Title: In Amsterdam Summary: After realizing that Saehyun isn’t having as much fun on tour as he is, Woodam decides to make it up to her by dragging her out of her hotel room.
Pairing: Woodam x Saehyun Genre: Fluff , relationship building Word Count: 1.8k Warnings: None that I could think of besides that it’s partially edited so there may be some mistakes. But please let me know if you think something deserves a warning!!
SUMMER 2014, AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
“Dude, get ready.” Cyth emerged from the bathroom, running a fine toothed comb through his hair. “The pyrotech boys are waiting for us in the lobby.”
Woodam lounged on his hotel bed with his laptop in his lap. He was wearing his grubby sweatpants and a shirt so old that the lettering on it was worn off, completely contrasting the designer button up that Cyth was currently sporting. He tried to make himself look as obstinate as possible.
“You backing out?” Cyth asked, a twinge of disappointment in his voice. The hurt in his older friend’s voice almost made Woodam reconsider his plan, but he stood his ground.
“Yeah man, I’m just not really feeling up to it tonight.” Woodam shrugged, looking at his computer screen rather than his friend’s face.
“Okay... Sure.” Sungho didn’t argue. The good thing about rooming with someone who’s introverted; they never question your need for space. The rapper headed to the door, flinging his coat over his shoulder. “I’ll try to be home before two, but... no promises.”
“Alright, be safe!” Woodam called, pretending to search something on his laptop.
“Again, no promises.” Cyth smirked at him from the doorway before closing the door.
Woodam waited fifteen minutes before snapping his laptop shut. By now, the staff members should either be experiencing the nightlife that Amsterdam had to offer or unwinding in the privacy of their own rooms. It was time for him to get a move on.
Discarding his worn out clothes, he put on a nicer pair of jeans and one of his less-shabby sweatshirts. After a quick comb through his hair and a spritz of cologne for good luck, he exited his hotel room, heading for Saehyun’s down the hall.
Ever since Vice’s tour started, Saehyun, their photographer and past savior, had been dodging invites from Vice and the rest of the staff to unwind after work. At first, Woodam respected the rejection, even though he wished she occupied one of the empty chairs when the staff went out for dinner. But as the tour went on, Woodam felt like it was unfair that he was making all these memories while Saehyun, the person who saved him from a sasaeng all those years ago, sat alone in her hotel room. Tonight, he was going to repay her.
Woodie knocked on her door, swaying back and forth on the balls of his feet while he waited for her to answer. He heard the shuffle of footsteps stop before the door. Woodam looked at the peephole and waved enthusiastically. He was sure he heard a sigh before the door opened.
“Sorry, Woodam. I’m not going out tonight.” Saehyun said, giving him a false look of apology.
“Oh, no worries, me either.” Woodam beamed. The apologetic smile on the photographer’s face melted, being replaced with a mild look of bewilderment.
“Huh?”
“The boys already left. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out?” Woodam proposed, his mouth dry. In his head, Saehyun would accept the invitation without hesitation and the rest of their night would be full of unforgettable memories. However, the strained smile on Saehyun’s face was bringing Woodam back to reality. Before Saehyun could give him an excuse, he continued speaking. “I don’t want to invade your space but you just seemed really stressed lately and I’m worried that you’re overworking yourself. I’m just worried.”
Saehyun licked her lower lip, mulling the proposal over. Then she looked over her shoulder, surveying her current living situation.
“Um, would you like to step in for a minute? We can plan out what we want to do.” She offered tentatively.
“Only if you’re comfortable.” Woodam said sincerely. “You have the right to tell me to go away.”
A ghost of a smile quirked on Saehyun’s lips as she stepped aside and welcomed him into her hotel room.
The room was clean enough, but it was obvious that Saehyun had been living out of it for the duration of their time in Amsterdam. A collection of discarded takeout boxes were crammed into the overflowing trash can. Her pre-planned outfits for the week were neatly folded on the spare bed. Books were stacked on her nightstand, titles that Woodam had noticed several times on the job sight between breaks.
Woodie gestured to a well-worn paperback book. “Didn’t you finish that in Germany?” He asked.
Saehyun shrugged. “I’m re-reading it. I didn’t bring as much reading material as I thought I did.”
Woodam perked up, an idea of how they can spend their night casting over him. “Hey, let’s go shopping for a new book for you to read. My treat.”
Saehyun gave him an appreciative smile. “That’s sweet of you, Woodie, but it’s not necessary.”
“Saehyun, come on.” Woodam pouted, giving the photographer pleading eyes. “You’ve been stuck in this hotel room for two nights now. It’ll be nice to get some fresh air, huh?”
Woodam knew no one could resist his pouting, and Saehyun was no exception. Within ten minutes the pair was exiting the hotel, heading towards the downtown area.
It didn’t take long for Woodam to locate the bookstore he mentioned. The outside was covered in ivy and had little window boxes filled with multicolored flowers. A string of delicate fairy lights draped over the doorway and windows. It looked like something out of a fairytale. Woodie opened the door for Saehyun and watched with satisfaction as his photographer’s jaw dropped every so slightly.
The inside of the bookstore was even more magical. There were books stacked from the floor to the ceiling, teetering in precarious towers. Paper mobiles hung from the rafters, taking shapes of animals or hot air balloons. Just like outside, there were fairylights draped over bookshelves and dangling from the ceiling. It was like stepping into a whole other world.
“Wow.” Saehyun mouthed, looking around with wide eyes. Woodie smiled at Saehyun’s endearing amazement. He let Saehyun wander around as he followed behind her like a tethered puppy, occasionally glancing at titles as they passed. Unfortunately, the bulk of the inventory was written either in Dutch or English. As Saehyun began to notice, her smile started fading and becoming more strained.
Woodie looked around for something to cheer Saehyun up. His eyes fell on a display a few paces away. He walked over and picked up a copy, hurrying back over with a smile on his face.
“What’s that?” Saehyun asked. Woodam held it up proudly. Saehyun arched an eyebrow, looking not nearly as impressed as Woodam imagined.
“A coloring book?” Saehyun wrinkled her nose.
“An adult coloring book.” Woodam emphasized, flipping through the pages, displaying all the intricate line drawings. Saehyun still didn’t seem hooked. Woodam snapped the book shut, accepting defeat.
“Okay… What about…” Woodam looked around. He spent about fifteen minutes searching around the store for something Saehyun would like. Unfortunately, all he knew about Saehyun was that she liked to take pictures and that she probably wanted Woodam to leave her alone. He came up empty handed, and Saehyun looked bored.
“I don’t know…” Woodam sulked, glancing around the bookstore one last time. “I think we struck out.” “It’s getting late anyways.” Saehyun shrugged. “We should probably get back to the hotel before people realize we’re gone.”
Woodam followed Saehyun towards the door silently, thoroughly discouraged that he couldn’t make this night memorable. He doesn’t even know if Saehyun smiled once tonight. That hurt Woodam the most.
As they were passing the last row of displays, something caught Woodam’s eye. He halted in his tracks. To his left was a tall shelf full of journals. The covers ranged from classic leather bound to sparkled with rhinestones. Saehyun realized Woodam wasn’t behind her and backtracked to stand next to him.
Woodam glanced over at the girl with a grin on his face. “What about writing your own story?”
“Got any ideas about your first entry?” Woodam questioned as they walked down the sidewalk. Above them, the street lights buzzed, casting the two of them in an peachy tint. Saehyun peeked into the paper bag, examining her recent purchase. “Not sure.” Saehyun mused. “Maybe I’ll make it into a burn book.”
Woodam’s eyebrows shot up. “Working for HBH is that bad huh?” He teased.
Saehyun rolled her eyes. “I didn’t mean it like that. Most of the staff is lovely. I think.” A puzzled expression casted over her features. “It’s kind of hard to tell who’s nice and who isn’t if everyone talks to you simply.”
“You haven’t made any friends yet?” Woodam asked with concern.
Saehyun dryly chuckled. “I mean… I’m not really here to make friends. I’m here to photograph a boy band and to build up my resume.”
“Still. It must get lonely if you don’t have someone to talk to.” Woodam sympathized. Saehyun didn’t respond. Laughter and cheers from the bars that lined the streets filtered into the night, contrasting the stiff silence between them.
“Are you okay?”
Woodam had been wanting to ask this question for weeks now. With no other staff members or his friends around, the question came out easily. Saehyun looked up at Woodam, her expression downcast.
“I mean… Yeah. I’m okay. But I guess you’re right. I am a little lonely.”
The silence returned.
“You should write about tonight.” Woodam suggested as they were two blocks from their hotel. “In your journal, I mean.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. You might be less lonely when you look back on it.” Woodam smiled. Saehyun fought off a grin as she gave him a playful shove. “Yeah, I’ll look back on it and write about how you tried to get me to buy a coloring book.” Saehyun chuckled. “Hey, it was a good idea! You’re just boring.” “I’m not boring.” “I’d say otherwise…” “You don’t know me.” Saehyun arched her eyebrows playfully. Woodam slowed his walking, nodding his head.
“You’re right. I don’t really know you.” The idol gave the photographer a small smirk. “Maybe we should hang out more. Then I’ll be able to decide if you’re boring or not.”
Saehyun’s smile melted a little. “That’s sweet, Woodie, but… I’m concerned of how it’ll look to everyone else if we start hanging out. My colleagues know I used to be a fansite, you know? They already have their assumptions as to why I’m here. I don’t want to look any less professional than I already do.”
Woodam nodded in understanding. He looked around them. There were people around, but no one seemed to be paying any attention to them. He pointed a finger to the sky. “What if we hung out like this?”
“At night?” Saehyun reacted as if Woodam suggested that they lay in the middle of the road. “If we get caught, I’ll be booted in a heartbeat.”
“So we won’t.” Woodam grinned. “I’m better at keeping secrets than you may think.”
Saehyun ran a hand through her hair, tugging the roots back as she thought about the proposal. Finally, her hand fell from her locks, the strain on her scalp being released.
“I guess it was nice not spending a night alone.” She caved. Woodam beamed, resuming his walking.
“Exactly.” Woodam said satisfactorily.
