A Place to Belong - Woosan

{ 20 - Slipping Into Love }

The following morning, after a spirited round of love making in the morning, followed by cuddling and giggling,  the men finally got themselves out of Wooyoung's house. They had realized there wasn't much in the way of food and they had both worked up an appetite after all their intimate activities. 

They headed off to the market together. San felt the pull in his heart of the normalcy of this moment. The way that he felt of comfortable just doing mundane life things with Wooyoung. How he looked forward to it even. Their evenings had become a comforting routine, filled with light conversation, shared dinners, and the effortless companionship that had been growing between them. They hadn't talked about what they were—not yet—but both of them felt it. Whatever it was, it was more than casual.

The quiet hum of the grocery store was the perfect backdrop for San and Wooyoung's casual banter as they walked down the aisles. San paused in front of a display of fresh vegetables, holding up a head of lettuce with a raised eyebrow. 

"Is this what you meant by 'something green,' or were you thinking more spinach vibes?"

Wooyoung grinned, leaning over to inspect the lettuce. 

"I'm not picky. As long as it's edible and doesn't come out of a can, I'm good."

San smirked, tossing the lettuce into the cart. "Low bar, but noted."

Wooyoung's loud, unrestrained laugh echoed down the aisle, and San couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips. There was something about Wooyoung's laugh—how full and genuine it was—that never failed to warm him. It made everything feel lighter, more fun.

They continued walking, their hands brushing occasionally as they pushed the cart along, neither of them quite ready to make that simple touch more deliberate. The energy between them was comfortable, easy, like they had been doing this for years instead of months. It was almost domestic, a thought that San found both surprising and comforting.

As they turned the corner toward the dairy section, the familiar sound of a voice—one that San hadn't expected nor wanted to hear—made him freeze in his tracks.

"San?"

It was his ex.

San's body went rigid, and Wooyoung stopped beside him, picking up on the sudden shift in energy. He followed San's gaze, and there, standing a few feet away, was the man who had caused San so much pain.

The man looked terrible—disheveled, his clothes wrinkled and his hair a mess. He swayed slightly, the unmistakable stench of alcohol clinging to him, and his eyes were red, as if he'd been crying. He stumbled forward, his expression a mix of desperation and regret.

"San... please," the ex whined, his voice cracking. "I need to talk to you."

San felt his heart race, but this time, it wasn't the same fear or anxiety he used to feel around this man. It was something different. It was anger, frustration, and a deep sense of wanting to protect the life he had built without him.

"There's nothing to talk about," San said, his voice steady, though his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

His ex shook his head, walking closer, his voice cracking as he spoke. "I... I messed up, okay? I shouldn't have done what I did. I shouldn't have hurt you. But he left me, San. The guy I left you for—he's gone. And I miss you. I need you to take me back."

San felt the weight of those words settle over him, but for the first time, they didn't sting like they used to. He didn't feel the same pull, the same sense of guilt or obligation that had once kept him tethered to this man. Instead, all he felt was a firm, unshakable certainty that he didn't need this man in his life anymore.

"I'm not interested in taking you back," San said, his voice firm, his gaze unwavering. "You made your choice, and now you're facing the consequences. I have moved on."

The ex's face crumpled, and he let out a pitiful whimper, reaching out as if to grab onto San. "Please, San. We had something real, didn't we? I'm so sorry. I need you."

Before San could respond, the ex's gaze flicked over to Wooyoung, who had been standing quietly beside him, his presence a calm, steady support.

"And who's this?" The ex sneered, his voice taking on a sharp, bitter edge. "This is your rebound? This guy?"

San's stomach tightened as the ex's words lashed out, but before he could fully process what was happening, something inside him snapped. He was done with this. He was done letting this man control him, manipulate him, and belittle what he had now—what he had with Wooyoung.

"He's not my rebound," San said sharply, the anger rising in his chest. "He's everything you never were."

The ex blinked, clearly taken aback by San's sudden defiance, but he quickly recovered, his voice dripping with bitterness. "Oh, please. What, you think this is real? You think this guy—" He motioned toward Wooyoung, his words slurred with spite, "—is gonna stick around?"

San didn't hesitate. His response came out before he could even think about it, but the moment the words left his mouth, he knew they were true.

"I love him."

The words hung in the air between them, heavy and undeniable. San's heart pounded in his chest as the realization of what he'd just said hit him. He hadn't meant to say it, hadn't meant for those words to come out like this, especially not directed to his ex instead of to Wooyoung for the first time. But they had, and there was no taking them back.

Wooyoung's eyes widened, his expression a mixture of surprise, joy, and something deeper—something that made San's heart feel like it was about to burst.

"You... what?" The ex stammered, his face a mask of disbelief.

San's gaze didn't waver. He didn't look away. "I love him," he repeated, his voice steady and sure.

The ex let out a bitter laugh, but there was no fight left in him. He looked between San and Wooyoung, his face crumpling as the weight of the moment sank in. He knew. He knew it was over—really, truly over this time.

Without another word, the ex stumbled away, his figure fading into the aisles as he left San and Wooyoung standing there, the silence between them suddenly feeling charged with unspoken emotion.

San turned slowly to Wooyoung, his heart pounding, his mind racing with everything he had just said. He hadn't meant to say it like this, hadn't meant to blurt it out in the middle of a grocery store while defending their relationship to his ex. But now that the words were out there, he couldn't take them back.

And he didn't want to.

Wooyoung looked stunned, his eyes wide and glistening with emotion as he stared at San. For a moment, neither of them said anything, the weight of the confession still settling between them.

But then, slowly, Wooyoung's lips curved into a soft, genuine smile—a smile full of warmth and love. He took a step closer, reaching out to cup San's face in his hands, his touch gentle and full of affection.

"I love you too," Wooyoung whispered, his voice filled with quiet certainty.

San felt the breath leave his lungs, a rush of relief and joy flooding through him as he leaned into Wooyoung's touch, his heart finally feeling at peace.

This was it. This was real.

They stood there, wrapped in the quiet intimacy of the moment, the rest of the world fading into the background as they held onto each other.

San hadn't planned on saying it today. But now that he had, he realized that it was the only thing he had wanted to say all along.

And as Wooyoung's lips met his in a soft, tender kiss, San knew that this—this love—was all he needed.