genetics | Super Junior: kissing you underneath the stars (跟你手牵手)

Title: kissing you underneath the stars (跟你手牵手)
Author:

papered
Fandom: Super Junior
Characters/Pairings: Zhou Mi, Kyumi
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1003
Summary: Kyuhyun is warm and bright and familiar, and reminds Zhou Mi of someone whose name and face he’d forgotten he’d known.
Notes: Written listening to John Legend's P.D.A. (We Just Don't Care) on repeat. This is dedicated to the kyumi fans on my flist. ♥

1

You’ll meet a kindred spirit soon, the fortune cookie tells him the day he’s introduced to Super Junior.

Kyuhyun is warm and bright and familiar, and reminds Zhou Mi of someone whose name and face he’d forgotten he’d known.

2

There's a shop in the alleys behind the tiny apartment Zhou Mi used to live in (before debut, before SM, after leaving Wuhan). It's a small shop, selling homemade 馒头 and pastries on one side, cooked meat on the other.
(chinese steamed bun)

"一只烤鸭," he tells the lady behind the counter, and watches her turn culinary into an art form. Each slice is meticulous and steady, and sure fingers make quick work of the excess skin and fat. Before long, the styrofoam box is filled. Zhou Mi hands her the bills and mutters a quick 谢谢.
(one roasted duck); (thank you)

It's not quite the same as New Years’ Eve at home, where his grandmother would make her famous traditional dishes and urge them all to eat, eat more, until everyone's too bloated to do more than fall onto the couch and laugh at reruns of variety shows. Instead, they celebrate a week early, because the last few days are jam-packed with interviews and performances and plans to get back to Korea in time for the first concert of the year. Han Geng sets out all the dishes on the table, waves off Henry's offer to help with a smile and asks Zhou Mi to take the 年糕 out of the fridge.
(chinese new year's cake)

Afterwards, kissing the sticky sweetness of the pastry out of Kyuhyun's mouth, he thinks to himself that maybe different isn't so bad after all.

3

On the plane back to Seoul, Zhou Mi keeps his eyes on the shrinking city beneath him until all he can see are the dizzyingly-white clouds and the blue blue sky. Han Geng watches him, gives him a small smile, and Zhou Mi does his best to return it.

It's okay, I'll be back soon, he'd told his mother on the phone the night before. (周觅啊，天气冷了，别忘了多穿点衣服。 she’d reminded him, her voice quiet but unfaltering.)
(zhou mi, it's getting cold, don't forget to put on more clothing)

Kyuhyun has already fallen asleep against his shoulder.

4

Back in the Super Junior dorms, there's a celebration. Heechul is complaining to Han Geng and Shi Yuan (it's Hankyung and Siwon now, he tells himself) about something or another, and Donghae is sitting next to Kibum, chattering on in rapid-fire Korean that's too fast for Zhou Mi to follow. Sungmin greets Kyuhyun with a hug, nearly lifting the younger man up in his enthusiasm. Zhou Mi turns away before he sees Kyuhyun hug back (but hears his laughter anyway).

"哥," says a quiet voice from his left, and Zhou Mi looks up; shifts over to make room for Henry. He can't help but think that the younger boy looks a little lost without the usual members surrounding him, and so Zhou Mi smiles at him, offers him a sip of the alcohol Heechul had pushed into his hands earlier.
(ge)

Together, they lean against the kitchen counter; watches Ryeowook fuss over Yesung while Sungmin talks Kyuhyun and Eunhyuk into a videogame battle.

"I'm going out for some fresh air," Zhou Mi tells Henry, and leaves before the other boy can reply.

The night is cold, and the stars are barely visible under the pollution over the towering skyscrapers. In the streets below, he can make out the little figures: last-minute shoppers, couples holding hands, fathers in business suits rushing home after work.

Looking up, Zhou Mi just manages to make out the Big Dipper, nestled between two constellations he's forgotten the name of. They’re the same stars his grandfather had pointed out to him as a child, him perched on one knee, small hands bundled up in gloves to keep them warm.

Wuhan or Beijing or Seoul, it's still the same sky, he tells himself, but is a little nostalgic anyway.

There’s a hand against his arm, an unexpected warmth around his shoulders, and he turns in surprise.

"You shouldn't be out wearing just that," Kyuhyun says, pulling the jacket around him. Zhou Mi instinctively burrows into the heat, catches a hint of familiar cologne.

Kyuhyun's hands are warm against his own, sudden fire against his chilled fingers. Zhou Mi tries to meet his gaze, but isn’t sure he quite manages. "Why aren't you helping Sungmin win that game?"

(What are you doing out here with me? he doesn’t ask.)

"I can beat Hyukjae with both eyes closed." Kyuhyun snorts, his response flippant, but his eyes are warm and remind Zhou Mi of something soft and familiar. (You know why, followed by Are you okay?)

(I’m sorry.)

(You have nothing to apologize for.)

Zhou Mi gives a half-laugh; just barely a puff of air. He watches the patterns the moisture of his breath makes against the darkening sky, unfurling like the wings of a dragon ready to take flight. Kyuhyun’s chuckling too, a quiet sort of amusement, his exhalation just tickling Zhou Mi’s cheekbone.

Meeting the younger man’s gaze, Zhou Mi grips the hand in his a little more tightly, pulls Kyuhyun closer, and tastes fire on his lips.

5

The clock chimes loudly, ringing in the New Year. In the streets below, people are yelling and screaming and setting off firecrackers. Behind them in the dorms, it’s no less chaotic. Most of the members sound at least half-drunk, some are already passed out, and Heechul is demonstrating the proper way to chug vodka without choking while Siwon is trying to stop him.

The midnight sky is a banner over their heads, and Zhou Mi thinks of all the cities he's been to, the people (a person) he's met (fallen in love with); of all the distant countries he has yet to see.

"Let's go to Italy sometime," he says out loud, and feels Kyuhyun's smile against his neck.

fic written: December 29, 2008

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Current Music: John Legend - P.D.A. (We Just Don’t Care)

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Date: 2008-12-30 04:55 am (UTC)

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