Secrets | Woosan

37

"Sannie, I'm tired," Wooyoung whined from where he was sitting on the couch next to his boyfriend.

"Wooyoung...we're watching a movie..." Kyungmin responded in almost an offended tone as he leaned forward from across the couch to look at the elder.

Grabbing Wooyoung's phone that had been discarded at his side, San flipped it over and saw it nearly eleven. "I know I'm not a parent...but I think it's time for you to go to bed," San told the boy.

A pout formed on the young boy's face as he muttered a quite, "fine." He hopped off the couch and said Goodnight to the two before heading off to his own room.

Gently laying his head down on San's shoulder, Wooyoung grabbed one of the elder's hands and whispered, "I'm too lazy to get up."

"I'm not carrying you again."

"It was just an accident."

"I almost dropped you down the stairs at my house," San deadpanned, "you flail around too much."

"I'm too tired to flail."

San lifted Wooyoung's head from his shoulder and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "Too bad," he said gently before getting off the couch and reaching out for Wooyoung's hands so he could pull the boy up.

Instead of standing on his feet, Wooyoung let himself fall forward in San's arms. "Hi," he spoke softly next to the elder's ear. He waited a few moments for a response, but there didn't seem to be one coming. Glancing up at San, Wooyoung noticed his eyes fixed on the the space above the couch where his mom had their family pictures.

"Wooyoung..." San spoke softly, not even bothering to look at the boy.

"What?"

Letting go of the younger, San walked up to one of the pictures and seemed to examine every detail. His eyes squinted as he moved his head mere centimeters from the glass. "That's my mom..." he said airily, almost as if the words made him nauseous.

Wooyoung's eyebrows knit together tightly as he walked up next to his boyfriend, looking at the picture for himself. It was his mother and another woman, the two in their cap and gown, holding up their diplomas. "That was my moms college graduation—that's just one of her friends." He glanced over at San and noticed how glossy his eyes were, the tears welling in his eyes reflecting the movie still playing behind them.

"Sannie..." Wooyoung whispered, "are you okay?"

San nodded as he finally forced himself to look away from the picture. "I'm okay," he responded slowly, trying to keep his voice steady

"We can talk to my mom about it tomorrow, okay?" Wooyoung asked before placing a hand on the side of San's face.

San only let out a quiet hum before leaning forward to rest his head gently on the younger's boy's shoulder.

"Let's go to bed, Sannie," the younger spoke soothingly.

✨✨✨

Mrs Jung walked over to the dining room table where all of the boys where sitting and put her cup of tea down. Although her husband loved coffee, she absolutely hated the drink and started every morning with the same type of tea.

"Do you want anything to drink—or eat?" She asked sweetly as she sat down in one of the old wooden chairs. As everybody shook their head, she noticed one extra head trying to hide behind his older brother. "Kyungmin," she warned softly, "it's adults only right now, you're about ten years shy, honey. Go play."

Although reluctant, the small boy hopped out of his chair and took off towards his bedroom.

A nostalgic small smile formed on the woman's face as she picked up the framed picture her son had plucked from the wall in an unknown urgency. Despite that urgently, she let her fingers ghost over the soft wood frame as she recalled the memory of her and her best friend, friendship long lost to the indomitable current of life.

"This is Sunhee, the greatest woman I've ever met," she started, not quite talking to anybody in particular, "I've never been closer with anybody than her."

Wooyoung's eyebrows knit together in concern as he looked across the table at his boyfriend. It was quite clear the elder was trying to put on a brave face because he was still worried about impressions. Hearing the woman's name, Wooyoung could assume it was San's mother just by the way the knuckles on his folded hands were turning white from squeezing them as hard as he could.

"Sannie," Wooyoung called gently before reaching out to place a hand on San's colder one. The elder nearly jumped at the sudden touch, he was up in the clouds, lost to his own thoughts. "It's okay," he whispered.

Although it it was such a simple reassurance, it reminded San just how safe he felt with the younger. "That's my mom..." San spoke quietly, his voice rough from emotions.

The woman's face lit up upon hearing those words, "So you're—your father is Choi Junseo?" She paused for a moment but didn't give San the chance to answer, "how is Sunhee—oh I'd love to see her again."

A small sigh fell from San's lips before he said reluctantly, "My mom...she—she passed away five years ago."

The smile on her face faltered, "I'm so sorry, San, I'm so sorry. She was such a lovely woman and I can only assume she was an amazing mother too."

"She was," San agreed quietly, having a bit of trouble pushing the words past the lump in his throat.

"Y'know, honey, I've met you before," Mrs Jung added, tears of her own starting to gather in her eyes, "the last time I saw Sunhee, she came to my wedding and she was pregnant, just starting to show. Now...I do not like your father one bit, San, but she was happy. I really hope that happiness lasted her whole life." 

"It did," San reassured once again, "there wasn't a moment in my life when I've ever seen her anything but happy." 

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