[Fic] Love Song
Sep. 10th, 2011 08:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
coley_merrinTitle: Love Song
Author: Coley Merrin
Pairing: Zhou Mi/Kyuhyun
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU, fluff
Summary: “It’s… It’s a love song. They wanted a love song.” And Zhou Mi didn’t sound embarrassed so much as the way his voice changed, softened. Just a little.
Thanks as always to wonder!beta![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wobaozhewo! XD
***
***
Kyuhyun didn’t have a lack of friends. He felt, rather, he tended to collect them. And he wasn’t going to attach a game analogy onto that, because he was afraid it would leak out at some point and least a few of his friends would tsk at him. And there were the ones who couldn’t make decisions, and the ones who had too many opinions, and they still all managed to get along with anyone tending toward homicide. It was a precious long line of them to go into any movie, whoever the designated ticket buyer was passing out tickets, and making sure the wishy-washy ones got food before they went in to sit down.
There were no who-sat-where, pre-defined arrangement. Every so often an extra straggler from a different social circle was added on, so Kyuhyun wasn’t perturbed to file in and sit next to an almost total stranger. They’d all been introduced before the ticket buying began, and his only impression had been a fleeting smile before trying to get people in order. Otherwise they stood there like a bunch of school boys waiting for their teacher, and Kyuhyun had, not sadly, taken that role.
He wracked his brain as they got settled. He had a drink, and… Zhou Mi. Zhou Mi, yes, had a bag of popcorn and an industrial-sized tea. It made his bladder wince ahead of time. He glanced over and they made friendly-type eye contact, and he nodded, kind of intended for that to be that.
Zhou Mi leaned into his shoulder. “Thank you guys for letting me tag along!”
“Anyone’s welcome,” he murmured back.
“Even axe murderers?”
Kyuhyun turned his head at that one. “Did you bring yours? Can I see it?”
Zhou Mi laughed, starting out a little too loudly before quieting for an inside voice. “I don’t think it’d fit in here,” he said, rattling his designer man-bag.
“Travel-size axe, with foldable handle?” he quipped.
But it got him in a laughing mood even before the movie started. And somehow ended up with Zhou Mi’s popcorn wedged between their legs because Zhou Mi had been making very significant “you can have some!” motions at it.
Their hands collided once, and Zhou Mi ceded the bag to him. Very giving, then. And so very into the movie, as Zhou Mi leaned into his shoulder from laughing too hard.
Kyuhyun was more laughing at Zhou Mi’s reaction than he was at the movie itself. Glancing over to find Zhou Mi beaming back at him.
And that was how he met Zhou Mi.
***
But the last time? Hardly. The second time Zhou Mi had tagged along, he’d somehow ended up with Zhou Mi’s phone number programmed into his phone. He wasn’t sure if that had been before or after they’d walked around eating street food and having people drop off to go home, or meet girlfriends or something. Kyuhyun thought it was a pretty successful merger of two groups, if two outings could be counted. Zhou Mi had walked with Ryeowook, and they had dragged each other back and forth across the pathways to stare into store windows, before coming back to the middle and walking with Henry and Changmin. They hadn’t bothered anyone though. He’d been plotting with Jinki how to get more food, one of the people he could count on to indulge him. Not that the others didn’t like to eat, but even if he did try to bully them into doing things his way, there was only so much he could do when the consensus went against him.
So Zhou Mi’s name just kept coming up on the texts he sent or received, and since he heard nothing bad, he certainly wasn’t going to be the first to lodge a protest. He liked to think they were inclusive, not exclusive. Not like he was president of the club or anything. And Changmin rolled his eyes at him, as though he could see what Kyuhyun was thinking. He just smirked and looked away.
So it kind of started slow, really. Though the others would tell him that he just was as perceptive as a fence post. Getting together, going out, Zhou Mi was just a part of their group, integrating in. No longer the new guy. Just the guy that that was there, like all the rest. The other tall guy, with the great laugh and ridiculous clothes that still managed to look great on him. And Kyuhyun was cool with that.
Until his orderly little world began changing. When they were all out drinking, Zhou Mi would cruise to his table and sit a while. Since there was usually too many of them to all sit together, they just tended to mill around and change places.
“Zhou Mi’s job is really interesting,” Ryeowook said.
“Not really,” Zhou Mi laughed. “I mean, most of it is just office stuff.”
“But the song writing!”
Kyuhyun perked up at that. “You write songs?”
Zhou Mi looked up at him, and nodded. “Just…Just lyrics. Your job must be really interesting, too?”
Music was Kyuhyun’s not-so-secret love, and they all knew it from their outings to music stores. And he thought he was being subtle as he leaned into Zhou Mi’s space. There was some kind of aftershave or something that was tantalizing him. It vaguely reminded him of the scratch and sniff stickers from his childhood, though he wasn’t certain Zhou Mi would appreciate the comparison.
“Nothing as interesting as yours. How did you get started?”
And it was pretty obvious, even to Kyuhyun’s slightly liquored brain, when Zhou Mi leaned back.
“Actually, I had a really good mentor. I’m going to go get another drink!”
And so Zhou Mi had gone, but never came back. And that was weird. Even by Kyuhyun’s understanding of the man. But he dismissed it, as they’d all left not long after that. But he did retain a curiosity about whatever lyrics it was that Zhou Mi wrote.
And it seemed— It seemed Zhou Mi was avoiding him. It took a while for it to sink in. Because it wasn’t obvious. Zhou Mi would be laughing with him one moment, before finding an excuse to go walk with someone else. And they never did sit beside each other at the theater again. And at first it was puzzling to him that he noticed at all, because he certainly didn’t take count how many times any of the others talked to him, or didn’t sit with him. And it wasn’t because he took them for granted. The happy feeling when he realized Zhou Mi was coming along, and smiling too much when Zhou Mi told a joke. Stomach clutching if Zhou Mi brought up someone not in their group, and not being able to look away from Zhou Mi cleaning his fingers.
He thunked his head down on the table at home, because he was an idiot, but not so much an idiot that he couldn’t see where those thoughts were going.
And every time he tried to bring up the lyrics topic, Zhou Mi needed a drink, or the bathroom, or more food.
“Does Zhou Mi talk to you about what he does with work? The music stuff?” Kyuhyun asked.
Ryeowook looked up from his meal, eyebrows doing weird things. “Zhou Mi? Yeah, we’ve talked about it? Why?”
“I don’t know. We talk sometimes, but he doesn’t want to mention that. Even if we’re not talking about that, he seems to… I don’t know. It’s weird. Does he not like me?”
It wasn’t beyond reason. There were plenty of guys he hadn’t really clicked with in the past. He didn’t remember being offensive, or particularly rude. His humor got him in trouble sometimes, people who didn’t get it. But amongst seeing Zhou Mi laughing, he tried to remember if he’d teased Zhou Mi too harshly. Sometimes with someone he liked, he’d do that even more. He didn’t even remember what had prompted the change in how they’d interacted, or when it had started.
“Not… Kyuhyun, seriously? He obviously does like you.” And Ryeowook got closer, like they were spies trading secrets. “Maybe a lot.”
The way Ryeowook said it, the inflection, the raised eyebrows, was all to make sure Kyuhyun got his ~meaning.~
“There’s no way he likes me like that,” Kyuhyun said, the laugh tickling his latent hysteria. “He keeps leaving.”
It wasn’t usual for Ryeowook to look like he wanted to hit Kyuhyun, but that was what it seemed like right then. “What do you do when you want to eat something but shouldn’t?”
“I walk away from it.” And he paused, blinking. “Why does that even make sense?”
“If he thinks you don’t like him, maybe he doesn’t want to give you the wrong impression. Maybe avoiding you a little is easier than trying to hide his feelings.”
“You are totally making all of this up!” he accused.
“Making all what up?” Zhou Mi asked, sliding into their booth with a smile.
“Kyuhyun’s IQ,” Ryeowook said sweetly. “And no, I’m not making it up. Just what I observed. So, how was your food, Zhou Mi?”
“Great! Really great. I like this restaurant. We shared some of the chicken at our table, and I ate a lot.”
“I’m glad,” Ryeowook said. “Did you know that this is Kyuhyun’s favorite restaurant?”
Zhou Mi looked at him then, instead of looking very studiously, very politely, at the speaking Ryeowook. He wasn’t sure what to do with the surprise on Zhou Mi’s face.
“I guess we have the same taste in food, huh?” he said to Zhou Mi, trying for a grin.
Zhou Mi nodded, smiling. “I guess we do.”
Ryeowook began stomping on his foot, and Kyuhyun had to keep himself from stomping back while still focusing on Zhou Mi.
“So, uh. What’s your favorite restaurant?”
“I actually don’t have one yet,” Zhou Mi said. “But I guess this is pretty close!”
“We’ll have to come back again, then. Make sure?”
Ryeowook looked ready to applaud, and Zhou Mi had ducked his head, starting to stand.
“I’d like that. I should…get back.”
And Zhou Mi edged away, to go back and sit with his own table. Which wasn’t odd, really mostly expected. It just felt when Kyuhyun began showing interest, Zhou Mi was gone.
There was definitely triumph in him, that he got to show Ryeowook just what he’d been talking about. “See?”
“I wasn’t making it up,” Ryeowook reiterated, and went back to his food.
***
It wasn’t in Kyuhyun’s nature to ignore something that bothered him for very long. Okay, sure, there were some things he put off as long as possible. But when he really put his mind to it, and felt it was his duty to do something, he could manage to get things done. He had no reason to be afraid of Zhou Mi, so that wasn’t the problem. But he didn’t think that making sure they were cool, and seeing if Ryeowook was delusional, worked when they were out with the group. That seemed way more awkward that facing it head on, and as soon as possible.
Bubble tea, was the location he picked, and texted Zhou Mi an invite. He didn’t explicitly say it would just be the two of them, but he had asked if Zhou Mi had wanted to meet him. Not “them” as usual. And he felt relieved that Zhou Mi agreed. There was polite, and there was stupidly polite, and he erred toward the former for Zhou Mi. If Zhou Mi really hated him, well. He wouldn’t have come at all.
Zhou Mi waved as he came in, looking bright even if it was dark outside behind him, and ordered his own drink before sliding in to sit with Kyuhyun.
“Hi! Is it just us today?”
“Yeah, just us,” Kyuhyun said. “How’s it going?”
“Good, really good. Glad there’s another day in the weekend! You?”
“Also good. We hadn’t had a lot of chances to hang out lately, so I thought it’d be…nice.”
A preemptive, rather vague explanation. He didn’t want Zhou Mi to get all tense about meeting up. And Zhou Mi didn’t look really tense, resting an arm on the table and fiddling with his cup.
“It is nice. How was your week?”
Just to be able to sit and talk felt like a positive step. Shoving the little sick feeling away, and focusing on the way Zhou Mi paid attention to him. The way his face moved when he smiled, and admiring his shoulders in the simple t-shirt he wore. There was a chance Ryeowook had been right, and Zhou Mi really did like him. And that Kyuhyun wasn’t just imagining things, and there was a good reason for their missed opportunities to connect. And he didn’t care if it made him feel stupid, because he really wanted it to be that way. And if Zhou Mi looked at him like he was crazy… He hid a snort at himself by taking a drink.
“I’m kind of glad to be heading into winter. A bunch of new assignments at work, but I get to work on some new songs, too,” Zhou Mi told him.
The little facet that intrigued him so, along with Zhou Mi’s face.
“Oh yeah, you mentioned that. That’s sounds like it’d be really fun.”
The way Zhou Mi’s eyes lit with it told him that exactly.
“It is! It’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing, so I’m really so glad I get to.”
“Do you have examples of songs you’ve done?”
“I have a couple of songs with my lyrics that have been released. Mostly I just have demos, me singing over the backing tracks.”
Zhou Mi singing. An interesting thought. “Can I hear? If you don’t mind. I’ve never known anyone who wrote music or lyrics.”
“I don’t mind. Though keep in mind, they’re just demos,” Zhou Mi warned, as he passed the ipod across the table. “The first one is one that someone else sings, the second is one we’re trying to sell.”
The music was already playing when Kyuhyun lifted the earbud to his ear, and he listened to the pop beats. Of course, not speaking much Mandarin, he couldn’t understand most of it.
“What’s it about?” he asked, before lipping his straw into his mouth for a drink.
“It’s… It’s a love song. They wanted a love song.”
And Zhou Mi didn’t sound embarrassed so much as the way his voice changed, softened. Just a little. The song changed to the next, and it was immediately clear how cheerful it was, just from the opening. But as the melody moved, Kyuhyun stopped paying attention to the words, and more to the voice. He recognized Zhou Mi without problem, the lilt and tone. Even if Zhou Mi wasn’t really looking at him then, a hand curved behind his head and neck as though trying to hold his brain in.
“True love, huh?” he said, bringing down the earbud and passing the ipod back.
Zhou Mi’s laugh was light. “Yeah. The music seemed to call for it.”
“I liked them, even if I couldn’t understand the words. There was nice flow. Though you have a really good voice. You could release that one yourself. Singer/songwriter?”
There was a note of self deprecation in the sound Zhou Mi made, but he nodded. “Someday, I hope. I keep networking, hoping something will happen.”
“I’d buy your album,” Kyuhyun said, moving around the tapioca pearls in the bottom of his cup.
At least that got a genuine smile. “I guess I have to work hard so I can sell at least one to you, then!”
“So, love songs. Are they based off your experiences? A lot of epic love you find?”
“No. Unfortunately, even if I write lyrics to love songs, and things that are really cute and happy doesn’t mean I know any more about how to make relationships work with real people.”
“So you write about how happy and wonderful it is, and in reality you’re a failure in love just like the rest of us.” Zhou Mi didn’t look particularly pleased with Kyuhyun’s choice of words, but indicated his agreement after a long moment. “Wow. I guess there really isn’t a Santa Claus.”
He meant it, like he meant all of his jests. And had the belated realization that he was there to figure out why Zhou Mi didn’t want to talk to him, not help make Zhou Mi make up his mind that Kyuhyun was stupid to be around. But Zhou Mi shrugged.
“I still believe in love.”
“Do you write about someone in particular? Someone you want to date, or..?”
“Is that what this is about? You know and you’re—“ Zhou Mi clamped his mouth shut. “I’m sorry, I’m taking up your time.”
“No!” Kyuhyun said, ready to jump up and block Zhou Mi at the table if he had to. “That’s why we’re here. You keep…going. You seem to get along with everyone else. If I keep offending you, I think I’m man enough to hear my faults.”
Whatever he’d said, at least it had kept Zhou Mi sitting down. Even if he did have a man staring at him in disbelief.
“Offending me? No.”
“Then why keep walking away every time we start talking? I thought you didn’t want to talk about your job, but we talked just fine here. So I have to be doing something wrong.”
“No, that’s not it,” Zhou Mi said, hands tightening on the table. “I really like you. The only thing that’s wrong is that you’re handsome, and a nice person with a funny sense of humor.”
Zhou Mi liked his face, and his personality. And…him. He really did hate being wrong. Ryeowook was going to gloat over how dense he was, and Ryeowook could really gloat when he wanted to.
“You realize I like guys, too, right?” And Zhou Mi nodded. “All you had to do was say something. Or were you waiting for true love, like in the song? Because I guess I really don’t qualify.”
He was truthfully waiting for Zhou Mi to shut him up, all the while stealing glances at Zhou Mi’s face that was going through a variety of expressions that Kyuhyun wished he’d had a camera trained on. The face that Zhou Mi settled on was definitely closer to concerned.
“So… You didn’t know?”
How to answer that without sounding like a total idiot. “I guess I’d sort of become aware? Someone may have told me. But—“
“But you thought it was more likely you’d done something wrong?”
Well, when Zhou Mi put it like that. He winced.
“Wasn’t sure what you’d see in me,” Kyuhyun said, letting his eyebrows raise.
“An axe in my bag with a folding handle?” And Zhou Mi smiled as Kyuhyun goggled. “You were the reason I kept coming back. I enjoy being around the others, too, but…”
And Zhou Mi’s hand snaked across the table, urging Kyuhyun to lean in closer and wrap his fingers to Zhou Mi’s.
“All those times I walked away, I wanted to stay,” Zhou Mi said. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to. Around the others it was so…”
And it was pretty much the nicest confession Kyuhyun had ever heard. Because even if he hadn’t been aware of it at first, or would have admitted it, he’d wanted Zhou Mi to stay as well. And it wasn’t just that he didn’t like people disliking him. It was that he’d invested wanting, maybe, into wanting just one man to like him.
He plopped his free hand over their joined ones. “I guess now you’ll have a reason to stick around.”
Zhou Mi was breathing like he was getting ready to go under water and any minute was going to inhale deeply.
“Are you ready to go? Let’s go.”
Together. Not just Zhou Mi. He let go of Zhou Mi’s hand so he could gather up his trash and follow Zhou Mi to the garbage bin, and out the door. He waited, a bit questioning as Zhou Mi paused beside him. A big inhale, and exhale.
“Would you go see a movie with me?” Zhou Mi asked.
“What, right now?”
“Right now.”
Zhou Mi turned to him fully, letting the question hang. It was getting late. Kind of cold out. Neither of those were an excuse.
“Sure, okay.”
And it was like a lock clicking. No more revolving door, no running away. Okay, so maybe Zhou Mi kept looking over as though to make sure Kyuhyun was still next to him as they looked up the nearest theater. And it was a little surreal, like a present he hadn’t known how to ask for, but got anyway. So they debated what to see, and Kyuhyun bought their tickets, while Zhou Mi got their snacks. Given the hour, the theater they bumped into was kind of empty, but he wouldn’t have known it looking at Zhou Mi’s face.
Kyuhyun let the taste of butter marinate in his mouth for a few moments, before turning and speaking into Zhou Mi’s ear.
“So, this is the first date?”
“Mmhmm.” Zhou Mi’s head slid closer, turning toward him, their faces close.
And his lips poked out, leaving it very clear what he was expecting.
“I think that’s for after the date,” Kyuhyun murmured, tickled. But he poked a piece of popcorn to Zhou Mi’s lips as a consolation prize.
With a little adjusting, their fingers curled together as the movie started, and he got a smile. And the movie wasn’t half bad either.
***
“So we’re going out now?” Kyuhyun asked as they walked back toward the subway.
“I thought we were,” Zhou Mi said, voice a bit sly. “Will it be weird with the others?”
Kyuhyun cleared his throat. “Probably not. I have a feeling some of them will think it was about time.”
He watched Zhou Mi grin out of the corner of his eye, and paused, waiting for some people to pass them and leave them in relative peace. Zhou Mi’s face was all angles and shadows, and full of questions. In that case, he knew exactly what it was he was wanting. And there was no need to wait for it.
“I think I’d like that kiss now.”
With a quick glance around, Zhou Mi stepped up to him. But the kiss was anything but quick. Adjusting for height and angle, Zhou Mi cupped his head, and all but made his toes curl. There was something about Zhou Mi’s lips, how soft they were, how firm they pressed. Not a kiss for the weak. Not a kiss of a man who wanted to run away. He heard the refrain of that song Zhou Mi had worked on, and almost burst out laughing in the middle of their first kiss. Not the impression he wanted to give.
He knew they were finally on the same page when he started to let go, and Zhou Mi kept hanging on.
***
Six months later
***
Kyuhyun sighed, shifting his knees further onto the chair, and angling his head down to give Zhou Mi better access. The man did things with that mouth and that tongue that was probably illegal in a few countries. And that was just to Kyuhyun’s neck. He knew they’d made the right decision, staying in. They could go out with the others any weekend. And Zhou Mi wasn’t complaining. Of course he was kind of mostly paying attention, because there was that one spot that always had him making a noise, and Zhou Mi exploited that without shame. But Kyuhyun had his eye on something else, squinting with one eye open and trying to hit buttons in the right order. Ugh, and Zhou Mi purred, and he knew what that did to Kyuhyun’s defenses.
Kyuhyun realized the trajectory of Zhou Mi’s mouth along his neck had begun to slow, and his pulse kicked up. He had a sneaking suspicion he’d been caught, as Zhou Mi began breathing very ominously against him.
“Cho Kyuhyun. Are you checking your phone behind my back while we’re making out?”
“What?” he asked, voice almost normal. “No. I mean. Yes, maybe literally. But not the way you meant, because you clearly knew about it.”
Zhou Mi urged Kyuhyun’s arm up, staring at the phone in Kyuhyun’s hand, before looking back like a wounded puppy.
“Your phone is more interesting than me?”
“I didn’t say that. Hey, check yours.”
Zhou Mi shifted, sliding his vibrating phone out of a pocket in his purse. And Kyuhyun bit his lip as Zhou Mi unlocked the screen to get to his messages.
“‘Your mouth is so hot,’” Zhou Mi read out loud. And paused. “Kyuhyun.”
“Yeah, so. You can’t get mad at me because I was texting you.”
“You could’ve just said it out loud! You’re sitting right on top of me.”
“Really? Your mouth is so…” Kyuhyun smiled, sliding closer. He pressed a kiss to one corner of Zhou Mi’s mouth. “So.” And then the other. “So. Hot.”
And he delighted in making Zhou Mi’s eyes nearly cross, using every sneaky trick in the book, including his voice. Zhou Mi probably wished he hadn’t clued Kyuhyun in on the fact that his voice was a turn on. They had that in common.
He tossed his phone over to join Zhou Mi’s, and let Zhou Mi’s mouth be the only distraction he needed.
***
Author: Coley Merrin
Pairing: Zhou Mi/Kyuhyun
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU, fluff
Summary: “It’s… It’s a love song. They wanted a love song.” And Zhou Mi didn’t sound embarrassed so much as the way his voice changed, softened. Just a little.
Thanks as always to wonder!beta
wobaozhewo! XD***
***
Kyuhyun didn’t have a lack of friends. He felt, rather, he tended to collect them. And he wasn’t going to attach a game analogy onto that, because he was afraid it would leak out at some point and least a few of his friends would tsk at him. And there were the ones who couldn’t make decisions, and the ones who had too many opinions, and they still all managed to get along with anyone tending toward homicide. It was a precious long line of them to go into any movie, whoever the designated ticket buyer was passing out tickets, and making sure the wishy-washy ones got food before they went in to sit down.
There were no who-sat-where, pre-defined arrangement. Every so often an extra straggler from a different social circle was added on, so Kyuhyun wasn’t perturbed to file in and sit next to an almost total stranger. They’d all been introduced before the ticket buying began, and his only impression had been a fleeting smile before trying to get people in order. Otherwise they stood there like a bunch of school boys waiting for their teacher, and Kyuhyun had, not sadly, taken that role.
He wracked his brain as they got settled. He had a drink, and… Zhou Mi. Zhou Mi, yes, had a bag of popcorn and an industrial-sized tea. It made his bladder wince ahead of time. He glanced over and they made friendly-type eye contact, and he nodded, kind of intended for that to be that.
Zhou Mi leaned into his shoulder. “Thank you guys for letting me tag along!”
“Anyone’s welcome,” he murmured back.
“Even axe murderers?”
Kyuhyun turned his head at that one. “Did you bring yours? Can I see it?”
Zhou Mi laughed, starting out a little too loudly before quieting for an inside voice. “I don’t think it’d fit in here,” he said, rattling his designer man-bag.
“Travel-size axe, with foldable handle?” he quipped.
But it got him in a laughing mood even before the movie started. And somehow ended up with Zhou Mi’s popcorn wedged between their legs because Zhou Mi had been making very significant “you can have some!” motions at it.
Their hands collided once, and Zhou Mi ceded the bag to him. Very giving, then. And so very into the movie, as Zhou Mi leaned into his shoulder from laughing too hard.
Kyuhyun was more laughing at Zhou Mi’s reaction than he was at the movie itself. Glancing over to find Zhou Mi beaming back at him.
And that was how he met Zhou Mi.
***
But the last time? Hardly. The second time Zhou Mi had tagged along, he’d somehow ended up with Zhou Mi’s phone number programmed into his phone. He wasn’t sure if that had been before or after they’d walked around eating street food and having people drop off to go home, or meet girlfriends or something. Kyuhyun thought it was a pretty successful merger of two groups, if two outings could be counted. Zhou Mi had walked with Ryeowook, and they had dragged each other back and forth across the pathways to stare into store windows, before coming back to the middle and walking with Henry and Changmin. They hadn’t bothered anyone though. He’d been plotting with Jinki how to get more food, one of the people he could count on to indulge him. Not that the others didn’t like to eat, but even if he did try to bully them into doing things his way, there was only so much he could do when the consensus went against him.
So Zhou Mi’s name just kept coming up on the texts he sent or received, and since he heard nothing bad, he certainly wasn’t going to be the first to lodge a protest. He liked to think they were inclusive, not exclusive. Not like he was president of the club or anything. And Changmin rolled his eyes at him, as though he could see what Kyuhyun was thinking. He just smirked and looked away.
So it kind of started slow, really. Though the others would tell him that he just was as perceptive as a fence post. Getting together, going out, Zhou Mi was just a part of their group, integrating in. No longer the new guy. Just the guy that that was there, like all the rest. The other tall guy, with the great laugh and ridiculous clothes that still managed to look great on him. And Kyuhyun was cool with that.
Until his orderly little world began changing. When they were all out drinking, Zhou Mi would cruise to his table and sit a while. Since there was usually too many of them to all sit together, they just tended to mill around and change places.
“Zhou Mi’s job is really interesting,” Ryeowook said.
“Not really,” Zhou Mi laughed. “I mean, most of it is just office stuff.”
“But the song writing!”
Kyuhyun perked up at that. “You write songs?”
Zhou Mi looked up at him, and nodded. “Just…Just lyrics. Your job must be really interesting, too?”
Music was Kyuhyun’s not-so-secret love, and they all knew it from their outings to music stores. And he thought he was being subtle as he leaned into Zhou Mi’s space. There was some kind of aftershave or something that was tantalizing him. It vaguely reminded him of the scratch and sniff stickers from his childhood, though he wasn’t certain Zhou Mi would appreciate the comparison.
“Nothing as interesting as yours. How did you get started?”
And it was pretty obvious, even to Kyuhyun’s slightly liquored brain, when Zhou Mi leaned back.
“Actually, I had a really good mentor. I’m going to go get another drink!”
And so Zhou Mi had gone, but never came back. And that was weird. Even by Kyuhyun’s understanding of the man. But he dismissed it, as they’d all left not long after that. But he did retain a curiosity about whatever lyrics it was that Zhou Mi wrote.
And it seemed— It seemed Zhou Mi was avoiding him. It took a while for it to sink in. Because it wasn’t obvious. Zhou Mi would be laughing with him one moment, before finding an excuse to go walk with someone else. And they never did sit beside each other at the theater again. And at first it was puzzling to him that he noticed at all, because he certainly didn’t take count how many times any of the others talked to him, or didn’t sit with him. And it wasn’t because he took them for granted. The happy feeling when he realized Zhou Mi was coming along, and smiling too much when Zhou Mi told a joke. Stomach clutching if Zhou Mi brought up someone not in their group, and not being able to look away from Zhou Mi cleaning his fingers.
He thunked his head down on the table at home, because he was an idiot, but not so much an idiot that he couldn’t see where those thoughts were going.
And every time he tried to bring up the lyrics topic, Zhou Mi needed a drink, or the bathroom, or more food.
“Does Zhou Mi talk to you about what he does with work? The music stuff?” Kyuhyun asked.
Ryeowook looked up from his meal, eyebrows doing weird things. “Zhou Mi? Yeah, we’ve talked about it? Why?”
“I don’t know. We talk sometimes, but he doesn’t want to mention that. Even if we’re not talking about that, he seems to… I don’t know. It’s weird. Does he not like me?”
It wasn’t beyond reason. There were plenty of guys he hadn’t really clicked with in the past. He didn’t remember being offensive, or particularly rude. His humor got him in trouble sometimes, people who didn’t get it. But amongst seeing Zhou Mi laughing, he tried to remember if he’d teased Zhou Mi too harshly. Sometimes with someone he liked, he’d do that even more. He didn’t even remember what had prompted the change in how they’d interacted, or when it had started.
“Not… Kyuhyun, seriously? He obviously does like you.” And Ryeowook got closer, like they were spies trading secrets. “Maybe a lot.”
The way Ryeowook said it, the inflection, the raised eyebrows, was all to make sure Kyuhyun got his ~meaning.~
“There’s no way he likes me like that,” Kyuhyun said, the laugh tickling his latent hysteria. “He keeps leaving.”
It wasn’t usual for Ryeowook to look like he wanted to hit Kyuhyun, but that was what it seemed like right then. “What do you do when you want to eat something but shouldn’t?”
“I walk away from it.” And he paused, blinking. “Why does that even make sense?”
“If he thinks you don’t like him, maybe he doesn’t want to give you the wrong impression. Maybe avoiding you a little is easier than trying to hide his feelings.”
“You are totally making all of this up!” he accused.
“Making all what up?” Zhou Mi asked, sliding into their booth with a smile.
“Kyuhyun’s IQ,” Ryeowook said sweetly. “And no, I’m not making it up. Just what I observed. So, how was your food, Zhou Mi?”
“Great! Really great. I like this restaurant. We shared some of the chicken at our table, and I ate a lot.”
“I’m glad,” Ryeowook said. “Did you know that this is Kyuhyun’s favorite restaurant?”
Zhou Mi looked at him then, instead of looking very studiously, very politely, at the speaking Ryeowook. He wasn’t sure what to do with the surprise on Zhou Mi’s face.
“I guess we have the same taste in food, huh?” he said to Zhou Mi, trying for a grin.
Zhou Mi nodded, smiling. “I guess we do.”
Ryeowook began stomping on his foot, and Kyuhyun had to keep himself from stomping back while still focusing on Zhou Mi.
“So, uh. What’s your favorite restaurant?”
“I actually don’t have one yet,” Zhou Mi said. “But I guess this is pretty close!”
“We’ll have to come back again, then. Make sure?”
Ryeowook looked ready to applaud, and Zhou Mi had ducked his head, starting to stand.
“I’d like that. I should…get back.”
And Zhou Mi edged away, to go back and sit with his own table. Which wasn’t odd, really mostly expected. It just felt when Kyuhyun began showing interest, Zhou Mi was gone.
There was definitely triumph in him, that he got to show Ryeowook just what he’d been talking about. “See?”
“I wasn’t making it up,” Ryeowook reiterated, and went back to his food.
***
It wasn’t in Kyuhyun’s nature to ignore something that bothered him for very long. Okay, sure, there were some things he put off as long as possible. But when he really put his mind to it, and felt it was his duty to do something, he could manage to get things done. He had no reason to be afraid of Zhou Mi, so that wasn’t the problem. But he didn’t think that making sure they were cool, and seeing if Ryeowook was delusional, worked when they were out with the group. That seemed way more awkward that facing it head on, and as soon as possible.
Bubble tea, was the location he picked, and texted Zhou Mi an invite. He didn’t explicitly say it would just be the two of them, but he had asked if Zhou Mi had wanted to meet him. Not “them” as usual. And he felt relieved that Zhou Mi agreed. There was polite, and there was stupidly polite, and he erred toward the former for Zhou Mi. If Zhou Mi really hated him, well. He wouldn’t have come at all.
Zhou Mi waved as he came in, looking bright even if it was dark outside behind him, and ordered his own drink before sliding in to sit with Kyuhyun.
“Hi! Is it just us today?”
“Yeah, just us,” Kyuhyun said. “How’s it going?”
“Good, really good. Glad there’s another day in the weekend! You?”
“Also good. We hadn’t had a lot of chances to hang out lately, so I thought it’d be…nice.”
A preemptive, rather vague explanation. He didn’t want Zhou Mi to get all tense about meeting up. And Zhou Mi didn’t look really tense, resting an arm on the table and fiddling with his cup.
“It is nice. How was your week?”
Just to be able to sit and talk felt like a positive step. Shoving the little sick feeling away, and focusing on the way Zhou Mi paid attention to him. The way his face moved when he smiled, and admiring his shoulders in the simple t-shirt he wore. There was a chance Ryeowook had been right, and Zhou Mi really did like him. And that Kyuhyun wasn’t just imagining things, and there was a good reason for their missed opportunities to connect. And he didn’t care if it made him feel stupid, because he really wanted it to be that way. And if Zhou Mi looked at him like he was crazy… He hid a snort at himself by taking a drink.
“I’m kind of glad to be heading into winter. A bunch of new assignments at work, but I get to work on some new songs, too,” Zhou Mi told him.
The little facet that intrigued him so, along with Zhou Mi’s face.
“Oh yeah, you mentioned that. That’s sounds like it’d be really fun.”
The way Zhou Mi’s eyes lit with it told him that exactly.
“It is! It’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing, so I’m really so glad I get to.”
“Do you have examples of songs you’ve done?”
“I have a couple of songs with my lyrics that have been released. Mostly I just have demos, me singing over the backing tracks.”
Zhou Mi singing. An interesting thought. “Can I hear? If you don’t mind. I’ve never known anyone who wrote music or lyrics.”
“I don’t mind. Though keep in mind, they’re just demos,” Zhou Mi warned, as he passed the ipod across the table. “The first one is one that someone else sings, the second is one we’re trying to sell.”
The music was already playing when Kyuhyun lifted the earbud to his ear, and he listened to the pop beats. Of course, not speaking much Mandarin, he couldn’t understand most of it.
“What’s it about?” he asked, before lipping his straw into his mouth for a drink.
“It’s… It’s a love song. They wanted a love song.”
And Zhou Mi didn’t sound embarrassed so much as the way his voice changed, softened. Just a little. The song changed to the next, and it was immediately clear how cheerful it was, just from the opening. But as the melody moved, Kyuhyun stopped paying attention to the words, and more to the voice. He recognized Zhou Mi without problem, the lilt and tone. Even if Zhou Mi wasn’t really looking at him then, a hand curved behind his head and neck as though trying to hold his brain in.
“True love, huh?” he said, bringing down the earbud and passing the ipod back.
Zhou Mi’s laugh was light. “Yeah. The music seemed to call for it.”
“I liked them, even if I couldn’t understand the words. There was nice flow. Though you have a really good voice. You could release that one yourself. Singer/songwriter?”
There was a note of self deprecation in the sound Zhou Mi made, but he nodded. “Someday, I hope. I keep networking, hoping something will happen.”
“I’d buy your album,” Kyuhyun said, moving around the tapioca pearls in the bottom of his cup.
At least that got a genuine smile. “I guess I have to work hard so I can sell at least one to you, then!”
“So, love songs. Are they based off your experiences? A lot of epic love you find?”
“No. Unfortunately, even if I write lyrics to love songs, and things that are really cute and happy doesn’t mean I know any more about how to make relationships work with real people.”
“So you write about how happy and wonderful it is, and in reality you’re a failure in love just like the rest of us.” Zhou Mi didn’t look particularly pleased with Kyuhyun’s choice of words, but indicated his agreement after a long moment. “Wow. I guess there really isn’t a Santa Claus.”
He meant it, like he meant all of his jests. And had the belated realization that he was there to figure out why Zhou Mi didn’t want to talk to him, not help make Zhou Mi make up his mind that Kyuhyun was stupid to be around. But Zhou Mi shrugged.
“I still believe in love.”
“Do you write about someone in particular? Someone you want to date, or..?”
“Is that what this is about? You know and you’re—“ Zhou Mi clamped his mouth shut. “I’m sorry, I’m taking up your time.”
“No!” Kyuhyun said, ready to jump up and block Zhou Mi at the table if he had to. “That’s why we’re here. You keep…going. You seem to get along with everyone else. If I keep offending you, I think I’m man enough to hear my faults.”
Whatever he’d said, at least it had kept Zhou Mi sitting down. Even if he did have a man staring at him in disbelief.
“Offending me? No.”
“Then why keep walking away every time we start talking? I thought you didn’t want to talk about your job, but we talked just fine here. So I have to be doing something wrong.”
“No, that’s not it,” Zhou Mi said, hands tightening on the table. “I really like you. The only thing that’s wrong is that you’re handsome, and a nice person with a funny sense of humor.”
Zhou Mi liked his face, and his personality. And…him. He really did hate being wrong. Ryeowook was going to gloat over how dense he was, and Ryeowook could really gloat when he wanted to.
“You realize I like guys, too, right?” And Zhou Mi nodded. “All you had to do was say something. Or were you waiting for true love, like in the song? Because I guess I really don’t qualify.”
He was truthfully waiting for Zhou Mi to shut him up, all the while stealing glances at Zhou Mi’s face that was going through a variety of expressions that Kyuhyun wished he’d had a camera trained on. The face that Zhou Mi settled on was definitely closer to concerned.
“So… You didn’t know?”
How to answer that without sounding like a total idiot. “I guess I’d sort of become aware? Someone may have told me. But—“
“But you thought it was more likely you’d done something wrong?”
Well, when Zhou Mi put it like that. He winced.
“Wasn’t sure what you’d see in me,” Kyuhyun said, letting his eyebrows raise.
“An axe in my bag with a folding handle?” And Zhou Mi smiled as Kyuhyun goggled. “You were the reason I kept coming back. I enjoy being around the others, too, but…”
And Zhou Mi’s hand snaked across the table, urging Kyuhyun to lean in closer and wrap his fingers to Zhou Mi’s.
“All those times I walked away, I wanted to stay,” Zhou Mi said. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to. Around the others it was so…”
And it was pretty much the nicest confession Kyuhyun had ever heard. Because even if he hadn’t been aware of it at first, or would have admitted it, he’d wanted Zhou Mi to stay as well. And it wasn’t just that he didn’t like people disliking him. It was that he’d invested wanting, maybe, into wanting just one man to like him.
He plopped his free hand over their joined ones. “I guess now you’ll have a reason to stick around.”
Zhou Mi was breathing like he was getting ready to go under water and any minute was going to inhale deeply.
“Are you ready to go? Let’s go.”
Together. Not just Zhou Mi. He let go of Zhou Mi’s hand so he could gather up his trash and follow Zhou Mi to the garbage bin, and out the door. He waited, a bit questioning as Zhou Mi paused beside him. A big inhale, and exhale.
“Would you go see a movie with me?” Zhou Mi asked.
“What, right now?”
“Right now.”
Zhou Mi turned to him fully, letting the question hang. It was getting late. Kind of cold out. Neither of those were an excuse.
“Sure, okay.”
And it was like a lock clicking. No more revolving door, no running away. Okay, so maybe Zhou Mi kept looking over as though to make sure Kyuhyun was still next to him as they looked up the nearest theater. And it was a little surreal, like a present he hadn’t known how to ask for, but got anyway. So they debated what to see, and Kyuhyun bought their tickets, while Zhou Mi got their snacks. Given the hour, the theater they bumped into was kind of empty, but he wouldn’t have known it looking at Zhou Mi’s face.
Kyuhyun let the taste of butter marinate in his mouth for a few moments, before turning and speaking into Zhou Mi’s ear.
“So, this is the first date?”
“Mmhmm.” Zhou Mi’s head slid closer, turning toward him, their faces close.
And his lips poked out, leaving it very clear what he was expecting.
“I think that’s for after the date,” Kyuhyun murmured, tickled. But he poked a piece of popcorn to Zhou Mi’s lips as a consolation prize.
With a little adjusting, their fingers curled together as the movie started, and he got a smile. And the movie wasn’t half bad either.
***
“So we’re going out now?” Kyuhyun asked as they walked back toward the subway.
“I thought we were,” Zhou Mi said, voice a bit sly. “Will it be weird with the others?”
Kyuhyun cleared his throat. “Probably not. I have a feeling some of them will think it was about time.”
He watched Zhou Mi grin out of the corner of his eye, and paused, waiting for some people to pass them and leave them in relative peace. Zhou Mi’s face was all angles and shadows, and full of questions. In that case, he knew exactly what it was he was wanting. And there was no need to wait for it.
“I think I’d like that kiss now.”
With a quick glance around, Zhou Mi stepped up to him. But the kiss was anything but quick. Adjusting for height and angle, Zhou Mi cupped his head, and all but made his toes curl. There was something about Zhou Mi’s lips, how soft they were, how firm they pressed. Not a kiss for the weak. Not a kiss of a man who wanted to run away. He heard the refrain of that song Zhou Mi had worked on, and almost burst out laughing in the middle of their first kiss. Not the impression he wanted to give.
He knew they were finally on the same page when he started to let go, and Zhou Mi kept hanging on.
***
Six months later
***
Kyuhyun sighed, shifting his knees further onto the chair, and angling his head down to give Zhou Mi better access. The man did things with that mouth and that tongue that was probably illegal in a few countries. And that was just to Kyuhyun’s neck. He knew they’d made the right decision, staying in. They could go out with the others any weekend. And Zhou Mi wasn’t complaining. Of course he was kind of mostly paying attention, because there was that one spot that always had him making a noise, and Zhou Mi exploited that without shame. But Kyuhyun had his eye on something else, squinting with one eye open and trying to hit buttons in the right order. Ugh, and Zhou Mi purred, and he knew what that did to Kyuhyun’s defenses.
Kyuhyun realized the trajectory of Zhou Mi’s mouth along his neck had begun to slow, and his pulse kicked up. He had a sneaking suspicion he’d been caught, as Zhou Mi began breathing very ominously against him.
“Cho Kyuhyun. Are you checking your phone behind my back while we’re making out?”
“What?” he asked, voice almost normal. “No. I mean. Yes, maybe literally. But not the way you meant, because you clearly knew about it.”
Zhou Mi urged Kyuhyun’s arm up, staring at the phone in Kyuhyun’s hand, before looking back like a wounded puppy.
“Your phone is more interesting than me?”
“I didn’t say that. Hey, check yours.”
Zhou Mi shifted, sliding his vibrating phone out of a pocket in his purse. And Kyuhyun bit his lip as Zhou Mi unlocked the screen to get to his messages.
“‘Your mouth is so hot,’” Zhou Mi read out loud. And paused. “Kyuhyun.”
“Yeah, so. You can’t get mad at me because I was texting you.”
“You could’ve just said it out loud! You’re sitting right on top of me.”
“Really? Your mouth is so…” Kyuhyun smiled, sliding closer. He pressed a kiss to one corner of Zhou Mi’s mouth. “So.” And then the other. “So. Hot.”
And he delighted in making Zhou Mi’s eyes nearly cross, using every sneaky trick in the book, including his voice. Zhou Mi probably wished he hadn’t clued Kyuhyun in on the fact that his voice was a turn on. They had that in common.
He tossed his phone over to join Zhou Mi’s, and let Zhou Mi’s mouth be the only distraction he needed.
***
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 03:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 03:23 am (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 03:44 am (UTC)the last bit was cute and funny... actually, the whole thing was cute and funny <3
i just want to coo at it :P
no subject
Date: 2011-09-17 03:34 am (UTC)/coos at qmi and pats them <3
no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 04:08 am (UTC)So here have a giant cookie.
*passes cookie*
And some honey etc and my ZhouMi :3 icon.
Oh an I am stalking you~
:3
no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 04:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 04:23 am (UTC)This was perfect for the craving too, light and fluffy and hit the spot. My favorite line? Takes a lot of courage to go there.
Well, that and the axe murderer bit at the beginning. Nicely done. Thank you :)))
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Date: 2011-11-23 04:27 am (UTC)Zhou Mi with an axe. That's an image. XD~ <3
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Date: 2011-11-23 04:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 05:01 am (UTC)*sobs* I have been missing QMi fic.
This was so cuuuute.
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Date: 2011-11-23 04:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 05:55 am (UTC)This was freaking beautiful.
AND the hell Kyuhyun xxD You don't text that!!
no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 04:41 am (UTC)lol...Kyuhyun would be the kind to text random things to get responses out of people. >.>
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Date: 2011-09-11 06:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 04:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 07:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 04:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 12:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 04:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 04:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 04:56 am (UTC)Mimi sprinkles cute. >.>;;;;
no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 06:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 04:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 09:26 pm (UTC)♥
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Date: 2011-11-23 05:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-12 07:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 05:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-13 03:46 am (UTC)seriously, every story you write, you caputre their dynamics so well. you get all that awkwardness of crushing and first dating and ugh it's so adorable and i wanna squeeze both of them to death
and then they end is...sexii^^
guh, i love them so much. and it's all thanks to you <33
no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 05:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-13 10:50 am (UTC)Perfectly logical reasoning! I love your characterization of Kyuhyun in general, though. And this absolutely made my day! :)
no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 05:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-14 01:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 05:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-14 05:14 am (UTC)Thank you for posting- I always enjoy your stories :)
no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 05:11 am (UTC)I'm so glad~ :D /writing away~~
no subject
Date: 2011-09-14 08:49 am (UTC)you know, you're the one and only author i fangirl so hard ;~~~~~~~~; ♥
i love this. their first meeting is so cute >-< nd the last scene... aaawww ♥
thank you for making my day! :D
no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 05:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-14 02:48 pm (UTC)>.<
i like the confession part...
soooo sweet. :3
and the last scene was just...lol. nice idea btw. XDD
their voice is really a turn on. *nods*
no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 05:19 am (UTC)(and their voices, oh yes~)
/off to write more \o/
no subject
Date: 2011-09-15 02:07 am (UTC)i've been looking for a fic like this~
so honest and romantic and cute~
hello, ms. coley!
i'mma glad your back! :)
no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 05:27 am (UTC)I love that tingly feeling. ;~~; and qmi does that so well~~ <3
no subject
Date: 2011-09-15 09:15 am (UTC)you know I really love your fics >0<
you made me addicted to QMI
XDDD
*laughs*
hope there will be soon an other one to read ^____^
no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 05:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-15 11:26 pm (UTC)poor clueless kyuhyun. but at least he got zhou mi in the end!
even if ryeowwok (who of course totally would have picked up on the fact that zhou mi liked kyuhyun) had to steer him in the right direction.
and lmao at kyuhyun texting zhou mi while they were making out. he would.
absolutely wonderful as usual <3
no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 06:10 am (UTC)I love clueless Kyuhyun~ hehe. Though... him getting his act together is better. XD
(Kyu would text like that >.> I can see his giggles now.)
Off to make my own eternally late comment~~ XDDD
no subject
Date: 2011-09-17 04:12 am (UTC)Kyu! you shouldn't text while making out with Mimi!
and I loved the axe-murderer part! XD
no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 06:13 am (UTC)lol Zhou Mi with an axe would...yeah. XD Could joke about that all day.
I'm sure he made it up to Mimi after that text message. 8D