"So..." Wooyoung trailed off after some time of silence and recomposing himself. By now the quiet was too quiet, so he thought he'd at least try to keep to his word with San and be more open minded, in which he'd try to get to know the tall vampire sitting near him. "Have you and your boyfriend known each other for a long time?"
It was the only question Wooyoung could think of that didn't entirely pertain to vampire stuff or anything relating to the gang stuff the taller was involved in. Something more innocent per se.
Mingi was snapped out of his thoughts, somehow appearing tense and relaxed at the same time. He didn't show any form of getting defensive, just taken aback.
"Umm, I guess we have? We've been together about eight years." Mingi answered, slightly smiling to himself as he thought about it. His genuine eyes laid on Wooyoung, "why?"
"Just trying to start conversation." Wooyoung replied with a sigh, drumming his fingers against his cheek. "Trying to not talk about myself cause I've done too much of that recently."
"Yeah...I guess it wouldn't cause any harm to tell you about myself." Mingi muttered, his head slightly nodding, and it seemed almost like he was speaking to himself. "Well, is there anything else you want to ask?"
Wooyoung shrugged his shoulders, bluntly stating, "there's a lot of things I want to ask, but I don't want to know the answers right now."
That kind of took Mingi aback once more. "Oh."
A sound between a sigh and a chuckle emitted from Wooyoung. "I don't know if the things I want to ask are appropriate. That's also why."
Mingi nodded his head, finding that answer more acceptable. "Well, you can still ask, and if I don't want to answer then I won't."
Wooyoung turned his head, looking into Mingi's eyes, trying to find if there was hidden intentions somewhere within. But the taller seemed so genuine Wooyoung didn't know what to do with it.
"You don't come off as someone who'd be involved in all this underground stuff." Wooyoung found himself saying, swallowing hard when he heard his own words, not meaning to say them aloud.
Mingi laughed, eyes forming smaller smiles. "Yeah, well I wasn't involved in it before I met Yunho. Even when we were first together he tried his best to keep me out of it. He didn't want to leave though, because this world is his life, so us not wanting to be apart kind of caused the inevitable. I'm definitely the newest to this lifestyle, I guess you could call it, out of the others."
Wooyoung hummed, head nodding unconsciously. "How long?"
"It's been about six years since Hongjoong officially allowed me in the group and live here." Mingi recalled, speaking honestly.
"So were you human then, when he let you in?" Wooyoung's shock was clear in his voice, brows furrowed as he tried to find the logic behind that. "In a group of vampires."
"Yeah, everyone was really careful though, like how we all are going to be with you around." Mingi shrugged his shoulders as he answered, a lightbulb going off behind his eyes. "Actually, you are allowed to be here way sooner than I was, and I knew Yunho for two years at that point."
Wooyoung scoffed lightly. "Definitely seems that way."
"Going back though, I didn't do anything out of the base. Hongjoong mainly let me organize documents, polish weapons, keep watch of computers and radios, stuff like that. It was a bit tedious, but I was told it was actually a lot of help, mainly cause it let Seonghwa get out of here and on the field with the others." Mingi explained, resting his arm on the counter in a similar manner as Wooyoung.
Wooyoung's leg started bouncing, for some reason starting to feel anxious despite there being no change in the environment or atmosphere.
"So you've dated him for eight years, joined the gang at six, so what, at four years he turned you?" Wooyoung tried to let his words sound playful with a sarcastic edge, watching for the vampires reaction. Mingi's eyes only widened, a tint of red forming on his face. "No way? I called it?"
"I didn't realize the pattern." Mingi laughed, sounding a bit embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "You aren't wrong though. And I guess that means you probably know my real age too."
The smaller nodded his head, piecing everything together at that moment. "Yeah, I don't have anyone to tell though, don't worry about that. You don't act like you've only been a vampire for four years. I've heard stories of turned vampires being ravenous, taking out entire towns."
"I think hunters say that to scare people." Mingi admitted with a bit of hesitancy, trying to laugh it off. "I've never met anyone like that, and I've met some young, turned vampires. I actually got my blood thirst under control within the first year, and that's being really lenient. Yunho says I actually had it under control in half the time from how I acted. But I mean, everyone's situations are different, maybe I adapted really fast cause I was around vampires for a while at that point. And don't get me wrong, I'm sure that's happened at some point, but...I don't think in modern times."
Wooyoung bit his tongue. It hasn't even been that long and yet he feels like so many things he's learned about vampires from high ranked hunters and that damn program he was forced in has been debunked. And he believed the vampires, way more than the hunters at least. The hunters seemed so untrustworthy, even as a fellow hunter, but these vampires, sure the start was rough, but they're proving to be some of the most caring people Wooyoung could say he's ever met. Not that he'd admit that aloud.
"Got it." Wooyoung forced himself to say in order to give some form of acknowledgment, only to get sucked back into his thoughts.
"They really set hunters up to be killing machines, don't they?" Mingi said the question not even after a few moments of silence, somehow being able to read through Wooyoung's face and body language.
Do all vampires have this ability or something? Why can everyone read me like an open book? It's frustrating. And honestly unsettling.
"By telling us false information to make vampires out to be worse than they are? I guess so." Wooyoung muttered, knowing that's what the taller was getting at. "Glad I left that shit when I did."
"Yeah...I am too." Mingi muttered, a small smile on his lips.
Wooyoung furrowed his brows. "Why?"
"Cause I wouldn't want San involved with a hunter that actually kills vampires. That probably wouldn't work out so great." Mingi tried to laugh through the tense atmosphere growing. "No offense."
"None taken." Wooyoung replied with the shake of his head. "We're talking about me again."
"Oh...yeah we are aren't we?" Mingi laughed genuinely this time. "Sorry."
"Can I ask then, was it painful when he turned you?" Wooyoung changed the topic without any acknowledgment to the previous comment, not knowing if he'll get an answer. But he figured, there really was no avoiding talking about this kind of stuff, and Wooyoung would likely learn something new anyways.
"It's not the clearest memory." Mingi sighed, biting his lip. "I don't think it was, because I don't remember any pain. But...I mean I guess I remember the initial feeling of Yunho biting into my skin to start the process. That did hurt but not for a long time, and it wasn't extreme either. Then again...I was used to him taking my blood already, so it wasn't a new feeling. Waking up as a vampire was a really strange sensation though, cause everything that was once familiar felt so new and foreign all of a sudden. But it was bearable cause of Yunho and the others being there to help me."
Wooyoung didn't know what to say. He didn't know what answer he was expecting quite honestly. That wasn't exactly it.
In that moment for some reason something prompted Wooyoung to look from Mingi's eyes to the hand he was leaning against. And low and behold, due to the fact the vampire was wearing a short sleeve shirt, a bite scar was clear as day on his inner wrist. Mingi watched Wooyoung's eyes, knowing where they landed.
"That's not the mark I got from him turning me. That one's really old actually and just never healed properly." Mingi explained with a light voice, turning around in his chair and pulling down the top of his shirt. And there on the back of his neck was a much darker looking scar in the same shape as the one on his wrist. "That's the one from Yunho turning me. I don't exactly remember his reasoning for wanting to do it there, but it was fine by me."
Wooyoung didn't know what feeling passed through his system looking at those marks, but it was something foreign and made him more anxious than he already felt. He bit his tongue, tearing his gaze away as soon as Mingi started turning back around.
"I feel like you might ask, but I didn't turn solely cause of my bond with Yunho. I'm not sure if you know or not, but you should know that love isn't a given with a bond, it doesn't ever have to truly be there, though it does in some way implant that in you. But I did grow to genuinely love Yunho, and I wanted to be like him, and be with him for as long as possible. That's why I wanted to turn, because I was and still am in love with him. Same reason for joining the gang."
Wooyoung felt himself let out a heavy breath of air, furrowing his brows.
"So you just gave yourself up for him? Cause of love?" Wooyoung didn't entirely mean to sound snippy, but he just didn't get it. "And that bond? It doesn't seem like he—"
"He gave up just as many things as I did." Mingi was quick to defend himself and Yunho, but kept his composure very well. "I mean it when I said I genuinely was in love with him. Cause let me tell you, we've actually known each other for ten years, those first two years of knowing him, I tried everything in my power to stay away from him. I wasn't exactly fond of the idea of being with a vampire, even dating anyone at that time. Hell I was hardly even an adult and was still trying to understand the world. And honestly, the more and more I saw Yunho at the same places I was at, I thought he was some kind of stalker or serial killer that wanted to make me his next target. Then there was one day that I gave him a chance, and he explained things to me, about the bond, and apologized for being creepy. I hardly liked him then, never thought of love, but I thought of him as a friend. He would hang out with me at the campus of the college I went to, brought me to new places, introduced me to the others as friends, and eventually feelings grew from both of us and we took it a step forward. I feel like you are against the idea of love for whatever reason, and I can respect that, but don't try to make assumptions about a situation you know nothing about."
Wooyoung's eyes were down casted by the time Mingi finished speaking. He felt bad, a part of him did at least. He apologized under his breath, to which Mingi accepted it in the same manner.
"Are you feeling okay though? You're looking a bit red." Mingi let the worry fill his voice, but didn't try to move in any kind of way.
"I guess I'm a bit hot, it's fine." Wooyoung admitted, shaking his head though. But of course because someone said something, he paid a whole lot more attention to it. And the heat was bothersome, but nothing like the fever he just got over.
Goddamn it, please don't let me get sick again. I can't get sick again.
"Oh...wait I know what's happening." It sounded like Mingi facepalmed through the tone of his voice.
"What?" Wooyoung looked up, debating taking the hoodie off because of the way his body temperature rose out of nowhere.
"Well...umm...well I wasn't sure if it would happen to you since you are a hunter, but I guess it is." Mingi started, trailing off as he bit his lip, seemingly thinking of a way to say his next words. "Well a vampires bond can cause some weird thing in uh...well non-vampires. It's kind of things that are meant to keep them close to the vampire, and the effects are surprisingly the strongest when the bond is first formed. Hongjoong explained it to me as instinctual, biological sort of things that will keep the bond alive, and therefore the two connected in a better situation. But anyway some of the things can happen from being away from the vampire for too long, which can be higher anxiety or in your case, a raise in body temperature. Which can be a handful, but its serves its purpose, its gets whoever's affected to want to seek out the vampire, since they're cold enough to cool them off."
"So in theory, it doesn't have to be blondie, it could be any vampire." Wooyoung had his snippy tone again, refusing to look up as he spoke. "And I'm assuming there's tons of other things I'm going to have to deal with as well and he gets to get off—"
"Technically yes, but that should be a last case scenario." Mingi cut off, explaining in the same tone he's been using the entire time, only a bit more stern. "And San doesn't get to go unaffected, cause there's sure as hell plenty of things that are going through him cause of the bond that are going through you. All that possessiveness, to the point of becoming aggressive, is a big one. You have no idea how brutal Yunho was to other vampires I stepped foot near, including the others. He was more lenient on humans since that was my world, but it still bothered him greatly. As I'm sure it'll bother San, and that's just one example." Mingi let out a sigh as he paused. "Others could help when this happens yes, but you won't feel completely better until you go to him. Mixing that with other things, it would just be better for you to follow instincts."
Wooyoung hated that last part, follow instincts. Well his instincts were messed up anyways! Hell he's supposed to hate vampires, but here he is supposed to be extremely close to one. He didn't know what to listen to, because part of him was against this greatly, while a part of him simply wanted to give in. But he wouldn't let himself give in. Until the heat started becoming unbearable again.
"Fuck it then." Wooyoung growled under his breath.
Somehow Wooyoung stood up and made it to the door before Mingi even reacted to what was happening. The taller began speaking, but Wooyoung didn't pay attention to it, opening the door and stepping out of the kitchen. Immediately two pairs of eyes were on him, but for once he didn't feel intimidated by the vampires who stood at the opposite corner around the table filled with maps and papers.
He put his hands in the hoodie pocket, walking with confident yet hesitant steps towards the center of the room. Wooyoung heard Mingi following out behind him, but again, didn't pay attention to him.
"Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" Wooyoung spoke out, holding eye contact with San. He stopped pretty far away from the table to show he didn't intend to see anything that was over there.
"Umm..." San trailed off, looking from whatever was on the table, to Yunho, to Wooyoung. "Yeah, sure, what's up?"
"Alone." Wooyoung added, glancing at Yunho with ever so slightly narrowed eyes. His jaw felt tense, as with the rest of his body, but he tried his best to ignore that as well.
San took in and let out a heavy breath. Again his gaze bounced around from the table, to Yunho, and to Wooyoung. He took a step away from the table, then another. He was walking backwards as he spoke to Yunho.
"You can handle the rest of it right? I've already laid out the main components." San sounded very cheeky as he spoke. Even not knowing him for long at all, Wooyoung knew that San's eyes were forming smiles simply by the tone in his voice.
Yunho sighed defeatedly, running a hand down the side of his face as he looked over everything laid out before him. "Yeah I should be fine. Hey Mingi, wanna help?"
"I'm on it." Mingi gleamed as he walked past Wooyoung to his boyfriends side, sliding in right by him as if they were two pieces to the same puzzle.
San turned around, smiling as he faced Wooyoung. Though it dropped a bit from seeing the unusual expression on the smallers face.
"My room then?" San pointed towards the stairs with a single finger, keeping his voice light and tone carefree.
"Yeah. Lead the way." Wooyoung nodded, he didn't intend for his voice to sound distasteful, it's just how the words came out.
The walk up the stairs and through the hallways was silent, both the hunter and vampire being left alone to their thoughts that orientated around one another. San opened the door to his room, holding it open for Wooyoung to walk through first. Both inside, the door was shut with a near silent thud.
Wooyoung took steps to about the center of the room, closing his eyes for a few moments to have another internal war. San watched worriedly, noticing now how red his face, ears, and neck look. He took a few steps towards the center of the room as well, keeping a decent amount of space between himself and the smaller.
Suddenly Wooyoung turned on his heels, opening his eyes at the same time. He looked over San, observing him in the same calm manner he himself was being observed in.
"Show me your eyes." Wooyoung's quiet voice cut through the silence.
Without hesitation San's eyes flashed a bright red. Satisfied, Wooyoung chose a side to be on in his internal war.
Lowering his head, Wooyoung took a few steps forward, finding San's feet to be inches from his own. His heart pounded to the point he heard it in his ears, which was probably not the best case scenario right now, but Wooyoung couldn't think about that. Releasing a heavy breath, Wooyoung opened his arms and quickly stepped that extra couple steps forward, wrapping his arms around the vampires waist. Gently, his forehead rested against San's shoulder, hiding his face efficiently.
San didn't know what to do, his eyes widened in shock, and his body stiffened unknowingly. The warmth pressed against his body, clinging to him at that, wasn't something he was used to by any means.
"Wooyoung? What're you doing?" San said slowly, the uncertainty clear in his voice.
The mentioned didn't know how to respond, pressing his forehead just slightly more into San's shoulder.
"I...was hot and just...." That was all Wooyoung could get out in a mumble before not completing his thought.
A realization dawned on San. "Oh, is it cause of the bo—"
"Yes, now just shut up and hold me." Wooyoung snapped, though his voice was still muffled.
Without any words being said, San did as Wooyoung wanted, wrapping his arms around the smaller protectively. One hand rested in the middle of Wooyoung's back as a respectable place, the other up higher, fingertips slipping onto his shoulder. There was also the slightest movement Wooyoung picked up on, now feeling San's head gently resting against the top of his own.
Silence encased them once more, this time more comfortable than any time before. They stood almost completely still in the middle of the room, their shoulders rising and falling in unison. Wooyoung felt both the heat and anxiety leave his body in that time, releasing a heavy breath that took that final weight off his shoulders.
I feel so safe here damnit.
San chuckled, Wooyoung feeling the vibrations in the tallers chest as his ears picked up the noise.
"What was that?" San asked playfully, loosening his arms to pull away just enough to get Wooyoung to lift up his head.
"What?" Wooyoung's face turned beat red once more, his voice a mere squeak.
Again, San chuckled. "Oh, did you not mean to say that out loud?"
Wooyoung tried to back out of San's hold completely, but the vampire held him close.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Wooyoung still tried to struggle, glaring up into San's eyes. "Let go."
With a cheeky smile, San completely removed his arms from around Wooyoung, who was still trying to pull away. The smaller ended up stumbling backwards, but didn't fall. He stood on defense before recomposing himself with a huff.
"Your denial doesn't mean I didn't hear what you said." San said in a singsong manner, backing up when he saw Wooyoung clench his jaw and ball his hands into fists. "But...I can pretend I didn't hear it."
Wooyoung closed his eyes, raising a hand so his fingers could press onto his temples. A loud sigh came from his nose before he opened his eyes again, lowering his hand. He didn't look back to the vampire though.
"Why the fuck does stuff like this have to be so complicated?" Wooyoung laughed, but it sounded so broken.
When San got the chance to look into Wooyoung's eyes again, he did not expect them to be brimmed with tears.
Realizing what was happening, Wooyoung laughed again, quickly raising a hand to wipe away the tears from his eyes. He turned his back to the vampire, looking up to the ceiling as if doing that would stop the oncoming tears.
I haven't cried in years...why now?
"I don't know what you're going through...but you don't have to force anything on yourself. Especially anything you're uncomfortable with." San's gentle voice bounced around the room. "And I know I'm still essentially a stranger, and someone you shouldn't be around by nature, but I'm here for you. And I'm not just saying it cause of the bond. You don't have to go through whatever it is alone, I'll listen to anything and everything you have to say, and keep however many secrets you need."
Wooyoung let out that broken laugh again, sounding more like a sob, head falling forwards, hanging low.
"You know, I thought I was used to change, to being put in uncomfortable situations, facing everything head on without any second thoughts." Wooyoung admitted, still not allowing himself to turn around, but at least say something. "But you somehow made my entire world crash around me, and I don't know what to do about that. I hate all of these conflicting feelings that I have. I want to hate you, and despise you, but I also can't help but think about how I found you attractive when you walked in the club, how you care for me even though we hardly met. And now I'm blabbing my mouth off when I swore to keep my thoughts and emotions to myself."
Wooyoung sucked in a breath when he felt cold arms encase him. San's hold was so protective, it did make Wooyoung feel so safe. And he hated it, because he didn't know if it was genuine or merely because of the bond he never agreed to.
"You don't have to know and understand everything at once. I know you probably grew up thinking and knowing only that option, but that isn't the only way." San whispered in a soothing manner, resting his forehead on the back of Wooyoung's still lowered head. "I know it's probably so confusing for you, and unnatural feeling. Trust me, I feel that way too, but probably not nearly on the level you feel it on. I don't expect you to have things sorted out and understood in a heartbeat, you're allowed to take all the time you need. And I also don't expect for you to act any certain way, because of the bond or not, and I know you know what I mean with that."
There was a pause. Wooyoung sniffled, feeling the tears in his eyes but refused to let them fall. He didn't try to move out of San's hold either, just allowed it to happen, allowed himself to be held.
"There is so much for us to learn about each other, and just as much that we will both probably keep to ourselves. Just because we are bonded doesn't mean things have to be instantaneous, it doesn't mean we ever have to act on it either. Sure it's a pain in the ass, I'll admit that, simply from what the bond causes, not because of you in any way." San continued in the same manner, his thumb now rubbing slowly back and forth reassuringly against Wooyoung's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for putting you in this foreign situation, in this unknown place, for making you feel this way. I do want to get to know you as a person though, I do care for you, and worry about you, and it doesn't matter if I just saw you for the first time a few days ago. The bond wasn't there when I first saw you, I know it wasn't. And I felt genuinely attracted to you, and worried as well, I enjoyed our brief conversation, and wanted to ask for your phone number to get to know you more even if it would've been dangerous as is."
Wooyoung didn't know how to respond. He hated the cold tears streaking down his face, how they didn't seem to stop despite how much he wished they would. He couldn't even comprehend why he's gotten so worked up, but pinned the blame on reality punching him in the face all at once. His internal war continued, and in that moment he understood that this would last for a very, very long time.
"Let go." Wooyoung let out weakly, jaw tense and uncertain eyes bouncing around the room in front of him.
San did, stepping away and giving the smaller some space.
Wooyoung brought his hands up to his face, wiping away the remaining tears. He looked up at the roof again, ensuring that he wouldn't allow any more tears to escape. With a heavy breath of air he turned around and faced the vampire and tried not to care about his face being all red and puffy.
"I'm sorry." Was the words that passed through Wooyoung's lips in a croak.
San's brows furrowed. "You have nothing to apologize for, why are you saying that?"
"I don't know." Wooyoung muttered, shaking his head and looking elsewhere. "I didn't expect that to happen."
"It's okay." San reassured with a small smile. "Actually, it's a bit nice to see. That's not really the right word, but I don't know, at least I know you aren't some emotionless vessel that quite a few hunters tend to be."
Wooyoung let out a dry laugh, sniffling once more. "Yeah, I guess I'm pretty far from that." There was a slight pause. "Hey...can you not tell anyone about this?"
"Didn't plan on it." San nodded, eyes speaking all the truth Wooyoung needed to see. "Do you feel a bit better?"
Silently after some hesitation, Wooyoung nodded his head.
"So...question." San started, and by his tone alone it was obvious he was trying to change the topic. Wooyoung locked eyes with him, giving a prompting look to continue. "Would you be fine just staying in here? I talked about some things with Hongjoong, and while it is possible to clear out a spare room for you, it would kind of just be easier if you stayed in here. The decision is all yours though, there's no pressure at all."
A sound between laughter and a scoff emitted from Wooyoung. San looked a bit sheepish from that, biting back a smile. The vampire watched as Wooyoung's fingers tapped the side of his leg in no particular rhythm, lost in thought.
"Yeah, whatever. I'll stay in here." Wooyoung shook his head as he spoke, glaring at the vampire.
"Don't say anything, I know what I did wrong." San held up a hand, words coming out in a way where it seemed like felt bad, but not entirely.
"Yeah, okay, sure." Wooyoung sarcastically replied, crossing his arms over his middle as he shifted the weight on his feet. "This feels like a trap though."
"It's not a trap! I seriously thought other things would've been able to be worked out." San was quick to respond, still coming off sheepish. "I didn't realize Mingi still used his room, cause he's always with Yunho. We literally say Yunho's room is their room, but I guess I was wrong with that thinking. And the actual spare room—"
"Isn't suitable for use, I remember." Wooyoung cut off with a blank face. "It's seriously fine. I don't know how safe I would feel alone anyways."
San narrowed his eyes, a confused expression growing on his face. Wooyoung scoffed.
"I don't think you realize how intimidating it feels for me to be surrounded by seven vampires." Wooyoung commented, moving to lean against the desk. "I don't know nor care how the brunette felt around six vampires as a human. I as a hunter feel my senses going insane, and every time I think I can relax a little they spike again. I feel like I trust the fact no one would try to hurt me from this point onwards, but my body and mind aren't exactly on the same page."
"Gotcha, I mean I think I get it." San replied after a moment, words understanding. "I mean, I suppose I wouldn't feel the safest in a new environment around seven hunters, even if they all agreed not to attack me."
"Exactly." Wooyoung muttered, eyes trailing around the room.
"Right, so that brings me to my next thing." San spoke quickly, eyes following Wooyoung's around the grey room. "Since I really don't have much stuff here, I can keep essentially everything in that corner." He paused to point where the dresser and wardrobe were already located. "And there is another dresser that isn't being used, so I can bring that in here for you. And you can honestly do whatever you want with the rest of the space."
Wooyoung's face scrunched up, confused at how much San was willing to change for him. Granted it wasn't a lot, he was giving up the majority of the room.
"I was also going to offer going to the shopping mall or something if you wanted to get your own bed sheets and whatever else." San added with a small bright smile. "There's one pretty close actually, so we could go today if you wanted."
A sigh passed Wooyoung's lips, his arms uncrossing and remaining at his side. He held eye contact with the vampire, trying to read him.
"I...don't understand why you're offering so much." Wooyoung trailed off with an awkward laugh. "It's weird."
San shrugged his shoulders. "It's really the least I could do. You said you didn't like all the grey, so I want you to be able to at least have somewhere you could feel more comfortable in."
Slowly, Wooyoung's eyes trailed to the ground.
"I'll just make the decision then. I'll go get the dresser so you can put your things there now, and then we'll go to the mall. It'll get you out of here too, which I think could be good for you." San's finalized, already walking out of the room before he was even finished speaking.
Wooyoung obviously couldn't respond, and stayed where he was merely in shock. He listened to San call out for Yunho and a few minutes latter watched as the two brought in a really old, dusty looking dresser. They put it opposite of the bed, Yunho leaving the second he got since he was still trying to find the things from Hongjoong.
"That was fast." Wooyoung muttered, noticing how happy San seemed.
The taller hummed, now leaning against the dresser. "Are you ready then?"
Wooyoung scoffed, tilting his head in the vampires direction. "You were being serious?"
"Yes. Unless if you'd rather stay here then that's fine." San shrugged his shoulder, a bit of a pout on his lips. "Don't get offended by this, cause I'm not doubting that you have money, but I'll also pay for everything."
Another almost silent scoff escaped Wooyoung. "Yeah, and is your money dirty or clean?"
"Mostly clean." San smirked, coming off a bit too cocky with that comment.
"I'll interpret it as the opposite then." Wooyoung shook his head, kicking himself off the desk to look through his backpack which was still on the side of the bed.
"Hey!" San tried to protest before Wooyoung interjected.
"Did you really expect me to think that someone like you, who doesn't even have a real job, would have clean money?" Wooyoung rolled his eyes, the action to be expected from San even if he couldn't see the smallers face. "I can't blame you for it though, it's to be expected in what I believe your situation to be. And I don't entirely care either, I was just curious."
"You said I was too casual talking about underground stuff before, but you know the same goes for yourself as well, right?" San commented, watching the smaller from his place.
"Well aware." Wooyoung returned, standing upright with his wallet and phone in hand. "But unlike you, I have clean money."
San smiled at the sound of Wooyoung's laugh that followed his words.
"Don't entirely care my ass, let's go." San pushed himself off the dresser, shaking his head as they exited the room.
The playful atmosphere completely died though as soon as Wooyoung walked through the door. His face went back to stone cold, and his shoulders tensed up once more. He swallowed hard, biting his tongue as he followed San through the labyrinth of hallways, down the stairs.
There were many things on his mind, but Wooyoung tried to tune them all out. He tried convincing himself that he was safe as he fidgeted with the bottom of the hoodie he wore. The brief conversation San shared with Mingi and Yunho was essentially tuned out, the only thing Wooyoung picked up was a call for them to be safe as they headed out.
Just like that Wooyoung felt the outside air again, his eyes squinting closed due to the bright sunlight. When they adjusted though, he noticed how San seemed to of gone through the same thing, their eyes opening and locking at the same time. With a few quiet words, San then led Wooyoung around the back of the warehouse, towards where there were many cars parked. A few vans but mostly sports cars. Way more than Wooyoung thought he'd see.
Immediately though he recognized the car he got in with San, parked beside it was the original one San drove as well. The confusion was evident on his face when San led them right past those two cars though.
"Those are spares." San nervously laughed, turning on his heels to walk backwards. A hand scratched the back of his head, while another pulled a set of keys out of his pocket. "We use them mostly when we have tasks to complete, which Seonghwa and I were doing before I went to pick up Mingi and Yunho, and he followed me. But that's actually my car."
San pointed his thumb behind him, hitting the button on his keys to unlock the car. It was of course another fancier looking sports car painted as black as night, being some model that Wooyoung, someone who wasn't the most familiar with cars, couldn't entirely recognize. But it looked cool regardless, something that definitely fitted San from what he knew about him so far.
Taking a look around, Wooyoung noticed how vast the open field behind the warehouse truly was. A forest lined it in a box-like way, but the trees on the far opposite side looked so small from how far they were, when looking to his right Wooyoung saw these same trees were ginormous.
San waited patiently for the hunter, watching with concern as the smaller seemed to overanalyze his surroundings. He never once blamed him, knowing that his senses truly must've been going crazy, and all this new stuff wasn't helping. A prominent part of San felt bad, but he couldn't imagine being far from Wooyoung at the same time. He thought back to Yunho and Mingi those first few years they knew each other, and he couldn't even imagine what Yunho went though, being so far from Mingi for so long. How much Yunho kept distance, went weeks at a time without seeing Mingi. And yet here San was, having a hard time being in a different room from the hunter. It felt pathetic.
Our bond...it sure is something different. Isn't it?
~~~~~~~~
A/N: Hello readers! I just wanted to say a quick thank you for 100 reads, as well as for the other interactions in this story. It means a lot to me to even see people take the time to read the things I write, and I appreciate you all. I hope you continue to enjoy the story, things are only going to get more interesting from here.