[FIC] Be Yours, ONE-SHOT
Title: Be Yours
Pairing: MiXian | QMi
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU, Romance, Comedy
A/N: Now, imagine the Kyuhyun in this fic wearing this! And the office like that! Hee!)
Summary: Call Center Agent Cho Kyuhyun was no nocturnal -- once upon an evening he accidentally ordered himself a boyfriend.... online!
--
This had been one of those rare days when his shift turned reversed: heading home at ten in the evening instead of punching in his time card at work. What had not been those days when he was greeted by the sight of a foreigner standing right in front of his apartment door. Tall, lanky with a mop of orange hair and seemingly trying to check and recheck some paper on his hand, this man was obviously barricading Kyuhyun's entrance to his home and inviting bed.
"Excuse me, can I help you?" Kyuhyun offered, being the nice man that he was (and because tonight was rest night! No snarky and rude approach please, he decided on his mental-list.)
"Oh, um, I'm looking for... Kyu.. Cho.. Kui Xian?" The stranger fumbling over the name quite entertainingly. "Cho--Kyuhy-- Kui--
"Ah, that'd be me? Well, I guess since I'm the only Cho here."
"I'm Joo Myuk but call me Zhou Mi, alright? I finally meet you!"
The stranger brightened up, like a polite way of smiling and gratitude, Kyuhyun supposed... and wondered what he meant next. And before he could even take a step back or even react to the situation, his vision blurred and sense of balance titled when the foreigner took his cheeks and pulled him across.
"H-hey, wait! What are you---!!"
It was not in any form or hint on Kyuhyun's mental-list: being kissed on the lips by a man he barely knew except his name caught him completely off-guard.
--
Two weeks earlier.
Two weeks earlier was toxic week at the call center Kyuhyun was currently working at, currently under Heechul's insistent and insane management. He had a smooth, quiet place where he could just relax while he worked - answering phones and talking for wee hours at daylight was no problem with him - until their real boss left and the oldest, being Heechul himself, forced into position.
"You guys realized that you're putting yourself on grave situation with him running this place, aren't you? Heech will kill us all!"
"Oh, shut up. You're just jealous because I'm a year-or-so older than you, Geng. The oldest gets to be the boss!" There was a pause and Heechul made and disapproving expression. "And aren't you supposed to be at your desk, answering phone calls?"
"I'd rather supervise and watch you do a good job instead, Heech. Somebody has got to be the sane one here and that's not you." That, with crossed arms over his chest, Hankyung faced Heechul with a serious pointed look.
"You will not!" Heechul thundered, nose flaring.
Henry raised his hands, nervous. "Now, now, you two..."
Kyuhyun didn't care much at first. Working with Heechul for almost a year helped him develop some kind of diva-tolerance so it wasn't a problem. As long as he wasn't talking and assisting during graveyard hours he was good. Night person, he was not. He'd sleep on them during conversations if anyone asked.
But then Sungmin just had to call-in the next couple of days of Heechul's Reign of Supremacy Maintenance - as titled by the man himself - and asked permission to leave. For a while, he said. And that meant weeks.
Have someone switch his night-shift, clearly Kyuhyun wasn't offering his hand. Or any part of his body.
"Sorry, really," Sungmin, over the intercom. "But I need to watch over my mom at the hospital. C'mon, hyung. You have a kind heart right?" It was said with sickeningly sweet tone - one masked with mischief Kyuhyun knew - to Heechul who grew remarkably emphatic immediately. Hankyung could only shake his head.
"Damn right you know I have." There was a considerable pause. "Okay, I'll have Ryeowook during the mornings and Kyuhyun at night. Tell dear mother to get well soon."
"What!"
"Thank you, hyung! Love you!"
"Yeah, yeah."
That was loudest, roughest and shortest march he ever did towards Heechul's desk. "You can't make me work at night!" Before he could add, Because I'll really can't stay awake at night! I'll just snooze on the customers! And no amount of caffeine could help, sadly.
"Yes I can. Because starting tomorrow evening, it'd be you, Kibum, me and Geng assisting these people with whatever they need assisting to. No buts because anyone says buts will stay with Yesung's division until who-knows-when. Yesung. With his talking turtles."
There was... no arguing with that.
--
By the time it was Day Three, Kyuhyun could feel his head buzzing unpleasantly. Even his eyes were heavy and uncooperative and could almost feel himself cradling the phone against his cheek. Telephone pillow, he could use one.
"Yes, well, my server's doing this glitch thing. Going on and off and-- hello? Are you still there? Hello?" His caller-customer somehow sensed the inattentive agent.
Kyuhyun coughed, clearing stuffy throat and trying miserably not to fall asleep. "Ah, yes. Okay, uh, maybe you need to check your connection first through Start."
Heechul and Kibum appeared having too much way fun than him - browsing through the net like maniacs because they were call-free it seemed. They were loud for so early in the morning. Well, Heechul was loud to be exact.
"Yow, Hyun! Wanna order something cool? I'll type in your name alright? For kicks!" Heechul hollered back, sounding too playfully dangerous and completely missing (and even knowing) how Kyuhyun was focusing on the caller instead of the loud man a few stalls away from him. He had about to shout a shrill what? no! what in the world are you doing! when his customer had to confirm links and clicks at the same time.
"Ah! Okay, okay! You're doing good." Kyuhyun told, nodding at his invisible caller. He almost spun his head towards Heechul's laugh that echoed through the room in affirmation. Kibum made disapproving disgruntled sounds however. Could he spare a minute, drop the receiver and stop Heechul from what in heaven's name he was doing?
"So! Male or female then?" Heechul hollered again.
His customer spoke through the other line, his attention splitting in two's. "Oh, wow. It's working now. But I want to send other records of crashes and errors. Via email or...?"
"Oh, uh, mail please!" Kyuhyun said, distinctively responding to his customer and not otherwise.
But it was Heechul's answer he heard, not the woman on the other end.
Heechul guffawed, "You're saying please? Pfft. You're weird. There's no need! Okay, there! Male it is!"
"I didn't know Kyuhyun holds that kind of preference. And you thought you know a person, damn." Kibum followed, his voice vividly clear to Kyuhyun who had another voice talking through his other ear. It was multi-tasking at its finest, except that Kyuhyun had wanted nothing more than to strangle Heechul and stop whatever he was doing over his computer and asking him weird things. It screamed all sorts of mischief and wrong. All drowsiness tossed aside.
"I think my internet's doing better now! Phew! I thought I'd lose my files or something!" His customer cheered. He could almost do the same if he put the receiver down for good. "Thanks, sir!"
"Yes, you're welcome. Thank you. Good bye." Finally, finally. Kyuhyun said in haste, throwing the phone down and rushing after the next few tables to Heechul's.
There it was, in black and white scheme with such minimal design on the screen, Heechul seemed to be answering something and clicking SEND before Kyuhyun could snatch the mouse away. He was sure his face contorted to utter horror.
"What have you done!" He screeched; eyes gluing immediately at the sparkly Thank You For Your Purchase! Go Back to Main Page? sign. Kibum was giving him weird looks and Heechul looked as nonchalant as he was ever.
"We were so bored... and were just fooling around with this site, see? You just got yourself a 'lover' - a man I might add since you told me to get a man. But I do wonder why a man though? Well, anyway, why are you so hyped up? It's obviously just a game." Heechul made air quotes at the word lover and shrugged, turning circles with his chair and obviously bored again. He exited the site and closed the window. "Though I gave your address away instead of your number."
"That's even worse!"
"Hey, I'm no stupid. Of course I didn't give them exactly your address so chill okay? Just how many gallons of coffee did you drink today? You sure are unnaturally jumpy." He waved off, dismissing the appalled look on Kyuhyun's face. "Good thing you're on night shift. That kind of energy is all we need for the next days!"
Phones began to ring and the two were preoccupied again, leaving the gaping Kyuhyun to gather his scattered brain. Game and fake, Heechul told him. But it might be more real or something that Kyuhyun needed to pay for after. He did just purchase an item, didn't he? Money was definitely the problem and not the item. Shaking off the uneasiness wasn't simple but Kyuhyun figured that, hey, this might some just game as Heechul fancied at.
After all, the website was rather... parchy and off and just awful that said anything legit. Yeah, that must be it.
So two weeks went off as planned: Kyuhyun trying to stay awake with the others and forgetting the incident. He had more important things to worry about like callers and assistance and Heechul's odd habit practicing his bickering about Hankyung with his pet cat. It was a poor substitute he first thought but Heebum amazingly nailed Heechul's nose and trotted away with tails up after practice. Kyuhyun decided that Heebum rocked as a domestic pet and should be given more credit. The early mornings somehow grew on him.
Though he wouldn't admit that. Out loud. Just yet. He still preferred the sun over the moon.
--
It was the girliest shriek Kyuhyun ever made. Scrambling out of the stranger's arm and backing away like there was a biological weapon right in front of him that he didn't dare to touch. The stranger was all smiles and grinning like it was to be expected. It ticked him.
"Y-you! I don't know what prank you're pulling but kissing people is not a good way of introducing yourself!" Kyuhyun all but yelled, shoving the man away and about to enter through his door when he was stopped.
Zhou Mi was panicking. His hand tight on Kyuhyun's arm. "But you asked for me. What else could I do when that's what lovers to do with each other? It's what the contract says!"
"Contract?" Kyuhyun studied him warily. "What contract?"
"The one you signed weeks ago. You bought me to date me. See? Cho Kyu-- Kui..." Zhou Mi flashed the paper - a receipt of sorts - he was holding before. Apparently jumbling up Kyuhyun's name was his thing too.
"What! I did not--
Then it read in bold letters on the blasted paper, Joo Myuk aka Zhou Mi, age 23, purchased via online to Cho Kyuhyun, and other paragraphs and footnotes that said something else he couldn't believe. Kyuhyun just bought... a real lover? For real? He was still living on the same planet, wasn't he? So what the hell was this?
"Now we've established that, I'm yours for the next," Zhou Mi checked the paper. "One month or so. I guess that'd be enough. Forgive my off accent, okay? I've been learning Korean for quite a while but I still can't get some words right. Like your name. Can I just call you Kui Xian?"
There was, how he would put it lightly, information overload now he couldn't take. Like a computer that ran with too much data that it lagged.
With one open hand towards Zhou Mi and the other cradling his already aching head, Kyuhyun mumbled, "Okay, look. Can I just, like, forfeit the contract or something? This is clearly a big mistake." That, and the fact this was Heechul's friggin' fault. "And I'm pretty sure you're not really happy about this either."
"Oh? But I am."
"You can't be serious."
Because this was bordering to ridiculous.
Zhou Mi gazed at him with sudden sharp eyes and thin lips. "I am. I really am. I've been meaning to meet you, Kui Xian." He exhaled, calming a bit down. "This might sound too stalker-ish but I've been trying to find out who you are. Out of all our customers, you were the only one who chose me. Can I get to know you more? Give me a chance?"
Kyuhyun tensed just as he was about to reach the handle of his door and jam the key open. "I-I don't know." Of course he wasn't about to venture on to something as risky as this. Dating someone he "bought" just felt odd and off no matter what angle he looked at it. But Zhou Mi was looking at him so sincerely and eyes that spoke so many a mile. Even his smile started to fade.
"At least one week? That's all I ask of your time. Please." Zhou Mi said, like a finality. Like he wouldn't stand for a no.
Kyuhyun just had to look at those pleading eyes. And with a heavy sigh of resignation, he gave in to the growing smile Zhou Mi showed him. It seemed that no matter what, Zhou Mi got what he wanted.
--
There were things he did not expect, much less anticipated. Having a "lover" who constantly surprised him with sudden lunch dates or gifts kind of filled him. Zhou Mi was nice. In fact, nice AND smart - sometimes dorky, a little sweet at most too - with how he made remarks about the most trivial things like cheese and onions and even serious ones like the Black Hole. Kyuhyun was amused - it helped getting entertained in the morning until he needed to work.
Heechul didn't know about the online-buying-a-lover-turned-real thing. He figured the man already made damages and would make more if he found out.
They were close to the bus stop; Zhou Mi walking with him and seeing him off as per usual.
"But I don't get it." Zhou Mi mused. His finger tapping his chin quite adorably. "I thought you didn't like staying awake in the night."
"Like I had a choice. My boss made me do it." Kyuhyun shrugged, rolling up his sleeves to feel the cool dusk air. "But it won't be long anymore. Right after Sungmin comes back, it's day time for me again."
"Sungmin?"
"Just co-worker. He'd be coming back after a few days. By the end of week, I guess."
Zhou Mi paused.
"That's three more days. Three more for us..."
"Y-yeah. Three more."
Us. Which reminded him their due date and couldn't miss that frown look that flickered across Zhou Mi's face. He was... this sad? And Kyuhyun?
"I'll see you tomorrow or something." Kyuhyun said, for the awkward silence to disappear and before boarding in. His eyes looked everywhere but Zhou Mi's.
"Yes, please." Zhou Mi reached for a cold hand, squeezing in his warmth and quietly startling Kyuhyun. "I'd like that, Kui Xian. Enjoy work, okay?"
He wasn't sure if he could, now that this weighed in his mind until morning, he somehow predicted on his way to work.
--
Before he could even think about the consequences of confining it to another, Kyuhyun had made Ryeowook sit across him in their break room. Away from eager eyes, loud voices and even nosey noses like Heechul's. The feeling was too much to bear on his shoulders alone.
"Then I don't see the problem here." Ryeowook told him sincerely. "Just ask him out after this week ends. I mean, I'm sure he has no reason to turn you down? You're a fine young man with an awful sense of humor. He'll like you to look past that!"
"I-- bad sense of humor?" Kyuhyun almost flung a a whiteboard eraser at him. But then settled down, trying to do same with his erratic heart. "Tell me this isn't bad, wanting to stay with him more. And to think I've been the one who pushed him away before. Now, I'm-- why am I like this?"
Ryeowook eased a friendly grin, patting his back. "Ask yourself. Why are you?"
"Err."
"Hey, Ryeowook! Wanna order something cool online?" It was Heechul's cackling voice again. And the two didn't spare a moment, scrambling out of the room towards Heechul's table and jumping at him.
"No, you won't!" Kyuhyun pried the mouse away. "No more!"
"Hyung, I'm not sure what you're trying to do but it sounds like trouble! So, no!"
Heechuls pouts, crossing his arms. "Man, you guys are no fun." With that, he left for an early dinner treat, or so what Ryeowook heard him mumbling about. Dinner treat and pestering Hankyung.
"Ryeowook..."
Kyuhyun couldn't be mistaken. Staring at that screen felt like every blood in him flushed out, as he reread the text under Zhou Mi's profile, no longer Kyuhyun's name as the buyer but something else, Joo Myuk aka Zhou Mi, age 23, No Longer Available.
What was no longer available mean?
Him and Ryeowook shared the same feeling as they looked at the page, shock stark on their faces. Did it mean quitting?
--
There was no Zhou Mi the next day or the day after that. And even the next after that. No one greeted him a smiley good morning. It had been a quiet lunch at the convenience store close to his apartment and Kyuhyun didn't want to do anything in particular, or for that matter, alone. Wait until evening so he could get to work, get distracted. Why again he didn't ask for Zhou Mi's number? Probably it was because Zhou Mi would be there down the stairs of his building, grinning at him and greeting him with his spot-on Korean accent. It was weird at first, this whole boyfriend thing. But Kyuhyun wasn't complaining now. He was starting to long for it.
"Just where the hell are you?" He grumbled, feeling awful. Even the Ramen he was eating suddenly tasted bland. And thought how he knew so little about the man. Zhou Mi talked and talked, asked him about this and that, wanting to know more. And him? Well, Kyuhyun was quiet at most times, if not, closed off.
The contract, he should have read it. What it said, what were the limits. Maybe they violated something in between those paragraphs and Zhou Mi wasn't now allowed to see him - the client, his client. Kyuhyun won't be surprised if he did - ignorantly setting it aside and chose to do things his way. Zhou Mi was patient of him, simply following his whims.
But now he was gone. For good or...?
With a final sip of his now-cold soup, Kyuhyun exited the store and marched outside, opt to find the nearest computer cafe and visit that online lover site to at least find clues. Heechul would definitely mind him not coming in for work. But Kyuhyun needed to do this. He had to or else.
He ended up with nothing in the end. No clues, no contacts, not even any address of sorts. Kyuhyun groaned while going upstairs, towards his abode and eyes stinging with hours staring at screens. It was almost evening.
"I should've rested my eyes. Damn, how could Heechul-hyung stare at the computer for so long?" His fingers found his temples, massaging it, soothing his aching head. Like he was the one to talk.
Now, if he could just find that compressor inside his cabinet for his head...
"K-Kui Xian?"
Kyuhyun stopped, slowly taking a look at a figure standing right in front of his place. An all too familiar scenario that happened not too long ago. He was pretty sure he stopped breathing at that moment.
"Joo Myuk?"
"You can always call me Zhou Mi." Zhou Mi reminded him, showing him luggage and bags. And his simply Zhou Mi smile. "And how I missed you."
There was something stuck on his throat. "W-where have you bee-- you idiot!"
Despite the awful throw of name, Zhou Mi continued beaming at him. "I've only finished what I started to begin a new one." He was coming close. "With no string attached, no contract. Just me.. no limit."
"W-what do you mean?" Kyuhyun was stuttering, with how Zhou Mi closed the distance between them in a tight hug. He was sure the scent smoldering his nose intoxicated him. It smelt so clean, so Zhou Mi. He just had to nudge closer. Tighter.
"I quit the dating agency. It'd be another weeks of no work but I'll try to find a more suitable work for me here in Korea."
"You quit?
"Yeah, and it wasn't easy." Zhou Mi whispered against his hair, ringing his arms around the waist and flushing them both. "They said that I'm such great asset - being a foreigner and all - to their company and all that jazz... but it just wasn't working for me. Especially that I just broke one of the rules recently."
Kyuhyun had predicted that but...
"What did you do?" Kyuhyun could not imagine a renegade Zhou Mi, going on about breaking rules. He was smart, that much he respected about him but what could be so strict that Zhou Mi broke it and needed to leave his job for it?
"Hmm. Wouldn't you know." And Zhou Mi neared his face to Kyuhyun's ears, whispering. "Let's just say I broke the rule of chasing after the same customer over and over again. That I wouldn't want my affections jumping from one client to another. That, apparently, having it bad for one person wasn't allowed."
"You... like someone?" Kyuhyun didn't dare guessing who, especially that knowing it wasn't anyone named Cho Kyuhyun for an answer would result to an enraged Kyuhyun. He didn't like Zhou Mi liking someone else. No...
He was so ready to stomp Zhou Mi's foot, ready to fling anything at him when Kyuhyun's balance titled again, vision blurring to a haze and air rushing out of him. There was no answer from Zhou Mi, no name. Just him and his eager lips on Kyuhyun's was answer enough.
He felt the smirk - Zhou Mi's smirk - against his mouth and Zhou Mi, as always, got what he wanted. And with no due date now. Kyuhyun would rather not want it anyway. Not anymore.
--
"Don't you look familiar?" Heechul kept an inquisitive look on Zhou Mi, from head to toe. Eyeing like he was a rare specimen. A good looking one at that. "I know I've seen you before. I can't be mistaken. My mind's awesome to not forget but..."
Right on time, Hankyung pulled him away, to the dance floor. Heechul was ready to squirm his way out but Hankyung held him in place, forcing him to start moving. "Dance like-- no, not like that, Heech! Raise your hands and--- would you stop wriggling like a squid?"
"I hope your boss likes me." Zhou Mi whispered earnestly while watching the two dance quite entertainingly in the middle and Kyuhyun could only hide his head both in embarrassment and shock, missing the smile on Zhou Mi's face, down the counter.
Of course Heechul was sharp. Sharper than the pointiest tack on their bulletin board at their office. He was the one who chose Zhou Mi for Kyuhyun but for some twisted reason, Heechul forgot how Zhou Mi looked. It won't be long, for sure. Sooner or later, Heechul would find out. And all trouble would ensue.
He watched Sungmin and Ryeowook getting their groove, with Yesung doing odd duck stances right close to them. Henry seemed to try getting his nervousness to leave so that he could bust-a-move. And Kibum? Downing what seemed like his nth drink.
It was kind of fun - his co-workers and him at a club on a Friday evening and partying the night away.
He couldn't help, reaching for Zhou Mi to kiss him tenderly and being reminded that staying up so late wasn't so bad as he thought before. Though he was sure that by next day, it'd be one heck of body ache - from boogie-ing and dancing and from rocking it with Zhou Mi until he couldn't even.
Fin.
A/N: PSSH. It took me like, five days to finish this? Kept on procrastinating on and off. My class will start about hours later and, well, I just can't go and leave it like this. I needed to write QMi before studies dump with so many things! And I wanted it smut but, lo and behold, it wasn't. Oh, great. I'm so lame.
But I swear to write QMi smut soon. I need to. VENTVENTVENTFRUSTRATIONVENTVENTVENT gah.
- Setsuna (now do you darlings have FB? Do add me up, pretty please~ hee hee hee! here's mine!)