If This Were a Movie.
» If this were a movie, pt 1. Qmi. AU Romantic Comedy. 2985 words.
A/N: GOD it's been too long. I have been way out of the loop cuz of school/my whole life being reworked. :'D So this is to make up for it. Loosely based off of 500 Days of Summer, there's similar scenes and quotes and stuff. Split into like three parts.
SONG: "Summertime" - My Chemical Romance
Love is not a subject easily discussed. A feeling so raw, so intense; it's understandable when some get downright nasty when brought into conversation. Heechul has proven numerous times that he's one of these people.
There are two guys; a nerd and an outcast. There are no jocks, no preps, no popular girls. This isn't high school.
The nerd, Cho Kyuhyun of Seoul, South Korea, never was one to believe in the concept of "love." In his entire life (twenty-four years at this point), he only loved two things: the first being programming games, and the second being how easily he could change a tiny bit of code and destroy everything in it and feel nothing, no sense of remorse or sadness attached.
The other, Zhou Mi of Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei region of China, had a different belief entirely; he felt that love was the only reason worth living, and his life wouldn't be complete until he found the one.
The two meet on February 3rd, 2012 -- Kyuhyun's 24th birthday; Zhou Mi knows immediately he's who he's been looking for.
_____
Day 146
Key normally knows how to handle things such as mental breakdowns; he's to the point, sharp, and is top-notch at putting things into perspective, much like a psychiatrist trying to analyze what disorder you have and how you need to be medicated. So when he gets the frantic text from Heechul at ten o'clock at night, talking about how Zhou Mi is 'absolutely out of control' and he was 'about to beat Seasoning within an inch of his life' if Key didn't rush over, he knew it was something he could handle.
He's rather surprised to find Zhou Mi standing in his bedroom doorway, legs apart and a pile of fabric pieces at his feet as he grabs shirt after shirt from his dirty laundry bin and rips them to shreds. He has to blink a few times before speaking.
"Zhou Mi," He says. Crosses his arms.
Zhou Mi rips one final shred and drops it to the ground before looking up. "Key."
Key walks over to Zhou Mi with utmost caution, not wanting to spark an outburst of some sort, and takes his wrist. "Come on, sit," He says, bringing him into the living room and sitting him on the (old, battered and beer-stained) sofa. "Tell me everything."
Zhou Mi looks from Key, to Heechul, who's standing in the kitchen with a glass of water, to a rather frightened looking Sungmin (Key was unaware of his presence until now) peering out from the bathroom. Zhou Mi sighs.
_____
Day 146, 8:30 PM
"I really think we should stop seeing each other."
Zhou Mi nearly chokes on his chicken. He looks up from his plate to Kyuhyun, who stares at him, hands folded under his chin.
"What?" Zhou Mi asks incredulously, his face limp. Kyuhyun takes a swig of his beer.
"I mean...what are we doing? Is this even normal? Do people actually do stuff like this?"
"I don't care if it's normal, I'm happy," Zhou Mi almost-cries.
"You're happy?"
"You're not?"
"Well...no," Kyuhyun says. The air in the room suddenly feels like it's made of oil, weighing down on Zhou Mi's windpipe and suffocating him. "I mean, all we do is argue -- we're practically Sid and fucking Nancy."
"Kyu," Zhou Mi says, dropping his fork. "Sid stabs Nancy. Seven times. We get into arguments but...I'd hardly say I'm Sid Vicious."
"No. I'm Sid."
"Oh, so I'm Nancy?" Zhou Mi cries, voice shrill and shaking. Kyuhyun tries to silence him.
"Look, let's just...discuss this after dinner, alright?" Kyuhyun asks, taking a bite of his filet mignon; Zhou Mi's jaw practically lays on the table. He doesn't say anything else. Simply stands, grabs his coat and excuses himself. "Wh--Mi, come on, wait!" Kyuhyun cries. "You're still my best friend!"
______
"Are you serious?" Heechul snaps from the corner, clinking his glass with his freshly done manicure. Zhou Mi nods. "Fucking douchebag."
"Look," Key says, patting Zhou Mi's shoulder gingerly. "You've broken up with guys before. Guys have broken up with you before--"
"But none of them were Kyuhyun," Zhou Mi whines pathetically. A kicked puppy.
"Listen, okay?" Sungmin walks over, as if on egg shells, and takes a seat on the armchair across from Zhou Mi. He takes his hand. "You know what they say. There are plenty of fish in the sea."
Zhou Mi hangs his head; "No."
"N-No...they say that."
"Well they're lying!" The entire room stops breathing. "I don't want to get over Kyuhyun," He says, hanging his head again. "I want to get him back."
_____
Day 1
February third is surprisingly warm that year. The air wasn't as biting, the ground wasn't covered in muddied slush and the wind didn't make you feel like you were laying in a tub of ice.
Zhou Mi wakes up late this morning, for his alarm clock somehow managed to change its alarm to going off at six-forty five in the evening as opposed to the morning. He manages to scramble out the door on time, but just barely; he has to substitute his normal breakfast of eggs over easy and the Eight O'Clock news with a strawberry poptart and a cup (cup, not shot) of espresso.
Work is brutal; he spills four frappucinos and burns himself on three different cups of coffee within his first hour, being subject to the hollers and reprimands of customers and management alike. Zhou Mi looks at the clock more frequently than he probably should as he counts the milliseconds until his break, but it's only eight forty-five and his break isn't until ten.
It's nine thirty when he comes in.
His hair is kind of messy and he has more red spots on his face than a pepperoni pizza. (Except not really, Zhou Mi recalls him only having a red spot in the corner of his nose and on his left cheek.) His hair is also kind of -- err. Really greasy and he looks like he hasn't slept in three weeks.
But he smiles at Zhou Mi and orders his drink and it's like none of those negative factors exist. Zhou Mi actually has to ask him a few times what his order was because he's too busy staring into his eyes. They're the same color as ninety-nine percent of the Asian population, but for some reason there's more...depth. Zhou Mi asks his name, the cup for his grande green tea frappucino in hand, and gasps when he speaks. Kyuhyun, he says, his voice low and smooth like melted chocolate.
Zhou Mi makes the drink as quick as he can and is careful not to spill a single drop; he even adds extra whipped cream for good measure. He snaps on the dome lid before handing it and a straw to Kyuhyun, who stands patiently across the wooden platter. He doesn't move immediately; he sticks his straw in the drink and takes a sip, analyzing its taste.
"Oh man," He grins at Zhou Mi. "This is great." He bows politely to Zhou Mi, takes another sip of his drink and promptly walks out of the store; Zhou Mi takes note of the slight gait to his step.
Zhou Mi stares after him, jaw slack and hanging open; the only thing he can manage to think is holy shit.
_____
Day 10
Kyuhyun makes a habit of coming back to the shop every day at the same time, ordering the exact same drink, and giving Zhou Mi the feeling he's going to throw up rainbows. Sungmin watches from the sidelines, analyzing the situation;
and not exactly approving.
"I've talked to some of the girls here who've tried to get with him," He says to Zhou Mi one day while making a rather ornery old woman her iced tea. "Apparently he's a massive prick."
"What?" Zhou Mi asks, appalled.
"I know, right? He's pretty hot," Sungmin says, shaking his head. Zhou Mi groans as he cleans the latte machine bitterly.
"Why is it that cute guys always think they can get away with being douches?" He asks nobody in particular; Sungmin offers a snort of approval. "It's not--"
The door opens and Kyuhyun strides in, eyes alight, a playful smirk on his lips; Zhou Mi's brain falters.
"Sungmin, there's no way," He says softly, watching as Kyuhyun casually gets in line behind the old woman. "He's just so...perfect." He walks up to the cash register and smiles to Kyuhyun. "Can I help you?"
"The usual," Kyuhyun says, walking to the counter and pulling out his wallet with a nonchalant air that makes Zhou Mi's knees weak, although he'd rather not admit it.
Sungmin shakes his head from the sidelines as he hands the old woman her tea; this situation was becoming dangerous.
_____
Day 30
Zhou Mi doesn't remember exactly how the situation played out; there are multiple possibilities.
The first possibility is that he was working late one night, wiping the latte machine of any trace of foaming milk and espresso when Kyuhyun rushes in. His eyes are bloodshot and swollen, and he's crying something about how badly he needs Zhou Mi because his life just feels empty without his presence. Astonished, Zhou Mi rushes into Kyuhyun's arms and kisses him, not caring about the disgusted gasps of Starbucks patrons or the stilted applause from a less-than-pleased and slightly-hungover Sungmin.
He's about to give this scenario credibility when he realizes that it's just a dream he's had for the past four nights.
Another possibility is that Sungmin managed to hook them up one day, although Zhou Mi dismisses this immediately; it's no secret that Sungmin's displeasure in the situation is simply that he hasn't had a steady relationship in the past four years.
How it actually played out is this:
It's a Saturday morning and Zhou Mi's shift has just finished; it's 11:30 and he's supposed to be meeting Key at Au Bon Pain in twenty minutes, but then Kyuhyun comes in and suddenly he decides his shift is supposed to run a little longer. He takes Kyuhyun's order, making his green tea frappucino with such ease and speed; however, he hesitates handing it to him.
"K-Kyuhyun," He stammers, his heart racing bunny-rabbit fast. Kyuhyun cocks his head to the side that makes him look like a great dane puppy. "D-Do you...wanna go out for lunch sometime?"
Kyuhyun takes the frappucino out of Zhou Mi's hands and shrugs, smiling as he takes a slurp. "Don't see why not."
_____
Day 43
"Hey," Kyuhyun says one day as Zhou Mi is wiping down tables; despite having been out to lunch three times already, Zhou Mi is still extremely awkward in his presence. "A few friends and I are going out to karaoke tonight, and they're all bringing their boy/girlfriends. I don't exactly want to go alone, so...will you come?" He sips a green tea frappucino that Zhou Mi didn't make; he's slightly angered by this. "No pressure though. And it's not like it's a date--"
"N-No!" Zhou Mi cries, finally able to swallow the lump that was clogging his airway. "I'd love to."
Kyuhyun grins. "I'll be at your place at seven thirty."
Zhou Mi is wasted by nine forty-five.
He ends up managing to drag Heechul and Sungmin along with him, because he decides there is no way in hell, no fucking way in hell he's going to go to a bar with Kyuhyun and drink and not have at least a chaperon or two. He'd even invited Key along, until he realized that the bar was 21+ and Key had just turned nineteen.
It's at this bar, while being completely sloshed, hammered and inebriated out of his senses, that Kyuhyun introduces Zhou Mi and his friends to Yesung and Ryeowook, Donghae and Eunhyuk, and Siwon and Hankyung -- the respective couples. Sort of. Donghae and Eunhyuk manage to bark out a quick mangled "hey" before sauntering off to the bathrooms, attached by the lips. Ryeowook is fascinated by how well-dressed Zhou Mi is and Yesung gets jealous until Zhou Mi pays for his next drink to ease the tension between them. Introductions with Siwon and Hankyung go over well -- too well. Zhou Mi finds Siwon and Hankyung all-but molesting Heechul (with Heechul's full consent, apparently) in the men's room later that night.
Kyuhyun sings first, belting out a heart-wrenching rendition of 7 Years of Love and Zhou Mi thinks he may have died. There was no humanly possible way that someone who was already perfect all-around could have a voice so...so...incredible?
"Oh shut up," Kyuhyun barks out a laugh, taking a swig of his beer as he sits at the bar next to Zhou Mi. "That was nothing. I didn't even try! How could that be so good?"
"It was!" Zhou Mi cries, eyes wide; he downs half of his green appletini. "I've never heard someone as good as you, Kyuhyun." He pauses for a moment. "Can I call you Kui Xian?"
Kyuhyun raises an eyebrow, but laughs. "Call me whatever you like." Zhou Mi flashes a goofy smile. "So what about you, Mimi?" Kyuhyun teases, coming up with his own nickname. "Get your ass out there and sing for me, damn you!"
Zhou Mi nearly chokes. "No way," He says, chuckling. "I'm not drunk enough."
Kyuhyun spins around on his stool. "Bartender! Two more appletinis!"
"What?!" Zhou Mi cries as the fruity drinks are placed in front of him. "What are you trying to do, kill me?"
"No!" Kyuhyun bursts into laughter. "I want to hear you sing. Your speaking voice has a nice ring to it, I bet you're not a bad singer yourself."
Zhou Mi stares at him before downing the martinis.
He ends up singing (and botching) I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston, but nobody really seems to care that he messed up; he gets a standing ovation anyway. He stumbles offstage with a grin the size of Seoul itself on his face, giggling as he approaches the bar and an applauding Kyuhyun.
"Damn, Mimi," He says, slapping Zhou Mi gently on the shoulder; he winces a little, but Kyuhyun doesn't notice. "You're good."
Zhou Mi laughs. Shakes his head. "No, no. I'm just..." He stops. No thought followed.
"Oh my god, Seasoning," Heechul barks out of nowhere. Alcohol lingers on his breath. "I didn't know you had pipes!"
"How much have you had to drink?" Zhou Mi asks, as if he's one to talk.
Heechul shakes his head, swallows hard. Zhou Mi nods, as if this is an acceptable answer. "HEY, you're that guy!" Heechul suddenly cries, poking Kyuhyun in the chest.
"That guy..." Kyuhyun blinks. Heechul nods, hiccups.
"Yeah!" Heechul laughs a little too loud. "Hey, listen...he likes you." Heechul purrs motioning to Zhou Mi.
Zhou Mi wishes he could die. "Okay, that's quite enough out of you," He says, grabbing Heechul and pushing him away. Heechul tries to retort, what? You do! Just tell him! But the sight of Hankyung and Siwon distracts him, and suddenly Kyuhyun is the least on his mind.
There's a hand on Zhou Mi's shoulder, but it takes him a minute to realize. He turns to find Kyuhyun, eyes wide. Confused.
"Is...what he said true?"
Zhou Mi swallows. Looks down at him. There's two years and two inches between them, he realizes. He opens his mouth, then closes it.
Kyuhyun smiles. "Let's get out of here."
_____
Day 49
"Cho Kyuhyun. Twenty four years old. Video game programmer/tester. I like buffalo chicken with bleu cheese dressing, historical dramas, snowboarding, Starcraft, singing and thunderstorms. I hate pretty much everything else."
"Zhou Mi. Twenty six years old, Starbucks barista. I like salads, high fashion, pop music, the month of April and rainstorms. I don't hate anything, except the fact that I'm lonely."
"Nice to get to know you, Mi."
"Same for you, Kui Xian."
Kyuhyun hooks his fingers in Zhou Mi's belt loops. Gives a light tug.
"You're lonely?" Kyuhyun asks. Bites his bottom lip.
Zhou Mi nods. "Don't have many friends."
Kyuhyun stares at him for a minute before grabbing him by the back of the neck and pulling him into a kiss.
_____
Day 60
Sungmin pushes in a few chairs; it's closing. Flicks off the lights in the dining room. "What is it about this guy that you're so attracted to?"
Zhou Mi shuts off the registers, makes sure the coffee machines are off and products are in their places. "Everything."
"Specifics, Mi."
"I dunno," He presses the power button on the latte machine. "His hair. His eyes. The way he kisses."
Sungmin makes a face.
"The way he laughs. His sarcasm. The fact that he loves video games and thunderstorms. The fact that he doesn't know shit about Louis Vuitton and Burberry and Prada."
Sungmin stares. "Mi, you hate video games. And sarcasm. And you love high fashion."
"I know," Zhou Mi says. "I think I like that he's absolutely nothing I want, but he's everything I need."
_____
end pt 1
A/N: GOD it's been too long. I have been way out of the loop cuz of school/my whole life being reworked. :'D So this is to make up for it. Loosely based off of 500 Days of Summer, there's similar scenes and quotes and stuff. Split into like three parts.
SONG: "Summertime" - My Chemical Romance
Love is not a subject easily discussed. A feeling so raw, so intense; it's understandable when some get downright nasty when brought into conversation. Heechul has proven numerous times that he's one of these people.
There are two guys; a nerd and an outcast. There are no jocks, no preps, no popular girls. This isn't high school.
The nerd, Cho Kyuhyun of Seoul, South Korea, never was one to believe in the concept of "love." In his entire life (twenty-four years at this point), he only loved two things: the first being programming games, and the second being how easily he could change a tiny bit of code and destroy everything in it and feel nothing, no sense of remorse or sadness attached.
The other, Zhou Mi of Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei region of China, had a different belief entirely; he felt that love was the only reason worth living, and his life wouldn't be complete until he found the one.
The two meet on February 3rd, 2012 -- Kyuhyun's 24th birthday; Zhou Mi knows immediately he's who he's been looking for.
_____
Day 146
Key normally knows how to handle things such as mental breakdowns; he's to the point, sharp, and is top-notch at putting things into perspective, much like a psychiatrist trying to analyze what disorder you have and how you need to be medicated. So when he gets the frantic text from Heechul at ten o'clock at night, talking about how Zhou Mi is 'absolutely out of control' and he was 'about to beat Seasoning within an inch of his life' if Key didn't rush over, he knew it was something he could handle.
He's rather surprised to find Zhou Mi standing in his bedroom doorway, legs apart and a pile of fabric pieces at his feet as he grabs shirt after shirt from his dirty laundry bin and rips them to shreds. He has to blink a few times before speaking.
"Zhou Mi," He says. Crosses his arms.
Zhou Mi rips one final shred and drops it to the ground before looking up. "Key."
Key walks over to Zhou Mi with utmost caution, not wanting to spark an outburst of some sort, and takes his wrist. "Come on, sit," He says, bringing him into the living room and sitting him on the (old, battered and beer-stained) sofa. "Tell me everything."
Zhou Mi looks from Key, to Heechul, who's standing in the kitchen with a glass of water, to a rather frightened looking Sungmin (Key was unaware of his presence until now) peering out from the bathroom. Zhou Mi sighs.
_____
Day 146, 8:30 PM
"I really think we should stop seeing each other."
Zhou Mi nearly chokes on his chicken. He looks up from his plate to Kyuhyun, who stares at him, hands folded under his chin.
"What?" Zhou Mi asks incredulously, his face limp. Kyuhyun takes a swig of his beer.
"I mean...what are we doing? Is this even normal? Do people actually do stuff like this?"
"I don't care if it's normal, I'm happy," Zhou Mi almost-cries.
"You're happy?"
"You're not?"
"Well...no," Kyuhyun says. The air in the room suddenly feels like it's made of oil, weighing down on Zhou Mi's windpipe and suffocating him. "I mean, all we do is argue -- we're practically Sid and fucking Nancy."
"Kyu," Zhou Mi says, dropping his fork. "Sid stabs Nancy. Seven times. We get into arguments but...I'd hardly say I'm Sid Vicious."
"No. I'm Sid."
"Oh, so I'm Nancy?" Zhou Mi cries, voice shrill and shaking. Kyuhyun tries to silence him.
"Look, let's just...discuss this after dinner, alright?" Kyuhyun asks, taking a bite of his filet mignon; Zhou Mi's jaw practically lays on the table. He doesn't say anything else. Simply stands, grabs his coat and excuses himself. "Wh--Mi, come on, wait!" Kyuhyun cries. "You're still my best friend!"
______
"Are you serious?" Heechul snaps from the corner, clinking his glass with his freshly done manicure. Zhou Mi nods. "Fucking douchebag."
"Look," Key says, patting Zhou Mi's shoulder gingerly. "You've broken up with guys before. Guys have broken up with you before--"
"But none of them were Kyuhyun," Zhou Mi whines pathetically. A kicked puppy.
"Listen, okay?" Sungmin walks over, as if on egg shells, and takes a seat on the armchair across from Zhou Mi. He takes his hand. "You know what they say. There are plenty of fish in the sea."
Zhou Mi hangs his head; "No."
"N-No...they say that."
"Well they're lying!" The entire room stops breathing. "I don't want to get over Kyuhyun," He says, hanging his head again. "I want to get him back."
_____
Day 1
February third is surprisingly warm that year. The air wasn't as biting, the ground wasn't covered in muddied slush and the wind didn't make you feel like you were laying in a tub of ice.
Zhou Mi wakes up late this morning, for his alarm clock somehow managed to change its alarm to going off at six-forty five in the evening as opposed to the morning. He manages to scramble out the door on time, but just barely; he has to substitute his normal breakfast of eggs over easy and the Eight O'Clock news with a strawberry poptart and a cup (cup, not shot) of espresso.
Work is brutal; he spills four frappucinos and burns himself on three different cups of coffee within his first hour, being subject to the hollers and reprimands of customers and management alike. Zhou Mi looks at the clock more frequently than he probably should as he counts the milliseconds until his break, but it's only eight forty-five and his break isn't until ten.
It's nine thirty when he comes in.
His hair is kind of messy and he has more red spots on his face than a pepperoni pizza. (Except not really, Zhou Mi recalls him only having a red spot in the corner of his nose and on his left cheek.) His hair is also kind of -- err. Really greasy and he looks like he hasn't slept in three weeks.
But he smiles at Zhou Mi and orders his drink and it's like none of those negative factors exist. Zhou Mi actually has to ask him a few times what his order was because he's too busy staring into his eyes. They're the same color as ninety-nine percent of the Asian population, but for some reason there's more...depth. Zhou Mi asks his name, the cup for his grande green tea frappucino in hand, and gasps when he speaks. Kyuhyun, he says, his voice low and smooth like melted chocolate.
Zhou Mi makes the drink as quick as he can and is careful not to spill a single drop; he even adds extra whipped cream for good measure. He snaps on the dome lid before handing it and a straw to Kyuhyun, who stands patiently across the wooden platter. He doesn't move immediately; he sticks his straw in the drink and takes a sip, analyzing its taste.
"Oh man," He grins at Zhou Mi. "This is great." He bows politely to Zhou Mi, takes another sip of his drink and promptly walks out of the store; Zhou Mi takes note of the slight gait to his step.
Zhou Mi stares after him, jaw slack and hanging open; the only thing he can manage to think is holy shit.
_____
Day 10
Kyuhyun makes a habit of coming back to the shop every day at the same time, ordering the exact same drink, and giving Zhou Mi the feeling he's going to throw up rainbows. Sungmin watches from the sidelines, analyzing the situation;
and not exactly approving.
"I've talked to some of the girls here who've tried to get with him," He says to Zhou Mi one day while making a rather ornery old woman her iced tea. "Apparently he's a massive prick."
"What?" Zhou Mi asks, appalled.
"I know, right? He's pretty hot," Sungmin says, shaking his head. Zhou Mi groans as he cleans the latte machine bitterly.
"Why is it that cute guys always think they can get away with being douches?" He asks nobody in particular; Sungmin offers a snort of approval. "It's not--"
The door opens and Kyuhyun strides in, eyes alight, a playful smirk on his lips; Zhou Mi's brain falters.
"Sungmin, there's no way," He says softly, watching as Kyuhyun casually gets in line behind the old woman. "He's just so...perfect." He walks up to the cash register and smiles to Kyuhyun. "Can I help you?"
"The usual," Kyuhyun says, walking to the counter and pulling out his wallet with a nonchalant air that makes Zhou Mi's knees weak, although he'd rather not admit it.
Sungmin shakes his head from the sidelines as he hands the old woman her tea; this situation was becoming dangerous.
_____
Day 30
Zhou Mi doesn't remember exactly how the situation played out; there are multiple possibilities.
The first possibility is that he was working late one night, wiping the latte machine of any trace of foaming milk and espresso when Kyuhyun rushes in. His eyes are bloodshot and swollen, and he's crying something about how badly he needs Zhou Mi because his life just feels empty without his presence. Astonished, Zhou Mi rushes into Kyuhyun's arms and kisses him, not caring about the disgusted gasps of Starbucks patrons or the stilted applause from a less-than-pleased and slightly-hungover Sungmin.
He's about to give this scenario credibility when he realizes that it's just a dream he's had for the past four nights.
Another possibility is that Sungmin managed to hook them up one day, although Zhou Mi dismisses this immediately; it's no secret that Sungmin's displeasure in the situation is simply that he hasn't had a steady relationship in the past four years.
How it actually played out is this:
It's a Saturday morning and Zhou Mi's shift has just finished; it's 11:30 and he's supposed to be meeting Key at Au Bon Pain in twenty minutes, but then Kyuhyun comes in and suddenly he decides his shift is supposed to run a little longer. He takes Kyuhyun's order, making his green tea frappucino with such ease and speed; however, he hesitates handing it to him.
"K-Kyuhyun," He stammers, his heart racing bunny-rabbit fast. Kyuhyun cocks his head to the side that makes him look like a great dane puppy. "D-Do you...wanna go out for lunch sometime?"
Kyuhyun takes the frappucino out of Zhou Mi's hands and shrugs, smiling as he takes a slurp. "Don't see why not."
_____
Day 43
"Hey," Kyuhyun says one day as Zhou Mi is wiping down tables; despite having been out to lunch three times already, Zhou Mi is still extremely awkward in his presence. "A few friends and I are going out to karaoke tonight, and they're all bringing their boy/girlfriends. I don't exactly want to go alone, so...will you come?" He sips a green tea frappucino that Zhou Mi didn't make; he's slightly angered by this. "No pressure though. And it's not like it's a date--"
"N-No!" Zhou Mi cries, finally able to swallow the lump that was clogging his airway. "I'd love to."
Kyuhyun grins. "I'll be at your place at seven thirty."
Zhou Mi is wasted by nine forty-five.
He ends up managing to drag Heechul and Sungmin along with him, because he decides there is no way in hell, no fucking way in hell he's going to go to a bar with Kyuhyun and drink and not have at least a chaperon or two. He'd even invited Key along, until he realized that the bar was 21+ and Key had just turned nineteen.
It's at this bar, while being completely sloshed, hammered and inebriated out of his senses, that Kyuhyun introduces Zhou Mi and his friends to Yesung and Ryeowook, Donghae and Eunhyuk, and Siwon and Hankyung -- the respective couples. Sort of. Donghae and Eunhyuk manage to bark out a quick mangled "hey" before sauntering off to the bathrooms, attached by the lips. Ryeowook is fascinated by how well-dressed Zhou Mi is and Yesung gets jealous until Zhou Mi pays for his next drink to ease the tension between them. Introductions with Siwon and Hankyung go over well -- too well. Zhou Mi finds Siwon and Hankyung all-but molesting Heechul (with Heechul's full consent, apparently) in the men's room later that night.
Kyuhyun sings first, belting out a heart-wrenching rendition of 7 Years of Love and Zhou Mi thinks he may have died. There was no humanly possible way that someone who was already perfect all-around could have a voice so...so...incredible?
"Oh shut up," Kyuhyun barks out a laugh, taking a swig of his beer as he sits at the bar next to Zhou Mi. "That was nothing. I didn't even try! How could that be so good?"
"It was!" Zhou Mi cries, eyes wide; he downs half of his green appletini. "I've never heard someone as good as you, Kyuhyun." He pauses for a moment. "Can I call you Kui Xian?"
Kyuhyun raises an eyebrow, but laughs. "Call me whatever you like." Zhou Mi flashes a goofy smile. "So what about you, Mimi?" Kyuhyun teases, coming up with his own nickname. "Get your ass out there and sing for me, damn you!"
Zhou Mi nearly chokes. "No way," He says, chuckling. "I'm not drunk enough."
Kyuhyun spins around on his stool. "Bartender! Two more appletinis!"
"What?!" Zhou Mi cries as the fruity drinks are placed in front of him. "What are you trying to do, kill me?"
"No!" Kyuhyun bursts into laughter. "I want to hear you sing. Your speaking voice has a nice ring to it, I bet you're not a bad singer yourself."
Zhou Mi stares at him before downing the martinis.
He ends up singing (and botching) I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston, but nobody really seems to care that he messed up; he gets a standing ovation anyway. He stumbles offstage with a grin the size of Seoul itself on his face, giggling as he approaches the bar and an applauding Kyuhyun.
"Damn, Mimi," He says, slapping Zhou Mi gently on the shoulder; he winces a little, but Kyuhyun doesn't notice. "You're good."
Zhou Mi laughs. Shakes his head. "No, no. I'm just..." He stops. No thought followed.
"Oh my god, Seasoning," Heechul barks out of nowhere. Alcohol lingers on his breath. "I didn't know you had pipes!"
"How much have you had to drink?" Zhou Mi asks, as if he's one to talk.
Heechul shakes his head, swallows hard. Zhou Mi nods, as if this is an acceptable answer. "HEY, you're that guy!" Heechul suddenly cries, poking Kyuhyun in the chest.
"That guy..." Kyuhyun blinks. Heechul nods, hiccups.
"Yeah!" Heechul laughs a little too loud. "Hey, listen...he likes you." Heechul purrs motioning to Zhou Mi.
Zhou Mi wishes he could die. "Okay, that's quite enough out of you," He says, grabbing Heechul and pushing him away. Heechul tries to retort, what? You do! Just tell him! But the sight of Hankyung and Siwon distracts him, and suddenly Kyuhyun is the least on his mind.
There's a hand on Zhou Mi's shoulder, but it takes him a minute to realize. He turns to find Kyuhyun, eyes wide. Confused.
"Is...what he said true?"
Zhou Mi swallows. Looks down at him. There's two years and two inches between them, he realizes. He opens his mouth, then closes it.
Kyuhyun smiles. "Let's get out of here."
_____
Day 49
"Cho Kyuhyun. Twenty four years old. Video game programmer/tester. I like buffalo chicken with bleu cheese dressing, historical dramas, snowboarding, Starcraft, singing and thunderstorms. I hate pretty much everything else."
"Zhou Mi. Twenty six years old, Starbucks barista. I like salads, high fashion, pop music, the month of April and rainstorms. I don't hate anything, except the fact that I'm lonely."
"Nice to get to know you, Mi."
"Same for you, Kui Xian."
Kyuhyun hooks his fingers in Zhou Mi's belt loops. Gives a light tug.
"You're lonely?" Kyuhyun asks. Bites his bottom lip.
Zhou Mi nods. "Don't have many friends."
Kyuhyun stares at him for a minute before grabbing him by the back of the neck and pulling him into a kiss.
_____
Day 60
Sungmin pushes in a few chairs; it's closing. Flicks off the lights in the dining room. "What is it about this guy that you're so attracted to?"
Zhou Mi shuts off the registers, makes sure the coffee machines are off and products are in their places. "Everything."
"Specifics, Mi."
"I dunno," He presses the power button on the latte machine. "His hair. His eyes. The way he kisses."
Sungmin makes a face.
"The way he laughs. His sarcasm. The fact that he loves video games and thunderstorms. The fact that he doesn't know shit about Louis Vuitton and Burberry and Prada."
Sungmin stares. "Mi, you hate video games. And sarcasm. And you love high fashion."
"I know," Zhou Mi says. "I think I like that he's absolutely nothing I want, but he's everything I need."
_____
end pt 1