➼ wooyoung x san
➼ ATEEZ
➼ A/M

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Have you ever wondered what it would feel like if you were to live in a cage? Wooyoung has gone through that emotion far too many times to keep the count. Whatever he does, whatever he says, the man who had him imprisoned would always find a way to make him suffer.

The door on top of the stairs swung open, allowing the light to stream in which lightened up the dark as night room. Heavy thuds of his leather boots were heard as he made his way down at a fixed pace. The boy took a ragged breath as he writhed away in fear but he could only do so much in this enclosed space.

"You awake?" his voice rang lowly while he opened a massive container in the corner of the room, not before switching on the light bulb which swayed slightly up above the boy. "How does it feel, huh? I have told you millions of times to not fucking disobey whatever I say," his voice deepened, implying the fury that rose inside of him.

It appeared that the boy had almost lost the ability to speak from the sheer terror he felt by the man in front of him. But now that he was fully awake and the adrenaline was long gone, he now experienced immense pain in his abdomen, the recent scars on his wrists, which were the result of, there being no mercy for him in that man's heart, if he even had one.

"Your mother was just like you, pathetic."

Wooyoung's heartbeat expedited as he eyed the man cautiously. But this time, it was not from fear but animosity he felt towards the man, who was believed to be his father but in reality, he was the devil himself. "Still not gonna say anything?" he chuckled and took a shining pair of scissors from that massive container, sharp enough to cut through anything.

Wooyoung let out a small gasp, his carcass shrinking in itself as he watched the man make his way towards him, "Now, let's rehearse it. What was the first rule?" he commanded, fiddling with the scissors in his hands; his face held no expression which freaked out the boy furthermore.

Wooyoung's throat tightened but he still forced himself to speak, "N-Not to scream when I'm receiving m-my punishment."

The man nodded his head in approval, "That's one. What else?" he asked and then began to stride around the cage dreadfully, his eyes piercing through the boy who struggled visibly.

"N-Never attempt to run away from y-you or I'll be severely punished."

The man halted his steps in front of the cell, looking down at the boy with contempt, "What else?"

Wooyoung's breath hitched at the sudden change of facial expression on his father's face. "U-Umm, not to let anyone know about m-my situation," he mumbled in a shaky voice.

"THAT'S RIGHT!" his father cried out with his eyes wide, the veins popping out on his neck; making the boy flinch, "AND GUESS FUCKING WHAT?"

Wooyoung couldn't help but tremble uncontrollably. His composure in withstanding this cruelty weakened as fresh, hot tears slid down his face, his face a mixture of purple and blue. "You know how I felt when I got a call from your homeroom teacher, asking me about the bruise on your DAMN FACE?" he yelled and banged on the bars with full force, making the boy flinch again and recoil until his back stuck close to the bars behind him.

"She said she was worried about you. She asked me what could have caused it," his voice suddenly shifted to a much lower and calm tone as he crouched down to fix Wooyoung with a deadly stare.

"She was suspicious of me," he hissed. "You know, to hear something like that from a stranger who thinks she can save each of her students from danger... It makes me laugh. It's fucking hilarious to see her —a woman— try and bring justice when there isn't one to give."

He rose to his feet with a grunt, "Every other person on this land has sinned one way or another, and they must be punished for it. Just like you," he growled, pointing those scissors at the boy in a threatening manner.

With a wavering gaze, the boy looked up at his father. There he was again, blabbering about the people who have erred and should be punished. It makes him mad when he tries to think of a valid reason, for the sin he has committed according to his father but could never come up with any.

Wooyoung's attention was snapped when he heard the gate of his cell unlock. And in came his father with scissors still clutched in his hand; a wicked sneer on his face. He walked over to the trembling boy, "This should teach you a lesson."

𓆩♡𓆪

Soft whimpers could be heard in the deafening silence. It was over... the torment. But the aftermath made his bones crawl with despair as Wooyoung choked a sob. His back felt numb, almost. Never in his life had his father done something like this to him, even though he had experienced far worse than this. Countless broken arms, broken ankles, broken fingers. He had gone through all of that.

So this was nothing new to him. But the thought that his father was willing to slither those scissors across his back without a hitch made him unnerve of all the other things he could do to him, what if it was a knife instead? What if that man could have stabbed him right here and now and nobody would have noticed. Not until after he was dead, not until the people would start to notice his absence.

Would anyone even notice if he was gone? He wondered. A ball of dread settled in the bottom of his stomach like a weight that wouldn't let off.

For the first time, he was scared; scared to die at the hands of his father, just like his mother did. The poor boy wanted to be saved and not go through a similar fate.

The radiant heater in here was broken and nobody even cared to fix it, the room darker than ever. Wooyoung could feel himself shivering as the place grew colder, for the man had not left any spare pair of clothing for him. He was unaware of the fact whether it was day or night, what date it was, absolutely clueless.

All of a sudden, he heard the door open and close. And down came the quick footsteps of someone, they weren't his father's. Thinking it must be a break-in of some sort, Wooyoung scampered backwards in panic but in doing so, the back of his skin pulled violently, making him cry out in severe pain.

The footsteps ceased, making the boy go rigid momentarily, his heart pounding hard against his ribs as Wooyoung listened intently for the person to make some noise. Wooyoung stayed in the same posture: on his knees with his hands touching the ground.

He thought, how pathetic was his life to be battling like this with no way of winning. He was powerless. He was chained to his father who held the keys to his life. He could do nothing.

Then suddenly the lights came on, revealing the person who dared to trespass inside the house. The individual's eyes widened when they landed on Wooyoung who was held captive inside a cell; his condition was horrid to look at.

"Wooyoung! Oh my God!" San exclaimed, one hand raised in front of his mouth—displaying intense shock. Wooyoung had bruises all over his face, the shirt which San assumed was Wooyoung's, lay on the side; torn to pieces. The boy was surrounded by a crimson gore, that presumably was his.

Wooyoung recognized that voice and the face all too well. He, wasting no time, crawled on all his four to come closer to the bars, clasping them tightly to support his unsteady self, "S-San! You... What a-are you doing in here?" Wooyoung questioned, rasping as the wounds on his back burned hot.

San, who was still in shock shook his head to get a grip on himself, "No time to waste, San," he muttered and rushed over to the cell, looking over at the boy who seemed on the brim of collapsing.

"I knew something was wrong," San told with a frown. "Is that why you haven't been coming to school for all this time?!" he asked, knowing the answer himself. Right after, he tried to pull the bars with all his might but none of them budged as they looked secure enough to hold up a robust animal.

"Th... That box! The key m-must be in there!" Wooyoung interfered, pointing at something with gore draping his finger. Without a doubt, San rushed over to the massive container in the corner of the room and heaved it open. It was odd and rusty from the outside, looking a few decades old but the insides were as new as they could be.

His eyes skimmed the various tools conserved in there, ranging from claw hammers to varied sets of pliers, all arranged systematically. But what disturbed him the most was the pair of scissors, resting in the heart of the container with blood on them, and that too appeared to be fresh.

Trying to ignore the gruesome sight, he found the silver key hidden underneath several small nails. He picked it out but not without the nails pricking fingers; letting out small droplets of blood. He then hurried over to the cell and pried to open it. To San, the lock seemed usual but it wasn't.

"What the... I can't seem to open it!" San blurted in frustration but never turned in.

"San, I think he's here," Wooyoung mumbled, terrified to his core as he hearkened intently. The working boy speeded his effort: the thought of getting caught seemed to have a startling impact on him.

Until finally, they both heard a soft click. San cautiously nudged the door and thankfully it cleared open. The boys shared a smile of triumph as San sighed in relief, "That was lucky. But we shouldn't linger around before it runs out," he said and helped Wooyoung up to his feet.

"Think you can walk?"

Wooyoung weakly nodded. San, careful enough not to hurt him any further skimmed his hand behind the boy to hold him upright, "Our friends are waiting for us in the car. I told them to call the police if I wasn't out with you in about fifteen minutes," he told Wooyoung his plan.

The boys walk over to the base of the stairs and were about to go up until the sound of heavy boots one floor above made them freeze.

Wooyoung felt like giving up just when his knees buckled but San was quick enough to catch him, "He's here... He's here and he'll kill me!" he panicked, his eyes glinting with unshed tears. 

The older carefully made him sit on a wooden chair, just to their right. "Hey hey hey! Shhh, it's okay," San softly murmured to the boy as he sat on his haunches but Wooyoung seemed out of it, for he kept mumbling adverse outcomes.

San sighed. "Wooyoung," he called out to him, this time a bit firm. Wooyoung stopped mumbling incoherently as he lifted his face to look at the boy crouching before him.

"Wooyoung, do you trust me?" San questioned, smiling sweetly yet sorrowfully at the boy.

Wooyoung was beyond terrified as he estimated the time when his father may descend the stairs. He knew that with every second that passes by, his chance of getting out of here and starting a new life decreases rapidly.

Wooyoung chokes on a small but audible sob, "Y-Yes. Yes, I do," he says and nods frantically, making the older chuckle slightly.

San proceeds to take hold of both of Wooyoung's hands in his, now serious as he stares at the boy, "Whatever happens... never look back and keep running until you're safe and out in the open. Promise me, Woo."

Wooyoung's heart clenched at the thought of leaving San all by himself because he knew what his father was capable of. That man had no boundaries, no principles, no wisdom of right or wrong. The beliefs his father had and how he perceived them were all just wrong. His sole intention was to make Wooyoung suffer, making him think that this world was not worth fighting for.

But Wooyoung knew the man was wrong. Some people are bound to make you suffer, yes. But some want nothing more than just to see you live your life, being happy and content. They will love you and cherish you like no other. They will be always by your side to help you through your hard times. Always ready to lift you up.

"He will... He will kill you," Wooyoung suddenly sobbed out, not keen on losing the male.

San knew what the stakes were. He had already played out each of the scenarios in his head, some were decent enough where he lives but has a broken arm. While others, they were worse than just having a broken arm. But he loved the boy too much to see him suffer any longer. He was ready to go all in. For Wooyoung.

The older forced a smile, "No, he won't. I will see you outside." he felt bad for lying, but then again, it might be true. Or things could turn out the opposite of what he had opted for. Nonetheless, he didn't let the fear exhibit on his face.

On the other hand, Wooyoung told himself that everything will be alright, but he couldn't shake off the dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach. He could tell that San was pretending, for his sake. That what he was saying may not be true.

Wooyoung flashed a smile yet his eyes carried despair in them, "I'm sorry, San. But I think you should know... that I love you."

San swallowed a lump as he laughed silently. He found it quite hysterical, the situation they were in. It was either live or die. He knew it might be his last chance to remember the face of the boy he loved more than himself, his last chance to lay out his feelings.

The older smiled sweetly, "You know we could have been a couple if you would've told me this sooner, right?"

Wooyoung laughed despite the tears flowing down his face, "That's not fair! How was I supposed to know?"

San gave one last squeeze before he let go of Wooyoung's hands and stands up. "Well, at least some things turned out to be great," San joked as he helps the boy to stand and then goes over to pick up a hammer out of the massive container.

"San," Wooyoung quietly whispered and the older turned around to look at him, "you have to meet me outside, you promised."

San only gave him a reassuring smile, while his stomach churned intensely. His hands slightly trembled but he clenched his fist to keep himself under control as he took his place near the wall, close to the stairway and glanced back, "When I say run, you run," he mouthed.

Wooyoung gulped as he hid behind San. Soon enough, the thumping of the boots grew closer as the man loomed above. The door was pushed open with a creek as he began to descend. San gripped the handle tightly in his hands, listening to every thud that his boots made as the man neared their hiding spot.

"Wooyoung?" he calls out, making the said boy flinch. "I see that you've called your friends over, are they waiting for you?" he questioned in a sweet voice. San gulped as he clenched his jaw, ready to knock the shit out of him.

The man emerged in the room as he walked past the boys and deeper inside. San stealthily pushed himself closer until he was standing right being the man whose back was facing him, "Come out, Wooyoung. It's not nice to keep your friends waiting, is it?" the man urged, his tone surprisingly low.

All of a sudden, a sharp glint made Wooyoung close his eyes momentarily. And when he opened them again, he could finally see his father holding a Santoku knife closely against his chest.

The man knew about their lure.

Not losing a minute, Wooyoung rushed over and shoved San out of the way, just when the man turned. San fell to the floor, confused until he saw what had happened; his blood turning cold.

"NO!" he screamed at the top of his lungs and jumped up to his feet, swiftly colliding his shoulder with that of the man, successfully making him stagger to one side.

Wooyoung looked down and saw the knife sticking out of him, blood gushing out as his vision blurred. And just before he collapsed, San caught his limp body in his arms as he lay him down gently; holding him close. "H-Hey! Wake up! Wooyoung! Pl-Please!" San pleaded, overrun by the grief as he watched Wooyoung slowly lose consciousness.

"S-San..."

The older widened his eyes, desperate as he saw him whisper, "W-What is it, Woo?"

Wooyoung raised his bloody hand to warn him but it was too late. The man hurled the hammer right before Wooyoung's eyes as San collapsed on the floor face first. But then too the man proceeded to hit him more until he was sure that the boy won't be getting up.

San passed out for a few seconds but when he came back, his ears were ringing loudly, making it harder for him to hear anything. He felt something oozing out of his ears but couldn't feel any pain, almost as if he was never hit.

Vision blurred, he could still make out the silhouette of a couple of people struggling roughly. But not heeding any of it, San moved his arm over to interweave his hand with Wooyoung's who seemed still as a wood.

San weakly squeezed his hand, waiting for the boy to do the same. But he didn't.

He saw Wooyoung staring at nothing in particular, a faraway look in his eye as a single tear escaped his dull eyes. San knew it was over, the fight, the struggle. His heart broke down under the burden of losing the boy he cherished oh so much.

Only if he knew about the hardship the boy was facing, he might have been able to save him. But in the end, it all came down to this.

San's breathing gradually decreased as he closed his eyes, the tears he held back all this time finally set free. But in the end, Wooyoung finally found the peace he had been so long searching for.

The world fades away slowly; peace concealing their broken souls.

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I legit shed some tears while writing this. Hope you did too lol—
Edit: Before finishing this oneshot, I asked my mum if I should kill both of 'em or only one of them, and she said one. She wanted y'all to suffer lmao.

Votes and comments are very much appreciated! Thank you for reading<333