begin again | woosan

- six -

san followed wooyoung into his room after they had reached the apartment, and the younger finally let out a sigh as he flopped onto the bed.

"everything okay?"

"seonghwa's mad that i invited you over... i-i know he's protective, i-i just— i don't know. i just wanted him to be happy that i'm finally getting comfortable with someone new."

"well... you did just have a pretty bad panic attack. that's probably why he's a bit upset over me being here."

"you think so?" wooyoung asked hopefully.

"i do, i really do. he really cares about you, wooyoung. i can tell. he's probably just worried."

wooyoung frowned slightly, beginning to feel tears well up in his eyes, but he quickly shook the feeling off.

"i-i'm really sorry, san..."

"what for?" san asked, confused.

"i'm sorry you had to see me like that... i-i could've sworn that out of the corner of my eye, i-i saw my ex there... i-it's probably just because he used to wait there for me a-and—"

san quickly took hold of one of wooyoung's hands when he noticed the boy beginning to breathe shallowly, causing wooyoung to look at their hands, surprised. he took the hint though and gently squeezed san's hand as he tried to recenter himself, but instead he felt it getting harder to breathe.

"s-san... i-i can't— i-i can't b-breathe," wooyoung whimpered, beginning to panic at the lack of oxygen entering his lungs.

"okay... okay, you're going to be alright, yeah? just look at me and focus on me, okay? nothing else..."

wooyoung nodded and turned to face san, who smiled small and gently took wooyoung's other hand in his own as well. the younger did his best to try and focus his attention on san, but it wasn't helping much. he was growing frustrated with himself too, beginning to squeeze san's hands in an attempt to avoid hurting himself. san could tell the boy was frustrated too, trying to rack his own brain to find ways to help wooyoung relax.

"hey... you're going to be just fine, wooyoung. i'm right here with you, you're safe. what can i do to make things feel a bit better? anything you can think of?"

"i-i don't—" wooyoung choked out.

"that's okay," san soothed, gently pulling the younger closer to him. "what's your favorite movie? or song? i'll put one of those on to try and help you ground yourself a bit."

"b-bts... um, anything by them. m-maybe a slower song?"

"okay... i've got you, wooyoung."

"w-woo... y-you can call me woo, i-if you want."

"okay, then. i've got you, woo~" san repeated.

san quickly pulled out his phone and typed something into his spotify player, searching up bts and soon letting spring day play through the speakers of his phone. wooyoung closed his eyes and tried to even out his breathing once again, soon finding himself able to. between the way san's thumbs ran across the backs of his hands, the soothing sounds of the music, and the soft breathing of san himself, wooyoung felt serene, pulling himself back to reality.

"thank you," wooyoung whispered then he finally felt calm.

"no need to thank me, woo... i'm happy to be here for you whenever you want me to be."

"want and need are too different things, san... i-i sometimes need someone there even when i don't want someone."

"then count me in to be there whenever you want or need me there. i want to be someone you can lean on."