Stains Of The Past (Ateez, Woosan)

8 (trigger warning)

Woo's chest tighten when he heard San say those words, he couldn't help but hide his face in the crook of San's neck feeling something he hadn't felt in forever. Safe. safe in someone's arms, the warmth from another person's arms or body. It felt weird but nice to Woo. 

San, on the other hand, was feeling a bunch of emotions which he has forgotten all about, the way only Woo could make him feel these unusual emotions. He was scared. Scared of losing Woo, scared of screwing up again, and lastly scared of feeling again. It's been two years of drinking, forgetting, numbness, and being alone. But now it's changed, Woo made everything different for San. He could feel the warmth of another person, his heartbeat, and the emotions that he has been numb to for so long. 

Both boys didn't realize that they needed each other in there lives, the other person was like air to them, they couldn't be apart even though one doesn't know the true feelings that the other has. Either way, they would not let the other one go. 

The two boys stayed like that for a while into Woo pulled back he looked San in the eyes "Can you at least tell me why you left... please?" Woo needed to know the answer to the question he's been asking himself over the years. "To be honest Woo, I was numb and my inner demons consumed my life making me hate everything and everyone, including the only person who was in my life that cared about me" San said feeling ashamed and disappointed in himself "Oh, well I'm here now, and I'm not leaving anytime soon, so I'll help you for now on" Woo said keeping this promise to San.

San was surprised at what Woo just said, no one has ever said anything like that in so long. The last time someone ever said that was his mother and he was about 15 or 14. Right before she left him alone every day in the place he supposed to call home. 

San looked at Woo with a surprised look "What? Did I say something wrong?" Woo said with a bit of fear in his voice, "No! No, you didn't say anything wrong, i-its just that nobody has told me anything like that for a long time" San said with a sad tone in his voice "thank you, Woo... I needed to hear someone say that after so long" Woo looked at San with an empathic look in his eyes "of course San" San smiled and this smile was a real on which made Woo smile right back at him. 

Both boys spent the next few hours chatting about anything or sometimes about how their lives are going besides Woo, he didn't want to tell San that he was being abused by his parents and start something that he'll lose and be beaten worse by his parents. He's lucky that he survived the last beating his dad gave him just because one of the teachers saw multiple bruises on his arms and some on his neck.

(twigger warning!!) *flashback*

"Woo! Get your pathetic ass over here now!" Woo angered father's voice echoed through the house causing the boy to flinch "c-coming sir..." Woo said quietly as he walked down the stairs to face the upcoming hell he's about to get unleashed upon. "Y-yes sir.," Woo asked looking at his father whose eyes had flames in them.

"So you want to fucking show off your bruises!" The angered male said punching Woo in his stomach making the boy hunch over letting a small whimper out "n-no sir.." This is all that Woo said before his father kicked his back making him fall face first "Bullshit! Your damn teacher just called me asking if everything is good! So don't even play that shit on me boy!" Woo's eyes widen when he felt his father on top of him "now if you make a fucking sound I'll make this worse" Woo's father said grabbing a fist full of Woo's hair and slamming his head into the ground watching the red thick liquid oozing out of Woo's head and nose.

Woo felt numb he couldn't hold back a broken sob which caused his father to stop slamming his head on the ground "Guess you never listen" next thing Woo knows that his father's hands are around his throat blocking the stream of oxygen making him try to gasp for air but it only got tighter and tighter before everything went black and silent. 

*end of flashback*

Till this day Woo never forgot that beating and his parents also got smarter of where they started to leave the marks. His mother now leaves mental marks. His father still leaves physical marks but where most of everything was covered. 

San was wondering why Woo wasn't talking that much about his life but he didn't want to make this amazing moment go wrong so he let his thoughts only stay in his head. "Shit what time is it?!" Woo said quickly looking out the window to see that his dad was pulling up the driveway.

"3 o'clock, why? What's wrong Woo?" San as Woo started to push him in his closet "my dad! Just please stay here and be quiet don't make a sound" Woo said with a pleading voice which made San just nod and stand in the closet. "Why is Woo so scared about his dad?" he asked himself but what he was about to witness was going to answer the questions and his thoughts