Wooyoung had started noticing it 6 months ago; the way San was acting. The way he would surreptitiously make nicer than normal gestures like pausing to rub Wooyoung's temples while brushing stray hair out of his face, or bringing him a biscotti when he went for his 5 am coffee run because he knew they were Wooyoung's favorite, or covering him over with a blanket and taking off his glasses when he fell asleep reading. All these things he did with nothing more than a nod when Wooyoung would thank him, and a half smile when he left the room, as if he wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary.
Not that it was out of the ordinary. All the members were affectionate towards each other; sharing food, clothes, beds, keeping an arm around whoever was nervous at the airports, the list went on. There was never any shortage of affection, but there was also no shortage of acknowledgement of the affection. They all cared a great deal about each other, and vocalized that whenever possible.
Which is where Wooyoung became confused with how San was acting. He'd make sweeter than sweet gestures, make Wooyoung's heart flutter, but when Wooyoung would ask him about why he was being so sweet his mood would flip and he'd snap and say: "I'm not being sweet, stop being weird" and Wooyoung would drop it because the look in San's eyes would tell him that the conversation was over.
It stayed that way for a month.
Then they had been at a party for Wooyoung's nineteenth birthday. San had gotten drunk half an hour in, after downing so many shots of soju that Wooyoung lost count. Everyone else had been lost in a round of karaoke, with Yeosang slurring and swaying his way through some heart wrenching ballad that made Wooyoung's ears hurt, so he'd sought solitude in the garden.
The night air was cool on his skin, and he loved the way the stars were a little blurry to his tipsy eyes. He'd been mentally tracing lines between the stars like a dot to dot when he'd felt long slim fingers on long slim arms snake their way around his waist.
"And why is the birthday boy out here all alone?" came San's familiar deep tone against Wooyoung's neck, his alcohol soaked breath warm against Wooyoung's ear.
"I just needed a break from Yeosang's singing."
San scoffed and released him, wandering over to lean his elbows on the balcony rail. "If you can call it that. Are you enjoying your birthday?"
Wooyoung nodded his head and turned to meet San's eyes. "I am," he said with a smile. "Thank you, today's been perfect."
Stiffening, San walked over to Wooyoung and wrapped his arms around his waist again. "Happy birthday, you know I love you right?"
"Sure Sannie, you know I love you too." Wooyoung replied with a giggle.
Again he felt San stiffen slightly.
Wooyoung cocked his head and looked at him quizzically.
"I love you Wooyoung. A lot. I love you...not how I love the other members." San kept his voice low against Wooyoung's neck, even though the sound of everyone else singing and laughing could be heard through the screen doors that separated them.
Suddenly it clicked, even in Wooyoung's somewhat inebriated brain, what San was talking about.
"You...you love me?"
San began to lean his head in toward Wooyoung, who stood frozen out of fear? Anticipation? Excitement? Closer and closer together, barely millimetres apart, until Yunho had burst through the doors behind them singing what could only be described as a trot version of Happy Birthday.
"Yeosang dropped the caaaaaake" Yeosang yelled, referring to himself in the third person for some reason, as he presented a slightly squashed cake covered in fruit. Wooyoung laughed and blew out his candles as Yunho finished the song with a flourish.
