When Ada opened the door for Wooyoung yet again, they shared sunny smiles. The woman stepped away to allow him entrance without questions. Her voice travelled ahead of her toward the kitchens.
"Yeosang, your handsome friend is here. Go and greet him."
In a reply of the first day Wooyoung had spent here, Yeosang came skittering over immediately. The laces on the collar of his white linen shirt were undone to expose his neck and pronounced jugular. Many days of sitting inside hunched over his books while the sun shone outside left his skin pale like marble.
"Wooyoung, good morning! We prepared baked goods; come and look at them!" Yeosang bounced around excitedly as Wooyoung followed him inside. It was one of the rare mornings he didn't get a completely hungover Yeosang who had either fallen asleep sucking on Wooyoung's neck or pouting over getting called a piece of gum. Not that he looked any more like a morning person. He hadn't even combed his hair since he didn't plan to go out today.
Yeosang came to stand next to Ada, who shoved him aside a moment later when she had to put a new patch of pale dough formations into the oven. Yeosang pouted and pretended to be hurt. His sulking only got a scoff out of Ada.
When Wooyoung had finally caught up with the large wooden table filled with flour stains and creations in various stages of finish, Yeosang came back to him. He stepped in closely into Wooyoung's personal space as if there wasn't an entire table for them to stand at. Wooyoung smirked at his boldness. For being an inexperienced fool, Yeosang had got comfortable with their little flirtations quickly.
"This is the first finished pile! Look, they are soft little breads." Yeosang pointed out the plate with bread rolls out to Wooyoung. Some of them had raisins in them.
"These are mine." His excitement tone carried on, but the sight of the second pile of buns was far less impressive than the first. They had lumpy, sad bodies that seemed to wail at Wooyoung to put them out of their misery.
Proud, Yeosang stood next to Wooyoung. He was even a little taller than him like that.
With a last sympathetic glance at the rolls, Wooyoung rose his hand to the fluffy mess of hair atop Yeosang's head.
"They are wonderful. Good boy," he praised him. Yeosang probably didn't know how to place the blush that took over his features, but Wooyoung did. He watched Yeosang slink off while shyly scratching his nape to get back to work.
Breakfast happened alongside their baking activities. Ada explained to Wooyoung how he had to knead the dough so it wouldn't end up as a disfigured mess as Yeosang's rolls did. They worked side by side and ate the bread while it was still warm. Ada provided jam for them that tasted of apricots.
Their morning was fun and relaxing. Wooyoung loved watching Ada and Yeosang interact like two petty siblings, and he enjoyed teasing Yeosang whenever the man was overcome by boldness. It was the most homey setting Wooyoung had experienced on a trip to the past so far, homier even than Berosus' house.
When they all had their fill and the last patch of rolls that Ada would gift to her other guests baked in the oven, Wooyoung announced his departure. Two different expressions met him. Ada looked delighted that he would go out into the world again to tell his tales and become a famous person. Yeosang, on the other hand, looked downtrodden. Wooyoung knew the man didn't have many friends, so he felt as if ditching a kind soul who didn't deserve to be ditched anymore. His heart clenched uncomfortably in his chest when Yeosang looked at their bread buns rather than at him.
"Accompany me to the crossroad?" He thus suggested. When he glanced at Ada, she nodded carelessly.
Like a loyal dog, Yeosang followed behind Wooyoung when he picked up his bag next to the door and took off. He said his farewells to Ada, and she called back to take care and that he should come and visit again if he found the time. Wooyoung smiled softly. If he would visit anywhere again, then here.
Yeosang trailed behind Wooyoung. He walked with his head lowered as if he didn't know what to say, but also didn't want to admit his discomfort. In silence, they passed the horse trader whom Wooyoung waved at and the piece of forest that connected the crossroad next to the rivulet with Nottingham.
When the city walls and all people were out of sight, Wooyoung turned to Yeosang again. The man dug around in the dirt with a branch he had picked up and avoided Wooyoung's gaze.
"Hey, look at me," Wooyoung pleaded. He could see Yeosang's upset pout, but those usually shining eyes dodged Wooyoung's masterfully. Wooyoung had to step in and put a hand on Yeosang's shoulder so the man would glance at him. Skittish like a rabbit, he looked back at some tree behind Wooyoung.
"You didn't fall for me, right?" Wooyoung asked with a voice quieter than the rustling of the leaves. If so, he would feel bad. Their little flirt had been nothing but platonic to him, and he had no more plans with Yeosang than some teasing. But Wooyoung was playful like that. He could have read the signals Yeosang gave him wrong.
But Yeosang shook his head. He bit his lip before he exhaled and met Wooyoung's eyes. He tried to keep their eye contact steady, but he failed again a moment after.
"I didn't. But I had so much fun with you. I never had such a good friend."
Instead of just in two pieces because he had to leave San for centuries at once all the time, Yeosang's murmur ripped Wooyoung's heart into four pieces.
"I shouldn't be greedy. Ever since you arrived, I enjoyed every minute I spent with you. I should relish those memories but..." Yeosang ended in a pout. Wooyoung knew.
They had finished too fast.
With a sigh, Wooyoung stepped in to hug Yeosang. The man clung to him and breathed in the scent of soap in Wooyoung's hair. Wooyoung gently swayed their bodies left and right like a mother would put her child to sleep.
"I will also miss you so much, Yeosang. I hope I was just a beginning and that you will meet many great friends soon. People are missing out on you."
"But other people aren't you," Yeosang grumbled into Wooyoung's neck. Moved, Wooyoung blinked against the tears collecting in his eyes.
So this would be one of the difficult goodbyes.
He buried his face in Yeosang's neck to hide his face from the sky, unmasking his emotions and lying them bare in front of him. When his lips brushed Yeosang's neck, the man shuddered, sensitive. With an evil little hum, Wooyoung pressed a proper kiss to Yeosang's neck. He got slapped on the flank for that.
When they pulled their heads back to look at each other, Wooyoung tried his brightest smile.
"Behave and be kind to Ada, yes? She's just looking out for you."
Yeosang wiped his eyes and sniffled, but he nodded along.
"And find a hiding spot for your books."
"I will. And if I see Alisander again, I will tell him you ran off," Yeosang threatened, as if he wanted to blackmail Wooyoung with this forbidden information.
Wooyoung chuckled at him and ruffled his hair once more.
"Do that. He will ask where I went to so he can follow me." Wooyoung couldn't help the fondness in his voice. Yeosang clicked his tongue, pretending to be jealous.
"Then maybe I should accompany him if it's just me you are evading."
"Don't say that!" With a giggle, Wooyoung hugged Yeosang once more. They were softer this time, less overcome by trembling.
A beat passed in which Wooyoung just enjoyed their embrace and looked out into the colourful forest over Yeosang's shoulder.
"Thank you for taking such good care of me. And for showing me around and having nice food with me," Wooyoung said. Stubbornly, Yeosang hugged him tighter. Wooyoung didn't know if tears choked up his words of if Yeosang had none to say. When they finally parted and stepped back, a suspicious wetness shone in Yeosang's eyes.
"Take care, Yeosang," Wooyoung smiled. Yeosang nodded back, lips pressed together tightly.
Yeosang turned first to storm back to the town. He had one hand in his eyes, furiously wiping at his tears.
Wooyoung looked after him with an ache in his heart until Yeosang disappeared out of sight.
Only after Wooyoung had calmed down, he slowly made his way back to the tower. The memories it carried of their picnic here were bittersweet.
Alone in the pretty fairytale woods, Wooyoung unstrapped the remote from his body and activated its button. He left his walking staff leaned against the wall of the tower for a different wanderer to use before he stepped through and returned home yet again.
In a melancholy mood, he changed his clothes and set the used one aside for Seungyoun neatly folded. When he pulled his shirt from his locker, something that had rested atop of it came with it. It tumbled into Wooyoung's hands when he caught it in a hurry. The small silver item rolled in his palm when he eyed it curiously.
The intricate little carvings of the world serpent in the metal weren't hard to place with the Vikings. A gift from Seungyoun?
Wooyoung rolled it between his fingers as he set out to meet Yongguk. On his way to visit the man, he greeted a teacher with her school class that walked around the entrance foyer. She pointed out Wooyoung to the kids and introduced him as someone who worked with time travel. He said hi and grinned at the class.
One kid booed at him because he looked like a boring student with his hoodie and joggers. The others stared up at Wooyoung with shining and sparkling eyes. Expectant, the teacher waited for him to speak.
"If you want to be like me one day, you'll have to learn the rules. Then you're about halfway there," Wooyoung said. In the foyer, his voice carried.
"Which rules?" A little boy piqued up.
Wooyoung pointed out their glorious rule slab to them and told them to know it by heart. Then he hurried along so the teacher could take back over, but she smiled at him gratefully for having made the time. With a grin, Wooyoung took off. Starry-eyed kids always lifted his mood.
Yongguk was glued to his chair as always when Wooyoung entered. He looked relieved at the big grin that Wooyoung sported and picked up his phone to order pizza so they could have lunch together with Seungyoun soon. Wooyoung munched on his cookie and stared at the hair accessory in his hand while Yongguk established a new record on how to order food with the least words used possible.
Once his deep voice directed at Wooyoung, Wooyoung scooted closer in his chair.
"Had a better trip this time?"
"Not a hard mark to hit after Norway," Wooyoung chuckled. He opened his palm to show Yongguk the item he carried. Curious, the man glanced between it and Wooyoung's face.
"Did Seungyoun leave it as a present for me?"
"He said it fell out of your tunic when he cleaned it up. Maybe it got stuck?"
"Oh?" A smile curled around Wooyoung's lips. He had only been close enough to one man's hair in Norway that a pearl could have caught in his clothing.
Wooyoung shoved the accessory into his pocket for later reference. Yongguk leaned back to listen to his tale while Wooyoung munched on his cookies and enjoyed life.
This time, he had an easier time talking about what happened. He told Yongguk about his success with Yeosang, about Ada's kindness, and about their misconceptions on Robin Hood. He also mentioned San and how they had decided to meet in Florence.
Yongguk looked mightily proud of Wooyoung's progress. Once the quick summary ended, Yongguk pulled a sheet of paper from a desk at his side and handed it to Wooyoung.
"I'm glad it worked out for you two. Here, this is where you will go after meeting Leo. You can tell San when you meet him."
Wooyoung grumbled at the paper in his hands. He had hoped that the time windows in which he would have to leave San alone would get smaller and smaller. But his next location was Victorian England, in 1869. No wonder the Brits had all the knowledge of immortality gathered from their colonies. But that was another long four hundred years.
"I know what you think. But 1869 is getting close to us. By then, you can just invite him over to the institute."
Giddiness filled Wooyoung's heart once more at that statement.
He would do exactly that.