[Fic] More Than This - 2/15
Title: More Than This
Author: Coley Merrin
Pairings: Zhou Mi/Kyuhyun, Tablo/Eunhyuk
Other: Zhou Mi/other, Kyuhyun/other, Eunhyuk/Sooyoung, various
Rating: R
Genre: AU, crime, romance
Warnings: violence, death (not of main characters)
Summary: Zhou Mi’s focus is Heartstrings, a dating company where love is more than just a guarantee - it's in Zhou Mi’s blood. A matchmaking gift he’s used with gladness, until a series of murders has it shaping his nightmares.
Eunhyuk, his business partner, can’t let go of his tumultuous past. But finding a man he’s been looking for over half his life has repercussions not only for him, but for Zhou Mi and their future.
Chapter One * Chapter Two * Chapter Three
***
Kyuhyun spent a small fraction of his weekend considering the offer Zhou Mi and Eunhyuk had made, about joining the dating site for free. He’d seen the testimonials, heard the stories. Some of his friends had started dating their girlfriends and boyfriends online. He’d certainly made friends online, from gaming, or his blog, or just being a fan of things. All of his previous boyfriends had been introduced to him by friends, or someone he’d met at school. His parents probably would’ve introduced him to people, too, but of the wrong kind.
It had been a couple of months since he’d broken up with the last one. It had started fine, but their timing had sucked. Last Kyuhyun had heard, he was dating someone else. He didn’t feel like he wasn’t whole without a guy after him. He certainly wasn’t pining. But it didn’t sound like a bad idea, overall. Not like he’d find a guy immediately. Maybe he’d be use some of the magic that Zhou Mi joked about, and find a guy who fit a little better than the others had.
But after he managed to get to the point where the idea had merit, he put it out of his head, spending his weekend with his computer and hanging out with some of his friends. Those were all the reasons he wasn’t chafing to dive into a relationship. He was hardly alone.
The work week dawned with it in the back of his head, just hours away from going in to Heartstrings. He’d need to give them an answer, soon. That or it would just get awkward. He half hoped one of them would bring it up again, so he didn’t have to. So about that offer to help me date someone…
He jerked when his intercom buzzed, Tablo’s voice coming out of the speaker. “Hey Kyuhyun, could you come in in about five minutes?”
There was something about being called in by the boss that elicited a lot of simultaneous feelings and worries. Of course, when all was said and done, his moments of panic were generally uncalled for. That one time when he’d been assigned what was two weeks of copying, collating - enough until his brain had withered - was something he gladly never thought about again.
He took the seat beside Tablo’s desk, and waited for Tablo to get off the phone with what sounded like one of their big clients.
“Sorry, just finishing that up. So, you survived two weeks,” Tablo said, leaning back in his chair and shooting Kyuhyun a grin. “Did they set you up with someone already yet?”
That was something he appreciated about Tablo’s style as a boss. He managed to insert a little humor into their dealings, behind the otherwise solemn and calculated demeanor.
Some of his coworkers really did shake in their boots when Tablo called them in. Kyuhyun was more or less just playing it up.
“Actually, not yet. No parade of eligible guys through the office yet. I’m hoping I get that when my month anniversary goes by.”
They both savored the joke, and quite possibly the image involved.
“But,” Kyuhyun said, and brought up what he’d been thinking about. “They did say, since I’m an employee, that I could set up an account on the dating site for free. I wanted to check with you first, though. I wasn’t sure if it was unethical to take them up on it.”
Tablo actually laughed, loudly. “I don’t think so. A lot of places give their employees perks and discounts. Maybe if it was an illegal business, but I don’t think it’s any different than getting a free cookie if you were working at a bakery.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Tablo sobered up a little. “Though you know they can’t force you, right? If it doesn’t feel right, or you don’t want it, then you don’t have to.”
“No, no. I do know that. I mean people have dated without the internet forever. But I wanted to check with you first, just in case. It might be something to try. Hey, if it’s free. And they wouldn’t try to force it on me. They seem like good guys. Did you meet them both?”
“Just one. Eunhyuk? I had a couple of meetings with him. He seemed nice enough. Kind of quiet and thoughtful.”
“He did most of my training there, so yeah, I know him best.”
“Since they hook up the world, are they both in relationships?”
Kyuhyun blinked. “I- Neither of them have said? I don’t think so, though. Maybe they’re married to their job.”
His significant look at Tablo did not go unnoticed, and he got a tsk in return.
“No one understands.”
“I know. I bet they could commiserate.” Though Kyuhyun’s tone said anything but.
Tablo waved him off. “I thought I was paying you to work.”
Kyuhyun grinned, and retreated to his cubicle.
***
Kyuhyun was still stewing in his thoughts when he made it to Heartstrings, puffing a little because he’d taken the stairs. A last ditch effort at working off some of his lunch, because the rest of the day he was decidedly on his ass. But he had another reason for hustling in the box he held. A little gift, of a sort. Not to suck up, but just as thanks, especially after he’d been taken out to dinner to mark his first two weeks. The fact that he didn’t even mind going in to work said something. It was interesting, the work. And the coworkers interesting also. Even, especially, if they did bicker.
Eunhyuk greeted him when he came in, the usual small talk. How his day had been, how the weather was outside. Zhou Mi, by the wide open door of his office, was still out at lunch as per usual. Eunhyuk would stay until Zhou Mi made it back, and then quiet would reign - as long as Zhou Mi was in his office and Kyuhyun was out front. It was only when Zhou Mi and Eunhyuk were in the same room that things really got loud. It made for an interesting break in the work day. Most days.
But not when he had a surprise, or when he was still trying to figure out how to tell them he’d take them up on their offer.
“I have something, for when Zhou Mi comes back,” Kyuhyun said.
“Sure,” Eunhyuk said, eyeing him curiously. “Work?”
“No, something else.”
And Kyuhyun hid the box a little better. No use ruining the surprise.
“Did you miss me?” Zhou Mi asked, beaming as he came through the door and all but raced to get his phone from Eunhyuk.
“Are you asking us or your phone?” Eunhyuk teased, and got a swat. “Kyuhyun had something to…talk to us about? Show us?”
“Give you,” Kyuhyun corrected.
Still half in checking his phone messages mode, Zhou Mi wandered to Kyuhyun’s desk, leaning against a corner of it, while Kyuhyun scooted his chair forward expectantly. And he first uncovered the box, and then opened it so that both Zhou Mi and Eunhyuk could see.
There were four little miniature cakes inside, each with the logo of Heartstrings on their white tops. Pretty pink little interconnecting hearts. Sometimes it was nice to have talented friends.
“Oh,” Zhou Mi said, his interest in his phone forgotten. “Oh, look. How cute!”
“I would’ve made something myself,” Kyuhyun said, as he watched their reactions. “But I don’t like killing my bosses before I work a month. I just wanted to say thanks.”
“And we get to thank you, too,” Eunhyuk said, getting almost at eye level with the box. “They are so cute. We can eat them?”
“Sure. Go ahead.”
It was a race to see whose hand got in first, Eunhyuk’s or Zhou Mi’s. Eunhyuk did first, but Zhou Mi seemed to get back at him by handing Kyuhyun one of the cakes first before taking his own. In a very blatant show that had Eunhyuk rolling his eyes.
“To Heartstrings. And cake. And this is so cute,” Zhou Mi said, half toasting them before biting in. Kyuhyun already knew what they tasted like, but it was nice to see them being savored, too. “And good, too!”
“You have icing on your nose,” Eunhyuk informed Zhou Mi.
“These would be super cute when we have our mixers,” Zhou Mi said, half behind his hand that was cleaning his face. “Where did you get them?”
“A friend, actually. He’s a sous chef at a restaurant near here.”
Zhou Mi looked intrigued. “Really? What kind?”
“International. It’s more upscale than a lot of places I guess?”
“Interesting. Interesting. If this is any indication of the food quality, it might be worth checking out.”
It was more conversation from the impromptu cake party than Kyuhyun had really expected. Zhou Mi clearly had something to say, or he’d have sequestered himself in his office.
“You bring us cute treats, so I guess you get to stay,” Zhou Mi said, extending his hand for an impromptu high five from Kyuhyun. “Did you get a chance to think over if you wanted to try the site?”
“I- Yeah.” And there it was. He didn’t even have to figure out how to fit it awkwardly into conversation. “I’d like to. I think it sounds good.”
After beaming a smile at Kyuhyun, Zhou Mi considered his business partner.
“Great! Am I still taking him?” Zhou Mi asked.
“Yeah. Accounting time. He wouldn’t want me,” Eunhyuk laughed.
Kyuhyun blinked, feeling perpetually lost between their conversations that didn’t make sense. It wasn’t that they meant to exclude him, they just didn’t give him enough information to clue in to all their meanings.
“Oh. Sorry!” Zhou Mi burst out, his voice shimmering with humor when he caught sight of Kyuhyun’s face. “We had been talking about if you had been interested in the site, then we might sort of track you as a test case. But that doesn’t make sense, since you’re a special employee. So I can start matching you just like I would any of my one-to-one clients.”
The high-end, high paying clients. Kyuhyun stared between them. “And you have time for this?”
Another significant glance between the two men.
“Well,” Zhou Mi started, before stopping and humming.
“Zhou Mi is the specialist,” Eunhyuk said, amused all over again. “He’s doing pretty well working with the high-paying clients, as well as getting his hands in everything else. We’re still kicking around a middle-ground option, but we’d need at least another full time specialist.”
Kyuhyun wasn’t entirely sure if dating with his boss over his shoulder was a good idea, or how to parse that idea in actuality. It seemed like having his boss in his back pocket that far could be good or bad. Maybe more things about himself, his preferences and personality than he really ever wanted to show another person. But on the other hand, maybe it was good. Like Eunhyuk said, Zhou Mi was the specialist. If anyone could guide Kyuhyun through the pitfalls of online dating, he was looking at him.
“But that’d take up work time?” Kyuhyun said after a moment. He wasn’t trying to suck up, but he had no idea how long Zhou Mi’s counseling sessions were planned to last.
Eunhyuk snorted. “After his own heart.”
But it was Zhou Mi who answered.
“It might be after work, but it probably wouldn’t take a long time, just a quick meeting You can just get your account set up, go through the walkthroughs and answer all the questionnaires, and then we can meet after.”
“Okay. Great. Thank you.”
Zhou Mi smiled and nodded, such genuine feeling coming out of that expression that Kyuhyun couldn’t doubt his sincerity. And that was before Eunhyuk pinned him with a total change of topic.
“You should invite Tablo to eat with us after hours one of these days.”
Zhou Mi kind of chuckled. “Like the meeting of the businesses?”
“No,” Eunhyuk said, narrowing his eyes at Zhou Mi. “I mean, we should invite him. To thank him for his help in finding Kyuhyun.”
There were several moments of awkward silence where Eunhyuk seemed to be telegraphing things with his mind, while Zhou Mi frowned at him.
“Okay.” And then Zhou Mi was looking at him instead. “Do you think he’d be okay with that? Any day is fine. Not tonight, but if you wanted to ask. Or…one of us could ask?”
Eunhyuk seemed less than thrilled by that last thought.
And Kyuhyun felt like he was in the middle of a situation where he wasn’t exactly sure where he was supposed to be standing.
“I could ask? I’m sure he wouldn’t be against it?” Kyuhyun offered, still a little weirded out by the conversation, and the subtext that was clearly way over his head. Eunhyuk seemed to be subtly threatening Zhou Mi to agree to a dinner, but the reasons for that were less clear. The thought that Eunhyuk could be somehow interested in Tablo somehow passed by, but that made so much less sense than Eunhyuk wanting to thank Tablo for his help.
Trying to wrap his head around Eunhyuk and-
He just agreed, and went back to his email sorting, because that at least he could grasp.
***
Zhou Mi disappeared out of the office that afternoon for about half an hour, and if the shuffling and banging of Eunhyuk’s drawers said something about it, he wasn’t happy. And thus, Kyuhyun’s curiosity and his sense of office propriety warred mightily within himself. The last thing he really wanted to do was be drawn into a battle between two bosses. That was a surefire way to get himself the boot. But Eunhyuk wasn’t exactly being the soul of subtlety either. When Zhou Mi breezed back in, he seemed pleased. In some people, that kind of emotion was kind of hard to detect. Zhou Mi radiated it like a happiness sprinkler.
A little bakery envelope with what turned out to be a cookie was deposited on Kyuhyun’s desk.
“Thanks?” he managed out before Zhou Mi and his loose trench coat fluttered off.
Zhou Mi approached Eunhyuk’s desk, who’d been watching the whole time, before pivoting away.
“Hey!” Eunhyuk protested.
Zhou Mi laughed, turning back to hand Eunhyuk his own cookie.
“Is this a peace offering?” Eunhyuk asked.
Kyuhyun couldn’t see Zhou Mi’s face, but he could see the way Zhou Mi’s shoulders shifted.
“Could it be?” And Zhou Mi half glanced back at Kyuhyun. “Did you explain?”
“No.” And Eunhyuk sounded insulted at the thought.
“You’re more embarrassed about it than I am.”
“Then you tell him! And maybe try sleep? You look like you got run over by a truck.”
“I don’t give myself nightmares,” Zhou Mi shot back.
And just like that it had gone from halfway genial again, to outright tension. Kyuhyun kept his head down, so he didn’t see in what manner Zhou Mi turned and went back to his office. He just knew that the door closed behind him. Not unusual, but in that instance, incredibly final.
***
It was an hour before the end of office hours, when Kyuhyun got another shock. Eunhyuk slammed down his bag, loud enough for Zhou Mi and offices on both sides of them to hear. It didn’t get a response, but it didn’t seem like Eunhyuk was expecting one.
“I’m going before Zhou Mi does, so we don’t cause a scene. Don’t worry. This is one night you won’t have to worry about him staying late,” Eunhyuk said. And there was bitterness in those words, and a furrowed brow. But it didn’t seem like anger. Worry?
But then Eunhyuk was gone, and he was left to sort through design tickets. Both slightly unsettled and kind of wishing he could just leave himself. Given Eunhyuk’s mood, he wasn’t sure what state Zhou Mi was in. Was there a black mood to go along with the cookie-giving and laughter from the back office? According to Eunhyuk, Zhou Mi was a perfectionist. The problem was, both of them were. Even if Zhou Mi definitely had the sunnier personality.
He tensed when he heard the office door open behind him. Turning his head, not because he expected Zhou Mi to attack him, but some kind of respect.
Zhou Mi hijacked Eunhyuk’s chair, rolling it over beside the chair that sat in front of the aquarium.
“Come sit with me for a moment?” Zhou Mi offered, patting the chair beside him.
Kyuhyun obeyed, not really seeing another option. Half sliding onto the chair. Probably as close as he had sat to Zhou Mi, ever. But it wasn’t awkward. Zhou Mi wasn’t turned toward him, just partially slouched in the office chair and considering the brightly lit aquarium.
“I come out here and sit sometimes after hours and just look at the fish,” Zhou Mi said, leaning forward. “We tried to get all fancy about it, but now we just have the schooling fish so we can watch them go around together.”
And Kyuhyun knew the fish supplies, like everything else in the office, were immaculately organized. There was a tray of food in the enclosed bottom cabinet with instructions printed and laminated on top of each bottle.
“Eunhyuk gets a little stressed if he thinks someone won’t be able to follow his instructions or put them back in the same spot. There are labels in the tray, too.”
Kyuhyun had to swallow the tickle in his throat, knowing that Zhou Mi was right, because he’d seen the labels marking where the fish food should go back to. It was easy to see how the two men worked together. Zhou Mi was focused and dedicated, and Eunhyuk was ruthlessly prepared every step of the way.
“About earlier…” Zhou Mi began, before stopping and wrinkling his nose.
“You don’t have to explain,” Kyuhyun said, feeling the awkward raise by a thousand percent.
“It has nothing to do with work,” Zhou Mi assured him, his mouth curving but not showing in his eyes. “I didn’t want you to be worried by it. He and I get into it sometimes, but we do try and not let it spill over into the office. I guess we never had an audience to hide it from before. But it’s okay, because we are still friends. There’s no danger to the business.”
Yeah, the having-nothing-to-do-with-work thing was clearly a fairy tale, when it started spilling into work time. But he appreciated Zhou Mi at least attempting to smooth things over, and put his mind at ease. It wasn’t exactly like watching his parents fighting. More like watching a ship bob around in the rocks. The outcome could have him swimming, if Zhou Mi and Eunhyuk crashed. And it had his hands fisting together.
And nothing Zhou Mi had said had enlightened him as to just what all the tension had been about.
“Short story, despite working here, all the hearts and dating, I haven’t dated in a year and a half or so,” Zhou Mi said. “So once a month, I go out. Find a nice guy to have a drink with, and maybe more, you know? It’s not like I go home with someone every time.”
Sounded innocuous enough, Kyuhyun thought, his fingers still tight on themselves, at least until the end of it. Okay, so going to find a guy to hang out with or sleep with. And Eunhyuk didn’t approve.
“But it is at least something to look forward to. He just worries, that’s all. I’m sorry you got caught up in the middle of it. I don’t want to make anything weird, but it’s probably better for you not to wonder.”
Zhou Mi sighed.
“I just wanted you to know that it wasn’t anything to be concerned about, okay? You can finish up and go. I’ll close up here in a little bit.”
One of the schools of fish darted at Zhou Mi standing and casting a shadow onto the tank. His skin felt like it had done the same, as Zhou Mi patted his shoulder and walked back to his office.
***
“Did they like the cakes?” Ryeowook asked, almost as soon as he answered Kyuhyun’s call. Kyuhyun flopped onto his futon with his cell phone almost immediately after he ate, and hadn’t much moved in the subsequent hours until Ryeowook had gotten out of the restaurant. The little decorated cakes had been a hit, as he knew they would be. Of course.
“They did. Actually, I think you might be getting some business.”
Ryeowook laughed. “My bosses will be happy to hear that. Especially an exclusive kind of company like that.”
“Take me out to dinner if you get a raise,” Kyuhyun teased.
They’d been in the same class together through high school, drifting apart a bit during college when Ryeowook had been studying and cooking abroad, before somehow colliding again afterward. And it wasn’t just Ryeowook’s food. Some of it had been that Ryeowook had been working so much, trying to get respect, trying to learn and get ahead. And Kyuhyun had been scrambling for a job and gaming himself blind. Still it was nice to have that friend that, no matter how often they saw each other or talked, always felt close.
He’d found out that Ryeowook had dated men while in Europe, Ryeowook showing him pictures almost like in a test. Looking at Kyuhyun with almost a dare. Ryeowook had then been the first person to hear, “I dated a guy in college.”
Ryeowook had been hoping to find acceptance, and found something more like solidarity.
And Kyuhyun wasn’t even aware how much the situation at work with Zhou Mi and Eunhyuk, and the one night stand situation got into him, until he decided on asking about it.
“Hey, you know any guys who go out looking to get laid?”
Ryeowook choked, sounding like he’d tried to swallow something wrong. “Uh. I guess? Why, are you looking?”
“No!” Kyuhyun said, horrified, and face on fire. And then laughing until he couldn’t breathe, as Ryeowook sighed in obvious relief.
“I don’t want to try and hook you up,” Ryeowook almost scolded. “That’s awkward.”
“That’s why I’m with a matchmaking company!” Kyuhyun said, chuckling. “They want to try hooking me up with someone. To date.”
“Oh?” Ryeowook asked. “But… Do they match men?”
“Yeah. One of my bosses is definitely gay. I don’t know about the other. But if you look at their site, it clearly says they are advocates of love for everyone.”
“Oh. That’s really nice. That’s good for you. You haven’t gotten out much. Dating your computer. Wait, so was it one of them who goes out looking to get laid? You didn’t finish the question.”
Kyuhyun bit his lip, wondering how much he should reveal. Then again, it was Ryeowook, who was imminently trustworthy. Still, some things were sacred.
“Something like that. I guess it’d be something to do if you didn’t want to get all emotional about things.”
“But sometimes that’s half the fun,” Ryeowook said.
And Zhou Mi was matching other people for love. It was something to think about. Not everyone got lucky. Lucky in love.
***
Kyuhyun was about to put the whole ordeal out of his mind by dismissing it as none of his business. That and he didn’t care to think about someone else’s problems in his time to unwind. There wasn’t anything he could do about it. It had nothing to do with him. So it was him and his laptop all the way.
If Tablo was surprised that the proprietors of Heartstrings wanted to get together with him, he didn’t much show it.
“That’s nice, but they know it’s not necessary?”
“I think they know that,” Kyuhyun said, leaning on the door jamb.
“Wow, you must really be an asset if they’re wanting to feed me for the pleasure of your company. Kyuhyun, matchmaker extraordinaire?”
He snorted. Just the idea. But Tablo looked at his calendar, humming slightly.
“Tomorrow is fine, if that’s okay for them. You can let me know tomorrow. Doesn’t matter what time.”
“Great. Thanks.”
“I knew you’d do well there,” Tablo said, and it sounded oddly self-congratulatory.
“Maybe they’ll fix you up with someone next,” Kyuhyun shot back.
The smile was immediate. “They’re welcome to try.”
So Kyuhyun had eaten his lunch, making the walk to the building Heartstrings was in. And Eunhyuk took the news with widening eyes.
“Oh, that’s great. Yeah, tomorrow is fine. I know Zhou Mi doesn’t have any matchmaking schedules then, so if he’s busy he can reschedule whatever else. Thank you for asking.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t a problem.”
There was silence for a moment as Eunhyuk looked down, where Kyuhyun wondered if that was his cue to retreat, but he was pinned again by a stare.
“Zhou Mi and I talked this morning. And I wanted to apologize for yesterday. He said he told you why I was upset.”
“Yeah. About him going out to have a drink, and…yeah.”
“That’s less of a problem,” Eunhyuk muttered. “It’s the not going home alone.“
How to respond to his boss telling him a very, very, ultra-personal bit of information that he’d already been given. Find a guy, Zhou Mi had said. Take him home, Eunhyuk had added. Simply said, nothing titillating about it. But impossible to shake off.
“Well.” The laugh kind of tickled.
There were some things it was maybe better not to know. Or to imagine.
Some things that made it impossible to meet Zhou Mi’s eyes when he came in ten minutes later, retrieving his phone and being informed of their upcoming dinner meeting with Tablo.
“Oh, great!” Zhou Mi enthused. “Thanks for setting that up, Kyuhyun.”
He mumbled some deflection, bobbing his head and hoping. Hoping. So much hope, that Zhou Mi wouldn’t suggest that they meet to go over his dating profile that night. Because, hey man, good for Zhou Mi maybe getting some last night. And on the flip side, it was knowledge about his boss, and knowledge that had him spending a few seconds more than necessary wondering if Zhou Mi’s good mood was because of last night, or whatever. If it had been one of his friends, under the right circumstances, maybe there would’ve been congratulations or questions about what was up to spur it or how it went.
Of course, the next thing on his mind was two bosses meeting his other boss, in a dinner he was also expected to attend.
At least he was fairly comfortable around most of them.
And as long as those few mental images stayed away, he figured he’d be just fine.
***
Tablo met them at the restaurant the next day. All Kyuhyun really wanted was for it to go well, and that he’d be able to feed his face and enjoy it. It almost felt like an office field trip, only less exciting since he knew both the restaurant and the person they were meeting. It was interesting to consider how it would be, two parts of his life coming together. Zhou Mi kept the flow of conversation going as they walked the half a block, talking about the road noise, and the new shops that were coming in. And Zhou Mi was the first in the door as well, with Eunhyuk ushering Kyuhyun in ahead of him. The restaurant was nice enough, in ivory and grays and reds, with tables and booths. He spotted Tablo in a booth, and pointed Zhou Mi that way. Zhou Mi had introduced himself before Kyuhyun could manage it himself.
“Nice seeing you again,” Tablo said to Eunhyuk, and glanced at Kyuhyun. “And I think I know this one.”
Kyuhyun tried not to roll his eyes, and ended up sitting on the inside facing Tablo with Eunhyuk beside him, and Zhou Mi beside Tablo.
“The meeting of the keepers?” Tablo teased.
“Is this going to be a swapping session on how to keep me in line?” Kyuhyun asked, grasping his menu like a lifeline.
But it set the table at ease.
“We really wanted a chance to thank you, and get to know you!” Zhou Mi said. “We hear good things from Kyuhyun.”
The menu hid his face to snickers from across the table. They ordered, keeping it light as they waited and had their food delivered.
“How long have you been recruiting?” Zhou Mi asked Tablo, waiting for his soup to cool.
“About five years. It’s a small arm of a larger company, so I’ve worked my way up to heading this. Kyuhyun helps keep part of it going as well.”
“You rarely have to tell Kyuhyun how to do anything twice. That’s really valuable in a person,” Zhou Mi said, smiling between them.
Kyuhyun began to feel distinctly uncomfortable. It had been a Thank-Tablo-for-his-help dinner, not a Talk-Kyuhyun-up dinner. He was tempted to butt in and say that maybe he deserved a raise for his efforts, but he’d learned to bottle his sense of humor down. Sometimes at least. Tablo, to his credit, didn’t jump on the parade of praising Kyuhyun, to Kyuhyun’s eternal relief.
“It’s exciting that you must be growing enough to take on an extra person, even half time. Are you facing a lot of demand? How is the market going these days?”
Kyuhyun was allowed to eat in peace without fearing for his blush trigger, as Zhou Mi gave information on the business, and quarterly reports, and growth charts. It was all interesting, mostly. The most fascinating subject on earth as long as he wasn’t the one being paid attention to. He knew Tablo could talk about that kind of thing all day.
“Sorry,” Zhou Mi said with laugh. “I think I dream about the business, too.”
Tablo merely shrugged. “Don’t apologize. I bet most people wouldn’t have a clue how to get that kind of business off the ground, much less keep it afloat. And you’re adding value, so maybe you’ll get to add more staff. We hadn’t worked with that kind of a request until Eunhyuk came in that day. It was interesting to see how we could meet your needs.”
“I’m really glad Eunhyuk found you and Kyuhyun. You live close by? Family?”
Tablo shook his head. “No family, but I do live nearby. Makes it a nice short commute.”
Kyuhyun actually felt Eunhyuk shift beside him, and for the first time, realized that Eunhyuk hadn’t been saying much. He’d put in a few facts as Zhou Mi had been talking about Heartstrings’ growth, but otherwise not speaking. And Eunhyuk had been the one to suggest the meeting to begin with. He wasn’t sure what to make of it.
“So you must get this question a lot, given your business-“ Tablo started.
“Are we both dating someone and happy forever?” Zhou Mi asked slyly.
Laughter from the whole table as Tablo’s eyebrows rose. “Yes, exactly.”
The sage look on Zhou Mi’s face was almost as hilarious as the way he’d perceived Tablo’s question, even as Kyuhyun’s sense of secondhand embarrassment skyrocketed.
“You’ve heard of the expression “those who can’t do, teach?”” Zhou Mi shook his head. “No, it’s not exactly like that. I guess we’re just waiting to find the right person, too. No guarantees, right?”
There was a wistfulness, and a truth to Zhou Mi’s statement that had the table quieting for a moment, nods from both Tablo and Kyuhyun. Anyone who had been in the ups and downs of relationships understood that. It wasn’t like everyone got to meet their ideal person in a pre-arranged date and location, and everyone after those meetings was a failure. There was chance and luck, and desire that went into it.
“Excuse me a moment,” Eunhyuk said, laying his napkin down and standing from the table.
A moment later, face concerned, Zhou Mi also excused himself.
“Nice guys to work with,” Tablo said, looking at Kyuhyun. “Better than me?”
“Could anyone be?” Kyuhyun joked. “They’re great. Not a slave driver between them.”
He followed Tablo’s gaze to where Zhou Mi and Eunhyuk stood in conversation across the room, Zhou Mi’s hand on Eunhyuk’s elbow. And Tablo’s look was both curious and confused.
“Are you sure they’re not together?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure,” Kyuhyun said.
Stranger things were possible, he supposed. But he at least thought he was right.
***
Zhou Mi found himself fairly good at reading people. Not always in the most immediate sense, but he usually got a good feel of what a person was like. Certainly in his daily interactions with people not his clients, his mouth got ahead of his brain in some cases. Okay, and sometimes with his clients. But at those times he was usually hyper aware and vigilant, and didn’t let himself get too far out of hand. The meeting with Tablo seemed like a good idea. He’d have taken it into consideration if Eunhyuk had sent him an email invitation, but it had gotten far more insistent than that. Said in front of Kyuhyun, there was no way for him to back out without seeming like a jerk. And that wasn’t the way things usually went between him and Eunhyuk. Not being used to censoring themselves in front of an employee only went so far. Eunhyuk hadn’t wanted him to be able to refuse. And the fact that he didn’t know why chafed at him.
But the thanks, those were genuine from all sides. All of the praise toward Kyuhyun had been well-deserved. Even if he wasn’t the one working with Kyuhyun the most on a daily basis, the easing of the workload trickled down to him in significant ways. He’d gotten up a few mornings wondering why they hadn’t hired someone sooner. But better late than never.
It was nice, talking with someone who was interested, if not in the same business. With Eunhyuk, they tended to talk about the same things in a circular manner, and he worried about pumping Kyuhyun full of too much information. Most of it wasn’t necessary for Kyuhyun to do his job. But some of it had to be interesting, just from the scope of knowing how his work impacted the rest of the company. Even if Kyuhyun mostly listened, he seemed interested. Polite, and curious-eyed. Maybe it was because of how tired he was, that he found himself concentrating on the way Kyuhyun’s eyes caught the light.
But Eunhyuk’s sudden departure had been a worry. He’d been engrossed in the conversation, getting only a glimpse of Eunhyuk’s face as he’d stood. What he saw, he didn’t like. They hadn’t known each other that long for nothing. And it forced him to excuse himself as well.
He walked quickly, half jogged a few steps, to get himself behind Eunhyuk a little faster.
“Hey. Hey. Are you all right?”
Eunhyuk turned. Surprised, resigned maybe, to see Zhou Mi right there.
“Yeah. I just needed a moment. Sorry.”
“That’s fine, but- I thought you wanted this? You’ve barely said anything.”
“I could say I’m tired but I don’t think you’d believe me,” Eunhyuk said, smiling a bit wryly. “But I really am fine. I’m just going to wash my face and I’ll be right back.”
Zhou Mi didn’t have the option of pinning Eunhyuk down on his vagueness. Tiredness could account for some of it, but even as Eunhyuk tended to observe, he was as, if not more, gregarious as Zhou Mi was. The only part of his puzzling that he let himself betray was a tapping of his fingers against his leg as he returned to the table. He was, theoretically, the host, and he’d abandoned his guests. But he was determined not to let that show as he slipped into the booth.
“Is he okay?” Kyuhyun asked, and the concern in that touched him.
And it also meant that he wasn’t the only one who noticed. The getting up was obvious, but Kyuhyun had been around nearly a month. Long enough to get some sense of Eunhyuk’s behavior beyond just how he sat in his office chair, at his ruthlessly organized desk.
“Yeah, he’s fine. Thanks for asking. Just needed a moment. Did we want dessert? We could get the menu.”
Kyuhyun seemed tempted, though declined after Tablo declined. And the rest of the meal was uneventful after Eunhyuk returned. He kept his eyes on his plate, and Eunhyuk’s apology had been genuine for leaving so abruptly, though no one pressed him on it. And he left Eunhyuk to talk to Tablo and Kyuhyun as he paid the bill.
“See you tomorrow,” Eunhyuk said after, as they all parted ways.
A clear sign he didn’t want to talk about what had happened.
At least not yet.
***
”I want my mother,” he begged, tugging at the woman’s skirt. He wasn’t sure who she was, he just knew who she wasn’t.
Like all the other dreams, he broke away, running through endless halls. All the doors were filled with people gawking down at him. None of them his mother. Garish faces, leering. Scolding him. Telling him not to run. That he was alone. That he would always be alone. He’d never been able to leave without his mother. She warned him against kidnappers, against-
The end of the hallway rose up, and he fell instead of hitting it. He wanted his mother! She had to be there. She had just been there. He’d seen her.
“Mommy, where are you?” he cried out, and the people in the doorways loomed larger.
“Shh. Hyukjae, shh.”
That voice. It was the voice of safety. Wrapped up in arms that told him no lies. Not his mother. Someone he could trust.
“D-dan-“
Eunhyuk shot upright, chest heaving, a cold sweat breaking over his skin. The dream. He hadn’t had that dream in so long. A year or more, at least.
Always the same. Trapped in walls that were nothing but fear to him. So many unfamiliar faces. Searching for his mother. Searching for someone to make him feel safe.
He sank back onto his pillows, his blanket clutched in both fists. The dark ceiling gave him no answer, and the clock shone a mocking four in the morning. To calm himself, he ran over his duties of the day. Emails, client meetings, developer meetings, inventories, aligning his schedule to Zhou Mi’s.
And then he thought of the dinner, so fresh in his mind despite being days before. Tablo sitting across from him, speaking about his life, his business. Details Eunhyuk craved knowing.
The dinner that had gone well.
He just wasn’t sure how it had all gone so wrong.
***
It was unusual, but Zhou Mi went to bed almost immediately after showering. Tired from the dinner, from the day. He had always been a bit of a finicky sleeper, needing a certain amount of quiet, and darkness, to be able to rest. Little rituals that kept him comfortable, and also had him waking looking as good as possible. But it didn’t matter how comfortable he got, how early he slept. What he ate, how warm he was, sleep was a struggle. Ever since that nightmare. He seemed to dream snippets of it every night. The hand of the child, the blood. Nothing in movies had prepared him for something that had felt too real. And he knew it was something he needed to get over. Not obsess about the woman’s eyes, or the cold, or sick feeling it left him with.
Eunhyuk, wise to Zhou Mi being more tired than usual, had taken to bringing him tea occasionally. There were the lectures, of course. He was accustomed to those. Eunhyuk cared, and they had gotten so much less frequent now that Zhou Mi was sleeping, or trying to sleep, more than a few hours a night.
“Go home early,” Eunhyuk cautioned him, holding the tea out of Zhou Mi’s reach before handing it to him. “Seriously. You look like hell.”
“Thanks,” he said wryly as he accepted the newspaper that Eunhyuk held out as well. But the door to his office was closed, and he rolled his neck. It would do him good to try and sleep early. A few extra naps sounded amazing.
He unfolded the paper as he tested the tea, humming at the slug of sugar and shot of soy milk that ran through it. Eunhyuk knew him well.
It was stupid luck that he didn’t burn his hand as he slammed the cup of tea onto his desk. He had turned the newspaper over to the front cover, expecting transit troubles, or weather woes. Instead, it was an update of a murder investigation.
And he saw the face of the dead woman from his nightmare staring back at him.
***
Author: Coley Merrin
Pairings: Zhou Mi/Kyuhyun, Tablo/Eunhyuk
Other: Zhou Mi/other, Kyuhyun/other, Eunhyuk/Sooyoung, various
Rating: R
Genre: AU, crime, romance
Warnings: violence, death (not of main characters)
Summary: Zhou Mi’s focus is Heartstrings, a dating company where love is more than just a guarantee - it's in Zhou Mi’s blood. A matchmaking gift he’s used with gladness, until a series of murders has it shaping his nightmares.
Eunhyuk, his business partner, can’t let go of his tumultuous past. But finding a man he’s been looking for over half his life has repercussions not only for him, but for Zhou Mi and their future.
Chapter One * Chapter Two * Chapter Three
***
Kyuhyun spent a small fraction of his weekend considering the offer Zhou Mi and Eunhyuk had made, about joining the dating site for free. He’d seen the testimonials, heard the stories. Some of his friends had started dating their girlfriends and boyfriends online. He’d certainly made friends online, from gaming, or his blog, or just being a fan of things. All of his previous boyfriends had been introduced to him by friends, or someone he’d met at school. His parents probably would’ve introduced him to people, too, but of the wrong kind.
It had been a couple of months since he’d broken up with the last one. It had started fine, but their timing had sucked. Last Kyuhyun had heard, he was dating someone else. He didn’t feel like he wasn’t whole without a guy after him. He certainly wasn’t pining. But it didn’t sound like a bad idea, overall. Not like he’d find a guy immediately. Maybe he’d be use some of the magic that Zhou Mi joked about, and find a guy who fit a little better than the others had.
But after he managed to get to the point where the idea had merit, he put it out of his head, spending his weekend with his computer and hanging out with some of his friends. Those were all the reasons he wasn’t chafing to dive into a relationship. He was hardly alone.
The work week dawned with it in the back of his head, just hours away from going in to Heartstrings. He’d need to give them an answer, soon. That or it would just get awkward. He half hoped one of them would bring it up again, so he didn’t have to. So about that offer to help me date someone…
He jerked when his intercom buzzed, Tablo’s voice coming out of the speaker. “Hey Kyuhyun, could you come in in about five minutes?”
There was something about being called in by the boss that elicited a lot of simultaneous feelings and worries. Of course, when all was said and done, his moments of panic were generally uncalled for. That one time when he’d been assigned what was two weeks of copying, collating - enough until his brain had withered - was something he gladly never thought about again.
He took the seat beside Tablo’s desk, and waited for Tablo to get off the phone with what sounded like one of their big clients.
“Sorry, just finishing that up. So, you survived two weeks,” Tablo said, leaning back in his chair and shooting Kyuhyun a grin. “Did they set you up with someone already yet?”
That was something he appreciated about Tablo’s style as a boss. He managed to insert a little humor into their dealings, behind the otherwise solemn and calculated demeanor.
Some of his coworkers really did shake in their boots when Tablo called them in. Kyuhyun was more or less just playing it up.
“Actually, not yet. No parade of eligible guys through the office yet. I’m hoping I get that when my month anniversary goes by.”
They both savored the joke, and quite possibly the image involved.
“But,” Kyuhyun said, and brought up what he’d been thinking about. “They did say, since I’m an employee, that I could set up an account on the dating site for free. I wanted to check with you first, though. I wasn’t sure if it was unethical to take them up on it.”
Tablo actually laughed, loudly. “I don’t think so. A lot of places give their employees perks and discounts. Maybe if it was an illegal business, but I don’t think it’s any different than getting a free cookie if you were working at a bakery.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Tablo sobered up a little. “Though you know they can’t force you, right? If it doesn’t feel right, or you don’t want it, then you don’t have to.”
“No, no. I do know that. I mean people have dated without the internet forever. But I wanted to check with you first, just in case. It might be something to try. Hey, if it’s free. And they wouldn’t try to force it on me. They seem like good guys. Did you meet them both?”
“Just one. Eunhyuk? I had a couple of meetings with him. He seemed nice enough. Kind of quiet and thoughtful.”
“He did most of my training there, so yeah, I know him best.”
“Since they hook up the world, are they both in relationships?”
Kyuhyun blinked. “I- Neither of them have said? I don’t think so, though. Maybe they’re married to their job.”
His significant look at Tablo did not go unnoticed, and he got a tsk in return.
“No one understands.”
“I know. I bet they could commiserate.” Though Kyuhyun’s tone said anything but.
Tablo waved him off. “I thought I was paying you to work.”
Kyuhyun grinned, and retreated to his cubicle.
***
Kyuhyun was still stewing in his thoughts when he made it to Heartstrings, puffing a little because he’d taken the stairs. A last ditch effort at working off some of his lunch, because the rest of the day he was decidedly on his ass. But he had another reason for hustling in the box he held. A little gift, of a sort. Not to suck up, but just as thanks, especially after he’d been taken out to dinner to mark his first two weeks. The fact that he didn’t even mind going in to work said something. It was interesting, the work. And the coworkers interesting also. Even, especially, if they did bicker.
Eunhyuk greeted him when he came in, the usual small talk. How his day had been, how the weather was outside. Zhou Mi, by the wide open door of his office, was still out at lunch as per usual. Eunhyuk would stay until Zhou Mi made it back, and then quiet would reign - as long as Zhou Mi was in his office and Kyuhyun was out front. It was only when Zhou Mi and Eunhyuk were in the same room that things really got loud. It made for an interesting break in the work day. Most days.
But not when he had a surprise, or when he was still trying to figure out how to tell them he’d take them up on their offer.
“I have something, for when Zhou Mi comes back,” Kyuhyun said.
“Sure,” Eunhyuk said, eyeing him curiously. “Work?”
“No, something else.”
And Kyuhyun hid the box a little better. No use ruining the surprise.
“Did you miss me?” Zhou Mi asked, beaming as he came through the door and all but raced to get his phone from Eunhyuk.
“Are you asking us or your phone?” Eunhyuk teased, and got a swat. “Kyuhyun had something to…talk to us about? Show us?”
“Give you,” Kyuhyun corrected.
Still half in checking his phone messages mode, Zhou Mi wandered to Kyuhyun’s desk, leaning against a corner of it, while Kyuhyun scooted his chair forward expectantly. And he first uncovered the box, and then opened it so that both Zhou Mi and Eunhyuk could see.
There were four little miniature cakes inside, each with the logo of Heartstrings on their white tops. Pretty pink little interconnecting hearts. Sometimes it was nice to have talented friends.
“Oh,” Zhou Mi said, his interest in his phone forgotten. “Oh, look. How cute!”
“I would’ve made something myself,” Kyuhyun said, as he watched their reactions. “But I don’t like killing my bosses before I work a month. I just wanted to say thanks.”
“And we get to thank you, too,” Eunhyuk said, getting almost at eye level with the box. “They are so cute. We can eat them?”
“Sure. Go ahead.”
It was a race to see whose hand got in first, Eunhyuk’s or Zhou Mi’s. Eunhyuk did first, but Zhou Mi seemed to get back at him by handing Kyuhyun one of the cakes first before taking his own. In a very blatant show that had Eunhyuk rolling his eyes.
“To Heartstrings. And cake. And this is so cute,” Zhou Mi said, half toasting them before biting in. Kyuhyun already knew what they tasted like, but it was nice to see them being savored, too. “And good, too!”
“You have icing on your nose,” Eunhyuk informed Zhou Mi.
“These would be super cute when we have our mixers,” Zhou Mi said, half behind his hand that was cleaning his face. “Where did you get them?”
“A friend, actually. He’s a sous chef at a restaurant near here.”
Zhou Mi looked intrigued. “Really? What kind?”
“International. It’s more upscale than a lot of places I guess?”
“Interesting. Interesting. If this is any indication of the food quality, it might be worth checking out.”
It was more conversation from the impromptu cake party than Kyuhyun had really expected. Zhou Mi clearly had something to say, or he’d have sequestered himself in his office.
“You bring us cute treats, so I guess you get to stay,” Zhou Mi said, extending his hand for an impromptu high five from Kyuhyun. “Did you get a chance to think over if you wanted to try the site?”
“I- Yeah.” And there it was. He didn’t even have to figure out how to fit it awkwardly into conversation. “I’d like to. I think it sounds good.”
After beaming a smile at Kyuhyun, Zhou Mi considered his business partner.
“Great! Am I still taking him?” Zhou Mi asked.
“Yeah. Accounting time. He wouldn’t want me,” Eunhyuk laughed.
Kyuhyun blinked, feeling perpetually lost between their conversations that didn’t make sense. It wasn’t that they meant to exclude him, they just didn’t give him enough information to clue in to all their meanings.
“Oh. Sorry!” Zhou Mi burst out, his voice shimmering with humor when he caught sight of Kyuhyun’s face. “We had been talking about if you had been interested in the site, then we might sort of track you as a test case. But that doesn’t make sense, since you’re a special employee. So I can start matching you just like I would any of my one-to-one clients.”
The high-end, high paying clients. Kyuhyun stared between them. “And you have time for this?”
Another significant glance between the two men.
“Well,” Zhou Mi started, before stopping and humming.
“Zhou Mi is the specialist,” Eunhyuk said, amused all over again. “He’s doing pretty well working with the high-paying clients, as well as getting his hands in everything else. We’re still kicking around a middle-ground option, but we’d need at least another full time specialist.”
Kyuhyun wasn’t entirely sure if dating with his boss over his shoulder was a good idea, or how to parse that idea in actuality. It seemed like having his boss in his back pocket that far could be good or bad. Maybe more things about himself, his preferences and personality than he really ever wanted to show another person. But on the other hand, maybe it was good. Like Eunhyuk said, Zhou Mi was the specialist. If anyone could guide Kyuhyun through the pitfalls of online dating, he was looking at him.
“But that’d take up work time?” Kyuhyun said after a moment. He wasn’t trying to suck up, but he had no idea how long Zhou Mi’s counseling sessions were planned to last.
Eunhyuk snorted. “After his own heart.”
But it was Zhou Mi who answered.
“It might be after work, but it probably wouldn’t take a long time, just a quick meeting You can just get your account set up, go through the walkthroughs and answer all the questionnaires, and then we can meet after.”
“Okay. Great. Thank you.”
Zhou Mi smiled and nodded, such genuine feeling coming out of that expression that Kyuhyun couldn’t doubt his sincerity. And that was before Eunhyuk pinned him with a total change of topic.
“You should invite Tablo to eat with us after hours one of these days.”
Zhou Mi kind of chuckled. “Like the meeting of the businesses?”
“No,” Eunhyuk said, narrowing his eyes at Zhou Mi. “I mean, we should invite him. To thank him for his help in finding Kyuhyun.”
There were several moments of awkward silence where Eunhyuk seemed to be telegraphing things with his mind, while Zhou Mi frowned at him.
“Okay.” And then Zhou Mi was looking at him instead. “Do you think he’d be okay with that? Any day is fine. Not tonight, but if you wanted to ask. Or…one of us could ask?”
Eunhyuk seemed less than thrilled by that last thought.
And Kyuhyun felt like he was in the middle of a situation where he wasn’t exactly sure where he was supposed to be standing.
“I could ask? I’m sure he wouldn’t be against it?” Kyuhyun offered, still a little weirded out by the conversation, and the subtext that was clearly way over his head. Eunhyuk seemed to be subtly threatening Zhou Mi to agree to a dinner, but the reasons for that were less clear. The thought that Eunhyuk could be somehow interested in Tablo somehow passed by, but that made so much less sense than Eunhyuk wanting to thank Tablo for his help.
Trying to wrap his head around Eunhyuk and-
He just agreed, and went back to his email sorting, because that at least he could grasp.
***
Zhou Mi disappeared out of the office that afternoon for about half an hour, and if the shuffling and banging of Eunhyuk’s drawers said something about it, he wasn’t happy. And thus, Kyuhyun’s curiosity and his sense of office propriety warred mightily within himself. The last thing he really wanted to do was be drawn into a battle between two bosses. That was a surefire way to get himself the boot. But Eunhyuk wasn’t exactly being the soul of subtlety either. When Zhou Mi breezed back in, he seemed pleased. In some people, that kind of emotion was kind of hard to detect. Zhou Mi radiated it like a happiness sprinkler.
A little bakery envelope with what turned out to be a cookie was deposited on Kyuhyun’s desk.
“Thanks?” he managed out before Zhou Mi and his loose trench coat fluttered off.
Zhou Mi approached Eunhyuk’s desk, who’d been watching the whole time, before pivoting away.
“Hey!” Eunhyuk protested.
Zhou Mi laughed, turning back to hand Eunhyuk his own cookie.
“Is this a peace offering?” Eunhyuk asked.
Kyuhyun couldn’t see Zhou Mi’s face, but he could see the way Zhou Mi’s shoulders shifted.
“Could it be?” And Zhou Mi half glanced back at Kyuhyun. “Did you explain?”
“No.” And Eunhyuk sounded insulted at the thought.
“You’re more embarrassed about it than I am.”
“Then you tell him! And maybe try sleep? You look like you got run over by a truck.”
“I don’t give myself nightmares,” Zhou Mi shot back.
And just like that it had gone from halfway genial again, to outright tension. Kyuhyun kept his head down, so he didn’t see in what manner Zhou Mi turned and went back to his office. He just knew that the door closed behind him. Not unusual, but in that instance, incredibly final.
***
It was an hour before the end of office hours, when Kyuhyun got another shock. Eunhyuk slammed down his bag, loud enough for Zhou Mi and offices on both sides of them to hear. It didn’t get a response, but it didn’t seem like Eunhyuk was expecting one.
“I’m going before Zhou Mi does, so we don’t cause a scene. Don’t worry. This is one night you won’t have to worry about him staying late,” Eunhyuk said. And there was bitterness in those words, and a furrowed brow. But it didn’t seem like anger. Worry?
But then Eunhyuk was gone, and he was left to sort through design tickets. Both slightly unsettled and kind of wishing he could just leave himself. Given Eunhyuk’s mood, he wasn’t sure what state Zhou Mi was in. Was there a black mood to go along with the cookie-giving and laughter from the back office? According to Eunhyuk, Zhou Mi was a perfectionist. The problem was, both of them were. Even if Zhou Mi definitely had the sunnier personality.
He tensed when he heard the office door open behind him. Turning his head, not because he expected Zhou Mi to attack him, but some kind of respect.
Zhou Mi hijacked Eunhyuk’s chair, rolling it over beside the chair that sat in front of the aquarium.
“Come sit with me for a moment?” Zhou Mi offered, patting the chair beside him.
Kyuhyun obeyed, not really seeing another option. Half sliding onto the chair. Probably as close as he had sat to Zhou Mi, ever. But it wasn’t awkward. Zhou Mi wasn’t turned toward him, just partially slouched in the office chair and considering the brightly lit aquarium.
“I come out here and sit sometimes after hours and just look at the fish,” Zhou Mi said, leaning forward. “We tried to get all fancy about it, but now we just have the schooling fish so we can watch them go around together.”
And Kyuhyun knew the fish supplies, like everything else in the office, were immaculately organized. There was a tray of food in the enclosed bottom cabinet with instructions printed and laminated on top of each bottle.
“Eunhyuk gets a little stressed if he thinks someone won’t be able to follow his instructions or put them back in the same spot. There are labels in the tray, too.”
Kyuhyun had to swallow the tickle in his throat, knowing that Zhou Mi was right, because he’d seen the labels marking where the fish food should go back to. It was easy to see how the two men worked together. Zhou Mi was focused and dedicated, and Eunhyuk was ruthlessly prepared every step of the way.
“About earlier…” Zhou Mi began, before stopping and wrinkling his nose.
“You don’t have to explain,” Kyuhyun said, feeling the awkward raise by a thousand percent.
“It has nothing to do with work,” Zhou Mi assured him, his mouth curving but not showing in his eyes. “I didn’t want you to be worried by it. He and I get into it sometimes, but we do try and not let it spill over into the office. I guess we never had an audience to hide it from before. But it’s okay, because we are still friends. There’s no danger to the business.”
Yeah, the having-nothing-to-do-with-work thing was clearly a fairy tale, when it started spilling into work time. But he appreciated Zhou Mi at least attempting to smooth things over, and put his mind at ease. It wasn’t exactly like watching his parents fighting. More like watching a ship bob around in the rocks. The outcome could have him swimming, if Zhou Mi and Eunhyuk crashed. And it had his hands fisting together.
And nothing Zhou Mi had said had enlightened him as to just what all the tension had been about.
“Short story, despite working here, all the hearts and dating, I haven’t dated in a year and a half or so,” Zhou Mi said. “So once a month, I go out. Find a nice guy to have a drink with, and maybe more, you know? It’s not like I go home with someone every time.”
Sounded innocuous enough, Kyuhyun thought, his fingers still tight on themselves, at least until the end of it. Okay, so going to find a guy to hang out with or sleep with. And Eunhyuk didn’t approve.
“But it is at least something to look forward to. He just worries, that’s all. I’m sorry you got caught up in the middle of it. I don’t want to make anything weird, but it’s probably better for you not to wonder.”
Zhou Mi sighed.
“I just wanted you to know that it wasn’t anything to be concerned about, okay? You can finish up and go. I’ll close up here in a little bit.”
One of the schools of fish darted at Zhou Mi standing and casting a shadow onto the tank. His skin felt like it had done the same, as Zhou Mi patted his shoulder and walked back to his office.
***
“Did they like the cakes?” Ryeowook asked, almost as soon as he answered Kyuhyun’s call. Kyuhyun flopped onto his futon with his cell phone almost immediately after he ate, and hadn’t much moved in the subsequent hours until Ryeowook had gotten out of the restaurant. The little decorated cakes had been a hit, as he knew they would be. Of course.
“They did. Actually, I think you might be getting some business.”
Ryeowook laughed. “My bosses will be happy to hear that. Especially an exclusive kind of company like that.”
“Take me out to dinner if you get a raise,” Kyuhyun teased.
They’d been in the same class together through high school, drifting apart a bit during college when Ryeowook had been studying and cooking abroad, before somehow colliding again afterward. And it wasn’t just Ryeowook’s food. Some of it had been that Ryeowook had been working so much, trying to get respect, trying to learn and get ahead. And Kyuhyun had been scrambling for a job and gaming himself blind. Still it was nice to have that friend that, no matter how often they saw each other or talked, always felt close.
He’d found out that Ryeowook had dated men while in Europe, Ryeowook showing him pictures almost like in a test. Looking at Kyuhyun with almost a dare. Ryeowook had then been the first person to hear, “I dated a guy in college.”
Ryeowook had been hoping to find acceptance, and found something more like solidarity.
And Kyuhyun wasn’t even aware how much the situation at work with Zhou Mi and Eunhyuk, and the one night stand situation got into him, until he decided on asking about it.
“Hey, you know any guys who go out looking to get laid?”
Ryeowook choked, sounding like he’d tried to swallow something wrong. “Uh. I guess? Why, are you looking?”
“No!” Kyuhyun said, horrified, and face on fire. And then laughing until he couldn’t breathe, as Ryeowook sighed in obvious relief.
“I don’t want to try and hook you up,” Ryeowook almost scolded. “That’s awkward.”
“That’s why I’m with a matchmaking company!” Kyuhyun said, chuckling. “They want to try hooking me up with someone. To date.”
“Oh?” Ryeowook asked. “But… Do they match men?”
“Yeah. One of my bosses is definitely gay. I don’t know about the other. But if you look at their site, it clearly says they are advocates of love for everyone.”
“Oh. That’s really nice. That’s good for you. You haven’t gotten out much. Dating your computer. Wait, so was it one of them who goes out looking to get laid? You didn’t finish the question.”
Kyuhyun bit his lip, wondering how much he should reveal. Then again, it was Ryeowook, who was imminently trustworthy. Still, some things were sacred.
“Something like that. I guess it’d be something to do if you didn’t want to get all emotional about things.”
“But sometimes that’s half the fun,” Ryeowook said.
And Zhou Mi was matching other people for love. It was something to think about. Not everyone got lucky. Lucky in love.
***
Kyuhyun was about to put the whole ordeal out of his mind by dismissing it as none of his business. That and he didn’t care to think about someone else’s problems in his time to unwind. There wasn’t anything he could do about it. It had nothing to do with him. So it was him and his laptop all the way.
If Tablo was surprised that the proprietors of Heartstrings wanted to get together with him, he didn’t much show it.
“That’s nice, but they know it’s not necessary?”
“I think they know that,” Kyuhyun said, leaning on the door jamb.
“Wow, you must really be an asset if they’re wanting to feed me for the pleasure of your company. Kyuhyun, matchmaker extraordinaire?”
He snorted. Just the idea. But Tablo looked at his calendar, humming slightly.
“Tomorrow is fine, if that’s okay for them. You can let me know tomorrow. Doesn’t matter what time.”
“Great. Thanks.”
“I knew you’d do well there,” Tablo said, and it sounded oddly self-congratulatory.
“Maybe they’ll fix you up with someone next,” Kyuhyun shot back.
The smile was immediate. “They’re welcome to try.”
So Kyuhyun had eaten his lunch, making the walk to the building Heartstrings was in. And Eunhyuk took the news with widening eyes.
“Oh, that’s great. Yeah, tomorrow is fine. I know Zhou Mi doesn’t have any matchmaking schedules then, so if he’s busy he can reschedule whatever else. Thank you for asking.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t a problem.”
There was silence for a moment as Eunhyuk looked down, where Kyuhyun wondered if that was his cue to retreat, but he was pinned again by a stare.
“Zhou Mi and I talked this morning. And I wanted to apologize for yesterday. He said he told you why I was upset.”
“Yeah. About him going out to have a drink, and…yeah.”
“That’s less of a problem,” Eunhyuk muttered. “It’s the not going home alone.“
How to respond to his boss telling him a very, very, ultra-personal bit of information that he’d already been given. Find a guy, Zhou Mi had said. Take him home, Eunhyuk had added. Simply said, nothing titillating about it. But impossible to shake off.
“Well.” The laugh kind of tickled.
There were some things it was maybe better not to know. Or to imagine.
Some things that made it impossible to meet Zhou Mi’s eyes when he came in ten minutes later, retrieving his phone and being informed of their upcoming dinner meeting with Tablo.
“Oh, great!” Zhou Mi enthused. “Thanks for setting that up, Kyuhyun.”
He mumbled some deflection, bobbing his head and hoping. Hoping. So much hope, that Zhou Mi wouldn’t suggest that they meet to go over his dating profile that night. Because, hey man, good for Zhou Mi maybe getting some last night. And on the flip side, it was knowledge about his boss, and knowledge that had him spending a few seconds more than necessary wondering if Zhou Mi’s good mood was because of last night, or whatever. If it had been one of his friends, under the right circumstances, maybe there would’ve been congratulations or questions about what was up to spur it or how it went.
Of course, the next thing on his mind was two bosses meeting his other boss, in a dinner he was also expected to attend.
At least he was fairly comfortable around most of them.
And as long as those few mental images stayed away, he figured he’d be just fine.
***
Tablo met them at the restaurant the next day. All Kyuhyun really wanted was for it to go well, and that he’d be able to feed his face and enjoy it. It almost felt like an office field trip, only less exciting since he knew both the restaurant and the person they were meeting. It was interesting to consider how it would be, two parts of his life coming together. Zhou Mi kept the flow of conversation going as they walked the half a block, talking about the road noise, and the new shops that were coming in. And Zhou Mi was the first in the door as well, with Eunhyuk ushering Kyuhyun in ahead of him. The restaurant was nice enough, in ivory and grays and reds, with tables and booths. He spotted Tablo in a booth, and pointed Zhou Mi that way. Zhou Mi had introduced himself before Kyuhyun could manage it himself.
“Nice seeing you again,” Tablo said to Eunhyuk, and glanced at Kyuhyun. “And I think I know this one.”
Kyuhyun tried not to roll his eyes, and ended up sitting on the inside facing Tablo with Eunhyuk beside him, and Zhou Mi beside Tablo.
“The meeting of the keepers?” Tablo teased.
“Is this going to be a swapping session on how to keep me in line?” Kyuhyun asked, grasping his menu like a lifeline.
But it set the table at ease.
“We really wanted a chance to thank you, and get to know you!” Zhou Mi said. “We hear good things from Kyuhyun.”
The menu hid his face to snickers from across the table. They ordered, keeping it light as they waited and had their food delivered.
“How long have you been recruiting?” Zhou Mi asked Tablo, waiting for his soup to cool.
“About five years. It’s a small arm of a larger company, so I’ve worked my way up to heading this. Kyuhyun helps keep part of it going as well.”
“You rarely have to tell Kyuhyun how to do anything twice. That’s really valuable in a person,” Zhou Mi said, smiling between them.
Kyuhyun began to feel distinctly uncomfortable. It had been a Thank-Tablo-for-his-help dinner, not a Talk-Kyuhyun-up dinner. He was tempted to butt in and say that maybe he deserved a raise for his efforts, but he’d learned to bottle his sense of humor down. Sometimes at least. Tablo, to his credit, didn’t jump on the parade of praising Kyuhyun, to Kyuhyun’s eternal relief.
“It’s exciting that you must be growing enough to take on an extra person, even half time. Are you facing a lot of demand? How is the market going these days?”
Kyuhyun was allowed to eat in peace without fearing for his blush trigger, as Zhou Mi gave information on the business, and quarterly reports, and growth charts. It was all interesting, mostly. The most fascinating subject on earth as long as he wasn’t the one being paid attention to. He knew Tablo could talk about that kind of thing all day.
“Sorry,” Zhou Mi said with laugh. “I think I dream about the business, too.”
Tablo merely shrugged. “Don’t apologize. I bet most people wouldn’t have a clue how to get that kind of business off the ground, much less keep it afloat. And you’re adding value, so maybe you’ll get to add more staff. We hadn’t worked with that kind of a request until Eunhyuk came in that day. It was interesting to see how we could meet your needs.”
“I’m really glad Eunhyuk found you and Kyuhyun. You live close by? Family?”
Tablo shook his head. “No family, but I do live nearby. Makes it a nice short commute.”
Kyuhyun actually felt Eunhyuk shift beside him, and for the first time, realized that Eunhyuk hadn’t been saying much. He’d put in a few facts as Zhou Mi had been talking about Heartstrings’ growth, but otherwise not speaking. And Eunhyuk had been the one to suggest the meeting to begin with. He wasn’t sure what to make of it.
“So you must get this question a lot, given your business-“ Tablo started.
“Are we both dating someone and happy forever?” Zhou Mi asked slyly.
Laughter from the whole table as Tablo’s eyebrows rose. “Yes, exactly.”
The sage look on Zhou Mi’s face was almost as hilarious as the way he’d perceived Tablo’s question, even as Kyuhyun’s sense of secondhand embarrassment skyrocketed.
“You’ve heard of the expression “those who can’t do, teach?”” Zhou Mi shook his head. “No, it’s not exactly like that. I guess we’re just waiting to find the right person, too. No guarantees, right?”
There was a wistfulness, and a truth to Zhou Mi’s statement that had the table quieting for a moment, nods from both Tablo and Kyuhyun. Anyone who had been in the ups and downs of relationships understood that. It wasn’t like everyone got to meet their ideal person in a pre-arranged date and location, and everyone after those meetings was a failure. There was chance and luck, and desire that went into it.
“Excuse me a moment,” Eunhyuk said, laying his napkin down and standing from the table.
A moment later, face concerned, Zhou Mi also excused himself.
“Nice guys to work with,” Tablo said, looking at Kyuhyun. “Better than me?”
“Could anyone be?” Kyuhyun joked. “They’re great. Not a slave driver between them.”
He followed Tablo’s gaze to where Zhou Mi and Eunhyuk stood in conversation across the room, Zhou Mi’s hand on Eunhyuk’s elbow. And Tablo’s look was both curious and confused.
“Are you sure they’re not together?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure,” Kyuhyun said.
Stranger things were possible, he supposed. But he at least thought he was right.
***
Zhou Mi found himself fairly good at reading people. Not always in the most immediate sense, but he usually got a good feel of what a person was like. Certainly in his daily interactions with people not his clients, his mouth got ahead of his brain in some cases. Okay, and sometimes with his clients. But at those times he was usually hyper aware and vigilant, and didn’t let himself get too far out of hand. The meeting with Tablo seemed like a good idea. He’d have taken it into consideration if Eunhyuk had sent him an email invitation, but it had gotten far more insistent than that. Said in front of Kyuhyun, there was no way for him to back out without seeming like a jerk. And that wasn’t the way things usually went between him and Eunhyuk. Not being used to censoring themselves in front of an employee only went so far. Eunhyuk hadn’t wanted him to be able to refuse. And the fact that he didn’t know why chafed at him.
But the thanks, those were genuine from all sides. All of the praise toward Kyuhyun had been well-deserved. Even if he wasn’t the one working with Kyuhyun the most on a daily basis, the easing of the workload trickled down to him in significant ways. He’d gotten up a few mornings wondering why they hadn’t hired someone sooner. But better late than never.
It was nice, talking with someone who was interested, if not in the same business. With Eunhyuk, they tended to talk about the same things in a circular manner, and he worried about pumping Kyuhyun full of too much information. Most of it wasn’t necessary for Kyuhyun to do his job. But some of it had to be interesting, just from the scope of knowing how his work impacted the rest of the company. Even if Kyuhyun mostly listened, he seemed interested. Polite, and curious-eyed. Maybe it was because of how tired he was, that he found himself concentrating on the way Kyuhyun’s eyes caught the light.
But Eunhyuk’s sudden departure had been a worry. He’d been engrossed in the conversation, getting only a glimpse of Eunhyuk’s face as he’d stood. What he saw, he didn’t like. They hadn’t known each other that long for nothing. And it forced him to excuse himself as well.
He walked quickly, half jogged a few steps, to get himself behind Eunhyuk a little faster.
“Hey. Hey. Are you all right?”
Eunhyuk turned. Surprised, resigned maybe, to see Zhou Mi right there.
“Yeah. I just needed a moment. Sorry.”
“That’s fine, but- I thought you wanted this? You’ve barely said anything.”
“I could say I’m tired but I don’t think you’d believe me,” Eunhyuk said, smiling a bit wryly. “But I really am fine. I’m just going to wash my face and I’ll be right back.”
Zhou Mi didn’t have the option of pinning Eunhyuk down on his vagueness. Tiredness could account for some of it, but even as Eunhyuk tended to observe, he was as, if not more, gregarious as Zhou Mi was. The only part of his puzzling that he let himself betray was a tapping of his fingers against his leg as he returned to the table. He was, theoretically, the host, and he’d abandoned his guests. But he was determined not to let that show as he slipped into the booth.
“Is he okay?” Kyuhyun asked, and the concern in that touched him.
And it also meant that he wasn’t the only one who noticed. The getting up was obvious, but Kyuhyun had been around nearly a month. Long enough to get some sense of Eunhyuk’s behavior beyond just how he sat in his office chair, at his ruthlessly organized desk.
“Yeah, he’s fine. Thanks for asking. Just needed a moment. Did we want dessert? We could get the menu.”
Kyuhyun seemed tempted, though declined after Tablo declined. And the rest of the meal was uneventful after Eunhyuk returned. He kept his eyes on his plate, and Eunhyuk’s apology had been genuine for leaving so abruptly, though no one pressed him on it. And he left Eunhyuk to talk to Tablo and Kyuhyun as he paid the bill.
“See you tomorrow,” Eunhyuk said after, as they all parted ways.
A clear sign he didn’t want to talk about what had happened.
At least not yet.
***
”I want my mother,” he begged, tugging at the woman’s skirt. He wasn’t sure who she was, he just knew who she wasn’t.
Like all the other dreams, he broke away, running through endless halls. All the doors were filled with people gawking down at him. None of them his mother. Garish faces, leering. Scolding him. Telling him not to run. That he was alone. That he would always be alone. He’d never been able to leave without his mother. She warned him against kidnappers, against-
The end of the hallway rose up, and he fell instead of hitting it. He wanted his mother! She had to be there. She had just been there. He’d seen her.
“Mommy, where are you?” he cried out, and the people in the doorways loomed larger.
“Shh. Hyukjae, shh.”
That voice. It was the voice of safety. Wrapped up in arms that told him no lies. Not his mother. Someone he could trust.
“D-dan-“
Eunhyuk shot upright, chest heaving, a cold sweat breaking over his skin. The dream. He hadn’t had that dream in so long. A year or more, at least.
Always the same. Trapped in walls that were nothing but fear to him. So many unfamiliar faces. Searching for his mother. Searching for someone to make him feel safe.
He sank back onto his pillows, his blanket clutched in both fists. The dark ceiling gave him no answer, and the clock shone a mocking four in the morning. To calm himself, he ran over his duties of the day. Emails, client meetings, developer meetings, inventories, aligning his schedule to Zhou Mi’s.
And then he thought of the dinner, so fresh in his mind despite being days before. Tablo sitting across from him, speaking about his life, his business. Details Eunhyuk craved knowing.
The dinner that had gone well.
He just wasn’t sure how it had all gone so wrong.
***
It was unusual, but Zhou Mi went to bed almost immediately after showering. Tired from the dinner, from the day. He had always been a bit of a finicky sleeper, needing a certain amount of quiet, and darkness, to be able to rest. Little rituals that kept him comfortable, and also had him waking looking as good as possible. But it didn’t matter how comfortable he got, how early he slept. What he ate, how warm he was, sleep was a struggle. Ever since that nightmare. He seemed to dream snippets of it every night. The hand of the child, the blood. Nothing in movies had prepared him for something that had felt too real. And he knew it was something he needed to get over. Not obsess about the woman’s eyes, or the cold, or sick feeling it left him with.
Eunhyuk, wise to Zhou Mi being more tired than usual, had taken to bringing him tea occasionally. There were the lectures, of course. He was accustomed to those. Eunhyuk cared, and they had gotten so much less frequent now that Zhou Mi was sleeping, or trying to sleep, more than a few hours a night.
“Go home early,” Eunhyuk cautioned him, holding the tea out of Zhou Mi’s reach before handing it to him. “Seriously. You look like hell.”
“Thanks,” he said wryly as he accepted the newspaper that Eunhyuk held out as well. But the door to his office was closed, and he rolled his neck. It would do him good to try and sleep early. A few extra naps sounded amazing.
He unfolded the paper as he tested the tea, humming at the slug of sugar and shot of soy milk that ran through it. Eunhyuk knew him well.
It was stupid luck that he didn’t burn his hand as he slammed the cup of tea onto his desk. He had turned the newspaper over to the front cover, expecting transit troubles, or weather woes. Instead, it was an update of a murder investigation.
And he saw the face of the dead woman from his nightmare staring back at him.
***