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Wooyoung

I can be quite lazy at times, as I'm the type to value relaxation and contentment above a lot of things. And by this I mean I like to sleep a lot.

But why am I suddenly so restless tonight? As soon as Hongjoong and the others left after a couple rounds of a very chaotic Mafia game, I immediately couldn't get even a wink of sleep the minute I entered my bedroom earlier tonight.

I just laid in bed -- just as I'm doing right now -- staring blankly at the ceiling as I recalled the animated events that took place before I went to sleep. More specifically, I thought about a certain someone.

San never really reacted throughout the few movies we'd watched, only responding to the borderline invasive questions Hongjoong shot at him from time to time. But, as soon as Yunho suggested we play the Mafia game, I got to see a new side of him entirely.

He got a lot more talkative, asking everyone a series of questions while eyeing them under his inquisitive stares. He also was incredibly intuitive, and managed to sniff out the hidden mafia in the first round quickly, which happened to be Yeosang (no surprise there).

He'd also managed to convince us that he was a normal citizen when he became the hidden mafia on the second round, which makes me believe that he'd pretty good at acting. Which kind of scares me, but still.

I exhale and turn over on my bed, sinking lower beneath my duvet and closing my eyes shut. I bite my lip when the image of San's triumphant smile after he'd won that round of Mafia flashes behind my eyelids. At that time, he'd looked so happy that his eyes sparkled, and it was then I realized that maybe...maybe looks can be decieving after all.

My eyebrows crease as I let out an annoyed groan. Stop thinking about San, Wooyoung, my mind grumbles at me, and I try to. Believe me, I tried a lot, but somehow San's wide smile doesn't really want to leave my head.

A sharp sound slices through the air, breaking the previous silence in half. In a second I become alert and sit up.

What was that?

It sounded like something had fallen, and probably broke, considering how sudden it was.

I stay still for a few more seconds with bated breaths, feeling a bit apprehensive, and that's when my ears pick on the distant mumbling of words I can't decipher. The voice sounds familiar. It sounds like... San?

In an instant, I stand up, deciding on skipping out on my bunny slippers as I head out the door barefeet.

The floor's cold against the soles of my feet, but I ignore it as I continue to trek into the main room.

Shit, I think as soon as I step into the living room. It's completely dark in here, save for the minimal light coming from the other dorms a couple feet away from here. I look around, trying to adjust my eyes to the darkness when they fall on something in the kitchen.

I release a breath of dismay when I catch sight of a shattered jar on the kitchen floor, but that feeling is brief when I hear the rigid, sharp exhales coming from the livingroom.

I don't even hesitate to turn on the lights with a singular spell, ignoring the way the abrupt gleam of the lightbulbs irritate my eyesight for a bit.

Shock stunts me from moving at the image of San hugging himself on the couch, his shoulders stiff, but soon enough I spring into action and immediately find myself next to him.

I'm fully sure he knows I'm there now, but he sure doesn't act like it. He stays in that same position, and for a moment there I contemplate asking him if everything's alright even though I don't want to overstep his boundaries.

"...San?" I eventually whisper, and San's shoulders only get more tense. I immediately feel like I've angered him, even though I'm sure I'm just imagining it all.

He's not going to hurt me, I tell myself. Stop being scared.

Biting hard on my lip, I decide to sit beside him. Our hips brush, but I make sure not to move any closer. I don't want to make him any more uncomfortable.

"...Are you okay?" I question, because yeah, I might be a little afraid right now, but I'm one hundred percent sure that something's up with San, and I know it isn't something good.

For a few moments, there's absolute silence, but then San exhales. The frigid atmosphere seems to incline even further as I wait for whatever he's going to say.

He looks up, his unruly dark locks splaying over his forehead. His skin is pale -- freakishly so, even for a vampire -- and I become even more worried.

"San -- "

"I'm fine," San snaps, cutting me off. My heart clenches at his curt tone, and he sighs.

"I'm sorry," he buries his head on his bent knees. "God, this is so embarrassing. I'm really sorry..."

"It's -- it's okay," I input, trying to convince him otherwise. "I just want to know if you're okay."

"I..." his voice cracks with vulnerability, "I'm not."

I think over my next words, wanting to make them as inoffensive as possible. "A-Are you stressed out? Do you want me to make you anything?"

San slowly looks up, and my blood runs cold when his eyes meet mine. They're bright crimson, glowing like the flicker of a flame. They form an intense contrast with the sickly pallor of his skin.

His lips part to say something, but then he stops, a subdued emotion clouding over his features. But, as quick as it comes it goes, easily replaced by an expression much more impenetrable.

"I should go back to bed," San eventually mutters. I stand up in alarm as he forces himself to his feet, a bit agitated that he's obviously pushing me away. His walls are up again, and it irks me now, for some reason.

"San, please tell me what's wrong," I blurt, gaining his attention. With his eyes on me, I feel like cowering away, but I go on despite this. "I saw the broken jar in the kitchen. If there's anything going on, you can tell me. I'll try to help."

We stare at each other until San breaks it, surprisingly. It only furthers my guess that something's definitely going on with him.

"Wooyoung," he starts. The way he says my name causes a feeling to sprout inside of my chest. It's mild, but pleasant, like basking underneath the warm sunlight.

"I don't feel okay. But it's fine. I'll get better. I always do," San continues, his tone empty. He turns around to leave, but something in me makes me reach out and hold his hand. Chills race down my spine as San quickly yanks his hand away.

I don't even have time to feel offended. I step even closer. "Your hand's extremely cold."

"I know."

Vampires are cold-blooded creatures. They're usually never warm, unless they're in an area that exudes a lot of it. But how San's palm felt was more than just normal lack of warmth; his hand felt like ice.

"You're freezing," I press on.

"I know." San's tone is firm, bordering on steely. I feel like if I go on, I might just get on his bad side.

But still, I don't feel like stopping. The truth is that I'm incredibly worried, and his behaviour's just highlighting that fact.

I slowly inch closer, and clasp his hands in mine. "Let me help you."

San doesn't meet my gaze. He doesn't let go either. "...How can you?" He mumbles.

"You'll have to tell me what's wrong first," I reply.

His jaw locks and his eyebrows furrow, but then he relaxes and exhales, dark lashes fanning his fair cheeks. "My room... It got really cold there so I had to leave. I...I was thirsty, but as I was about to take a drink from the jar I suddenly lost my grip and everything fell. I -- I don't know how it happened."

For a moment I stay silent, contemplating his answer. "Did you bump into anything?"

"...No, I didn't. It was really dark in there, but then again I should've been able to see well even with it," San comments. His eyebrows knit again, and then we lock eyes. His look apologetic. "I'm sorry I disturbed your sleep tonight."

"It's okay," I hurriedly reply. I notice the way our chests brush, and I realize almost all his weight's on me now. "I'll help you get warmer, okay?"

San frowns, but nods. I can only imagine how exposed and vulnerable he must feel right now, but I really want him to know I don't have any plans of using that against him. I just only want to help.

Without thinking hard about it, I end up navigating San into my room, since I felt entering his room with him would be an invasion of privacy, sort of. Luckily, he doesn't protest against any of this.

"I'll look for something in here that'll help increase your body's temperature," I say, shifting through one of the spellbooks on my work table. "In the meantime, you can rest on my bed. It's comfortable, and I don't mind."

I chuckle at the way San's awkwardly lingering beside my bed. With his violet pyjamas and his touseled hair, he looks kinda really adorable.

"I really don't mind," I repeat. When our gazes meet, I grin at him.

San looks away, but decides to sit on my bed. He watches as I look through the Spells for the Undead section, before eventually laying his head down on my pillow.

I bite back a smile at the sight, before clearing my throat. Focus, Wooyoung. I try to think about all the times Hongjoong's ever complained about the temperature, only to realize that my friend has never felt too cold before. In fact, San's the first vampire I've ever met that's ever felt really cold.

"Have you found anything?" San's voice is rough with fatigue and yet the mere sound of it causes heat to rush straight into my cheeks.

"Uh -- " I stammer, flicking over a page. "I think I found something suitable."

To please the Undead
Is quite simple, actually
Just make their hearts content
And warm them with this melody

The spell to chant is below, and I pause when I read it, not really knowing how to proceed. "I...It's sort of a lullaby..."

San doesn't answer, and for a second I wonder if he's now asleep, but then I see him staring right at me.

"A lullaby?" He questions, slight disbelief dripping off his tone.

Gently, I sit next to him, the spellbook in hand. "Yeah. I've been searching through a lot of spells, and this is the only one that's close to what you're feeling. I don't know, maybe you could go to the infirmar -- "

"You can utter the spell," San speaks up. His vermilion coloured eyes turn almost amber when he fixes them on me. The image's both mesmerizing and striking. "I'm sure it'll work."

I clear my throat, my ears becoming a stark red. "I-I'll have to sing."

San sits up, and suddenly our shoulders are facing each other. A ghost of a smile shades his pale-red lips. "Come on, I'm sure you're not that bad..."

I inhale a shaky breath, feeling really nervous all of a sudden. As I unsteadily begin to chant the lyrical spell, San's eyes stay on me the whole time. Staring into them is like staring into another world entirely.

Vibrant reds splash within his irises, meshing with glowing oranges before simmering down into crimson and reddish browns. All throughout, his eyes are on my face, and by the time I'm done with the spell, the fiery colours in them have drained completely. They look almost black now.

I stare into San's eyes, and stop myself from touching him. "...Are you okay now?"

San stares at the bed, his black hair framing his face. He nods. "I feel better, so... yeah."

"That's good."

"Thank you."

I smile at him. "You're welcome. And next time, if you need anything, don't be afraid to ask. I'm a pretty average witch, but I know a couple spells up my sleeve."

He chuckles. "Sure, Wooyoung."

"Hey, San." When San looks at me my whole face embarrasingly flushes. "If you wanna spend the night here... I'm not stopping you."

He rakes his hands through his hair, patting down the stray strands. Maybe it's a nervous habit.

"I don't want to intrude," he replies.

"I really don't mind. And, if you feel cold again, I could help you feel better."

San pauses, his lower lip pulled inbetween his teeth and -- I quickly avert my eyes when I realize that I'm staring.

"...Maybe next time," he suggests. "I'm...just not that comfortable with sleeping in another person's bed just yet."

Disappointment threatens to break its way into my core, but I vow to myself not to let it. I paint on a smile and usher out a thumbs up. "Next time, eh?"

Vampires rarely blush, but in these four walls of my bedroom at this moment, I swear I saw a pink flush filling San's cheeks.

Before I can know whether I'm right or not, he stands up and walks to the door. "I should get going now," he says.

"Walk you to your room?" I say, half-jokingly, half-seriously.

San softly smiles and shakes his head. "No, it's okay."

When he leaves, I keep my gaze on the now closed door.

Wait, my eyes widen when something clicks in my head, did I just flirt with Choi San?!

• • •

a/n: ohmyygoddd sorry for the super slow updates on this fic. hope this update made up for it

anyways, my STATINY heart is filled with wonderland and double knot. they slapped! my favourite song on ateez's album is by far 'dazzling light' haha. i also really like 'mist'. what's yours?

thoughts?