Zhou Mi got to the bar before Kyuhyun. He was seated between Heechul and a guy named Ryewook who he hadn't seen since probably Heechul's last birthday get-together.

"Would you relax, Zhou Mi. He's coming. He called me and told me that he had to stay late at work but he'll be here," Heechul said, patting Zhou Mi's thigh with one hand and taking a drink with the other before turning back to Han Geng.

Zhou Mi tried to calm his feet which were tapping under the table. He couldn't explain his nerves. He had no right to be nervous. For all he knew, Kyuhyun could have decided to forget that night ever happened.

Nevertheless his breath hitched when he saw Kyuhyun finally come in. Heechul must have motioned to Ryewook or something because the next thing he knew Ryewook was gone and Kyuhyun was sliding in next to him.

"Hey," Kyuhyun said, giving him a slight smile as he received the drink that Heechul passed to him.

"Hey", Zhou Mi replied, playing with the fringe of his coat sleeve.

"Glad you made it, Kyuhyun. Zhou Mi here has been antsy for the past hour waiting for you," Heechul taunted as he gave Kyuhyun a toast, looking at Zhou Mi and giving him a wink.

"I was not," Zhou Mi rebutted but it was obvious that he was lying.

"Yeah, sorry I had to work late tonight," Kyuhyun apologized.

Silence settled between Kyuhyun and Zhou Mi as Heechul turned back to his other friends. Zhou Mi figured he was ignoring them on purpose. Some friend.

"So how have you been?" Kyuhyun asked him, trying for some kind of conversation.

"Good, you?" Zhou Mi answered. He knew he was being curt, but he just didn't know what to say. Or rather, he didn't know what not to say. It was the first time he actually felt awkward around somebody. He was usually so good with people.

"Good. Busy, though. I'm sorry I never gave you a call this week. I just got wrapped up in work," Kyuhyun explained.

Zhou Mi nodded. He understood. Kyuhyun's job had to keep him really busy most of the time. That didn't mean he wasn't still a little paranoid that Kyuhyun had really just been trying to avoid him.

Kyuhyun's knee nudged against Zhou Mi's and the sudden touch made Zhou Mi finally look up and meet Kyuhyun's eye.

"Your eye looks completely healed," Zhou Mi stated. It was random, it was stupid, but it was what popped into his head.

Kyuhyun reached a hand up to touch where just a few days ago the remnants of a bruise still remained.

"Yeah, I guess it cleared up pretty well. Your kiss must have had wonderful healing powers," Kyuhyun said with a sly smirk.

The comment had Zhou Mi blushing ferociously until he remembered that the kiss Kyuhyun was talking about was the one that happened the night he got punched when he was getting Kyuhyun settled on his couch.

Their conversation was interrupted by somebody messing with a microphone on the small stage that was at the front of the bar. There was an announcement about karaoke and then a bunch of shouts from among their friends. Suddenly there was pushing and then Heechul's voice above them all.

"Seasoning, you should sing for us!"

And of course where Heechul leads everyone else must follow as the rest of the group began demanding for him to sing.

"Maybe later," Zhou Mi said and stole himself in his drink as everybody awed around him.

They all settled for laughing at the few people that got up to sing and made a fool of themselves.

It was only after much persuading that Zhou Mi finally agreed to go and sing for them.

He chose a ballad that was popular those days. He heard it playing in stores all the time.

His friends all watched him intently as he sang. It took all of his power not to look only at Kyuhyun. He could feel Kyuhyun's eyes on him the whole time and it made his insides squirm. He put all of his focus into singing and getting off the stage as soon as possible.

When he finished he passed the microphone onto the next person and made his way back to his friends who were all cheering for him and being as embarrassing as always. Kyuhyun didn't say a word has he slid in beside him.

Eventually everyone settled back down and continued on chattering and making fun of whoever was up on stage next. Zhou Mi listened in, laughing along with the others as he sipped at his drink. Beside him, Kyuhyun was silent. Another half an hour passed like this and then Kyuhyun was nudging him in the side.

"What is it?" Zhou Mi asked, turning his back to the others in order to face Kyuhyun.

"Let's get out of here, take a walk or something," Kyuhyun whispered in Zhou Mi's ear and Zhou Mi nodded.

They said goodbye to Heechul, left some money for their drinks, and snuck out while everyone else was distracted in each other.

"It was getting crowded in there," Kyuhyun said as they stepped outside into the cool air.

Zhou Mi only nodded and made a small noise in response. He shoved his hands in his pockets and his head tilted towards the ground, not wanting to look directly at Kyuhyun.

"I really was meaning to call you this week. I just got distracted," Kyuhyun said as he stopped walking. Zhou Mi paused behind him.

Zhou Mi just looked at Kyuhyun, mouth slightly agape. Apparently words were not going to be working in his favor tonight.

"I wanted to ask you if you would go somewhere with me on Saturday. A little day trip, I guess you could call it," Kyuhyun offered, the corner of his lips twitching upward in a welcoming smile.

Zhou Mi's fists clenched in his pockets and then he relaxed. There was nothing menacing in Kyuhyun's invitation.

"I'd lo-" Zhou Mi paused, realizing what he was about to say and adjusted it. "I'd like that."

Kyuhyun gave him a warm smile and reached out to hit Zhou Mi lightly on the arm.

"Good. I'll pick you up in the morning then. See you, Zhou Mi!" Kyuhyun called as he headed in his own direction, waving at him.

Zhou Mi waved back, a happy grin on his face.

If he wasn't mistaken, Kyuhyun had just asked him out.