked into the room.
"You're back," Luhan acknowledged with a light smile.
"For how long?" Sehun scoffed, earning a punch in the arm from Chanyeol.
Ellie, Kris' mate and one of the Luna's for their pack, swiftly rose from her seat and enveloped Tao in her arms in a tight hug. "It's good to have you back, we all missed you-"
She was cut off by a low growl presumably from Kris. She let go with a roll of her eyes, moving at a slower pace compared to when she got up to her seat next to Chungha- the other Luna and mate to Suho.
For the third time that evening Tao sighed deeply, emphasising this one to make sure everyone heard his frustration. He really wasn't in the mood for this sort of attitude around him being home, he had left a note for them all when he left, what more did they want?
He pulled open the fridge, scanning the shelves full of food for literally anything at this point. He just wanted to grab and go up to his room. Somewhat satisfied with a packet of ham he took it and shut the fridge door, only to be met with the yellow eyes of Kris instead of the open corridor he thought he could escape with.
"Why are you acting like nothing has happened?" He snapped, growling and revealing his fangs millimeters from Tao's face.
"Nothing has happened," Tao grumbled with a roll of his eyes. All he wanted, all he needed, was space. Kris and the rest of his brothers weren't doing that.
"Then why did you leave?" Kris barked back, earning a concerning pull on the arm from Suho.
"Would you believe me if I said I found my mate?" Tao questioned, his grip tightening on the packet of ham.
"Bullshit!" Kris spat, shaking his head at the apparent lie, "where are they then? Exactly, nowhere to be seen. I don't see you dying of rejection either. The truth, now."
Tao growled, the scenes from three days ago replaying in his head. Your body underneath him- begging him- "I went to kill my sister!" Tao screamed in the alpha's face then roughly pushed past both him and Suho, storming up the stairs to his room. Kris went to run after him, his own anger about to send him over the edge.
"Kris. Let's go on a run," Suho pulled him back, acknowledging the shock and flare of emotions radiating from the other packmates. "Let's all go on a run, let Tao steam off a bit. I'll speak to him later. Let's go, all humans stick to your mate's back. Come on," he practically dragged Kris from his spot, pushing him outside in the direction of the woods and signalled for the others to follow. It was going to be a long night, that's for sure.
⁎ *⁎°✶
Tao kicked down his door, not caring that it flung off of its hinges and landed with a loud crash against his bedroom floor. Not giving a chance to let himself rest he slammed his fists into the wall repeatedly till the bled, multiple holes left in his wake but he didn't feel anything but the anger that raged through his blood. His wolf egged him to shift and stop hurting himself but he couldn't, not after the state he had seen you in. What would consequently happen to you if you had shifted into your wolf, becoming the monster that had murdered your own family and left him to suffer by himself.
Family.
His punches got weaker. His breathing got shaker until eventually, he collapsed to the floor with his head in his hands and knees raised to his chest.
"Y/N..." He cried, dampening his knees. He wracked with sobs, of course he had never killed you, he couldn't bring himself too. He was so ready though, so ready to have just tore you apart.
But he didn't. You're all he had left. The only...
Family.
Gradually the fatigue caught up to him, the constant running of the last few weeks, the fighting and lack of sleep, it was only bound to happen. As he carried on crying he curled up into a ball at the same time, closing his eyes and allowing himself to finally fall asleep.
⁎ *⁎°✶
"Tao?" His eyes fluttered open in response to his name being called. His eyes stung and he it wasn't hard to tell his face was swollen up, Tao glanced up at his doorway to see Yixing standing in his room.
"Can't you knock?" He yawned, sitting up with crossed legs.
Yixing laughed abruptly, pointing to the broken down door that laid next to Tao. "It'll be hard to do that without anything to knock on."
Tao glanced down in regret, remembering the destruction he had caused moments before he broke down and slept. "Am I in trouble?" The hesitation it took for his elder brother to answer made him gulp, that was a yes.
Yixing took a step towards him, sitting down with the same demeanor as his younger. "Talk to me. What happened?" The older wer wasn't really a talker, only really speaking when necessary, so the fact it was him that reached out to Tao was confusing nonetheless, he definitely expected it to be someone like Suho or Xiumin.
"I-I went to find Y/N."
"Why?" He chose to not give advice nor judge anything Tao was saying, he preferred it this way, it proved he was there to listen to what he had to say.
"I...I never forgave her for what she did to our pack. To what she did to me. To leave me- only me- to watch her take everyone's lives and then to just leave! I wanted to kill her. I was so close to killing he-"
"But you didn't, why?" Tao paused, searching for the answer. Was it because he was sympathetic? He had never felt much of that before, maybe he just knew that if he killed her then he wouldn't stand a chance with the fairy....but isn't that what he wanted? To kill her and if not, to die on the way? Then it all became crystal clear.
"I know why," he whispered, giving Yixing the first smile he had done in what seemed like forever. "I love her. She's my little sister, my little baby sister. Seeing her so vulnerable...so ready to just give up, reminded of when we were young. My baby panda..."
Yixing patted his back then stood up, offering his hand to his younger brother. "Suho figured that's what happened, come on, you have some apologising to do."
Tao grabbed the elder wolf's hand appreciatively, "Thank you. Kris had it coming though, he shouldn't be on my back as soon as I walk through the door!"
Yixing smirked, tugging Tao with him. "You should tell him that then."
"Ha!" He laughed in response, a larger smile growing on his features. "Over my dead body!"
Locking eyes with his alpha was Tao's mistake as he walked into the same kitchen as last time, everyone still in their respected places as before. "Come here you little rascal!" Kris growled playfully, putting Tao into a headlock and ruffling up his hair aggressively. "Standing up to me? Where'd you get this confidence?" He chuckled, finally releasing him from the death grip.
"It's always been there," Tao mumbled, fixing his hair back into place then turned to face Kris. "So you aren't mad? Sorry if you are...it's been a long three weeks."
Kris just shrugged, moving towards his mate and wrapping his arm around her waist. "Ellie fixed me up....reminded me of the shit storm you put us through when you left-"
"Kris!" Ellie scolded, tapping her mate's chest hardly then looking back at Tao with warm eyes. "What he's trying to say is we all missed you and we are happy you're back home. We hope Y/N is well too."
Tao temporarily froze upon hearing your name, glancing quickly at Yixing who threw his hands up in the air. "Suho's orders. I told them everything on a way here." Tao rolled his eyes then turned to the rest of his brothers.
"Yh...sorry about that too guys. I should've given more notice I just-"
"Really missed Y/N?" Chungha asked soothingly, her features calm and endearing. Suho smiled proudly beside her, she was only human and had been Luna for about a month now but she was doing great.
Tao looked off tearily, she was right. He really missed you.
"Now don't get all crybaby on us!" Sehun scowled, getting out of his seat and wrapping his arms around Tao unexpectedly.
"How did you even survive three weeks on your own?" Baekhyun joked, joining in with the hug.
"Enough you two, least our panda is home," Xiumin perked up, him two wrapping his arms in a back hug.
One by one each member joined the group hug, including the girls too. As expected it was only Kris left, he really wasn't big on skinship but even Kyungsoo had sucked it up and reluctantly shuffled between Chanyeol and Luhan. Chen turned back at the alpha who leant across the kitchen counter.
"Hyungg!" He whined, signalling to fit in between him and Jongin. "Don't be such a spoil sport!"
"I'm happy just watching, really-"
"Kris Wu if you don't get in this group hug right this second!" Ellie snapped from near the center of the mass hug, it was enough to scare Kris right to his core though.
"Yes honey," he muttered, reluctantly putting his arms around Xiumin and Yixing. After a fit of giggles from the other packmates everyone eventually dispersed from the hug and went on with their daily tasks. Kris, however, stood awkwardly in front of Tao.
"What is it?" Tao asked, this time in chinese instead of the usual korean.
"I- erm..." He suddenly brought Tao close to him, his muscular arms wrapped around Tao's torso. Kris came to his senses before Tao could, almost immediately patting his back and backing up away from the incident. "I'm glad you're back...Bro."
"Yh- you too...Kris," after the awkward encounter Tao was about to leave upstairs to his room for some peace and quiet. Just as he was Suho called after him, the Pack's phone in hand.
"Someone from...N-City? Is calling you," he handed over the phone but covered up the speakers for a second. "Make sure to fix your door and them holes in the walls please. Happy calling!" Tao sighed, disappointed as he'd gone so long without doing so.
"Right, sure. Thank you." Once Suho had left and Tao was out of sight from any other members he lifted the phone up the his ear.
"Hello, who's calling?" He questioned, for some reason N-City seemed familiar to him.
"Tao?" The voice called out...it couldn't be right?
He paused, the other line not saying anything either. Neither hung up, knowing this was too good to be true. Tao took one deep breath, praying to the moon goddess it was who he thought it was.
1...
2...
3...
He mentally prepared himself before letting the name roll off his tongue.
"Y/N?"
"It's me, hey big bro... I'm cured." The whole world seemed brighter for a second, no longer than that, it's as though his vision had cleared up completely.
"Y-you are? You're no longer cursed?" He had so many other questions but decided against it.
"I'm fine, N-City is look after me now."
Without thinking the four words his heart was thinking left his mouth, "when can I visit?"
The line when silent again. He thought he could hear sobs but then again they could be his own.
"I'll call you every week. It's still early days but...soon big panda." His heart warmed, you had remembered his nickname, after all this time he kept onto yours so dearly.
