Resolving Conflict | Ateez Superhero AU

Split

Wooyoung opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He gave himself a  few moments to adjust to the darkness before carefully peeling off the  duvet cover. As he sat up and left the bed, he glanced at the digital  clock on his bedside table. The flashing red numbers said 5:00.

It was still dark outside, but it wouldn't be for long.

Wooyoung made sure Yeosang was still sleeping peacefully on the bed before leaving the room.

The house was quiet and still, as if it was a huge bear in  hibernation. Wooyoung padded to the dining table with writing materials.  He could barely see the lines on the paper, but the first light of dawn  sneaked in through the dining room, and he was able to get the words  down in a legible manner.

Whatever emotions that were closed off during the night were awaken  at once as Wooyoung scribbled on the paper. It all felt so surreal. He  couldn't believe the words that appeared on the page, nor his hand that  seemed to be moving at their own will. After he finished writing, he  laid the three notes on the table.

A heavy sigh left Wooyoung's lips. The future was held inside the three slips of paper in front of him. It might change everything. It might  also just turn out to be...well, to be what they are: three flimsy pieces  of paper.

The future was a blur, just like Wooyoung's mind, when he stood up,  sneaked into the members' room and placed the notes on two different  bedside tables.

Someone was waiting for Wooyoung by the time he returned to the kitchen.

"Why are you awake so early?" Yeosang was leaning against the counter with a cup of water in his hand.

Wooyoung watched his roommate take a sip from his cup. "I needed to go to the washroom, but I couldn't go back to sleep."

Yeosang raised his eyebrows. "You can't sleep, but you tidied up  everything in your room, packed a bag, and wrote something out here with  no light? It doesn't look like you're moving with the others, either,  because you would've packed everything."

"I need to stop trying to outsmart you," Wooyoung said, trying to lighten the mood.

Yeosang's smile didn't last long. He held up one of Wooyoung's notes.  "I woke up right after you came in. I looked outside the door and saw  you in the hallway."

Wooyoung, embarrassed he got caught, didn't know what to say.

"This is an address, right? To where Yunho is. When did Jongho tell  you?" Yeosang's voice was soft, which was a relief to Wooyoung's  stressed heart.

"He texted me last night."

Yeosang looked at Wooyoung,  waiting for elaboration. Wooyoung sighed. Somehow, it was harder to  explain things than he thought it would be. "He thinks I'm most likely to go find Yunho, because I don't like leaving people behind. And he was right."

Yeosang set down his cup and stood up straight. "He's staying?"

Wooyoung nodded, as if it had just occurred to him for the first  time. "I guess so. But if even I'm that worried, shouldn't he be even  more anxious?"

"I think he is."

"Then why..."

Yeosang walked up to Wooyoung and placed a hand on his shoulder.  "Maybe Yunho doesn't want Jongho to go. He wants Jongho to do what he  wants to do. It's an understanding between brothers. They've been  through a lot. We'll never understand."

"Did something happen to them?" Wooyoung questioned.

"Yes, but it's not my place to tell you that. I only figured it out  accidentally." Yeosang imagined - not for the first time - how hard it  must've been for the brothers after they were orphaned.