One Shot - Game On part 1
Title: Game On
Pairing: KyuHyun/?
Length: 11455
Genre: Mysterious Dramatic Romance AU
Rating: NC 17
Summary: Singer and DJ Cho KyuHyun visits a new club where he's been invited to spin. He meets an intriguing stranger there. Partly inspired by listening to Club No1 on repeat. Shoot me now.
Author's Note: As it says above, this is an AU. KyuHyun is a successful singer/dj. He meets someone gorgeous, odd and different at a club and the rest, as they say, is history. Please remember that things are not always what they seem :D And yes, we're pretending that a successful singer/dj wouldn't get mobbed everywhere he went. :) This is not a KyuHyun/OC Fic. Keep reading! Enjoy the mystery. I promise you will not be sorry. Remember my OTP
Cho KyuHyun slipped past the velvet ropes and waiting crowds, smiling in response to the respectful nod given to him by the bouncer. The club was barely a month old and already seemed to be packed to capacity. On a thursday night; that meant the place was either that good and he ought to accept the invitation to play here or the place was merely new and supposedly different and the curious came to see it only. His money, at the moment, was on the second possibility. The music was good though, pounding through concealed speakers even up here where the coat check was located.
He smiled at the attendant at the coat check, unwinding the soft blue cashmere scarf from around his neck and stuffing it into the pocket of his leather coat. KyuHyun shrugged off the garment and handed it over.
"Name please?" asked the flirtatious looking girl behind the counter.
KyuHyun smiled. "Cho. KyuHyun," he answered and watched her write the name down on a ticket, peeling part of it away to carefully safety pin to the label inside his jacket before handing him the stub to recover his clothing. He was impressed when she pulled out an oversized hanger to hang up the jacket rather than tuck it into a cubby as some places did which left your items wrinkled and sometimes mangled beyond repair. She pulled a plastic sleeve over it, the same kind used in dry cleaners and as he pulled out his wallet to tuck the stub away, he handed her a generous tip and stepped away from the counter.
So far, this place was living up to the hype surrounding it. He glanced around himself where the walls glowed with a gradually changing and fading rainbow, flickering from blue to violet to completely black then on to yellow, orange, red and so on. It was a subtle shift against otherwise polished looking black walls and therefore was pleasing to the eye. A large pure white arrow pointed politely along the hallway in the direction needed.
KyuHyun passed doors indicating Ladies and Gentlemens lounges as he walked along and soon pillars of glimmering light began to form a staggered series of little nooks and crannies along the slowly downward sloping hallway. There were couples and knots of people in these nooks, talking, sipping drinks and kissing. It was obvious that being out of the loudest boom of the music was appealing to some club goers.
Again KyuHyun couldn't help but appreciate the club owners' cleverness. The place was rumored to be owned by a very, very popular idol group but no one had brought forward any sort of proof. Whoever they were though, they knew what they were doing.
He continued walking, hands tucked behind his back. He was wearing a warm gray cardigan over a bluish white paisley long sleeved shirt. Right now the air still felt cool to him but probably it would be warmer down on the dance floor. The corridor came to a halt and another pure white arrow pointed KyuHyun to a set of spiraling stairs. There were actually two sets. One for going down and one for going up, thus precluding a serious traffic jam and possible accidents. Again, clever, he approved.
Making his way down the carpeted steps, he arrived out on a sort of balcony/lounge that circled a few feet above the dance floor proper. There were groups of people on couches and chairs near the smooth shiny black railings and waiters and waitresses circulated. There was a bar KyuHyun could see, square shaped so that one side let out onto the dance floor and one side let out on the balcony. He whistled soundlessly, it was a neat way to get people served without muss and fuss.
Whoever was spinning, KyuHyun decided after listening for a short while, was actually very good. The mixes seemed to be original, and the beats were keeping the people on the dance floor moving. On a quick break, the guy sounded youngish, younger than him anyway, and only identified himself as DJ HL. Curiouser and curiouser, he thought to himself and stepped out onto the dance floor.
It seemed to be made of some kind of polished synthetic material with lighting playing under it in much quicker patterns than those on the walls on the way in. There were also spots and other lighting arrangements over head but those seemed mostly to be of the standard club lighting.
KyuHyun eased himself through the crowd, or rather around the edges of it. He wasn't here to dance and now that he was here, he felt as though he were waiting, hoping for something, or someone. The heat was far more palpable now and he unbuttoned his cardigan, letting it hang loosely over his untucked and semi-transparent button up shirt, pushing the sleeves of both up his forearms.
......
She wasn't quite sure how she'd got talked into this. Sliding a hand through silky dark hair that just brushed her shoulders, she mumbled dire threats towards a few of her friends who were probably watching from the owners' lounge and laughing hysterically. She rolled her eyes and took a quick sip of her drink and critically eyed the crowd around her.
Take her shoes for example, ankle boots she'd been reliably informed. When she'd complained that she'd break said ankle wearing those, dear sweet lovable (and so fucking dead) Hangeng had pointed out she'd worn higher heels on stage even. Which was, sadly, absolutely true. He'd been standing there with Siwon's arm draped comfortably over his shoulder and she'd felt such a pang she had to turn away and survey the rest of the outfit that Zhou Mi had picked out for her.
She had to hand it to her fellow shopaholic. He had great, if expensive, taste. She hadn't listened as he enthused over each piece of clothing and instead got dressed, only murmuring that he was smart to pick out lingerie that came with "boy shorts" and they'd all giggled at her from the other side of the screen as she dressed. Push up bra to give her flat chest a suggestion of cleavage, and then said underpants. Cute bow printed tights, then the leather fringed mini skirt and a truly breath taking ruffled and beaded red silk top.
She'd complained that she was going to freeze to death outside in this get up and Zhou Mi had simply dangled a beautiful sashed velvet jacket to get her from the cab to the door in front of her over the screen she was dressing behind. Smart ass. There was a red scarf to drape over her shoulders if she wished. Bracelets, earrings, and a satin choker dangling with red and silver baubles to go around her slim throat. Damn it, Zhou Mi was a genius. Even with her hair still a damp tousled mess around her freshly washed face, the outfit seemed to transform her slender figure in some indefinable and yet extremely feminine way.
They'd all surrounded her then, each of them having his own unique input on what her makeup should look like. However, it was tiny Ryeowook who'd glared and jabbed meaningfully with his extremely sharp little elbows until he was allowed to be in charge and he had a light artistic hand. Kohl and mascara, a dusting of blush and soft reddish pink lipstick, a bit of gloss and he was finished.
"You're a classy chick, you don't need it layered on with a trowel," Ryeowook had stated primly as he'd backed up to survey his handiwork. "Who's doing your hair?" he'd asked, leaning back against Yesung and preening with satisfaction at the ooh's and ah's of the rest of the gang of men around her.
"Me!" Jungsu had called, all but skipping up to her with curling iron in hand along with a handful of pins, clips and only the devil knew what else. There were times when Jungsu took the mothering schtick way too fucking far.
Thirty minutes later though and she'd possessed a head full of soft silky curls down to her shoulders. The right hand side was tucked behind her ear and secured by a silver barrette she was reliably informed was vintage art deco. Whatever that was supposed to mean.
Donghae had approached and spritzed her rather gleefully with some kind of perfume that he claimed was seriously called Sex Appeal. She rolled her eyes just remembering it. Still, it did smell good, sort of peachy and vanilla and something else a little musky besides. She just hoped he hadn't so drenched her in the stuff that she stood in her own private cloud of smog.
As her dark eyes automatically scanned the crowd from the balcony area, she wondered if her two hours of torture were up yet. As she tapped one booted foot impatiently, she found herself leaning forward over the glossy railing and felt her mouth drop open as her eyes followed a fucking glorious example of masculine eye candy around the edges of the crowd. She closed her mouth with a sharp click and narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, watching him. He didn't seem to be dancing or to have a date with him.
Before she knew it, she'd left her drink and stepped down on the dance floor. Her strolling walk set her on a path to ever so casually intercept Mr Wonderful. Mentally she shot a rude gesture up to her so-called friends upstairs though of course she was far too prim and proper to ever make such gestures. Of course.
......
KyuHyun had been here for over an hour now. He'd seen what he'd come to see, and had already decided to accept the contract to spin here at least one night a week. So, he had no idea why he was still here. True, the place had a kind of welcoming vibe to it. The clientele seemed by and large well-behaved, or perhaps the bouncers were just very discreet. In any case, it was a pleasant place to hang out. Which was what he was doing. Hanging out.
He never did that though. He always had something to do, somewhere to be, someone to talk to...this felt...odd, if quite pleasant to him. He ran a hand through his dark hair lightly streaked with blonde and glanced toward the stairways. Maybe he should go home and try to get some sleep for a change. He couldn't decide what to do, which was also very strange. The whole evening seemed a bit, surreal.
At that point, a warm, slim hand fastened on his arm just above the elbow. The hand was adorned with short manicured nails with a bangle bracelet circling the attached wrist. KyuHyun trailed his gaze upwards from the wrist to the equally slim forearm. His eyes continued along the upper arm draped with a shawl of some sort and onwards to frail looking collarbones, graceful throat adorned with a choker and on up to a pointed chin and then a rounded little face with wide expressive dark eyes framed with satiny looking waves and curls. The soft if thin lips smiled at him.
"You look a little lost," she said to him and her voice was soft, husky, lower than expected, curling into his ears like smoke and music.
Before Kyuhun could think, he'd drawn the small hand through the crook of his elbow further and patted it lightly. "Do I? It's my first time here," he admitted and ducked his head, glancing at her through his lashes for her reaction.
.......
He was even better up close, and that fact made her want to scream and throw things. She was so going to make those buffoons upstairs pay for this. His voice was deep, and smooth, reminding her of dark chocolate and the warmth of it surrounded her though he spoke nothing but the most prosaic words of flirtation. His hands were large and long fingered, dwarfing her own and the feel of his warm hand over hers made her tighten her fingers on his elbow.
She tilted her head to one side and her lips twitched a little at his obvious attempt to play the "cute little boy" card with her. "Is it really?" she asked, just as if she believed that act and smiled sweetly up at him, leaning in a little bit closer. They were walking towards the bar which was fine with her. She wasn't interested in dancing, not even with this...this...paragon. If she did, she might betray things better left kept secret.
"Yes, I heard about it and wanted to check things out. Curiousity, I guess," he said more seriously with a little shrug that moved the soft cardigan he was wearing on his shoulders.
She knew enough about fabrics to know that that cardigan was not made of polyester knit either. Lambs wool maybe, she supposed, something soft and touchable at any rate. She took a peek at the soft looking shirt he was wearing with it and the shape of his throat meeting his collarbones seemed to beckon licks, or bites.
"Ah, then we're both here for the same reason," she said before the silence stretched between them too long. They were climbing the few steps up to the balcony/lounge and he drew her in almost pressing against his side to help her avoid a crowd of obviously tipsy fellows heading for the dance floor behind them.
"Curiousity can be such a great motivator," he said with a smile then glanced around them. "Do you mind if we sit away from the dance floor? Where we can talk without screeching at each other?"
She paused a moment, somewhere in her head marking down that he had excellent manners to go with his good looks and gorgeous voice. Always being one to get to the point quickly, she couldn't help wondering what he was like in bed...or against the wall, or on the floor, any relatively flat surface would do and then she realized she was staring.
"Oh, sorry, um...sure, that's fine," she said, waving her free hand in a flustered gesture as she felt a surge of hot flush slide over her cheekbones.
........
KyuHyun thought he had never seen someone so adorable and somehow sharp and yet so beautiful in his life. There was a lively intelligence behind those eyes and a certain cynical outlook, he felt it though her conversation was completely normal and average. Her cheekbones were high and she seemed composed of angles more than curves, not that that stopped her from being intensely attractive to him.
She smelled heavenly he noticed as he pulled her in against himself so that her slender form would not be stomped on or crushed by the crowd of burly and evidently the worse for alcohol crowd of men that passed them. He looked around them, knowing already he wanted some quality time with this nameless beauty and spotted an empty booth near the wall.
When KyuHyun turned his head and asked if she minded his choice, he realized that her dark gaze was pinned on his face and felt an inward sense of satisfaction. She was staring at him, perhaps she felt something of what he himself felt. Her blush only made her seem more alluring.
KyuHyun didn't draw attention to that pink flush, merely slid her hand down to his and guided her after him towards that empty booth. He stood back to allow her to slide in and then settled in after her. Whatever else happened, she wasn't going to be harassed by any rude drunks on his watch, that much he could guarantee.
"Would you like a drink?" he asked, noticing that she was fiddling with one teardrop shaped swirl of silver earring.
"Yes, please, " she sighed and named something he vaguely thought was pink and came in a special glass. He nodded anyway, remembering the name and signaled for the waiter. For himself, he only ordered a glass of wine. He would be driving later and he couldn't afford to make headlines with a traffic accident.
Once the waiter was gone to fetch their drinks, he sat back a little, watching the flickering nuances of expression on her face. KyuHyun thought he could probably watch her face for a long time without getting bored.
.....
She felt nervous and it wasn't a familiar feeling at all. She couldn't help but peek at his face, up close he truly was a nearly flawless specimen and though he had the good manners of someone she thought of from the upper class there was only a hint of arrogance about him. He was confident, she thought, but not overbearing. His eyes were dark and smoldering beneath heavy lids, his nose straight, his cheekbones perfect and his lips...kissable, she decided.
His hand was warm and he held her own as if it was infinitely fragile, his thumb unconsciously rubbing the back of her hand until he let her go to allow her to sit. She wrestled a moment with the fringes on her skirt and hoped it didn't seem awkward to him as it did to her. Eventually she'd have to unmask, but not quite yet. Chances were her new friend was not in the least interested in...well never mind.
She watched him deal with the waiter, hardly remembering what sort of drink she'd ask for. Probably something Sungmin liked which meant something too sweet but it would be alcoholic and that was the main point.
Uncomfortable with the silence, she leaned an elbow on the little table in front of them and supported her chin on it. "So what's your name then," she asked, arching delicate brows to emphasize the point. And then she frantically had to decide what in hell to call herself if she didn't want him to make any guesses yet. Wait, what was the name of that insipid little thing that Hangeng had dated before he came to his senses and realized he was as queer as they came.
"I'm Sung Yeon," she offered with her sweetest smile to encourage him along.
"Kyu Hyun," he answered immediately, smiling that beautiful smile she'd noticed before and making her curl her toes in the ankle boots.
......
KyuHyun offered his hand to shake hers and was pleased when she laughed and placed her hand in his. He didn't shake it per se, he merely squeezed it gently and covered it with his free one. There was something about her that kept inviting touches though he knew it was hardly acceptable behavior to be too forward, especially with a girl like her.
He tilted his head to one side, smiling as he again found himself watching her face. "So, do you like the place then?" he asked her.
Before SungYeon could speak, the waiter was back with their drinks and KyuHyun fished his wallet out of his pocket to slide a credit card across the table. "Run a tab please, for myself and the lady, and just bring me the slip before we leave," he instructed in cool tones, softening the businesslike words with a smile.
Once the waiter was gone, KyuHyun turned back to SungYeon and watched her narrow shoulders lift in a small shrug. "I like the decor, the layout. Haven't been paying much attention to anything else so far," she answered. Pinkish red tinted lips soft and shiny with gloss pursed around the straw of her drink and he had to look away because that little pout seemed to make his heart flip flop and his blood sizzle in his veins.
KyuHyun sipped his wine and glanced around them until he thought it was safe to look back at her, only to find those luminous eyes of her staring at him in return. "I like the decor and layout too," he said quickly. "Also when I checked my coat, I was impressed at the level of care and customer service. The dj seems to know what he's doing too, though he has a young voice."
.....
She found this man, this KyuHyun whose name rang a bell somewhere in her memory, magnetic, the current almost palpable and her anxiety was rising higher as a result. She could feel him staring at her as she sipped the definitely too sweet but blessedly alcoholic drink through the provided straw.
She resisted the smirk that wanted to rise to her lips when he talked about Henry. The DJ in question was barely 19, of course he sounded young but he was also a musical prodigy. NOT letting him DJ would be a true crime against music lovers. Especially when he Mixed like a dream. Plus, Zhou Mi would murder people if they didn't let his special person do his thing and Zhou Mi was scary when he was angry.
Stirring her drink gently with the straw, she decided to try a small experiment and turned her hand over under KyuHyun's and let her manicured fingertips slide over his sensitive palm. It was a slight change but she definitely felt him jerk slightly and there was a change also in the way his eyes looked, darker somehow and perhaps more intense.
"SungYeon," he said slowly, reaching out with his free hand and lifted the small point of her chin so their eyes met. "Would you like to go somewhere...quieter?" he asked.
.....
Oh, wouldn't she just. But he still didn't know the truth and she was afraid to try to tell him because then he'd probably stomp off and try to bleach himself. And she really wasn't quite sure she could handle that, not that she was telling the rest of those brainiacs upstairs that.
"That depends," she said softly, prevaricating. She took another sip of her drink and decided this demure stuff was just simply torture. "I should perhaps...tell you something first," she said when she took a few more swallows and emptied the glass of its quotient of liquid courage.
"Such as?" KyuHyun asked, and one fingertip was sliding down her throat, lightly toying with the pretty choker around it. "Perhaps you wanted to mention the very cleverly camouflaged but quite present adam's apple right here?" he asked, leaning closer and keeping his voice low enough that no one would over hear.
For a full minute, she couldn't find a single thing to say. She only stared into his eyes which were crinkled slightly with warmth and perhaps a little bit of laughter. She swallowed and found her voice. "You knew, all the time?" she demanded in a hissing undertone and only barely resisted yanking her hand away in a fit of pique.
His answer soothed her pride a bit. "Not immediately, no. You make a lovely if somewhat unique woman," he said softly. "But you turned your head and I noticed that little bump. Girls don't have those." KyuHyun smiled outright.
HeeChul told himself not to be a contrary bastard. KyuHyun knew he wasn't a girl and was still here, that said a few rather important things. And yet he couldn't help feeling a bit angry, he'd been so anxious about his confession and the fucking eye candy man had known for several minutes now. He settled for sitting back in his seat and ran a hand through the soft curls of his hair.
"But you stayed, after you knew?" he asked, just to clarify. He wanted some kind of firm announcement here so he didn't feel the ground had turned into quick sand under his stupidly high heeled boots.
KyuHyun grinned and looked unrepentant, making HeeChul wonder if it would be more fun to kiss him or punch him. "I figured you had your reasons. I'm sure you look just as adorable in a pair of tight jeans and a sweater too," he answered and leaned his elbow on the table.
HeeChul blinked a few times, trying to make any of this make any sense. He'd come down here all dressed up like a girl on a bet and he'd met a gorgeous man who seemed completely unphased by discovering he was a cross dressing man? He had to be dreaming.
"Wait, let me just clarify this," he said, waving a slender hand around. "You like men, right? In bed," he said, his voice almost a whisper but nevertheless very clear in every sense of the word.
.....
KyuHyun thought he should probably feel guilty for not telling this pretty, pretty man sooner that he knew that the other was not a girl. But frankly, he'd rather enjoyed the contrast of more masculine hard edges against the feminine softness. It seemed clear that this man was definitely a mass of contradictions.
"I would have thought that was obvious," he said, just to watch the other man's eyes spark with temper. "I like both. Imagine my rather pleasant surprise of realizing you almost are both." He leaned over and slid his hand into the other man's dark hair and kissed his cheek, close to his ear. "Tell me your real name please?" KyuHyun coaxed.
"Oof, you are...," but HeeChul sort of forgot what he'd been about to say. The big hand in his hair was warm and somehow embracing and the lips on his cheek were soft and hot. The whisper of breath on his skin caused an involuntary shiver.
"Yes?" KyuHyun prompted and HeeChul decided this man was going to be a handful and not just in the literal sense.
"Incorrigible," he answered promptly and firmly pushed KyuHyun back. "Unhand me," HeeChul ordered. "I'm HeeChul, happy now?"
KyuHyun moved back but grinned at him. "Well, not as happy I'd like to be," he said, eyes sparkling until HeeChul seriously wanted to smack him upside the head. But that was almost normal for HeeChul's life.
KyuHyun felt that this HeeChul could draw him completely over the edge from admiration or desire and into something much deeper. The slender man practically crackled with energy, with warmth and life and passion. It was far more intoxicating that any drink he'd ever tasted just watching HeeChul. The name struck a chord somewhere in the back of his mind but KyuHyun ignored that in favor of simply enjoying HeeChul's company.
"I think I liked it better when you were pretending you thought I was a girl," HeeChul announced and sighed dramatically. "Oh well, I think you were inviting me to go somewhere quieter?"
"I was waiting for you to decide if you wanted to go somewhere with me," KyuHyun answered. "It seemed as if you were almost angry I knew already."
"Oh don't even try that. You know you're gorgeous and I'd be an idiot not to see what you're like, in private. I warn you though, my best friend is lethal and if you hurt me he will tear you head off and ...well I think you can guess from there." HeeChul smiled sweetly and flipped his curls, nudging KyuHyun.
KyuHyun laughed out loud and flicked his fingertips against HeeChul's jaw before sliding out of the booth politely. "Give me a second to sign the charge slip please," he asked as he stood aside to let HeeChul stand up as well.
"Fine, I'm sure the owners would prefer we not walk out without paying," HeeChul answered, trying not to laugh at what the group accountant would have to say to him if he let KyuHyun abandon his bar tab. "I need to make a phone call anyway."
HeeChul waited though until KyuHyun's attention was fully engaged in trying to fight his way through the crowd around the bar before fishing his stupidly tiny phone out of his stupidly tight mini skirt. He speed dialed and waited for someone to answer.
"Hello, nuuuuuna," Donghae sang when he answered and HeeChul narrowed his eyes.
"Don't call me that, ever, again," he ordered, but quietly. "Has Zhou Mi got my bag ready? And is he guarding it with his life? My new friend miraculously likes boys in skirts, he also likes boys in jeans, so there better be some in my bag, or else I put neon green dye in your shampoo. You feel me?" HeeChul spoke rapidly in his trademark, I could have been a bad ass biker if I wanted, threatening hiss.
"Oh, fine. Yes, hyung, Zhou Mi has your bag. He is guarding it with his designer clad life."
HeeChul could practically hear the eye rolling in Donghae's voice. "Good boy. Please get someone to bring it down to coat check. I'm getting ready to leave and I want to be coming home in something that does not involve panty hose."
He hung up before Donghae could remind him of that time they all wore panty hose. Sort of. The phone went back into his pocket and he leaned nonchalantly against the wall with his arms folded to await KyuHyun's return from the bar, hopefully without bruises. Then he closed his eyes when he considered that a few bruises on KyuHyun would probably only intensify the man's sexy appeal. HeeChul felt he was in soooo much trouble, but that wasn't going to stop him from getting somewhere quiet, relatively private and with at least one flat surface so he could find out just how much trouble that was.
KyuHyun was vibrating with impatience by the time he got to the bar, gave his name and was given the charge slip to sign. He signed with a bit more fluorished mess than usual and pocketed his receipt. HeeChul was waiting for him and KyuHyun's body seemed to tingle from head to toe with a mixture of anticipation and slight panic. It was clear the other man was a sophisticated human being, KyuHyun wasn't arrogant enough to think of himself as more than talented and intelligent. Sophisticated was not one of the words he'd usually use to describe himself. Geeky was far more appropriate, usually.
Continued here
Pairing: KyuHyun/?
Length: 11455
Genre: Mysterious Dramatic Romance AU
Rating: NC 17
Summary: Singer and DJ Cho KyuHyun visits a new club where he's been invited to spin. He meets an intriguing stranger there. Partly inspired by listening to Club No1 on repeat. Shoot me now.
Author's Note: As it says above, this is an AU. KyuHyun is a successful singer/dj. He meets someone gorgeous, odd and different at a club and the rest, as they say, is history. Please remember that things are not always what they seem :D And yes, we're pretending that a successful singer/dj wouldn't get mobbed everywhere he went. :) This is not a KyuHyun/OC Fic. Keep reading! Enjoy the mystery. I promise you will not be sorry. Remember my OTP
Cho KyuHyun slipped past the velvet ropes and waiting crowds, smiling in response to the respectful nod given to him by the bouncer. The club was barely a month old and already seemed to be packed to capacity. On a thursday night; that meant the place was either that good and he ought to accept the invitation to play here or the place was merely new and supposedly different and the curious came to see it only. His money, at the moment, was on the second possibility. The music was good though, pounding through concealed speakers even up here where the coat check was located.
He smiled at the attendant at the coat check, unwinding the soft blue cashmere scarf from around his neck and stuffing it into the pocket of his leather coat. KyuHyun shrugged off the garment and handed it over.
"Name please?" asked the flirtatious looking girl behind the counter.
KyuHyun smiled. "Cho. KyuHyun," he answered and watched her write the name down on a ticket, peeling part of it away to carefully safety pin to the label inside his jacket before handing him the stub to recover his clothing. He was impressed when she pulled out an oversized hanger to hang up the jacket rather than tuck it into a cubby as some places did which left your items wrinkled and sometimes mangled beyond repair. She pulled a plastic sleeve over it, the same kind used in dry cleaners and as he pulled out his wallet to tuck the stub away, he handed her a generous tip and stepped away from the counter.
So far, this place was living up to the hype surrounding it. He glanced around himself where the walls glowed with a gradually changing and fading rainbow, flickering from blue to violet to completely black then on to yellow, orange, red and so on. It was a subtle shift against otherwise polished looking black walls and therefore was pleasing to the eye. A large pure white arrow pointed politely along the hallway in the direction needed.
KyuHyun passed doors indicating Ladies and Gentlemens lounges as he walked along and soon pillars of glimmering light began to form a staggered series of little nooks and crannies along the slowly downward sloping hallway. There were couples and knots of people in these nooks, talking, sipping drinks and kissing. It was obvious that being out of the loudest boom of the music was appealing to some club goers.
Again KyuHyun couldn't help but appreciate the club owners' cleverness. The place was rumored to be owned by a very, very popular idol group but no one had brought forward any sort of proof. Whoever they were though, they knew what they were doing.
He continued walking, hands tucked behind his back. He was wearing a warm gray cardigan over a bluish white paisley long sleeved shirt. Right now the air still felt cool to him but probably it would be warmer down on the dance floor. The corridor came to a halt and another pure white arrow pointed KyuHyun to a set of spiraling stairs. There were actually two sets. One for going down and one for going up, thus precluding a serious traffic jam and possible accidents. Again, clever, he approved.
Making his way down the carpeted steps, he arrived out on a sort of balcony/lounge that circled a few feet above the dance floor proper. There were groups of people on couches and chairs near the smooth shiny black railings and waiters and waitresses circulated. There was a bar KyuHyun could see, square shaped so that one side let out onto the dance floor and one side let out on the balcony. He whistled soundlessly, it was a neat way to get people served without muss and fuss.
Whoever was spinning, KyuHyun decided after listening for a short while, was actually very good. The mixes seemed to be original, and the beats were keeping the people on the dance floor moving. On a quick break, the guy sounded youngish, younger than him anyway, and only identified himself as DJ HL. Curiouser and curiouser, he thought to himself and stepped out onto the dance floor.
It seemed to be made of some kind of polished synthetic material with lighting playing under it in much quicker patterns than those on the walls on the way in. There were also spots and other lighting arrangements over head but those seemed mostly to be of the standard club lighting.
KyuHyun eased himself through the crowd, or rather around the edges of it. He wasn't here to dance and now that he was here, he felt as though he were waiting, hoping for something, or someone. The heat was far more palpable now and he unbuttoned his cardigan, letting it hang loosely over his untucked and semi-transparent button up shirt, pushing the sleeves of both up his forearms.
......
She wasn't quite sure how she'd got talked into this. Sliding a hand through silky dark hair that just brushed her shoulders, she mumbled dire threats towards a few of her friends who were probably watching from the owners' lounge and laughing hysterically. She rolled her eyes and took a quick sip of her drink and critically eyed the crowd around her.
Take her shoes for example, ankle boots she'd been reliably informed. When she'd complained that she'd break said ankle wearing those, dear sweet lovable (and so fucking dead) Hangeng had pointed out she'd worn higher heels on stage even. Which was, sadly, absolutely true. He'd been standing there with Siwon's arm draped comfortably over his shoulder and she'd felt such a pang she had to turn away and survey the rest of the outfit that Zhou Mi had picked out for her.
She had to hand it to her fellow shopaholic. He had great, if expensive, taste. She hadn't listened as he enthused over each piece of clothing and instead got dressed, only murmuring that he was smart to pick out lingerie that came with "boy shorts" and they'd all giggled at her from the other side of the screen as she dressed. Push up bra to give her flat chest a suggestion of cleavage, and then said underpants. Cute bow printed tights, then the leather fringed mini skirt and a truly breath taking ruffled and beaded red silk top.
She'd complained that she was going to freeze to death outside in this get up and Zhou Mi had simply dangled a beautiful sashed velvet jacket to get her from the cab to the door in front of her over the screen she was dressing behind. Smart ass. There was a red scarf to drape over her shoulders if she wished. Bracelets, earrings, and a satin choker dangling with red and silver baubles to go around her slim throat. Damn it, Zhou Mi was a genius. Even with her hair still a damp tousled mess around her freshly washed face, the outfit seemed to transform her slender figure in some indefinable and yet extremely feminine way.
They'd all surrounded her then, each of them having his own unique input on what her makeup should look like. However, it was tiny Ryeowook who'd glared and jabbed meaningfully with his extremely sharp little elbows until he was allowed to be in charge and he had a light artistic hand. Kohl and mascara, a dusting of blush and soft reddish pink lipstick, a bit of gloss and he was finished.
"You're a classy chick, you don't need it layered on with a trowel," Ryeowook had stated primly as he'd backed up to survey his handiwork. "Who's doing your hair?" he'd asked, leaning back against Yesung and preening with satisfaction at the ooh's and ah's of the rest of the gang of men around her.
"Me!" Jungsu had called, all but skipping up to her with curling iron in hand along with a handful of pins, clips and only the devil knew what else. There were times when Jungsu took the mothering schtick way too fucking far.
Thirty minutes later though and she'd possessed a head full of soft silky curls down to her shoulders. The right hand side was tucked behind her ear and secured by a silver barrette she was reliably informed was vintage art deco. Whatever that was supposed to mean.
Donghae had approached and spritzed her rather gleefully with some kind of perfume that he claimed was seriously called Sex Appeal. She rolled her eyes just remembering it. Still, it did smell good, sort of peachy and vanilla and something else a little musky besides. She just hoped he hadn't so drenched her in the stuff that she stood in her own private cloud of smog.
As her dark eyes automatically scanned the crowd from the balcony area, she wondered if her two hours of torture were up yet. As she tapped one booted foot impatiently, she found herself leaning forward over the glossy railing and felt her mouth drop open as her eyes followed a fucking glorious example of masculine eye candy around the edges of the crowd. She closed her mouth with a sharp click and narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, watching him. He didn't seem to be dancing or to have a date with him.
Before she knew it, she'd left her drink and stepped down on the dance floor. Her strolling walk set her on a path to ever so casually intercept Mr Wonderful. Mentally she shot a rude gesture up to her so-called friends upstairs though of course she was far too prim and proper to ever make such gestures. Of course.
......
KyuHyun had been here for over an hour now. He'd seen what he'd come to see, and had already decided to accept the contract to spin here at least one night a week. So, he had no idea why he was still here. True, the place had a kind of welcoming vibe to it. The clientele seemed by and large well-behaved, or perhaps the bouncers were just very discreet. In any case, it was a pleasant place to hang out. Which was what he was doing. Hanging out.
He never did that though. He always had something to do, somewhere to be, someone to talk to...this felt...odd, if quite pleasant to him. He ran a hand through his dark hair lightly streaked with blonde and glanced toward the stairways. Maybe he should go home and try to get some sleep for a change. He couldn't decide what to do, which was also very strange. The whole evening seemed a bit, surreal.
At that point, a warm, slim hand fastened on his arm just above the elbow. The hand was adorned with short manicured nails with a bangle bracelet circling the attached wrist. KyuHyun trailed his gaze upwards from the wrist to the equally slim forearm. His eyes continued along the upper arm draped with a shawl of some sort and onwards to frail looking collarbones, graceful throat adorned with a choker and on up to a pointed chin and then a rounded little face with wide expressive dark eyes framed with satiny looking waves and curls. The soft if thin lips smiled at him.
"You look a little lost," she said to him and her voice was soft, husky, lower than expected, curling into his ears like smoke and music.
Before Kyuhun could think, he'd drawn the small hand through the crook of his elbow further and patted it lightly. "Do I? It's my first time here," he admitted and ducked his head, glancing at her through his lashes for her reaction.
.......
He was even better up close, and that fact made her want to scream and throw things. She was so going to make those buffoons upstairs pay for this. His voice was deep, and smooth, reminding her of dark chocolate and the warmth of it surrounded her though he spoke nothing but the most prosaic words of flirtation. His hands were large and long fingered, dwarfing her own and the feel of his warm hand over hers made her tighten her fingers on his elbow.
She tilted her head to one side and her lips twitched a little at his obvious attempt to play the "cute little boy" card with her. "Is it really?" she asked, just as if she believed that act and smiled sweetly up at him, leaning in a little bit closer. They were walking towards the bar which was fine with her. She wasn't interested in dancing, not even with this...this...paragon. If she did, she might betray things better left kept secret.
"Yes, I heard about it and wanted to check things out. Curiousity, I guess," he said more seriously with a little shrug that moved the soft cardigan he was wearing on his shoulders.
She knew enough about fabrics to know that that cardigan was not made of polyester knit either. Lambs wool maybe, she supposed, something soft and touchable at any rate. She took a peek at the soft looking shirt he was wearing with it and the shape of his throat meeting his collarbones seemed to beckon licks, or bites.
"Ah, then we're both here for the same reason," she said before the silence stretched between them too long. They were climbing the few steps up to the balcony/lounge and he drew her in almost pressing against his side to help her avoid a crowd of obviously tipsy fellows heading for the dance floor behind them.
"Curiousity can be such a great motivator," he said with a smile then glanced around them. "Do you mind if we sit away from the dance floor? Where we can talk without screeching at each other?"
She paused a moment, somewhere in her head marking down that he had excellent manners to go with his good looks and gorgeous voice. Always being one to get to the point quickly, she couldn't help wondering what he was like in bed...or against the wall, or on the floor, any relatively flat surface would do and then she realized she was staring.
"Oh, sorry, um...sure, that's fine," she said, waving her free hand in a flustered gesture as she felt a surge of hot flush slide over her cheekbones.
........
KyuHyun thought he had never seen someone so adorable and somehow sharp and yet so beautiful in his life. There was a lively intelligence behind those eyes and a certain cynical outlook, he felt it though her conversation was completely normal and average. Her cheekbones were high and she seemed composed of angles more than curves, not that that stopped her from being intensely attractive to him.
She smelled heavenly he noticed as he pulled her in against himself so that her slender form would not be stomped on or crushed by the crowd of burly and evidently the worse for alcohol crowd of men that passed them. He looked around them, knowing already he wanted some quality time with this nameless beauty and spotted an empty booth near the wall.
When KyuHyun turned his head and asked if she minded his choice, he realized that her dark gaze was pinned on his face and felt an inward sense of satisfaction. She was staring at him, perhaps she felt something of what he himself felt. Her blush only made her seem more alluring.
KyuHyun didn't draw attention to that pink flush, merely slid her hand down to his and guided her after him towards that empty booth. He stood back to allow her to slide in and then settled in after her. Whatever else happened, she wasn't going to be harassed by any rude drunks on his watch, that much he could guarantee.
"Would you like a drink?" he asked, noticing that she was fiddling with one teardrop shaped swirl of silver earring.
"Yes, please, " she sighed and named something he vaguely thought was pink and came in a special glass. He nodded anyway, remembering the name and signaled for the waiter. For himself, he only ordered a glass of wine. He would be driving later and he couldn't afford to make headlines with a traffic accident.
Once the waiter was gone to fetch their drinks, he sat back a little, watching the flickering nuances of expression on her face. KyuHyun thought he could probably watch her face for a long time without getting bored.
.....
She felt nervous and it wasn't a familiar feeling at all. She couldn't help but peek at his face, up close he truly was a nearly flawless specimen and though he had the good manners of someone she thought of from the upper class there was only a hint of arrogance about him. He was confident, she thought, but not overbearing. His eyes were dark and smoldering beneath heavy lids, his nose straight, his cheekbones perfect and his lips...kissable, she decided.
His hand was warm and he held her own as if it was infinitely fragile, his thumb unconsciously rubbing the back of her hand until he let her go to allow her to sit. She wrestled a moment with the fringes on her skirt and hoped it didn't seem awkward to him as it did to her. Eventually she'd have to unmask, but not quite yet. Chances were her new friend was not in the least interested in...well never mind.
She watched him deal with the waiter, hardly remembering what sort of drink she'd ask for. Probably something Sungmin liked which meant something too sweet but it would be alcoholic and that was the main point.
Uncomfortable with the silence, she leaned an elbow on the little table in front of them and supported her chin on it. "So what's your name then," she asked, arching delicate brows to emphasize the point. And then she frantically had to decide what in hell to call herself if she didn't want him to make any guesses yet. Wait, what was the name of that insipid little thing that Hangeng had dated before he came to his senses and realized he was as queer as they came.
"I'm Sung Yeon," she offered with her sweetest smile to encourage him along.
"Kyu Hyun," he answered immediately, smiling that beautiful smile she'd noticed before and making her curl her toes in the ankle boots.
......
KyuHyun offered his hand to shake hers and was pleased when she laughed and placed her hand in his. He didn't shake it per se, he merely squeezed it gently and covered it with his free one. There was something about her that kept inviting touches though he knew it was hardly acceptable behavior to be too forward, especially with a girl like her.
He tilted his head to one side, smiling as he again found himself watching her face. "So, do you like the place then?" he asked her.
Before SungYeon could speak, the waiter was back with their drinks and KyuHyun fished his wallet out of his pocket to slide a credit card across the table. "Run a tab please, for myself and the lady, and just bring me the slip before we leave," he instructed in cool tones, softening the businesslike words with a smile.
Once the waiter was gone, KyuHyun turned back to SungYeon and watched her narrow shoulders lift in a small shrug. "I like the decor, the layout. Haven't been paying much attention to anything else so far," she answered. Pinkish red tinted lips soft and shiny with gloss pursed around the straw of her drink and he had to look away because that little pout seemed to make his heart flip flop and his blood sizzle in his veins.
KyuHyun sipped his wine and glanced around them until he thought it was safe to look back at her, only to find those luminous eyes of her staring at him in return. "I like the decor and layout too," he said quickly. "Also when I checked my coat, I was impressed at the level of care and customer service. The dj seems to know what he's doing too, though he has a young voice."
.....
She found this man, this KyuHyun whose name rang a bell somewhere in her memory, magnetic, the current almost palpable and her anxiety was rising higher as a result. She could feel him staring at her as she sipped the definitely too sweet but blessedly alcoholic drink through the provided straw.
She resisted the smirk that wanted to rise to her lips when he talked about Henry. The DJ in question was barely 19, of course he sounded young but he was also a musical prodigy. NOT letting him DJ would be a true crime against music lovers. Especially when he Mixed like a dream. Plus, Zhou Mi would murder people if they didn't let his special person do his thing and Zhou Mi was scary when he was angry.
Stirring her drink gently with the straw, she decided to try a small experiment and turned her hand over under KyuHyun's and let her manicured fingertips slide over his sensitive palm. It was a slight change but she definitely felt him jerk slightly and there was a change also in the way his eyes looked, darker somehow and perhaps more intense.
"SungYeon," he said slowly, reaching out with his free hand and lifted the small point of her chin so their eyes met. "Would you like to go somewhere...quieter?" he asked.
.....
Oh, wouldn't she just. But he still didn't know the truth and she was afraid to try to tell him because then he'd probably stomp off and try to bleach himself. And she really wasn't quite sure she could handle that, not that she was telling the rest of those brainiacs upstairs that.
"That depends," she said softly, prevaricating. She took another sip of her drink and decided this demure stuff was just simply torture. "I should perhaps...tell you something first," she said when she took a few more swallows and emptied the glass of its quotient of liquid courage.
"Such as?" KyuHyun asked, and one fingertip was sliding down her throat, lightly toying with the pretty choker around it. "Perhaps you wanted to mention the very cleverly camouflaged but quite present adam's apple right here?" he asked, leaning closer and keeping his voice low enough that no one would over hear.
For a full minute, she couldn't find a single thing to say. She only stared into his eyes which were crinkled slightly with warmth and perhaps a little bit of laughter. She swallowed and found her voice. "You knew, all the time?" she demanded in a hissing undertone and only barely resisted yanking her hand away in a fit of pique.
His answer soothed her pride a bit. "Not immediately, no. You make a lovely if somewhat unique woman," he said softly. "But you turned your head and I noticed that little bump. Girls don't have those." KyuHyun smiled outright.
HeeChul told himself not to be a contrary bastard. KyuHyun knew he wasn't a girl and was still here, that said a few rather important things. And yet he couldn't help feeling a bit angry, he'd been so anxious about his confession and the fucking eye candy man had known for several minutes now. He settled for sitting back in his seat and ran a hand through the soft curls of his hair.
"But you stayed, after you knew?" he asked, just to clarify. He wanted some kind of firm announcement here so he didn't feel the ground had turned into quick sand under his stupidly high heeled boots.
KyuHyun grinned and looked unrepentant, making HeeChul wonder if it would be more fun to kiss him or punch him. "I figured you had your reasons. I'm sure you look just as adorable in a pair of tight jeans and a sweater too," he answered and leaned his elbow on the table.
HeeChul blinked a few times, trying to make any of this make any sense. He'd come down here all dressed up like a girl on a bet and he'd met a gorgeous man who seemed completely unphased by discovering he was a cross dressing man? He had to be dreaming.
"Wait, let me just clarify this," he said, waving a slender hand around. "You like men, right? In bed," he said, his voice almost a whisper but nevertheless very clear in every sense of the word.
.....
KyuHyun thought he should probably feel guilty for not telling this pretty, pretty man sooner that he knew that the other was not a girl. But frankly, he'd rather enjoyed the contrast of more masculine hard edges against the feminine softness. It seemed clear that this man was definitely a mass of contradictions.
"I would have thought that was obvious," he said, just to watch the other man's eyes spark with temper. "I like both. Imagine my rather pleasant surprise of realizing you almost are both." He leaned over and slid his hand into the other man's dark hair and kissed his cheek, close to his ear. "Tell me your real name please?" KyuHyun coaxed.
"Oof, you are...," but HeeChul sort of forgot what he'd been about to say. The big hand in his hair was warm and somehow embracing and the lips on his cheek were soft and hot. The whisper of breath on his skin caused an involuntary shiver.
"Yes?" KyuHyun prompted and HeeChul decided this man was going to be a handful and not just in the literal sense.
"Incorrigible," he answered promptly and firmly pushed KyuHyun back. "Unhand me," HeeChul ordered. "I'm HeeChul, happy now?"
KyuHyun moved back but grinned at him. "Well, not as happy I'd like to be," he said, eyes sparkling until HeeChul seriously wanted to smack him upside the head. But that was almost normal for HeeChul's life.
KyuHyun felt that this HeeChul could draw him completely over the edge from admiration or desire and into something much deeper. The slender man practically crackled with energy, with warmth and life and passion. It was far more intoxicating that any drink he'd ever tasted just watching HeeChul. The name struck a chord somewhere in the back of his mind but KyuHyun ignored that in favor of simply enjoying HeeChul's company.
"I think I liked it better when you were pretending you thought I was a girl," HeeChul announced and sighed dramatically. "Oh well, I think you were inviting me to go somewhere quieter?"
"I was waiting for you to decide if you wanted to go somewhere with me," KyuHyun answered. "It seemed as if you were almost angry I knew already."
"Oh don't even try that. You know you're gorgeous and I'd be an idiot not to see what you're like, in private. I warn you though, my best friend is lethal and if you hurt me he will tear you head off and ...well I think you can guess from there." HeeChul smiled sweetly and flipped his curls, nudging KyuHyun.
KyuHyun laughed out loud and flicked his fingertips against HeeChul's jaw before sliding out of the booth politely. "Give me a second to sign the charge slip please," he asked as he stood aside to let HeeChul stand up as well.
"Fine, I'm sure the owners would prefer we not walk out without paying," HeeChul answered, trying not to laugh at what the group accountant would have to say to him if he let KyuHyun abandon his bar tab. "I need to make a phone call anyway."
HeeChul waited though until KyuHyun's attention was fully engaged in trying to fight his way through the crowd around the bar before fishing his stupidly tiny phone out of his stupidly tight mini skirt. He speed dialed and waited for someone to answer.
"Hello, nuuuuuna," Donghae sang when he answered and HeeChul narrowed his eyes.
"Don't call me that, ever, again," he ordered, but quietly. "Has Zhou Mi got my bag ready? And is he guarding it with his life? My new friend miraculously likes boys in skirts, he also likes boys in jeans, so there better be some in my bag, or else I put neon green dye in your shampoo. You feel me?" HeeChul spoke rapidly in his trademark, I could have been a bad ass biker if I wanted, threatening hiss.
"Oh, fine. Yes, hyung, Zhou Mi has your bag. He is guarding it with his designer clad life."
HeeChul could practically hear the eye rolling in Donghae's voice. "Good boy. Please get someone to bring it down to coat check. I'm getting ready to leave and I want to be coming home in something that does not involve panty hose."
He hung up before Donghae could remind him of that time they all wore panty hose. Sort of. The phone went back into his pocket and he leaned nonchalantly against the wall with his arms folded to await KyuHyun's return from the bar, hopefully without bruises. Then he closed his eyes when he considered that a few bruises on KyuHyun would probably only intensify the man's sexy appeal. HeeChul felt he was in soooo much trouble, but that wasn't going to stop him from getting somewhere quiet, relatively private and with at least one flat surface so he could find out just how much trouble that was.
KyuHyun was vibrating with impatience by the time he got to the bar, gave his name and was given the charge slip to sign. He signed with a bit more fluorished mess than usual and pocketed his receipt. HeeChul was waiting for him and KyuHyun's body seemed to tingle from head to toe with a mixture of anticipation and slight panic. It was clear the other man was a sophisticated human being, KyuHyun wasn't arrogant enough to think of himself as more than talented and intelligent. Sophisticated was not one of the words he'd usually use to describe himself. Geeky was far more appropriate, usually.
Continued here