Mists of Celeste - an Ateez Fanfic

act three ➻ part seven

"Sorry to interrupt, but... Hongjoong asked to see you on the bridge, Y/N." A breath of hesitation, just long enough to cause a spike of anxiety in your gut. "Alone."

"Of course," San says, tone not shifting in the slightest. He nods at Seonghwa before stepping away from you. His hand lingers on your arm a breath too long, and when you meet his gaze, the eyes looking back at you are filled with... something. You can't read it or understand it, but you don't have much of an opportunity to do so anyway. Instead, you let San move back and head in the opposite direction, turning to face Seonghwa once San's back is to you.

"What's going on?" You ask before Seonghwa can say anything. He shakes his head ever so slightly.

"Just follow me first." You do as told even though the steps are difficult to take. Dealing with Hongjoong feels like dealing with some rabid beast. You can't understand his line of thinking or the way he operates, haven't spent enough time with him to figure him out. He could be planning to kill you for all you know. Seonghwa's presence at your side helps a minimal amount, but it does nothing to ease the anxiety bubbling in your gut. One thing nags at the edge of your thoughts, and you hate to think about it because you want to trust Seonghwa.

"Why does he want to see me?" You ask, voice small and quiet. "Is it — does he know about... you know?" It hurts to say even though you're merely alluding to the bigger picture. You want to trust Seonghwa. His steps falter and come to a halt. You pause beside him, eyes searching his face for any sign of an answer that his voice won't give. Instead, his hands find your shoulders and push you back until your back hits the wall. It isn't rough or forceful; his touch is light, and he moves you like you're a piece of glass on the verge of breaking.

"I promised that I would never tell Hongjoong," Seonghwa says as he brings his chin down to look you in the eye. The gaze behind those eyes is too intense for a moment. You dip your chin and look away before it burns you. Soft fingers trail up your bare arm, leaving a path of electric shocks against your skin, and Seonghwa only stops when his fingers brush your chin. He lifts your head a little, and you're forced to meet his gaze again. "Why do you think I did?"

You can't come up with an answer fast enough. All you manage to do is sputter and stammer your way through incoherent thoughts and random words that attempt to explain why you don't trust him, but Seonghwa silences you by cupping your face.

"I made you a promise, Y/N. I intend to keep it. It's on you to believe it. Until you do, I will keep saying it, but I can't force you to trust me more than you already have." You nod against his touch.

"O-Okay."

Seonghwa's lips twist into a soft smile. His touch lingers. It isn't uncomfortable, but you can't understand what's going through his mind as he continues to look over your face in silence. A small sigh slips past his mouth. Then his breath invades yours, and warmth cascades over you. It's sudden and brief, but you find yourself chasing his lips the moment he pulls away. You couldn't explain why even if you tried. Your hands fly up to clasp around the back of Seonghwa's neck and tug him back down to you again. He releases a faint noise of surprise, but he meets you halfway, hands bracing on the wall behind you. He stops it too soon this time. Probably for the best, seeing as Hongjoong is apparently waiting for you. Seonghwa lets a half-hearted laugh out.

"I'm sorry for being greedy," he murmurs, bringing a hand off the wall to thumb over your cheek again. "I just didn't want — nevermind. You shouldn't keep Hongjoong waiting. I'll be in the training room if you need me. Hongjoong just has a few questions for you, nothing too serious, so don't worry too much, okay?"

"What about? Is something wrong? Why aren't you coming as well? Shouldn't you be there as the lieutenant?" The questions tumble from your lips in a rush, almost slurring together as you spit them out, and Seonghwa grins at the barrage of questions.