One and a half weeks had passed since Wooyoung went to San's office and right now he was waiting in front of the dance academy, waiting for Yunho to pick him up. San had texted him earlier that day and asked Wooyoung to hold his day free after his classes. The dancer got used to getting picked up for and from school, all of this becoming a part of his daily routine. And he had to admit, he'd feel weird without seeing Yunho by now. He got more talkative with the second week starting and Wooyoung liked the bodyguard's company, even if it wasn't for long. He saw him more often than his fiancé which was kind of amusing to Wooyoung.
Yunho eventually arrived, elegant in his black suit as always, and smiled politely once Wooyoung entered the car. They greeted each other quickly before the bodyguard started to drive.
"What is the plan for today?" Wooyoung asked, curiosity killing him.
"You'll see."
A weak smile was drawn onto Yunho's lips, making it as hard as always to read anything out of him. Wooyoung sometimes wondered how he did that. The constant politeness, not speaking too little but not too much either, always staying professional. He wondered what Yunho was like in private, what he liked, what not, and what his actual personality was like.
Time went by and they eventually stopped in front of a gate. Yunho fished for something in his jacket pocket and pulled out a card which he held in front of a small electrical device. A short beep sound was heard and the gate opened, revealing a house — no, a villa in front of Wooyoung's and Yunho's eyes. The black-haired watched the building get closer with wide eyes.
There was grass everywhere, perfectly mowed and in a pretty, dark green shade. Trees were aligned perfectly one after another and some of the leaves had already started to change colors, throwing in imperfections to the seemingly flawless building. Nevertheless, it still looked clean and expensive. There were white pebbles on the ground, creating a long and wide path leading to the villa. Its architecture looked modern. Wooyoung liked to call buildings like these 'boxes' because of the way they were built, looking mostly rectangular or square-shaped. Flat roof, sharp corners, windows that started on the floor and went up to the ceiling. The white-grayish marble look and the brown wooden accents next to the tall windows were truly a pretty sight.
Yunho took a turn and Wooyoung saw a big parking spot as they drove past the villa, a red car already standing there. Although Wooyoung didn't see this car that often yet, he could immediately tell whose it was. And something inside of him knew who this house must belong to the first second his eyes took in the view. Still, he didn't want to jump to conclusions. And even now he didn't want to believe it fully.
They exited the car and walked to the entrance, the white pebbles silently crunching under Wooyoung's feet as they approached the door. He let his eyes wander over the details, not noticing that Yunho had already rung the doorbell, and when the door opened, Wooyoung found himself a little surprised at the fact that he was not surprised by San opening the door.
"Welcome," he smiled, then stepped aside to make space for his bodyguard and fiancé to enter.
Wooyoung stood in place and felt a little awkward. His eyes followed Yunho who seemed to make himself at home. The bodyguard walked to an area that Wooyoung made out as the kitchen a few seconds later and grabbed a glass that stood by a water bottle. While Yunho drank water, Wooyoung used the time to look around the inside of the villa. The interior was simple but modern, mostly shades of gray, white and black decorating this area. The kitchen that Yunho stood in was in the very back and pure white.
To Wooyoung, it almost looked lifeless here. Everything had its spot, it was clean and tidy, and nothing that was in the wrong place. Then he noticed a few plants that added a comfortable vibe to the colorless view and suddenly it didn't feel as flat as it used to at the first sight. And then, Wooyoung noticed that there were a few art pieces here and there that were sprinkling in some color. The lights were a warm yellow and not a piercing bright white. Not that they needed any at this moment anyway with the daylight shining through the big windows.
It was a pretty place, he couldn't lie. And still, he felt horribly wrong to even stand in here.
"Wooyoung?"
"Hm?" the said boy snapped out of his thoughts and faced San who was smiling weakly and looked at him expectantly.
"Is it weird for you?"
"Is what weird for me?" he asked a little dumbfounded.
San chuckled weakly. "The fact that this is your new home."
Wooyoung exhaled, a little too harsh because it sounded like a huff, and glanced behind San to look at the living room area. He rubbed his nape and smiled. "To be completely honest... Yeah."
"I thought so. It must feel very... new. Maybe even strange. But you'll get used to it," San said, "Let me show you around, you might actually end up liking it here."
"I didn't say that I hate it."
"Yes, but you didn't say that you like it either."
Wooyoung laughed at that. San spoke no lies. A hand found its way to the dancer's back, only a light and polite touch to signalize Wooyoung they'd start moving , and he didn't know if he was ready for that. He wanted to stand there a little longer, just until it would hit him fully.
They walked towards the kitchen and Yunho greeted them with smiling eyes. His cheeks were filled to a point in which he couldn't speak and Wooyoung couldn't help but compare the view with a squirrel. San grabbed one of the empty glasses and filled it with water before pushing it in front of Wooyoung, the latter thanking him with a weak nod.
"Yunho may be my bodyguard," San started and kept his eyes on Yunho who had his cheeks stuffed, "but he is also my friend. So no, I do not have a problem with him emptying my fridge."
The bodyguard laughed while covering his mouth with his hands. San must've noticed Wooyoung's slight confusion and not being able to tell if this was normal, considering how polite and professional they had talked and treated each other ever since he knew them. Yunho being San's friend explained this though, and he figured that even if they weren't friends, a boss should always make sure to provide water and food for his bodyguards. Maybe not in the way Yunho takes advantage of it, but still.
"You don't need to stay until they're here, you're off for today. I'll take Wooyoung home — Uh, to his still home."
Until who is here? Wooyoung felt curious and a little upset at the fact he was the last to find out what was still going to happen on that day but he brushed it off. He knew San would still tell him and that was exactly what he did after Yunho wished both of them a good day.
"I invited a small newcomer designer to come over today. He'll introduce us to his first collection of suits. Our marriage may not be for traditional reasons but I'm sure you don't want to marry in ordinary clothing, right?" San laughed and Wooyoung nodded, a short laugh passing his lips as well. "In addition, we can support him! He seemed to be very excited, at least that's what Mingi told me when he talked to him."
At that moment Wooyoung realized that San wasn't a bad person. Not that he thought he was, but he didn't consider him a good person either. Not until now. Yes, he had offered Wooyoung to pay his debts and his dance classes, but that was based on a deal. Taking and giving. He couldn't read out of that action if San did that because he pitied him, felt obligated as it was part of the deal or because he was simply kind. Wooyoung obviously knew it was the second option, however, now he felt like the third option played some part in it too.
A newcomer designer meant: Cheaper clothing, way cheaper.
Wooyoung didn't know what it was that he liked most about this. The fact that he rather chose a pretty unknown designer with intentions of supporting him or the fact that San took into consideration that Wooyoung would feel uncomfortable wearing expensive clothing. And even if he didn't even think that far, Wooyoung still felt thankful.
It was a little naive to judge San by this small act of kindness, Wooyoung had to admit that, but something inside of him told him that he was right with his assumption. San being a good person just sounded right to him.
"So, should we start?"
Wooyoung nodded, now feeling more confident and certain. He was ready. It had finally hit him, and compared to his imagination of thinking it would hit him like a truck, it only felt like a feather brushing against his skin. He was okay with it. Entirely okay with it.
San showed him around in the kitchen, showed him where everything was located and they made their way to the living room area, Wooyoung letting his eyes ghost over the furniture with a plain expression. He didn't feel moved by the furniture. That changed a little when seeing the fireplace built into the corner of a wall, but that was all. They made their way upstairs and that was when it got a little more interesting.
The first thing Wooyoung saw was a long hallway. On each side were three doors and he felt curious about what was behind them. San smiled weakly when opening the first door, the inside revealing a bedroom. With a hand gesture, San led Wooyoung, who was already spinning left and right while walking, inside and he eyed everything thoroughly.
"I told the people who set the room up to keep it neutral so you could arrange everything to your preferences. I hope you like it. I wasn't there when they did it- I'm so packed with work... I'm glad we have time to get what is important done today."
San sounded sorry and Wooyoung shook it off with a smile. "It's fine! It worked, that's what matters. And I like the room, thank you."
The other nodded relieved and gave Wooyoung some more minutes to look around the room. There was a queen-sized bed with white sheets and a few white pillows on it. Around the room were a few plants, some bigger than others and Wooyoung liked that. A wooden desk in the same light brown color as the big closet and shelves stood in the corner. Overall it had everything that one would wish for in a bedroom, but it looked a little dull and lifeless. Wooyoung would change that soon.
San carried the house tour on and showed Wooyoung the next room which was across from the one they had just entered. It was a bathroom, a pretty one, with a walk-in shower and a big mirror hanging over the bathroom sink. Wooyoung figured that it was San's since there were towels and other utensils placed in there. They went to the other side again and the next room was the one beside Wooyoung's, another bathroom that looked similar to San's, just a little smaller. To the dancer, this type of housing was something he could've only dreamt of — Something he'd only see in movies. And now this was his bathroom? His own? He could hardly believe it.
The room next to the bathroom, and the last one on the right side, was a guest room. Nothing too special, just a bed, dressers and a floor lamp. Then they reached the room at the very end on the left side and San bit his lip in excitement before opening the door.
"This is my favorite one."
Wooyoung's eyes widened at the sight of books, loads of books, all perfectly arranged into tall and wide bookshelves that stood against every wall. The walls basically consisted of books. In the center of the room there was a brown sofa and an armchair, standing on a big white rug that looked as soft as clouds. In the middle, where the fourth wall should be, was just a very wide and tall window, currently hidden behind white curtains. Unlike the furniture that filled the rest of the villa this room actually looked warm and cozy, like a place you'd want to spend hours in and Wooyoung understood why this was San's favorite room.
San was still standing in the doorframe when Wooyoung entered and looked through the bookshelves with interest written across his face, his fingers softly stroking some of the book spines as he walked past them. "I spend most of my time here, it's my escape from reality. Unfortunately, I haven't had much time to read in the past few weeks with the amount of work that has been sitting on my shoulders, but it's nice to witness the effect just standing in here already has on me. I feel calm all of a sudden."
"And before you entered you didn't feel calm?" Wooyoung asked as he turned around, withdrawing the fingers that traced the pattern of the floor lamp that was standing between the sofa and armchair.
There it was again, that same face he made in the café. Just a slight change in his gaze, an even slighter change in his mimic but Wooyoung noticed, again . San parted his lips to say something, but before he had the chance to form a word the sound that was similar to a doorbell rang through the villa.
San, who still stood in the doorframe, nodded in the direction of the stairs to signalize Wooyoung that they should get going. They made their way downstairs and the black-haired watched as Mingi and a man packed with bags entered the villa. They were followed by two women who held even more bags and Wooyoung huffed. This is going to be fun.
Wooyoung was proven right. It definitely was fun to try different suits on. The fanciest types of suits, ones that were bright colored, others that were tinted in pastel shades. Both of them eventually decided on plain black ones but it was interesting to see regardless. The designer was very talented, creative, and kind too, and Wooyoung was sure he had a bright future (as bright as some of his creations) ahead of him.
They said goodbye and San thanked them for coming before closing the door. He turned to Mingi and patted his shoulder, smiling. "You can leave now too, thank you. I'll drive Wooyoung home and get back right after, no need to stay here."
Mingi nodded, expression strong. He gave both Wooyoung and San a weak nod before turning his words to the latter, "See you tomorrow then."
Wooyoung watched as he left. His eyes lingered on the door for a little longer after it closed. Mingi definitely was more bodyguard-like than Yunho. He didn't intend to think that Yunho wasn't made for this job, it was the other way around, he was absolutely sure Yunho was great at it, but Mingi really lived up to the bodyguard image. He had everything the other had. A fit body, a good height, but unlike Yunho's, Mingi's face was intimidating. And it was the expressionless gaze that definitely added to the bodyguard vibe.
"I didn't get to show you the outside yet," San suddenly said and caused Wooyoung to snap out of his thoughts with that. He followed San to a door that led to the back, straight outside where he had a perfect view of a black lounge with a small fireplace in the middle, all of it standing on gray stone tiles. There were plants and some of them had lost some spirit due to it being autumn, but they added to the vibe nevertheless. They walked down some stairs, and then Wooyoung's stomach dropped.
A pool.
San walked closer to the clear blue water, not thinking anything, and when he noticed that Wooyoung stood frozen in place, he turned around, eyebrow perking. "Why are you not coming?"
"I don't feel save around pools," he admitted, feeling slightly embarrassed.
San then lifted his eyebrows, immediately walking closer to Wooyoung again. "Your fear of water... I completely forgot. I'm sorry."
"No need to be! Just give me a second," Wooyoung waved his hands and smiled, though the smile clearly showed his nervousness and San was able to see that.
"No, it's fine! There's enough time to get familiar with everything once you actually move in," he reassured, "Let's get you home, you must be exhausted."
...
The car ride mostly consisted of conversations about Friday which would approach in two days already and how they'd handle everything. They agreed on picking Wooyoung up in the morning to head to the airport together. San also let him know that they'd fly in economy class because he didn't want to overwhelm Wooyoung, and the dancer couldn't help but feel a little weak at that. San really seemed to try and make things as comfortable as he could, to not pull him out of his comfort zone unless it was absolutely necessary and Wooyoung appreciated that.
"See you on Friday, then."
Wooyoung hummed, returning the smile San gave him. "See you," he said and unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the door, and was about to step out of the car. He sat back once more though and locked eyes with San.
"Thank you, by the way."
"For what?" he asked confused.
"For not forcing your lifestyle on me. I know it'll become inevitable later on, but for now... I truly appreciate it."
San smiled warmly. "There's no need to thank me for that. I know that our worlds are the complete opposite of each other's, but after this weekend you'll be part of my world... And I'll be part of yours. You understand what I mean, right?"
San spoke the words so effortlessly, smooth like silk, and hit Wooyoung right into his core. He did understand. Very clearly. He suddenly felt a little weak in his knees for a second. It's obvious that this guy reads a lot of books in his free time.
"Get home safe," Wooyoung said and got out for sure now.
"You too!"
The dancer laughed, "We are standing right in front of it."
"Oh- Right," San realized and chuckled as well, eyes turning into crescent moons.
Wooyoung closed the car door and walked to the entrance, turning around when he noticed the other had not left yet. He waved goodbye to San who immediately waved back, leaving a comfortable feeling in Wooyoung's chest. The dancer then entered the house, only hearing the sound of the engine when he closed the door behind him. San waited until he got inside safely, and although this should be the bare minimum, the action made Wooyoung smile.
Friday
Wooyoung was looking through one of the magazines that were available in the back of the seat in front of him, eyes ghosting over the pages. Yunho and Mingi sat on the seats next to them on the right side, having some conversation. Today was the first time Wooyoung saw both bodyguards wear ordinary clothes and he felt refreshed by how normal they looked. They bickered with each other and the black-haired smiled before returning his attention to the magazine again, sighing when he didn't see anything interesting.
"What kind of magazines do you have in front of you?" Wooyoung asked the one sitting next to him. That's when he noticed something.
"San? Are you okay?"
San pushed a shaky breath out of his throat, "Y-Yeah."
He didn't look okay. Terror was written all over his face, and when the announcement of the plane taking off in the next minute sounded through the speakers, he pulled a little on his black pullover, the fabric snapping right back at his throat when he let go of it again.
"Are you scared of flights?" the dancer asked quietly, not wanting him to feel embarrassed. There was nothing to be embarrassed for anyway, but Wooyoung knew how bad one could feel about their fears.
"A little, maybe-" San answered, voice trembling. And when the plane finally started taking off, he gripped the armrest so hard that his knuckles turned white. He just closed his eyes, probably thinking about something nice to make this feeling pass, and Wooyoung couldn't help but watch the man he was engaged to carefully.
It didn't take long until they were up in the air and San released the death grip on the armrest, however, he still looked restless and Wooyoung felt incredibly bad. They'd be on this plane for fourteen hours and he didn't want to imagine what went on inside of San right now.
The dancer thought a little in his seat. He would feel horrible if he just continued reading a random magazine while San trembled in fear next to him. An idea struck him and he hoped that it wouldn't sound weird.
"Hey, I read this article once that holding hands reduces stress and soothes anxiety... Do you want to?" Wooyoung suggested carefully while placing the back of his hand on the armrest, open as an invite for San. He just had to grab it.
He peeked through his brown hair, eyes focusing on Wooyoung's hand first before meeting the dancer's gaze, only to scoff in the end. "I'm fine."
Suddenly the plane shook a little and San inhaled sharply as he pressed his back into the seat as far as possible, his hand immediately reaching out for Wooyoung's. He glanced to his right where he saw the dancer grinning and he huffed. "Don't. Say. Anything."
Wooyoung pretended to lock his mouth with an invisible key and bent over to steal the magazines in front of San, not letting go of his hand for even a second. With interest sparkling in his eyes, Wooyoung spotted a magazine about K-Pop and dance choreographies, immediately opening the first page with a satisfied sigh. He probably didn't even notice, but he started stroking San's hand with his thumb softly, the action causing immediate comfort to rush through his body. He was still frightened, but somehow it was more bearable with Wooyoung's hand in his, and he peeked over his shoulder to get a glimpse of the thing his fiancé seemed to be interested in.
"Is this what you want to do once you graduate?" San asked and Wooyoung nodded, a bright smile forming on his lips.
He hummed. "I love the choreographies and I'd love to be a background dancer for a cool group or a solo artist, doesn't matter. Becoming a choreographer would be very nice too! We'll see where the future will take me."
San smiled as well, liking how confident Wooyoung was about his future. He knew exactly what he wanted, and somehow San envied him for that. Taking over his father's business was something that was always out of question — He had found interest in casinos ever since he was little and looked up to his father, but sometimes he wondered what would've happened if San hadn't been born into his family. What if he never got to see this world, what would he want to be? He envied Wooyoung for the privilege of free choice, and although San did somehow choose this life, it always felt like he had no other opportunities in the first place. In his case, it was either nothing or all in and he chose the second option.
San's eyes widened when another turbulence greeted the plane, his grip tightening around Wooyoung's hand. The black-haired laughed and squeezed San's hand back. "I didn't know your eyes could get this big-"
"Ha Ha," he voiced unamused, eyes narrowing now and he let his head fall back on the seat.
"Maybe try to sleep a little, you look like you could need some."
"When do I not..." he mumbled before closing his eyes.
An answer that made Wooyoung question if San lacked sleep more often, but this wasn't the time to ask questions and it was none of his business either so he let the topic go.
The flight consisted of a softly snoring San, panicked San, San that became hungry, San that fell asleep once more and woke up a little later due to turbulences again, of Mingi and Yunho sleeping on each other's shoulder and watching movies — Wooyoung and San eventually doing the same, San falling asleep once more and Wooyoung doing the same, and then the latter woke up and noticed an odd feeling in his stomach region. They were landing. And San had a death grip on the armrest again. Wooyoung yawned and put his hand over San's, the latter not moving. He did appreciate it, though.
With a light jerk, the plane met with the ground and San let out a sigh of relief, his pale face regaining some of its colors after realizing that they had landed. San withdrew his hand and wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans, then sunk deeper in his seat.
"Finally, huh?" Wooyoung chuckled and it seemed like San was returning to the land of the living because he was actually laughing, even if it only was quietly.
"Yeah," was all he answered.
They waited some minutes until everyone left and then got up too, all four of them feeling a little wonky on their legs. San took the longest to regain some sensation in his legs because unlike the other three, he did not get up, not even once. He refused to walk even one step in a plane that was far up in the sky. Mingi couldn't think of any logical reasoning behind that. He was on the plane anyway, he might as well walk? But fears don't always have to have a reason and most importantly don't have to make sense sometimes.
To San it also didn't have to make sense why he held Wooyoung's hand for almost the whole entirety of this flight, and even more why it helped him to feel calm.
Tired and exhausted feet walked to the entrance, they said goodbye to the flight attendants and eventually walked down the gangway. San was the first one to leave the plane, then Mingi and Yunho, and lastly Wooyoung.
Something about the air filling Wooyoung's lungs was different. He felt different, and perhaps this was the moment in which Wooyoung realized that with the first step on the American ground he didn't just step into a country he'd never been to before, but also stepped into a completely new chapter of his own story.