San remained silently on the couch, arms around Wooyoung who sat on his lap.
Wooyoung's mother paced back and forth in the living room in front of the pair, typing frantically on her smartphone.
San had made the decision to call the mother as soon as the pair had eaten and Wooyoung was stable. And thus, after an agonizing hour of waiting, the mother's car had almost swerved into the driveway, the woman hurrying into the house.
After greeting the kids like a typical worried mom, she had gone upstairs with San to be shown just exactly what had gone down in the house.
In the current moment she now plopped down in a chair across from the couch, closing her eyes and leaning back in order to clear her thoughts.
"It was definitely your father," the mother started, brushing her hair out of her face. "All he took was some prescription meds, some of his own papers, and a few baby photos of you," she sighed.
Wooyoung stiffened at the words.
"Why would he take my..." Wooyoung trailed off, a weird emotion between fear, guilt, and confusion brewing within him.
San quietly shushed him, gently nuzzling into the back of Wooyoung's neck as if to distract him from his thoughts with the touch.
Wooyoung's mom stared at the ceiling for a moment, the air tense. She seemed almost composed, as if she had reached a strong decision.
"I'm going to petition for divorce."
Her words felt heavier than lead. Both boys on the couch watched as she seemed to let out a breath, as if relieved by her own words.
"...Really?" Wooyoung mumbled eventually, his tone suggesting he didn't believe what he'd heard.
San glanced to the side awkwardly, feeling like he shouldn't be a part of this conversation.
"It's been coming for a long time. We're finally here," she stared, crossing her arms as she sank into her chair.
A silence filled the room, all of its occupants overwhelmed with questions and thoughts.
"I think we should go apartment hunting," she spoke after a moment. "I don't feel good about you being here alone while I'm gone."
"I can just bring him over?" Wooyoung mumbled, the implied 'him' being his boyfriend behind him.
The mother shook her head. "You can't rely on him always being there, honey. He has a life too," she kindly reminded, making subtle eye contact with San.
San only pursed his lips, not knowing how to respond to that.
"I can stay with him tonight though," Wooyoung argued, accompanied by a nod from San.
The woman reluctantly nodded, agreeing after a moment of thought. "Okay, as long as you're aware that won't work permanently," she said, tapping her fingers.
San played with the younger's fingers absentmindedly. "You want me to call my parents? They can pick us up," San offered quietly.
Wooyoung muttered a quiet 'yeah' before standing up, slowly making his way over to the living room door.
"Where you goin?" San questioned as he pulled out his phone to text his parents.
Wooyoung let out a breath, leaning against the door frame. "I'm gonna go pack my stuff," he said, his tone sounding rather defeated.
San frowned at this as Wooyoung disappeared from sight. He would have to figure out some way to cheer his boyfriend up later.
The mom stayed leaning back in her chair, tiredly watching the teen on the couch across from her type.
"San," she said, her voice grabbing the boy's attention just as he hit send.
"Mm?" he hummed as if to signal he was listening, before shutting his phone off to look at her.
"About Wooyoung," she began. If she didn't have San's attention before, she certainly did now.
"I want you to tell me if he doesn't take my choice well," she spoke, her tone more sad than anything. "Despite everything it's still his dad. It can't be easy for him to process this."
San nodded obediently, mirroring the mother in leaning back against the couch. He shoved his hands in his pockets, thinking of a reply.
"I hope you know I really don't mind him staying with me," San brought up, just to quell her concerns. "I'd be willing to even get an apartment if needed."
The mother smiled, amused at his words. "How would you pay for that, hun?"
San shrugged. "I'll get a job and take care of him. I can do classes online," he listed, the mother raising her eyebrows despite the smile remaining on her face.
"Oh, honey, you don't have to do all that!" she said, holding back a laugh. "Should you two get a place someday, I'll help out with rent," she assured him, her mood significantly lightened.
"Ahh, San," she shook her head with a grin. "You're the boy every parent wishes their kid was dating."
San felt quite embarrassed at this. "Um, thank you..." he mumbled, shrinking into himself at the compliment.
The vibration of his phone let him know he had a message, which he immediately glanced towards.
"My dad will be here in 15 minutes to pick us up," San stated, glancing at the woman who nodded at this.
"You should go up and tell him," the mother suggested, standing up and stretching. "I ought to take some of my things as well."
San nodded, sharing a look of mutual understanding before he stood up himself, and padded over to the staircase.
He couldn't help but look over the family photos on the wall, the same which he'd noticed upon his first visit.
The image of the happy mother, father, and smiling little boy almost seemed mockingly perfect. San could almost imagine how Wooyoung was feeling about the situation.
Upon reaching the second floor he crept down the quiet hallway, approaching Wooyoung's room which appeared to be rather silent.
He pushed the door open gently, laying eyes on the sight of Wooyoung sitting on the edge of his bed, holding a small stuffed animal in his hands.
He didn't turn to look as San entered. San walked slowly over as to stand next to his boyfriend.
"You okay?" San questioned, although he knew that asking was pointless.
Wooyoung tossed the stuffed animal rather harshly on the bed next to him. He remained silent, his expression suggesting he didn't want to talk about it.
San sat down next to the younger on the bed's edge.
"It scares me," Wooyoung said out of the blue. San raised an eyebrow, giving him a questioning look.
"What does?" he said, placing a hand gently on Wooyoung's knee.
"My parents have been married for twenty years," Wooyoung said, his voice monotone.
San pursed his lips, looking at his boyfriend as he waited for him to continue talking. He didn't have to tell him the time limit right now.
"After this long they split up? Holy shit. Imagine devoting twenty years to someone and it just... ends overnight," he rambled, his tone somewhat exasperated.
"Isn't that fucking terrifying?" Wooyoung continued, looking at San. "It's not like you get married to someone thinking you'll only be together for so long. I couldn't handle it."
San blinked. "I mean..." he started, a bit taken aback by the topic. "Isn't it better to end it than keep going and be unhappy?"
Wooyoung only shook his head. "It's not that. It's just... the thought that I could get married and have it end up like..." he countered, his voice exposing his negative thoughts.
San shifted closer to Wooyoung on the bed, to where their shoulders touched as they sat.
"It wouldn't. It wouldn't end up like that with you," San stated, glancing at the window.
"But how can you know for sure?" Wooyoung asked.
"Because I'm the one who's trying to marry you?"
Wooyoung stopped speaking to stare at San, the elder feeling just a bit in the spotlight under his gaze.
"You think you can handle being married to me for that long?" he spoke quietly, causing San to give him a weird look.
"That's kinda the point?" San replied.
"What if I'm like my parents? If I can't make it work?" Wooyoung rambled.
"First of all, Jung Wooyoung, you are not your parents," San began, disbelief lacing his words.
"Second of all, it's also on me to make it work."
A heavy silence laid over the room, both boys locked in each other's gaze with unreadable emotions behind their eyes.
"If I wanted to go over to the courthouse right now and elope would you do it?" Wooyoung asked, watching San's expression intently.
"Yes," San replied immediately.
"Really? Even though it's a stupid idea and we're too young?" Wooyoung continued, a hint of a smile breaking through.
San shrugged. "If it makes you happy, then yeah."
The smile finally fought its way onto Wooyoung's face.
"Dummy. That's such a bad idea. You have any judgement left?" he asked, his tone not harsh, but rather adoring.
San found himself grinning as the younger's spirits lifted.
"What? It was your suggestion. We gonna elope or not?" San teased, gently shoving the other with his shoulder.
"No. We can't yet. I want a proposal and a cute wedding and a honeymoon," Wooyoung listed off.
"God, you're gonna have to wait awhile then. I don't have that much money yet," San stated.
Wooyoung leaned his head against San's shoulder. San, feeling this, turned to place a small kiss on the top of the boy's head.
"It would be funny to tell our friends that we eloped though," Wooyoung spoke, causing San to break out into laughter.
"We have to tell them. You think they'll freak out?" San mused.
"For sure. Go on the groupchat and tell them, I have to see this," Wooyoung said, urging San to get his phone out.
As San turned on his phone, the text notification appeared in all of its glory.
"Fuck, I forgot!" San cursed at himself. "We only have a couple minutes until my dad comes, you need to hurry and pack your stuff," he said.
A wave of panic at the realization washed over Wooyoung. "Oh god," he said, searching around and grabbing a nearby empty backpack.
"Do me a favor and carry my school backpack for me?" Wooyoung spoke, gesturing to the said item sitting on the floor across the room.
San nodded, walking over to pick it up as Wooyoung shoved clothes from his drawers into his bag.
After a short moment Wooyoung zipped up his bag, unable to fit any more items in it.
Thus he wandered over to San, standing right in front of him and making eye contact.
"What?" San said, noticing how the other was acting.
"How long til your dad gets here?" Wooyoung asked.
San checked the time on his phone. "Like five minutes, why?"
Wooyoung set his bag on the floor hastily and wrapped his arms around San's waist, burying his face into his chest.
"Just let me hug you for a while," Wooyoung's muffled voice came as San carefully wrapped his arms back around the other's shoulders.
San hummed at this, rubbing circles against the other's back as he held him to himself.
He was ready to do it for as long as Wooyoung needed.