(no subject)
new : fanfic : super junior
rating : PG
pairing : kyuhyun x zhoumi, hints of sungmin x kyuhyun, siwon x hangeng, heechul x the world
8,687 words. part two of the reworked winged_suju fic. very AU. still not really happy with it but it's done.
inescapable: part two of two
back to part one?
The incoming call wakes Kyuhyun up in the middle of the night. He travels too much to bother keeping up with local time, but his cabin is dark and his eyelids feel like they've been glued down; he needs a minute to rouse himself sufficiently to realize that only a very few people would bypass his anserv AI and trigger that particular alert while he's sleeping.
He fumbles the headset over his ears and blinks at the ceiling above him as swirling, glowing colors gradually emerge from the dark in response to his waking. "Who is it?"
"Kyuhyun!" His sister's voice leaps across the intervening kiloparsecs as clearly as if she were standing in the next room. She sounds tired, but happy; he relaxes back against his pillow and grins slightly.
"No, that's me. Who are you?"
"Don't be an idiot," she says, fondly. "I have good news, you're an uncle again."
"What?" He laughs, rubbing his fingers in his eyes and squinting upwards. "Already? I thought you had... a couple of months to go. Sangho must be thrilled."
"See, this is what happens, living on starships, you don't even know what week it is. When are you coming back for a visit? Gwihoon asks about you. I think he's convinced you're some kind of magical gift-bearing fairy, after the last time you dropped in." There's a comfortable, familiar burr to her speech. To him, it signifies childhood. Sometimes his family mentions that his own accent has faded over the years, polished away by his training. To them, he sounds like a spacer.
"Oh, I'm not sure yet... I'm actually on my way to another gig right now. Recording a soundtrack for some drama, you know? But tell me more--boy or girl? What's its name?" Kyuhyun pushes himself to sit upright at last, swinging his feet off his bed and into a soft pair of slippers, holding the headset in place with one hand.
"Another boy, and I've been telling Sangho for weeks I'm going to name him Boulder, because I feel like that's what I've been packing around all this time." There's another happy sigh, audible over the feed. "We haven't settled for sure yet, though. I just wanted to let you know."
"Yeah," he says, still smiling. "Thanks. I'm glad to hear everyone's well. Tell me what the new sprat's name is, when you decide."
"Will do. I hate that messaging system you use, by the way. It's creepy."
"Yeah, yeah, I know, so does Mother... Goodbye, sis. I'll talk to you again soon, ok?" Kyuhyun disconnects the feed, after her acknowledgement, and sits for a few moments in the dim blue-green glow of the lights, gradually shading into violet. "Menu," he says, into the quiet of his room. "Selection 504. Hot."
The wall unit chirrups at him, and a moment later, a steaming cup of tea emerges.
He sits by the darkened viewscreen for some time, sipping at it until his mug is empty and even the scent of vanilla has faded.
---
Rigel Station Delta is less than a tenth the size of the megapolis of Rigel Alpha, but still big enough to give Kyuhyun faint vertigo on their final approach to docking. The station is owned by a media conglomerate, built expressly for the purpose to which it has been put. It houses a significant fraction of the biggest names in entertainment in the galaxy... at least when they're actively working.
Kyuhyun himself is here to record a couple of songs for an up-and-coming drama's soundtrack. It's supposed to be the next big thing, his agent says, and it's a pretty good deal for a relative newcomer to the industry to land, but a few years at Albireo never hurt anyone's connections and he's not complaining about his luck.
The company liason meets him as he steps out of the lift tube with a bag in one hand. The rest of his luggage will catch up with him, sooner or later.
"You must be Kyuhyun," the man says, smiling and giving his hand a firm shake. He is of medium height, medium build, and has black hair of an indeterminate length; he might be completely nondescript in every way if his eyes weren't so keen. "I'm Lee Sungmin, I'll be here to answer any questions or problems you have, while you're here. How was the jump?"
"Barely noticed it. Pleased to meet you." Kyuhyun glances around the wide corridor that serves as an arrival lobby. "I'm afraid I haven't been to Rigel-D before, so you may have to steer me around a bit."
"Of course, of course." Sungmin nods, motioning toward another walkway. "Several of the artists involved with this project are in residence now, so you'll have plenty of chances to get to know everyone. Have you worked with any of them before?"
"No, not really. I'm looking forward to working with such a talented group of people, though." Kyuhyun ducks his head a little and steadies himself with a hand on the rail as the walkway carries them rapidly deeper into the station.
"There's going to be a party, in a few days. Everyone's invited, you really shouldn't miss it, since you're here."
Kyuhyun masks a tiny grimace, less pleased at the thought of social obligations than Sungmin obviously is, but nods. "Of course, I'll be there." It pays to socialize, in his line of work. He can never predict when he'll bump into someone again.
"I'll be sure and put you in touch with everyone you ought to know." Sungmin smiles sweetly, and Kyuhyun doesn't have a hard time believing he knows everyone worth speaking of, and then a few more besides.
---
His first day in the studio, Sungmin introduces him to the music director, one Insooni. She sweeps into the room and sizes Kyuhyun up with one look before extending a hand in imperious greeting. "Cho Kyuhyun, is it? You're my ballad voice. Come."
He obeys.
It turns out that she first heard of him through Ryeowook, a few months ago when he recorded an operatic theme under her supervision. Insooni was looking for a singer with a low, smooth jazz-style, and Ryeowook mentioned his name.
Kyuhyun resolves to call him up sometime soon and find out when they're next going to be in the same arm of the galaxy. At the least, he owes him a nice dinner.
Insooni proves to be a stern taskmistress, but Kyuhyun doesn't mind the challenge of pleasing her, rehearsing and reviewing until she is moderately satisfied with his contributions for the day.
He's ready to go back to the comfort of his suite and sleep, by the end of their session, but Sungmin meets him just outside the studio with a smile.
"Really, you shouldn't retire so early or you'll have trouble adjusting to station hours. Have you eaten? Come up to the inner ring with me, and you can meet some people while you sit and relax." Sungmin's friendly hand on his arm is just firm enough to discourage argument.
Oh well, Kyuhyun thinks. Everyone does always tell him he shouldn't be such a hermit.
Sungmin picks his food well and his wines better, and Kyuhyun doesn't mind the light conversation over a shared dish of some sort of innocuous-looking seafood from a nearby system. Sungmin's been working on Rigel-D since his late teens, it turns out, and seems to collect interesting anecdotes about everyone in the industry worth knowing.
"Ah," Sungmin says between bites, sitting up a little straighter in his seat and looking across the bistro. "I thought he might drop by. Let me introduce you."
Kyuhyun follows his gaze, puzzled, and sees only a rail-thin creature with an elaborate crimson weave, a holo headset straight out of one of the most expensive catalogs that was just released, and a sweeping, floor-length black coat over something tight and comprised largely of buckles. The newcomer smirks, at Sungmin's approach, and pulls him into an embrace to stake a claim on his mouth in one of the most invasive greeting-kisses Kyuhyun's ever seen, anywhere.
He wills his expression back to something less incredulous in time for Sungmin to tow the new arrival closer to their table, and rises to his feet. He hopes it's a custom reserved for prior acquaintances alone.
Sungmin doesn't look abashed in the slightest. "Kyuhyun, I'd like you to meet Heenim." He turns to the redhead, then, giving Kyuhyun's arm a squeeze. "This is the singer Insooni asked for. He's really very talented, don't you think?"
Kyuhyun blinks. Heenim is one of the most popular VJs in the galaxy, right now--he's heard the name many times. Now that he thinks of it, his face is familiar, but the last time he saw a clip of him, his hair was black and arranged in lofty, twisted spikes.
"Kyuhyun, Cho Kyuhyun, jazzy little... mmh, not bad, not bad." Heenim's visor turns transparent for a moment, revealing big dark eyes, as he mutters absently under his breath. There's a cable running from the visor feed and disappearing into his hair--some sort of cybernetic implant, judging from the look of it. He runs a casual hand up Kyuhyun's chest, lacquered nails scraping over cloth, then pats his cheek. "You're coming, right? My party. Sungmin, did you invite him? Good boy." He doesn't even wait for an answer before sampling a sip of Sungmin's wine.
"Pleased to meet you," Kyuhyun tries after a beat or two, bowing a little awkwardly.
"Honestly, Heenim, you don't have to stun him into submission." Sungmin is hiding a smile, Kyuhyun thinks. "I'm sure he's already impressed."
Heenim stares at Kyuhyun a moment longer, over the rim of the glass, then licks his lips, curling them into another lopsided smirk. "We like him, don't we. Carry on, then, don't let me interrupt." With that, he turns on his booted heel and walks away, goblet in hand.
Kyuhyun isn't sure what sort of impression he just made, but Sungmin only laughs at the look on his face and pours himself a fresh glass of wine. "Don't worry too much. He must be interested in you, or he wouldn't have even come over."
---
Heenim's party proves to be every bit as wild as society gossip would have it, populated with models, superstars, and the up-and-coming set. Heenim himself is circulating through the crowd in a pair of translucent platforms that appear to contain live, writhing Alraqi centipedes, pulsing in alarmed shades of neon with each step. Kyuhyun spots him briefly, upon arrival, and is accorded a nod of recognition that makes Sungmin preen at his side.
"I'm going to go get drinks." Sungmin has to lean up and nearly put his lips to Kyuhyun's ear to be heard, hands curling at his shoulder for support. "Would you like something?"
"Sure," Kyuhyun mouths at him, inaudibly, then simply nods and offers a sheepish smile. Sungmin releases his arm and slips away through the crowd, disappearing in a few moments between flashes of the strobe-lights.
He backs up a few steps when a couple of dancers bump into him and casts a quick glance around the milling crowd, hoping Sungmin can find him again. The jostling prompts him to sidle over until he can keep the wall at his back, out of the worst of the flow of people through the room.
There's a man nearby who seems to have had much the same idea, only his arms are tightly crossed and he is visibly tense, scanning the room with sharp little movements of his head. He's got the figure of a dancer, lithe and toned (from what Kyuhyun can see), but his hair is cropped almost military-short--strangely unfashionable amidst the current crowd. Kyuhyun is mildly concerned about his demeanor until another, taller man slips through the crush of people and reaches for his shoulders in a comforting manner, lips moving on some reassurance Kyuhyun can't hear. The tense man relaxes a little, dropping his gaze, and his companion turns, looking straight at Kyuhyun.
He jerks his eyes away, pretending to stare at the dance floor instead.
The taller of the two takes a step toward him and touches his arm, but he's smiling widely when Kyuhyun looks guiltily in their direction again. He recognizes him, then--it's a well-known actor, Choi Siwon, and if he remembers right, Siwon is starring in the drama he's recording for.
"You're Cho Kyuhyun, right?" Siwon leans closer, still nearly shouting to be heard over the din.
Kyuhyun nods, a little at a loss.
"Come on," Siwon motions, then pats his shoulder, one hand still attached to the man behind him. Kyuhyun can't make out his next words at all, but Siwon gives up on talking and simply points across the crowd, gesturing for him to follow, once again. He wraps an arm around the silent man's shoulders and begins to push his way through the chaos between them and the lift to the balcony level.
Kyuhyun spares a helpless glance in Sungmin's general direction, but Choi Siwon is definitely a few rungs up the ladder, and he can't quite justify turning down an obvious request. The noise is starting to give him a headache, anyway.
The balcony, thankfully, is less populated than the floor, and the man watching the lift ushers Siwon and his guests through without blinking.
Siwon nudges Kyuhyun toward one of the little alcoves along the walls, and a pretty waitress presses a drink into his hand on the way. He has no idea what it is, but keeps it anyway, ducking into the alcove and sighing in relief when he finds the noise from outside noticeably muted.
"Oh, that's much better," Siwon murmurs, giving his head a little shake. He looks down at the man at his side, then, brow furrowed in visible concern. "Are you alright?"
The short-haired man nods, once, lifting his chin stubbornly, but he does look more composed now that it's quiet. "Yes, I am fine." His accent is soft, susurrant, and thicker than average, but not impossible to understand.
Siwon turns to regard Kyuhyun, then, as they take seats along the comfortable benches that line the walls. "You're working on the soundtrack, right now, aren't you?"
"Oh... yes, I arrived a few days ago." Kyuhyun offers an awkward smile and sips his drink. "I didn't know you were keeping track."
"Of course, of course. I like what I've heard of your work, so far. I think the soundtrack is an important part of the viewer's experience, don't you?" Siwom beams, a hand resting casually on the other man's knee. "But forgive me, I'm being terribly rude. This is Han Geng. Han Geng, Cho Kyuhyun."
The name sounds vaguely familiar, but Kyuhyun can't place it. He nods to Geng, politely, but his puzzlement must show on his face, because Siwon laughs and slings his arm around Geng's shoulders.
"The drama we're working on, it's based on true experiences, you know. I'm actually playing the role of Han Geng in the show--it's all been dramatized and edited for the purposes of viewing, of course, but he's really got an amazing life story." Siwon is smiling at Geng from point-blank range, and Geng is practically leaning into the curve of his arm, despite the mildly embarrassed look on his face.
Cute, Kyuhyun thinks, and takes another drink.
---
Between the cocktails and the quieter environment of the alcove, Kyuhyun likes the party a good deal better from his current vantage point. It occurs to him, however, after a couple of drinks and a conversation with Siwon, that he should probably go find Sungmin before it gets any later.
It's then that the doorway shimmers and Heenim himself sails through, glowing heels flashing as he strides purposefully to the nearest bench, straddles Siwon's legs, and proceeds to assault his mouth with the same ferocity he exhibited with Sungmin.
Siwon makes a muffled noise into the kiss, and Kyuhyun can't help noticing Geng has gone all stiff and watchful again, next to him.
When Kyuhyun tears his eyes away from the spectacle Heenim seems intent on creating, he is met with a tall, lanky silhouette in the doorway. It takes him a moment to pause and look back in question, squinting against the strobelights from outside.
The figure shifts, awkwardly, and there's a telltale rustle down his sides, wings pulling in around himself on reflex.
Kyuhyun lowers his drink, back straightening as he stares toward the door.
Zhou Mi smiles with most of his teeth, as usual, but his eyes are indecisive and his tone is pure confusion. "...Kyuhyun?" He still doesn't pronounce it quite normally, and the old familiarity of it is like a kick in the gut.
"Oh, how do you two know each other?" Siwon is blinking at them curiously, Heenim having slithered off his lap to one side to level an equally interested stare in Kyuhyun's direction. Geng just looks confused and wary.
"We... went to academy together," Kyuhyun offers, after a moment of silence.
Zhou Mi finishes for him, still smiling in an awkward, uncertain sort of way. "We sort of lost touch."
"Really." Heenim says it like it's the most fascinating thing he's heard all day.
Kyuhyun tries for 'bright', sneaking a sideways glance at Zhou Mi. "Uh, yeah. I didn't know he was working here, so... it's good to see you again." He directs the last to the man in the doorway, with an awkward little duck of his head.
Zhou Mi shifts his weight, a little like a cornered animal. "Yes, what an amazing coincidence!"
"Oho," says Heenim, smirking, and then twists around to study Geng, from across Siwon. "I hear you're absolutely fascinating. Is it true?"
---
The thing is, Kyuhyun doesn't have time for serious relationships. At first he was at the Academy and busy all the time, and now he's hopping from one system to the next more often than not. Maybe he'll stay in one place for three or four months, at most, but his job keeps him on the move and limits anything deeper than a casual fling from settling in.
He's okay with that. He's not looking for long-term.
And if seeing Zhou Mi again is a bit of a shock... well, it's normal to remember your first a little differently than you remember the rest, Kyuhyun tells himself. Their parting was awkward at best, and he was kind of a stupid kid at the time.
Sungmin catches him standing silently in the corridor after the next round of recording. His smile is just slightly questioning, and he raises a brow. "Kyuhyun?" He isn't holding a grudge about the night of the party, Kyuhyun thinks--Sungmin found him later on, and he'd explained the parts about Siwon dragging him upstairs and Heenim appearing, at least. He might not have mentioned running into Zhou Mi, though. That's the complicated bit.
"Oh, uh... do you want to get dinner?" Kyuhyun blurts the first thing to come into his head.
"Of course." Sungmin looks pleased. "Right now, or...?"
"Sure." He hasn't eaten yet, and his stomach is reminding him of that, naggingly.
Over pasta and bread, Kyuhyun stews and reflects, until he realizes Sungmin's conversation has dribbled off to nothing, and he has no idea what they've been talking about, anyway. "By the way," he starts, willing his embarrassment not to show, "do you happen to know a Zhou Mi?"
Sungmin tilts his head in thought, frowning absently. "Sorry?"
"He's, er... human, but obviously an altered-type." There are polite euphemisms, ways of skirting the statement itself. "Very tall. Er, wings?"
"Oh, yes. Jo... Zhou Mi, you said? I know of him." Sungmin arches an eyebrow, skewering a bit of meat on his fork. "How do you?"
"We went to the same school. I just... wondered if he was working here, or passing through." Kyuhyun pushes his bread through a puddle of sauce and takes a bite, radiating innocent curiosity as best he can.
"I think he's writing lyrics, mostly. Have you heard of SHINee?" Sungmin names one of the teen-pop boybands that have been all over the broadcasts lately, and Kyuhyun nods. "He might have worked on some of their ballads, if I remember correctly."
"Does he still sing?" It slips out, unbidden. "He was... he used to be phenomenal."
Sungmin glances at him, fork between his lips, and shrugs. "I don't know. You could ask him. I'm sure he'd like to catch up." Kyuhyun isn't sure if he imagines the barest hint of an edge to the mild words, and he drops the line of questioning in favor of bringing up the dessert menu display.
---
Rigel Delta feels a lot smaller, suddenly.
Kyuhyun second-guesses his comings and goings through the station for a few days, then tells himself that running into Zhou Mi by chance would be as ridiculous as running into him in a city, planetside. He also tells himself that meeting him face-to-face would not be the crisis his subconscious seems to be inventing.
His subconscious has its revenge, promptly, by inflicting him with a peculiar dream wherein the friendly, bendy little dancer from a couple of translight jumps ago is demonstrating both his friendliness and bendiness in some very pleasant ways, only to suddenly get a lot taller and sprout wings, just before there is a station-wide emergency alert. The dream degenerates into complete nonsense somewhere after the point when he follows the evacuation arrows and before the point when one of the cargo bays is apparently the setting for a sunny industry picnic, but he has forgotten to pull on any pants.
Kyuhyun is sitting in a small coffeehouse at something approaching 4 AM, station time, clearing his head with a cup of black brew so strong it almost smells like the stuff his father used to drink before taking his daybreak flit over the fields every morning. It's missing a certain earthy undertone, but it's as good as he can hope to get, spaceside.
The door hisses open, and an exhausted-looking teen slouches in, all skinny legs, some fashionably enormous wrap, and bicolored hair sticking up every which way. Zhou Mi follows close on his heels, heading straight for the counter but arresting himself almost comically when he spots Kyuhyun.
The universe probably hates one of them, Kyuhyun suspects, and he musters a tired, wry smile. They might as well face it head on. "Hi."
"Kyuhyun..." Zhou Mi stands there, indecisive and round-eyed, until the kid who came in first turns around and looks between them, blankly.
"Mimi?" He muffles a yawn in his sleeve, then rakes a hand through the artful mess of his hair.
Kyuhyun is vaguely aware of his smile turning a little more fixed. Mimi? "Uh, do you want to sit here...?" He arches a brow at Zhou Mi, straight over the skinny kid's head.
It takes Zhou Mi a few moments to order and collect his coffee, which is so pale Kyuhyun is pretty sure it's mostly just cream and sugar, then he folds himself onto a stool across from Kyuhyun and sets his mug down, carefully. "Ah... this is Kim Jonghyun."
"SHINee's Jonghyun." He leaves his drink on the table and sticks his hand out for a firm shake, squinting at Kyuhyun assessingly.
"Cho Kyuhyun." It's not entirely friendly to squeeze as firmly as Kyuhyun does, but mostly he just wants to know what this half-grown punk is doing calling Zhou Mi 'Mimi' and following him around at this hour.
"We knew each other at the academy," Zhou Mi says, pitched for Jonghyun's ears although he doesn't look away from Kyuhyun.
"It's been a long time." Kyuhyun narrows his eyes slightly. "I heard you're writing lyrics now?"
Zhou Mi blinks, then smiles with a touch of sheepishness. "Yes, actually. Ballads, mostly... Jonghyun and I were working on some, tonight."
Isn't it past Jonghyun's bedtime, Kyuhyun wants to ask, but refrains. "Really? Can I hear?"
Jonghyun frowns, but Zhou Mi blushes and ducks his head. "I don't know if you'd like it. It's sad."
"All ballads are sad, of course it is." Kyuhyun props his chin on one hand and stirs his coffee. "Come on, sing a verse."
"Right now...?" Zhou Mi looks around, but the shop is automated and they're the only customers present.
"Why not?"
Zhou Mi bites his lip, looking indecisive, then exhales and hums under his breath to find the key. When he sings, it's soft and hesitant, crooning his way through a few bars of tragic, ill-fated love.
Kyuhyun furrows his brow and wonders where Zhou Mi's vocal support is hiding, and how long he's been relegated to writing sappy lyrics in the background.
A few beats of silence pass, and Zhou Mi's expression wilts, gradually. "Well... what do you think?"
Jonghyun is shooting Kyuhyun a hard stare, but Kyuhyun finishes sipping at his coffee before speaking again. "Oh, the melody is alright. Sad, like you said. It would be nice to hear you sing for real, though."
"Oh..." Zhou Mi drops his gaze, a little flustered.
"Hey..." Kyuhyun peers into the depths of his cup as if it will provide answers, then asks, bluntly, "...do you want to get lunch, sometime soon? Catch up...?"
Zhou Mi looks the very definition of nonplussed. Kyuhyun can sympathize--he doesn't feel much different, himself, although the slightly irritated look on Jonghyun's face is worth it. "O-ok."
---
It's only natural to want to reconnect, Kyuhyun tells himself. They were sort of friends, once, even if he was sort of stupid about it. People can move beyond one-time drunken mistakes and stop being horrendously uncomfortable around each other. Can't they?
He tries telling himself that again when he leaves a message for Zhou Mi some days later, asking if he's free for lunch the next afternoon. The response he gets, however, is a brief, rushed apology. He's very busy (Zhou Mi says) with preparations for the new album, and perhaps another time, yes?
It might end with that, except tentative release dates for the new SHINee album are all over the newscasts, soon, and Kyuhyun can't decide if Zhou Mi was just being avoidant or really is being worked to the bone.
It's probably not his best decision to sit and drink wine with Sungmin again after work, as somewhere around his third glass his tongue loosens.
"Hypothetically," Kyuhyun says, staring into the red-purple depths of his glass. "Hypothetically, if you wanted to catch up with someone, but you sort of parted on bad terms..."
Sungmin sighs and rubs a hand over his forehead, eyeing Kyuhyun in a faintly despairing way. "Is this about your school friend? Joo... Jomi, what's his name. You might as well just say so, anyway." He pours himself more wine, and settles back while Kyuhyun is still sputtering. "Give me some details, or I can hardly give you any real advice."
The story spills out of him in fits and starts over the rest of the bottle. He tries to sanitize it, leave out a few of the more incriminating complications, but he's a little drunk and Sungmin's wits are still sharp. He doesn't really think Sungmin misses too much.
"Right," Sungmin downs the last of his glass and exhales, quietly. "You're lucky I like you. Listen, there's a cast party, coming up. I can get you on the list."
"What?" Kyuhyun says, stupidly.
"The party. You invite him to that... if he turns you down, give it up, he doesn't want you to bother him anymore. If he goes with you... well, there you go." He flaps a hand midair, resigned.
Kyuhyun slouches down because the world is getting a bit fuzzy around the edges, and he rests his head against the back of the booth. "Thanks," he says, or maybe he means 'sorry'.
---
Kyuhyun plans to send a nicely worded, faceless invitation to Zhou Mi. Something easily twisted to mean nothing at all. In his head, at least, this will absolve him of any actual shame if Zhou Mi turns him down, because he can always rationalize his way out of what he didn't say explicitly.
Instead, he bumps into Zhou Mi in a cramped little boutique, as he's trying to choose what to wear. He turns around and there Zhou Mi is, caught in front of the mirror with some complicated drape of fabric between his spidery forefingers.
"Oh," Kyuhyun says, and he's not even sure what emotion that is meant to convey, but Zhou Mi towers apologetically and bites his lip.
"Hello," Zhou Mi offers, after a shuffling pause as Kyuhyun tries to decide whether to attempt to pass him in the narrow aisle or just stand there like a halfwit.
"Um," Kyuhyun blurts out, with a vague and detached sense of morbid curiosity at his own failed nonchalance. "The cast party, do--"
It's as far as he gets before Zhou Mi interjects, exposing most of his teeth in an awkwardly bright smile. "Oh, yes, I planned to go to that, are you going to be there, too?"
"...Maybe," Kyuhyun mutters, and looks down at the shirt he's holding. "I don't know. Maybe not..."
"You, you should come," Zhou Mi says, gaze aiming somewhere over his head. "It's not a... You don't have to bring anyone along. Unless you want to, of course. If... if you, well." His wings twitch a little, fingers gesturing on air, then settling resolutely. A sadistic little part of Kyuhyun is grateful for the equally awkward monologue. It gives him an excuse, himself.
A moment later Zhou Mi ventures to speak again, softer. "That darker red shade would be good on you, don't you think?"
Kyuhyun looks at it, holds it up to his shoulders, and has to admit that Zhou Mi is probably right.
---
It's not that he's waiting to see who Zhou Mi comes with. It's just that he happens to be near the entrance, and he happens to glance up when people come in, more often than not. Maybe Zhou Mi is coming alone, he thinks. There are certainly quite a few people there who have no discernible connection to the drama at all. Heenim, again, and all of SHINee, for example, who resemble nothing so much as an entourage of underfed models with razor-sharp cheekbones and fever-bright eyes.
When Zhou Mi does appear, the first thing Kyuhyun spots is his hair. He's changed it, no longer the natural black he's had for as long as Kyuhyun has known him, but a deep, startling copper that stands out against his fitted black jacket. There's no one at his side, but then Heenim sails up in some sort of flowing traditional costume Kyuhyun doesn't even recognize and pulls him down into a kiss. It's unnecessarily showy by even his standards, Kyuhyun feels, and his suspicions are furthered when Heenim turns around to angle a sharp grin directly at him as he pats Zhou Mi's ass with one hand. Or where his ass would be, if he had any to speak of.
Kyuhyun wishes he'd worn his blue shirt instead.
"Stop fussing at that," Sungmin mutters, and curls his grip firmly just above his elbow. "It's a marvelous color on you, and you've got the presence to pull it off." He pauses, shooting a rather jaundiced glance at Kyuhyun's hand before it can creep up to his collar. "At least, you would if you'd quit squirming. You ought to talk to people, while you're here."
Kyuhyun turns on his heel, suddenly uninterested in seeing the lot of SHINee swarm around Zhou Mi. Sungmin squeezes his arm, hard, and he narrowly avoids running face-first into a familiar-looking young man with a bright smile and extremely tight pants. "Er, sorry..."
The stranger steadies him with both hands on his upper arms just in time for Sungmin to pipe up, cheerfully. "Oh, Yunho, you made it! Heenim's molesting the guests back there."
Yunho's grin amps up a notch, and he slides past them with his eyes on the crowd beyond.
"I'm fairly sure my sister used to kiss a picture of him every night before bed," Kyuhyun observes in some surprise, as the ex-drummer of the Rising Gods catches Heenim around the waist and dips him into a precariously-balanced kiss to rival anything Heenim's done yet.
Sungmin only snorts and pulls him toward a table. "Her and half the galaxy. Didn't one of them go to your academy?"
"Before my time." Kyuhyun shrugs.
Halfway through a round of drinks and appetizers, Zhou Mi appears at the empty side of their table with an apologetically awkward smile. "Do you mind if I...?" He's keeping his wings very close to him, but the seats are a bit too low for him to arrange himself comfortably.
Kyuhyun gets up before thinking about it. "Here, switch with me or you'll be sticking out all over the aisle and someone will step on you." He circles around from between the table and the wall--it's not that much space, but it should be better than being underfoot.
By the time Kyuhyun moves and Sungmin relocates with him, brows raised, the rest of the table has been filled. That Jonghyun kid and the really tall one are flanking Zhou Mi possessively, and Kyuhyun can't decide if it's more or less annoying than Heenim's attempt to excavate his mouth with his tongue.
The sharp-faced one with rainbow streaks in his hair sits down at Kyuhyun's free elbow and sizes him up with a dubious tilt to one eyebrow. "So you're Kyuhyun." He says his name with the same odd, sibillant lilt that Zhou Mi uses plus a healthy dribble of disbelief, and Kyuhyun risks a glance across the table just in time for Zhou Mi to look quickly away.
"Well... yes. Kyuhyun." He corrects, keeping a hand on his glass, prickly and entirely conscious of it all at once. Has Zhou Mi really talked about him?
"Can you actually sing?" The kid has the gall to ask him, and Kyuhyun bites back his first and immediate rejoinder with an effort.
He doesn't expect Zhou Mi to lean forward with an anxious frown and his own interjection. "He's the best singer I know, you should hear him."
The praise cuts Kyuhyun's irritation right out from under him and leaves him hanging. "That's... that's a bit much to say..."
Zhou Mi's gaze flicks upward at last, partially obscured under a fall of loose reddish hair and dark lashes, and Kyuhyun feels the barest of flushes suffuse his face when the other man half-smiles, wryly self-effacing and completely unconscious of the effect it has on him. "Not at all."
---
A few days later, Kyuhyun has just wrapped up recording for another one of the songs on the soundtrack when Insooni steps into the technician's booth to listen.
She replays it twice, unsmiling and thoughtful, and finally nods. "Good work. Kyuhyun, I would like to add another song for you."
"Sure." Kyuhyun likes the work and it pays well. It's no burden to him to extend his stay a little longer.
"You'll be working with one of our in-house composers. Zhou Mi, if you're familiar with his work." She looks at him and some of his thoughts must be showing on his face, because she raises one eyebrow a fraction. "He's just turned in a new piece you'd be very well-suited for."
He swallows and nods quickly. "Yes, of course." He doesn't mention their one-time duet.
---
Listening to Zhou Mi's composition now is strange. There are traces of the familiar in his style, bits of ornamentation and phrasing that feel like scattered clues to what has shaped Zhou Mi's musical progression over the past few years, like faded imprints of his passage.
Kyuhyun brings the score up on his holo and practices alone in his room between recording sessions for the remaining tracks. It suits his voice like it was written for him.
When he meets with Zhou Mi again, he draws his breath to begin, but falters out of some forgotten habit when Zhou Mi doesn't do the same.
"Ah, it's a solo this time..." Zhou Mi's smile is faintly surprised.
Kyuhyun ducks his head and mumbles acknowledgment, restarting the track from the beginning.
By the time he finishes recording, it's the middle of the station's arbitrary 'night' phase. As they huddle in the tiny booth and listen to his work, Kyuhyun frowns slightly and leans his hip against the control panels. It's good, he knows, but... it could be better.
"Bear with me here," he says, and pulls up the score display, making a few quick edits with sweeps of his finger. "Why is this a solo?"
Zhou Mi blinks, eyes round, then drops his gaze sheepishly. "I couldn't... think of another vocalist I'd want to blend with... er, the song."
Kyuhyun reaches over before he can think about it and taps the middle of Zhou Mi's forehead with a fingertip, lightly. "You try it. I just want to hear the difference." He scans the score again, then highlights one of the verses and the chorus, dragging them over to a second display pad and handing it to Zhou Mi. "Come on, let's run through it once more."
They end up recording and rerecording until the hall lights are coming back up to full brightness and morning workers are passing the windows, quick shadows flitting across the translucent plating.
"This is good," Kyuhyun says, after listening to the latest attempt while Zhou Mi fiddles with settings on the soundboard, hunched over and squinting down his not-inconsiderable nose. His voice cracks on the last word, and he coughs, embarrassed.
Zhou Mi looks up and shoots him a slightly glassy smile. "Really?"
"Better than before." Kyuhyun nods firmly, and slips a hand under Zhou Mi's wing-joint, guiding him easily back to his feet. "Shut it down and let's go get some food, you look like you're about to pass out. Are you actually trying to be skinnier than those stringy kids you work with?"
"I can't help my metabolism," Zhou Mi whines, fingers curling to steady himself, and chews on his lower lip. "I don't know if Insooni will like it or not..."
"Well, we'll find out after we show it to her, unless you die in the meantime from not eating." Kyuhyun rolls his eyes, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, and shepherds Zhou Mi out the door and down the hall.
Zhou Mi ends up falling asleep on Kyuhyun's shoulder halfway through the meal, one wing trailing awkwardly behind them and the other half-draped along the edge of the table.
Kyuhyun doesn't wake him until he's finished. Then he pushes a piece of jammy toast at his lips until Zhou Mi sputters awake again, disoriented and wiping at his mouth with the back of one wrist.
"Kyuhyun!" he says pitifully, and retrieves the toast to eat the rest of it in three bites.
---
Insooni likes the reworked song so much that two weeks later (with a few more edits) it winds up on the soundtrack instead of the solo version.
Kyuhyun doesn't mind, especially when it means Zhou Mi sits at his side during promotional appearances and he can whisper things in his ear. Sometimes, if he delivers a remark just right, Zhou Mi turns pink trying not to laugh out loud. Then he usually lands a kick in the vicinity of Kyuhyun's ankle, but it's worth it.
After the premiere, Kyuhyun doesn't drink too much, but Zhou Mi is a little unsteady on his feet by the time it's winding down. His collection of underfed tagalongs keep popping up, as usual, and casting highly suspicious looks at Kyuhyun every time Zhou Mi sips his drink.
Kyuhyun clears his throat and catches Zhou Mi by one long finger before he can reach for another glass, the next time a server walks past. "Do you want some water?" He weights the suggestion strongly as he leans toward Zhou Mi, but the taller man just makes a noise not unlike a giggle and drapes his wing over Kyuhyun's shoulder.
Kyuhyun stands awkwardly for a moment or two, then settles his hand on Zhou Mi's waist, easing into the contact. It's not so unpleasant, just the light, yielding warmth of his wing against his back and shoulders, as his hand steadies Zhou Mi at the hip.
One of the brat pack chooses that moment to pop up; the tall, puppyish one with the perpetually worried expression. He is holding a glass of water, though, and thrusts it toward Kyuhyun with an almost plaintive look. "It's for Zhou Mi," he says, as if Kyuhyun had any doubts.
Something in Kyuhyun relaxes, and he tries a weary smile of gratitude as he accepts the offered water and holds it up to Zhou Mi's lips. "Drink, or you're going to regret it tomorrow."
Zhou Mi tries to argue, but opts to swallow obediently instead after the first little spill of water down his chin. "Kyuhyun," he says, taking a deep breath after the glass is lowered from his mouth. "I'm perfectly cab--capable of monitoring myself!" It comes out with a hint of a whine, and Kyuhyun tugs him a little more upright when he threatens to tilt off-balance with a clumsy gesture of his free wing.
"Sorry," Kyuhyun says to the wide-eyed kid who brought the water. "Do you know where his quarters are? I think he's going to need some help getting there."
"Er, yes," the boy says, casting a quick look around for one of his compatriots, without success. "I could..." He trails off, because he is tall but not particularly sturdy, and Zhou Mi is taller yet and ungainly as anything with his wings flopping about and his current lack of coordination.
"Just help me get him there," Kyuhyun suggests, diplomatically, and starts for the exit with Zhou Mi's mild and inebriated protests in his ear. Minho (he learns his name, later) slips under his other wing and together they steer Zhou Mi neatly out of the room. By the time they reach Zhou Mi's quarters, under Minho's direction, he is slumping between them without resistance.
A deeply buried, childish part of Kyuhyun is glad that Minho doesn't seem to know the passcode to Zhou Mi's rooms. Fortunately Zhou Mi is still conscious enough to enter it for himself, after Kyuhyun jostles him a little, and then they herd him safely through the door.
It's easier to smile wryly at Minho and mean it after helping Zhou Mi onto a stool, where he sits with his head hanging. "I'll put him to bed. Thanks," Kyuhyun says.
Minho rubs the back of his neck, looking indecisive about leaving them there together, but takes a long look at Zhou Mi and bows out without further argument. "Ok," he says. "If he needs anything else, you could call any of us. We'd come."
It takes Kyuhyun some time to convince Zhou Mi to get up again, but he turns his back resolutely while Zhou Mi fumbles with his clothing and the odd hammock-like contraption that seems to serve as his bed. "Kyuhyun?" His voice is quiet and a little slurred, almost plaintive.
Kyuhyun turns around. Zhou Mi is stretched out in the sleeping sling, wings trailing to the floor and fully relaxed, just looking at him with a strange, anxious twist to his mouth. "Yeah?"
"I'm sorry... about what happened." Zhou Mi says, and his wings give a little shudder. "I was... s'fraid... you."
"...Afraid of me?" Kyuhyun jerks his gaze back to Zhou Mi's face, uncomprehendingly. It's already slack with sleep, though, coppery strands of hair spilling into his eyes. Zhou Mi only sighs deeply, and Kyuhyun lets himself out after a couple minutes of waiting for an answer that doesn't come.
---
Later yet, Kyuhyun nurses along a steaming vanilla tea, alone in his quarters. The viewscreen is glowing with a gently shifting aurora of colors, the only light in the room. Blue-tinged, it reminds him of light filtering through water, and the throbbing deep rumble of a Ceta's song.
"Now recording," his anserv reminds him, in its cheery, artificially modulated tone. "If you wish to cancel your message at this time, please say 'null'."
"No," Kyuhyun mutters. He rakes a hand through his hair and drops his eyes to the cup before him. "Zhou Mi. This is... probably stuff I should have said a long time ago, or something. I don't really know. I just wish I'd said it then." He pauses. This is terribly awkward, and he's thought about it already, but the words just aren't coming out in order. Nevertheless, he presses onward, stubbornly. "Tonight you said you were afraid of me. I'm not... I'm not sure why, but I wish you hadn't been. Or I wish I'd done things differently."
Kyuhyun takes a deep breath and despairs of actually making any sense. "I don't know, I just... I should have kept in touch, instead of being stupid. I missed you, after you went off and got signed. I mean, that was really good luck for you, I don't... wish it hadn't happened or anything, I just got really used to singing together. Or being... around each other. So, I'm glad we got the chance to work together again, here." He hesitates once more, mouth quirking into an awkward half-smile. "Thanks for that."
He lets the silence following his words stretch out, in a sort of internal battle. After a few long seconds, the anserv starts to prompt him again--"Now recording. If you--" He cuts it off.
"I don't know if you're at all, um, still..." That sounds ridiculous and self-important, even to his own ears, and Kyuhyun grimaces, pushing his chair back and rising to his feet to pace restlessly. "Er, if you're maybe interested. Or were interested. Or could be interested. This would be easier if we could maybe... pretend it's the first time you're meeting me and I haven't said anything stupid, yet. Here, I'll pretend. Hi, I'm Kyuhyun. I've seen you at a couple of parties, before, and I've heard you sing, and I think you seem like an interesting guy. Would you... like to go out to dinner? Sometime?"
Kyuhyun can't actually remember the last time his face felt this hot. "End... end message. Send." He blurts it out, before he can change his mind.
"Message delivered," the anserv chirps. Kyuhyun makes a strangled noise and contemplates throwing himself out an airlock.
---
Kyuhyun doesn't get a reply for several days.
When he does, though, it's visual, and Zhou Mi looks apologetic and as nervous as he.
"Kyuhyun?" It's faintly uncertain, and Zhou Mi clears his throat, wings shifting at his sides. "I got your message. They told me I should wait a few days to answer, though... I'm sorry if this seems late." He ducks his head a little sheepishly. "If you still want to go to dinner, I would like that." He smiles anxiously, and then the recording ends with a click.
The lead weight in his stomach has dissolved, within the space of thirty seconds. Exhaling deeply, Kyuhyun messages him right back, a direct call. "Come on," he says to the sluggish AI, "connect me."
Zhou Mi appears on the display a moment later, wide-eyed and caught by surprise. "Kyuhyun?"
"Yes, and don't ask ridiculous questions," Kyuhyun tells him with a smirk he can't entirely suppress. "If I didn't want to, I wouldn't have left that message, would I?" Zhou Mi still deserves a bit of ragging, he thinks, for how long he made him squirm.
---
In the end, the trendy, carefully-chosen restaurant loses Kyuhyun's reservation somehow, which they only discover after rushing to get there on time. Kyuhyun stares at the host in aggravation until Zhou Mi gives his arm a conciliatory nudge. "Here, let's do something else. I heard that the new orbital has some good cafes, do you mind if we try it out instead?"
They hop a minishuttle to get there, and it's just the two of them, the pilot, and the starfield outside for the ten-minute ride. Kyuhyun stands, because the seats won't accommodate Zhou Mi's wings, and Zhou Mi leans against his shoulder just a little as he looks out at the distant, pinpoint lights.
The lounge turns out to be spun so low that the simulated gravity is nearly nonexistent. He might not have given it a second glance, but Zhou Mi laughs and orders them three different drinks from decorative tubes, and it's worth it just to see a woman who obviously hasn't been in nullgrav before accidentally spill hers in a chain of bead-like droplets. It's also worth it just to see Zhou Mi moving like he was born to, leisurely and controlled and so utterly at home in his weightless medium that Kyuhyun feels like a lumbering ox in comparison.
Kyuhyun is still snickering when Zhou Mi turns back with a fond, slightly exasperated smile on his lips. "Kyuhyun, what do you call a person who takes pleasure in other people's suffering?"
"She stained her shirt. I don't think that qualifies as true suffering," he points out, and flicks an undulating dollop of his own drink straight toward Zhou Mi, who doesn't even bat an eye as he catches it in his mouth. "It was kind of ugly to start with."
"Kyuhyun!" Zhou Mi exclaims, scandalized and laughing. When he trails off and studies Kyuhyun with a strange intensity, Kyuhyun isn't sure what to think of it.
"What... do I have something on my face?" He wipes at his chin, warily.
Zhou Mi only smiles, softer and more secretive than before, and brushes a long finger lightly along Kyuhyun's jaw. "No, just a smile."
After that, the little touches pretend to be accidental, but neither of them are trying very hard.
They take the beltway to another cafe for food, and Kyuhyun hooks a hand through the grip to secure himself as he's towed along, while his other bumps against Zhou Mi's free one until the next stop. Zhou Mi disembarks first, and reaches casually to steady him, fingers touching lightly at his back. When gravity is no longer involved, Zhou Mi's movements are economical and fluid, perfectly confident. At least until Zhou Mi manages to run himself into one of the regularly spaced columns due to not paying attention.
Then, Kyuhyun teases him until he inadvertently makes a mess of his own dinner and the tables are turned.
"That will teach you to laugh at me," Zhou Mi says rather smugly, while helping clean up the bits that somehow got into Kyuhyun's hair with the minivac at the table. It seems to be a routine and expected hazard of dining here. Zhou Mi puts the tube away, and Kyuhyun catches him by the fingers to press a light kiss to the back of his hand.
"My hero," he intones, perfectly straight-faced, just to watch Zhou Mi turn pink all over again.
After another round or two of drinks following their meal, Kyuhyun is thoroughly infused with good spirits for the shuttle-ride back. They're not alone this time, but the handful of other passengers sit near the front, and Kyuhyun stands at the back with Zhou Mi leaning over his shoulder from behind and his wings draped lightly around his waist. Halfway back to the station, he turns his head and Zhou Mi's face is right there, cast in dim relief by starlight, and somehow his lips gravitate to the corner of a generous mouth instead of whatever he meant to say. Zhou Mi turns his head to face him more fully and Kyuhyun doesn't actually think about anything beyond the kiss until the lights brighten and he realizes they've docked again.
They're the last to leave the shuttle, walking slowly with their fingers hooked together. Along the corridor, the small round windows show perfect, glittering blackness.
rating : PG
pairing : kyuhyun x zhoumi, hints of sungmin x kyuhyun, siwon x hangeng, heechul x the world
8,687 words. part two of the reworked winged_suju fic. very AU. still not really happy with it but it's done.
inescapable: part two of two
back to part one?
The incoming call wakes Kyuhyun up in the middle of the night. He travels too much to bother keeping up with local time, but his cabin is dark and his eyelids feel like they've been glued down; he needs a minute to rouse himself sufficiently to realize that only a very few people would bypass his anserv AI and trigger that particular alert while he's sleeping.
He fumbles the headset over his ears and blinks at the ceiling above him as swirling, glowing colors gradually emerge from the dark in response to his waking. "Who is it?"
"Kyuhyun!" His sister's voice leaps across the intervening kiloparsecs as clearly as if she were standing in the next room. She sounds tired, but happy; he relaxes back against his pillow and grins slightly.
"No, that's me. Who are you?"
"Don't be an idiot," she says, fondly. "I have good news, you're an uncle again."
"What?" He laughs, rubbing his fingers in his eyes and squinting upwards. "Already? I thought you had... a couple of months to go. Sangho must be thrilled."
"See, this is what happens, living on starships, you don't even know what week it is. When are you coming back for a visit? Gwihoon asks about you. I think he's convinced you're some kind of magical gift-bearing fairy, after the last time you dropped in." There's a comfortable, familiar burr to her speech. To him, it signifies childhood. Sometimes his family mentions that his own accent has faded over the years, polished away by his training. To them, he sounds like a spacer.
"Oh, I'm not sure yet... I'm actually on my way to another gig right now. Recording a soundtrack for some drama, you know? But tell me more--boy or girl? What's its name?" Kyuhyun pushes himself to sit upright at last, swinging his feet off his bed and into a soft pair of slippers, holding the headset in place with one hand.
"Another boy, and I've been telling Sangho for weeks I'm going to name him Boulder, because I feel like that's what I've been packing around all this time." There's another happy sigh, audible over the feed. "We haven't settled for sure yet, though. I just wanted to let you know."
"Yeah," he says, still smiling. "Thanks. I'm glad to hear everyone's well. Tell me what the new sprat's name is, when you decide."
"Will do. I hate that messaging system you use, by the way. It's creepy."
"Yeah, yeah, I know, so does Mother... Goodbye, sis. I'll talk to you again soon, ok?" Kyuhyun disconnects the feed, after her acknowledgement, and sits for a few moments in the dim blue-green glow of the lights, gradually shading into violet. "Menu," he says, into the quiet of his room. "Selection 504. Hot."
The wall unit chirrups at him, and a moment later, a steaming cup of tea emerges.
He sits by the darkened viewscreen for some time, sipping at it until his mug is empty and even the scent of vanilla has faded.
---
Rigel Station Delta is less than a tenth the size of the megapolis of Rigel Alpha, but still big enough to give Kyuhyun faint vertigo on their final approach to docking. The station is owned by a media conglomerate, built expressly for the purpose to which it has been put. It houses a significant fraction of the biggest names in entertainment in the galaxy... at least when they're actively working.
Kyuhyun himself is here to record a couple of songs for an up-and-coming drama's soundtrack. It's supposed to be the next big thing, his agent says, and it's a pretty good deal for a relative newcomer to the industry to land, but a few years at Albireo never hurt anyone's connections and he's not complaining about his luck.
The company liason meets him as he steps out of the lift tube with a bag in one hand. The rest of his luggage will catch up with him, sooner or later.
"You must be Kyuhyun," the man says, smiling and giving his hand a firm shake. He is of medium height, medium build, and has black hair of an indeterminate length; he might be completely nondescript in every way if his eyes weren't so keen. "I'm Lee Sungmin, I'll be here to answer any questions or problems you have, while you're here. How was the jump?"
"Barely noticed it. Pleased to meet you." Kyuhyun glances around the wide corridor that serves as an arrival lobby. "I'm afraid I haven't been to Rigel-D before, so you may have to steer me around a bit."
"Of course, of course." Sungmin nods, motioning toward another walkway. "Several of the artists involved with this project are in residence now, so you'll have plenty of chances to get to know everyone. Have you worked with any of them before?"
"No, not really. I'm looking forward to working with such a talented group of people, though." Kyuhyun ducks his head a little and steadies himself with a hand on the rail as the walkway carries them rapidly deeper into the station.
"There's going to be a party, in a few days. Everyone's invited, you really shouldn't miss it, since you're here."
Kyuhyun masks a tiny grimace, less pleased at the thought of social obligations than Sungmin obviously is, but nods. "Of course, I'll be there." It pays to socialize, in his line of work. He can never predict when he'll bump into someone again.
"I'll be sure and put you in touch with everyone you ought to know." Sungmin smiles sweetly, and Kyuhyun doesn't have a hard time believing he knows everyone worth speaking of, and then a few more besides.
---
His first day in the studio, Sungmin introduces him to the music director, one Insooni. She sweeps into the room and sizes Kyuhyun up with one look before extending a hand in imperious greeting. "Cho Kyuhyun, is it? You're my ballad voice. Come."
He obeys.
It turns out that she first heard of him through Ryeowook, a few months ago when he recorded an operatic theme under her supervision. Insooni was looking for a singer with a low, smooth jazz-style, and Ryeowook mentioned his name.
Kyuhyun resolves to call him up sometime soon and find out when they're next going to be in the same arm of the galaxy. At the least, he owes him a nice dinner.
Insooni proves to be a stern taskmistress, but Kyuhyun doesn't mind the challenge of pleasing her, rehearsing and reviewing until she is moderately satisfied with his contributions for the day.
He's ready to go back to the comfort of his suite and sleep, by the end of their session, but Sungmin meets him just outside the studio with a smile.
"Really, you shouldn't retire so early or you'll have trouble adjusting to station hours. Have you eaten? Come up to the inner ring with me, and you can meet some people while you sit and relax." Sungmin's friendly hand on his arm is just firm enough to discourage argument.
Oh well, Kyuhyun thinks. Everyone does always tell him he shouldn't be such a hermit.
Sungmin picks his food well and his wines better, and Kyuhyun doesn't mind the light conversation over a shared dish of some sort of innocuous-looking seafood from a nearby system. Sungmin's been working on Rigel-D since his late teens, it turns out, and seems to collect interesting anecdotes about everyone in the industry worth knowing.
"Ah," Sungmin says between bites, sitting up a little straighter in his seat and looking across the bistro. "I thought he might drop by. Let me introduce you."
Kyuhyun follows his gaze, puzzled, and sees only a rail-thin creature with an elaborate crimson weave, a holo headset straight out of one of the most expensive catalogs that was just released, and a sweeping, floor-length black coat over something tight and comprised largely of buckles. The newcomer smirks, at Sungmin's approach, and pulls him into an embrace to stake a claim on his mouth in one of the most invasive greeting-kisses Kyuhyun's ever seen, anywhere.
He wills his expression back to something less incredulous in time for Sungmin to tow the new arrival closer to their table, and rises to his feet. He hopes it's a custom reserved for prior acquaintances alone.
Sungmin doesn't look abashed in the slightest. "Kyuhyun, I'd like you to meet Heenim." He turns to the redhead, then, giving Kyuhyun's arm a squeeze. "This is the singer Insooni asked for. He's really very talented, don't you think?"
Kyuhyun blinks. Heenim is one of the most popular VJs in the galaxy, right now--he's heard the name many times. Now that he thinks of it, his face is familiar, but the last time he saw a clip of him, his hair was black and arranged in lofty, twisted spikes.
"Kyuhyun, Cho Kyuhyun, jazzy little... mmh, not bad, not bad." Heenim's visor turns transparent for a moment, revealing big dark eyes, as he mutters absently under his breath. There's a cable running from the visor feed and disappearing into his hair--some sort of cybernetic implant, judging from the look of it. He runs a casual hand up Kyuhyun's chest, lacquered nails scraping over cloth, then pats his cheek. "You're coming, right? My party. Sungmin, did you invite him? Good boy." He doesn't even wait for an answer before sampling a sip of Sungmin's wine.
"Pleased to meet you," Kyuhyun tries after a beat or two, bowing a little awkwardly.
"Honestly, Heenim, you don't have to stun him into submission." Sungmin is hiding a smile, Kyuhyun thinks. "I'm sure he's already impressed."
Heenim stares at Kyuhyun a moment longer, over the rim of the glass, then licks his lips, curling them into another lopsided smirk. "We like him, don't we. Carry on, then, don't let me interrupt." With that, he turns on his booted heel and walks away, goblet in hand.
Kyuhyun isn't sure what sort of impression he just made, but Sungmin only laughs at the look on his face and pours himself a fresh glass of wine. "Don't worry too much. He must be interested in you, or he wouldn't have even come over."
---
Heenim's party proves to be every bit as wild as society gossip would have it, populated with models, superstars, and the up-and-coming set. Heenim himself is circulating through the crowd in a pair of translucent platforms that appear to contain live, writhing Alraqi centipedes, pulsing in alarmed shades of neon with each step. Kyuhyun spots him briefly, upon arrival, and is accorded a nod of recognition that makes Sungmin preen at his side.
"I'm going to go get drinks." Sungmin has to lean up and nearly put his lips to Kyuhyun's ear to be heard, hands curling at his shoulder for support. "Would you like something?"
"Sure," Kyuhyun mouths at him, inaudibly, then simply nods and offers a sheepish smile. Sungmin releases his arm and slips away through the crowd, disappearing in a few moments between flashes of the strobe-lights.
He backs up a few steps when a couple of dancers bump into him and casts a quick glance around the milling crowd, hoping Sungmin can find him again. The jostling prompts him to sidle over until he can keep the wall at his back, out of the worst of the flow of people through the room.
There's a man nearby who seems to have had much the same idea, only his arms are tightly crossed and he is visibly tense, scanning the room with sharp little movements of his head. He's got the figure of a dancer, lithe and toned (from what Kyuhyun can see), but his hair is cropped almost military-short--strangely unfashionable amidst the current crowd. Kyuhyun is mildly concerned about his demeanor until another, taller man slips through the crush of people and reaches for his shoulders in a comforting manner, lips moving on some reassurance Kyuhyun can't hear. The tense man relaxes a little, dropping his gaze, and his companion turns, looking straight at Kyuhyun.
He jerks his eyes away, pretending to stare at the dance floor instead.
The taller of the two takes a step toward him and touches his arm, but he's smiling widely when Kyuhyun looks guiltily in their direction again. He recognizes him, then--it's a well-known actor, Choi Siwon, and if he remembers right, Siwon is starring in the drama he's recording for.
"You're Cho Kyuhyun, right?" Siwon leans closer, still nearly shouting to be heard over the din.
Kyuhyun nods, a little at a loss.
"Come on," Siwon motions, then pats his shoulder, one hand still attached to the man behind him. Kyuhyun can't make out his next words at all, but Siwon gives up on talking and simply points across the crowd, gesturing for him to follow, once again. He wraps an arm around the silent man's shoulders and begins to push his way through the chaos between them and the lift to the balcony level.
Kyuhyun spares a helpless glance in Sungmin's general direction, but Choi Siwon is definitely a few rungs up the ladder, and he can't quite justify turning down an obvious request. The noise is starting to give him a headache, anyway.
The balcony, thankfully, is less populated than the floor, and the man watching the lift ushers Siwon and his guests through without blinking.
Siwon nudges Kyuhyun toward one of the little alcoves along the walls, and a pretty waitress presses a drink into his hand on the way. He has no idea what it is, but keeps it anyway, ducking into the alcove and sighing in relief when he finds the noise from outside noticeably muted.
"Oh, that's much better," Siwon murmurs, giving his head a little shake. He looks down at the man at his side, then, brow furrowed in visible concern. "Are you alright?"
The short-haired man nods, once, lifting his chin stubbornly, but he does look more composed now that it's quiet. "Yes, I am fine." His accent is soft, susurrant, and thicker than average, but not impossible to understand.
Siwon turns to regard Kyuhyun, then, as they take seats along the comfortable benches that line the walls. "You're working on the soundtrack, right now, aren't you?"
"Oh... yes, I arrived a few days ago." Kyuhyun offers an awkward smile and sips his drink. "I didn't know you were keeping track."
"Of course, of course. I like what I've heard of your work, so far. I think the soundtrack is an important part of the viewer's experience, don't you?" Siwom beams, a hand resting casually on the other man's knee. "But forgive me, I'm being terribly rude. This is Han Geng. Han Geng, Cho Kyuhyun."
The name sounds vaguely familiar, but Kyuhyun can't place it. He nods to Geng, politely, but his puzzlement must show on his face, because Siwon laughs and slings his arm around Geng's shoulders.
"The drama we're working on, it's based on true experiences, you know. I'm actually playing the role of Han Geng in the show--it's all been dramatized and edited for the purposes of viewing, of course, but he's really got an amazing life story." Siwon is smiling at Geng from point-blank range, and Geng is practically leaning into the curve of his arm, despite the mildly embarrassed look on his face.
Cute, Kyuhyun thinks, and takes another drink.
---
Between the cocktails and the quieter environment of the alcove, Kyuhyun likes the party a good deal better from his current vantage point. It occurs to him, however, after a couple of drinks and a conversation with Siwon, that he should probably go find Sungmin before it gets any later.
It's then that the doorway shimmers and Heenim himself sails through, glowing heels flashing as he strides purposefully to the nearest bench, straddles Siwon's legs, and proceeds to assault his mouth with the same ferocity he exhibited with Sungmin.
Siwon makes a muffled noise into the kiss, and Kyuhyun can't help noticing Geng has gone all stiff and watchful again, next to him.
When Kyuhyun tears his eyes away from the spectacle Heenim seems intent on creating, he is met with a tall, lanky silhouette in the doorway. It takes him a moment to pause and look back in question, squinting against the strobelights from outside.
The figure shifts, awkwardly, and there's a telltale rustle down his sides, wings pulling in around himself on reflex.
Kyuhyun lowers his drink, back straightening as he stares toward the door.
Zhou Mi smiles with most of his teeth, as usual, but his eyes are indecisive and his tone is pure confusion. "...Kyuhyun?" He still doesn't pronounce it quite normally, and the old familiarity of it is like a kick in the gut.
"Oh, how do you two know each other?" Siwon is blinking at them curiously, Heenim having slithered off his lap to one side to level an equally interested stare in Kyuhyun's direction. Geng just looks confused and wary.
"We... went to academy together," Kyuhyun offers, after a moment of silence.
Zhou Mi finishes for him, still smiling in an awkward, uncertain sort of way. "We sort of lost touch."
"Really." Heenim says it like it's the most fascinating thing he's heard all day.
Kyuhyun tries for 'bright', sneaking a sideways glance at Zhou Mi. "Uh, yeah. I didn't know he was working here, so... it's good to see you again." He directs the last to the man in the doorway, with an awkward little duck of his head.
Zhou Mi shifts his weight, a little like a cornered animal. "Yes, what an amazing coincidence!"
"Oho," says Heenim, smirking, and then twists around to study Geng, from across Siwon. "I hear you're absolutely fascinating. Is it true?"
---
The thing is, Kyuhyun doesn't have time for serious relationships. At first he was at the Academy and busy all the time, and now he's hopping from one system to the next more often than not. Maybe he'll stay in one place for three or four months, at most, but his job keeps him on the move and limits anything deeper than a casual fling from settling in.
He's okay with that. He's not looking for long-term.
And if seeing Zhou Mi again is a bit of a shock... well, it's normal to remember your first a little differently than you remember the rest, Kyuhyun tells himself. Their parting was awkward at best, and he was kind of a stupid kid at the time.
Sungmin catches him standing silently in the corridor after the next round of recording. His smile is just slightly questioning, and he raises a brow. "Kyuhyun?" He isn't holding a grudge about the night of the party, Kyuhyun thinks--Sungmin found him later on, and he'd explained the parts about Siwon dragging him upstairs and Heenim appearing, at least. He might not have mentioned running into Zhou Mi, though. That's the complicated bit.
"Oh, uh... do you want to get dinner?" Kyuhyun blurts the first thing to come into his head.
"Of course." Sungmin looks pleased. "Right now, or...?"
"Sure." He hasn't eaten yet, and his stomach is reminding him of that, naggingly.
Over pasta and bread, Kyuhyun stews and reflects, until he realizes Sungmin's conversation has dribbled off to nothing, and he has no idea what they've been talking about, anyway. "By the way," he starts, willing his embarrassment not to show, "do you happen to know a Zhou Mi?"
Sungmin tilts his head in thought, frowning absently. "Sorry?"
"He's, er... human, but obviously an altered-type." There are polite euphemisms, ways of skirting the statement itself. "Very tall. Er, wings?"
"Oh, yes. Jo... Zhou Mi, you said? I know of him." Sungmin arches an eyebrow, skewering a bit of meat on his fork. "How do you?"
"We went to the same school. I just... wondered if he was working here, or passing through." Kyuhyun pushes his bread through a puddle of sauce and takes a bite, radiating innocent curiosity as best he can.
"I think he's writing lyrics, mostly. Have you heard of SHINee?" Sungmin names one of the teen-pop boybands that have been all over the broadcasts lately, and Kyuhyun nods. "He might have worked on some of their ballads, if I remember correctly."
"Does he still sing?" It slips out, unbidden. "He was... he used to be phenomenal."
Sungmin glances at him, fork between his lips, and shrugs. "I don't know. You could ask him. I'm sure he'd like to catch up." Kyuhyun isn't sure if he imagines the barest hint of an edge to the mild words, and he drops the line of questioning in favor of bringing up the dessert menu display.
---
Rigel Delta feels a lot smaller, suddenly.
Kyuhyun second-guesses his comings and goings through the station for a few days, then tells himself that running into Zhou Mi by chance would be as ridiculous as running into him in a city, planetside. He also tells himself that meeting him face-to-face would not be the crisis his subconscious seems to be inventing.
His subconscious has its revenge, promptly, by inflicting him with a peculiar dream wherein the friendly, bendy little dancer from a couple of translight jumps ago is demonstrating both his friendliness and bendiness in some very pleasant ways, only to suddenly get a lot taller and sprout wings, just before there is a station-wide emergency alert. The dream degenerates into complete nonsense somewhere after the point when he follows the evacuation arrows and before the point when one of the cargo bays is apparently the setting for a sunny industry picnic, but he has forgotten to pull on any pants.
Kyuhyun is sitting in a small coffeehouse at something approaching 4 AM, station time, clearing his head with a cup of black brew so strong it almost smells like the stuff his father used to drink before taking his daybreak flit over the fields every morning. It's missing a certain earthy undertone, but it's as good as he can hope to get, spaceside.
The door hisses open, and an exhausted-looking teen slouches in, all skinny legs, some fashionably enormous wrap, and bicolored hair sticking up every which way. Zhou Mi follows close on his heels, heading straight for the counter but arresting himself almost comically when he spots Kyuhyun.
The universe probably hates one of them, Kyuhyun suspects, and he musters a tired, wry smile. They might as well face it head on. "Hi."
"Kyuhyun..." Zhou Mi stands there, indecisive and round-eyed, until the kid who came in first turns around and looks between them, blankly.
"Mimi?" He muffles a yawn in his sleeve, then rakes a hand through the artful mess of his hair.
Kyuhyun is vaguely aware of his smile turning a little more fixed. Mimi? "Uh, do you want to sit here...?" He arches a brow at Zhou Mi, straight over the skinny kid's head.
It takes Zhou Mi a few moments to order and collect his coffee, which is so pale Kyuhyun is pretty sure it's mostly just cream and sugar, then he folds himself onto a stool across from Kyuhyun and sets his mug down, carefully. "Ah... this is Kim Jonghyun."
"SHINee's Jonghyun." He leaves his drink on the table and sticks his hand out for a firm shake, squinting at Kyuhyun assessingly.
"Cho Kyuhyun." It's not entirely friendly to squeeze as firmly as Kyuhyun does, but mostly he just wants to know what this half-grown punk is doing calling Zhou Mi 'Mimi' and following him around at this hour.
"We knew each other at the academy," Zhou Mi says, pitched for Jonghyun's ears although he doesn't look away from Kyuhyun.
"It's been a long time." Kyuhyun narrows his eyes slightly. "I heard you're writing lyrics now?"
Zhou Mi blinks, then smiles with a touch of sheepishness. "Yes, actually. Ballads, mostly... Jonghyun and I were working on some, tonight."
Isn't it past Jonghyun's bedtime, Kyuhyun wants to ask, but refrains. "Really? Can I hear?"
Jonghyun frowns, but Zhou Mi blushes and ducks his head. "I don't know if you'd like it. It's sad."
"All ballads are sad, of course it is." Kyuhyun props his chin on one hand and stirs his coffee. "Come on, sing a verse."
"Right now...?" Zhou Mi looks around, but the shop is automated and they're the only customers present.
"Why not?"
Zhou Mi bites his lip, looking indecisive, then exhales and hums under his breath to find the key. When he sings, it's soft and hesitant, crooning his way through a few bars of tragic, ill-fated love.
Kyuhyun furrows his brow and wonders where Zhou Mi's vocal support is hiding, and how long he's been relegated to writing sappy lyrics in the background.
A few beats of silence pass, and Zhou Mi's expression wilts, gradually. "Well... what do you think?"
Jonghyun is shooting Kyuhyun a hard stare, but Kyuhyun finishes sipping at his coffee before speaking again. "Oh, the melody is alright. Sad, like you said. It would be nice to hear you sing for real, though."
"Oh..." Zhou Mi drops his gaze, a little flustered.
"Hey..." Kyuhyun peers into the depths of his cup as if it will provide answers, then asks, bluntly, "...do you want to get lunch, sometime soon? Catch up...?"
Zhou Mi looks the very definition of nonplussed. Kyuhyun can sympathize--he doesn't feel much different, himself, although the slightly irritated look on Jonghyun's face is worth it. "O-ok."
---
It's only natural to want to reconnect, Kyuhyun tells himself. They were sort of friends, once, even if he was sort of stupid about it. People can move beyond one-time drunken mistakes and stop being horrendously uncomfortable around each other. Can't they?
He tries telling himself that again when he leaves a message for Zhou Mi some days later, asking if he's free for lunch the next afternoon. The response he gets, however, is a brief, rushed apology. He's very busy (Zhou Mi says) with preparations for the new album, and perhaps another time, yes?
It might end with that, except tentative release dates for the new SHINee album are all over the newscasts, soon, and Kyuhyun can't decide if Zhou Mi was just being avoidant or really is being worked to the bone.
It's probably not his best decision to sit and drink wine with Sungmin again after work, as somewhere around his third glass his tongue loosens.
"Hypothetically," Kyuhyun says, staring into the red-purple depths of his glass. "Hypothetically, if you wanted to catch up with someone, but you sort of parted on bad terms..."
Sungmin sighs and rubs a hand over his forehead, eyeing Kyuhyun in a faintly despairing way. "Is this about your school friend? Joo... Jomi, what's his name. You might as well just say so, anyway." He pours himself more wine, and settles back while Kyuhyun is still sputtering. "Give me some details, or I can hardly give you any real advice."
The story spills out of him in fits and starts over the rest of the bottle. He tries to sanitize it, leave out a few of the more incriminating complications, but he's a little drunk and Sungmin's wits are still sharp. He doesn't really think Sungmin misses too much.
"Right," Sungmin downs the last of his glass and exhales, quietly. "You're lucky I like you. Listen, there's a cast party, coming up. I can get you on the list."
"What?" Kyuhyun says, stupidly.
"The party. You invite him to that... if he turns you down, give it up, he doesn't want you to bother him anymore. If he goes with you... well, there you go." He flaps a hand midair, resigned.
Kyuhyun slouches down because the world is getting a bit fuzzy around the edges, and he rests his head against the back of the booth. "Thanks," he says, or maybe he means 'sorry'.
---
Kyuhyun plans to send a nicely worded, faceless invitation to Zhou Mi. Something easily twisted to mean nothing at all. In his head, at least, this will absolve him of any actual shame if Zhou Mi turns him down, because he can always rationalize his way out of what he didn't say explicitly.
Instead, he bumps into Zhou Mi in a cramped little boutique, as he's trying to choose what to wear. He turns around and there Zhou Mi is, caught in front of the mirror with some complicated drape of fabric between his spidery forefingers.
"Oh," Kyuhyun says, and he's not even sure what emotion that is meant to convey, but Zhou Mi towers apologetically and bites his lip.
"Hello," Zhou Mi offers, after a shuffling pause as Kyuhyun tries to decide whether to attempt to pass him in the narrow aisle or just stand there like a halfwit.
"Um," Kyuhyun blurts out, with a vague and detached sense of morbid curiosity at his own failed nonchalance. "The cast party, do--"
It's as far as he gets before Zhou Mi interjects, exposing most of his teeth in an awkwardly bright smile. "Oh, yes, I planned to go to that, are you going to be there, too?"
"...Maybe," Kyuhyun mutters, and looks down at the shirt he's holding. "I don't know. Maybe not..."
"You, you should come," Zhou Mi says, gaze aiming somewhere over his head. "It's not a... You don't have to bring anyone along. Unless you want to, of course. If... if you, well." His wings twitch a little, fingers gesturing on air, then settling resolutely. A sadistic little part of Kyuhyun is grateful for the equally awkward monologue. It gives him an excuse, himself.
A moment later Zhou Mi ventures to speak again, softer. "That darker red shade would be good on you, don't you think?"
Kyuhyun looks at it, holds it up to his shoulders, and has to admit that Zhou Mi is probably right.
---
It's not that he's waiting to see who Zhou Mi comes with. It's just that he happens to be near the entrance, and he happens to glance up when people come in, more often than not. Maybe Zhou Mi is coming alone, he thinks. There are certainly quite a few people there who have no discernible connection to the drama at all. Heenim, again, and all of SHINee, for example, who resemble nothing so much as an entourage of underfed models with razor-sharp cheekbones and fever-bright eyes.
When Zhou Mi does appear, the first thing Kyuhyun spots is his hair. He's changed it, no longer the natural black he's had for as long as Kyuhyun has known him, but a deep, startling copper that stands out against his fitted black jacket. There's no one at his side, but then Heenim sails up in some sort of flowing traditional costume Kyuhyun doesn't even recognize and pulls him down into a kiss. It's unnecessarily showy by even his standards, Kyuhyun feels, and his suspicions are furthered when Heenim turns around to angle a sharp grin directly at him as he pats Zhou Mi's ass with one hand. Or where his ass would be, if he had any to speak of.
Kyuhyun wishes he'd worn his blue shirt instead.
"Stop fussing at that," Sungmin mutters, and curls his grip firmly just above his elbow. "It's a marvelous color on you, and you've got the presence to pull it off." He pauses, shooting a rather jaundiced glance at Kyuhyun's hand before it can creep up to his collar. "At least, you would if you'd quit squirming. You ought to talk to people, while you're here."
Kyuhyun turns on his heel, suddenly uninterested in seeing the lot of SHINee swarm around Zhou Mi. Sungmin squeezes his arm, hard, and he narrowly avoids running face-first into a familiar-looking young man with a bright smile and extremely tight pants. "Er, sorry..."
The stranger steadies him with both hands on his upper arms just in time for Sungmin to pipe up, cheerfully. "Oh, Yunho, you made it! Heenim's molesting the guests back there."
Yunho's grin amps up a notch, and he slides past them with his eyes on the crowd beyond.
"I'm fairly sure my sister used to kiss a picture of him every night before bed," Kyuhyun observes in some surprise, as the ex-drummer of the Rising Gods catches Heenim around the waist and dips him into a precariously-balanced kiss to rival anything Heenim's done yet.
Sungmin only snorts and pulls him toward a table. "Her and half the galaxy. Didn't one of them go to your academy?"
"Before my time." Kyuhyun shrugs.
Halfway through a round of drinks and appetizers, Zhou Mi appears at the empty side of their table with an apologetically awkward smile. "Do you mind if I...?" He's keeping his wings very close to him, but the seats are a bit too low for him to arrange himself comfortably.
Kyuhyun gets up before thinking about it. "Here, switch with me or you'll be sticking out all over the aisle and someone will step on you." He circles around from between the table and the wall--it's not that much space, but it should be better than being underfoot.
By the time Kyuhyun moves and Sungmin relocates with him, brows raised, the rest of the table has been filled. That Jonghyun kid and the really tall one are flanking Zhou Mi possessively, and Kyuhyun can't decide if it's more or less annoying than Heenim's attempt to excavate his mouth with his tongue.
The sharp-faced one with rainbow streaks in his hair sits down at Kyuhyun's free elbow and sizes him up with a dubious tilt to one eyebrow. "So you're Kyuhyun." He says his name with the same odd, sibillant lilt that Zhou Mi uses plus a healthy dribble of disbelief, and Kyuhyun risks a glance across the table just in time for Zhou Mi to look quickly away.
"Well... yes. Kyuhyun." He corrects, keeping a hand on his glass, prickly and entirely conscious of it all at once. Has Zhou Mi really talked about him?
"Can you actually sing?" The kid has the gall to ask him, and Kyuhyun bites back his first and immediate rejoinder with an effort.
He doesn't expect Zhou Mi to lean forward with an anxious frown and his own interjection. "He's the best singer I know, you should hear him."
The praise cuts Kyuhyun's irritation right out from under him and leaves him hanging. "That's... that's a bit much to say..."
Zhou Mi's gaze flicks upward at last, partially obscured under a fall of loose reddish hair and dark lashes, and Kyuhyun feels the barest of flushes suffuse his face when the other man half-smiles, wryly self-effacing and completely unconscious of the effect it has on him. "Not at all."
---
A few days later, Kyuhyun has just wrapped up recording for another one of the songs on the soundtrack when Insooni steps into the technician's booth to listen.
She replays it twice, unsmiling and thoughtful, and finally nods. "Good work. Kyuhyun, I would like to add another song for you."
"Sure." Kyuhyun likes the work and it pays well. It's no burden to him to extend his stay a little longer.
"You'll be working with one of our in-house composers. Zhou Mi, if you're familiar with his work." She looks at him and some of his thoughts must be showing on his face, because she raises one eyebrow a fraction. "He's just turned in a new piece you'd be very well-suited for."
He swallows and nods quickly. "Yes, of course." He doesn't mention their one-time duet.
---
Listening to Zhou Mi's composition now is strange. There are traces of the familiar in his style, bits of ornamentation and phrasing that feel like scattered clues to what has shaped Zhou Mi's musical progression over the past few years, like faded imprints of his passage.
Kyuhyun brings the score up on his holo and practices alone in his room between recording sessions for the remaining tracks. It suits his voice like it was written for him.
When he meets with Zhou Mi again, he draws his breath to begin, but falters out of some forgotten habit when Zhou Mi doesn't do the same.
"Ah, it's a solo this time..." Zhou Mi's smile is faintly surprised.
Kyuhyun ducks his head and mumbles acknowledgment, restarting the track from the beginning.
By the time he finishes recording, it's the middle of the station's arbitrary 'night' phase. As they huddle in the tiny booth and listen to his work, Kyuhyun frowns slightly and leans his hip against the control panels. It's good, he knows, but... it could be better.
"Bear with me here," he says, and pulls up the score display, making a few quick edits with sweeps of his finger. "Why is this a solo?"
Zhou Mi blinks, eyes round, then drops his gaze sheepishly. "I couldn't... think of another vocalist I'd want to blend with... er, the song."
Kyuhyun reaches over before he can think about it and taps the middle of Zhou Mi's forehead with a fingertip, lightly. "You try it. I just want to hear the difference." He scans the score again, then highlights one of the verses and the chorus, dragging them over to a second display pad and handing it to Zhou Mi. "Come on, let's run through it once more."
They end up recording and rerecording until the hall lights are coming back up to full brightness and morning workers are passing the windows, quick shadows flitting across the translucent plating.
"This is good," Kyuhyun says, after listening to the latest attempt while Zhou Mi fiddles with settings on the soundboard, hunched over and squinting down his not-inconsiderable nose. His voice cracks on the last word, and he coughs, embarrassed.
Zhou Mi looks up and shoots him a slightly glassy smile. "Really?"
"Better than before." Kyuhyun nods firmly, and slips a hand under Zhou Mi's wing-joint, guiding him easily back to his feet. "Shut it down and let's go get some food, you look like you're about to pass out. Are you actually trying to be skinnier than those stringy kids you work with?"
"I can't help my metabolism," Zhou Mi whines, fingers curling to steady himself, and chews on his lower lip. "I don't know if Insooni will like it or not..."
"Well, we'll find out after we show it to her, unless you die in the meantime from not eating." Kyuhyun rolls his eyes, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, and shepherds Zhou Mi out the door and down the hall.
Zhou Mi ends up falling asleep on Kyuhyun's shoulder halfway through the meal, one wing trailing awkwardly behind them and the other half-draped along the edge of the table.
Kyuhyun doesn't wake him until he's finished. Then he pushes a piece of jammy toast at his lips until Zhou Mi sputters awake again, disoriented and wiping at his mouth with the back of one wrist.
"Kyuhyun!" he says pitifully, and retrieves the toast to eat the rest of it in three bites.
---
Insooni likes the reworked song so much that two weeks later (with a few more edits) it winds up on the soundtrack instead of the solo version.
Kyuhyun doesn't mind, especially when it means Zhou Mi sits at his side during promotional appearances and he can whisper things in his ear. Sometimes, if he delivers a remark just right, Zhou Mi turns pink trying not to laugh out loud. Then he usually lands a kick in the vicinity of Kyuhyun's ankle, but it's worth it.
After the premiere, Kyuhyun doesn't drink too much, but Zhou Mi is a little unsteady on his feet by the time it's winding down. His collection of underfed tagalongs keep popping up, as usual, and casting highly suspicious looks at Kyuhyun every time Zhou Mi sips his drink.
Kyuhyun clears his throat and catches Zhou Mi by one long finger before he can reach for another glass, the next time a server walks past. "Do you want some water?" He weights the suggestion strongly as he leans toward Zhou Mi, but the taller man just makes a noise not unlike a giggle and drapes his wing over Kyuhyun's shoulder.
Kyuhyun stands awkwardly for a moment or two, then settles his hand on Zhou Mi's waist, easing into the contact. It's not so unpleasant, just the light, yielding warmth of his wing against his back and shoulders, as his hand steadies Zhou Mi at the hip.
One of the brat pack chooses that moment to pop up; the tall, puppyish one with the perpetually worried expression. He is holding a glass of water, though, and thrusts it toward Kyuhyun with an almost plaintive look. "It's for Zhou Mi," he says, as if Kyuhyun had any doubts.
Something in Kyuhyun relaxes, and he tries a weary smile of gratitude as he accepts the offered water and holds it up to Zhou Mi's lips. "Drink, or you're going to regret it tomorrow."
Zhou Mi tries to argue, but opts to swallow obediently instead after the first little spill of water down his chin. "Kyuhyun," he says, taking a deep breath after the glass is lowered from his mouth. "I'm perfectly cab--capable of monitoring myself!" It comes out with a hint of a whine, and Kyuhyun tugs him a little more upright when he threatens to tilt off-balance with a clumsy gesture of his free wing.
"Sorry," Kyuhyun says to the wide-eyed kid who brought the water. "Do you know where his quarters are? I think he's going to need some help getting there."
"Er, yes," the boy says, casting a quick look around for one of his compatriots, without success. "I could..." He trails off, because he is tall but not particularly sturdy, and Zhou Mi is taller yet and ungainly as anything with his wings flopping about and his current lack of coordination.
"Just help me get him there," Kyuhyun suggests, diplomatically, and starts for the exit with Zhou Mi's mild and inebriated protests in his ear. Minho (he learns his name, later) slips under his other wing and together they steer Zhou Mi neatly out of the room. By the time they reach Zhou Mi's quarters, under Minho's direction, he is slumping between them without resistance.
A deeply buried, childish part of Kyuhyun is glad that Minho doesn't seem to know the passcode to Zhou Mi's rooms. Fortunately Zhou Mi is still conscious enough to enter it for himself, after Kyuhyun jostles him a little, and then they herd him safely through the door.
It's easier to smile wryly at Minho and mean it after helping Zhou Mi onto a stool, where he sits with his head hanging. "I'll put him to bed. Thanks," Kyuhyun says.
Minho rubs the back of his neck, looking indecisive about leaving them there together, but takes a long look at Zhou Mi and bows out without further argument. "Ok," he says. "If he needs anything else, you could call any of us. We'd come."
It takes Kyuhyun some time to convince Zhou Mi to get up again, but he turns his back resolutely while Zhou Mi fumbles with his clothing and the odd hammock-like contraption that seems to serve as his bed. "Kyuhyun?" His voice is quiet and a little slurred, almost plaintive.
Kyuhyun turns around. Zhou Mi is stretched out in the sleeping sling, wings trailing to the floor and fully relaxed, just looking at him with a strange, anxious twist to his mouth. "Yeah?"
"I'm sorry... about what happened." Zhou Mi says, and his wings give a little shudder. "I was... s'fraid... you."
"...Afraid of me?" Kyuhyun jerks his gaze back to Zhou Mi's face, uncomprehendingly. It's already slack with sleep, though, coppery strands of hair spilling into his eyes. Zhou Mi only sighs deeply, and Kyuhyun lets himself out after a couple minutes of waiting for an answer that doesn't come.
---
Later yet, Kyuhyun nurses along a steaming vanilla tea, alone in his quarters. The viewscreen is glowing with a gently shifting aurora of colors, the only light in the room. Blue-tinged, it reminds him of light filtering through water, and the throbbing deep rumble of a Ceta's song.
"Now recording," his anserv reminds him, in its cheery, artificially modulated tone. "If you wish to cancel your message at this time, please say 'null'."
"No," Kyuhyun mutters. He rakes a hand through his hair and drops his eyes to the cup before him. "Zhou Mi. This is... probably stuff I should have said a long time ago, or something. I don't really know. I just wish I'd said it then." He pauses. This is terribly awkward, and he's thought about it already, but the words just aren't coming out in order. Nevertheless, he presses onward, stubbornly. "Tonight you said you were afraid of me. I'm not... I'm not sure why, but I wish you hadn't been. Or I wish I'd done things differently."
Kyuhyun takes a deep breath and despairs of actually making any sense. "I don't know, I just... I should have kept in touch, instead of being stupid. I missed you, after you went off and got signed. I mean, that was really good luck for you, I don't... wish it hadn't happened or anything, I just got really used to singing together. Or being... around each other. So, I'm glad we got the chance to work together again, here." He hesitates once more, mouth quirking into an awkward half-smile. "Thanks for that."
He lets the silence following his words stretch out, in a sort of internal battle. After a few long seconds, the anserv starts to prompt him again--"Now recording. If you--" He cuts it off.
"I don't know if you're at all, um, still..." That sounds ridiculous and self-important, even to his own ears, and Kyuhyun grimaces, pushing his chair back and rising to his feet to pace restlessly. "Er, if you're maybe interested. Or were interested. Or could be interested. This would be easier if we could maybe... pretend it's the first time you're meeting me and I haven't said anything stupid, yet. Here, I'll pretend. Hi, I'm Kyuhyun. I've seen you at a couple of parties, before, and I've heard you sing, and I think you seem like an interesting guy. Would you... like to go out to dinner? Sometime?"
Kyuhyun can't actually remember the last time his face felt this hot. "End... end message. Send." He blurts it out, before he can change his mind.
"Message delivered," the anserv chirps. Kyuhyun makes a strangled noise and contemplates throwing himself out an airlock.
---
Kyuhyun doesn't get a reply for several days.
When he does, though, it's visual, and Zhou Mi looks apologetic and as nervous as he.
"Kyuhyun?" It's faintly uncertain, and Zhou Mi clears his throat, wings shifting at his sides. "I got your message. They told me I should wait a few days to answer, though... I'm sorry if this seems late." He ducks his head a little sheepishly. "If you still want to go to dinner, I would like that." He smiles anxiously, and then the recording ends with a click.
The lead weight in his stomach has dissolved, within the space of thirty seconds. Exhaling deeply, Kyuhyun messages him right back, a direct call. "Come on," he says to the sluggish AI, "connect me."
Zhou Mi appears on the display a moment later, wide-eyed and caught by surprise. "Kyuhyun?"
"Yes, and don't ask ridiculous questions," Kyuhyun tells him with a smirk he can't entirely suppress. "If I didn't want to, I wouldn't have left that message, would I?" Zhou Mi still deserves a bit of ragging, he thinks, for how long he made him squirm.
---
In the end, the trendy, carefully-chosen restaurant loses Kyuhyun's reservation somehow, which they only discover after rushing to get there on time. Kyuhyun stares at the host in aggravation until Zhou Mi gives his arm a conciliatory nudge. "Here, let's do something else. I heard that the new orbital has some good cafes, do you mind if we try it out instead?"
They hop a minishuttle to get there, and it's just the two of them, the pilot, and the starfield outside for the ten-minute ride. Kyuhyun stands, because the seats won't accommodate Zhou Mi's wings, and Zhou Mi leans against his shoulder just a little as he looks out at the distant, pinpoint lights.
The lounge turns out to be spun so low that the simulated gravity is nearly nonexistent. He might not have given it a second glance, but Zhou Mi laughs and orders them three different drinks from decorative tubes, and it's worth it just to see a woman who obviously hasn't been in nullgrav before accidentally spill hers in a chain of bead-like droplets. It's also worth it just to see Zhou Mi moving like he was born to, leisurely and controlled and so utterly at home in his weightless medium that Kyuhyun feels like a lumbering ox in comparison.
Kyuhyun is still snickering when Zhou Mi turns back with a fond, slightly exasperated smile on his lips. "Kyuhyun, what do you call a person who takes pleasure in other people's suffering?"
"She stained her shirt. I don't think that qualifies as true suffering," he points out, and flicks an undulating dollop of his own drink straight toward Zhou Mi, who doesn't even bat an eye as he catches it in his mouth. "It was kind of ugly to start with."
"Kyuhyun!" Zhou Mi exclaims, scandalized and laughing. When he trails off and studies Kyuhyun with a strange intensity, Kyuhyun isn't sure what to think of it.
"What... do I have something on my face?" He wipes at his chin, warily.
Zhou Mi only smiles, softer and more secretive than before, and brushes a long finger lightly along Kyuhyun's jaw. "No, just a smile."
After that, the little touches pretend to be accidental, but neither of them are trying very hard.
They take the beltway to another cafe for food, and Kyuhyun hooks a hand through the grip to secure himself as he's towed along, while his other bumps against Zhou Mi's free one until the next stop. Zhou Mi disembarks first, and reaches casually to steady him, fingers touching lightly at his back. When gravity is no longer involved, Zhou Mi's movements are economical and fluid, perfectly confident. At least until Zhou Mi manages to run himself into one of the regularly spaced columns due to not paying attention.
Then, Kyuhyun teases him until he inadvertently makes a mess of his own dinner and the tables are turned.
"That will teach you to laugh at me," Zhou Mi says rather smugly, while helping clean up the bits that somehow got into Kyuhyun's hair with the minivac at the table. It seems to be a routine and expected hazard of dining here. Zhou Mi puts the tube away, and Kyuhyun catches him by the fingers to press a light kiss to the back of his hand.
"My hero," he intones, perfectly straight-faced, just to watch Zhou Mi turn pink all over again.
After another round or two of drinks following their meal, Kyuhyun is thoroughly infused with good spirits for the shuttle-ride back. They're not alone this time, but the handful of other passengers sit near the front, and Kyuhyun stands at the back with Zhou Mi leaning over his shoulder from behind and his wings draped lightly around his waist. Halfway back to the station, he turns his head and Zhou Mi's face is right there, cast in dim relief by starlight, and somehow his lips gravitate to the corner of a generous mouth instead of whatever he meant to say. Zhou Mi turns his head to face him more fully and Kyuhyun doesn't actually think about anything beyond the kiss until the lights brighten and he realizes they've docked again.
They're the last to leave the shuttle, walking slowly with their fingers hooked together. Along the corridor, the small round windows show perfect, glittering blackness.