Phoenix: Blow a spark || ATEEZ

8| Beat

Wordcount; 1,500 words

The boy watched how Mingi sat two rows in front of them and fiddled with an amethyst crystal in his hands under the desk. Stress was rolling from his being in strong waves and San felt them hit him fiercely. The taller boy had been like this the whole morning, even though he had acted completely different the evening before and San was very confused about the matter.

Wooyoung sat on his left side while they currently attended a class with Korean literature the three of them had together. Although, Mingi had been told to sit in the second row instead of his usual place on San's right side. San knew it wasn't why the younger was fiddling almost aggressively with the amethyst.

Absently, was the Orchid-Eyed playing loosely with San's buttons on his shirt sleeve, not at all paying attention to what was said in their class. The swift movements made a ticking clock ring in San's head and he started feeling annoyed by the stress that came from his surroundings. He was moving one leg up and down under the table, trying to release some of the oppression. He tapped his nails against his textbook, and Wooyoung simply didn't seem to care about anything right now as he didn't even let his eyes tear away from the fabric between his hands. Something tapped against San's mind and he didn't dare look out of the window this time.

_____

Around lunchtime, the weather had decided on pouring down with bad feelings. Everything was drowning outside, and San doubted it would stop before tomorrow. Therefore they had decided on staying indoors during their break today. San and Wooyoung currently sat by a table the friend group almost had claimed as theirs. The older one quietly watched Mingi and Jongho dragging Hongjoong with them as swearing words were shared between them. Wooyoung didn't look up one time at the fuss and instead kept his hands busy fiddling with San's fingers. San didn't mind and comfortingly caressed the younger's cheek when he felt the nervousness rush through his body. Eventually, his hand settled around Wooyoung's neck and he turned his head to catch the hot-steel eyes of Hongjoong. He glared back.

"Stop being so stubborn and sit down already, hyung, before I start questioning if you really are the oldest among us," Jongho grumbled after the final push he gave Hongjoong, and dragged a chair out to sit down himself.

Hongjoong was angry, San could tell from the way his pupils were shaking and his face distorted with a foul look. The energies around him revealed him the most though.

When Mingi had pulled the table end's chair out, Hongjoong finally gave in and let himself down on a chair, but his facade never fell and he held his eyes on San the whole time. The black-haired male wanted to tear the other apart.

No one said anything for a good moment, only Jongho and Mingi somehow acted normal as they both had pulled food out, although there was no conversation, eyes were the only thing talking. San eyed the youngest coffee take-out cup; it had got larger than the ones he had bought the ongoing days.

Suddenly Jongho sighed in annoyance and thus broke the tense silence. It was almost as if San felt the glancing eyes from other students sitting by tables close to theirs, shift away only by that single act.

"You're a bunch of immature men, I swear to Spirit. Just, why are you even angry at each other?"

Jongho threw a distressed hand through his auburn locks as he shut his olive-green eyes close. He was not at all ready for the outburst he just had ignited. And oh yes, the fire was set free.

Hongjoong banged his hands flat down into the table, a dangerous stare was coating his eyes that almost turned red in between the flimmering pieces of sparks that surrounded his bared skin. Albeit his sneering expression running through his whole body, San saw how Hongjoong's word turned into a troubled breath on the back of his tongue. Words twisted around faster than he was thinking and nothing else than a snarl was heard behind his teeth. Hongjoong wasn't just angry, he was mad.

Fighting against his inner demon, San fisted his hand until his nails dug into his palm. Wooyoung gently moved his hand on top of the other's in an act of comfort, trying to get the attention from him. It always started like this. First, they would have different beliefs, then they would argue but be split apart by Jongho, and then days after they would attempt on fighting when they had to come to terms with each other again. But this time, San felt like something was off. Something dark was awakening inside of him, blurring the rational way of thinking in order to take control. Wooyoung's soft touch faded and Mingi's shaking frame suddenly disappeared from his sight together with the world that seemed to vanish in a storm of feelings and magic. Thick dark liquid mixed with his blood and he couldn't think of anything else than destruction. The time's ticking was ringing in his ears when he raised to stand on his feet, facing Hongjoong with piercing eyes.

When he saw the first golden letter appear on the other's cheek, hell broke out. San threw himself at the other boy, hence knocked a row of chairs down in the action. His trembling hands dug into Hongjoong's shoulders before he collided against him and pushed them both backward.

"San!"

It wasn't like San was the perfect well behaving kid, every parent wanted to have. Pain pierced his bones, when the boy's knees crashed against the floor, having landed on top of the older, whose face appeared hurt for a mere second. A sudden fist was thrown at him, and San whipped his head back in confusion before punching back. The room was filled with tense anxiousness that hauled the focus away from San, enough for Hongjoong to bring his legs up and kick the other boy off him. The movement caused air to slip from his lungs but without registering it, his hands were still buried deep into Hongjoong's skin.

First when another force separated the raging flames San felt his senses return and he stared down at Hongjoong's angered red beaten face. The strange whispers came blowing at him like a storm, making shivers run down his spine from the power those words held. Hongjoong's corner of his lips curled into a smirk when San was dragged away.

While Wooyoung let San out of the canteen and further down the hallways, the black-haired boy felt something land on his face, out of instinct he brought a hand up to wipe it away. San furrowed his brows in utter skepticism when his orbs landed upon a black stain on his hand.

The other boy pushed them into an empty restroom before locking the door behind him. Angsty, San waited for the outlash to come, and carefully turned his head to look at his boyfriend. It never came, instead, Wooyoung was standing, biting his lips rapidly as he couldn't quite find out how he should react to the issue.

"Honestly, I don't know what to say," the boy said, not moving from the spot he had planted his feet at.

Wooyoung sighed, "I want to be angry and disappointed and everything in between, but that would be absurd to do. I'm just as angry at Hongjoong as you are."

The cut in San's lip started to sting but he didn't mind. He knew Wooyoung was right, they were both just as much involved in this problem.

Then they heard Jongho's voice penetrate the door, and San widened his eyes in fright for the younger's mood.

"Open the door you two, I know you're in there!"

They had no choice; Jongho would come in whether they would open or he would break it open. Frantically, Wooyoung grabbed San's wrist, before he unlocked it, their eyes crossed ways shortly.

"What were you thinking of?! People were around and saw your damn marks on your cheeks," Jongho yelled even before the couple noticed he had entered.

San wanted to complain but bit his remarks back before the youngest would burst from complete anger. Wooyoung, instead, apparently he wanted to play with the fire a bit more while he still hadn't burned his fingers, yet.

"He's just as much part of this as we are, Jongho. Don't you forget that!"

The olive-coloured eyes glared at Wooyoung's own orchid ones in the time Jongho chose to cross his arms, rather than stepping closer to the daring boy.

"I am not taking sides if that's what you are assuming, Jung Wooyoung," Jongho growled out between grounded teeth, "I just wish you would stop this before you're the reason for our friend group's division."

His hands tightened around his own arms, "Think of this, it's not only affecting you three," Jongho said before leaving the restroom in a whisk.

☯