A/N: Sorry for the delay in updates! I've been stepping inside a lot of other fandoms as well (i.e. SHINee and EXO) so I've been a little occupied. No worries, though, I made it back just in time for Valentine's Day! This chapter is rather on the short side, so I must apologize, and I hope that it still somehow lives to your expectations.

Thank you very much for your encouraging comments and subscriptions! They inspire me to continue this story. Happy Valentine's Day and I hope you enjoy the read!

Seven

Kyuhyun is busy having a staring contest with the wall when Zhou Mi finds him. Normally he wouldn’t pay much attention to this detail, given that the younger man tends to zone out and stare off into space when he’s not busy listening to music or playing some game or other on his laptop. If asked later, he wouldn’t be able to pinpoint exactly what makes him stop and sit next to the main vocalist instead of giving him a simple greeting.

Perhaps it’s the quiet anger blazing in Kyuhyun’s eyes that alerts him. Or those knuckles slowly turning white from being clenched so tightly. Zhou Mi has to call his name thrice before he responds, blinking.

“Zhou Mi-hyung, you’re here?” Kyuhyun forces out a smile that looks more like a grimace. Zhou Mi slides smoothly into the spot next to him, noting the phone lying next to Kyuhyun’s other side.

“I wanted to wish you a happy birthday,” Zhou Mi says. He watches Kyuhyun’s eyes darken at the word ‘birthday’. “You don’t seem very happy about that.” Kyuhyun hasn’t been happy for a while, he thinks to himself, not the way he’d looked after the London Super Show, actually beaming and looking his age for once.

The maknae offers him another smile, one that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Sorry,” he mutters, “just… tired, I guess.” Zhou Mi waves away the apology, turning his thoughts over in his head. Kyuhyun is a surly individual, but he hasn’t missed the way the boy brightens up when he finds his favourite target to tease. Hyukjae and Kyuhyun like to badmouth and poke fun at each other a lot, but it’s clear that the taunts and teasing are just outlets for affection. That’s the kind of person Kyuhyun is.

He remembers the day Donghae and Eunhyuk’s new MV came out back in December. All the members had congratulated the two with excited hugs and cheers, but Kyuhyun alone had looked oddly somber. His unsmiling face had been out of place amidst the raucous voices, and he’d excused himself from the celebration early. Hyukjae had searched for him much, much later, when he had finally managed to extricate himself from Donghae, who had downed one too many drinks and was currently attached to him like a leech (more so than usual). He had looked disappointed when Zhou Mi had mentioned that he saw Kyuhyun leave, but his partner had dragged him back to the party before they could have a proper conversation.

Zhou Mi doesn’t get to talk to Kyuhyun again until well into January, when the company makes an official statement regarding his solo debut in early 2014. Congratulations are in order, but his group member appears less than enthused. On the contrary, his eyes remind Zhou Mi of a deer caught in the headlights. It is not a look he expected to see on Kyuhyun, who has been working so hard for this moment, who deserves a chance to be in the spotlight and be recognized as a singer.

“It’s Hyukjae, isn’t it?” Kyuhyun physically jerks his head to look at him, eyes wide and mouth agape. He can’t help but chuckle at the maknae’s reaction. If he wasn’t sure before, the younger man’s involuntary response has just confirmed his doubts.

Kyuhyun’s lips thin into a line before he nods, defeated. “How did you know?” Zhou Mi pats his shoulder in what he hopes is a comforting gesture.

“You always had this unreadable expression whenever he and Donghae paired up,” he explains. “And it doesn’t seem as if you’ve spent time together in a while.”

“Hyukjae’s busy with promotions so it can’t be helped,” Kyuhyun replies. He hands his phone over to Zhou Mi. “Guess what my present is.” He reads out Hyukjae’s brief birthday message to Kyuhyun, and then notices the link. Youtube?

As soon as he presses the link, the site changes and Donghae and Eunhyuk’s newest MV, Motorcycle, starts playing. He can make out some English words in the beginning, although the Japanese lyrics are lost on him. It seems fairly normal until he gets further into the clip and it cuts to the two group members wearing wigs. Zhou Mi cringes at the sight. By the time it gets to the strangely large back shot of a woman in a bathroom, he has a very bad feeling growing in the pit of his stomach.

“Si…Siwon?” He croaks incredulously, nearly dropping the phone in shock. Shaking his head, he starts laughing. The entire MV is too absurd. Kyuhyun isn’t the least bit amused, though.

“Why would he even give me a clip with Siwon’s crossdressing derp face on it?” The main vocalist throws his hands up in the air. “I would’ve made a better choice, obviously!”

Zhou Mi almost agrees with him before his words completely sink in. “Wait, that’s what you’re angry about?” He raises an eyebrow.

“Nah, not really.”

“Kyuhyun.” Their conversation is going nowhere. Zhou Mi can’t help him if he doesn’t elaborate on why he’s upset in the first place.

“I’m just jealous,” the younger man admits, “I was busy with the musical in January and we haven’t even hung out since promotions for the new album started. Now I’m going to get even busier with recording and individual schedules and that means even less time…” Kyuhyun trails off, frowning. It’s the most he’s heard Kyuhyun talk about what’s bothering him, and it must have surprised him as well, if the subsequent silence in any indication. “I’m just…” He heaves a huge sigh. “Hyung, will you promise not to tell the others?”

Zhou Mi smiles reassuringly and nods. This is certainly a new side of Kyuhyun he’s witnessing, panicky and unsure of himself. “I promise.”

“I think,” the maknae inhales deeply before continuing, “maybe sleeping with him was a mistake.”  

“You slept with him?!”

Kyuhyun gives him a cold, hard stare. “What, so you were just grasping at straws?” He sounds annoyed. “Never mind then. Just forget what you heard.” He shoves his things unceremoniously into his bag and stands up, ready to leave.

“That’s a pretty tall order,” Zhou Mi replies dryly. “I must say I didn’t think it would be you, though.  We might as well continue, so have a seat. And start from the beginning.”

Kyuhyun scowls at him, but he plops down on the couch once more.