inception woo and san will forever have me in a chokehold i  s w e a r

also this more accurately describes how they look in this fic, but just imagine rounded glasses on woo with a less intimidating disposition

* * *

"I need to change desperately," San begins after they've washed their hands and shoved the supplies back in their places, now strolling down the hallway to finally leave. "Cause someone," he pointedly glares at Wooyoung, playful, "decided to get me wet. Not once, but twice."

Wooyoung's stupid mind enters a less than innocent place, but he's smart enough to not let that get to him. He's seventeen, not twelve.

His hands linger in his pockets, shrugging as if he's done nothing wrong. "Hey, the first time was an accident. The second... eh. I was just trying to be of comfort."

"Well if you still want to be of comfort," San rubs his hair, to Wooyoung's chagrin, "follow me to my place."

Wooyoung proceeds to answer, but locks eyes with a blue haired girl talking with another girl by the lockers. At seeing him, she not-so-subtly nudges her friend, giggling as if she just knows why he's hanging out with Choi San.

San notices before long, and to Wooyoung's absolute shock remarks, "Anything the problem?"

The girls are taken aback too, judging by their rigid shoulders and wide eyes. Then, they're quickly shaking their heads and scurrying away from them.

"...Let's keep going," San says as if it's nothing. "My bike's out front. That is, if you wanna come over?"

Wooyoung takes some time to reply, their interaction with those girls at the forefront of his mind. He doesn't know how San can deal with this everyday; he'd certainly be affected if every one of his interactions with others consisted of them obviously thinking badly of him.

But then again, he'd gotten a taste of it freshman year because of Kim fucking Jaehyuk, but it hadn't lasted long. But this...this was way too much, even for him. And he isn't even the recipient.

He blinks when a hand waves in front his face, soon meeting San's dark eyes.

"You just zoned out there," San says, though Wooyoung's positive he knows why he's like that.

"Does the school know?" Wooyoung blurts, unable to keep still. "Like, the teachers and principal Min. They can't keep letting those students treat you like that."

It's highly hypocritical of him to say this when just weeks ago, he'd never paid attention -- nor cared as he felt it didn't concern him, Wooyoung knows, and it's something that eats at him everyday. But right now, the more he knows of San, the more he knows this shouldn't be happening to him.

A dry smile breaks over San's features. "You're acting as if I'm staying at this school forever. I'm graduating in a few months, just like you are."

He makes no mention of the school staff, but Wooyoung figures he shouldn't try to force it out of him. "Yeah, but..."

San pats his shoulder, hand sliding down his arm to his fingers. "I'll take you to where I'm staying. You can get to meet Byeol."

At this, Wooyoung's eyes grow big. "Byeol? As in, your cat?"

"Mhm," San whistles, leading them into the parking lot towards his bike. The sun is hot, but the breeze refreshingly cool. "Unless you have other plans."

Wooyoung thinks of his friends right then -- of Yunho. His earlier words left a bitter taste in his mouth and he can't say he's too excited at the chance of spending the afternoon with him. San, however...

"I don't think I do?" he replies, shifting through his bag for his phone. "Lemme just call my mom first. She doesn't like when I leave her in the dark."

San nods, understanding. He rests beside the bike, looking something out of someone's wet dream. "Sure."

After a ring, Ms Jung picks up. "Wooyoung? Are you done with detention?"

Wooyoung nods, casting a glance San's way. "Yeah."

"That's great. My shift's been pushed down so I have the afternoon free. I'm making lunch for everyone, and Mingi and Yunho are helping out."

"Uh, mom?" Wooyoung chews his lip. "I'm actually going somewhere else today. With San, to be specific."

At the mention of his name, San glances over. Wooyoung smiles so he won't think it's anything negative.

"San?" His mother questions, not sounding nearly as disappointed as he'd braced himself for. "He's here with you right now?"

"Yep."

"Can you pass him the phone? I want to hear his voice."

Wooyoung almost gasps, but composes himself. "'Hear his voice?' Whose mom are you?"

"Oh please, Wooyoung. Give him the phone."

Wooyoung does as she says, noting the apparent confusion on San's face. "Mom wants to talk to you."

For a fleeting second, San looks nervous. He clears his throat, presses the phone to his ear. "Good afternoon, Ms Jung."

Wooyoung busies himself kicking every stray pebble he sees, trying not to let his nosey side take over. A few students make their way out of the school compound, but none of them pay him and San any mind, fortunately.

San doesn't converse with his mother for long, but it's clear by the look of his face that it was a good talk.

"What'd she say?" Wooyoung asks after San passes him his phone.

San chuckles. "She asked me to bring you home safely, and also when I'd be available again for dinner."

Wooyoung rubs his arm, a little flustered at how much his mom has warmed up to San in such a small amount of time. "She sure seems to like you a lot. But I'm glad."

"What can I say? I have a way with moms," San jokes, handing Wooyoung his helmet.

The shorter male grimaces. "Never say that again. Also...there's only one helmet?"

"Bringing you along to my place was sort of a last minute decision," San answers. "Don't worry your pretty little head over me. I won't like, crush my skull or anything."

Did San just call him pretty? Wooyoung fastens on the helmet as a method to ignore his burning cheeks. He jumps into the motorcycle seat, struggling a bit with it.

San laughs at first, but eventually settles Wooyoung on it properly. He slips into his designated spot, a foot on a pedal. "Green looks really good on you. Just noticed."

Wooyoung grabs on to the taller's itty bitty waist, a sliver of anxiety at what this bike ride entails piercing through him. He just wants to get it over with. "Yeah, well, you said you preferred green over blue when I'd asked you. And on that photo, too, you wore something green. I figured you'd like that."

San peers at him from the rear-view mirror, the humour in his eyes enticing. They tease Wooyoung. "What photo?"

Wooyoung sighs. "The new one you put as your contact pic. Never knew you used to have blond hair."

"Oh," San inserts the key, a ghost of a smile on his face. "Well, I had it for like, a month. Bet you thought I looked good, right?"

"Just drive, San." Wooyoung rolls his eyes, hitting his chest before he can think better of it. He fears San's reaction at first, but the other just laughs again.

"You'll look good blond."

"I've never dyed my hair before, though."

"Alright," San announces, pretending to look grim. "Consider the nude paintings done and dealt with. Let's focus on you looking your best."

"Are you implying I'm ugly?"

"What?" San exclaims, appalled. "No, no. I can just...tell you're holding back a lot, and I want to help you let loose a bit."

Wooyoung keeps silent for a hot minute. He remembers how, just until a year ago, he strived to be as invisible as he possibly could. He'd spend a majority of his time at home or at Yunho's when he wasn't at school, and even sleeping at a place that wasn't his house proved very difficult a lot of the time. It's a hassle always trying to hide from himself -- from his body -- and Wooyoung figures that maybe, just maybe, San is right.

"It's that obvious, huh," is what he finally chooses to reply with.

But San shakes his head, to his surprise. "Your personality's consistent. Gold. You stay true to yourself, and it's something I admire about you. I just want you to look at yourself and see what I see."

Like how he was on that bridge, San is totally, irrevocably truthful. He's back to being so fucking sweet and heartfelt, his words punching a gaping hole through Wooyoung's heart and mending it right back together again.

Wooyoung's whole face flushes with heat. "How -- how am I supposed to reply to that?"

"Not sure," San starts the bike, the engine revving through the desolate parking space. He smiles, his dimples so perfectly suited for his face. "Let's just go home and eat that pizza you promised, yeah?"

Wooyoung nods, cheek pressed against San's back, and frees his own smile. "Okay."

* * *

Wooyoung doesn't know what he'd been expecting San's house to look like, but he's still surprised at the building he sees. Or rather, the buildings. On every storey there's an apartment, a few people going about their day on each floor.

San carries him down the motorbike, hands steady so he won't trip and fall like the clumsy idiot he is.

"Thanks," Wooyoung exhales, squinting a bit cause of the pastel blue sky. If he didn't fear going blind, he might've lost himself in the sight -- especially with San standing there, looking nothing less than picture perfect.

"You're welcome," San says, even helping him out of the helmet. With the guy doting on him like this, Wooyoung should feel a little irked. But, he'd be a big freaking liar if he says he doesn't enjoy this.

"I stay on the third floor," San continues. "With Yeosang, the guy I talked about earlier."

Wooyoung has to wonder how old this 'Yeosang' guy is; if he's good-looking or not. He wonders how long San's been staying here, especially when he's dealing with his mother's illness, while not being on good terms with his dad.

"Pizza delivery's always quick around here," San tells him, exceedingly chatty today -- although Wooyoung doesn't mind. He follows San as they make it up the stairs. "I'll order while we change out of these clothes, and just -- relax, I guess."

Wooyoung nods. He can't simmer down his nerves no matter how hard he tries, way too stoked about knowing where San lives. "Sounds like a great plan."

San stops in front of a teal painted door and knocks. "If Yeosang isn't drowning in online courses at the moment, he should answer in three, two..."

Wooyoung's heart leaps to his throat as the door clicks open without a moment's notice, a face with a pink hair peeking through.

Oh.

Just as quickly as Wooyoung's heart jumps, it drops; so low it's probably in hell right now. Because this Yeosang guy is drop-dead gorgeous, and it makes his head dizzy. This is the guy San's staying with every single day?

Yeosang's light brown eyes fall on him, before darting back to San. "You never said there'd be company."

"I never didn't say it either, Kang," San responds in tandem, his tone making it super obvious he's known Yeosang for a while. "Yeosang, meet Wooyoung. Jung Wooyoung."

"Hey," Yeosang mutters, addressing Wooyoung once more. "You're the one doing the Sex-Ed thing with San, right? Nice to meet you."

"Um, same." Wooyoung feels like he'll explode. The guy just confirmed San talks about him.

"Yeo," San hurriedly retorts, his tone leaving for room for arguments, "please step aside so we can come in."

"Alright, alright," Yeosang widens the entrance, revealing a room Wooyoung can only describe as cozy. Every nook and cranny is filled with warm hues, artsy furniture and earth-toned walls. Even the indoor lights are welcoming. "Come in."

Wooyoung can't help but be distracted by everything; how comforting it feels.

"Nice, right?" San asks next to him, while Yeosang closes the door. "He's good at making stuff match."

Slight jealousy bubbles in Wooyoung's gut at how San talks about Yeosang, but it's inconsequential enough to be ignored. "Yeah. It's neat."

"Why are you both damp? Never mind, I don't wanna know," Yeosang saunters to the kitchen counter, shutting off a laptop. "Oh yeah -- Byeol needs to be on timeout 'cause she keeps bothering Ferret whenever I bring him over."

"Ferret?" asks Wooyoung.

"Byeol?" San says at the same time, disappearing into the hall in search for the cat.

"Bearded dragon," Yeosang clarifies, as if it's totally normal to name a lizard 'ferret'. "He usually stays at my parents' place. San's most likely gonna get distracted by Byeol again so I'm going to order pizza."

"How'd you know?" Wooyoung questions, Yeosang's visuals intimidating him a little. He hopes San will be back soon. "The pizza thing, I mean."

"San's in love with pizza." That jealousy reveals itself again.

Right then, San reappears with a purring cat in his arms, a spitting image of the one Wooyoung had seen in the picture. San's rubbing behind her ears, expression so glaringly soft and pure it renders Wooyoung momentarily speechless.

"Is that Byeol? She's so cute," Wooyoung utters, smiling wide. He's never really had a pet his entire life so he isn't sure what to do at first. But then San gently places the cat in his hold, introducing him to her as 'Big brother Wooyoung'.

Byeol blinks at him, glowing eyes big and confused. Wooyoung can't help but squeal in excitement. He's absolutely enamored by the animal.

"Never seen someone this excited to meet a cat," says Yeosang, but he doesn't say it to be mean. He just sounds intrigued.

"Never had a cat before," Wooyoung says, blushing hard when San coos at him, pinching his cheek. "Please, stop."

Byeol leaps off of him and dashes off to his disappointment. "I didn't mean you, Byeol-ah."

"It's the soap smell," San reveals. He hasn't stopped smiling since introducing Byeol to Wooyoung. "But I'm glad she likes you too."

* * *

Wooyoung gets changed into one of San's clothes after showering -- a black shirt and grey sweats -- and sits a little awkwardly in San's bedroom, awaiting the taller's arrival.

He takes in the beige walls, wardrobe, and the little plushie by the pillow. Something glints on the nightstand, framed, and when Wooyoung adjusts it, he sees a much younger, brown haired San with a woman at his side. They both have matching dimpled smiles. His mother.

The door slaps open, and in steps San with a hot box of pizza in hand. His outfit's changed too, a basic dark shirt tucked into these comfortable looking acid-washed jeans. "Sorry I took a minute. Byeol's a little clingy when she doesn't see me for a while. She's asleep now though."

Wooyoung tries to play off like he hadn't seen the photo, but then San places the pizza box on the bed and gestures at it.

"You saw my mom," San states, fingers tracing lightly over the deep mahogany frame. "We were at this amusement park thing. I think I was thirteen then."

Wooyoung grows contemplative at the nostalgia prevalent in San's irises. "Your mom's very pretty. You look just like her."

"Luckily," San chuckles, but it isn't quite a happy sound. He moves to plop himself beside Wooyoung, his back to the bed while his eyes drift to the ceiling. Then, at Wooyoung. "Sorry if this isn't as fancy as the baked mac and cheese your mom made."

Wooyoung shakes his head, flustered under San's intense pair of eyes. They've always been like that, but now that they're in his room, alone, it's a little harder to ignore how they make him feel. "I'm good with pizza, always. Thanks."

The box is opened, the tantalizing scent of the meal invading Wooyoung's nostrils. He crosses his legs to get more comfortable, takes a slice, but then settles it back in the box.

"Why aren't you eating?" San asks, still peering up at him from where he lies.

It's a little hard to enjoy pizza when you look so freaking hot just lying there, and your stares have me in a chokehold. But of course, Wooyoung says none of this, and instead lets out,

"I have something I need to tell you. But you have to answer something first."

San's interest is piqued. "Hm?"

"How'd you get to know Yeosang and live with him?" Wooyoung asks, thinking of the guy's eye-catching pink hair and sleeve of tattoos.

San shrugs. "Months ago I got into problems with my sperm donor regarding my mom, and I swore to myself I wouldn't step foot in his house again. I basically had nowhere to live for some time, crashing at new places every other night. Sometimes Byeol helped me gain an extra night. Then, I guess one of the tenants knew Yeosang from college, because next thing I knew he contacted me and said he had a spare room available. I just had to earn my keep to stay."

Wooyoung can't hide his surprise; San was literally homeless at one point. He can't imagine what the taller had gone through during those nights, how uncertain his future seemed.

"God, that sucks."

San smiles. "Back then, it definitely did. But as long as I don't have to live with that man again, it's all good."

"I'm so sorry. I really am."

"S'all good," San reiterates, and then he leans in, pushing strands of Wooyoung's hair out of his face. "Now, what did you have to say?"

"Um," Wooyoung grabs a slice of the meat lovers pizza, holding it to San's face. "Have some?"

"Cutie." San grins, arms pulling him in till their legs entangle. He opens his mouth, readily letting Wooyoung feed him. He perks at the taste. "Delicious."

Wooyoung's relieved San's happy, and wishes it hopefully stays that way even as he reveals his secret. "I uh, I may have stalked you on instagram and saw that all your posts have disabled comments."

San stops chewing. Eventually, his silence is broken. "Oh...that account."

"If you're mad at me, I totally get it."

"I'm not," San sits up. "The account was one I'd had since freshman year, but I ended up deleting a ton of pictures and abandoning it in the end."

Wooyoung can't rid himself of his curiosity. "...Can I ask why?"

"Summer before sophomore year, I met this guy who seemed to be into me the moment we met, and I guess I eventually agreed to hook up with him. We never made it public since he didn't seem confident with his sexuality in the first place. Which was fine at first, 'cause I was never interested in romance. But then he started getting rough with me and downright abusive, and I broke it off before summer was over." San plays with the loose thread of his shirt. "Guess he couldn't take the rejection, because before I knew it, rumours about what I did in my spare time began spreading around the school. Had to give up the account because of the negative attention."

Wooyoung can't help but be brought to that time again. San hadn't been on his radar then, but suddenly everyone began to look at him different. Then, he tenses up as he realizes something. "Wait... who was the guy?"

San takes another bite of pizza. "Jaehyuk."

"Kim Jaehyuk?" Wooyoung almost yells, not believing his ears. "What the fuck. But -- but he's homophobic trash!"

"I know."

"He basically ruined your life," Wooyoung exclaims, fuming so hard on the inside. "You should expose him to everyone -- Make him pay."

"I won't ever out someone, even when they're nothing but pathetic scum like Jaehyuk is," San answers. His tone is so calm, the complete opposite of Wooyoung's. It's like he's come to terms with everything. "He knows what he's done, so he's all bark and no bite. He has no idea if I'll ever decide to expose his secret."

Wooyoung doesn't like how resigned San looks, however. He hates that this all happened to him because of the one guy who made his life hell too once upon a time. He's seething with rage, in fact.

"Hey, it's fine, sunshine," San assures him, wrapping him up in a comforting hug. "At least I got to know you in the end."

Wooyoung eases into it, feeling so, so bad for the taller. "...Me too."

* * *

a/n: thoughts?