* * *

- yunho 🐶
wooyoung where ARE you???

- minmin
yeah where are u? there's steak today and i'm sure its the one that wont give us food poisoning

- wooyoung
im so sorry guyss

- yunho 🐶
wait what do u mean

- wooyoung
i may or may not be having lunch rn with choi san

- minmin
W HA T

Several texts bombard Wooyoung's phone right then, but he doesn't have the time to reply to all of them. He knows his friends, knows they ultimately won't cut their friendship because of something as miniscule as this.

Right?

Wooyoung licks his lips, his throat as dry as a desert. He places his phone on the booth he and San now share, poking at his salad while the other returns with a refilled drink.

Wooyoung's wallet may be bawling, but he convinces himself he's just doing a good deed.

San slurps through the straw, his lips wet. He looks up, nearly catching Wooyoung's gaze. "Want some?"

"Um, I'm good with my water." Wooyoung vaguely gestures at his drink. "And the salad."

"Okay." San keeps drinking. In fact, it's all he's ever done since they came here. The burrito and fries he ordered are still untouched.

"Are you not hungry?" Wooyoung blurts. When San pauses, he busies himself with the dimmed decor of the restaurant they're in. San's the one who brought them.

San sighs, adjusting his shades. "Not that hungry anymore. But the drinks are awesome, I guess."

Wooyoung can't stop observing those shades on his face. "Did something happen?"

"What?"

"The shades." Wooyoung takes a bite of lettuce. Bad idea. He forces it down. "You don't need them around here."

"You can be quite blunt, Jung," San comments.

"I'm sorry -- "

"Stop apologizing." San takes another sip, and then he stretches his arms, before pulling off his sunglasses.

Purple. Purple shadows his eyes and a part of his left cheek. Wooyoung doesn't know if they're eyebags or something else entirely.

"Oh my god."

"I look terrible, don't I?" San chuckles, the low sound warming the shorter's insides. "I know you're curious."

"Do you not sleep?"

San taps the table. "I won't answer, just like I know you won't tell me why your left hand's bandaged."

For the first time in a while Wooyoung's eyes are drawn to his bruised hand. He fists it, aware of San's attentive eyes watching his every move.

"...I tripped and it scraped the floor."

San's lips form that smirk again. "And I have a pain kink."

Wooyoung starts coughing, shock electrifying him to the core. He'd been lying about why his knuckles got hurt, but was San actually telling the truth?

The taller passes his tray of food towards Wooyoung, to his surprise.

"As I said earlier, I'm not that hungry anymore." San smiles a little to drive his point home, but that does little to convince Wooyoung.

So, he breaks the burrito in half, the bigger piece for San.

"I'm not hungry -- "

"And I can't finish all this by myself," Wooyoung counters. "Plus, I'm paying anyway so you don't have to feel guilty."

"I don't feel guilty." But San takes his portion, biting the middle. He takes another bite, but then winces.

Wooyoung halts. "Are you alright?"

San doesn't immediately reply, but after a while, he nods.

Wooyoung can't stop his mind from wandering into less than innocent places. It's even worse when all he can hear is Yunho and his claims about how often San probably gets it on.

As if on cue, he hears a scoff. "What are you thinking now?"

"N-Nothing."

But San isn't smiling any longer. "Bet you're wondering who did I have sex with this time."

"I did not, San."

"So what are you thinking?"

"I thought about the things people call you, but it wasn't intentional," Wooyoung confesses, irked by how pushy the taller is being. "I don't think of you in that way, but it's hard to get rid of others' opinions about you off my mind."

San's jaw clenches, and for a second Wooyoung fears he'll get mad and throw his drink in his face or something. But then he stands.

"Thanks for being honest." He proceeds to wrap up the rest of his food, shoving it in his bag.

"Where are you going?" Wooyoung's on his feet too before long, but San's already on his way to the doors.

As quickly as he can he pays for their meals, and then shoves himself through the doorway.

San's further up, but Wooyoung catches up to him in no time. "San, wait."

San walks faster. "Dude, just leave me alone."

"I -- I said what you wanted to hear, so why are you mad?"

"Exactly. Why am I mad?" San's laugh is rough. "I have no idea."

Wooyoung grabs his wrist, then pulls them beside some office building. "Are you coming back to school?"

San just shrugs.

"We should walk there together."

"Why? So you can rave to your friends about how you took pity on poor Choi San who everyone wants to fuck but no one actually likes being around?"

"No," Wooyoung exclaims, baffled at the words leaving the taller's mouth. He can't believe how someone as revered and as...as stunning as he is can think such a way about himself. "Why would I do that?"

"Why wouldn't you? I hardly know you."

"I just...want to give you some company," Wooyoung tells him, watching as the animosity in San's eyes dwindles. "Before I met Yunho and Mingi, I was alone too. So I know how much it can suck."

For some time, there are no words exchanged. Nerves eat at Wooyoung's heart, and when he's about to cancel his suggestion altogether, San slowly nods.

"Okay."

* * *

"Green or blue?" Wooyoung asks yet another question as he and San trek back to their high school.

"Green? These questions are weird," San states, rubbing his temple. His shades are back on again. "You're weird."

"I ask my friends that all the time," Wooyoung reasons, staring at his sneakered feet. The difference between them and San's gothic looking boots is immense. "It's a good way to get a conversation going."

"Really," San smiles, not looking at Wooyoung. But Wooyoung is looking, and his dimples are on display again.

"Mhm. Uhh, mint choco ice cream or chocolate chip?"

San's about to answer when a group of students enter the premises the same time as them. It's Jaehyuk and his friends, and instantly Wooyoung wants to vanish.

Jaehyuk grins, big and devilish. "I see Choi San's already got you on his leash, huh? Bet he's gonna be so disappointed when he discovers how small -- "

He's suddenly on the ground, cupping his cheek as San peers down on him, fists clenched.

One of his friends try to make a move, but Jaehyuk just shakes his head, soon hopping to his feet. Wooyoung panics, because he knows Jaehyuk, and sooner or later more people are going to see.

"San," he mumbles, but San doesn't budge.

"You should listen to your boyfriend over there," Jaehyuk snarls. "Or is it a master-servant thing? Who the hell knows what you call them. You're just some useless slut who can't keep it in his pants at the end of the day."

He recoils as San knocks him in the jaw this time. Red spills across his lips.

Wooyoung tugs at San's sleeve, wanting the both of them to just leave before things escalate, but San just yanks it off, eyes never leaving Jaehyuk's.

"He's trying to get a rise out of you," Wooyoung says. "Please, let's just go -- "

"Everyone thinks that way," Jaehyuk hollers, "even your little boy-toy behind you. Of course, who'll respect someone who can't even respect themselves?"

San's hands land on his collar, heavy and suffocating, but before things get catastrophic a teacher rushes in.

Wooyoung can't do a thing as San gets led away, even as guilt swallows him whole. He can't stop blaming himself, because this would have never happened to San if he hadn't gotten involved.

* * *

"You shouldn't have gone out with Choi San this afternoon," Mingi says on the phone as Wooyoung unravels the bandage around his left hand. It's just a little stained, which means the wounds are healing.

"Yes. I got it after you and Yunho mentioned it a thousand times this afternoon alone." Wooyoung can't control how tense he sounds, and honestly, he doesn't bother. He's mad; not at San, but at how things have been going so far.

"We're only worried, Woo. Look what happened after spending time with that guy."

"Well there's no reason to be." Wooyoung starts dabbing his knuckles with some antiseptic. "It was Kim asshat Jaehyuk who started it."

"But look how bloody he got, though. Who knows what could happen if you got Choi San angry?" Mingi questions.

"Nothing would happen." Because nothing actually did. San had only lashed out because Jaehyuk's words had hurt, Wooyoung is sure.

Mingi sighs -- a sign he's backing off, and then, "Are you applying a new bandage?"

"Yep. Also doesn't sting as much anymore." Wooyoung's eyes skim over the cross nailed at the corner of his bedroom. He feels as though Jesus is giving him the side-eye right now.

"Fuck, Woo. You need to be more careful."

"I will. Uhh, I'm gonna talk to you later. Love you, bye," Wooyoung says, quickly hanging up before Mingi can protest.

Silence soon consumes the room, the orange sunset peeking through the curtains.

He falls to his bed, observing his bandaged hand for a while.

You need to be more careful.

Wooyoung exhales, then stares at the phone next to him.

San's number has already been saved, but for now Wooyoung's a little afraid of texting him. Suddenly, a stupid idea enters his head.

I should really do some research for our project. Not this! His mind's screaming as he scrolls through instagram and clicks on the search bar. Don't you fucking dare.

But Wooyoung has always been weak to temptation, and before he knows it, he's slipping past profiles to find San's. That is, if he even has an account.

He keeps looking until he comes across a particular username.

ch_san_oi

He presses it and then is transported over to an account with very few posts. The earliest is a picture of some wildlife, but the next ones are undeniably candids of San. Him at the mall, a cafe, the outdoors. He's smiling in a lot of them, real ones that make Wooyoung want to blush even when they aren't directed at him. He also looks a bit younger, and when he clicks the final picture -- one of San's face pressed against a pillow as he grins softly at the camera -- he notices it was posted around a year ago.

The comments are disabled, which leads Wooyoung to check the others. They're all disabled.

Wooyoung's curious though he knows he has no right to be. He looks through the pictures again, awed at how happy San used to look. But at the same time, he can't blame him for losing that glow.

The urge to message San builds until Wooyoung can't take it anymore.

- wooyoung
hi

- san from class
who is this?

- wooyoung
jung wooyoung

- san from class
oh
hey i guess

- wooyoung
are u ok?

- san from class
im fine

- wooyoung
thats good
but,, did you get in trouble??

- wooyoung
sry if im being annoying 😔

- san from class
u are actually

- san from class
but

Wooyoung's breath hitches.

- wooyoung
hmm??

San types something but stops. Then a new message pops up.

- san from class
weekend detention for 3 weeks
thats what i got

- wooyoung
and nothing else??
thats awesome 🎉🎉

- san from class
jesus wooyoung
why are you happy

- wooyoung
i got really worried you were gonna get suspended or smth
because you don't deserve that

- san from class is typing...

- san from class
listen
i gotta go

- wooyoung
alright, but thanks for uh defending me. i mean jaehyuk said horrible shit to you too, and maybe you only beat him up because of what he called you

- wooyoung
which isnt a bad thing in the slightest! its good to defend urself
but i still wanna say thanks

- wooyoung
so thanks

- san from class
youre weird, wooyoung

- san from class
but alright ig
and thanks too

- wooyoung
for what?

- san from class
for having lunch with me

For whatever reason, Wooyoung's smile falls off. He rolls to his side, thinking hard about how to respond.

- wooyoung
of course, ur welcome san
and whenever youre free we can have lunch together again

- san from class
woah
slow down

- wooyoung
ur not saying nooo

Wooyoung has a hunch San's scoffing and rolling his eyes behind the screen. It makes him smile.

- san from class
fuck offff

- wooyoung
have a good night san
i'll do some research so you can have some sleep tonight

San takes so long to reply that Wooyoung thinks he's been left on read, but a message soon enters.

- san from class
have some sleep,, lol
but goodnight

- san from class
sleep well too
bye

Wooyoung sends an animated rabbit with heart-eyes falling asleep in response, and although San provides no reply, he's positive San liked it.

* * *

a/n: thoughts?

also this fic is already prewritten so there will be updates on mondays and thursdays!