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Changkyun sighs, crossing his arms together as he sizes up the parade of animals, magick and non-magick alike, lining up the back of the store he works at. It's noon and he's standing outside without any sunblock, which is sure to taint his pale elfin skin, on his lunch break instead of wolfing down his mother's delicious lunch-box at the storage room. Normally, he'd be mad and fight for the lunch hour he deserves— working in an antique store is more difficult than it seems, especially when he's balancing his Dwarven Technology studies in the middle of his shift— but Minhyuk had pounded at the door at 11:59:59am sharp, demanding for him to come out for a mere five minutes because there's something important for him to see.
It's been seven minutes now. Cars, motorbikes, bicycles and pedestrians gradually fill the main street to his left as the lunch hour begins setting on them. Changkyun taps his foot impatiently against the bricked ground, wonders what could be so important with a parade of animals in funky (and probably handmade, knowing Minhyuk's crafty hands) costumes skittering about in uneven and disordered circles in front of him. "So," he starts, breaking the silence. "What's this important thing you have to show me?"
"Yeah, that's fine, I get that. It's just...what is this thing you're about to show me?"
"It's a surprise. Hold on." Minhyuk returns back to the chimera, buttoning the gown up to its chest before smiling at it and sending it off with a head pat. The chimera beams at him, rubs its soft mane against his palm, before joining off the others into their random-yet-synchronised parade. Changkyun, as always whenever he's around this fae, feels a tiny spark of jealousy in his chest. If only he'd been born with the fae's tight bonds to nature, instead of being a magic-and-tool driven elfin, maybe he could be at ease around animals.
His thoughts are interrupted when Minhyuk reaches into a messenger bag that he'd dropped by the wall of the shop earlier, producing a mini music box with intricate designs, reminiscent of fae art, carved along its exterior. When the top of the box flips open at the press of a button, a complex structure of metal cogs, bars and the like reveal itself, akin to the complexity of dwarven technology. Changkyun has never owned a music box since he was a child, even though he had badly wanted one, and the sight of it was enough to mesmerize him into silence.
Minhyuk puts two fingers into his mouth and whistles, imitating the bubbly chirp of a skylark. At once, the animals pause their wandering and look up at their caretaker, a mix of beady eyes and coloured feathers and luminiscent scales all gathered below him. He beams at them like a mother to her young children, before twisting a dial on the side of the music box, then placing it next to his feet.
The animals jump to life.
"Whoa!" Changkyun exclaims.
At that, the baby Earthen lizards tramping around, at the small chimeras blowing circles of fire and the four parakeets beating their wings in a rhythm, Changkyun flinches in surprise. Sure, they're cute, but he's still an elfin and elfins are, by nature, terrible with animals.
"What are you trying to show me?" he demands for the nth time, but Minhyuk shushes him.
Where there had been no order to the circles before, there was now a visible arrangement to the path that the Earthen lizards marched on, trailed by the chimeras and parakeets. It stretched out like a long, wobbly oval at first, then condensing into a triangle (with the occasional lizard straying out of line), then the animals scatter about their feet and jump into the air, and finally, as the music box reached its main melody, it formed two broken tear-drops that merged in the middle, resembling...a heart?
Confused by it all, Changkyun can only stare as the chimeras rise off the ground to his knees, puffing tiny flames of fire that they seemed to be proud of. (They should. For chimeras of their size, those flames are impressive.) They flutter in an alternative order, forming a zigzag line in the air, before Minhyuk claps and they flutter back down again, joining the lizards into the tear-drops-or-is-it-a-heart shape.
The music box stutters to a halt, but it cranks itself back once more for a final half-round. It's a cue for the Earthen lizards and chimeras to scamper off the circle they'd been parading around, stomping their way to Minhyuk's legs, leaving two parakeets to flutter over and pick something off the ground. The other two parakeets fly up on Changkyun's shoulder to his surprise, before they perch on his shoulders and chirp at him. A short banner, lifted by the parakeets' beaks, flies in front of his face out of nowhere. As he opens his mouth to question it all, he reads the words scribbled, in painstakingly beautiful script, across the fabric.
Lovely elfin, you stand so near
By your smile I am endeared
Wise and strong, without a doubt
I propose: would you go out?
(With me)
Silence falls as the music box ends its melody. The parakeets chirp once more, this time congratulating themselves at their performance. The chimeras pant, wagging their tails and rubbing their manes against their caretaker's calves, while the Earthen lizards stand still, eyes set on the elfin's movements. Minhyuk, too, keeps an eye on the elfin next to him, adrenaline rushing through as he wonders what reaction he'd get, or if he'll be rejected in the end. In the background, cars drive by, cyclists cycle by and pedestrians walk past, all unknowing of the mini parade that happened a mere minute ago in the narrow alley next to them.
Then, breaking the silence first, Changkyun laughs.
Minhyuk flushes a deep, embarrassed red at his unexpected reaction. "Wh...what's so funny?" he asks, intending to be offended but coming off humiliated.
"What? Do you not like it?"
"No, no, it's nothing. I'm just...surprised." Pursing his lips until his deep dimples appear, Changkyun attempts to keep his amusement inside, but a trickle of giggles leave him once more. "Sorry. I'm not making fun of you or anything."
"Then why are you laughing?" Almost despairing by now, Minhyuk wonders if he should dig a hole with the magic in his fingertips and bury himself there. It wouldn't be an impressive side to show to his crush, but after mustering the courage to confess and making the animals perform a silly dance, what else can he show at this point?
Once the elfin stops laughing, he clears his throat and watches the parakeets flutter down, laying the banner on the ground. "Don't feel bad. It was unexpected, that's it. But, um, it was nice to watch. Your animals are very cute."
"Thanks. They're well-trained."
"I know."
A short pause. Minhyuk's eyes casted on the ground. Changkyun scratching the back of his neck, wondering how should he proceed with the conversation now that he's outright laughed at his first confession— which he didn't mean to make fun of when it had been sweet and earnest— and clear the awkwardness from the air between them. At their feet, a chimera purrs.
Minhyuk breaks the silence first, fake cheeriness plastered all over his face and causes a mini ache in Changkyun's heart. "So. I take that as a no, then?"
"Huh?"
"You still haven't answered my question yet," he says. "That's alright. You don't have to answer me now. Or ever, actually, if you're not comfortable or something. The parade was a bit much, wasn't it? I thought so too, but it's okay. I had to let you know my feelings regardless, so I'm glad you heard me out—"
Changkyun frowns. "Wait, what? I didn't say anything yet. I, um, didn't say no."
The rambles cut short and a slither of hope crosses Minhyuk's face. "Oh. Then?"
"Ah." The elfin tugs at the collar of his work uniform. "Um. Well, I'm not sure about going out like that yet," he starts, drawing vague shapes in the air that does nothing to explain himself, "because, um, I've never seen you as anything else but a friend. But...you're pretty cool and cute, too, so..." A blush tickles Changkyun from the tips of his ears to his neck. "If you'll take me on a date or two, then I guess I don't mind?"
Minhyuk brightens up.