OURS ONLY [Wooyoung x Ateez]

8. Forgiveness

A/N: Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I want to thank any old readers who are still sticking around and welcome any new readers. I'm so sorry to have dropped this story. Life got in the way and I lost motivation in writing and kpop in general. My last update was exactly a year ago. I got reminded of it and then decided to re read the story on my own and felt like continuing. I'm very thankful to everyone who has enjoyed the story thus far. I am enrolled full time in college and have a full time job so I can't promise fast updates but I do promise to finish this story. There is only about 2-3 chapters left. So please stay tuned!

"Wooyoungie," Seonghwa rushed towards his sunshine, "You came."

Wooyoung was still stunned at the state of Soenghwa's room. 

"Hyung... what... happened here?" Wooyoung's voice was small. His eyes swept over the disaster- broken Lego models, shattered display cases, collectible figures lying in pieces on the floor.

Seonghwa looked down, his lips trembling before he spoke. 

"I... destroyed it all," he admitted, his voice rough from crying, "Every Lego, every figure... I smashed them myself."

Wooyoung's eyes widened, "What? Why?"

"Because none of it means anything more than you," Seonghwa's voice cracked,  "I kept looking at them and thinking... I cared more about stupid materials than my own brother. And that's not me. That's not the kind of hyung I ever want to be."

Wooyoung swallowed hard. His heart was aching. 

"I can't even imagine Ateez without you, Wooyoungie," Seonghwa continued as he stepped closer, "The thought of you not being here- it's like someone's cutting the group in half. It's like someone's cutting me in half. If you leave... then I'll leave too. Because Ateez isn't Ateez without you."

"Hyung..." Wooyoung's voice was barely above a whisper.

Seonghwa's tears spilled freely now. 

"I've been so stupid. I let my anger get the better of me and I said the cruelest thing I could have ever said to you. And I hate myself for it. I would give anything to go back and stop myself. I don't know what I was thinking, Wooyoung- ah. I would rather lose every single one of my possessions... than lose you. You're my family, Wooyoung. My sunshine. Without you, nothing makes sense. There have been so many times I doubted myself and I let what other people say get to me and you were there for me every single one of those times. I wouldn't even be here without you."

Wooyoung's own eyes brimmed with tears, his chest tightening painfully.

"I'm so sorry," Seonghwa's voice broke completely. "I'm begging you... please don't leave. I'll do anything to make this right. Just... don't walk away from us. Don't walk away from me."

For a moment, Wooyoung couldn't speak, the words caught in his throat, stuck between hurt and the overwhelming relief of being wanted. 

Seonghwa suddenly sank to his knees, his hands gripping Wooyoung's legs so tightly it made the younger gasp. His eyes were desperate and filled with tears.

"I know I messed up, baby. I messed up so bad," Seonghwa's voice trembled, "I'm not asking you to forgive me right away... but please let me prove how much you mean to me. I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you if I have to. Just... please- don't leave me. Don't leave us."

The weight of Seonghwa's words made Wooyoung's chest tighten until it hurt. Overwhelmed, he knelt down so they were face to face. His arms moved without thinking, pulling the older into a tight embrace.