"this is my stop, cherry! i'll see you at cheer tomorrow, right?" san asks soojin, who is walking by his side, though he knows more than well that the girl would only ever miss practice if she was on her deathbed. the two have just finished cheer practice, a few minutes earlier than usual — the reason they're strolling around the corridors during lesson hours.
"of course. but aren't you coming to the cafeteria for lunch? you have to be eating enough, san-ah," soojin insists, concerned, even if she always denies it.
"ah, don't worry, i am! it's just that i'm having lunch with wooyoung today, so..."
soojin's worries vanish almost immediately, her expression painted with relief. "oh, got it. have fun with your boy, then. i'll see you tomorrow~"
"bye bye, cherry!" san says, receiving a short wave from soojin before she disappears around the corner.
san leans his back onto the wall of the classroom that wooyoung is in, grabbing his phone from his pocket. the time reads 12:28, just two minutes until lessons are over. therefore, san simply hums a quiet tune to himself as he waits, hoping wooyoung would appear soon.
the two minutes shortly past, lunchtime being announced with the deafening school bell ringing into the atmosphere. before san can even step closer to the classroom, though, the door is barged open by a hurdle of students, who race to the cafeteria like their lives depend on it.
once the amount of teens surrounding the doorway lessens, san moves forward in an attempt to peer through the door; however, the hand purposely shoving his shoulder ruins his plans.
san stumbles backwards a few steps, yelping in shock. he manages to steady himself just in time from falling to the ground, which surely would've been humiliating, before looking up to see who caused this.
of fucking course.
"mark lee!" a sharp voice, anger stabbed within it, cuts through the thick air, and said-boy's face drops at the figure approaching him.
"i-i- i didn't- it was an accident!" mark lies, eyes wide in fear. "promise it was. i-i—"
and the next thing san knew, mark has scattered, frantically hurrying for the closest exit.
wooyoung's icy glare follows the raven-haired boy right until the door slams shut behind him, his firm eyes softening in care when turning to san. "where did he hurt you, darling?"
"oh... uhm, here. it didn't hurt, though," san says, moving his hand to his right shoulder, and wooyoung's eyes lose their light. "i'm fine, youngie, really."
"but he still touched you," wooyoung argues.
"i said i'm fi—"
"i heard exactly what you said, san," wooyoung snaps, though when the latter tenses up, gaze moving to his feet, he instantly lowers the tone of his voice, "whether you got hurt or not, no one should be putting their fucking hands on you. and on my watch, i'm not going to let them. not ever, okay?"
"okay... i-i'm sorry..." san whispers, yet to have mustered up the courage to meet the younger's eyes again.
wooyoung brings a hand up to san's head, stroking his fingers through the fluffy hair. "no, please don't be, sannie. if anything, i should be the one apologising... i didn't mean to take my anger out on you, i promise i'll be more careful next time."
san hums, leaning into the touch that he craves for, glad that things between them have been cleared up — he couldn't help but think that he was the one wooyoung was mad at. a hand finds its way to the side of his boyfriend's face, as san leans forward to place a kiss, feather-like, underneath one of his eyes.
"thank you for standing up for me back then, youngie," san says, brushing his thumb against wooyoung's skin. it feels so warm underneath his fingertips, and though he'll never admit it, he hopes the touch sends tingles through the boy, just like it does vice versa.
"of course, darling. i'd never just stand there and watch anyone treat you that way, especially when you're the last person on this planet who deserves it."
san giggles, before reaching out for wooyoung's shoulders to usher him closer. his eyes linger on the dark-haired's lips, before he timidly looks away, wooyoung's intense stare on him easily shattering his confidence. but, taking san by surprise, his chin is guided back to its original position, a hand then being placed onto the side of his neck. sucking in a breath when wooyoung inches closer, san's cheeks burn at the smirk plastered on his face.
so beautiful...
before san can utter those words, however, wooyoung's mouth is being pressed onto his own. almost as if their lips were made for the purpose of kissing each other's, they move together in flawless synchronisation, just as always; yet, something is different this time.
san realises it when wooyoung's hold on his waist becomes harsh — so harsh that the latter's nails are practically digging into his skin, and he wonders why he doesn't exactly mind the feeling. abruptly, their kiss is cut off, only for it to be deepened, wooyoung swiping his tongue across san's lower lip before slipping it inside of his mouth.
all sorts of unexplainable feelings rush through san, so much for him to comprehend all at once that he's too late to conceal the moan that slips from his lips.
wooyoung gasps, surprised, whereas san pulls away hurriedly, covering his beetroot-coloured face with his hands and letting it fall onto the younger's chest. frowning, wooyoung rubs his fingers along san's back. "hey, what's wrong? darling? did i... go too far?"
"no, no!" san shakes his head adamantly. "it's just- this is embarrassing..."
"you're embarassed? really, sannie?" wooyoung questions, disbelievingly. "when you sounded so pretty like that?"
"wait- what? p-pretty? did you say...?" san finally lifts his head up, eyes wide.
wooyoung cocks his head to the side in endearment. "yes, that is what i said, baby boy. you sounded so goddamn pretty, you know? so pretty, and all for me~ isn't that right, sannie?"
"i-i- yeah..." is all san can manage to get out, too flustered to even form a proper sentence. all the praises and compliments he's receiving from wooyoung sends his brain into a spiral, causing him to barely be able to think coherently. don't get him wrong, he loves it, much more than he has ever realised; however, san doesn't think wooyoung knows what exactly his words are doing to him.
"what are you saying yeah to, hm, darling?" wooyoung replies, smirking teasingly.
maybe he does know what he's doing, after all.
san bites his lip, rosy pink dusting his cheeks as he mumbles, "i am a-all yours. i-i only sound like that for you, youngie..."
"mm, good boy." wooyoung ruffles san's hair, before pressing a soft kiss onto his lips — which are slightly bruised due to earlier, causing the boy to smile proudly — before reaching out for one of the older's hands. "let's go. we're having lunch together, remember?"
simply nodding his head, san follows after wooyoung, despite being confused as to where the sudden change in mood came from. how the latter is acting like what just happened didn't happen, san doesn't know, because the only thing he's possible of doing as they walk up the stairs is pathetically replay the past few minutes, over and over again.
and san's mind is in so much of a daze, that he doesn't even notice that wooyoung has stopped in his tracks until the boy is shaking his shoulder gently. "sannie-ah?"
san's eyebrows furrow in confusion. "are we not having lunch together?"
"no, we are! it's just..." mischief flickers within wooyoung's eyes, as he asks, "what do you say we skip the next two periods?"
san laughs a bit. "oh, please yes! i have double maths next, how could i say no to that?"
"okay, great. come on!" wooyoung rushes out, before pulling san with him down the stairs and to, what seems to be his second home at this point, the gym hall. he peers in through the small pane of glass on the door, sighing disappointingly at the several students practising in there. however, he refuses to let that stop them.
"we need to stay quiet, darling, got it?"
san hums in response, wooyoung then pushing open the door, carefully, to not make any sound. as soon as the entrance is wide enough for him to be able to fit, he shimmies inside of the gym hall through the small gap. san easily mirrors his actions, for he's much smaller than wooyoung, and his eyes widen at the number of the school's soccer team practising penalties.
a heads up from wooyoung would've been nice, but still, san follows through with his lover's plan, and with their hands intertwined, they tiptoe forwards to where the exit is awaiting them.
exhaling a sigh of relief, san grins when wooyoung pulls out the keys — being such an important player on the soccer team gives him privileges — and inserts it into the keyhole. after a twist, the door clicks, causing the pair to glance at each other excitedly, before successfully sneaking out of the place.
gradually, wooyoung closes the door behind him, and though it shuts much louder than he wanted, he turns to san with a wide smile. "we did it!"
"somehow, yeah." san chuckles, prompting wooyoung closer by throwing an arm around his shoulder. the two then begin walking, despite the lack of destination in mind. "i'm pretty concerned for those lot, though. does it run in the genes for sporty people to be that fucking blind?"
wooyoung scoffs. "excuse me?"
"fine, sporty people but minus jung wooyoung," san corrects himself. "is that better?"
"much better, darling. makes me feel special~"
"you've always been special, youngie..." san ignores the warmth rising up to his cheeks. "at least to me."
"how do i know you're not lying?" wooyoung says, only earning a fist to his shoulder in return. "okay, okay, sorry! ...but i'm being serious, sannie! i don't know about you, but i think a verdict to your statement would be convincing enough."
"fucking attention seeker," san mutters, shaking his head in disbelief, yet wooyoung just focuses on the smile tugging at the corners of the blond's lips. "i don't know, i think you're special because you're... well, you. and i think all those years i spent wishing i could just be in your arms... they were worth it if it means having you here with me, us being together now. so, so worth it. and i don't think we would even be a thing after everything that has happened if it wasn't worth it.
"and i think- in fact, i'm sure that it's possible — me having you for the rest of my life. if-if we try hard enough, though maybe we don't have to try at all, we can spend the rest of our lives together... i'm sure of it. remember what you said a few weeks ago? about me being your forever? your eternity, even?" san brings up, a chuckle in his voice.
"i think that you were right. at the time — it's not like i completely disliked that idea, or anything — i just thought you said it as, like, a spur of the moment kind of thing... that's totally changed, though. if anyone is my eternity, it definitely is you. i can't see it being anyone else, it just wouldn't make any sense, you know? anyway, is that enough of a verdict?" san whined. "because i'm losing my fucking breath speaking this much!"
the only thing replying to san is the countless number of cars driving past, but the rumbling engine of the vehicles isn't the answer he's looking for. "youngie?"
"sorry, darling, i just... needed a second." wooyoung grabs onto san's hand still wrapped around his shoulder, which causes their walk to come to a halt. guiding the older by his hips so that he's opposite him, wooyoung cups his cheek. "but enough about you, because you know what i think?"
"w-what?" san questions quietly, stupid enough to let his mind come up with a whole bunch of worse-case scenarios.
"i think i'm in love with you, choi san."
san splutters on his saliva, wooyoung having to pat his back a few times to help him recover.
what the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck— no. he did not just say that.
"did you just—"
"yes. yes, i did just say that," wooyoung confirms, almost as if he can read san's thoughts. "want me to pinch you to check if you're dreaming?"
"i-i- oh my god..." san whispers, and though this totally does feels like a dream, he's certain that it isn't. because he's dreamed of this scene one too many times, and it always goes the exact same way: wooyoung hovering over him as the sunset dips behind them, whispering those enchanting words to him. so surely his imagination hasn't gone off the rails for the nth time, surely.
"wooyoung-ah..." san calls out, and despite his throat becoming dry, he continues, "i-i don't care what you think, because..." a laugh escapes his lips, as a lone tear cascades down his cheek. "b-because i think i'm in love with you, too."
wooyoung blinks in shock, watching as tears proceed to fall from san's eyes, a few even trickling down his hand. leaning in, he captures his boyfriend's quivering mouth on his own, muffling his overwhelmed sobs. wooyoung's lips, wooyoung's touch, wooyoung's warmth, wooyoung's love, it all relaxes san, and as he melts into the kiss, his cries slowly coming to a stop.
noticing this, wooyoung detaches their mouths, causing san to attempt to chase his lips for another. "darling, please give me a second," wooyoung says softly, before brushing his thumbs against san's tear-stained face.
"oh, o-okay..." san stands still, allowing wooyoung to dry his wet cheeks.
"there we go," wooyoung announces, offering him a warm grin. "you're okay now, sannie."
meekly returning the smile, san leans into wooyoung's chest, evidently desperate for more of the younger's affection. "sorry f-for crying, i just- it was too much to take in all at once and i... yeah, i'm sorry."
wooyoung wraps his arms around san's waist. "it's okay, you don't need to be."
"can we—" at his hoarse voice, san clears his throat. "can we go to yours? if that's okay?"
"of course, darling." wooyoung brings san back to his side, before turning the opposite way and walking in the direction of his home. "kyungmin-ah misses you, by the way. he's always asking me when's the next time you're coming over, so he'll be excited to see you."
san giggles. "he's adorable... and of course he misses me, i'm his favourite brother-in-law, after all!"
"his only brother-in-law."
"still his favourite, though!" san argues, crossing his arms across his chest as if that makes his point sound any smarter.
"sannie, that makes, like, zero sense." wooyoung glances at the latter disbelievingly. "does it run in the genes for cheer people to be this fucking dumb?"
"plagiarism in all its glory~" san jokes, feeling accomplished when wooyoung's graceful laugh meets his ears. "and anyway, jokes on you, because i'm not the one dating a dumb cheer person, am i?"
wooyoung smiles, bliss bubbling up within him. "and what's so wrong with that? i might just be the luckiest boy in the world for having you by my side, my pretty cheerleader."
— the end —
a/n: ...and cheerleader is over? yeah uhm 🤠
im sad ??? like actually and idk it's weird i didn't feel like this for sunset so-
but thank u for sticking by over the past two months, i appreciate u all so so so much. i won't lie, i expected cheerleader to flop when i posted the first chapter so seeing that i've somehow managed to get almost 5k reads in such a short amount of time is like,, what?
even if i have doubts ab the quality of my writing quite a lot (and impulsively want to delete my entire acc), the constant love and support u guys give to me genuinely makes me feel so much better ab myself. and the more i think ab it, the more confused i get bc what tf did i ever do to deserve any of u??? like u guys are seriously some of the sweetest souls on this planet, the amount of happiness i receive from u brightens up my entire life.
so i want to thank u all from the deepest depths of my heart. thank u thank thank u a million fucking times, for commenting, voting, and for always reassuring me and supporting me like u do. and even if u're a silent reader, i still am so grateful that u spend ur time reading my stuff, this is smth i've never imagined could ever happen to me.
also if u're like louiskissedhisfool and have hit rock bottom bc of this ending, cheer tf up bc i couldn't not write an epilogue 😩‼️ so yeah i'll probably publish it in smth like a week so stay tuned?
i'm talking too much probably so i'll shut up now but before i leave u all forever (/j), i just want u to know that i love u and san loves u and wooyoung loves u and all of ateez love u so much<333 forehead kisses for u all muah muah
thank u for enjoying cheerleader (if u did 😕😕💔😕💔💔💔) - ur secret admirer, za ;)) <8