From the Darkness

17. The Confession

Mild smut in the second half of the chapter

******

As he announced, Mingi left the next day. He offered Wooyoung to leave together, but Wooyoung muttered he would stick around for longer because of the gun. Mingi shrugged.

"Jongho knows what he's doing and Seonghwa is a genius AI. If anyone gets you a gun for life, it's them. Make do on that," he grinned before he got his cart rolling and took off to do his business. Wooyoung was left with a giddy Jongho who wouldn't stop babbling about his awe with Wooyoung's abilities. He made progress on the car and the gun twice as fast, winged by the reassurance of Wooyoung's presence.

On the other hand, however, he expected Wooyoung to tell San. When he first picked up on Wooyoung's reluctance to do so, he grinned a shit-eating smirk.

"Why not and not the why? He's your team partner now. You and he fight well. We have dynamic!" He claimed, brandishing a wrench.

Wooyoung perched on top of the table, in the corner where his thighs wouldn't destroy anything of relevance.

"He will find out as we leave, no? What use is there to tell him now?"

Jongho rolled his eyes.

"Is it such a bother? You make it sound engaging."

Wooyoung hastened to slip from the desk.

"You know what? I'll talk to him. You stay put and don't get involved," he assured with exaggerated kindness, beckoning Jongho to rest his leg when he turned.

"Should I tell hi-" His grin meant nothing good.

"No need!" Wooyoung yelled, halfway down the corridor. "I got it!"

He didn't have it because the next moment; he ran into San's chest, too occupied with Jongho's giggling to watch his surroundings. Feeling as if hit by a brick wall, Wooyoung staggered back. When a hand found his waist to stabilize him, Wooyoung slapped at it with a hiss.

"Trying to run new corridors into these walls? Where to so hastily?" San asked, nonchalant as he pulled back. He looked unfairly handsome again, the three metal buttons on his shirt undone and his sleeves rolled up as he got more comfortable with their company. Did they know he was part foul? The more Wooyoung thought about it now, the eerier it was. He should ask Seonghwa if San was truly free of risk and wouldn't try to eat them later on.

For now, however, he had to huff at this ridiculously attractively built half-monster.

"I was looking for you," Wooyoung coolly told the wall to his left. Better he did it than Jongho.

San leaned to the side to catch his gaze, but Wooyoung snapped his head further away. This was embarrassing enough without looking at those chiseled features that had hovered so close and robbed Wooyoung of his sleep last night.

"Oh? I can't wait to hear this," San chuckled, and already, Wooyoung didn't want to tell him. He didn't deserve to know until the last minute. But Jongho was right there and he would make it worse if Wooyoung didn't man up.

He sighed with the weight of his responsibilities.

"I'm coming along on Mission Bluebird."

"Oh?" San made, and his cheek pulled into a crooked smile. "What caused the change of opinion?"

Perhaps it was even more infuriating that he was not surprised than had he been shocked, offended, insulted.

Wooyoung picked at his nails.

"Seonghwa makes a good point and I want to see him succeed. Or at least, I want to look at the future with a positive outlook."

"Aha," San made. And definitely, this had nothing to do with him.