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San's in the middle of a vlive when the hotel phone rings.
He lets it’s chime play shrill in the room for a few seconds before picking up, rolling his eyes playfully at atiny that someone would interrupt him.
He can immediately tell who it is by the breathing. Wooyoung.
It’s quiet soft over the phone line but meek, almost a sigh which is unlike Wooyoung and his confident nature. (San has spent so many years being in love with him that he knows it’s undeniably him.)
A subtle guilt flushes through him, that he even pretended to act annoyed at Wooyoung, as it always does but Wooyoung lives for the bite back of banter and San would comply with anything he wanted.
He cups the left side of his face with his palm and motions to pretend whisper to his phone.
"It's Wooyoung." San tells atiny.
He ignores the influx of new messages and attends to Wooyoung who's breathing has quickened ever so slightly, leaning closer to a nervous pant. He also ignores the urge to preen at being able to notice things like that for Wooyoung.
"Oh."
Wooyoung's voice is timorous with an affection of indifference, that San knows is hiding something.
"Are you doing a vlive?"
San hums in lieu of a response. He counts to five waiting for Wooyoung to respond before following up with encouragement. He tries to make himself sound as emboldening as possible.
“It’s ok we can talk Woo.”
The stream of comments starts flying by at rapid rate.
There’s rustling in the background of static "Uh... I left my um meds... in my backpack. It’s in your room" It’s strange to hear Wooyoung hesitating especially when he’s been so blunt about deflecting the subject away from his back anytime it comes up in conversation.
Atiny can't hear him so why is he worrying? To make sure Wooyoung knows he asks, "D'you wanna be on speaker?"
There's a dry chuckle from Wooyoung's end,“Is that possible on these phones?”
He tries to banter because there’s always a part of him that can’t function properly without Wooyoung being content.
“Do you need it now?”
Wooyoung’s response is automatic, it’s spit out with obstinance, San thinks is probably misplaced.
“I'll die.”
San knows better than to fall trap to Wooyoung’s dramatics. His response is just as quick, because he’s always felt an overbearing need to protect and reassure Wooyoung. Wooyoung doesn’t like being watched after constantly (but he does like being cared for which San finds a funny contradiction [he’d still bend over backwards to do everything for him]) So he makes his reply short and resolute.
“You won't die.”
There's a beat of silence that trails it. Trepidation seeps into San, he’s scared it holds the weight of something melancholy.
“I won't die.” Wooyoung finally responds. It feels like Wooyoung’s admitting something to him. He sound’s defeated, the unease doesn’t go away.
Another beat.
“But i feel like it.”
“What?”
San gnaws at his lip, puffs out a sound of confusion. There’s a inkling in the back of his head that knows what Wooyoung will say won’t be good. The trepidation from a few moments ago trickles back in with every second of Wooyoung’s pause.
“Death.” Wooyoung supplies. San bites harder on his lip, the dull pain thrumming in his veins along with hurt for Wooyoung’s distress.
A kaleidoscope of colours erupt on his phone screen, momentarily tearing his concentration away from Wooyoung, 10 million hearts it reads.
Right atiny are watching. He forces out a quiet laugh and grimaces internally at the way it comes out as more of a sad puff of air.
“Was it the plane trip?”
“I don't really know” Wooyoung sounds exhausted and defeated and it’s so unlike him San can’t help but worry. Having Wooyoung near him right now would most likely do him as much good as it would to Wooyoung.
“Okay.” He takes a moment to collect his thoughts and even with atiny watching through his phone screen he already knows what he wants to ask.
“Do you wanna come over here and get it?”
Do you want to be near me?
“I’ll…” hold you and make sure your ok. I’ll look after you.
“Yeah.” San has to stop himself from outright grinning at how relieved Wooyoung sounds (and he feels).
“Ok come over then I'll open the door.”
A hum then the line clicks off.
It’s only a few minutes before there’s the rap-tap-tap of a knock on his door. He excuses himself infront of atiny before making his way to it. Wooyoung is standing on the other side engulfed in his sweater (San’s sweater, Wooyoung is wearing San’s sweater) his lips are slightly pushed out and his hair is mussed indicative of him waking up recently.
“Hey.” Wooyoung says face turning up to meet his.
“Hey.” San parrots back, his head tilted to the side a dopey smile on his face. Wooyoung doesn’t seem bothered by it pulling San’s hands into his.
“I’m here.” Wooyoung sounds quieter than usual but not in a worrisome way more like what he does when he makes proclamations of his love to San in the middle of the night when he thinks San’s sleeping.
San is so full of love and adoration he has to force himself to not wrap Wooyoung in his arms in this moment and for every one after. He’s pretty sure you can still see the hallway from the camera and he’s supposed to be on vlive right now.
“You are.” he flashes one last smile before turning around to grab Wooyoung’s bag but Wooyoung tugs on his arm with insistence.
“I wanna join.”
It’s petulant and pouty when he looks back up at San but San has already been willing to let him and lets Wooyoung drag him back into the room and the vlive.
~
Wooyoung seems a lot happier during the vlive actively answering questions from atiny and annoying San in the best way he knows how.
Immediately after Wooyoung turns off the vlive he launches himself into San, arms wrapping around his torso and head resting on his chest. San’s on his back now arms encircling Wooyoung’s waist.
“Feeling better Young-ah?” he probes.
“Your cuddles are like medicine Sannie.”
He lets himself outwardly preen this time running his arms along Wooyoung’s back.
“Does it stop your back pain though?,” he chides. “You still need to take you medicine and I can set up a hot water bottle for you. D’you wanna sleep in my room tonight? I’m sure Mingi wouldn’t min-“
Wooyoung interrupts him with a wet kiss to his cheek.
“Did I tell you that I love you Sannie?”
He lets the dopey smile spread back onto his face. Nods.
“Every day Woo.”
“No dummy you’re supposed to say it back.”
Wooyoung slaps his chest for effect, his voice whiny.
“I love you too Wooyoung.” he replies back with ease.
It is. It’s so easy to love Wooyoung, for three years of Ateez to fly by with him. To live ever day knowing that someone like Wooyoung loves him and that he wholeheartedly loves him back. Wooyoung’s still pouting up at him despite his answer. San pokes his cheek.
“What’s up babe?”
Wooyoung cheeks turn ruddy as they always do when San calls him babe (only that no other pet name gets him to flush rose.)
“I missed you.” Wooyoung pushes his lips out further on the you trying to make a case for himself. San dips down and pecks at them, kisses his lip mole and the one under his eye before replying.
“I was one seat away from you on the plane,” he counters.
Wooyoung drops his head back down onto San.
“I still missed you,” spoken in pout into the material of his shirt.
San’s sure the smile hasn’t left his face since Wooyoung got here. He pokes Wooyoung’s side again
“And you still need to take you medicine.”
Wooyoung huffs all petulance and makes sure to remove himself off of San as slow as possible. He gripes and complains while rustling around in his bag to find the bottle of pills prescribed to him.
He’s still sulking when sitting on the bed across from San and purposely overemphasising his movements while taking his tablets. Counting two of them out loud, pretending to struggle with the bottle cap and shoving into San’s hands to open.
San can only raise his eyebrow and go along with Wooyoung’s sulky spell. Wooyoung even sticks his tongue out after swallowing the tablets. San sighs in somewhat defeat and opens his arms for Wooyoung to crawl back into.
Instead Wooyoung places the bottle of pills down on the bedside table with an exaggerated smack and stares right into San’s eyes, scrutinising him as if his cuddles were a trap.
San just waits before Wooyoung folds and makes his way back into San’s embrace but not before one last sulky harrumph.
Undeterred from his mood while being back in San’s arms, Wooyoung shuffles around constantly for a good three minutes before going back to his exact same starting position.
They stay snuggled like that for a while comfortable in the serenity around them. San almost drifts to sleep but then Wooyoung digs his elbow into the side of San’s stomach and perches his head into his hands.
He’s looking at San pointedly, “Mingi would mind.”
San smiles despite the sharp pain Wooyoung’s elbow is still inflicting into his side, bundling Wooyoung up in his arms till their faces are squished together. He places a kiss on his forehead letting out a slight giggle despite trying to sound serious in his answer.
“Yeah but I’d kick him out anyways.”