Phoenix: Blow a spark || ATEEZ

6| A friend's help

Wordcount; 1,500 words

San was scowling into thin blue air when Mingi stepped down the stairs into the chamber of sacramental. His eyes were drawn in tight lines and his hands were clamped firmly into fists while he tried to remain collected instead of lashing out at the other boy.

"I sure hope this is important, or else were you the reason that our secret was just almost blown," the black-haired said, turning his cold shoulder at Mingi.

The tall boy gulped nervously as he slowly sat down on an empty chair in front of one of the tables down here. He pulled his bag forward and found a couple of books and his notebook where a lined piece of paper was attached to. Mingi stared into the wall for a short moment before letting his eyes glide up to where San was sitting on the top of the table, legs in a tailor position.

"I-I'm so sorry, I just really need your help with this assignment, please San," the brunette said and let his eyes fall down to his lap where his hands laid unmovingly.

Mingi continued staring at the paint stains there covered his fingers, it had come from his latest painting he had spent time on finishing last night. A motive of water drowning a town that he found coloring in red and dark nuances with a stench of yellow swept around the burning buildings.

San let out a scratching sound before finally taking his turn around to look at the tall boy, who seemed like he was losing all hope.

"Okay, okay, I will help you," San spoke and jumped down from the table, "Which assignment?"

Light sparked in Mingi's eyes when he raised his head to see San pull a chair out beside him. A smile tugged on his lips and he lively opened his books to explain what the matter was.

"I already asked Hongjoong, but he told me he didn't want to help me.." the boy pouted before proceeding his explanation, "It's an English assignment, and I really don't get it."

Of course, Hongjoong had never time to help with anything, always too entangled in his own studies. San sighed as he tried to hide the screaming voices in his head.

"Next time don't press the needle that deep into your arm - it hurt like hell."

Feeling exposed, a light blush tinted Mingi's cheeks and he smiled sheepishly as he quietly agreed on that. He then handed San his printed assignment description and quietly waited for the other to give him some instructions. San was aware of how important Mingi's English grades were, considering the artistic field of studying he had. But a certain someone simply hadn't anything but himself stuck up in his head.

_____

They ended up going outdoors. The sun had already set, but San had brought a bunch of candles with them to scatter around the garden table. Mingi had a blanket wrapped around him, that he cuddled into as the murky night air made a dance with the flames. San sat on the opposite side of the table, legs pulled up from the ground and dragged into his body while he glanced into the dark. The animals of the night were rustling around between the dead leaves in the outskirts of the little forest there was situated not very far away from San's parents' house. Seeming deep in thoughts, San still managed to notice how oddly silent Mingi had been this whole time. Firstly, San had believed that it was because of pure exhaustion, but the more he glanced in the direction of the taller, he came to see his curled fingers, carefully holding around his left arm. San felt it too.

"Mingi," he said, "Does it hurt?"

The brunette's eyes shined in the gentle candlelight when he turned his head to the sudden question. He shrugged.

"Nah, not really. Could be worse."

San knew it was a forced smile that stroked the younger's lips. With an invisible sigh coming from his lips, the black-haired Phoenix got up from his seat, went around the table and sat down on the bench beside Mingi. He reached out for Mingi's arm without saying anything about it, and proceeded pulling his sweater sleeve up until a nasty wound covering his forearm was revealed. Mingi hadn't even minded treating it as it looked like. The slight touch of San's hand made the other hiss and turn his head away instantly. San pursed his lips and gathered his brows in a frown; it surely was something that hurt a lot. In a motion, Mingi tried to pull his arm away from San's grip, but the other held him away from doing so. The ink started seeping from the written letters again, slowly dripping down on San's hands.

"Let me treat this before you'll get a bad infection."

Even though the wound occurred from the use of magic, San still worried that it would be able to transmit some form of illness to the younger boy. So, they blew the flames out and went down into the chamber of sacramental, where San placed the taller boy on a chair. As Mingi waited for the next step, San rummaged through the filled stock for a jar, which he quickly worked open before asking for Mingi to reach out his half blood-dried and inky arm. An empty ceramic bowl stood on the table, and San turned to get a clean cloth, that laid neatly folded in a stack with a bunch of other cloths. The air felt heavy with strong energies, and San's cheek was glowing golden. A discreet whisper fell from his mouth, as he chanted the spell.

" Here and now
I evoke the elemental force of water:
I call the trickling stream
and the oceans waves
[...]
Dewdrop and lake.
Clarity and Storm.
Water, I call to thee. "

He admired the way the droplets turned into a small flooding line of flowing liquid there slowly filled the ceramic bowl with the clear substance. Mingi made eye contact with the other, who seemed to enjoy the spell very much and he couldn't deny his own little smile. The act fell fast from his face again, when the wetted cloth came in contact with the bloody mass and he bit his lip in order to keep silent.

San pouted, well aware of how it must feel, "I'm sorry Min..." he mumbled.

Mingi gulped and looked away. All this blood was making him a bit dizzy.

"It's okay, don't worry."

San nodded and continued drying the blood and ink away. He really had grounded that needle deep into his arm.

The cloth hit the water surface and spread the blend of colors into the water when San finally dropped it in there. He dried his wet hands into his pant's fabric and grabbed the open jar that contained homemade aloe vera gel. San smeared some of the mass on two of his fingers and gently applied it to the wound across Mingi's arm. It burned when it came in contact with the ink that still had buried roots under his skin and Mingi winced in pain. Soon San finished and moved away, hoping it would relieve some of the previous pain that the wound had given him.

Finally, Mingi sighed as he drew his sleeve down again. A wave of exhaustion splashed against him, and he felt like his eyelids would fall shut at any given time. A state that probably had come with the tension and pain.

"Thank you San," he spoke and lowered his head to rest heavily on the table.

The other chuckled at the matter, while he started packing all the mess away.

"Of course, this is what friends are for, right?" San hummed and shut a drawer, blowing his bangs out of his eyes, after he had been crouching down.

He clearly saw how the taller boy slowly was closing his eyes and letting sleep whisper sweet dreams in his ears. That probably wouldn't fit into his own plans.

So San let his hand fall on top of the other's shoulder and lightly shook him, "Min, let me follow you home before you fall asleep on the table."

Mingi let out an annoyed groan but ended up accepting the offer. With sleep continuously tearing his focus away, he gathered all his belongings in his back and let San take his hand and guide him all the way home, even though that meant a good 20 minutes walk. San didn't mind the dark autumn walk.

He bid his farewell, but was suddenly taken aback, when Mingi ended up giving him a heart-warming hug, thanking him endlessly for his help. A smile left San's face that he held all the way home.

☯