[Fic] All That I Am - 7/12
Title: All That I Am
Author: Coley Merrin
Rating: R
Pairing: Zhou Mi/Kyuhyun
Genre: AU, Romance
Summary: To find a date that Kyuhyun can stomach is impossible - unless they hire one to pretend. But not even the perfect companion can stop years worth of threats, or keep their acting from becoming all too real.
***
Chapter One * Chapter Two * Chapter Three * Chapter Four * Chapter Five * Chapter Six * Chapter Seven * Chapter Eight
***
Kyuhyun woke just moments before his alarm went off. Reaching out to slap it in the dark of the room. It was early, but not as early as he had to get up sometimes. And he felt like he’d slept under a rock. He couldn’t remember sleeping that deeply in ages. And as the reason why sunk in, he found he had a reason to smile. Of course, when he looked, Zhou Mi had gotten both fists up under his chin, the sheet clutched in one of them, as though that was going to block out the sound of the alarm. It wouldn’t take too long for him to fall back to sleep. Kyuhyun swung his legs out of the warmth of the bed with some regret, realizing again why he didn’t like to sleep without clothes.
He was about to stand when he felt fingers stroking at his hip.
“It’s still early, go back to sleep,” he told Zhou Mi. “I’m just going to head into work so we can go to that stupid hotel tomorrow.”
“Mmhmm,” Zhou Mi murmured, sort of massaging at his skin. If Kyuhyun hadn’t been looking, he might have missed the puckering of Zhou Mi’s lips. Like he wanted something.
“I’ll see you later,” he said, twisting so he could peck Zhou Mi’s mouth.
Zhou Mi caught him by the neck, asking for another kiss, and he sniggered, pressing Zhou Mi’s head into the fluffy pillow.
“What, you want this to turn into some “Who has the worst morning breath?” contest? Go back to sleep.”
He was energized, moving through his work with a speed that impressed even himself for the first few hours. He got a few strange, speculative looks from Eeteuk about it, but he ignored that. He didn’t need anyone distracting him. But he didn’t lie to himself, he had take a moment in his car that morning to gather himself. How desperate Zhou Mi had been, pinning him with those eyes as much as he had with his body. And the soft kisses.
And though it ought to have shamed him, he hadn’t taken Zhou Mi’s promises at face value. Zhou Mi hadn’t been out of sight for much more than a few minutes, and despite what he now knew that he and Zhou Mi could accomplish in that time frame, he knew there had been no sexual overtures going on. A kiss, Zhou Mi had admitted, from a man he had dated. Zhou Mi had ended the conversation, left, come back to Kyuhyun with a smile. Lining up what he knew with what Zhou Mi said, he had no real reason to doubt once his sanity had returned. Maybe Zhou Mi’s kisses had some kind of magical anger-reducing properties. And no matter how much he tried to forget it, Zhou Mi’s words, only you, stuck to him. Maybe if Zhou Mi hadn’t been stuck with Kyuhyun, he would’ve reconnected with his ex. Maybe. There hadn’t been anything in his life that morning so appealing as crawling back into bed and pressing himself against that naked skin and just falling back to sleep. Letting Zhou Mi’s smile curve against his skin, sweet. He hadn’t wanted apologies, or excuses, or assurances. He’d gotten two of those. And it settled him.
“Remember to pack your suitcase,” he texted Zhou Mi between meetings. “You know what you need better than any maid would.”
After a brief pause, Zhou Mi responded, “Aye, captain. Are you packing for yourself, too?”
“Yes. And if you touch my clothes - off with your head.”
He was actually in a meeting when Zhou Mi responded, no words, just a picture. A picture of what was obviously Zhou Mi’s hand fondling one of Kyuhyun’s ties.
He had to put his free fist to his mouth to maintain his demeanor, typing back quickly, “You’ll pay for that later.”
He had to set his phone aside at that point, before he totally got sidetracked. But when he did check, all Zhou Mi responded with was some beatific smiley face. Yeah, sure, he was looking forward to that, too.
Though of course work didn’t allow him the simple luxury of getting home early. He’d had to have Eeteuk call to make sure someone was taking care of his tuxedo and suits for the weekend. They also knew what toiletries to pack, and necessities like underwear and pajamas. He’d have enough time to at least throw in some causal clothes in case they were needed. He imagined Zhou Mi watching the process with some consternation and wondered if he was giving his input on tie selection. He kind of wished he was there to see it. He didn’t bother texting Zhou Mi to let him know he’d be late, the simple fact that the maids were doing his packing for him seemed like plenty a clue. And the quicker he got finished, the quicker he got home.
Something was immediately different when he made it in the door with his tie dangling from one hand. Zhou Mi was waiting for him in the living room, which he never did, popping to his feet before Kyuhyun could even kick aside his shoes.
“Did you eat?” Zhou Mi asked, taking Kyuhyun’s bag and tie from him.
He squinted at the floor, trying to think back that far. “I did. A while ago?”
A few hours? Six? Nine?
He relinquished his jacket to Zhou Mi’s hands as he all but was pushed into a chair at the table.
“I had a sandwich made for you before everyone went off to sleep, and I’ll warm you up some soup, okay?”
Dinner, at midnight. He sighed, hearing Zhou Mi clanking things around and the drone of the microwave. A mug of hot tea was set in front of him, Zhou Mi brushing his shoulder with a hand as he retreated to the beeping appliance.
And then he had some kind of spicy soup and cold sandwich in front of him, and Zhou Mi across from him with soup and tea as well.
“Were you able to finish everything so you can relax this weekend?” Zhou Mi asked him, blowing on his tea a little.
“More or less. Nothing that’s going to melt down before Monday. Though if you think I’m going to get any relaxing done this weekend, you’ve signed on for the wrong cruise.”
“You said something about massages though?”
“Maybe. Maybe Sunday. But tomorrow, we’ll get there, check in. Lunch. Some ridiculous tour of the new facilities. Dinner. Opera. Sound relaxing to you?”
“The opera will be, won’t it?”
“Believe me, that wasn’t my choice,” Kyuhyun told him.
“So you don’t like it?”
“I like that it gives me time for a nap.” At Zhou Mi’s incredulous look, he continued. “I’ve perfected the art of sleeping with my eyes open. Some people like it. Have you been to one?”
“I’ve only seen little bits in movies or shows. And we’ll be seeing Romeo and Juliet?”
“Yeah, incredibly exciting, right? Wow, I can’t wait to see how that ends.”
Zhou Mi laughed, finishing his soup.
“I’ll just finish putting in some clothes in the morning, and we’ll be set to go.”
He shooed Zhou Mi off to the room, depositing their bowls and cups in the sink, and resigned himself to a quick shower. When he came out, Zhou Mi was in bed. On his own side of the bed, which seemed like it was a long way away, considering the night before. Though he needed sleep more than he needed touching, so it probably wasn’t a bad thing. No goodnight kiss, or so he thought. Not that he’d expected one. Particularly.
“Kyuhyun?”
The whole bed seemed to shake, Zhou Mi’s mouth kissing at the edge of his. “Rest well, and we’ll relax as much as possible this weekend, okay?”
“Mmhm,” he replied.
He fell asleep with Zhou Mi’s fingers against his.
***
Lunch had gone well enough. Packing Zhou Mi and their suitcases in the car had gone smoothly, as had the drive. All there was left was just getting to the resort and checking in. It was a blissfully warm day, a bit of a breeze, neither too hot nor too cold. Which meant that lunch had an impromptu venue change, from one of the inside dining rooms, to the outer terrace. Which gave him the opportunity to see Zhou Mi lounging in a deck chair beside him, looking rather crisp and cool in his blue slacks. The hum of conversation and clink of silverware on china.
There were a few families with quiet, well-behaved children. Though he really only figured that out when a child barely taller than Zhou Mi’s knee crawled under their chairs to retrieve a ball. Zhou Mi smiled after the kid, angling his head so that he was more fully under the umbrellas shade.
“Relaxing?” Zhou Mi asked him.
“Mm, sort of,” he agreed. “Let’s make it through the food and tour before I start crowing about anything though.”
He got a laugh and a pat to his hand. At least someone found him cute.
Touring the gardens, the new suites, kitchens, and whatnot was interesting enough. People being guided around in small herds, a clear bid for future investment. Of course, he thought some of the people there wouldn’t know what to do with a hotel if it bit them, it was still a good shot. Zhou Mi kept pretty much beside him as people chattered, stopping a few times to take a very discreet flower picture. And at least a few ninja pictures of Kyuhyun from what he could tell. If anyone disapproved, they didn’t show it. And he probably would’ve told them off if they had. Not everyone had to be stuffy stick in the muds. Sometimes just enjoying it all was what required. And instead of shutting down and rolling his eyes at the whole thing, he just rolled his eyes at most of it and tried not to get distracted by Zhou Mi’s arm slipping around his shoulders.
It wasn’t like it went on for long. No amount of tennis courts and pools could keep people engaged. And beside that, there was a formal dinner to be prepared for which preceded the short trip over for the confounded opera. The only real reason he had to look forward to it was getting to see Zhou Mi in the tuxedo. He’d gone for the fitting alone, so not even Eeteuk could needle Kyuhyun about what Zhou Mi looked like, and Zhou Mi had been guarding it like it was made of gold. Eeteuk had forced a row of pictures on him, telling him to pick out cufflinks for Zhou Mi.
“Think of it as a bonus,” the master wheedler had told him. So he had cufflinks in his bag for both of them, even though he was a hundred percent sure Zhou Mi couldn’t have even gotten his nose out the door of the shop without someone selling him cufflinks to go with his dress shirts.
And Zhou Mi was statuesque enough that he was going to look nothing short of stunning. Kyuhyun didn’t need to see the clothes to divine that one. And while Zhou Mi showered, and yes all his willpower went toward not imagining how well they could waste time together, he did a small search and seizure on Zhou Mi’s bag. Zhou Mi’s shirt was flapping, though he had the tuxedo pants and his socks on, as he came out to rummage in his suitcase.
It began as the slow search, and then escalated to all out content evacuation as Zhou Mi searched.
“Looking for something?” he called, fiddling with his bow tie.
“My cufflinks!” Zhou Mi exclaimed, bewildered. “I checked about ten times to make sure I’d packed them. Did I set them beside the bag and leave them? I swear they were here… You don’t think someone stole them while we were out, do you?”
Kyuhyun laughed, his joke complete. “Yeah, someone stole them. I did.”
“Kyuhyun! You’re going to give me a heart attack.”
“The world won’t end because of cufflinks. Eeteuk assumed you’d walk out with some, but he wanted you to have something with a little more style. These were my choice, so if you hate them, you can have the old ones, or we’ll trade or something.”
He tossed the jewelry box, laughing a little as Zhou Mi barely caught it. And he paused, when Kyuhyun expected him to tear right into it.
“You picked these out for me?”
“Well, because Eeteuk, uh. Sure?”
His face was pressed to Zhou Mi’s collarbone as he was enfolded in a hug. “Thank you.”
“You haven’t even seen them yet,” he pointed out as Zhou Mi plopped onto the bed beside him.
He hadn’t seen them since Eeteuk had forced the pictures on him, so he allowed himself to be impressed when the lid opened up. Square, silver, classy. A little bit understated, but with the silver sheen not enough to be dull. And since the selection Eeteuk had presented had ranged from boring to ostentatious, he felt he’d done pretty well. Zhou Mi lifted the box closer, squinting a little.
“Is that a diamond in the corner?”
Kyuhyun leaned into Zhou Mi’s shoulder, craning his head. “You mean those clear sparkly stones that look just like diamonds? Yeah.”
“Kyuhyun.”
“So you like them or not?”
“They’re gorgeous. But you didn’t have to!”
“Eeteuk thought you deserved a bonus, and I agreed. Plus, they’ll look good on your shirt.”
Zhou Mi’s kiss was soft, pressing close as he wrapped his arms around Kyuhyun. “Thank you. And I mean it, thank you. I love them. They’re perfect.”
Kyuhyun allowed himself a moment of vanity to think that Zhou Mi was also thinking that he was gorgeous and perfect, but he kissed Zhou Mi one last time and pushed him back.
“Go finish dressing before we’re late for dinner. People will get the wrong idea.”
Zhou Mi’s grin flashed. “Or the right one?”
“Not this time.”
Though that didn’t keep him from ogling Zhou Mi’s butt. Even through the shirt, he knew he liked what he saw. Maybe after. Maybe.
***
Dinner was almost deadly dull, seated next to a man who droned about finance through appetizers and the first half of the main course. His spouse was glaring daggers at him from across the table to try and shut him up, while sending sympathetic looks at Kyuhyun. He just resigned himself. At least she had Zhou Mi to talk to. Zhou Mi and his tuxedo jacket and distracting bow tie. By the end of dessert he felt like a macroeconomics professor on speed, slamming his forehead on Zhou Mi’s shoulder when they had a moment of privacy in the elevator.
“The good news is, the opera will be so delightful after that dinner,” he joked.
“The lady was very charming,” Zhou Mi said, patting his back in sympathy. “I think she apologized for her husband several times. Said he doesn’t know what to talk about at these things and that people bore him, so he just keeps talking.”
“I need that massage.”
He only half let out the moan as Zhou Mi’s fingers kneaded the back of his neck.
“What do you say? Want to skip the opera? Head back to our room instead?”
He knew Zhou Mi understood the offer, from the way he drew up to his full height.
“But what if I want to see what the opera is like?” Zhou Mi murmured, shifting to squeeze Kyuhyun’s tense shoulder. “Build anticipation.”
“You have it in for me, don’t you?”
It was a good thing the man was cute, he grumbled to himself, and together they walked to the car. And having no compunction about playing with the cd player either, cycling through until he found something he liked.
“You realize that will in no way resemble the opera, right?”
“Clearing my palate,” Zhou Mi teased.
***
Operas were long. Very long. Longer than he remembered as he stared and remembered to blink and tried not to get totally distracted seeing Zhou Mi’s cufflinks wink in the light. He had made a good choice. Very nice. But no. People, period dress, singing. He pinched his thigh and started playing chess in his head to stay awake. He’d started thinking about undressing Zhou Mi, undoing his clothes piece by piece, but all that did was make him want to leave faster, so he could do that for real. And the pants he was wearing were not very forgiving.
He might not have noticed, Zhou Mi was so subtle, but for the extra fidgeting. There wasn’t any sobbing, or gasping. But he knew for sure, looking over to see Zhou Mi’s finger smooth underneath his eye. Wiping away wetness. He stared between Zhou Mi and the stage. He was crying…at the opera?
"Why are you crying?" he whispered, jabbing at Zhou Mi’s arm.
Zhou Mi’s eyes were brilliantly wet in the low light, and startled that he had been found out, and so rudely. "It's so sad!"
"I thought everyone knew this story?”
"That doesn't make it less sad!"
“At least we’re not actually going to a funeral,” he muttered under his breath, digging into his pocket for a handkerchief and handing it to Zhou Mi. “Here, use this before you get your jacket all wet.”
Zhou Mi murmured his thanks, wiping at his eyes while Kyuhyun rolled his own. It wasn’t like there was much time left that they had to sit there. Thank gracious. Though being able to see Zhou Mi’s reactions had made the event a whole lot less interminable.
He hoped it was subtle, when he reached for Zhou Mi’s hand, gripping it and pulling it to his own side. Zhou Mi’s fingers curved around his, and he thought he saw the edges of Zhou Mi’s mouth curve up, just a little. When he had been small, a hand holding his had been a comfort. Maybe Zhou Mi felt the same. The fingertips that touched his hand were probably salty from his tears. For a moment, he imagined tasting them to see. Or what it would be like to kiss Zhou M’s face instead. He imagined that face screwing up in a laugh as Kyuhyun pinned him, squirming as Kyuhyun kissed his face, tickling him with kisses, touches. It had him grinning just to have the image in his head, though he wiped the expression off before anyone had a chance to see.
They stayed just that way, joined, until the last curtain fell. And with his luck, they were only stopped ten times on the way to the car.
“You remember when I told you that you were going to pay for touching my clothes?” he said, the rumble of the gas pedal under his foot a welcome change, and a balm to his antsy self.
“Yeah?” Zhou Mi asked warily.
“You should get prepared for that.”
***
Zhou Mi set aside the cufflinks carefully, tucking them into their box. He didn’t know if Kyuhyun understood that it wasn’t about how the cufflinks looked. It wasn’t about the silver, and certainly not about the diamonds. It was that Kyuhyun, even at Eeteuk’s urging, had chosen them. And maybe it had been a choice made without much thought, but it had still been made with Zhou Mi in mind. And though he warned himself not to put much stock in it, he really couldn’t help himself. Kyuhyun had watched him open them, watched for his reaction. And he’d seemed to be pleased that Zhou Mi liked them. That sort of mixture of pride and glee lighting his face. So, so different from the man who’d laid out a sterile plan to use Zhou Mi as a cover, a hired companion. They’d softened to each other. And maybe it had been inevitable. Maybe expecting to share a life with someone, and not end up entwined, had been a feat too great for anyone.
When Kyuhyun had taken his hand, it had been more than he could do to pay attention to the rest of the performance. Glancing up, admiring the end, yes, but nowhere near the level of attention he had paid before. No one was watching them, expecting anything. Kyuhyun’s hand holding his was nothing more than what it was. Kyuhyun comforting him. Caring. He had wanted to lean over and press his face to Kyuhyun’s and just hold him. But there hadn’t been time. And they had needed to leave.
But when they got back, even after Kyuhyun’s half threat and promise, Kyuhyun had all but shoved him into the bathroom to shower, and for a moment he sort of hoped that a repeat of a couple nights before would happen. Soaping each other up, the touching. But Kyuhyun had seemed too interested in tying himself to his laptop. Probably work emails, he thought as he dried himself. He could hardly get away and relax if he tethered himself to it. Keeping his own expectations at a realistic level, that was key.
“Bathroom’s free,” he said, setting aside his clothes so they could be pressed.
“Be out in a minute,” Kyuhyun said, voice light. But he was startled when he met Kyuhyun’s eyes. That question in them. And then the door of the bathroom shut, locked.
And there was nothing to do but wait, leaving the light on on Kyuhyun’s side of the bed, turning on the television for a little distraction. Kind of hard to concentrate on the news when he was picturing Kyuhyun naked and wet, but he did his level best. Still, the room was silent by the time he heard the shower turn off.
“Hey,” Kyuhyun said as he came out. “I need something.”
“What’s that?”
Perhaps to kill Zhou Mi slowly, when he realized that Kyuhyun wore nothing but a towel. Mostly dry, but with a shimmer on his skin in places. It wasn’t fair how much he wanted to touch it.
“I told you I’d pay you back for touching my clothes. Stand up.”
He wasn’t even sure what to make of Kyuhyun’s mood, standing slowly. Gasping as Kyuhyun partly crouched, running the flat of his hands up the back of Zhou Mi’s thighs.
“Too much cloth,” Kyuhyun ordered, stepping and forcing Zhou Mi to step back until he teetered, the backs of his knees against the seat of one of the plush arm chairs.
And with four fingers, Kyuhyun expertly caught Zhou Mi’s pajamas, underwear, and dragged them until gravity took over, and it was just Kyuhyun’s hands against Zhou Mi’s skin.
“This is payb-back?” he stuttered, staring at Kyuhyun’s ear.
“Needs less clothes, but yeah. Sit down.”
Not like he lounged around naked normally, so the cool of the fabric was startling. Not sure what to do, if he should be covering himself or dragging off Kyuhyun’s towel or what. But his brain knew, and fell out onto the floor of his own volition, as Kyuhyun’s knees hit the floor. Those hands, all long fingers, tracing up the top of his thighs, down, and along the inside. So close. Too close, and not far enough.
Kyuhyun smirked up at him, licking his lips. “This is my kind of payback.”
As though Zhou Mi would protest, watching Kyuhyun’s hair flop as the slender neck bent. Cool fingers touching, warming around him. Lifting, until cool lips kissed, running along the length of him. Warm tongue darting, counterpoint. Warm mouth engulfing. Zhou Mi’s hands gripped the arms of the chair, Kyuhyun’s head, his shoulders, anything. Trying to find his place, his bearing. Unable to compute that Kyuhyun was on his knees, touching, blowing him. His hips wanted to hurtle into that warmth so badly, that he had to flop his head back to stop it. Just not seeing helped a little.
But not for long, a ragged moan ripping from him as Kyuhyun fondled, warm fingers, wet, tender. Just the slightest bit of danger, the edge that sent his senses flying. He didn’t even know what he was saying, Kyuhyun’s name, pleas, trying not to let his volume get out of hand, but being unable to stop his moans. Not when Kyuhyun wouldn’t stop. Getting an elbow into Zhou Mi’s knee, holding him still, not seeing that he needed a moment to just breathe, just…
And then Kyuhyun began to moan, sputtering gasps around him, moaning again.
Kyuhyun was coming. Kyuhyun was touching himself and-
He hung on the precipice, seeing Kyuhyun’s tense face, closed eyes. Imagining that mouth against his, body pumping beneath his.
And he could not have stopped himself from falling. Ramrod stiff, and melting, shivering back into the chair as Kyuhyun’s fingers, mouth, gentled. He didn’t even feel in control of his own body, not even able to steady his hand as he felt for Kyuhyun’s hair. Kyuhyun breathed hard against his abdomen for a long moment before looking up. Lips red and wet, eyes hooded.
“I always pay people back,” Kyuhyun said, sounding almost drunk.
He kissed what almost seemed like a tear from Kyuhyun’s face, but was probably only sweat. Kissing his mouth.
“Bed?” he murmured. Wondering if his knees would make it that far. Kyuhyun stood first, legs popping. Laughing helplessly as he struggled upright. And he tugged Zhou Mi up with him. Hobbling across the room like old men, only to tumble into bed.
Tomorrow they’d… Dance? Massage? He shook his head, pressing his face into Kyuhyun’s sweaty neck. They’d figure it out tomorrow.
***
Neither of them heard during the night, too deeply asleep against each other, the envelope with Kyuhyun’s name being slipped beneath the door.
***
Author: Coley Merrin
Rating: R
Pairing: Zhou Mi/Kyuhyun
Genre: AU, Romance
Summary: To find a date that Kyuhyun can stomach is impossible - unless they hire one to pretend. But not even the perfect companion can stop years worth of threats, or keep their acting from becoming all too real.
***
Chapter One * Chapter Two * Chapter Three * Chapter Four * Chapter Five * Chapter Six * Chapter Seven * Chapter Eight
***
Kyuhyun woke just moments before his alarm went off. Reaching out to slap it in the dark of the room. It was early, but not as early as he had to get up sometimes. And he felt like he’d slept under a rock. He couldn’t remember sleeping that deeply in ages. And as the reason why sunk in, he found he had a reason to smile. Of course, when he looked, Zhou Mi had gotten both fists up under his chin, the sheet clutched in one of them, as though that was going to block out the sound of the alarm. It wouldn’t take too long for him to fall back to sleep. Kyuhyun swung his legs out of the warmth of the bed with some regret, realizing again why he didn’t like to sleep without clothes.
He was about to stand when he felt fingers stroking at his hip.
“It’s still early, go back to sleep,” he told Zhou Mi. “I’m just going to head into work so we can go to that stupid hotel tomorrow.”
“Mmhmm,” Zhou Mi murmured, sort of massaging at his skin. If Kyuhyun hadn’t been looking, he might have missed the puckering of Zhou Mi’s lips. Like he wanted something.
“I’ll see you later,” he said, twisting so he could peck Zhou Mi’s mouth.
Zhou Mi caught him by the neck, asking for another kiss, and he sniggered, pressing Zhou Mi’s head into the fluffy pillow.
“What, you want this to turn into some “Who has the worst morning breath?” contest? Go back to sleep.”
He was energized, moving through his work with a speed that impressed even himself for the first few hours. He got a few strange, speculative looks from Eeteuk about it, but he ignored that. He didn’t need anyone distracting him. But he didn’t lie to himself, he had take a moment in his car that morning to gather himself. How desperate Zhou Mi had been, pinning him with those eyes as much as he had with his body. And the soft kisses.
And though it ought to have shamed him, he hadn’t taken Zhou Mi’s promises at face value. Zhou Mi hadn’t been out of sight for much more than a few minutes, and despite what he now knew that he and Zhou Mi could accomplish in that time frame, he knew there had been no sexual overtures going on. A kiss, Zhou Mi had admitted, from a man he had dated. Zhou Mi had ended the conversation, left, come back to Kyuhyun with a smile. Lining up what he knew with what Zhou Mi said, he had no real reason to doubt once his sanity had returned. Maybe Zhou Mi’s kisses had some kind of magical anger-reducing properties. And no matter how much he tried to forget it, Zhou Mi’s words, only you, stuck to him. Maybe if Zhou Mi hadn’t been stuck with Kyuhyun, he would’ve reconnected with his ex. Maybe. There hadn’t been anything in his life that morning so appealing as crawling back into bed and pressing himself against that naked skin and just falling back to sleep. Letting Zhou Mi’s smile curve against his skin, sweet. He hadn’t wanted apologies, or excuses, or assurances. He’d gotten two of those. And it settled him.
“Remember to pack your suitcase,” he texted Zhou Mi between meetings. “You know what you need better than any maid would.”
After a brief pause, Zhou Mi responded, “Aye, captain. Are you packing for yourself, too?”
“Yes. And if you touch my clothes - off with your head.”
He was actually in a meeting when Zhou Mi responded, no words, just a picture. A picture of what was obviously Zhou Mi’s hand fondling one of Kyuhyun’s ties.
He had to put his free fist to his mouth to maintain his demeanor, typing back quickly, “You’ll pay for that later.”
He had to set his phone aside at that point, before he totally got sidetracked. But when he did check, all Zhou Mi responded with was some beatific smiley face. Yeah, sure, he was looking forward to that, too.
Though of course work didn’t allow him the simple luxury of getting home early. He’d had to have Eeteuk call to make sure someone was taking care of his tuxedo and suits for the weekend. They also knew what toiletries to pack, and necessities like underwear and pajamas. He’d have enough time to at least throw in some causal clothes in case they were needed. He imagined Zhou Mi watching the process with some consternation and wondered if he was giving his input on tie selection. He kind of wished he was there to see it. He didn’t bother texting Zhou Mi to let him know he’d be late, the simple fact that the maids were doing his packing for him seemed like plenty a clue. And the quicker he got finished, the quicker he got home.
Something was immediately different when he made it in the door with his tie dangling from one hand. Zhou Mi was waiting for him in the living room, which he never did, popping to his feet before Kyuhyun could even kick aside his shoes.
“Did you eat?” Zhou Mi asked, taking Kyuhyun’s bag and tie from him.
He squinted at the floor, trying to think back that far. “I did. A while ago?”
A few hours? Six? Nine?
He relinquished his jacket to Zhou Mi’s hands as he all but was pushed into a chair at the table.
“I had a sandwich made for you before everyone went off to sleep, and I’ll warm you up some soup, okay?”
Dinner, at midnight. He sighed, hearing Zhou Mi clanking things around and the drone of the microwave. A mug of hot tea was set in front of him, Zhou Mi brushing his shoulder with a hand as he retreated to the beeping appliance.
And then he had some kind of spicy soup and cold sandwich in front of him, and Zhou Mi across from him with soup and tea as well.
“Were you able to finish everything so you can relax this weekend?” Zhou Mi asked him, blowing on his tea a little.
“More or less. Nothing that’s going to melt down before Monday. Though if you think I’m going to get any relaxing done this weekend, you’ve signed on for the wrong cruise.”
“You said something about massages though?”
“Maybe. Maybe Sunday. But tomorrow, we’ll get there, check in. Lunch. Some ridiculous tour of the new facilities. Dinner. Opera. Sound relaxing to you?”
“The opera will be, won’t it?”
“Believe me, that wasn’t my choice,” Kyuhyun told him.
“So you don’t like it?”
“I like that it gives me time for a nap.” At Zhou Mi’s incredulous look, he continued. “I’ve perfected the art of sleeping with my eyes open. Some people like it. Have you been to one?”
“I’ve only seen little bits in movies or shows. And we’ll be seeing Romeo and Juliet?”
“Yeah, incredibly exciting, right? Wow, I can’t wait to see how that ends.”
Zhou Mi laughed, finishing his soup.
“I’ll just finish putting in some clothes in the morning, and we’ll be set to go.”
He shooed Zhou Mi off to the room, depositing their bowls and cups in the sink, and resigned himself to a quick shower. When he came out, Zhou Mi was in bed. On his own side of the bed, which seemed like it was a long way away, considering the night before. Though he needed sleep more than he needed touching, so it probably wasn’t a bad thing. No goodnight kiss, or so he thought. Not that he’d expected one. Particularly.
“Kyuhyun?”
The whole bed seemed to shake, Zhou Mi’s mouth kissing at the edge of his. “Rest well, and we’ll relax as much as possible this weekend, okay?”
“Mmhm,” he replied.
He fell asleep with Zhou Mi’s fingers against his.
***
Lunch had gone well enough. Packing Zhou Mi and their suitcases in the car had gone smoothly, as had the drive. All there was left was just getting to the resort and checking in. It was a blissfully warm day, a bit of a breeze, neither too hot nor too cold. Which meant that lunch had an impromptu venue change, from one of the inside dining rooms, to the outer terrace. Which gave him the opportunity to see Zhou Mi lounging in a deck chair beside him, looking rather crisp and cool in his blue slacks. The hum of conversation and clink of silverware on china.
There were a few families with quiet, well-behaved children. Though he really only figured that out when a child barely taller than Zhou Mi’s knee crawled under their chairs to retrieve a ball. Zhou Mi smiled after the kid, angling his head so that he was more fully under the umbrellas shade.
“Relaxing?” Zhou Mi asked him.
“Mm, sort of,” he agreed. “Let’s make it through the food and tour before I start crowing about anything though.”
He got a laugh and a pat to his hand. At least someone found him cute.
Touring the gardens, the new suites, kitchens, and whatnot was interesting enough. People being guided around in small herds, a clear bid for future investment. Of course, he thought some of the people there wouldn’t know what to do with a hotel if it bit them, it was still a good shot. Zhou Mi kept pretty much beside him as people chattered, stopping a few times to take a very discreet flower picture. And at least a few ninja pictures of Kyuhyun from what he could tell. If anyone disapproved, they didn’t show it. And he probably would’ve told them off if they had. Not everyone had to be stuffy stick in the muds. Sometimes just enjoying it all was what required. And instead of shutting down and rolling his eyes at the whole thing, he just rolled his eyes at most of it and tried not to get distracted by Zhou Mi’s arm slipping around his shoulders.
It wasn’t like it went on for long. No amount of tennis courts and pools could keep people engaged. And beside that, there was a formal dinner to be prepared for which preceded the short trip over for the confounded opera. The only real reason he had to look forward to it was getting to see Zhou Mi in the tuxedo. He’d gone for the fitting alone, so not even Eeteuk could needle Kyuhyun about what Zhou Mi looked like, and Zhou Mi had been guarding it like it was made of gold. Eeteuk had forced a row of pictures on him, telling him to pick out cufflinks for Zhou Mi.
“Think of it as a bonus,” the master wheedler had told him. So he had cufflinks in his bag for both of them, even though he was a hundred percent sure Zhou Mi couldn’t have even gotten his nose out the door of the shop without someone selling him cufflinks to go with his dress shirts.
And Zhou Mi was statuesque enough that he was going to look nothing short of stunning. Kyuhyun didn’t need to see the clothes to divine that one. And while Zhou Mi showered, and yes all his willpower went toward not imagining how well they could waste time together, he did a small search and seizure on Zhou Mi’s bag. Zhou Mi’s shirt was flapping, though he had the tuxedo pants and his socks on, as he came out to rummage in his suitcase.
It began as the slow search, and then escalated to all out content evacuation as Zhou Mi searched.
“Looking for something?” he called, fiddling with his bow tie.
“My cufflinks!” Zhou Mi exclaimed, bewildered. “I checked about ten times to make sure I’d packed them. Did I set them beside the bag and leave them? I swear they were here… You don’t think someone stole them while we were out, do you?”
Kyuhyun laughed, his joke complete. “Yeah, someone stole them. I did.”
“Kyuhyun! You’re going to give me a heart attack.”
“The world won’t end because of cufflinks. Eeteuk assumed you’d walk out with some, but he wanted you to have something with a little more style. These were my choice, so if you hate them, you can have the old ones, or we’ll trade or something.”
He tossed the jewelry box, laughing a little as Zhou Mi barely caught it. And he paused, when Kyuhyun expected him to tear right into it.
“You picked these out for me?”
“Well, because Eeteuk, uh. Sure?”
His face was pressed to Zhou Mi’s collarbone as he was enfolded in a hug. “Thank you.”
“You haven’t even seen them yet,” he pointed out as Zhou Mi plopped onto the bed beside him.
He hadn’t seen them since Eeteuk had forced the pictures on him, so he allowed himself to be impressed when the lid opened up. Square, silver, classy. A little bit understated, but with the silver sheen not enough to be dull. And since the selection Eeteuk had presented had ranged from boring to ostentatious, he felt he’d done pretty well. Zhou Mi lifted the box closer, squinting a little.
“Is that a diamond in the corner?”
Kyuhyun leaned into Zhou Mi’s shoulder, craning his head. “You mean those clear sparkly stones that look just like diamonds? Yeah.”
“Kyuhyun.”
“So you like them or not?”
“They’re gorgeous. But you didn’t have to!”
“Eeteuk thought you deserved a bonus, and I agreed. Plus, they’ll look good on your shirt.”
Zhou Mi’s kiss was soft, pressing close as he wrapped his arms around Kyuhyun. “Thank you. And I mean it, thank you. I love them. They’re perfect.”
Kyuhyun allowed himself a moment of vanity to think that Zhou Mi was also thinking that he was gorgeous and perfect, but he kissed Zhou Mi one last time and pushed him back.
“Go finish dressing before we’re late for dinner. People will get the wrong idea.”
Zhou Mi’s grin flashed. “Or the right one?”
“Not this time.”
Though that didn’t keep him from ogling Zhou Mi’s butt. Even through the shirt, he knew he liked what he saw. Maybe after. Maybe.
***
Dinner was almost deadly dull, seated next to a man who droned about finance through appetizers and the first half of the main course. His spouse was glaring daggers at him from across the table to try and shut him up, while sending sympathetic looks at Kyuhyun. He just resigned himself. At least she had Zhou Mi to talk to. Zhou Mi and his tuxedo jacket and distracting bow tie. By the end of dessert he felt like a macroeconomics professor on speed, slamming his forehead on Zhou Mi’s shoulder when they had a moment of privacy in the elevator.
“The good news is, the opera will be so delightful after that dinner,” he joked.
“The lady was very charming,” Zhou Mi said, patting his back in sympathy. “I think she apologized for her husband several times. Said he doesn’t know what to talk about at these things and that people bore him, so he just keeps talking.”
“I need that massage.”
He only half let out the moan as Zhou Mi’s fingers kneaded the back of his neck.
“What do you say? Want to skip the opera? Head back to our room instead?”
He knew Zhou Mi understood the offer, from the way he drew up to his full height.
“But what if I want to see what the opera is like?” Zhou Mi murmured, shifting to squeeze Kyuhyun’s tense shoulder. “Build anticipation.”
“You have it in for me, don’t you?”
It was a good thing the man was cute, he grumbled to himself, and together they walked to the car. And having no compunction about playing with the cd player either, cycling through until he found something he liked.
“You realize that will in no way resemble the opera, right?”
“Clearing my palate,” Zhou Mi teased.
***
Operas were long. Very long. Longer than he remembered as he stared and remembered to blink and tried not to get totally distracted seeing Zhou Mi’s cufflinks wink in the light. He had made a good choice. Very nice. But no. People, period dress, singing. He pinched his thigh and started playing chess in his head to stay awake. He’d started thinking about undressing Zhou Mi, undoing his clothes piece by piece, but all that did was make him want to leave faster, so he could do that for real. And the pants he was wearing were not very forgiving.
He might not have noticed, Zhou Mi was so subtle, but for the extra fidgeting. There wasn’t any sobbing, or gasping. But he knew for sure, looking over to see Zhou Mi’s finger smooth underneath his eye. Wiping away wetness. He stared between Zhou Mi and the stage. He was crying…at the opera?
"Why are you crying?" he whispered, jabbing at Zhou Mi’s arm.
Zhou Mi’s eyes were brilliantly wet in the low light, and startled that he had been found out, and so rudely. "It's so sad!"
"I thought everyone knew this story?”
"That doesn't make it less sad!"
“At least we’re not actually going to a funeral,” he muttered under his breath, digging into his pocket for a handkerchief and handing it to Zhou Mi. “Here, use this before you get your jacket all wet.”
Zhou Mi murmured his thanks, wiping at his eyes while Kyuhyun rolled his own. It wasn’t like there was much time left that they had to sit there. Thank gracious. Though being able to see Zhou Mi’s reactions had made the event a whole lot less interminable.
He hoped it was subtle, when he reached for Zhou Mi’s hand, gripping it and pulling it to his own side. Zhou Mi’s fingers curved around his, and he thought he saw the edges of Zhou Mi’s mouth curve up, just a little. When he had been small, a hand holding his had been a comfort. Maybe Zhou Mi felt the same. The fingertips that touched his hand were probably salty from his tears. For a moment, he imagined tasting them to see. Or what it would be like to kiss Zhou M’s face instead. He imagined that face screwing up in a laugh as Kyuhyun pinned him, squirming as Kyuhyun kissed his face, tickling him with kisses, touches. It had him grinning just to have the image in his head, though he wiped the expression off before anyone had a chance to see.
They stayed just that way, joined, until the last curtain fell. And with his luck, they were only stopped ten times on the way to the car.
“You remember when I told you that you were going to pay for touching my clothes?” he said, the rumble of the gas pedal under his foot a welcome change, and a balm to his antsy self.
“Yeah?” Zhou Mi asked warily.
“You should get prepared for that.”
***
Zhou Mi set aside the cufflinks carefully, tucking them into their box. He didn’t know if Kyuhyun understood that it wasn’t about how the cufflinks looked. It wasn’t about the silver, and certainly not about the diamonds. It was that Kyuhyun, even at Eeteuk’s urging, had chosen them. And maybe it had been a choice made without much thought, but it had still been made with Zhou Mi in mind. And though he warned himself not to put much stock in it, he really couldn’t help himself. Kyuhyun had watched him open them, watched for his reaction. And he’d seemed to be pleased that Zhou Mi liked them. That sort of mixture of pride and glee lighting his face. So, so different from the man who’d laid out a sterile plan to use Zhou Mi as a cover, a hired companion. They’d softened to each other. And maybe it had been inevitable. Maybe expecting to share a life with someone, and not end up entwined, had been a feat too great for anyone.
When Kyuhyun had taken his hand, it had been more than he could do to pay attention to the rest of the performance. Glancing up, admiring the end, yes, but nowhere near the level of attention he had paid before. No one was watching them, expecting anything. Kyuhyun’s hand holding his was nothing more than what it was. Kyuhyun comforting him. Caring. He had wanted to lean over and press his face to Kyuhyun’s and just hold him. But there hadn’t been time. And they had needed to leave.
But when they got back, even after Kyuhyun’s half threat and promise, Kyuhyun had all but shoved him into the bathroom to shower, and for a moment he sort of hoped that a repeat of a couple nights before would happen. Soaping each other up, the touching. But Kyuhyun had seemed too interested in tying himself to his laptop. Probably work emails, he thought as he dried himself. He could hardly get away and relax if he tethered himself to it. Keeping his own expectations at a realistic level, that was key.
“Bathroom’s free,” he said, setting aside his clothes so they could be pressed.
“Be out in a minute,” Kyuhyun said, voice light. But he was startled when he met Kyuhyun’s eyes. That question in them. And then the door of the bathroom shut, locked.
And there was nothing to do but wait, leaving the light on on Kyuhyun’s side of the bed, turning on the television for a little distraction. Kind of hard to concentrate on the news when he was picturing Kyuhyun naked and wet, but he did his level best. Still, the room was silent by the time he heard the shower turn off.
“Hey,” Kyuhyun said as he came out. “I need something.”
“What’s that?”
Perhaps to kill Zhou Mi slowly, when he realized that Kyuhyun wore nothing but a towel. Mostly dry, but with a shimmer on his skin in places. It wasn’t fair how much he wanted to touch it.
“I told you I’d pay you back for touching my clothes. Stand up.”
He wasn’t even sure what to make of Kyuhyun’s mood, standing slowly. Gasping as Kyuhyun partly crouched, running the flat of his hands up the back of Zhou Mi’s thighs.
“Too much cloth,” Kyuhyun ordered, stepping and forcing Zhou Mi to step back until he teetered, the backs of his knees against the seat of one of the plush arm chairs.
And with four fingers, Kyuhyun expertly caught Zhou Mi’s pajamas, underwear, and dragged them until gravity took over, and it was just Kyuhyun’s hands against Zhou Mi’s skin.
“This is payb-back?” he stuttered, staring at Kyuhyun’s ear.
“Needs less clothes, but yeah. Sit down.”
Not like he lounged around naked normally, so the cool of the fabric was startling. Not sure what to do, if he should be covering himself or dragging off Kyuhyun’s towel or what. But his brain knew, and fell out onto the floor of his own volition, as Kyuhyun’s knees hit the floor. Those hands, all long fingers, tracing up the top of his thighs, down, and along the inside. So close. Too close, and not far enough.
Kyuhyun smirked up at him, licking his lips. “This is my kind of payback.”
As though Zhou Mi would protest, watching Kyuhyun’s hair flop as the slender neck bent. Cool fingers touching, warming around him. Lifting, until cool lips kissed, running along the length of him. Warm tongue darting, counterpoint. Warm mouth engulfing. Zhou Mi’s hands gripped the arms of the chair, Kyuhyun’s head, his shoulders, anything. Trying to find his place, his bearing. Unable to compute that Kyuhyun was on his knees, touching, blowing him. His hips wanted to hurtle into that warmth so badly, that he had to flop his head back to stop it. Just not seeing helped a little.
But not for long, a ragged moan ripping from him as Kyuhyun fondled, warm fingers, wet, tender. Just the slightest bit of danger, the edge that sent his senses flying. He didn’t even know what he was saying, Kyuhyun’s name, pleas, trying not to let his volume get out of hand, but being unable to stop his moans. Not when Kyuhyun wouldn’t stop. Getting an elbow into Zhou Mi’s knee, holding him still, not seeing that he needed a moment to just breathe, just…
And then Kyuhyun began to moan, sputtering gasps around him, moaning again.
Kyuhyun was coming. Kyuhyun was touching himself and-
He hung on the precipice, seeing Kyuhyun’s tense face, closed eyes. Imagining that mouth against his, body pumping beneath his.
And he could not have stopped himself from falling. Ramrod stiff, and melting, shivering back into the chair as Kyuhyun’s fingers, mouth, gentled. He didn’t even feel in control of his own body, not even able to steady his hand as he felt for Kyuhyun’s hair. Kyuhyun breathed hard against his abdomen for a long moment before looking up. Lips red and wet, eyes hooded.
“I always pay people back,” Kyuhyun said, sounding almost drunk.
He kissed what almost seemed like a tear from Kyuhyun’s face, but was probably only sweat. Kissing his mouth.
“Bed?” he murmured. Wondering if his knees would make it that far. Kyuhyun stood first, legs popping. Laughing helplessly as he struggled upright. And he tugged Zhou Mi up with him. Hobbling across the room like old men, only to tumble into bed.
Tomorrow they’d… Dance? Massage? He shook his head, pressing his face into Kyuhyun’s sweaty neck. They’d figure it out tomorrow.
***
Neither of them heard during the night, too deeply asleep against each other, the envelope with Kyuhyun’s name being slipped beneath the door.
***