The wind is warm.

Cho Kyuhyun closes his eyes and breathes slowly - it smells wonderful, it smells like bonfires; and he hears people laughing all the way down there, from his balcony.

It feels like freedom.

He laughs dryly at the thought, and opens his eyes to grab the bottle of wine next to him. It's almost empty - good thing he bought a few more in case he needed them. He sways the bottle dangerously over his glass, tilting it until the very last droplet is poured. He then puts the bottle down at his feet while he raises the glass and lets it rest to his lips.

If he were free, he would dance, too. He would dance with him, and drink with him, and laugh with him, annoying the tourists like they do, staying up all night long on the beautiful Greek beaches.

He takes a sip of the warm alcohol, its notes of berries caressing his senses. But it warms nothing, nothing that needs to be warmed, anyhow.

If he were alone with him, far from prying eyes, far from any reason, concept or law...

He hears the glass door of the balcony slide open behind him, but he doesn't turn around; he smiles instead. A tiny smile, one that he keeps to himself, one that he will manage to hide when Kim Ryeowook will get too close. And indeed, Ryeowook's shy steps behind him announce that he had guessed the visitor's identity well. And the little voice behind Kyuhyun cuts right through his loneliness (it always does).

"Hey."
"....Hey."

And out of the corner of his eye, he sees Ryeowook settle next to him against the railing of the balcony.

Now, this is only out of the corner of his eye, because he won't turn completely towards him - he won't. And so he pretends to be looking straight, when all his brain manages to do is to re-construct this partial image he has of Ryeowook's profile; his thin white t-shirt flutters to the warm wind and his hair joins in, gently wind-tossed and twirled... And it's dark, it's night, so he can't see very clearly, but he imagines his pearl skin, his slender fingers interlocking themselves out of insecurity, nervousness.

And he gets a sudden jolt in his body (Ryeowook must be looking at him, now - this only happens when he does).

"It's... it's nice up here, isn't it?"

Kyuhyun doesn't speak his answer, because he is almost drunk, now. And he doesn't trust himself enough to talk to Ryeowook in this state. He would... say things. And so he shuts up, and simply nods instead.

Ryeowook sighs, almost happily - but the sadness in his voice is easily perceptible; it is to Kyuhyun, anyhow.

"I.. I wish we could take a little of this back home - you know, the joy, the happiness, the dancing on the beach..."

They both look down at the people: they are colourful, dancing, and shouting. And kissing.

Ryeowook bites his lip and Kyuhyun represses another dry laugh at the irony, and he speaks, unable to stop himself any longer.

"Well I'm fine without it. I don't nee..."

And right then, for the first time since the sun has set tonight, his eyes cheat his will and he looks at Ryeowook. And Ryeowook looks right back.

The silence shouts. Kyuhyun's silence shouts insults, while Ryeowook's probably shouts apologies, and warm encouraging words that they will both get over it, that they will both be fine, that the decision Ryeowook took in China when they shared a room last week was the best one, the only one they could take.

The staring match is broken by Ryeowook who looks down, first at his own feet and then at Kyuhyun's wine bottle, settled neatly against the balcony's railing at Kyuhyun's feet. It's empty.

"Is this... your first bottle?"

Kyuhyun doesn't answer; instead, he mumbles something and turns back towards the railing, looking at the people dancing on the beach. And the music, the stupid music has a good beat; it makes him want to dance, dance with him, down there, among those people; and so he drinks the rest of the wine from his glass in one hasty shot, letting a sigh of relief out when the alcohol numbs his thoughts a little more.

But he still wants to dance - and right now, he wants to laugh, and sing, and kiss, too. Because the goddam moment would be perfect for that, because Ryeowook looks so darn good in his t-shirt and sweater pants