[SJ] Creative Truthtelling and Amateur Cockblocking, PG, Qmi - PART 1/2
For the lovely liederkreis, who won my fic offer in help_japan. Thank you for your generous donation and I hope you like this! Happy SJM and Qmi that is part-crack and part-ridiculous fluff, as requested, though it grew a little out of control, as the word count may evince. What can I say? I alternated between referring to this fic as "the cockblocking fic" or "the one where everyone loves Zhou Mi". Both are apt.
Creative Truthtelling and Amateur Cockblocking
Super Junior (M), Kyuhyun/Zhou Mi (also everyone/Zhou Mi, Heechul/Zhou Mi), bandfic, PG, 11,435 words
As a gamer, Kyuhyun is a master of strategy, which comes in handy as he sets out to keep others from encroaching on his territory. Wherein Kyuhyun is sneaky and underhanded, everyone loves Zhou Mi, and Heechul is the Final Boss.
PART 1
Kyuhyun was a lying liar who lied.
Now, to be fair, being an idol meant learning the art of bending the truth, or at least telling selective versions of the truth. "We appreciate our fans' support." (We don't appreciate their stalking.) "I don't really drink." (Except on days that end in "y".) "The members are all like family." (We fight like family, too.)
Kyuhyun had told his number of creative truths ("The day I get a girlfriend, I will stop playing games" was true, because the day he got a girlfriend would be the day the world ended), but had done his best to sidestep telling outright lies.
Up to this point, at least.
"You like him, don't you? You loooove him, don't you? You're wretchedly jealous any time he pays attention to someone else, aren't you?"
What could anyone do in light of Heechul's delighted smugness aside from wanting to punch him in the face? Kyuhyun gritted his teeth and valiantly resisted. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders, oh so casually. "He's okay." That was all right, still within the territory of plausible deniability.
Then he crossed the line.
"I don't really care who Zhou Mi hangs out with, okay?"
Heechul laughed and laughed. It sounded evil.
Kyuhyun should've known then and there, really. He should've retracted his words immediately; it would have saved him a lot of grief down the road. But hindsight was always 20/20 and, in the moment, he had no idea what was awaiting him.
***
mission: accepted
The problem with Zhou Mi was that he was just too damned friendly. And gorgeous. And talented. Not only did he have stupidly good looks and legs that wouldn't quit, he had that stupendous voice, and knew a gazillion languages, and then on top of it all, he was nice. To everyone. It meant that no one could help being a little bit in love with him, whether or not they realized. They found themselves grinning whenever he was around, faces turning to him like he was the sun to their phototropic flowers. (Kyuhyun remembered some things from school aside from math.) They hugged him a lot. They said his name in a happy exclamation and vied for his attention and shimmered under it when they got it.
At first, Kyuhyun was pleased, because more people should appreciate Zhou Mi. He could get behind that. He could be a little smug, too, about being one of the first people to recognize what a gem he was. All was well.
But then Kyuhyun realized he was getting less face time, that Zhou Mi had started shooting him apologetic looks when he wanted Zhou Mi to go over a few dozen Chinese songs to help him pick out the right one for his solo; that three meals a week had rapidly dropped down to one; that Zhou Mi had new shopping partners (plural!), other people to fawn over his lyrics (all right, so Kyuhyun mostly made fun), and a whole queue of admirers who seemed to do nothing but stand around breathing his air and taking up his time and keeping him away from Kyuhyun.
So maybe he was exaggerating. Not much, though.
Kyuhyun might have sulked a few days. He might have been shot curious looks from bandmates who knew better than to pry.
In the end, what was important was that Kyuhyun emerged from his sulk with a plan. He was a gamer; he knew strategy. He would tackle this mission with the same determination that kept him up all night in front of his laptop and that made Zhou Mi make noises of despair in the mornings, fingertips gentle against the dark circles around Kyuhyun's eyes. (See? Another side benefit to gaming all night. Kyuhyun had these things all mapped out.)
One chilly winter afternoon, Kyuhyun dropped by Zhou Mi and Henry's dorm to visit and found Jungmo wrapped around Zhou Mi, nearly cradling him in his lap as he positioned Zhou Mi's fingers on the guitar. Zhou Mi looked up when he walked in, a brilliant smile on his face. "Kyuhyun, come look! I've learned a chord!"
Kyuhyun set his jaw. Operation: Cockblock (working name, subject to change) would commence immediately.
***
Sungmin was easy.
Sungmin had two weaknesses, and if you knew how to exploit them, you were golden.
One was a good bottle of red wine, the older the better. The second one was delicious food. Kyuhyun made a special purchase and bided his time until he noticed a familiar starry-eyed expression crossing Sungmin's face every time he was around Zhou Mi.
"Thanks for your help with Chinese," he said, wreathed in smiles.
Zhou Mi beamed down at him. "No problem, hyung! You've always been so helpful with my Korean. I'm just returning the favor."
"Can we meet again tomorrow?" A tiny, adorable furrow appeared between Sungmin's brows. "I just really want to get my pronunciation better in time for the recordings."
"Of course! We can meet every day, if you'd like. Do you want to have dinner tomorrow?"
Generous, giving Zhou Mi. Kyuhyun was torn between petting his face and pinching it in annoyance. He lurked in the corner of the living room, projecting harmlessness, until Zhou Mi hugged Sungmin goodbye. "Bye, Kyuhyun!" he called, waving and smiling. Kyuhyun huffed but smiled back, a little warmer than maybe he'd intended. It was part of his plan in appearing harmless, he told himself. He ignored the tendril of sunshine curling in his chest as Zhou Mi waved again before leaving.
After he was gone, Kyuhyun pounced. "Sungmin-hyung," he said, pulling out the weapons at once. Sungmin turned to him immediately, attentive.
"Sungmin-hyung," he said again, "I got a new bottle of wine. Did you want to drink it with me? Maybe after dinner?"
"Sure!" said Sungmin enthusiastically.
"Oh," said Kyuhyun. "Oh, wait, I forgot I left it at my parents' house. I'll go get it tomorrow. Can we do it tomorrow, then?"
Tomorrow, when Sungmin had just agreed to a dinner study date with Zhou Mi. Sungmin faltered momentarily but then Kyuhyun leaned forward a little bit and named the brand and year, earnestly. Sungmin's eyes glazed over a little.
"And Ryeowook is cooking this delicious dinner tomorrow. Full of your favorite foods. He wants to practice some Taiwanese dishes too, so we'll be accustomed to the food when we go there."
Sungmin was wavering. Kyuhyun could see it in the way his brow furrowed again, the pensive expression on his face. That was when he moved in for the kill, because Sungmin had a third weakness too, whether or not he knew it.
Kyuhyun looked up at him from beneath his lashes, a half-grin poised on his lips. "C'mon, hyung. I feel like we haven't really had a chance to hang out lately. Aside from SJM prep..." Aside from SJM preparations that took up approximately fifteen hours a day, they hadn't spent much time together. Oh, except that they also shared a room. Kyuhyun was good with bending the truth to suit his purposes. He nudged Sungmin's knee with his. "Stay in and eat and drink some wine with me?"
Sungmin bit his lip. "I'm sure Zhou Mi will understand if I reschedule. We can find another day."
Not if Kyuhyun had anything to say about it. For now, however, he just nodded in agreement. "Zhou Mi-hyung is very understanding."
Success, he thought triumphantly as Sungmin wandered out of the room. Ah, now he had to remember to convince Ryeowook to make a bunch of Taiwanese food for tomorrow. That would be an even simpler task than this. All it took was a little whine, a muttered "I'm hungry," and Ryeowook would be leaping to his feet, asking what Kyuhyun felt like eating, and how much.
It was nice to have people on strings, Kyuhyun mused contentedly.
***
Keeping Ryeowook away from Zhou Mi was almost as easy as getting him to cook. Kyuhyun carried on feeling pleased with himself and his work.
"I feel like composing," Ryeowook said, and Kyuhyun pointed out that Henry had taken up composing and would probably love to collaborate. Two hours later, there was still music drifting out of Ryeowook's room and Zhou Mi was lying across Kyuhyun's bed, reading a novel in Chinese as Kyuhyun gamed.
"Zhou Mi-hyung said he wanted to go shopping," Ryeowook said, and Kyuhyun pointed out that Zhou Mi was very busy with wrapping up Korean Impressions and, in the meantime, Henry looked bored. They returned that night laden with bags and smiles, after Zhou Mi had already left from his visit to the dorms where he had traded Kyuhyun a CD of Chinese songs for a CD of Korean ones.
"I'm going to cook Wuhan duck neck tonight!" Ryeowook said, and Kyuhyun mentioned, off-handedly, that Henry had been homesick earlier and missed some Western dish or other. So dinner that night consisted of Henry poking with some abashment at the green pasta in front of him as Kyuhyun stole pieces of meat from Zhou Mi's plate and piled it high with green peppers in return.
"Zhou Mi-hyung was amazing!" Ryeowook said, eyes shining after the latest Super Show where Zhou Mi had, as usual, been explosive sex on legs (that Kyuhyun would enjoy later in the privacy of his own head, thanks), and Kyuhyun loudly declared that they should go out to drink and celebrate. He then guided a happily drunken Ryeowook towards Yesung or Sungmin or Henry, and graciously allowed Zhou Mi to laugh and drape himself all over Kyuhyun as they chatted with increasingly inane bandmates who all, clearly, had not been blessed with a superior alcohol tolerance.
Across the room, Heechul's eyes caught Kyuhyun's. His hyung was drunk, Kyuhyun was sure of it, but that mischievous glint in his eyes still sent a shudder through him.
Better Ryeowook than Heechul, that was for sure.
***
Donghae leaned against the floor-length mirrors and watched Zhou Mi dance. "Better," he said encouragingly when Zhou Mi paused after a section to catch his breath. He tossed a towel over. Zhou Mi flashed him a reflexive smile as he caught it.
"He really has gotten a lot better," Donghae observed.
Sitting on the floor, back to the mirror, Kyuhyun suppressed a frown at the way Donghae's eyes followed the lines of Zhou Mi's body. "Well, he's not me, but he's gotten better, yeah."
Donghae laughed and ruffled his sweaty hair. Kyuhyun batted his hand away.
Zhou Mi was certainly working hard at the choreography. It was their third night in a row staying late at the company's training rooms, rehearsing the new SJM dance on their own. Zhou Mi, in particular, was putting his all into it. Even the others had left by now, leaving only Donghae and Kyuhyun to keep him company. With Zhou Mi's limbs being what they were, it still looked for the most part like flailing, but at least now it was controlled flailing. Donghae certainly seemed to approve of this new heart, eyes tracing up Zhou Mi's legs and chest.
"No, here, your arm is positioned wrong." Donghae moved to Zhou Mi's side and adjusted his arms. "And your hips, here-" His hands pressed into Zhou Mi's hips, right above the waistline of his track pants, and turned them incrementally.
Kyuhyun hurried to hide the outraged expression that threatened to creep over his face.
"Okay! Try again!" Donghae's face turned upwards, smile broad and eyes shining. He backed up with one last friendly pat to Zhou Mi's hip.
Zhou Mi repeated that section of the routine, body snapping smoothly into the choreography. He was much more precise than he'd been at the beginning of the night. He was also much sweatier, hair sticking to his scalp, tendrils clinging to his check. Kyuhyun propped his knees up and rested his arms across them, watching unabashedly.
"That's it!"
Donghae bounced into Zhou Mi and threw his arms around the skinny, sweaty torso.
"All thanks to you, hyung," Zhou Mi panted, too tired for a smile. But his eyes were bright over the color high on his cheeks.
Kyuhyun regarded them solemnly. "Well done," he said. "You no longer look like an uncoordinated walking stick. You have progressed to coordinated walking stick."
"Kyuhyun!" Donghae laughed.
"Thank you!" Zhou Mi said happily.
"Do you want to take a break? Here, I'll get some water." Kyuhyun clambered from the floor to his feet, leaving the training room. His mind raced as he fetched new bottles of water from the fridge in the break room down the hall. On the way back, an idea unfurled in his mind. An evil smile crossed his face. He wiped his expression carefully before he re-entered the room.
Just in time too, as Donghae and Zhou Mi were- What were they doing?
Zhou Mi was bent over at the waist, hands resting on his knees, his shirt pulled halfway up his back. Donghae leaned over him, face inches away from that bare skin. One hand smoothed up over his spine.
"What," said Kyuhyun.
"I think I twisted a muscle," Zhou Mi said pitifully.
"I can massage- Oh!" Donghae broke off to catch the bottle of water Kyuhyun tossed at him, straightening away from Zhou Mi in the process. "Thanks, Kyuhyun!"
"So I saw Heechul-hyung earlier," Kyuhyun said casually. It was true; he had. Four or five hours ago. "He seemed a little pissed off. I think he's thinking about how soon we'll all be gone with SJM, leaving him alone here." He passed the second water to Zhou Mi, who had finally straightened and pulled down his shirt. Their fingers grazed as Zhou Mi relieved him of the bottle, an unspoken thanks.
Donghae was looking at Kyuhyun, exasperated. "Aissh, that Kim Heechul. He can never just say how he feels, can he? Always afraid to let people know he has feelings."
"That's Heechul-hyung for you. Master of emotions."
Donghae rolled his eyes and began to gather his things. "Sorry, Zhou Mi. I'd better get back to him and spend some time with him, otherwise he'll be in a bad mood forever. If you still want to practice, Kyuhyun can help. He's gotten really good." A warm smile over his shoulder at Kyuhyun, who, for all of his braggadocio, still flushed a little in embarrassment. Donghae's compliments were always so sincere.
Zhou Mi's hand brushed him again, this time knuckles brushing his forehead as he swept a lock of hair from Kyuhyun's forehead. "Yeah, Kyuhyun's amazing."
All right, that was not helping with the flush. "I have progressed beyond coordinated walking stick to praying mantis, it's true."
"What do bugs have to do with dancing?" Zhou Mi wrinkled his nose.
"Oh god," said Kyuhyun, sighing.
"Okay, I'm off. Bye! Have fun!" Donghae had his bag slung over his shoulder. He waved to them and ducked out unceremoniously, door clanging shut behind him and his little ponytail. His exit left Kyuhyun and Zhou Mi alone in the room. Kyuhyun put his hands on his hips and turned to Zhou Mi, lifting his chin.
"All right. Show me your best walking stick impression."
"Are you going to be a praying mantis, then?"
He laughed. "Will you scream and run away?"
Zhou Mi pursed his lips. "Maybe I'll step on you."
"Let's start from the beginning, then." Kyuhyun went to restart the track.
***
"Zhou Mi!" Siwon motioned him over with a grin. Zhou Mi peeled away from Kyuhyun's side as they entered the first apartment. Here in Taiwan, they were split into two apartments: Zhou Mi, Henry, Ryeowook, and Donghae in one, and Kyuhyun, Siwon, Sungmin, and Eunhyuk in the other. It didn't bother Kyuhyun much, because he was not attached to Zhou Mi's hip like a third leg, no matter what Heechul said. Anyway, this arrangement made it easier to keep Siwon farther away from Zhou Mi.
At least that was how it was supposed to go.
Siwon, Kyuhyun decided, was a pain in the ass. He was too handsy by far, too charming, too tall, and far too good at Chinese. Would it kill him to stop turning that winsome, camera-perfect smile on Zhou Mi every time he said something half-creative, so proud of himself and wanting Zhou Mi to confirm his awesomeness? Would it kill him to take his hands off Zhou Mi when they were doing nothing but standing next to each other, waiting for take thirteen? Would it kill him to stop being so damned perfect for even half a second so Zhou Mi would stop looking at him as though he were this amazing specimen of a human being that Zhou Mi was positively thrilled to know?
Kyuhyun knew he was being uncharitable. But seriously. Choi Siwon. Try to be less of a pain in the ass.
He missed the easy members like Sungmin and Ryeowook.
Siwon, on the other hand, managed to get Zhou Mi practically in his lap as they looked at something on his computer screen together. Was the hand in the small of Zhou Mi's back necessary? Kyuhyun didn't think so.
It occurred to Kyuhyun that he could blame Zhou Mi for always being over at their apartment. And he did. But that was a little like blaming Niqiu for being so cute that people couldn't help but want to cuddle him.
Plus, it was easier laying blame on Mr. Perfection. He had everything: money, looks, charm, that body. Who cared if his Chinese accent was mangled when he could manage jokes and conversation regardless? The hosts fell over themselves for him. The fans pushed others over for him. He had already won over Hankyung, Kyuhyun thought sullenly. He should not be allowed to move in on other fabulously talented Chinese members just because Hankyung was no longer around.
Although Kyuhyun could be generous: Siwon could have Henry.
In the meantime, he arranged and rearranged the line order at interviews and shows until there were a good two or three people between Zhou Mi and Siwon. He might also have taken secret glee at every event Siwon couldn't make it to. It wasn't that he didn't love Siwon, because he did; he just preferred to love Siwon with some distance between him and Zhou Mi. Kyuhyun felt that such a mindset was entirely reasonable.
What was unreasonable was the way Siwon had pulled Zhou Mi onto his thighs so they could laugh at whatever was on the screen. Siwon asked a question, serious, eyebrows drawn together in his pensive expression. Zhou Mi replied, motioning wildly with his hands. Siwon kept an arm around Zhou Mi to keep him from toppling off his precarious perch on Siwon's thigh and onto the floor.
Kyuhyun draped himself huffily over Donghae's lap on the couch, stretching out on his back.
"Hi," said Donghae, surprised.
Zhou Mi didn't even notice.
"Do you want to go jogging?" Kyuhyun asked. "We've been sitting around all day, I kind of want to exercise."
Donghae stared at him. "We've been recording all day."
"Sitting," Kyuhyun insisted. "In the waiting room, between takes, through the interview."
Donghae's dubious look remained, but he shrugged and patted Kyuhyun's head genially enough. "Sure, if you want. Do you want to go change?"
"All right."
"Okay, I'm going to change, too. Meet you back here in ten." Donghae pried Kyuhyun off his lap and headed for the door. The movement caught Siwon's eye, who tore his attention long enough from Zhou Mi to ask where Donghae was going.
"Changing! Kyuhyun and I are going running."
Siwon's eyes widened. "Oh! Running! I'll go too!"
Zhou Mi hastily removed himself from Siwon's person as Siwon nearly leaped to his feet in his eagerness. Kyuhyun watched with quiet satisfaction as Siwon bounded down the hall to his room to change, leaving Zhou Mi standing in the living room with Kyuhyun.
"Are you going?" Zhou Mi asked him.
Oh yeah. He should probably go change instead of just standing around.
"Not interested?" he teased Zhou Mi as he made his way to his own room. Behind him, Zhou Mi just laughed.
"Would you carry me? Maybe Siwon would carry me." Kyuhyun frowned. Zhou Mi went on, cheerfully. "I'll be in our apartment. Stop by when you get back if you want."
Still thinking of Siwon? Kyuhyun pounded out his annoyance on the pavement, keeping pace beside Donghae and Siwon. He returned sweaty and even more aggravated at Siwon, whose fitness meant he had barely broken a sweat at their jog. Even the dampness at his temples and the pink on his cheeks just looked like a healthy glow, while Kyuhyun and Donghae were a little worse for wear, panting to catch their breaths.
After his shower, he trundled over to the other apartment, new plan in hand. As he hung out in the living room with Ryeowook and Henry, he made a point of coughing periodically. It passed mostly without comment, but Zhou Mi's eyes tracked him. Under that ceaseless scrutiny, Kyuhyun made himself some tea and quietly sipped at it.
The next day, he continued to sporadically cough into his hand. Not enough to raise alarm among the managers, but enough to keep Zhou Mi's gaze pinned on him, concerned.
Kyuhyun leaned into Zhou Mi's side during their van rides, feigning a higher level of exhaustion than was real. Zhou Mi covered him with a light jacket, hands gentle. Kyuhyun hid his smile. He would feel bad but, no, he had missed this.
Siwon had enough going for him as it was, Mr. Perfection. He could let the rest of the mere mortals enjoy what they had.
***
Catching Zhou Mi on the phone was far from out of the ordinary. Kyuhyun had learned to tune him out because if he didn't build aural immunity to that kind of incessant chattering, he would never get any gaming done, ever. Or anything else, for that matter, considering how frequently Zhou Mi had a phone plastered to his ear.
This call, however... Kyuhyun couldn't help getting sidetracked from browsing the internet, trying to decide which movie he wanted to download and watch, when familiar names kept dropping from Zhou Mi's mouth. He was talking in rapid Mandarin, cheerful and liquid smooth, which meant again it was too fast for Kyuhyun to understand. "Kuixian", he caught, though. Upon a more dedicated eavesdrop, "Shengmin-ge" and "Donghai" and "Shiyuan" all made appearances.
Kyuhyun edged sideways on the couch until his shoulder bumped Zhou Mi's. "Who are you talking to?" he asked in Chinese.
Zhou Mi brightened, lighting up like he always did when Kyuhyun made the effort to say something in Mandarin he could easily say in Korean instead.
"Kuixian! I'm talking to Han Geng." His reply was slower than his earlier conversation, undoubtedly for Kyuhyun's benefit.
Kyuhyun stared.
"I didn't know we were on speaking terms with him again," he blurted out tactlessly in Korean.
Zhou Mi covered the mouthpiece and switched into Korean, soft. "Well, it's unofficial. Don't let the managers know, okay? But Heechul-hyung said we should catch up and Geng-ge misses everyone, so I'm updating him-"
Oh, for fuck's sake. Kyuhyun twitched, mouth twisting with displeasure. Heechul was meddling. Gleefully.
Of course he was.
Kyuhyun said, pointedly, "You've already been talking to him for half an hour."
Fucking Heechul.
"There's a lot to catch up on!" Zhou Mi was nearly brimming over with delight. A chance to speak in Mandarin and with Han Geng? Kyuhyun could light the entire apartment with his joy and save them all on electric bills. "Did you want to talk to him?"
Kyuhyun didn't answer. He set his laptop aside, still open, and wordlessly left the room. Behind him, he heard Zhou Mi make a worried noise. "Kyuhyun, I thought you weren't angry anymore..." And then Chinese again, concerned but reassuring, to Han Geng. His voice faded into a murmur as Kyuhyun walked down the hall and knocked on a closed door.
After a moment and the scrape of a chair inside, Siwon pulled open the door. "What's up?"
"Hankyung-hyung called," Kyuhyun said and watched Siwon's eyebrows climb up his forehead. "He wanted to talk to you. Said he wanted to catch up."
"Where?" Wide-eyed, Siwon looked frantically for the phone.
"Zhou Mi, out in the living room-"
Siwon was gone before he could finish his sentence. Kyuhyun trailed after him, smirking. By the time he arrived back in the common area, Siwon had stolen the phone from Zhou Mi and was making excited, anxious noises into it - presumably words, but too jumbled for Kyuhyun to distinguish, even in Korean.
He recovered his laptop from the couch before Siwon toppled it onto the floor in his excitement and relocated to the other couch. Zhou Mi flopped next to him a moment later, bangs flying up with the movement. Kyuhyun resisted the urge to smooth them back into place as Zhou Mi sighed.
"He'll be on the phone for a while then."
"Expect your phone back in an hour or two."
Zhou Mi laughed. Then he poked Kyuhyun, hard. "Now what am I going to do? You have to entertain me, Kuixian." He repeated himself in Chinese and Kyuhyun rolled his eyes.
"Outrageous!" He closed his laptop aside. "Teach me Chinese, then. How do I say, 'You're really annoying?'"
"Kuixian!"
He ducked the swat, snickering. Zhou Mi growled something in Chinese playfully and Kyuhyun grinned at him, taking in his sparkling eyes and pouting mouth and ruffled bangs. On the other couch, Siwon gesticulated enthusiastically toward the phone, voice warm and happy.
***
Kyuhyun opened the door to Zhou Mi's room where he was unaccountably still asleep. Normally, he was one of the earliest awake, as his morning routine took approximately twice the time as any other member's, but they finally had a day off from endless interviews and filmings. He was sleeping in, Kyuhyun assumed, but it was eleven and Kyuhyun was bored and it was time Zhou Mi got his lazy, bony ass out of bed.
Kyuhyun did not expect to find Henry passed out in Zhou Mi's bed, cuddling into Zhou Mi with his slack baby-face tucked into the curve of Zhou Mi's shoulder.
"Kyuhyun?" Zhou Mi cracked open one sleepy eye.
Kyuhyun closed his gaping mouth with a snap. "What is Henry doing here?"
"Ahh, his room was freezing last night for some reason. Maybe the air-con was malfunctioning..." Zhou Mi's voice was rough, hoarse with sleep. It sent a skitter down Kyuhyun's spine as he clutched at the doorknob.
He had not seen this coming. Henry! Henry was supposed to be the baby, the little kid who had fun joking around with Donghae and Eunhyuk, who was coddled by Ryeowook and Siwon. He and Zhou Mi were friends, sure, Kyuhyun knew that. But he wasn't supposed to be the kind of friend who crawled into Zhou Mi's bed at night. As far as Kyuhyun knew, Zhou Mi didn't have any friend like that. As far as Kyuhyun was concerned, it could stay like that.
"I just... You should..." Kyuhyun could've sworn Henry stretched and burrowed even closer to Zhou Mi on purpose. Was he feigning sleep? Kyuhyun wouldn't put it past him, that sneaky little brat. "Get up already, breakfast has been ready for ages."
He withdrew grimly. If that was how it was going to be, fine. Change of game plans. Take no prisoners.
Henry. Part of him was still suspended in disbelief. Of all the unexpected, crafty...
"Zhou Mi told me Henry said he's feeling pretty homesick," Kyuhyun said, because no one would believe Henry would confide in him. But for Henry to confide in Zhou Mi and Zhou Mi in Kyuhyun? Easy. Donghae's eyes turned soft. Ryeowook looked distressed.
Henry was going to get zero alone time for the next two weeks. Certainly not enough time to go encroaching on Kyuhyun's territory.
Kyuhyun planted himself on Zhou Mi's bed the next night, smug. He forced his book into Zhou Mi's hands and got him to read aloud from it as he dozed beside him. "You need to practice your Korean," he insisted. "I'm testing you this time." Zhou Mi looked skeptical, but he settled against his pillows anyway, book in hand and Kyuhyun's head, proprietary, against his hip.
***
These days, Zhou Mi was spending a lot of time with Eunhyuk in an effort to both help him adjust to Taiwan and "just to get closer to him!" Zhou Mi's voice was quiet as he confessed feeling a little awkward around him. "We're the same age but..." He trailed off and shrugged, good-natured. Smiling again, because he was always optimistic. "I'll do my best."
Kyuhyun was not Sungmin or Ryeowook. He wasn't good at comforting speeches or motivational pep talks. The most sincere form of his support was usually a decided lack of mockery.
In this case, Kyuhyun's support manifested itself by his looking the other way when Zhou Mi rested his hands on Eunhyuk's shoulders during interviews, squeezing. He smiled when Zhou Mi continually asked Eunhyuk what he wanted to eat, what he wanted to do, if he wanted to see this or try that. More Korean than he was used to hearing from Zhou Mi in Taiwan, which shouldn't have been an adjustment, but in these environs, Kyuhyun was accustomed to the Mandarin that poured out of Zhou Mi's mouth, bright and happy.
"How do you say this?" Eunhyuk asked. Zhou Mi bent over his shoulder to read the card on the table, murmuring.
Kyuhyun kept his earphones in, the strains of Love is Sweet ringing in his ears.
He was practicing, he told himself. Not that they'd ever sing the song live, considering its difficulty level, but Kyuhyun was good at creative half-truths, remember? Practicing his Chinese. Zhou Mi's voice echoed in his head, as sweet as the song title.
He made fun of Donghae's insistence on practicing his kiss scene by offering his pillow. Donghae threw the pillow back in his face. He rehearsed songs with Ryeowook, sitting on the edge of Ryeowook's pink bedspread as they harmonized. He had more wine with Sungmin, who, unlike Ryeowook, found Taiwanese beer disgusting. He listened to Henry practice his violin and Siwon talk on the phone with Hankyung and checked his fansites, cringing at embarrassment at some of the photos fans had captured of him.
Eunhyuk laughed with Zhou Mi over some Korean show they were watching on Eunhyuk's laptop. He offered to transfer some of his rap songs to Zhou Mi's iPod, to broaden the variety of his music repertoire. "You can't listen only to ballads," he said, exasperated. He compared notes with Zhou Mi on writing lyrics, how it was similar and how it was different when it was slated for slower songs versus rap breaks.
Kyuhyun considered himself practically a saint until two days before they were heading back to Seoul and, right before they climbed out of the van after a long day of recording, Zhou Mi's long fingers caught the flipped up collar of Eunhyuk's jacket and smoothed it out. Eunhyuk shot him a wordless thank you with his eyes over his shoulder. Zhou Mi patted him fondly.
Kyuhyun had had enough.
Making friends and growing closer was all well and good, but, by God, there were lines.
"I want to go out!" said Eunhyuk and since Donghae and Siwon were out for another drama-related event, he turned to Zhou Mi. Kyuhyun was really going to have address these mixed feelings about how much time Zhou Mi ended up spending in their apartment, considering he didn't live there. Too much easy access, he grumbled to himself. The silver lining being that at least, here, Kyuhyun could intervene as was necessary.
He watched with narrowed eyes as Zhou Mi perked up and started eagerly discussing with Eunhyuk where he wanted to go. Maybe Taipei 101, since Eunhyuk had yet to see it. "No shopping," Eunhyuk said strictly. Zhou Mi's face fell.
Kyuhyun opened up a new tab on his laptop, pulling up a brightly colored web page.
"Let's leave in about half an hour?" Zhou Mi said. "I have to change! And make a phone call."
Kyuhyun's fingers tapped away at his keyboard.
"All right," said Eunhyuk.
Kyuhyun pressed send.
"Do you want to go too, Kyuhyun?" Zhou Mi asked as he put on his shoes to head back to his apartment.
Kyuhyun smiled. "No, thanks." He wouldn't have to.
Half an hour and some odd minutes later, Eunhyuk and Zhou Mi reappeared in the apartment doorway, out of breath and flushed. "That was way more fans than were there this morning! Where did they come from?" Eunhyuk panted.
"I managed to leave last night just fine," Zhou Mi wailed. "How did so many of them spot us today?"
Kyuhyun, who had exited out of the Super Junior M fan forum much earlier, lounged against the kitchen counter, eating a banana. He observed them with a poker face, admiring the ruddy glow the merry chase had put into their cheeks.
"I guess we can't go out today. Man."
Disconsolate, Eunhyuk stripped out of his jacket and hat and left the room. Zhou Mi joined Kyuhyun in the kitchen with a sigh. He took the banana Kyuhyun handed him wordlessly. "Fans really know everything!"
Kyuhyun nodded. "It's true." Especially when they had a little help.
Kyuhyun took winning very seriously.
PART 2 →
Creative Truthtelling and Amateur Cockblocking
Super Junior (M), Kyuhyun/Zhou Mi (also everyone/Zhou Mi, Heechul/Zhou Mi), bandfic, PG, 11,435 words
As a gamer, Kyuhyun is a master of strategy, which comes in handy as he sets out to keep others from encroaching on his territory. Wherein Kyuhyun is sneaky and underhanded, everyone loves Zhou Mi, and Heechul is the Final Boss.
PART 1
Kyuhyun was a lying liar who lied.
Now, to be fair, being an idol meant learning the art of bending the truth, or at least telling selective versions of the truth. "We appreciate our fans' support." (We don't appreciate their stalking.) "I don't really drink." (Except on days that end in "y".) "The members are all like family." (We fight like family, too.)
Kyuhyun had told his number of creative truths ("The day I get a girlfriend, I will stop playing games" was true, because the day he got a girlfriend would be the day the world ended), but had done his best to sidestep telling outright lies.
Up to this point, at least.
"You like him, don't you? You loooove him, don't you? You're wretchedly jealous any time he pays attention to someone else, aren't you?"
What could anyone do in light of Heechul's delighted smugness aside from wanting to punch him in the face? Kyuhyun gritted his teeth and valiantly resisted. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders, oh so casually. "He's okay." That was all right, still within the territory of plausible deniability.
Then he crossed the line.
"I don't really care who Zhou Mi hangs out with, okay?"
Heechul laughed and laughed. It sounded evil.
Kyuhyun should've known then and there, really. He should've retracted his words immediately; it would have saved him a lot of grief down the road. But hindsight was always 20/20 and, in the moment, he had no idea what was awaiting him.
***
mission: accepted
The problem with Zhou Mi was that he was just too damned friendly. And gorgeous. And talented. Not only did he have stupidly good looks and legs that wouldn't quit, he had that stupendous voice, and knew a gazillion languages, and then on top of it all, he was nice. To everyone. It meant that no one could help being a little bit in love with him, whether or not they realized. They found themselves grinning whenever he was around, faces turning to him like he was the sun to their phototropic flowers. (Kyuhyun remembered some things from school aside from math.) They hugged him a lot. They said his name in a happy exclamation and vied for his attention and shimmered under it when they got it.
At first, Kyuhyun was pleased, because more people should appreciate Zhou Mi. He could get behind that. He could be a little smug, too, about being one of the first people to recognize what a gem he was. All was well.
But then Kyuhyun realized he was getting less face time, that Zhou Mi had started shooting him apologetic looks when he wanted Zhou Mi to go over a few dozen Chinese songs to help him pick out the right one for his solo; that three meals a week had rapidly dropped down to one; that Zhou Mi had new shopping partners (plural!), other people to fawn over his lyrics (all right, so Kyuhyun mostly made fun), and a whole queue of admirers who seemed to do nothing but stand around breathing his air and taking up his time and keeping him away from Kyuhyun.
So maybe he was exaggerating. Not much, though.
Kyuhyun might have sulked a few days. He might have been shot curious looks from bandmates who knew better than to pry.
In the end, what was important was that Kyuhyun emerged from his sulk with a plan. He was a gamer; he knew strategy. He would tackle this mission with the same determination that kept him up all night in front of his laptop and that made Zhou Mi make noises of despair in the mornings, fingertips gentle against the dark circles around Kyuhyun's eyes. (See? Another side benefit to gaming all night. Kyuhyun had these things all mapped out.)
One chilly winter afternoon, Kyuhyun dropped by Zhou Mi and Henry's dorm to visit and found Jungmo wrapped around Zhou Mi, nearly cradling him in his lap as he positioned Zhou Mi's fingers on the guitar. Zhou Mi looked up when he walked in, a brilliant smile on his face. "Kyuhyun, come look! I've learned a chord!"
Kyuhyun set his jaw. Operation: Cockblock (working name, subject to change) would commence immediately.
***
Sungmin was easy.
Sungmin had two weaknesses, and if you knew how to exploit them, you were golden.
One was a good bottle of red wine, the older the better. The second one was delicious food. Kyuhyun made a special purchase and bided his time until he noticed a familiar starry-eyed expression crossing Sungmin's face every time he was around Zhou Mi.
"Thanks for your help with Chinese," he said, wreathed in smiles.
Zhou Mi beamed down at him. "No problem, hyung! You've always been so helpful with my Korean. I'm just returning the favor."
"Can we meet again tomorrow?" A tiny, adorable furrow appeared between Sungmin's brows. "I just really want to get my pronunciation better in time for the recordings."
"Of course! We can meet every day, if you'd like. Do you want to have dinner tomorrow?"
Generous, giving Zhou Mi. Kyuhyun was torn between petting his face and pinching it in annoyance. He lurked in the corner of the living room, projecting harmlessness, until Zhou Mi hugged Sungmin goodbye. "Bye, Kyuhyun!" he called, waving and smiling. Kyuhyun huffed but smiled back, a little warmer than maybe he'd intended. It was part of his plan in appearing harmless, he told himself. He ignored the tendril of sunshine curling in his chest as Zhou Mi waved again before leaving.
After he was gone, Kyuhyun pounced. "Sungmin-hyung," he said, pulling out the weapons at once. Sungmin turned to him immediately, attentive.
"Sungmin-hyung," he said again, "I got a new bottle of wine. Did you want to drink it with me? Maybe after dinner?"
"Sure!" said Sungmin enthusiastically.
"Oh," said Kyuhyun. "Oh, wait, I forgot I left it at my parents' house. I'll go get it tomorrow. Can we do it tomorrow, then?"
Tomorrow, when Sungmin had just agreed to a dinner study date with Zhou Mi. Sungmin faltered momentarily but then Kyuhyun leaned forward a little bit and named the brand and year, earnestly. Sungmin's eyes glazed over a little.
"And Ryeowook is cooking this delicious dinner tomorrow. Full of your favorite foods. He wants to practice some Taiwanese dishes too, so we'll be accustomed to the food when we go there."
Sungmin was wavering. Kyuhyun could see it in the way his brow furrowed again, the pensive expression on his face. That was when he moved in for the kill, because Sungmin had a third weakness too, whether or not he knew it.
Kyuhyun looked up at him from beneath his lashes, a half-grin poised on his lips. "C'mon, hyung. I feel like we haven't really had a chance to hang out lately. Aside from SJM prep..." Aside from SJM preparations that took up approximately fifteen hours a day, they hadn't spent much time together. Oh, except that they also shared a room. Kyuhyun was good with bending the truth to suit his purposes. He nudged Sungmin's knee with his. "Stay in and eat and drink some wine with me?"
Sungmin bit his lip. "I'm sure Zhou Mi will understand if I reschedule. We can find another day."
Not if Kyuhyun had anything to say about it. For now, however, he just nodded in agreement. "Zhou Mi-hyung is very understanding."
Success, he thought triumphantly as Sungmin wandered out of the room. Ah, now he had to remember to convince Ryeowook to make a bunch of Taiwanese food for tomorrow. That would be an even simpler task than this. All it took was a little whine, a muttered "I'm hungry," and Ryeowook would be leaping to his feet, asking what Kyuhyun felt like eating, and how much.
It was nice to have people on strings, Kyuhyun mused contentedly.
***
Keeping Ryeowook away from Zhou Mi was almost as easy as getting him to cook. Kyuhyun carried on feeling pleased with himself and his work.
"I feel like composing," Ryeowook said, and Kyuhyun pointed out that Henry had taken up composing and would probably love to collaborate. Two hours later, there was still music drifting out of Ryeowook's room and Zhou Mi was lying across Kyuhyun's bed, reading a novel in Chinese as Kyuhyun gamed.
"Zhou Mi-hyung said he wanted to go shopping," Ryeowook said, and Kyuhyun pointed out that Zhou Mi was very busy with wrapping up Korean Impressions and, in the meantime, Henry looked bored. They returned that night laden with bags and smiles, after Zhou Mi had already left from his visit to the dorms where he had traded Kyuhyun a CD of Chinese songs for a CD of Korean ones.
"I'm going to cook Wuhan duck neck tonight!" Ryeowook said, and Kyuhyun mentioned, off-handedly, that Henry had been homesick earlier and missed some Western dish or other. So dinner that night consisted of Henry poking with some abashment at the green pasta in front of him as Kyuhyun stole pieces of meat from Zhou Mi's plate and piled it high with green peppers in return.
"Zhou Mi-hyung was amazing!" Ryeowook said, eyes shining after the latest Super Show where Zhou Mi had, as usual, been explosive sex on legs (that Kyuhyun would enjoy later in the privacy of his own head, thanks), and Kyuhyun loudly declared that they should go out to drink and celebrate. He then guided a happily drunken Ryeowook towards Yesung or Sungmin or Henry, and graciously allowed Zhou Mi to laugh and drape himself all over Kyuhyun as they chatted with increasingly inane bandmates who all, clearly, had not been blessed with a superior alcohol tolerance.
Across the room, Heechul's eyes caught Kyuhyun's. His hyung was drunk, Kyuhyun was sure of it, but that mischievous glint in his eyes still sent a shudder through him.
Better Ryeowook than Heechul, that was for sure.
***
Donghae leaned against the floor-length mirrors and watched Zhou Mi dance. "Better," he said encouragingly when Zhou Mi paused after a section to catch his breath. He tossed a towel over. Zhou Mi flashed him a reflexive smile as he caught it.
"He really has gotten a lot better," Donghae observed.
Sitting on the floor, back to the mirror, Kyuhyun suppressed a frown at the way Donghae's eyes followed the lines of Zhou Mi's body. "Well, he's not me, but he's gotten better, yeah."
Donghae laughed and ruffled his sweaty hair. Kyuhyun batted his hand away.
Zhou Mi was certainly working hard at the choreography. It was their third night in a row staying late at the company's training rooms, rehearsing the new SJM dance on their own. Zhou Mi, in particular, was putting his all into it. Even the others had left by now, leaving only Donghae and Kyuhyun to keep him company. With Zhou Mi's limbs being what they were, it still looked for the most part like flailing, but at least now it was controlled flailing. Donghae certainly seemed to approve of this new heart, eyes tracing up Zhou Mi's legs and chest.
"No, here, your arm is positioned wrong." Donghae moved to Zhou Mi's side and adjusted his arms. "And your hips, here-" His hands pressed into Zhou Mi's hips, right above the waistline of his track pants, and turned them incrementally.
Kyuhyun hurried to hide the outraged expression that threatened to creep over his face.
"Okay! Try again!" Donghae's face turned upwards, smile broad and eyes shining. He backed up with one last friendly pat to Zhou Mi's hip.
Zhou Mi repeated that section of the routine, body snapping smoothly into the choreography. He was much more precise than he'd been at the beginning of the night. He was also much sweatier, hair sticking to his scalp, tendrils clinging to his check. Kyuhyun propped his knees up and rested his arms across them, watching unabashedly.
"That's it!"
Donghae bounced into Zhou Mi and threw his arms around the skinny, sweaty torso.
"All thanks to you, hyung," Zhou Mi panted, too tired for a smile. But his eyes were bright over the color high on his cheeks.
Kyuhyun regarded them solemnly. "Well done," he said. "You no longer look like an uncoordinated walking stick. You have progressed to coordinated walking stick."
"Kyuhyun!" Donghae laughed.
"Thank you!" Zhou Mi said happily.
"Do you want to take a break? Here, I'll get some water." Kyuhyun clambered from the floor to his feet, leaving the training room. His mind raced as he fetched new bottles of water from the fridge in the break room down the hall. On the way back, an idea unfurled in his mind. An evil smile crossed his face. He wiped his expression carefully before he re-entered the room.
Just in time too, as Donghae and Zhou Mi were- What were they doing?
Zhou Mi was bent over at the waist, hands resting on his knees, his shirt pulled halfway up his back. Donghae leaned over him, face inches away from that bare skin. One hand smoothed up over his spine.
"What," said Kyuhyun.
"I think I twisted a muscle," Zhou Mi said pitifully.
"I can massage- Oh!" Donghae broke off to catch the bottle of water Kyuhyun tossed at him, straightening away from Zhou Mi in the process. "Thanks, Kyuhyun!"
"So I saw Heechul-hyung earlier," Kyuhyun said casually. It was true; he had. Four or five hours ago. "He seemed a little pissed off. I think he's thinking about how soon we'll all be gone with SJM, leaving him alone here." He passed the second water to Zhou Mi, who had finally straightened and pulled down his shirt. Their fingers grazed as Zhou Mi relieved him of the bottle, an unspoken thanks.
Donghae was looking at Kyuhyun, exasperated. "Aissh, that Kim Heechul. He can never just say how he feels, can he? Always afraid to let people know he has feelings."
"That's Heechul-hyung for you. Master of emotions."
Donghae rolled his eyes and began to gather his things. "Sorry, Zhou Mi. I'd better get back to him and spend some time with him, otherwise he'll be in a bad mood forever. If you still want to practice, Kyuhyun can help. He's gotten really good." A warm smile over his shoulder at Kyuhyun, who, for all of his braggadocio, still flushed a little in embarrassment. Donghae's compliments were always so sincere.
Zhou Mi's hand brushed him again, this time knuckles brushing his forehead as he swept a lock of hair from Kyuhyun's forehead. "Yeah, Kyuhyun's amazing."
All right, that was not helping with the flush. "I have progressed beyond coordinated walking stick to praying mantis, it's true."
"What do bugs have to do with dancing?" Zhou Mi wrinkled his nose.
"Oh god," said Kyuhyun, sighing.
"Okay, I'm off. Bye! Have fun!" Donghae had his bag slung over his shoulder. He waved to them and ducked out unceremoniously, door clanging shut behind him and his little ponytail. His exit left Kyuhyun and Zhou Mi alone in the room. Kyuhyun put his hands on his hips and turned to Zhou Mi, lifting his chin.
"All right. Show me your best walking stick impression."
"Are you going to be a praying mantis, then?"
He laughed. "Will you scream and run away?"
Zhou Mi pursed his lips. "Maybe I'll step on you."
"Let's start from the beginning, then." Kyuhyun went to restart the track.
***
"Zhou Mi!" Siwon motioned him over with a grin. Zhou Mi peeled away from Kyuhyun's side as they entered the first apartment. Here in Taiwan, they were split into two apartments: Zhou Mi, Henry, Ryeowook, and Donghae in one, and Kyuhyun, Siwon, Sungmin, and Eunhyuk in the other. It didn't bother Kyuhyun much, because he was not attached to Zhou Mi's hip like a third leg, no matter what Heechul said. Anyway, this arrangement made it easier to keep Siwon farther away from Zhou Mi.
At least that was how it was supposed to go.
Siwon, Kyuhyun decided, was a pain in the ass. He was too handsy by far, too charming, too tall, and far too good at Chinese. Would it kill him to stop turning that winsome, camera-perfect smile on Zhou Mi every time he said something half-creative, so proud of himself and wanting Zhou Mi to confirm his awesomeness? Would it kill him to take his hands off Zhou Mi when they were doing nothing but standing next to each other, waiting for take thirteen? Would it kill him to stop being so damned perfect for even half a second so Zhou Mi would stop looking at him as though he were this amazing specimen of a human being that Zhou Mi was positively thrilled to know?
Kyuhyun knew he was being uncharitable. But seriously. Choi Siwon. Try to be less of a pain in the ass.
He missed the easy members like Sungmin and Ryeowook.
Siwon, on the other hand, managed to get Zhou Mi practically in his lap as they looked at something on his computer screen together. Was the hand in the small of Zhou Mi's back necessary? Kyuhyun didn't think so.
It occurred to Kyuhyun that he could blame Zhou Mi for always being over at their apartment. And he did. But that was a little like blaming Niqiu for being so cute that people couldn't help but want to cuddle him.
Plus, it was easier laying blame on Mr. Perfection. He had everything: money, looks, charm, that body. Who cared if his Chinese accent was mangled when he could manage jokes and conversation regardless? The hosts fell over themselves for him. The fans pushed others over for him. He had already won over Hankyung, Kyuhyun thought sullenly. He should not be allowed to move in on other fabulously talented Chinese members just because Hankyung was no longer around.
Although Kyuhyun could be generous: Siwon could have Henry.
In the meantime, he arranged and rearranged the line order at interviews and shows until there were a good two or three people between Zhou Mi and Siwon. He might also have taken secret glee at every event Siwon couldn't make it to. It wasn't that he didn't love Siwon, because he did; he just preferred to love Siwon with some distance between him and Zhou Mi. Kyuhyun felt that such a mindset was entirely reasonable.
What was unreasonable was the way Siwon had pulled Zhou Mi onto his thighs so they could laugh at whatever was on the screen. Siwon asked a question, serious, eyebrows drawn together in his pensive expression. Zhou Mi replied, motioning wildly with his hands. Siwon kept an arm around Zhou Mi to keep him from toppling off his precarious perch on Siwon's thigh and onto the floor.
Kyuhyun draped himself huffily over Donghae's lap on the couch, stretching out on his back.
"Hi," said Donghae, surprised.
Zhou Mi didn't even notice.
"Do you want to go jogging?" Kyuhyun asked. "We've been sitting around all day, I kind of want to exercise."
Donghae stared at him. "We've been recording all day."
"Sitting," Kyuhyun insisted. "In the waiting room, between takes, through the interview."
Donghae's dubious look remained, but he shrugged and patted Kyuhyun's head genially enough. "Sure, if you want. Do you want to go change?"
"All right."
"Okay, I'm going to change, too. Meet you back here in ten." Donghae pried Kyuhyun off his lap and headed for the door. The movement caught Siwon's eye, who tore his attention long enough from Zhou Mi to ask where Donghae was going.
"Changing! Kyuhyun and I are going running."
Siwon's eyes widened. "Oh! Running! I'll go too!"
Zhou Mi hastily removed himself from Siwon's person as Siwon nearly leaped to his feet in his eagerness. Kyuhyun watched with quiet satisfaction as Siwon bounded down the hall to his room to change, leaving Zhou Mi standing in the living room with Kyuhyun.
"Are you going?" Zhou Mi asked him.
Oh yeah. He should probably go change instead of just standing around.
"Not interested?" he teased Zhou Mi as he made his way to his own room. Behind him, Zhou Mi just laughed.
"Would you carry me? Maybe Siwon would carry me." Kyuhyun frowned. Zhou Mi went on, cheerfully. "I'll be in our apartment. Stop by when you get back if you want."
Still thinking of Siwon? Kyuhyun pounded out his annoyance on the pavement, keeping pace beside Donghae and Siwon. He returned sweaty and even more aggravated at Siwon, whose fitness meant he had barely broken a sweat at their jog. Even the dampness at his temples and the pink on his cheeks just looked like a healthy glow, while Kyuhyun and Donghae were a little worse for wear, panting to catch their breaths.
After his shower, he trundled over to the other apartment, new plan in hand. As he hung out in the living room with Ryeowook and Henry, he made a point of coughing periodically. It passed mostly without comment, but Zhou Mi's eyes tracked him. Under that ceaseless scrutiny, Kyuhyun made himself some tea and quietly sipped at it.
The next day, he continued to sporadically cough into his hand. Not enough to raise alarm among the managers, but enough to keep Zhou Mi's gaze pinned on him, concerned.
Kyuhyun leaned into Zhou Mi's side during their van rides, feigning a higher level of exhaustion than was real. Zhou Mi covered him with a light jacket, hands gentle. Kyuhyun hid his smile. He would feel bad but, no, he had missed this.
Siwon had enough going for him as it was, Mr. Perfection. He could let the rest of the mere mortals enjoy what they had.
***
Catching Zhou Mi on the phone was far from out of the ordinary. Kyuhyun had learned to tune him out because if he didn't build aural immunity to that kind of incessant chattering, he would never get any gaming done, ever. Or anything else, for that matter, considering how frequently Zhou Mi had a phone plastered to his ear.
This call, however... Kyuhyun couldn't help getting sidetracked from browsing the internet, trying to decide which movie he wanted to download and watch, when familiar names kept dropping from Zhou Mi's mouth. He was talking in rapid Mandarin, cheerful and liquid smooth, which meant again it was too fast for Kyuhyun to understand. "Kuixian", he caught, though. Upon a more dedicated eavesdrop, "Shengmin-ge" and "Donghai" and "Shiyuan" all made appearances.
Kyuhyun edged sideways on the couch until his shoulder bumped Zhou Mi's. "Who are you talking to?" he asked in Chinese.
Zhou Mi brightened, lighting up like he always did when Kyuhyun made the effort to say something in Mandarin he could easily say in Korean instead.
"Kuixian! I'm talking to Han Geng." His reply was slower than his earlier conversation, undoubtedly for Kyuhyun's benefit.
Kyuhyun stared.
"I didn't know we were on speaking terms with him again," he blurted out tactlessly in Korean.
Zhou Mi covered the mouthpiece and switched into Korean, soft. "Well, it's unofficial. Don't let the managers know, okay? But Heechul-hyung said we should catch up and Geng-ge misses everyone, so I'm updating him-"
Oh, for fuck's sake. Kyuhyun twitched, mouth twisting with displeasure. Heechul was meddling. Gleefully.
Of course he was.
Kyuhyun said, pointedly, "You've already been talking to him for half an hour."
Fucking Heechul.
"There's a lot to catch up on!" Zhou Mi was nearly brimming over with delight. A chance to speak in Mandarin and with Han Geng? Kyuhyun could light the entire apartment with his joy and save them all on electric bills. "Did you want to talk to him?"
Kyuhyun didn't answer. He set his laptop aside, still open, and wordlessly left the room. Behind him, he heard Zhou Mi make a worried noise. "Kyuhyun, I thought you weren't angry anymore..." And then Chinese again, concerned but reassuring, to Han Geng. His voice faded into a murmur as Kyuhyun walked down the hall and knocked on a closed door.
After a moment and the scrape of a chair inside, Siwon pulled open the door. "What's up?"
"Hankyung-hyung called," Kyuhyun said and watched Siwon's eyebrows climb up his forehead. "He wanted to talk to you. Said he wanted to catch up."
"Where?" Wide-eyed, Siwon looked frantically for the phone.
"Zhou Mi, out in the living room-"
Siwon was gone before he could finish his sentence. Kyuhyun trailed after him, smirking. By the time he arrived back in the common area, Siwon had stolen the phone from Zhou Mi and was making excited, anxious noises into it - presumably words, but too jumbled for Kyuhyun to distinguish, even in Korean.
He recovered his laptop from the couch before Siwon toppled it onto the floor in his excitement and relocated to the other couch. Zhou Mi flopped next to him a moment later, bangs flying up with the movement. Kyuhyun resisted the urge to smooth them back into place as Zhou Mi sighed.
"He'll be on the phone for a while then."
"Expect your phone back in an hour or two."
Zhou Mi laughed. Then he poked Kyuhyun, hard. "Now what am I going to do? You have to entertain me, Kuixian." He repeated himself in Chinese and Kyuhyun rolled his eyes.
"Outrageous!" He closed his laptop aside. "Teach me Chinese, then. How do I say, 'You're really annoying?'"
"Kuixian!"
He ducked the swat, snickering. Zhou Mi growled something in Chinese playfully and Kyuhyun grinned at him, taking in his sparkling eyes and pouting mouth and ruffled bangs. On the other couch, Siwon gesticulated enthusiastically toward the phone, voice warm and happy.
***
Kyuhyun opened the door to Zhou Mi's room where he was unaccountably still asleep. Normally, he was one of the earliest awake, as his morning routine took approximately twice the time as any other member's, but they finally had a day off from endless interviews and filmings. He was sleeping in, Kyuhyun assumed, but it was eleven and Kyuhyun was bored and it was time Zhou Mi got his lazy, bony ass out of bed.
Kyuhyun did not expect to find Henry passed out in Zhou Mi's bed, cuddling into Zhou Mi with his slack baby-face tucked into the curve of Zhou Mi's shoulder.
"Kyuhyun?" Zhou Mi cracked open one sleepy eye.
Kyuhyun closed his gaping mouth with a snap. "What is Henry doing here?"
"Ahh, his room was freezing last night for some reason. Maybe the air-con was malfunctioning..." Zhou Mi's voice was rough, hoarse with sleep. It sent a skitter down Kyuhyun's spine as he clutched at the doorknob.
He had not seen this coming. Henry! Henry was supposed to be the baby, the little kid who had fun joking around with Donghae and Eunhyuk, who was coddled by Ryeowook and Siwon. He and Zhou Mi were friends, sure, Kyuhyun knew that. But he wasn't supposed to be the kind of friend who crawled into Zhou Mi's bed at night. As far as Kyuhyun knew, Zhou Mi didn't have any friend like that. As far as Kyuhyun was concerned, it could stay like that.
"I just... You should..." Kyuhyun could've sworn Henry stretched and burrowed even closer to Zhou Mi on purpose. Was he feigning sleep? Kyuhyun wouldn't put it past him, that sneaky little brat. "Get up already, breakfast has been ready for ages."
He withdrew grimly. If that was how it was going to be, fine. Change of game plans. Take no prisoners.
Henry. Part of him was still suspended in disbelief. Of all the unexpected, crafty...
"Zhou Mi told me Henry said he's feeling pretty homesick," Kyuhyun said, because no one would believe Henry would confide in him. But for Henry to confide in Zhou Mi and Zhou Mi in Kyuhyun? Easy. Donghae's eyes turned soft. Ryeowook looked distressed.
Henry was going to get zero alone time for the next two weeks. Certainly not enough time to go encroaching on Kyuhyun's territory.
Kyuhyun planted himself on Zhou Mi's bed the next night, smug. He forced his book into Zhou Mi's hands and got him to read aloud from it as he dozed beside him. "You need to practice your Korean," he insisted. "I'm testing you this time." Zhou Mi looked skeptical, but he settled against his pillows anyway, book in hand and Kyuhyun's head, proprietary, against his hip.
***
These days, Zhou Mi was spending a lot of time with Eunhyuk in an effort to both help him adjust to Taiwan and "just to get closer to him!" Zhou Mi's voice was quiet as he confessed feeling a little awkward around him. "We're the same age but..." He trailed off and shrugged, good-natured. Smiling again, because he was always optimistic. "I'll do my best."
Kyuhyun was not Sungmin or Ryeowook. He wasn't good at comforting speeches or motivational pep talks. The most sincere form of his support was usually a decided lack of mockery.
In this case, Kyuhyun's support manifested itself by his looking the other way when Zhou Mi rested his hands on Eunhyuk's shoulders during interviews, squeezing. He smiled when Zhou Mi continually asked Eunhyuk what he wanted to eat, what he wanted to do, if he wanted to see this or try that. More Korean than he was used to hearing from Zhou Mi in Taiwan, which shouldn't have been an adjustment, but in these environs, Kyuhyun was accustomed to the Mandarin that poured out of Zhou Mi's mouth, bright and happy.
"How do you say this?" Eunhyuk asked. Zhou Mi bent over his shoulder to read the card on the table, murmuring.
Kyuhyun kept his earphones in, the strains of Love is Sweet ringing in his ears.
He was practicing, he told himself. Not that they'd ever sing the song live, considering its difficulty level, but Kyuhyun was good at creative half-truths, remember? Practicing his Chinese. Zhou Mi's voice echoed in his head, as sweet as the song title.
He made fun of Donghae's insistence on practicing his kiss scene by offering his pillow. Donghae threw the pillow back in his face. He rehearsed songs with Ryeowook, sitting on the edge of Ryeowook's pink bedspread as they harmonized. He had more wine with Sungmin, who, unlike Ryeowook, found Taiwanese beer disgusting. He listened to Henry practice his violin and Siwon talk on the phone with Hankyung and checked his fansites, cringing at embarrassment at some of the photos fans had captured of him.
Eunhyuk laughed with Zhou Mi over some Korean show they were watching on Eunhyuk's laptop. He offered to transfer some of his rap songs to Zhou Mi's iPod, to broaden the variety of his music repertoire. "You can't listen only to ballads," he said, exasperated. He compared notes with Zhou Mi on writing lyrics, how it was similar and how it was different when it was slated for slower songs versus rap breaks.
Kyuhyun considered himself practically a saint until two days before they were heading back to Seoul and, right before they climbed out of the van after a long day of recording, Zhou Mi's long fingers caught the flipped up collar of Eunhyuk's jacket and smoothed it out. Eunhyuk shot him a wordless thank you with his eyes over his shoulder. Zhou Mi patted him fondly.
Kyuhyun had had enough.
Making friends and growing closer was all well and good, but, by God, there were lines.
"I want to go out!" said Eunhyuk and since Donghae and Siwon were out for another drama-related event, he turned to Zhou Mi. Kyuhyun was really going to have address these mixed feelings about how much time Zhou Mi ended up spending in their apartment, considering he didn't live there. Too much easy access, he grumbled to himself. The silver lining being that at least, here, Kyuhyun could intervene as was necessary.
He watched with narrowed eyes as Zhou Mi perked up and started eagerly discussing with Eunhyuk where he wanted to go. Maybe Taipei 101, since Eunhyuk had yet to see it. "No shopping," Eunhyuk said strictly. Zhou Mi's face fell.
Kyuhyun opened up a new tab on his laptop, pulling up a brightly colored web page.
"Let's leave in about half an hour?" Zhou Mi said. "I have to change! And make a phone call."
Kyuhyun's fingers tapped away at his keyboard.
"All right," said Eunhyuk.
Kyuhyun pressed send.
"Do you want to go too, Kyuhyun?" Zhou Mi asked as he put on his shoes to head back to his apartment.
Kyuhyun smiled. "No, thanks." He wouldn't have to.
Half an hour and some odd minutes later, Eunhyuk and Zhou Mi reappeared in the apartment doorway, out of breath and flushed. "That was way more fans than were there this morning! Where did they come from?" Eunhyuk panted.
"I managed to leave last night just fine," Zhou Mi wailed. "How did so many of them spot us today?"
Kyuhyun, who had exited out of the Super Junior M fan forum much earlier, lounged against the kitchen counter, eating a banana. He observed them with a poker face, admiring the ruddy glow the merry chase had put into their cheeks.
"I guess we can't go out today. Man."
Disconsolate, Eunhyuk stripped out of his jacket and hat and left the room. Zhou Mi joined Kyuhyun in the kitchen with a sigh. He took the banana Kyuhyun handed him wordlessly. "Fans really know everything!"
Kyuhyun nodded. "It's true." Especially when they had a little help.
Kyuhyun took winning very seriously.
PART 2 →