#tao xu x you

[soothinglee]

slow train | tao xu x reader

summary: you see a handsome stranger at the train station, seems like you knew a little more about him than you thought. first feelings are- different. do you like mr. unknown?

warnings: none.

authors note: in this fiction we are pretending like elle and tao are not a thing. we still love them but for the purpose of this we do not. at first i had written half of this and still didn't have a character in mind and then i realized i haven't written for heartstopper. how heartbreaking. also maybe a little out of character, first time writing for this character.

inspiration: the wonderful sebastian crofts song; "slow train to nowhere."

pairing: tao xu x reader (no pronouns specified. though reader is mentioned to go to higgs.)

masterlist | part two

line 141 has got be written down as the slowest train in history. the electronic board above the waiting station said that the train would arrive around 2:47, though when you look at your watch its five minutes till 3 o'clock.

feeling a little antsy, you brush back the fly away, trying to calm down your jittery legs. the crowd around you grows as the seconds pass, all radiating the same aura as you, impatience. one person in particular stands out to you the most, a soft brown knitted vest adorned his white long-sleeve blouse, matched with tan colored trousers. he looked well fit, a handsome young man, and as you continue to watch him it seems as though he's looking right back you.

underneath the cream fluorescent lightening the hue of his cheeks change a flamingo shade, and right when your eyes meet his gaze is adverted. he looks nervous.

"cute." you whisper to no one but yourself, the old lady next to you glances in your direction with a shy smile. hopefully, she did not think you were flirting with her.

taking a quick peek at the man again you can't help but feel fuzzy. you have no clue who he is, nor ever spoken to him but something about him makes you feel-lightheaded. what a concerning reaction. he's intriguing to say the least, the way he too checks his watch as the time finally hits 3, or how his fingers hover over his hair when he goes to brush it but then ultimately brings it to his side. you want to know more. but he is a random stranger waiting for line 141 and who knows how dangerous of a person he could be.

but that doesn't stop you.

right as you muster up that courage to walk his way the faint hiss of the train tracks stop you as a gust of wind tips you backwards. just your luck, the train finally arrived.

in the commotion of everyone trying to make it onto the transport before it leaves you loose sight of stranger. the people blocking your views as you make your way onto the train to find a seat, many people go onto other cars leaving just you and a few others in the cart alone. what a waste.

as you make yourself comfortable you can't help but notice a melodic voice pull you out of your thoughts. it starts with the shoes, then the shirt and finally a young man stands before you, wringing his wrists together in a nervous manner. a timid smile etches its way onto his face and it's one of those where you can't help but smile back.

though remember, stranger danger.

"hello, d'you think i could sit here?" giving him a once over, he looks harmless, thin, lean gentlemen with great hair. really great hair.

your lips form to make a sentence but nothing comes out and suddenly-comically, your mouth is dry. that has to be the most embarrassing reaction because the man laughs. it was quiet but very pleasing to hear.

"i, you, yeah- go right ahead, there's enough room for the both of us." you respond to him with an awkward grin that probably came out more like a grimace then you had hoped for. god, why was it so hard being normal when a cute guy deliberately goes out of his way to talk to you. normally, the red flags would be shaming you but in the comfort of his presence, the tint fades green.

a moment passes between you both, and from the corner of your eye you see a pleased smile rest upon his face. "y'know," he starts and almost immediately you give him your attention. you might've caught him off guard by the forcefulness of it but he doesn't seem too bothered. "I saw you waiting for the train and for whatever reason you caught my eye. I wanted so badly to say something but my nerves got in the way." he laughs again, god that laugh. "I was beating myself up for it, thought that I let you get away, but, when I saw you from the other cart I thought, this is my chance."

you turn your gaze away from him bashfully, "well i'm glad you took it." you utter softly.

his grin grows, "i'm glad too, you seem like a nice person."

"i'd hope so, i was scared that you took me looking at you as intimidation."

he gasps playfully, resting his hand on his chest. "no, never! I hoped that you wouldn't think i was some creep checking you out." he admits faintly, but then is quick to add, "not that i was checking you out! because that's weird, and disrespectful, and- oh my god i'm making this worse." he covers his face with hands, and hunches over, trying to cave in on himself.

a loud bark of a laugh escapes you and cover your mouth with a hand, trying to suppress the giggles. though it's no use, the blush on the mans cheeks grows down towards his neck, his whole upper half is pink.

"don't worry," you reassure, placing a hand on his shoulder, "i didn't take that in a nasty way, you're okay."

the gentlemen takes a deep breath and sits back up, the color subsiding. the look in his eye is indescribable. the fuzzy feeling from earlier returns and it's hard to ignore. are you catching feelings for a guy you don't even know? seems like it.

as the conversation progresses you start to learn more about the man. firstly, his name is tao, and being on a first name bases doesn't classify you as "strangers" anymore, it brings a new-found hope. he lives with his mom, loves flims, hanging out with his friends and goes to an all boys school.

when asked what the name he is hesitant, of course, but gives the name quickly. upon hearing it you gasp;

"I go to Higgs! who knew we were closer than we thought!" at this point you are full on beaming, your whole body and posture screams he has all your attention. he nods his head happily.

for a second he pauses with an eyebrow raised, "do you by chance know a girl named elle? she transferred there last year, friends with tara, darcy, and sahar?"

hearing the names sparks a familiarity and you wiggle in your seat. "how could i not! i sit next to elle in homeroom and eat lunch with all four of them! 'known tara and darcy since gradeschool!"

he laughs loudly at the information, "this is crazy! the four of them are apart of my friend group. what a coincidence."

as you go to speak the lady on the overhead announces that the stop is coming up. tao looks towards the door and sees the next station start to slow down in the window. a pitiful sigh leaves his lips.

"your stop?" you inquire sadly, upset to see him leave. your stop isn't for another ten minutes. the rate this train moves is ridiculous.

tao nods his head slowly, trying to move as slow as possible when getting up, as the train lets out a rhythmical chime- the doors open and the people who once sat around you flood on onto the pathway, "it was really nice to meet you," he says, bringing your attention to him once more. something in his eyes shifts in the way he looks at you and you can't help but feel small under his gaze, in a good way. "i'll make sure to seat you next to me on my wedding day." the words were muttered so quietly that you had to strain to hear him, yet you did, and ghost of a smile hushes you as you watch him exit the train doors, joining the others on the other side.

"see you soon?" you hope, wondering if this would be the last time you would see him even though he's a five minute walk from your school.

his voice is airy and the way he holds himself is sincere. he pauses and then nods your way, "of course."

that was the most enjoyment you had in a long time- sad to say, it was fun until he had got off the train.

[girlkisser13]

tao xu masterlist

* indicates smut

headcanons

dating tao xu would include

nsfw headcanons *

imagines

drabbles

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

#You Know What That Is? Growth

[bairdthereader]

There's one in every friend group (and we love them).

Bonus--Confused Nick is confused:

[heartstopperthoughts]

Just thinking bout how Nick and Charlie and Tao and Elle both start doing long distance at the same time, and even though it’s sucks for Charlie and Tao, at least they have each other to commiserate with

[panic-in-the-multiverse]

Charlie spring with sibling reader headcanons

Being Charlie Springs Sibling Would Include

Pairings: Charlie Spring x sibling!reader (some other characters makes an appearance)

Warnings: spoilers form season 2, mention of homophobia, mention of self harm, a bit angst?, mostly fluff

A/N In celebration of Heartsopper season two I thought why not write all the heartstopper requests I haven’t done yet, so here we go

And if you have a request with heartstopper pls send them

So whatever gender you have obviously decides what school you go to

I also believe you’d be older than Charlie, he’d definitely be the youngest

Really supportive of Charlie, even more so when he was outed and started to get bullied, if you go to the same school you’d definitely come to Charlie’s rescue and defend him (a bit harder to do if you aren’t in the same school)

Teaming up with Tori to comfort and protect your brother

if you aren’t or if you are going to the same school doesn’t matter either way you’d always comfort him at home

Knowing about his self harm, and the fact he doesn’t eat much, which you try to help with as much as you can

Comforting hugs

Movie marathon

Being friends with his friends, because they are genuinely good people and support him like you do.

When he got his crush on Nick you would tease him most days, and he would be stood blushing in his room with a smile on his face

If you’re part of lgbtq+ then he and the rest of your family would be supportive of you too

When he got together with Nick you’d be a bit protective first knowing about Ben before, but as soon as you see that Nick is a good guy the two of you become friends, and you share memories of Charlie to Nick.

Whenever Charlie goes to a party if you don’t come with him you make sure he has someone with him that will look out for him, because he doesn’t do too well in public spaces

Charlie, when I think of him I can’t stop thinking that he talks more to his siblings or friends about his problems so I imagine he’d go to you a lot of times if something was troubling him

A lot of gossip about Nick, like a lot, Charlie can’t stop talking about him

Omg imagine you were also at that dinner party with Nick’s family, you would definitely stand up for Nick, to Charlie’s surprise and which would also make him really happy <3

Pillow wars

Omg imagine when Charlie was a child and got nightmares and he would go into your room to cuddle with you, and you’d let him everytime, even to this day (my little brother does this instead of going to our parents, it’s so cute)

Just the best of siblings

I don’t know what else really, might add more if I come up with something, but for now this is it

[rorynightshade]

does it ever just how fast

drive you the night

crazy changes

Charlie Spring edition

[nellzzzzzsblogg]

3️⃣3️⃣DAYS

(Fans based on how many followers I have)

[thatonesapphicfilipino]

tumblr remind me to “annotate” heartstoppet v 5 when i’m free

[imbiactually-28]

after having seen barbie, everytime i watch heartstopper (which has been at least 10 times. don't judge me) and tao says "secret guy you kiss sometimes on the down-low" it always makes me think of "long-term long-distance low-commitment casual girlfriend"

[soothinglee]

intoxicated romance in paris

summary: after taras party, everyone left leaving you drunk and very sleepy, luckily someone came in to check on you on a beautiful night in paris.

warnings: mentions of being sick, drunk-heavy-ish fic.

authors note: sorry i've been gone for a little bit, school started and ive been busy- plus i've had little motivation. but i am back! i have another tao request coming up so hopefully i'll have that done by the weekend. requests are open!ಇ

inspiration: impossible - wasia project | time machine - willow

pairing: tao xu x reader (no pronouns specified. though reader is mentioned to go to higgs.)

masterlist | request

you could honestly kill darcy right now. it’s not like she did anything intentionally illegal but stealing a bottle of vodka and pouring it down each party goers throat; it catered to the massive headache stirring in your head.

everyone had departed to mr. ajays room to take care of her after she felt sick. you lay limp and alone in the hotel room. party streamers and confetti lie around your body like an outline, balloon slowly fall to the ground after hours of stillness and lack of oxygen. there was a soft purple glow of the beautiful paris street lights from below, and you can faintly hear the honking of cars on the road- all going to unique locations.

as much as you tried to roll over to check the time on your phone you find yourself still. fatigue from exhaustion creek in your bones, making the nauseous feeling creeping up push forward. at the sudden sickness you throw yourself forward and try to stabilize yourself on the knitted sheets.

behind the thoughts of trying to keep the sick in you didn't even realize that someone had knocked on the door until that person had turned the handle with a click, the noise echoing throughout the empty room.

"hello hello?" the voice called out, growing nearer. when there was no response they speak again, "hello?"

the only response you could give back was a disgruntled grunt.

"[y/n]?" the boys voice questions, rounding the corner of the entrance way to see you hunched over ontop of the bed. you hadn't known but your hair was sticking up in several places and the crocheted sweater that you wore was hanging off your shoulder on one side. he huffs out a laugh and nears you. "you alright?"

again a grunt.

he lays his phone on the nightstand next to the bed and kneels down next to you, "you look sick, did you drink too much?"

"i'm going to hurt darcy, respectfully." the words come out in broken pieces, but behind the words was a little lighthearted humor. deep down you knew she meant well but oh my god this feeling is gross.

"well don't hurt her too much, she already got sick in mr. farouks' bed. the look on his face could've killed her alone." tao shakes his head at the thought and reaches up to smooth down the back of your head. the feeling of his hand on your hair ignited something warm in you.

you decided it was just because you were drunk.

"did she actually?"

"oh yeah," he laughs lightly and goes to fix your clothes, "she looked like she was going to pee herself, he kicked all of them out."

confusion passes over you, "then where are they?" you were still in their rooms and it's been a good 30 minutes since they last were here.

tao hums and picks at his nails, "they decided to have a sleep over in imogens room, she's only with one other person but her roommate wanted to hangout in her friends room for the night."

you nod and look off but then direct your attention back to him, "wait," you watch as he glances at you then diverts his attention back to his hands, "then why are you here?"

as a reminder, tao jerks up and starts throwing around blankets and items on the other nightstand in a haphazard manner, "oh- yeah, well um- tara had asked me to come back and look for her phone because she needed to text her mom goodnight," he then adds a "yeah." at the end as if he's trying to convince himself of his own words.

while you watch him practically destroy the room your face goes blank with realization, "tao." he hums in acknowledgment but his movements don't cease, "taras' phone isn't in here, she took it with her when she left the party with everyone. and even if you called it it would've rang on this bed," you make your point by slamming a finger into the sheets, "because this is where she was sitting all night."

as if being caught red-handed, tao slowly stands up, the pillow falling from his hands slowly, "oh." was the only thing that came out.

pushing past the fatigue you swing your legs over the edge of the bed so your feet was mere inches from his legs, "so tell me the truth," you huffs out a short breath, "why are you really here? was it to check up on me?" you remark sarcastically. you know it's probably not the truth but hope dances on your tongue tastefully.

quite surprisingly, he nods his head. "i knew you were alone so i figured i'd check in, make sure you didn't spit up on yourself or something." in other words, i cared enough to go out of my way away from the others to make sure you weren't dead.

again, another wave of confusion, "but why?"

tao groans playfully and body flops on the bed, his hair splayed out around his head like a halo, "why are you so coherent, you're supposed to be drunk!"

a slurred giggle escapes you, "oh trust me, i feel just as bad as i look. i just didn't have as much as the other." you pause and hiccup, "can i ask another question?"

"[y/n]-? and i mean this lightheartedly, all you do is ask questions." but he makes a gesture with his hands as if to give the go ahead.

you lean in and whisper, "why are you still here?" a playful smile twitches at your lips. he lifts his head up to look at you, his hair falling in his eyes.

tao rolls his eyes and copy's your position, the beds were close to eachother so the two of you were inches from touching knees. he takes a look at you and you cower a little under his gaze, but not too much. tao goes to speak but stops himself, you lightly kick his leg in encouragement, "because i want to be near you."

that nearly winds you- feeling a little appreciation for being intoxicated because without it as a cover the red huge on your cheeks would be a give away.

you look away from him and towards the balcony, the door open to it let a soft breeze float through the room. you suddenly want to be out there. so without a response towards his comment you reach out your arms towards tao and silently point towards the doors.

he seems a little sad at the conversation change but obliges, "what? you want to go outside?"

you nod feeling a little sicker than before, "wanna see the Eiffel Tower." he nods and takes your hands in his, gently hoisting you up into his arms. his warm body heat makes you feel sleepy, and the over whelming feelings all at once doesn't even let you register that you were holding his hands, let alone in his arms.

slowly but surely he turns you around so your back is to his chest and he carries you on his toes to the balcony. it takes a while because every step he takes you loose your balance and have to regain it.

as you take a step outside a wave of fresh dew air hits you and at the feeling you close your eyes and lean back into tao. he chuckles at the action.

being outside at night, being in paris- an unfamiliar but welcoming presence, being with, no, against tao, especially alone for the first time in the 6 years you've been friends, this could be the best night ever.

the feeling is all too sentimental, whether it's the alcohol doing it's damage or being in the city of love you can't help but sigh and look up at tao with big bright eyes. it takes him a moment because like you too, he was watching the city come alive, and as you make eye contact he smiles with hesitancy, "what?"

it had been clear as day for the longest time but for some reason, right here right now, despite what everyone has been telling you, you had liked him too. it just took you now to figure it out. you lean against him once more and let out a deep sigh,

"i like being near you too."

thanks for readingಇ

[raspberryconverse]

This page reminds me of a story my mom told me.

My dad's parents always lived in the same city as us (I think we even briefly lived with them before my sister was born). My mom's parents lived in Florida (I grew up halfway between Milwaukee and Chicago). Needless to say, I saw my dad's parents all the time when I was little, but had only seen my mom's parents a few times as an infant.

When I was about 2, my mom's parents had come up to visit and when they arrived, they knocked on the door. My mom was expecting them and said to me, "Grandma and Grandpa are here! Go let them in!"

I go to the door, open it and see 2 people I didn't recognize. They most definitely weren't the Grandma and Grandpa I knew and saw all the time.

I took one look at them and said, "That's not my Grandma and Grandpa," then slammed the door in their faces.

[gimmiethemankles]

scream it for the people in the back 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

nick saying he’s bi actually is not cringe!!! affirming your identity is not cringe!! being proud and assertive and sure of who you are and what you want to be referred to as is not cringe!!!!! it’s courageous and brave and prideful and beautiful!!!

[bairdthereader]

No Pressure, Nick

Seriously, no pressure at all.

Just LOTS of really enthusiastic encouragement from everyone.

⬆️ Except for Tao.

Bonus: Happy Nick (and Charlie)

[pointninezero1]

fall for her (nobody else)

rating: gen | word count: 4,494 | alternate universe - coffee shop

“It’s okay, Tao,” Nick comforts him. “You did great.”

“It wasn’t the worst you’ve ever been around a girl,” Charlie nods.

Tao lets his head drop against the counter, a loud thump echoing through his ears. “I hate my life.”

or-;

Tao has an angel, and a devil, sitting on either shoulder. They're not very helpful, especially not when it comes to his massive crush on Elle.

[bunnysnuff]

Kisses.

Pairing: Tao Xu x Spring!reader.

Trigger warnings: hickeys, none, reader is Charlie’s sister.

Note: there is literally no gifs of tao.

Request.

The sun had already dipped below the horizon, casting soft, warm hues over the schoolyard as you walked beside Charlie and the rest of the group. Tao was at the front, gesticulating wildly as he ranted about the latest movie he’d seen, his long hair bouncing with every step. You couldn’t help but smile, even though your thoughts were elsewhere—namely, on the small mark hidden beneath the collar of your shirt. A hickey. Tao’s hickey.

You kept your head down, hoping no one noticed how quiet you’d been throughout the afternoon. Charlie was too preoccupied with Nick to pay much attention, and Isaac had his nose buried in a book. The dynamic was the same as always—everyone was comfortable, falling into their usual rhythm—but today, you felt a tiny bit on edge. You weren’t sure how long you could keep this hidden. It had been your secret for weeks now, yours and Tao’s, but that secret was growing harder to keep.

As you all arrived at Charlie’s house, the group spilled into the living room, dropping bags and jackets as everyone claimed their usual spots. Tao, catching your eye for the briefest of moments, smiled softly—just enough to make your heart skip. He was good at this, at being nonchalant in front of everyone, but you knew he was just as tense underneath. The two of you had been sneaking around for weeks, stealing moments together whenever you could, but it was getting harder to hide.

Charlie walked past you, pulling off his sweater, when he paused. His eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced at your neck.

“What’s that?” he asked, sounding more confused than accusatory.

Your stomach dropped. Everyone’s attention shifted to you in an instant, eyes following Charlie’s line of sight. You instinctively reached for the collar of your shirt, but it was too late.

“Is that a… hickey?” Elle asked, half-amused, half-shocked. Her eyebrows shot up as she looked from you to Charlie, and then to Tao, whose face had gone slightly pale.

A wave of panic surged through you, and your heart raced as the room fell silent. Nick raised his eyebrows, leaning back slightly as if waiting for the bombshell to drop, while Isaac finally looked up from his book, curious. Charlie blinked in confusion, trying to piece it together. His protective instincts kicked in immediately.

“Wait, who gave you that?” Charlie asked, his tone firming as his eyes searched yours for an answer. His face was a mix of concern and disbelief, his protective older brother side showing in full force.

You could feel Tao’s eyes on you, but you couldn’t meet his gaze. Not yet. You tried to think of something to say, some way to brush it off, but your brain was stuck.

Elle’s eyes darted between you and Tao, her sharp gaze catching on his nervous expression. And then, in one swift moment, everything clicked.

“No…” Elle whispered, her mouth forming a small ‘o’. She pointed between you and Tao, eyes wide with realization. “Wait, you two?”

Charlie froze, his eyes widening in disbelief as he looked at Tao, then back at you, pieces slowly falling into place. Tao shifted awkwardly in his seat, tugging at his sleeves nervously.

Tao glanced up at you, silently asking if you wanted him to say something, to step in, but you shook your head ever so slightly. This was your brother—your family—and you needed to be the one to explain.

Taking a deep breath, you stood up straighter, meeting Charlie’s bewildered gaze head-on. “Yeah, um… it’s Tao.”

The room erupted into a mixture of exclamations—Nick laughing in surprise, Elle smiling knowingly, Isaac looking more curious than shocked. Charlie, however, just stared at you and Tao, his mouth opening and closing as if trying to find the right words.

“You and Tao?” Charlie finally managed to say, sounding completely thrown. He ran a hand through his hair, looking between the two of you as if trying to make sense of the whole thing. “How long has this been going on?”

“A few weeks,” you admitted, glancing at Tao, who nodded quietly. He finally met Charlie’s eyes, standing up to face him directly.

“I was going to tell you, Charlie,” Tao said earnestly, his voice steady but filled with nerves. “I just… didn’t know how to bring it up.”

Charlie looked between you and Tao, clearly still processing, but his expression softened. After a long pause, he let out a small sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Okay, okay… I mean, I wish you’d told me sooner, but…” He glanced at you, his protectiveness still lingering. “As long as you’re both serious about this, I guess I can’t be too mad.”

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you’d been holding, relief washing over you. Tao stepped closer to you, brushing his hand against yours lightly, giving you a small, reassuring smile.

Nick grinned, nudging Charlie. “I mean, it’s not like you can say much, considering how long it took you to tell us about you and me.”

Charlie rolled his eyes, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Fair point.”

Elle, still smirking, leaned back in her seat. “Honestly, I should’ve seen this coming. The sneaky glances, Tao’s weirdly good mood lately—it all makes sense now.”

Tao blushed, ducking his head slightly, but he squeezed your hand as you both sat back down. The secret was out, and though it had been awkward for a moment, the weight of it lifted. The group was laughing again, teasing Tao and you, but the warmth and acceptance in the room was palpable.

Charlie caught your eye again, giving you a small, reluctant smile. “Just… no more surprises, okay?”

“Deal,” you said with a grin, feeling Tao’s hand still steady in yours.