[Fic] In Focus
Oct. 7th, 2012 02:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
coley_merrinTitle: In Focus
Pairing: Zhou Mi/Kyuhyun
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU
Summary: Zhou Mi brings people the weddings of their dreams, and Kyuhyun sees the world through the lens of his camera.
***
Zhou Mi loved the smiles. There was a lot of stress that went into weddings, from the food served, to the venue, to decorations. The cake, the dress, the flowers. He had binders set up in his office, ready for new clients to walk in. They had paperwork for each of those sections to be filled in with dreams, wishes, and practicality. He sliced budgets with ruthless efficiency, finding ways to cut corners that wouldn’t take away from the day and still somehow give the bride and groom - and usually their picky families - everything they’d ever dreamed of.
Photography, videography, was a huge part of that, from engagement photos, to behind the scenes in the bridal suite, photos of the entire bridal party, the ceremony, and reception. At any time, Zhou Mi had half a dozen photographers in his cell phone, with even more in back up in case of sickness, emergency. He’d had to replace a photographer the day of a wedding only twice, but he’d been glad he didn’t chew his nails or they would have been stubs by the time he’d finished pacing and finding a replacement to get there.
With the cost of weddings, and all the trappings outside of the wedding that the couple had to deal with, going up seemingly by the minute, it was obvious that they would want to document all of the best parts of it.
It wasn’t as though Zhou Mi was a miracle worker. But he did take just that much stress off a bride’s shoulders. His contingency plans had contingency plans. And there was nothing like going home after a wedding that had gone off without a hitch, or even with a dozen issues, and collapsing into his comfortable chair with a hot mug of tea and his back massager.
But even doing so, he was alone. He went from smiling faces, gratification, and the fulfillment of a paycheck, to his empty apartment. He’d had to put his dog down the year before because she’d been sick, and he hadn’t had the heart to get another. Sometimes he thought about it, but the exhaustion of choosing an older dog, or training a puppy, meant he never got up out of his chair. One day he would, he knew that. He missed having a head heavy on his knee and begging for affection.
He missed dating. But not having the energy to go find food most days meant the idea of going out to try and meet someone or even ask his friends if they knew someone was out of the question. One of his goals in life was to have some kind of clandestine romance, or at the very least have a lot of really hot sex and lazy breakfasts in bed.
He was still working on that.
***
Phone, keys, wallet. Check. All three were in his bag as he dashed for the door of his office, a small room he rented in an office building so he could have a place to operate out of that wasn’t his living room.
He at least tried to see the living room most days, but doing his work at the office was easier.
And he had to go.
It was hard to classify the sound that came out of his mouth as he opened the door only to find a man stepping up to it. Something between a squeak and a honk.
“Oh,” he said laughing, “I’m sorry. You scared me. Hi?”
And it was a little breathless, not expecting to be stopped right at his doorstep.
The man blinked at him. “Hi. We were going to meet?”
Kyuhyun. The photographer he was supposed to meet with. His brain ran a marathon in about two seconds flat, recalling the phone call, the appointment he’d made in his phone. He’d checked his computer, but not his phone.
“I’m so sorry, yes,” Zhou Mi said, fumbling to pull up the appointment. And sure enough, he’d have gotten a five minute reminder about two minutes later. “Kyuhyun. I made a note and everything that you would be here today. Thank you for coming.”
“You look like you were on your way out,” Kyuhyun said. “Is this a bad time?”
Zhou Mi winced. If Kyuhyun had been a couple of minutes later, he’d have ended up knocking on an empty office, and Zhou Mi’s reminder would have sent him scrambling to call.
“I was. One of my grooms managed to get his suit filthy and torn at a bachelor party with no time to get it cleaned and repaired, so I need to pick up a rental or he’ll be getting married in jeans.” And the reason he’d been scrambling was because the rental store closed in an hour, which was why he was locking his door. “I’m on tight timing, emergency. I hate to do this to you. We could reschedule, or— You could ride along in the taxi with me? We could get to talk at least, so you haven’t wasted a trip.”
Zhou Mi put on his best reassuring smile, reserved for brides melting down and irate parents, in hopes that he hadn’t totally blown a contact because of a suit malfunction. Though if an emergency and change of plans threw off Kyuhyun, then he might not be as cut out for the wedding business as Zhou Mi thought.
“I don’t have anything else planned, so why not?” Kyuhyun said, and walked with him.
Or maybe jogged with him, since Zhou Mi was beelining to the elevator and then the street. He’d met Kyuhyun the first time about three months earlier, when he’d needed one of those emergency photographers. Kyuhyun had been a recommendation, and he’d supplied a photography student -a woman - for the bridal suite since that was what the customer had wanted. Kyuhyun had staked his fee on being able to make the couple happy. Which was all well and good, because Zhou Mi had heard a lot of promises, but giving someone their money back didn’t allow them to go back and do an event over again.
But Kyuhyun had delivered. When he’d forwarded on Kyuhyun’s payment, he’d asked if Kyuhyun would be willing to fill in in the future. That future had been a few weeks before, and it hadn’t been for just a one-time thing. Zhou Mi was looking for someone he could call regularly. And he was going to be having that discussion in a taxi on the way to pick up a suit.
Life.
***
If someone had asked him what his impression of Kyuhyun had been at that point, he’d have said it was good. Kyuhyun had easily shifted gears, kept up with Zhou Mi. They’d talked the fifteen minutes that it took to get to the shop, and then the fifteen minutes it’d taken to get back to the office. It wasn’t as though he was needing to see Kyuhyun’s credentials. It had mostly been a meeting to ascertain Kyuhyun’s availability going forward, and how certain he was that he would be able to find an extra hand if needed.
His relationships with those who helped out tended to be genial. Many of them saw him as a way to generate business and they often moved on to do business with other people, or went in a different direction. That was fine. He wasn’t marrying his vendors.
But the ones who stayed, and the ones he learned he could count on, those were wonderful. When he got coupons for food, he tended to spread them around as thanks for good work. There was one thing he couldn’t do, and that was do everything.
The photographer, though, was an intimate part of the process. The caterer didn’t exist in Zhou Mi’s back pocket, or the baker. But the photographer was there to document the announcement, the rehearsals, the ceremony. Zhou Mi liked to keep the photographer in close contact, in case he needed to direct him or her places. The studio work, Zhou Mi was rarely there for that.
But it was nice on the day of the wedding to look up and be met with a smile and wave. Kyuhyun, in a suit and buttoned shirt, the top button undone, and his camera bag slung over one shoulder. Zhou Mi didn’t have an assistant, his business wasn’t big enough yet, so it was nice to stand back with someone who had an artist’s eye and discuss where Kyuhyun would set up, what he needed.
Kyuhyun considered him. “You seem a little stressed.”
“It’s the day of the wedding. I’m always stressed,” Zhou Mi joked. He didn’t like to vent at the people helping out, didn’t want to spread stress along. But the way Kyuhyun had his head tilted, the interest there, had him clearing his throat. “There’s a problem with the cake. The bakery is supposed to be calling within fifteen minutes to confirm they’ll make the delivery on time.”
“What happens if they can’t?”
“They’ll still make a delivery, but it’ll be put together with a lot of haste. It won’t be what the client ordered, not fully. There will be cake. I just don’t know what kind.”
“Let them do the hard work, then,” Kyuhyun said. “If you need to go take a walk, let off some steam, I can let people know if they come looking.”
That had been the first moment, watching Kyuhyun scrape hair across his forehead as he reassured Zhou Mi and offered help, that he’d felt something in his chest. A little flutter, unrelated to the way the light was casting shadows on Kyuhyun’s face, or the fact that he’d possibly appreciated Kyuhyun’s thighs in their taxi meeting.
Of course, Kyuhyun was there to work, not indulge silly fantasies. There was something about Kyuhyun’s face when it softened that had him wondering. Kyuhyun’s parted lips, and wondering eyes.
He blamed it on the stress. Thirty seconds later his phone rang, and the cake problem was nearly resolved.
Zhou Mi grinned, and got a pat on the shoulder, and the day went on without any other major issues.
Zhou Mi didn’t watch Kyuhyun and his camera and his long fingers holding it. Not much.
***
There was that wedding, and four more after it in the coming weeks. He’d booked Kyuhyun for two of those, because of schedules. He’d sent Kyuhyun home with extra cake once - cake that Zhou Mi had been given.
Some fifteen minutes before a ceremony when his head was deep in checklists, he’d looked up to see the front of Kyuhyun’s camera pointed at him.
He blinked, totally losing his train of thought, and Kyuhyun had laughed.
“Why are you taking pictures of me?”
“I figure they might like one picture at least of how hard their wedding planner was working for them,” Kyuhyun teased. “Hey, have you thought about getting new pictures for your website?”
It hadn’t crossed his mind, actually.
“We should talk after,” Kyuhyun said, and skirted him to get into place.
The wedding had ended and his feet had been sore, stomach full, and an address and a time in one hand so they could meet for pictures for Zhou Mi’s site.
None of the other photographers had ever suggested that to him. And he wasn’t sure why he liked it so much.
***
Zhou Mi had been dress shopping with brides, held the hands of nervous grooms, and ran sprints to get bouquets where they needed to be moments before they needed to be there.
But nothing made him quite so nervous as facing Kyuhyun’s door. He’d brought a couple of shirts, at Kyuhyun’s suggestion, so they could at least make it look natural and then choose which ones they liked. Just being with Kyuhyun relaxed him a bit, since at least Zhou Mi knew him. It wasn’t as though he was a stranger taking pictures. All Zhou Mi really had to do, after greeting Kyuhyun and watch him adjust lighting, was make himself comfortable and follow directions.
Smiles, casual shots, shots of Zhou Mi in front of Kyuhyun’s computer. He changed into a different shirt, and they did it all over again with a few variations. All in all, it took less than an hour and he got to be amused and filled in on Kyuhyun’s processes. If Zhou Mi sent more people to Kyuhyun in the future, he’d know with what manner they would be treated.
“I think we’re done,” Kyuhyun said, clicking through on his laptop, presumably through the pictures, and making satisfied noises.
“Great,” he said, and started to get up before Kyuhyun yelped sharply and held out a hand. He sank right back on the couch, startled.
“Do you mind if we take a few more?”
Zhou Mi blinked, but nodded. Kyuhyun had been the one to say they’d been done, so he wasn’t sure why he was being looked at as though he’d been the one to suggest they stop.
“These aren’t for the site, but since you’re here. You make a good model. Who knows, maybe I’ll do a show and make us both famous.” Kyuhyun ran to get another lens, mumbling to himself in a way that Zhou Mi couldn’t understand. Of course, it was also incredibly cute even if he was still confused. Though it began to dawn on him, as Kyuhyun approached him with determined eyes and tipped up Zhou Mi’s chin. He squeezed his eyes closed, and let Kyuhyun ruffle through his hair.
Kyuhyun wanted to be a bit more artistic about it. He smiled a bit to himself. He liked having pictures taken of himself well enough, so it was a bit flattering. Perhaps every person Kyuhyun had in, he took additional casual shots of, or perhaps not. But it didn’t really matter. He was comfortable, and Kyuhyun’s presence was pleasant.
Kyuhyun stepped back, inspected his handiwork, and deemed it good.
“Undo a couple of buttons on your shirt,” Zhou Mi was instructed as Kyuhyun walked away. “And lean against the wall.”
Zhou Mi complied, fingers sliding hard plastic through fabric. “This wall?”
“Yes. One more button.”
Zhou Mi didn’t dare look at Kyuhyun as he did as he was asked, fearing Kyuhyun would read all the thoughts that went through his head. Kyuhyun didn’t mean it in a sexual or seductive way, but his head couldn’t help but construe it. It was simply styling, setting, and to joke otherwise would be to possibly make Kyuhyun uncomfortable. He just hoped the heat spreading out to make his ears burn wasn’t obvious.
But he followed Kyuhyun’s orders. Raise one shoulder. Hands in pockets. One arm resting on the wall.
Kyuhyun made interesting noises as he took pictures. Little hums, each one taking Zhou Mi off guard, until Kyuhyun ushered him back to the couch, and began to talk to him.
“What’s your biggest dream?”
He laughed softly, thinking it over as he listened to the press of Kyuhyun’s finger on the camera. Anything to relax Zhou Mi, it seemed. “Breakfast in bed.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. I think I only got food in bed if I was next to death as a child, so it would be romantic and very sweet. And decadent.”
“Sounds like a good dream. I have dreams like that too, but I’d take any meal.”
That made him grin, and Kyuhyun hummed again.
“Lie down,” Kyuhyun suggested. And it began a different series of photos. “Hand under your head. Yeah, like that.”
Kyuhyun had him move around, to his front, and on his side with his arm dangling off.
“Do you want a big wedding like the ones you put together?”
“Sometimes I think so,” Zhou Mi mused, letting the thought take him. He saw so much of the good things about weddings, the beauty and the heartache. “But… Sometimes I think just something simple would be lovely. A garden. Something under the trees.”
“Your family would be okay with something small?”
“My family would be more pleased if I decided to marry a woman, but yes. They’d understand if I wanted that. But it’d depend on what my future fiancé wanted also.”
“No one now, then.”
“No one now. What about you? Big wedding, small?”
“It’d be nice to find someone worth going through the trouble of a big wedding for. But a small one would mean just as much. Marrying a guy, I don’t know if I could fall much lower. That and my family would like it if I found a “real job.” Okay, I think we’re done.”
Zhou Mi hoped he hadn’t stirred up hurt in asking Kyuhyun that question. At first, it had been pleasure to see Kyuhyun think it through, answer with thoughtful words that had had made his thoughts roil. And then the ache, and the understanding. “For what it’s worth, I think you do a wonderful job. Everyone has loved your pictures, and they’re some of the best I’ve seen from any photographer. I know it’s hard sometimes, so I hope you don’t let them push you from your dreams.”
“Not so far anyway,” Kyuhyun said, his dark eyes falling to the view screen. “But thanks.”
“Do I get to take pictures of you now?” Zhou Mi joked, reaching for the camera as Kyuhyun snapped another shot and danced away.
“No way. I’m the only professional here.” That made them both laugh. “I’ll let you know when I’m done going through the pictures.”
“Sounds good.”
And then they would talk price. Maybe Kyuhyun did some photography for the fun of it, but he couldn’t take something he’d possibly use for his business without compensating Kyuhyun a little.
Zhou Mi buttoned his shirt, patted Kyuhyun’s hip as he’d left. It had been fun, and the pictures meant they would talk again. There was a wedding rehearsal in just over a week that Kyuhyun was working, so possibly even then.
But heading out thinking, left Zhou Mi in front of the elevator in Kyuhyun’s apartment building, not feeling glad to be leaving, but wishing he could turn back, ask Kyuhyun for a cup of tea and just listen to his voice a little longer.
***
The phone rang as Zhou Mi was stamping his foot into his slacks, and he half ran, half hopped to get to it.
“Hello?” he answered, voice breathy as he tucked the phone between his head and shoulder and struggled with his waistband.
“Hi, this is Kyuhyun. You okay?”
“Yeah, just getting dressed,” he said, laughing, and taking hold of the phone properly. It was almost seven at night, and calls didn’t tend to be good news outside of office hours. Actually, they tended to be cancellations. “How are you?”
“I’m good. I’d gone through the pictures, and just wondered if you were free?”
He felt a bit like he’d been drenched in regret. “Oh. I wish I were. A couple had their wedding planner quit, so I have an emergency meeting in about thirty minutes.”
“Oh, okay. That’s fine—”
“I’m free tomorrow, though,” Zhou Mi cut in. “I should be, anyway, if you are. Did you want to meet, or…?”
“Dinner? I’ll text you the address.”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Have a good night.”
“You too,” Kyuhyun told him. “Good luck with your meeting.”
“Thank you.”
Zhou Mi hung up, and stared at his phone. It wasn’t just nerves for his new job he was feeling.
***
“So you ate dinner with him,” Heechul said.
“Yes,” Zhou Mi said, his chin on the table, sulking as he stared at his drink.
“Because he was showing you sexy pictures he’d taken of you.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
Heechul raised his brows at him. “Of course not. It doesn’t sound like you have a crush at all. Considering he’s all you’ve talked about since you got here. Nice bedroom eyes by the way.”
And Zhou Mi frowned at the sample images on the table between them. They weren’t that bad. Okay so maybe a couple of them when he’d be lying on the couch were. But Kyuhyun had been totally professional.
“The buttons being undone are a nice touch. With your hair messed up, it looks like you two were having fun.”
And the laugh caught in Zhou Mi’s throat.
They finally looked at the pictures in a cafe, too busy eating and talking over dinner to even imagine it. They both had stories to tell, tales of horror, and amazement. Kyuhyun behind a camera, in training, school, and Zhou Mi with weddings and the ups and downs. Kyuhyun almost vibrated, hitching with laughter, rocking back into his chair and covering his mouth with the back of his hand as Zhou Mi told him a tale of spilling an entire bouquet plus a bucket of water onto himself just an hour before the ceremony, and having to finish out the day in wet shoes.
Luckily Kyuhyun hadn’t choked.
And they’d sat shoulder to shoulder in the cafe with cups of tea, and Kyuhyun alternating between some pictures he’d printed, and others displayed on the screen of his laptop.
Casual, professional, the ones for the website were perfect. Kyuhyun gave him a CD with those, so he could choose the ones he wanted.
The prints were the ones against the wall, on the couch. Sleepy eyed, messy haired. Shadows on his face, and then a big smile - as part of his hand was obscured as he tried to reach for the camera.
“Wow. And that was just a few minutes in your apartment,” Zhou Mi said, impressed with Kyuhyun’s skill. In some of them, he secretly thought he looked stunning.
“When you have the right subject it helps. Maybe we should do it again sometime.”
And Kyuhyun had looked over at him, the corners of his mouth pulling, cheeks bowing. A dimple in his chin that distracted Zhou Mi for a heartbeat too long.
Among other things Zhou Mi thought they should do again: have dinner together. And tea. They didn’t even have to laugh over his face, and talk about how the pictures could impact his business.
“Not fun like that,” Zhou Mi told Heechul with a sigh. Verbal sparring, yes. Actual touching…
Heechul smirked, putting his half of the lunch money on the table. “Not yet anyway.”
Not yet.
***
The weekend rehearsal and wedding went off with a minimum of fuss. He’d been too busy to do much but greet Kyuhyun and make sure they were both on the same page for what to do. He’d exchanged smiles throughout the afternoon, looks to make sure Kyuhyun had everything he needed. But mostly Zhou Mi kept his head down and kept working and focused.
He wouldn’t even see Kyuhyun when they settled up accounts, since he sent a check in the mail. But still, having a wedding behind him, a couple of new client meetings later on in the week, made his day start off on a high. All of his bills were made out, his accounts balanced. After lunch, he’d run through his check lists again, and read all the news there was. Sometimes that was the nice thing about being his own boss. He was getting ideas, though, too, and not totally slacking.
The second day, his site was updated with Kyuhyun’s pictures and new shots of weddings that had happened over the last month. It gave people new things to look at, dream about. And new pictures of his face to trust, as Kyuhyun had put it.
It was maybe half an hour before he usually left, when he heard a knock on the office door before it opened, and Kyuhyun’s head peeked through.
“Hi, come on in!” Zhou Mi said, standing, his palms becoming inexplicably wet the second he’d seen who it was.
Kyuhyun smiled, closing the door behind him. He had his camera bag bumping on one hip, and it drew Zhou Mi’s eye. “Am I interrupting? Any meetings soon?”
“No, not at all. I didn’t forget we were meeting again, did I?”
“No,” Kyuhyun assured him. “I dropped by on my own. Oh, I saw the site today. The pictures look good. Seeing my name credited looks good, too.”
Zhou Mi laughed, leaning back against the desk with a smile. “Yes, I made sure he knew to include that. It gave the site a fresh update. Thank you.”
“You bring me business. It’s only right I bring you business, too. Through pictures of you. That sounds weird.”
“A little. Is there something I can do for you?”
Kyuhyun hesitated, his hand on his bag. “Actually, yes. Sort of. I wondered if you could take a picture for me.”
That made Zhou Mi’s eyebrows rise. Getting asked to take a picture by a photographer. He watched as Kyuhyun undid the clasp, taking out his large, and expensive, camera.
“Okay?” Zhou Mi ventured.
It brought on a five minute tutorial, Kyuhyun almost delivering a lecture on the various merits of the camera. Though at times it was hard to focus, because Kyuhyun’s shoulder was leaning into his, and their fingers brushing. Most of the lecture was useless, since Kyuhyun had everything set up so all Zhou Mi had to do was point it the right way and press a button, but Zhou Mi certainly wasn’t going to complain or stop him. It wasn’t as though he was being taken away from anything better to do.
Though he was still a little puzzled as to why Kyuhyun was there, why he wanted Zhou Mi to take a picture of him. Kyuhyun, seemingly unable to stand perfectly still as he talked quickly and laughed at his own verbal blunders.
He seemed nervous, and it was endearing, even if Zhou Mi didn’t know why.
“Okay,” Kyuhyun said, scurrying away to get set in front of the office door. “Just lift it up, get a good view, and take a test shot. Okay?”
“That worked,” Zhou Mi said, approving of the picture’s composition.
“Great,” Kyuhyun said, and then wrestled something out of his camera bag. “Get set again. Okay. I’m just going to hold this up and just take another shot.”
“Got it,” Zhou Mi said, with the camera pressed to his face and waiting. Waiting as Kyuhyun lifted a piece of paper and it came into focus with Kyuhyun’s expression turning into a smile, and Zhou Mi pressed the button. He caught only a word, but it was enough as he lowered the camera.
He stared from the view screen, up to Kyuhyun. And the words were even clearer there. “Will you go on a date with me?”
It made his throat clutch, swallowing hard as he tried to wrap his head around it. Kyuhyun was asking him out. He wasn’t asking Zhou Mi to take a picture of him, so Kyuhyun could go ask someone else out.
Oh, that would be a rich irony that could leave him slamming his head on a wall for the next six months.
Kyuhyun stepped toward him. “You said you weren’t dating anyone, right?”
“No, I’m not,” Zhou Mi agreed, voice and heart a little giddy.
“We work together, so it’s probably not the best idea…”
Oh no. No, Kyuhyun wasn’t going to make arguments to talk them out of it, or to make himself feel better in case Zhou Mi turned him down.
Kyuhyun nearly recoiled from the hand Zhou Mi slid behind his head, but then he was leaning in, meeting Zhou Mi’s mouth. The laugh was sputtered over a series of breaths and kisses, hopeless, disbelieving vestige of panic and relief as Kyuhyun gripped his shoulder.
It felt like his face was broken in a smile, as they considered each other.
“I like your way of saying yes. Unless that was a consolation prize,” Kyuhyun joked.
Zhou Mi kissed him again in answer.
***
They ended up with a picture of Kyuhyun as he asked Zhou Mi out, and a picture of their shoes side by side as they kissed for the first time. Zhou Mi’s itchy trigger finger, it seemed. But it was hard to control fine motor movement when he was busy kissing a man. It was even artfully blurred.
At least he hadn’t dropped the camera.
They managed to keep work and play separate, with Kyuhyun taking point on weddings that fit his schedule, and then going home with Zhou Mi afterwards most times. He usually had a lot of exhausted, nervous energy to dispel, and having a Kyuhyun under his arm in the taxi on the way home was only the first remedy.
It wasn’t the first time Kyuhyun stayed over, or the second, or the third. They had been too busy with each other those mornings, hands wandering in glee. Having a partner in bed who was just as thrilled to be there was he was was not in any way overrated. But Kyuhyun woke him one morning with a bowl of cold cereal liberally drowned in soy milk. So drowned, in fact, he couldn’t even see the cereal at first.
“You said you wanted breakfast in bed,” Kyuhyun had mumbled, half flopping onto the bed and making Zhou Mi sway frantically to keep the milk from spilling. Kyuhyun had remembered.
He’d seen a lot of weddings, and a lot of really sappy things. But Zhou Mi still thought it was the most romantic thing that had ever happened.
***
Pairing: Zhou Mi/Kyuhyun
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU
Summary: Zhou Mi brings people the weddings of their dreams, and Kyuhyun sees the world through the lens of his camera.
***
Zhou Mi loved the smiles. There was a lot of stress that went into weddings, from the food served, to the venue, to decorations. The cake, the dress, the flowers. He had binders set up in his office, ready for new clients to walk in. They had paperwork for each of those sections to be filled in with dreams, wishes, and practicality. He sliced budgets with ruthless efficiency, finding ways to cut corners that wouldn’t take away from the day and still somehow give the bride and groom - and usually their picky families - everything they’d ever dreamed of.
Photography, videography, was a huge part of that, from engagement photos, to behind the scenes in the bridal suite, photos of the entire bridal party, the ceremony, and reception. At any time, Zhou Mi had half a dozen photographers in his cell phone, with even more in back up in case of sickness, emergency. He’d had to replace a photographer the day of a wedding only twice, but he’d been glad he didn’t chew his nails or they would have been stubs by the time he’d finished pacing and finding a replacement to get there.
With the cost of weddings, and all the trappings outside of the wedding that the couple had to deal with, going up seemingly by the minute, it was obvious that they would want to document all of the best parts of it.
It wasn’t as though Zhou Mi was a miracle worker. But he did take just that much stress off a bride’s shoulders. His contingency plans had contingency plans. And there was nothing like going home after a wedding that had gone off without a hitch, or even with a dozen issues, and collapsing into his comfortable chair with a hot mug of tea and his back massager.
But even doing so, he was alone. He went from smiling faces, gratification, and the fulfillment of a paycheck, to his empty apartment. He’d had to put his dog down the year before because she’d been sick, and he hadn’t had the heart to get another. Sometimes he thought about it, but the exhaustion of choosing an older dog, or training a puppy, meant he never got up out of his chair. One day he would, he knew that. He missed having a head heavy on his knee and begging for affection.
He missed dating. But not having the energy to go find food most days meant the idea of going out to try and meet someone or even ask his friends if they knew someone was out of the question. One of his goals in life was to have some kind of clandestine romance, or at the very least have a lot of really hot sex and lazy breakfasts in bed.
He was still working on that.
***
Phone, keys, wallet. Check. All three were in his bag as he dashed for the door of his office, a small room he rented in an office building so he could have a place to operate out of that wasn’t his living room.
He at least tried to see the living room most days, but doing his work at the office was easier.
And he had to go.
It was hard to classify the sound that came out of his mouth as he opened the door only to find a man stepping up to it. Something between a squeak and a honk.
“Oh,” he said laughing, “I’m sorry. You scared me. Hi?”
And it was a little breathless, not expecting to be stopped right at his doorstep.
The man blinked at him. “Hi. We were going to meet?”
Kyuhyun. The photographer he was supposed to meet with. His brain ran a marathon in about two seconds flat, recalling the phone call, the appointment he’d made in his phone. He’d checked his computer, but not his phone.
“I’m so sorry, yes,” Zhou Mi said, fumbling to pull up the appointment. And sure enough, he’d have gotten a five minute reminder about two minutes later. “Kyuhyun. I made a note and everything that you would be here today. Thank you for coming.”
“You look like you were on your way out,” Kyuhyun said. “Is this a bad time?”
Zhou Mi winced. If Kyuhyun had been a couple of minutes later, he’d have ended up knocking on an empty office, and Zhou Mi’s reminder would have sent him scrambling to call.
“I was. One of my grooms managed to get his suit filthy and torn at a bachelor party with no time to get it cleaned and repaired, so I need to pick up a rental or he’ll be getting married in jeans.” And the reason he’d been scrambling was because the rental store closed in an hour, which was why he was locking his door. “I’m on tight timing, emergency. I hate to do this to you. We could reschedule, or— You could ride along in the taxi with me? We could get to talk at least, so you haven’t wasted a trip.”
Zhou Mi put on his best reassuring smile, reserved for brides melting down and irate parents, in hopes that he hadn’t totally blown a contact because of a suit malfunction. Though if an emergency and change of plans threw off Kyuhyun, then he might not be as cut out for the wedding business as Zhou Mi thought.
“I don’t have anything else planned, so why not?” Kyuhyun said, and walked with him.
Or maybe jogged with him, since Zhou Mi was beelining to the elevator and then the street. He’d met Kyuhyun the first time about three months earlier, when he’d needed one of those emergency photographers. Kyuhyun had been a recommendation, and he’d supplied a photography student -a woman - for the bridal suite since that was what the customer had wanted. Kyuhyun had staked his fee on being able to make the couple happy. Which was all well and good, because Zhou Mi had heard a lot of promises, but giving someone their money back didn’t allow them to go back and do an event over again.
But Kyuhyun had delivered. When he’d forwarded on Kyuhyun’s payment, he’d asked if Kyuhyun would be willing to fill in in the future. That future had been a few weeks before, and it hadn’t been for just a one-time thing. Zhou Mi was looking for someone he could call regularly. And he was going to be having that discussion in a taxi on the way to pick up a suit.
Life.
***
If someone had asked him what his impression of Kyuhyun had been at that point, he’d have said it was good. Kyuhyun had easily shifted gears, kept up with Zhou Mi. They’d talked the fifteen minutes that it took to get to the shop, and then the fifteen minutes it’d taken to get back to the office. It wasn’t as though he was needing to see Kyuhyun’s credentials. It had mostly been a meeting to ascertain Kyuhyun’s availability going forward, and how certain he was that he would be able to find an extra hand if needed.
His relationships with those who helped out tended to be genial. Many of them saw him as a way to generate business and they often moved on to do business with other people, or went in a different direction. That was fine. He wasn’t marrying his vendors.
But the ones who stayed, and the ones he learned he could count on, those were wonderful. When he got coupons for food, he tended to spread them around as thanks for good work. There was one thing he couldn’t do, and that was do everything.
The photographer, though, was an intimate part of the process. The caterer didn’t exist in Zhou Mi’s back pocket, or the baker. But the photographer was there to document the announcement, the rehearsals, the ceremony. Zhou Mi liked to keep the photographer in close contact, in case he needed to direct him or her places. The studio work, Zhou Mi was rarely there for that.
But it was nice on the day of the wedding to look up and be met with a smile and wave. Kyuhyun, in a suit and buttoned shirt, the top button undone, and his camera bag slung over one shoulder. Zhou Mi didn’t have an assistant, his business wasn’t big enough yet, so it was nice to stand back with someone who had an artist’s eye and discuss where Kyuhyun would set up, what he needed.
Kyuhyun considered him. “You seem a little stressed.”
“It’s the day of the wedding. I’m always stressed,” Zhou Mi joked. He didn’t like to vent at the people helping out, didn’t want to spread stress along. But the way Kyuhyun had his head tilted, the interest there, had him clearing his throat. “There’s a problem with the cake. The bakery is supposed to be calling within fifteen minutes to confirm they’ll make the delivery on time.”
“What happens if they can’t?”
“They’ll still make a delivery, but it’ll be put together with a lot of haste. It won’t be what the client ordered, not fully. There will be cake. I just don’t know what kind.”
“Let them do the hard work, then,” Kyuhyun said. “If you need to go take a walk, let off some steam, I can let people know if they come looking.”
That had been the first moment, watching Kyuhyun scrape hair across his forehead as he reassured Zhou Mi and offered help, that he’d felt something in his chest. A little flutter, unrelated to the way the light was casting shadows on Kyuhyun’s face, or the fact that he’d possibly appreciated Kyuhyun’s thighs in their taxi meeting.
Of course, Kyuhyun was there to work, not indulge silly fantasies. There was something about Kyuhyun’s face when it softened that had him wondering. Kyuhyun’s parted lips, and wondering eyes.
He blamed it on the stress. Thirty seconds later his phone rang, and the cake problem was nearly resolved.
Zhou Mi grinned, and got a pat on the shoulder, and the day went on without any other major issues.
Zhou Mi didn’t watch Kyuhyun and his camera and his long fingers holding it. Not much.
***
There was that wedding, and four more after it in the coming weeks. He’d booked Kyuhyun for two of those, because of schedules. He’d sent Kyuhyun home with extra cake once - cake that Zhou Mi had been given.
Some fifteen minutes before a ceremony when his head was deep in checklists, he’d looked up to see the front of Kyuhyun’s camera pointed at him.
He blinked, totally losing his train of thought, and Kyuhyun had laughed.
“Why are you taking pictures of me?”
“I figure they might like one picture at least of how hard their wedding planner was working for them,” Kyuhyun teased. “Hey, have you thought about getting new pictures for your website?”
It hadn’t crossed his mind, actually.
“We should talk after,” Kyuhyun said, and skirted him to get into place.
The wedding had ended and his feet had been sore, stomach full, and an address and a time in one hand so they could meet for pictures for Zhou Mi’s site.
None of the other photographers had ever suggested that to him. And he wasn’t sure why he liked it so much.
***
Zhou Mi had been dress shopping with brides, held the hands of nervous grooms, and ran sprints to get bouquets where they needed to be moments before they needed to be there.
But nothing made him quite so nervous as facing Kyuhyun’s door. He’d brought a couple of shirts, at Kyuhyun’s suggestion, so they could at least make it look natural and then choose which ones they liked. Just being with Kyuhyun relaxed him a bit, since at least Zhou Mi knew him. It wasn’t as though he was a stranger taking pictures. All Zhou Mi really had to do, after greeting Kyuhyun and watch him adjust lighting, was make himself comfortable and follow directions.
Smiles, casual shots, shots of Zhou Mi in front of Kyuhyun’s computer. He changed into a different shirt, and they did it all over again with a few variations. All in all, it took less than an hour and he got to be amused and filled in on Kyuhyun’s processes. If Zhou Mi sent more people to Kyuhyun in the future, he’d know with what manner they would be treated.
“I think we’re done,” Kyuhyun said, clicking through on his laptop, presumably through the pictures, and making satisfied noises.
“Great,” he said, and started to get up before Kyuhyun yelped sharply and held out a hand. He sank right back on the couch, startled.
“Do you mind if we take a few more?”
Zhou Mi blinked, but nodded. Kyuhyun had been the one to say they’d been done, so he wasn’t sure why he was being looked at as though he’d been the one to suggest they stop.
“These aren’t for the site, but since you’re here. You make a good model. Who knows, maybe I’ll do a show and make us both famous.” Kyuhyun ran to get another lens, mumbling to himself in a way that Zhou Mi couldn’t understand. Of course, it was also incredibly cute even if he was still confused. Though it began to dawn on him, as Kyuhyun approached him with determined eyes and tipped up Zhou Mi’s chin. He squeezed his eyes closed, and let Kyuhyun ruffle through his hair.
Kyuhyun wanted to be a bit more artistic about it. He smiled a bit to himself. He liked having pictures taken of himself well enough, so it was a bit flattering. Perhaps every person Kyuhyun had in, he took additional casual shots of, or perhaps not. But it didn’t really matter. He was comfortable, and Kyuhyun’s presence was pleasant.
Kyuhyun stepped back, inspected his handiwork, and deemed it good.
“Undo a couple of buttons on your shirt,” Zhou Mi was instructed as Kyuhyun walked away. “And lean against the wall.”
Zhou Mi complied, fingers sliding hard plastic through fabric. “This wall?”
“Yes. One more button.”
Zhou Mi didn’t dare look at Kyuhyun as he did as he was asked, fearing Kyuhyun would read all the thoughts that went through his head. Kyuhyun didn’t mean it in a sexual or seductive way, but his head couldn’t help but construe it. It was simply styling, setting, and to joke otherwise would be to possibly make Kyuhyun uncomfortable. He just hoped the heat spreading out to make his ears burn wasn’t obvious.
But he followed Kyuhyun’s orders. Raise one shoulder. Hands in pockets. One arm resting on the wall.
Kyuhyun made interesting noises as he took pictures. Little hums, each one taking Zhou Mi off guard, until Kyuhyun ushered him back to the couch, and began to talk to him.
“What’s your biggest dream?”
He laughed softly, thinking it over as he listened to the press of Kyuhyun’s finger on the camera. Anything to relax Zhou Mi, it seemed. “Breakfast in bed.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. I think I only got food in bed if I was next to death as a child, so it would be romantic and very sweet. And decadent.”
“Sounds like a good dream. I have dreams like that too, but I’d take any meal.”
That made him grin, and Kyuhyun hummed again.
“Lie down,” Kyuhyun suggested. And it began a different series of photos. “Hand under your head. Yeah, like that.”
Kyuhyun had him move around, to his front, and on his side with his arm dangling off.
“Do you want a big wedding like the ones you put together?”
“Sometimes I think so,” Zhou Mi mused, letting the thought take him. He saw so much of the good things about weddings, the beauty and the heartache. “But… Sometimes I think just something simple would be lovely. A garden. Something under the trees.”
“Your family would be okay with something small?”
“My family would be more pleased if I decided to marry a woman, but yes. They’d understand if I wanted that. But it’d depend on what my future fiancé wanted also.”
“No one now, then.”
“No one now. What about you? Big wedding, small?”
“It’d be nice to find someone worth going through the trouble of a big wedding for. But a small one would mean just as much. Marrying a guy, I don’t know if I could fall much lower. That and my family would like it if I found a “real job.” Okay, I think we’re done.”
Zhou Mi hoped he hadn’t stirred up hurt in asking Kyuhyun that question. At first, it had been pleasure to see Kyuhyun think it through, answer with thoughtful words that had had made his thoughts roil. And then the ache, and the understanding. “For what it’s worth, I think you do a wonderful job. Everyone has loved your pictures, and they’re some of the best I’ve seen from any photographer. I know it’s hard sometimes, so I hope you don’t let them push you from your dreams.”
“Not so far anyway,” Kyuhyun said, his dark eyes falling to the view screen. “But thanks.”
“Do I get to take pictures of you now?” Zhou Mi joked, reaching for the camera as Kyuhyun snapped another shot and danced away.
“No way. I’m the only professional here.” That made them both laugh. “I’ll let you know when I’m done going through the pictures.”
“Sounds good.”
And then they would talk price. Maybe Kyuhyun did some photography for the fun of it, but he couldn’t take something he’d possibly use for his business without compensating Kyuhyun a little.
Zhou Mi buttoned his shirt, patted Kyuhyun’s hip as he’d left. It had been fun, and the pictures meant they would talk again. There was a wedding rehearsal in just over a week that Kyuhyun was working, so possibly even then.
But heading out thinking, left Zhou Mi in front of the elevator in Kyuhyun’s apartment building, not feeling glad to be leaving, but wishing he could turn back, ask Kyuhyun for a cup of tea and just listen to his voice a little longer.
***
The phone rang as Zhou Mi was stamping his foot into his slacks, and he half ran, half hopped to get to it.
“Hello?” he answered, voice breathy as he tucked the phone between his head and shoulder and struggled with his waistband.
“Hi, this is Kyuhyun. You okay?”
“Yeah, just getting dressed,” he said, laughing, and taking hold of the phone properly. It was almost seven at night, and calls didn’t tend to be good news outside of office hours. Actually, they tended to be cancellations. “How are you?”
“I’m good. I’d gone through the pictures, and just wondered if you were free?”
He felt a bit like he’d been drenched in regret. “Oh. I wish I were. A couple had their wedding planner quit, so I have an emergency meeting in about thirty minutes.”
“Oh, okay. That’s fine—”
“I’m free tomorrow, though,” Zhou Mi cut in. “I should be, anyway, if you are. Did you want to meet, or…?”
“Dinner? I’ll text you the address.”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Have a good night.”
“You too,” Kyuhyun told him. “Good luck with your meeting.”
“Thank you.”
Zhou Mi hung up, and stared at his phone. It wasn’t just nerves for his new job he was feeling.
***
“So you ate dinner with him,” Heechul said.
“Yes,” Zhou Mi said, his chin on the table, sulking as he stared at his drink.
“Because he was showing you sexy pictures he’d taken of you.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
Heechul raised his brows at him. “Of course not. It doesn’t sound like you have a crush at all. Considering he’s all you’ve talked about since you got here. Nice bedroom eyes by the way.”
And Zhou Mi frowned at the sample images on the table between them. They weren’t that bad. Okay so maybe a couple of them when he’d be lying on the couch were. But Kyuhyun had been totally professional.
“The buttons being undone are a nice touch. With your hair messed up, it looks like you two were having fun.”
And the laugh caught in Zhou Mi’s throat.
They finally looked at the pictures in a cafe, too busy eating and talking over dinner to even imagine it. They both had stories to tell, tales of horror, and amazement. Kyuhyun behind a camera, in training, school, and Zhou Mi with weddings and the ups and downs. Kyuhyun almost vibrated, hitching with laughter, rocking back into his chair and covering his mouth with the back of his hand as Zhou Mi told him a tale of spilling an entire bouquet plus a bucket of water onto himself just an hour before the ceremony, and having to finish out the day in wet shoes.
Luckily Kyuhyun hadn’t choked.
And they’d sat shoulder to shoulder in the cafe with cups of tea, and Kyuhyun alternating between some pictures he’d printed, and others displayed on the screen of his laptop.
Casual, professional, the ones for the website were perfect. Kyuhyun gave him a CD with those, so he could choose the ones he wanted.
The prints were the ones against the wall, on the couch. Sleepy eyed, messy haired. Shadows on his face, and then a big smile - as part of his hand was obscured as he tried to reach for the camera.
“Wow. And that was just a few minutes in your apartment,” Zhou Mi said, impressed with Kyuhyun’s skill. In some of them, he secretly thought he looked stunning.
“When you have the right subject it helps. Maybe we should do it again sometime.”
And Kyuhyun had looked over at him, the corners of his mouth pulling, cheeks bowing. A dimple in his chin that distracted Zhou Mi for a heartbeat too long.
Among other things Zhou Mi thought they should do again: have dinner together. And tea. They didn’t even have to laugh over his face, and talk about how the pictures could impact his business.
“Not fun like that,” Zhou Mi told Heechul with a sigh. Verbal sparring, yes. Actual touching…
Heechul smirked, putting his half of the lunch money on the table. “Not yet anyway.”
Not yet.
***
The weekend rehearsal and wedding went off with a minimum of fuss. He’d been too busy to do much but greet Kyuhyun and make sure they were both on the same page for what to do. He’d exchanged smiles throughout the afternoon, looks to make sure Kyuhyun had everything he needed. But mostly Zhou Mi kept his head down and kept working and focused.
He wouldn’t even see Kyuhyun when they settled up accounts, since he sent a check in the mail. But still, having a wedding behind him, a couple of new client meetings later on in the week, made his day start off on a high. All of his bills were made out, his accounts balanced. After lunch, he’d run through his check lists again, and read all the news there was. Sometimes that was the nice thing about being his own boss. He was getting ideas, though, too, and not totally slacking.
The second day, his site was updated with Kyuhyun’s pictures and new shots of weddings that had happened over the last month. It gave people new things to look at, dream about. And new pictures of his face to trust, as Kyuhyun had put it.
It was maybe half an hour before he usually left, when he heard a knock on the office door before it opened, and Kyuhyun’s head peeked through.
“Hi, come on in!” Zhou Mi said, standing, his palms becoming inexplicably wet the second he’d seen who it was.
Kyuhyun smiled, closing the door behind him. He had his camera bag bumping on one hip, and it drew Zhou Mi’s eye. “Am I interrupting? Any meetings soon?”
“No, not at all. I didn’t forget we were meeting again, did I?”
“No,” Kyuhyun assured him. “I dropped by on my own. Oh, I saw the site today. The pictures look good. Seeing my name credited looks good, too.”
Zhou Mi laughed, leaning back against the desk with a smile. “Yes, I made sure he knew to include that. It gave the site a fresh update. Thank you.”
“You bring me business. It’s only right I bring you business, too. Through pictures of you. That sounds weird.”
“A little. Is there something I can do for you?”
Kyuhyun hesitated, his hand on his bag. “Actually, yes. Sort of. I wondered if you could take a picture for me.”
That made Zhou Mi’s eyebrows rise. Getting asked to take a picture by a photographer. He watched as Kyuhyun undid the clasp, taking out his large, and expensive, camera.
“Okay?” Zhou Mi ventured.
It brought on a five minute tutorial, Kyuhyun almost delivering a lecture on the various merits of the camera. Though at times it was hard to focus, because Kyuhyun’s shoulder was leaning into his, and their fingers brushing. Most of the lecture was useless, since Kyuhyun had everything set up so all Zhou Mi had to do was point it the right way and press a button, but Zhou Mi certainly wasn’t going to complain or stop him. It wasn’t as though he was being taken away from anything better to do.
Though he was still a little puzzled as to why Kyuhyun was there, why he wanted Zhou Mi to take a picture of him. Kyuhyun, seemingly unable to stand perfectly still as he talked quickly and laughed at his own verbal blunders.
He seemed nervous, and it was endearing, even if Zhou Mi didn’t know why.
“Okay,” Kyuhyun said, scurrying away to get set in front of the office door. “Just lift it up, get a good view, and take a test shot. Okay?”
“That worked,” Zhou Mi said, approving of the picture’s composition.
“Great,” Kyuhyun said, and then wrestled something out of his camera bag. “Get set again. Okay. I’m just going to hold this up and just take another shot.”
“Got it,” Zhou Mi said, with the camera pressed to his face and waiting. Waiting as Kyuhyun lifted a piece of paper and it came into focus with Kyuhyun’s expression turning into a smile, and Zhou Mi pressed the button. He caught only a word, but it was enough as he lowered the camera.
He stared from the view screen, up to Kyuhyun. And the words were even clearer there. “Will you go on a date with me?”
It made his throat clutch, swallowing hard as he tried to wrap his head around it. Kyuhyun was asking him out. He wasn’t asking Zhou Mi to take a picture of him, so Kyuhyun could go ask someone else out.
Oh, that would be a rich irony that could leave him slamming his head on a wall for the next six months.
Kyuhyun stepped toward him. “You said you weren’t dating anyone, right?”
“No, I’m not,” Zhou Mi agreed, voice and heart a little giddy.
“We work together, so it’s probably not the best idea…”
Oh no. No, Kyuhyun wasn’t going to make arguments to talk them out of it, or to make himself feel better in case Zhou Mi turned him down.
Kyuhyun nearly recoiled from the hand Zhou Mi slid behind his head, but then he was leaning in, meeting Zhou Mi’s mouth. The laugh was sputtered over a series of breaths and kisses, hopeless, disbelieving vestige of panic and relief as Kyuhyun gripped his shoulder.
It felt like his face was broken in a smile, as they considered each other.
“I like your way of saying yes. Unless that was a consolation prize,” Kyuhyun joked.
Zhou Mi kissed him again in answer.
***
They ended up with a picture of Kyuhyun as he asked Zhou Mi out, and a picture of their shoes side by side as they kissed for the first time. Zhou Mi’s itchy trigger finger, it seemed. But it was hard to control fine motor movement when he was busy kissing a man. It was even artfully blurred.
At least he hadn’t dropped the camera.
They managed to keep work and play separate, with Kyuhyun taking point on weddings that fit his schedule, and then going home with Zhou Mi afterwards most times. He usually had a lot of exhausted, nervous energy to dispel, and having a Kyuhyun under his arm in the taxi on the way home was only the first remedy.
It wasn’t the first time Kyuhyun stayed over, or the second, or the third. They had been too busy with each other those mornings, hands wandering in glee. Having a partner in bed who was just as thrilled to be there was he was was not in any way overrated. But Kyuhyun woke him one morning with a bowl of cold cereal liberally drowned in soy milk. So drowned, in fact, he couldn’t even see the cereal at first.
“You said you wanted breakfast in bed,” Kyuhyun had mumbled, half flopping onto the bed and making Zhou Mi sway frantically to keep the milk from spilling. Kyuhyun had remembered.
He’d seen a lot of weddings, and a lot of really sappy things. But Zhou Mi still thought it was the most romantic thing that had ever happened.
***
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no subject
Date: 2012-10-07 11:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-07 12:00 pm (UTC)Okay, I'm not going to quote the whole thing but I am going to squeal about certain parts. First, the image of Kyuhyun with a camera bag slung over his shoulder and one hand holding the camera as the other adjusts the lens is just so nice >w< I don't know, I feel like he'd make a very handsome photographer.
I can just see Mimi as a wedding planner, dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief as the groom and bride exchange vows, probably squeezing the life out of Kyuhyun's arm as he does so. Busy bee Mimi with his love of happy endings and bright weddings~
The way Kyuhyun asked him out was adorable. That was just so perfect and so nice, I admit I was a little confused when he asked Zhou Mi to take a photo for him. I'd be worried if a professional photographer asked me to take a photo xD but it worked out perfectly, and I can just picture Kyuhyun wearing a goofy grin as he holds up that piece of paper, and the blurred photo of their shoes. <3
All in all this was just so flawless, thank you so much for choosing my prompt, I really didn't expect it to be done so quickly, either, so that was a great bonus. Also, I can't stop re-reading your Kris/Yixing fic! ;a; I have a newfound EXO bias and they're my OTP. But ah, I really can't thank you enough, not just for this fic, but for all the fics you write. My face seriously lights up when I see you've updated. <3
no subject
Date: 2012-10-10 04:28 am (UTC)Oh, I agree that he'd make a handsome photographer. ;~~; They both have lovely hands. ...And Kyuhyun crouching and a concentrating face would be wonderful. XD
Oh, a handkerchief! I wonder if he'd have a very pretty collection of those~~ And Mimi's little kit of stain remover and instant coffee in case someone needs to be sobered up. XD
Hehehe~ I totally agree about being worried. XD Especially since the camera would have time delay and Kyuhyun has to own a tripod! Kyu baby being so hopeful and earnest and Zhou Mi's :o~ I imagine their first date wasn't long after~~ <3
It was really my pleasure~~ <3 Really all of them are~~ <3 And ah ;A; Fanxing~ They're such fun. ;~~; Yixing's little mischievous faces and Kris being Kris. Sigh. <3<3
no subject
Date: 2012-10-10 08:59 am (UTC)He would ;a; I agree there, lovely fingers and all, it makes me look down at my hands and sulk. Yes, that would be very wonderful indeed xD
Yesss, he'd have ones to match his outfits, and maybe even a few cute ones embroidered with animal artwork :P Though I don't think Zhou Mi would be so obsessive compulsive that he'd have a Monday pile, Tuesday pile etc. XD that would worry me. Ahahaha, Super Mimi is planned for anything and everything!
That's true, but we can be happy it ended up wonderfully~ I wonder if the first date location would be a cake shop Mimi generally recommends for weddings, Qmi and sweet things together is always nice <3
I would offer to write you something in return but I'm really, really not that great when it comes to prose, maybe I can try drawing something :P But really, I just can't thank you enough. Fanxing are lots of fun! Sometimes I feel like they drift towards each other subconsciously sometimes, but that could very well be my fangirl heart talking. XD~
no subject
Date: 2012-10-11 06:30 am (UTC)...Yeah I don't have as lovely of fingers either, but boy I'm sure glad they do~ XD
Yeeah probably not specific piles...maybe little tiny drawers for each color? That might make sense for him~ XD
I approve of all cake shop related dates. ;~~;
I...I would certainly not say no to a drawing~ Though that's totally up to you~~ <3 It's really been a joy to watch Yixing sort of...open up? Learning how he can be in front of people and in interviews. And Kris as well. He always used to look so severe, it's just lovely to see him smile~~ <3
no subject
Date: 2012-10-11 08:48 am (UTC)Oh yes, I could spend all day staring at their fingers! Err... creepy, but it's sadly true XD
Ooh, that would be cute! Imagine Kyuhyun's curiosity when he goes to put a handkerchief in the wrong drawer and Zhou Mi almost has a heart attack, ahaha~
;a; Cake-related dates and Frozen Yoghurt are my two choices. I have a uh... slight
obsessionlove of strawberry flavoured frozen yoghurt... XD I think I'd love to go on a date like that with Yixing~Okay! :) I really have to thank you for this, but I mean, I can't draw as well as the likes of vintagentleman XD I mainly do chibi art, if that's okay? You can request anything too, I think it'd be easier that way. I'll try to get it done as soon as possible~ I have so many things to do and so little motivation ;~; I need to stop being so slack.
I know~ It's nice to see they've gone from having Kris answering most questions to the members being able to answer themselves as well, even though lovely Duizhang is there to help~ I admit, I kind of... liked it when Kris cried during the award? Not in a masochistic way or anything XD I mean, he always gives off this very intimidating, confident look so to see that he cries is kind of a nice reminder that he's human, almost? Guh, I can't explain properly. XD
Although, I do feel somewhat awkward because I haven't been in EXO fandom for that long (I've known about them since debut, but didn't properly start stanning until maybe a month ago, it stepped up a notch a week ago) so I worry whether it's okay for me to feel so strongly about them.
Yixing is gorgeous~ He kind of kicked Lu Han off second place XD and Xiumin ran up to take third, so... But I do love how genuine Yixing (and Tao, too) seem in terms of their emotions, it's nice to see how caring they are.
no subject
Date: 2012-10-11 09:36 am (UTC)...You and me both. Zhou Mi has the most amazing hands. >.> /coughcoughcough
Reds, blues, greens...No Kyuhyun, that's neutral! XD XD
I love strawberry flavored anything almost. ;~~; I have no idea why I like Yixing in those sneakers with the rounded white toes. I don't know why that's so endearing. I'll figure it out one day. ;;;;;
This is a very specific request then. >.> A chibi tiger!Mimi would be adorable. Like...When Kyuhyun first shows up in the forest in The Life I Live, Zhou Mi has black stripes painted on his sides (and arms and hands too I think)...and all he's wearing is a kind of covering cloth at his hips, and a leather amulet/pendant at his chest. But he'd be so cute with his little striping, waiting for Kyuhyun to arrive~~ But um...yeah! \o/// If that's okay. If not, can think of something else~
And now they gang up on Kris~ XD Ah, but with love. He gets a little of the stress taken off of him when no one would say anything. XD~~ His tears were really precious~ <3 They've all worked so hard. And yeah, he comes off as almost some kind of statue come to life, perfect at the airport, etc, so seeing him just give a little. Of course, having Yixing beside him breaking down doesn't help. I find I'm more prone to cry when someone else is weeping too, also. XD Yixing hiding behind Kris as though to shield himself from the emotions on the screen (there and at happy camp) is SO CUTE. Duizhang his protector~~
Aww~ it's definitely okay no matter how strongly you feel. When I first got into SJM, I knew almost nothing, and then I like, practically bathed in all of their shows for weeks and I went from idk \o/ to MY BABIES to in under a year going around the world to see them. XD So...Just enjoy it~ And don't let anyone tell you that you're not a ~real fan~ or w/e since you weren't jumping up and down and screaming and fainting from second one that the first teaser came out, cause people like that should sit down and examine their life choices. :| And I don't qualify as that either cause I lost interest in the midst of the million teasers and didn't wake up again until the MVs and showcase, haha. And then it was just a slow climb. (At which point I was like "Suho! My muffin! AND THEN PARK CHANYEOL HAPPENED. >( And then Yixing barged in. And... Etc. Stupid boys. :[)
They're just so precious. So precious. And so gorgeous. I remember back to when I could recognize Tao as the one who looked a bit like a wicked Zhou Mi (I see it less now, just because I know him better), and that there were two who looked alike (Lu Han and Sehun), and three that had surprisingly deep voices (Chanyeol and Sehun and Kai...idr why Kris wasn't included. Sigh.) Precious tiny woobies. :[ /cuddles them
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Date: 2012-10-11 10:02 am (UTC)Yes ;a; I agree, such long fingers!
Poor Kyuhyun... I feel like he'd have to go through a half-hour lecture on what each drawer should contain. XD And then he'd resign and say he'd leave Zhou Mi to putting the handkerchiefs away.
I know ;a; Strawberry really is my favourite flavour. I really like Yixing in anything I've seen, to be honest XD I'm yet to see him make a mistake in terms of airport fashion or stage outfits. XD Good stylist noonas~
Ooh, I can do that! 8D I can't promise it'll be very good, but I can try~ A very nice request too, I might add XD thank you for the details regarding Zhou Mi's appearance, too~ They'll help substantially.
Because the amazing Duizhang should've expected it :P happens to every leader at some point, hehe. I wonder if he gives them a pre-show pep talk, "Now, you can mention this, but don't mention what I did last week" etc. XD It was nice, seeing him take down a barrier or two, just another refreshing side of Wu Fan. Oh yes, Yixing in tears wasn't helping, the gorgeous baby ;a; I'm like that, too. I mean I'm generally quite prone to crying when alone, but even more so with other people present who are upset. I knooow, it was adorable, it's as if as soon as he knows something is going to happen he runs off to Kris. XD
Ah, thank you ;~; <3 That is really true, I really don't like what people's definitions of a "Real fan" are, though I guess me kind of being like "You don't need to have loved them from the start" is like saying what I think a fan is >.< it's such a hard topic to properly comprehend. I did watch the first teaser, but I stopped after that, and then I guess all the tumblr posts pulled me in. XD Eventually, it took some hard work on their part.
Oh Chanyeol ;~; he's my K bias, I love him. And his hairstyle during the OT12 Happy Camp~ Guh, it was gorgeous, I wish his hair could be styled like that every day. ;a; He was always constantly standing next to Kris too, which was really cute.
In the beginning the only two I could recognise were Kai and Kris, mainly because Kai was the one who looked like Taemin and Kris was, well... Kris. XD With the strong eyebrows and very defined lips and the constant ugh-I-am-surrounded-by-annoying-people-don't-touch-me look, but we know he cares~ I'll admit, I'm still not entirely sure on differentiating Suho and Baekhyun just yet >.< Everyone else I can get, though I have my days with Sehun where I can't recognise him, either. I'm drawn towards M moreso than K, but I do love them as a group whole. EXO cuddles would be nice, I have a feeling being in a group hug with them (where you're in the center) would just be a gorgeous feeling. ;~;
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Date: 2012-10-14 08:49 am (UTC)I just got strawberry wafers today so I am happy. ;A; And I had a strawberry milkshake yesterday. Sigh. ;~~;
Yeah, I imagine they all have areas they know not to bring up. Managers probably help there. XD~~ Ugh, Yixing crying. ;~~; I just want to scoop him up and cuddle him even if he'd be more likely to be able to do that to me. XD ...Or maybe it'd be mutual cuddling because I don't know how tall he is. XD
If someone had to like someone from the beginning to be a fan, people wouldn't have many fans, that's for sure. XD They are an insidious bunch, drawing people in. XD Chanyeol...he was the first one I saw in person, so I was very like....you silly face. ;~~~; He's so pretty, and so just...Chanyeol, lol. I looooooved his ponytail! I nearly fell over with excitement when he showed up in that ponytail during promotions. It just changed everything. <33 Kai and Kris were definitely really easy for me to pick out at the start, too~ When Baekhyun has his eyeliner on, it’s definitely much easier to tell him apart~ Suho was hard for me at first because of all the different hairstyles, but once I finally figured out his handsome face, He caught me good. XD (Then I found out he was Kyuhyun’s little buddy, and I melted forever.) I love seeing all 12 of them together~~ I have a hard time deciding which of the two sections I like more because I’m all, oh but D.O.’s voice! But Chen’s! But Kai’s dancing! But Lay’s! But Suho’s smile! But Kris’s…! …you get the picture. XD
I will just sit and imagine that group hug for a while now. ;;;
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Date: 2012-10-14 09:23 am (UTC)Strawberry is such a nice flavour ;a; I have such a sore throat right now that I think the only drink that doesn't hurt as much as the rest is strawberry milk. I guess regular milk might too, but I'll choose strawberry~ XD
That's true, I've always thought artists get that pre-conference pep talk from managers. Oh, Yixing cuddles sound so nice~ ;a;
That is a very valid point. XD~ I can't even pinpoint the time I was drawn in. One day it just happened and I haven't looked back, hehe. Chanyeol really is hard to define XD he's just... Chanyeol. I think my heart skipped a beat when I saw that hairstyle on him ;a; I want him to keep it forever. I can actually get all 12 now, yippee! I guess I kind of look at Suho and think, okay, you're the one that looks like Siwon so that's how I'll recognise you. XD They're adorable as twelve, especially on Happy Camp where the Korean members surrounded the Chinese members for help. XD I understand, this group seems to bring a lot of people to that kind of confusion.
;a; It does sound very, very tempting.
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Date: 2012-11-03 07:32 am (UTC)I hate sore throats so much. ;; Hopefully yours is much better~ It's weird that I'd take a pain pill for a headache, but it took me so long to realize I could do that and it'd help my throat too. ;;;
I wonder if the managers pre-screen the questions too? It'd make sense. XD And Yixing cuddles! With his dimple and swooshy hair. XD
Chanyeol and his darker hair now is just. ;;; Hehe, Siwon reminds me of Siwon sometimes too. And then Chanyeol of Mimi... (I have clear types XD) /wraps them all up in love~~
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Date: 2012-10-07 04:17 pm (UTC)also, breakfast in bed is the most romantic thing in the world. i agree to that. <3
thank you for this! <3 kyu's pov soon, y/y? XD
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Date: 2012-10-10 04:31 am (UTC)Hopefully Zhou Mi will school Kyuhyun on better breakfast tactics. But he gets an A+ for effort~ XD~~ <3<3
ooh~ good luck on your finals if you haven't had them already!! <3
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Date: 2012-10-07 08:02 pm (UTC)I wondered whilenhe was asking those questions what he was up to. For a mi ute I thought he was going to ask him to marry him then and there. But certainly telling the whole story from Zhou Mi's perspective is interesting to see where he was coming from and how it progressed and how the little things made him pay attention and mostly happy.
Your style of writng has not changed, but it is evolving. It is really awesome to see.
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Date: 2012-10-10 04:35 am (UTC)<3<3 I really feel like I get something new out of every story. Even if I don't always know it at the time. <3<3
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Date: 2012-11-14 04:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-23 12:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-07 10:34 pm (UTC)And it's Qmi. And I always like your Qmis!
Write more! lol....
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Date: 2012-10-10 04:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-10 06:28 am (UTC)*blows kisses*
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Date: 2012-10-08 12:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-10 04:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-08 05:36 pm (UTC)Thanks so much for giving us this love. AND for you Tumblr, which I just can't get enough of - just. Thank you.
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Date: 2012-10-10 04:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-09 06:53 am (UTC)it took me ages to read b/c whenever i read stories involving photography, i get so distracted! a line will make me think of something, something i have to do, something that i've done before, etc. and the next thing i know, i've zoned out and five minutes have passed OTL
but it was still amazing either way! lol
zhou mi would be an amazing wedding planner. i would hire him! i don't even need a fiance. i'll just hire him for a party and buy a dress! XD
kyuhyun was so cute here! just being helpful to zhou mi and making up reasons to see him. and then the way her asked him out! /dies/ i am laughing imagining how flustered he'd be beforehand, trying not to talk himself out of it when half his brain is telling him that it's too cheesy lol
and the breakfast (kind of...soggy cereal...XD) in bed! ugh adorable!
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Date: 2012-10-10 04:47 am (UTC)Hehehe~~ Zhou Mi would be the party~~ <3<3
I loooove cheesy Kyuhyun. Can you imagine his grin, and the hope, and the "Oh no what did I do what if he says no this is horrible I'll never work again" haha~ And hey, having a line in on the "boss" means he'd get more work. And relaxing Zhou Mi before big weddings means they both get benefits~~ XD
Sighh. One day I'll have to write Kyu as a chef and people will laugh. XD~~ <3 He tried, so full points for effort~
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Date: 2012-10-10 03:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-10 04:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-10 02:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-11 06:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-16 06:36 pm (UTC)so
cute
can't
<3
also, heechul ;~~~~~~~~~~~~;
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Date: 2012-11-01 04:29 am (UTC)/squishes heechul
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Date: 2012-11-14 04:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-14 04:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-23 11:59 am (UTC)