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The man speaks perfect Italian, rapid syllables that roll off of his tongue. It echoes slightly off of the silver water beneath them, sounds clearly over the muted rustling of boats and passerby. Kyuhyun leans back and feels the sun press against his closed eyelids, lulled by the heat and the gentle rocking of the gondola.

Zhou Mi falters for a moment as Kyuhyun slides down the seat until he's almost lying down, but he recovers quickly and the flow of words continues. "Ponte dei Sospiri," he says. Above the boat, there's a faint cry of greeting, followed by a slight shift in the boat's balance; Zhou Mi is waving back. This has happened several times in only the past few minutes. Vaguely, Kyuhyun wonders if the gondolier knows everyone in this city.

The boat falls into shadow as it passes underneath the bridge, the sound of swishing water amplified. Kyuhyun shivers in the sudden chill and opens his eyes. The man smiles down at him.

"You don't look Italian," Kyuhyun says in English. Zhou Mi's eyes brighten.

"Ah," he says, "he speaks!" Kyuhyun snorts. "Kui, Kyuhyun—" the accent makes his name take on a new sharpness. (He likes it). "Where are you from?"

"Los Angeles," Kyuhyun says.

The man nods. "So far," he says, "and you have come to Venice to—sleep?"

Kyuhyun laughs at that. The man's eyes twinkle. "You are tough to impress," the man says, dropping to a stage whisper. "So. I will show you something special."

Kyuhyun smirks, closes his eyes and rests his hands behind his head, settling in. "Try me," he says.

A few minutes later he's sitting up, staring wide-eyed at the gondolier as the song dies out. The man smiles, pleased.

"Okay," Kyuhyun says, "I'm impressed."

"Of course you are," Zhou Mi says, and gives a little bow without upsetting the boat's balance.