Two seconds is how long Zhou Mi has stepped into the Zinnia establishment when there is a whisk of red and gold and a hand pulling at his arm dragging him back out into the sunshine and street dust.

“Kyuhyun?” Zhou Mi exclaims once he has righted himself and picked up a rather punishing walking pace so that he is not in danger of an unwelcome meeting with the floor. He has only gotten a glance of Kyuhyun’s face, but he can see an immediate flawlessness of skin that was the only flaw, and the strong scent of hibiscus assaults his nose.

“You’re late.”

“I’m sorry?” Zhou Mi replies before his brain even makes sense of the accusation. “I got held up at the palace.”

“Well, you could have let me known.” Kyuhyun doesn’t take into consideration the impossibility of that action. “You have made me late for my day job. If I lose it, I’ll hold it to you to find me a new one even more comfortable than the one I already have.”

Zhou Mi knows of the law that forces every Zinnia in the country to take up a day job every month. It is an evil that has been deemed necessary by the ones who run the floating world. An evil because although there are some that are employed in things harmless, like modeling or the gracing of a store, most are subject to jobs that pay high, of irregular basis and anyone would be cautious to do.

Drug testing.

But from the way Kyuhyun is dressed up, he can’t possibly be going for drug testing, so he must be one of the few lucky ones. Unless, he is planning to seduce the testers out of it. It’s a crazy plan, but Zhou Mi entertains in his mind that if anyone could make it work, Kyuhyun could, until they arrive in front of Ikenobo, the oldest school of Ikebana, the art of flower arrangement, in the country.

~*~

“He’s absolutely beautiful isn’t he?”

The whisper in Zhou Mi’s ear is getting to be irritating. Not because he doesn’t agree with the sentiment, but more from whom the sentiment is coming from.

“Really, really beautiful.” The current owner of Ikenobo mutters, an old man who is the tenth descendent of the founder of the school and also obviously a huge fan of Kakutasu. Zhou Mi knows this from the tale shared straight from the horse’s mouth about a night spend with Kakutasu money well paid and the subsequent invitations on the tenth Ikenobo’s part to grace his school every month which Kakutasu graciously accepted.

Zhou Mi thinks about his earlier thought on Kyuhyun being lucky to get this day job and rethinks his opinion – Kyuhyun isn’t lucky, he’s probably pulled every trick in his book of seduction to ensure that he’s invited back every month and thus safe from any possibly fatal testing job. A round of applause and Zhou Mi is saved from hearing the tenth Ikenobo wax lyrical about Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun has finished, and although Zhou Mi thinks his creation is worthy of the lyrical waxed, he is glad to get away into better company.

“What did you think?” Kyuhyun asks once he is by Zhou Mi’s side, and Zhou Mi smiles.

“You were good, although, the torrent of praise next to my ear would have told you the same thing.”

Kyuhyun laughs, a hearty laugh, not one of those silly delicate things, and Zhou Mi smiles. It is one of the many things that have endeared Kyuhyun to him despite his eccentricity. “If you tried it yourself, you wouldn’t have been that impressed with me.”

“What makes you say that?” Zhou Mi had no interest in flower arrangement, nor did he think he had the aptitude to create anything that resembles the elegant specimen Kyuhyun had done.

“You’re a spy.” Kyuhyun answers simply, his words soft so that they will not carry. “And spying, like Ikebana is creativity within a set of rules. One step outside the boundary and you head straight for a failure at best, a disaster at worst. And every step taken is a calculated measure, each precise and with purpose, wasting the least energy and the least resources. And if done by a master, the final product is beauty in its most simple, yet most structured form. Tell me, don’t you think you’d be a natural at Ikebana?”

Zhou Mi has no answer to Kyuhyun’s allusion, even if it seems full of holes. And it is easy to stare at Kyuhyun’s easy grace as he walks, and Zhou Mi does. Even though he knows it is rude to ignore the master of the building he’s in. But a few token nods now and then seems to please the tenth Ikenobo, even as he tells, for the fifth them that day, how Kyuhyun is a natural at the art of Ikebana.

~*~

It strikes Zhou Mi one morning that after the first night they’d met, he and Kyuhyun have not had any form of ual activity at all. Some of his circle might call him insane, meeting daily with a Zinnia named after lust and and not get any form of primal gratification. Most would applaud his abstinence. Henli would smile in fact, and nod and say that it was expected that his master would adhere to the highest of professionalism. Most days Zhou Mi would agree with him.

But most days, Zhou Mi isn’t assaulted with the sight of Kyuhyun coming out of the shower without a shred of clothing on.

He doesn’t even realize he is staring until Kyuhyun his head to the side, a slight grin to his face. “Like what you see?”

And Zhou Mi blushes then, like a girl when her crush compliments her, and he blushes even more because he’s not a girl and Kyuhyun is certainly not his crush. And he curses words in his mind when Kyuhyun laughs at him, not because he’s being laughed at, but that Kyuhyun is behaving nothing like someone having been caught . Kyuhyun should be the one blushing like a bride, not him.

Then again, he supposes they both have the same bits, so maybe Zhou Mi is overreacting. Although, Kyuhyun’s are obviously more well-maintained than Zhou Mi’s, all that expanse of silky white skin that his hands could map out on, tracing patterns into those fit abs-

Zhou Mi finds it hazardous for his brain to continue down that line of thought.

“Well?” Zhou Mi realizes that he has stayed quiet too long a time to feign disinterest So he does only what he can do, and that is to stutter apologetically and extract himself, as painlessly as possible, from the room.

“Wait.” A hand closes around his wrist, and his exit impeded, he instinctively looks back. Thankfully, Kyuhyun is now more covered, having grabbed a robe and hastily sliding it on. Zhou Mi tries not to concentrate on the fact that a hand is still no substitute for a sash, even a poorly tied one.

“I’m sorry, Zhou Mi-nim.” It takes Zhou Mi a while to realized Kyuhyun is apologizing – and apologizing to him.

“What for?” Zhou Mi half gaps, and barely manages to change his question. For what he really wants to ask is “you’re apologizing? To me?” and that isn’t a really wise thing to say to Kyuhyun, a man whose words could cut deep into the stone of mountains.

“For startling you. I did not think there would be anyone visiting me at this hour.” And when Zhou Mi continues to look confused, he enlightens, “it is my day off. I’d thought you’d have known?”

Zhou Mi should have, and would have had he followed protocol and what should be natural instinct as a spy to check and double check every single thing before execution. He had let his comfortable routine and growing trust in Kyuhyun get in the way of his professionalism. And Kyuhyun knows it as well, if his suddenly guarded expression is anything to go by.

Zhou Mi turns to leave again, perhaps, to wallow in the shame of his failure. But Kyuhyun does not let go, instead, his grip tightens despite the gasp that is Zhou Mi’s protest.

“Wait,” and Zhou Mi find that he must. He stands still as Kyuhyun lets go of his wrist. He doesn’t see, only feels Kyuhyun tuck a flower into his hair, like that day in the market – the first time Kyuhyun explained himself to Zhou Mi.

“Trust me.” Kyuhyun orders again, in the same tone. Then, his voice softens, because Kyuhyun thinks, behind that carefully blank expression, that Zhou Mi might be afraid. “Please.”

Their lips meet then, soft like the first taste of hesitance. Then, harder, faster, till it becomes a furious dance, and they are both breathing each other in, lips melding into a perfect form.

Kyuhyun’s hands tangle into Zhou Mi’s hair, and Zhou Mi catches a flash of blue, but no more, because Kyuhyun does something with his tongue and Zhou Mi doesn’t have time to think about anything else anymore.

The blue violet lies on the floor, carelessly forgotten.

~*~

When the first trouble happens, it is something small and inconsequential that Zhou Mi doesn’t recognize that it is a trouble at first until Henli brings it up to him a while later.

“So, have you figured out a way to factor in the bridge?” Henli asks a surprised Zhou Mi, who after a tiring round of roundabout negotiations, wants only a bath and soothing sleep.

It takes him a while to realize what Henli is talking about. Then, upon realization, he sighs. It is a rather simple, yet complicated political matter. The Xing want a bridge at a place that would facilitate better trade. And if Chousen trusted Xing more, they would have agreed on the bridge at the shot. But there is the matter of Xing’s reputation of back-stabbing and that the bridge would provide a direct route to the capital from Xing without the need of a navy. To protect that new bridge would require twenty thousand soldiers which Chousen didn’t have.

It is a bridge that should be, on principle, built; but yet, shouldn’t be built.

In all fairness, it is a complicated matter. One that needs to be thought through thoroughly. So Zhou Mi just shakes his head and replies. “I’ll think about it tomorrow, when my mind doesn’t feel like it’s made out only of sawdust and glue. It should be a small matter – inconsequential. We have Kyuhyun. He should be able to wheedle out something else they want in the stead of a bridge.”

~*~

It’s two days later and Zhou Mi and Henli have yet to figure out something that the Xing would appreciate other than a strategically placed bridge. They’re sitting in Zhou Mi’s office, busy scratching their hands when a voice suddenly interrupts their musings.

“Having trouble?”

Zhou Mi looks up, irritated, and ready to lash out at whoever dares enter without knocking (and there’s only one person in the palace who would do that). He nearly swallows his tongue when it’s not a red-headed advisor but the crown prince instead.

“C-crown prince!” Zhou Mi splutters, realizing too late he needs to stand and hastily does so. He bangs his knee on his table getting up, and it takes all his willpower not to cry. From the muffled whimper that follows, it seems Henli is in a similar situation as well.

“Yes, that is who I am.” The crown prince, Siwon, replies solemnly. And Zhou Mi wonders if he’d seen wrong the twinkle in the prince’s eye that seems too much like amusement. “But that is inconsequential. I asked a question. You are having trouble.”

It’s not so much a question, but a statement, and Zhou Mi can only nod.

“Hmm…” is the only thing Siwon utters for a good few minutes, and Zhou Mi glances at Henli, whose anxious expression reflects his. They’re not that close to the crown prince that they would know what inflection in his voice means trouble.

“Stop teasing them, brother.” Zhou Mi barely restrains from whipping his head around at the new voice. “Or they might die of apoplexy just wondering if their necks are safe.”

Zhou Mi wonders if sneaking up on people is in the royal blood, because the one who steps out of the shadows is the crown prince’s younger brother – Prince Hyukjae, second-in-line for the throne.

The crown prince just smiles and introduces his brother to Zhou Mi and Henli out of protocol – he knows they know who he is. And Zhou Mi immediately likes the second prince just from the look of him even though rumors say that he is the royal blood gone sour. Somehow, Zhou Mi can guess that the souring had been intentionally done, especially when Siwon announces to them that Hyukjae will be helping them with the negotiations with the Xing. The crown prince would not put someone he didn’t deem capable on such a delicate operation.

“Zhou Mi-sshi, are there papers you can show us to bring my brother up to speed?” Siwon asks as Henli bustles around making more tea. “He needs to be familiar with what has taken place so far.”

Zhou Mi does, and he is two steps away from the table when someone joins him. He cannot help but stare when the second prince walks in stride with him, an easy excuse of: “I’ll follow you” on his lips.

He is wondering what sort of small talk would be fit for royal company when Hyukjae smiles easily and asks. “So I heard you’re dealing with a Zinnia?”

Zhou Mi has two seconds to realize where that came from, and remembers vaguely the rumors about the second prince getting close to a rather famous Zinnia and how everyone is saying that it was only expected. Rumors that Zhou Mi would have had paid more attention to if not for his current assignment and the fact he knows his own mentor was put in charge of looking after the second prince. Besides, it’s not as if he can actually judge with his own complicated relationship with Kyuhyun.

“Mmm…” And Zhou Mi guesses his expression has answered the question. “I see… well, be careful alright?”

Hyukjae is all smiles, but the advice couldn’t have been more cryptic. Be careful of what? Of Kyuhyun? But Hyukjae was supposedly amorously involved with the Zinnia of the rumors so that didn’t make sense.

However, they reached Zhou Mi’s room and he becomes too busy trying to get the second prince to excuse the mess he’d forgotten his room would become in the middle of work. And by the time he remembers, it’s too late for it to be polite to ask the second prince exactly what he’d meant.

Zhou Mi supposes, if it was important, he would understand.

~*~

Hyukjae is a welcome addition to the team. Zhou Mi’s sense of judgment proves right against the rumors when the second prince’s astute observation and quick decision save them from many a sticky situation.

But even then, the negotiations start to deteriorate. When Zhou Mi offers this, they want that. When Zhou Mi points left, they point right. When Zhou Mi tries to give they refuse to take. The only bright spot is the small edge that Kyuhyun’s information gives them, but still, it’s not enough of an edge to please even the optimistic.

Zhou Mi shares this with Kyuhyun one day in order to justify pressing Kyuhyun to dig for more information – a move that would involve risk for Kyuhyun. I would have been a normal conversation between colleagues if they weren’t both and lying together on the bed.

The response Zhou Mi is given as Kyuhyun lays his head all too comfortably on Zhou Mi’s chest is surprising. “Do you think that there’s a mole in your network?”

He had, in fact. And Hyukjae had agreed. The investigations were currently ongoing. But Zhou Mi only replies, “that would be a scary thought”.

“Why so?” and Zhou Mi knows Kyuhyun is only asking for the sake of it, shifting the blankets over them.

“I wouldn’t know who to trust then.” Zhou Mi replies, somewhat out of jest, and the need to reply.

Kyuhyun’s reaction, however, is uncharacteristically serious. “You can trust me.”

Zhou Mi looks down into brown eyes scarily earnest and he wonders. He is a spy with instinct-bred suspicions. He, in theory, wouldn’t even trust his king, let alone a Zinnia who could be bought and paid.

Kyuhyun must have seen all of that – the doubt and mistrust. Because, the next moment, the covers are lifted and the warmth over Zhou Mi’s heart disappears.

In the time it takes for Kyuhyun to cross the room to the door, Zhou Mi sight brings him to the future. In it, Kyuhyun would refuse to help him anymore and they would lose their only edge over the Xing. Zhou Mi would be discredited with the Board of Archives, and no doubt his career would be in shambles. He would be thrown out into the streets to beg, and even that would be a mercy. But that didn’t matter, because the only thing Zhou Mi can think of is the pain in his heart at the thought of Kyuhyun leaving him. It’s just God’s joke on him that he would fall in love with the someone he couldn’t trust most. Or maybe, the joke was that he, as a master liar, fell in love with someone he couldn’t lie to – not even enough to keep that someone by his side. He couldn’t breathe.

“Here.” Zhou Mi takes his eyes off the future for a moment and returns to the present. In it, Kyuhyun is pressing a box into his hands. He hasn’t left.

“What is this?” Zhou Mi asks, examining the box in order to prevent meeting Kyuhyun’s eyes. If he does, Kyuhyun would guess his thoughts.

Kyuhyun, after giving Zhou Mi a strange look, is sufficiently distracted to explain. “It’s the box that contains my release papers.”

Zhou Mi stares. It is a rare thing, a Zinnia that has seen his or her release papers. Let alone one who actually has ownership of them.

“It was a bet with Mama-san; that if I became tayuu of the house, she would give them to me. It’s what happens when people underestimate you.”

“Then you can leave any time?” Zhou Mi is still stuck on that particular fact.

“Yes, technically, if I can get someone to sign this, proof of ownership to another person. And therein lies Mama-san’s shrewdness, for who would trust a Zinnia’s word that signing these release papers wouldn’t burden with an enormous debt they cannot pay. And besides, even if I got someone to sign with the use of trickery, where could a Zinnia go after he becomes famous as a tayuu? More likely selling his body on the streets than even washing dishes. Why would I risk doing the same thing as I do now with even less protection and benefits?”

“That’s…” But his sentence is interrupted by laughter, and Zhou Mi gaps at the lack of appreciation to his horror.

“And there you go underestimating me again.” Kyuhyun shakes his head as Zhou Mi realizes why.

“The form is signed?” Zhou Mi guesses. “Ikenobo?”

“So, so.” Kyuhyun confirms. “I will be hired for life as a flower among the flowers.” Kyuhyun smiles at his own humor, but Zhou Mi doesn’t, not entirely sure he likes the idea of Kyuhyun spending the rest of his life in such close proximity with that closet ert.

Kyuhyun laughs at Zhou Mi’s expression. “And yes, I’m not sure I like the idea either. But it’s good blackmail material. And it keeps me safe from Mama-san forcing some dubious, but well-paying clients on me.”

“Oh.” Zhou Mi nods, understanding, then frowns. “So why show me this?”

“Because the contract can be changed quite easily for someone with your connections. Especially, if it’s just a name and signature.” But despite Kyuhyun’s smile, Zhou Mi doesn’t understand.

The Zinnia sighs ruefully, before he leans forward and kisses his love on the lips and says. “I want to be owned by you. So I will give you my release papers. You may burn them, or keep them. But I hope that you will take it and change it so that if I’m ever released, it will be to you.”

Zhou Mi’s eyes widen, alarm at the enormity of the responsibility at him. Those flimsy sheets of paper with rows of black ink are all that stands between a Zinnia and his or her freedom. Tear them into pieces, and it’s gone. “But…”

“I trust you.” Kyuhyun places a figure on Zhou Mi’s lips and smiles. And he asks that question yet again. “Do you trust me?”

And Zhou Mi does.

~*~