From the Darkness

13. The Pause

It hadn't been that long since Wooyoung woke to a proper ceiling. Usually, he lingered in marvel whenever he got a full night of sleep in the protection of a building. This time, however, he jerked up from his peaceful slumber as soon as his eyes opened. Hasty eyes flicked left and right.

The ceiling wasn't tilted. The building wasn't crumbling. He was safe in the shelter deep in the earth.

But Yunho was still gone and the spot by Wooyoung's side was empty.

Ridiculed by himself, Wooyoung wrung a hand through his hair. Though he was rested from the peaceful night, the scare so early in the morning made his skin clammy. He was fine. Nothing happened. The shelter wouldn't collapse around him.

After a few minutes, he calmed. When he glanced around the room, he found the door locked and his gun on the table he moved to the side of his bed. It was loaded.

All his other belongings were in their designated places. As Mingi promised, no one touched them.

In disbelief, Wooyoung glanced at his hands braced on the bed. He hadn't thought he would sleep this deeply after tossing and turning for so long. He almost felt he betrayed Yunho by slumbering peacefully despite missing his warmth.

After he shrugged his vest over his shoulders and packed his bag, Wooyoung peered outside. Mingi hadn't specified when they could leave their rooms, but there could be no harm waiting in the entrance area. Once Wooyoung announced his departure, Mingi wouldn't need to bother about his presence.

With his bag over his shoulder, Wooyoung walked the path he remembered. He didn't stray, not keen on meeting those mysterious safety protocols. The bunker was nice; airy and cool without getting moldy. It made a perfect refuge, one that Wooyoung and Yunho wouldn't even dare dream of. Maybe, if they hadn't saved Jongho and knew these people, Wooyoung would have made it his.

If only Yunho could share it with him.

When Wooyoung arrived at the entrance zone, he was surprised to find San there. Contrary to the other raider, he didn't have his bag with him and the laces of his boots were undone where he loitered on Jongho's chair. He glanced up when Wooyoung shuffled in.

"There you are. How did you sleep? I missed your sleeping face; it's adorable when it doesn't scowl."

Wooyoung scowled purposefully hard.

"Just fine, since you weren't there to do weird things," he hissed. His arms crossed as he came to lean against the table.

"What about your bag?"

"I'm not leaving," San said with a mild shake of his head. "We made it to the cliffs, and we found a shelter, so our deal is over. You saw this place. It won't get any better than this and they are hiring." San beckoned around the cave, at the fathomless depths obscured by darkness.

Wooyoung lifted a brow.

"You don't know what they are doing in here."

"Do I need to care? I get paid to protect them, not to question them."

Wooyoung gnawed on his lip. He knew it was dangerous to get involved, but San had a point. What would Yunho do in this situation? Would he trust them and favor survival? Or would survival be more likely out in the desert where each day was a gift?

San seemed confident that he could eliminate anyone who threatened him. He hummed a merry tune and swayed his boot on the ground.

No, Wooyoung shouldn't let their temporary alliance sway him. San knew what he was doing, but Wooyoung knew, too. They had different experiences and their paths were bound to split. Any upset that it was so soon was an irrelevant liability.