Archive of Our Own

It didn’t take a very long time for Hongjoong to realize that he had feelings for the pretty bird hybrid that had become his roommate a few years ago. Truthfully, it only took the human a couple months to begin developing feelings for the magpie hybrid. He hadn’t realized said feelings until a full nine months later, but that wasn’t important. What mattered was that he had realized his feelings and he was finally ready to do something about it.  

Hongjoong desperately wanted to tell Seonghwa how he felt in a meaningful way. He had run through a million scenarios in his head but none seemed special enough. He had tried composing a song or two (or a mixtape) for the bird, but nothing sounded right. He had thought about planning a fancy dinner, maybe even taking Seonghwa away for a weekend. Nothing seemed right, though. He wanted to make a lasting impression that would, hopefully, be an endearing memory to look back on when they were both old and grey.

Finally, Hongjoong came up with the idea to try confessing in a way that would mean something to Seonghwa on a more instinctual level. He had heard Yeosang and Wooyoung talking about courting in the past. Something about instinctual ways that animals and hybrids alike could confess their feelings and make their intentions known to each other. Of course, Hongjoong had too much pride to actually ask his hybrid friends, even if they might know best. His reasoning had something to do with the other hybrids “not being birds” or some other lame excuse. So, he turned to Google, hoping the internet might have answers without the teasing he was sure to get from his friends. 

Late one night, after Seonghwa had already retired to his room for the night, Hongjoong began researching. 

How to court a bird hybrid?

He felt silly typing the sentence into the search engine, but he would be damned if he’d ask for help from Wooyoung or Yeosang, or even Yunho. Multiple articles came up, immediately overwhelming him. He clicked on the first one, hoping to find what he needed.

It isn’t everyday that someone falls for a bird hybrid. But how can you tell them in a way that matters ? Well, we have the answers! Below, you’ll find three easy ways to confess to your feathered favorite person! 

1. Build a nest for your lover! 

Birds build nests when they are settling down to lay their clutch. However, most bird hybrids will build a nest in a place that they feel safest. It’s the ultimate show of comfort and safety. Show them just how much you care about them and just how comfortable you feel around them by building a nest for them!

2. Vocalize your feelings!

Birds tend to vocalize during mating season, making sounds that are different from their typical chatter. If you want your lover to know how you feel, sing them a song or write them a poem and read it to them! It’s bound to get the message across while appeasing their instincts.

3. Feed your lover!

Courtship feeding is a common behavior amongst many species of birds. Providing for your mate is a wonderful way to show them how you feel. It’ll speak to their instincts and your own, showing that you’re dependable and can care for them!

Many bird species also engage in physical displays when mating seasons comes around, including dances and flashing their feathers.

The article continued on, but Hongjoong felt as if he had gotten the gist of everything. It seemed easy enough…he could easily make a song for Seonghwa and it couldn’t be that hard to build a nest. This would be easy! Right?

1. Build a nest for your lover!

One of Hongjoong’s favorite things to do with Seonghwa was to preen the magpie hybrid. He loved the peaceful atmosphere that settled in the living room when Seonghwa sat in front of him with the comb and feather oil, a silent request for the human to go through the feathers at Seonghwa’s nape. After reading the courting article, Hongjoong was even more excited than he would typically be. He could use the freshly removed feathers for the nest he was going to make for the older! He would just need to get some sticks, but there were plenty of trees outside their apartment that had been losing leaves and branches due to the changing of the seasons. 

Hongjoong hummed softly to himself as he gently combed his fingers through Seonghwa’s hair, paying special attention to the nape of his neck. He knew that some loose feathers could be painful for the hybrid so he always tried to be as soft as possible when removing them. He never wanted any harm to come to his lovely birdie.

“Are you excited for winter, Joong-ah?” Seonghwa asked, his voice soft to maintain the peaceful atmosphere. He loved that they could take this time to bond, chatting about small things that didn’t really matter. Truthfully, this was one of his favorite times of the day. Seonghwa loved spending time with his silly roommate.

“I think so. I’m hoping that we get some snow again this year. It was really fun to play in it last year.” Came Hongjoong’s soft reply. He seemed rather focused on the task at hand, trying his very best not to hurt Seonghwa or cause him any discomfort. He was always so caring, like that. 

“Me too! Those pictures that Wooyoungie took were so pretty, too. I hope everyone can get together for a snow day again…” Their conversation carried on in a similar fashion, discussing the weather and the upcoming holiday. It might have been boring to anyone else, but for them, it was entirely heartwarming. 

Hongjoong huffed out a breath as he finished preening his friend, setting the comb down on the table next to the couch. On his lap, a towel sat covered in the downy feathers that rested along Seonghwa’s hairline. His hands were covered in the oil he used to smooth everything down, a few feathers sticking in between his fingers. He was rather pleased with the outcome of today’s preening, excitement blooming in his chest at the thought of building a nest for Seonghwa. He still wasn’t entirely sure how it would be beneficial, but maybe the magpie would see it as a sort of trinket and keep it on his shelf. 

Gently folding the towel to hold all of the feathers in the center, Hongjoong lifted himself off of the couch and moved around the bird at his feet. He decided he would take the towel to his office, where he would build the nest so Seonghwa didn’t see it. The older man knew better than to go into Hongjoong’s space uninvited and he greatly respected his privacy. What could go wrong?

Hongjoong was proud of himself for not really getting caught. Seonghwa didn’t question him as he took the towel down the hall instead of directly into the kitchen like he usually would. It wasn’t until the human had started heading towards the door wearing nothing but a hoodie and his house slippers that the bird noticed something was off.

“Why are you going outside? It’s freezing and you’re hardly wearing anything, Hongjoong-ah.” Seonghwa’s lips were downturned, a pout taking over his face that Hongjoong was valiantly trying not to coo at.

“I’m just going outside for a moment, Seonghwa-yah. I’ll be quick and this hoodie is thick, you don’t have to worry.” Hongjoong gave the older a tight lipped smile before slipping out the front door.  

Seonghwa’s pout deepened, unsure if he should follow the human just in case he took longer than he meant and ended up getting cold. Ultimately, he decided against it, deciding that he’d only follow Hongjoong if the younger was outside for more than fifteen minutes. He didn’t want his human to get sick.

After ten minutes of being deep in thought, Seonghwa heard the front door open and his head shot up. Hongjoong walked through holding a bundle of- were those sticks? What on earth was he doing with an armful of twigs and leaves? Seonghwa’s head cocked to the side as he stared, perplexed, at the human before him. Hongjoong had a bright smile on his face as he shut the door with his slippered foot.

“They’re for a project I’m working on!” Came Hongjoong’s answer to Seonghwa’s unasked question. With no further explanation, the human walked off in the direction of his office, not sparing Seonghwa another glance and leaving any further questions unanswered.

It wasn’t until two days later that Seonghwa received some sort of answer to all of the unasked questions he had involving the twigs his roommate had collected. The answer came in the form of Hongjoong barging into the living room, slightly out of breath. 

“Seonghwa! Just the guy I was looking for.” Hongjoong entered the room with his hands behind his back, walking towards the magpie hybrid who was curled up on the couch, reading a book. Setting the book on his lap, Seonghwa gave his roommate a confused look.

“Joong-ah, why were you looking for me? We live together, it’s not like I could’ve gone very far and I would have told you if I was leaving.” Seonghwa’s head was tilted cutely, a pout forming on his lips after his statement. Hongjoong huffed out a small laugh, endlessly endeared by the bird hybrid in front of him. Shaking his head, he moved closer to the couch. 

“It’s just a saying, Hwa. Anyways, I had something I wanted to show you!” Hongjoong smiled brightly, standing directly in front of his roommate, now. His hands were still behind his back, clearly hiding something.  

Before he could psych himself out, Hongjoong took his hands from behind his back and thrust them towards the magpie. In his hands was a bundle of sticks and feathers that might have resembled a nest if Seonghwa was drunk or squinting his eyes with his head tilted. Seonghwa looked between his human’s hands and his face, brow furrowing further. 

“What…is this, Hongjoong-ah?” Seonghwa tried to hide the surprise in his voice, but he didn’t do a very good job. It wasn’t his fault that he really couldn’t tell what his roommate was showing him.

“It’s a nest! I made it.” Hongjoong’s proud smile quickly wiped any confusion from Seonghwa’s mind. He was endlessly endeared by the silly human on a bad day, so this only added to his adoration. 

“Oh! It’s very nice! What are you going to do with it? Is there a new family of birds in our trees? I haven’t been outside much the past few days so I may have missed them.” Seonghwa said, making a move to stand from the couch.

“No!” Hongjoong was quick to stop the older, not wanting to lose this moment. “It’s for you. I wanted to make something for you and I thought this would be…practical!” Hongjoong shoved his hands further into the space between them with a hopeful look on his face. Seonghwa was too stunned to speak. He slowly reached out to take the small…nest from Hongjoong’s hands, turning it around in his palm to examine it. 

“Thank you, Hongjoongie! I’m sure I’ll find a perfect use for this.” Seonghwa was being sincere, he was thankful for the gift. He just wasn’t quite sure why he had received it. Before he could question it, Hongjoong turned tail and left the room. 

So much for that… Seonghwa thought as he returned to his story. 

2. Vocalize your feelings!

It wasn’t uncommon for Hongjoong to ask Seonghwa to record something for the younger to use on a track he had been developing. Whether it was a guide track or a rap, Seonghwa was always more than willing to sit down with the producer and help him. He loved being apart of the younger’s creative process, no matter how small his part might be. Because of this, the magpie wasn’t particularly surprised when Hongjoong appeared in his doorway holding his laptop and portable recording equipment. Seonghwa smiled at his roommate, shifting on his bed as a silent invitation for Hongjoong to enter his room. The human pushed the door further with his slippered foot, making his way over to Seonghwa’s bed. Hongjoong placed his laptop and equipment down before clambering onto Seonghwa’s bed with all the grace of a newborn bird. When he was finally settled he turned to face Seonghwa with a serious look.

“I had this really cool idea for a track and I was wondering if you’d be willing to tweet into the mic? For the background of the song.” Hongjoong cut straight to the point, wanting to beat his embarrassment with the confidence he tended to have in regards to his craft. Seonghwa’s shock was clear on his face but he was quick to school his expression.

“Of course, Joongie.” Seonghwa knew better than to ask questions when it came to Hongjoong’s creative process and ideas. He had gone with the flow of the younger’s craft more times than one, despite how outrageous some ideas had seemed. The tracks that came out of Hongjoong’s strangest ideas were always the bird’s favorite.

That was how Seonghwa found himself chirping into a microphone for the nth time in the past hour. He wasn’t entirely sure what Hongjoong was looking for, but Seonghwa knew he didn’t have many more retakes left in him. After finishing another take, Seonghwa sighed and lowered the mic, moving one side of the headphones he was wearing off of his ear. 

“I don’t know how many different ways I can tweet and chirp, Joongie. You do know that Oriental Magpies have a limited vocabulary, right? We don’t sing or chatter like other birds.” Keeping his tone light, Seonghwa looked to the producer, who looked rather sheepish. 

“I know, Hwa-yah. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get so carried away. I just wanted to make sure I had enough material for this song. You’ve definitely given me everything I need, thank you so much.” Hongjoong made sure to triple-save the audio file before he began closing down his softwares. Seonghwa nodded, setting the microphone on the bed before stretching his arms above his head. He watched as his human wrapped up the cords to his equipment and gathered everything in his arms. He stood from the bed and moved towards the door. Before he could leave, he turned back to Seonghwa.

“Thank you, really, Seonghwa-yah. I think this track will be great, thanks to you.” Hongjoong smiled softly before fully leaving the bird’s room. 

A week later, at two in the morning, Seonghwa was startled out of his half asleep state by a shout of joy and the sound of feet moving quickly down the hallways. He had barely gotten the chance to rub at his sleepy eyes before there was a series of excited knocks on his bedroom door. A grunt left his throat which Hongjoong took as confirmation to enter the bird’s room.

“I finished the track- Oh! Were you asleep? Did I wake you? I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry!” Hongjoong was speaking a mile a minute, clearly hyped up due to finishing a project he had been so excited about. Seonghwa shook his head, sitting up further in his bed and stifling a yawn. He paused the documentary on his laptop before giving his full attention to the excited human in front of him.

“I was just dozing. How did it turn out? Do you like it?” Seonghwa was excited to hear about the outcome of Hongjoong’s endless nights of frustration with whichever track had been kicking his ass lately.

“I’m really happy with it, but it doesn’t really matter how much I like it. I want to know how you feel about it! I can show you in the morning so you can get some rest.” Hongjoong said, making a move to leave the room so Seonghwa could sleep. Seonghwa, however, was quick to shake his head. 

“I want to hear it now, if you’ll let me. I want to know what made you so excited.” Seonghwa replied, his tone full of genuine interest. Hongjoong’s face lit up as he held up a finger before running back to his room. Seonghwa huffed a laugh, shaking his head at his human’s antics. He quickly heard the slap of Hongjoong’s slippers against the hardwood of their hallway before the younger burst back through Seonghwa’s bedroom door. He held his laptop in one hand and a pair of headphones in the other. The human made his way over to Seonghwa’s bed, once again clambering onto the mattress like it was his first day using his lower limbs. After settling in towards the foot of the hybrid’s bed, Hongjoong opened his laptop and plugged in the headphones before thrusting them in Seonghwa’s direction. With another huff of amusement, Seonghwa situated the headphones on his head and waited for the music to begin playing.

From the first few notes to the final line of the song, Seonghwa’s heart was in his throat and his chest was tight. Hongjoong had made this using his tweets and chirps? He had created such a wonderful melody from a few simple notes and screeches, and Seonghwa was close to tears over it. This had to be the loveliest song Seonghwa had ever had the privilege of listening to. As the final notes played, Seonghwa looked towards his human with tears in his eyes and wonder across his face. As the headphones left his head, Hongjoong immediately spoke.

“What do you think?” He was twisting his fingers in his lap, clearly still nervous when it came to sharing his art with the older, despite having done it multiple times at this point. 

“Oh, Hongjoong…this is beautiful. You really made this with my sounds?” Seonghwa’s voice was tight as he fought back the tears that threatened to fall. He was so endeared by the human in front of him that it almost hurt at times. 

Hongjoong nodded excitedly before diving into his explanation of the song. “I’ve noticed you sitting at the window and listening to the songs of the birds outside whenever the weathers nice. It gave me this idea and I knew I had to do it. I wanted to show you just how beautiful your own songs are, whether you think so or not.” 

Seonghwa didn’t know it was possible, but his chest tightened even further. Oh, how had he gotten so lucky? He must have saved multiple royal figures and babies in a past life in order to deserve the absolute angel that sat in front of him. 

In lieu of a response, Seonghwa launched himself towards the human, tackling Hongjoong into a hug. 

Interlude: Seonghwa gets coffee with Yunho and Wooyoung

Seonghwa wasn’t sure why his roommate had been acting so weird, but he was getting concerned. He thought it best to consult two of his friends who happened to have human partners of their own. Sure there was some sort of explanation, maybe this was a human thing that he simply didn’t know about. 

He ended up meeting Yunho and Wooyoung at a coffee shop the trio frequented. He wasn’t sure how to approach the topic that was plaguing his mind, so Seonghwa thought it was best to just say it outright.

“Have Mingi or San ever exhibited unexplainably strange and out of character behavior before?” Seonghwa blurted out, interrupting the other two hybrids’ conversation about shedding. Two pairs of eyes darted over to him in surprise. Seonghwa wasn’t the type to interrupt conversations and his question was…odd, to say the very least.

“...In what way do you mean, hyung?” Yunho asked, head tilted slightly to one side.

“Well…Hongjoong has been acting weird recently and I can’t figure out why. He isn’t sick and he hasn’t mentioned anything happening at work. I’m worried, honestly.” Seonghwa twisted his hands anxiously in his lap, looking between his friends. Wooyoung’s lips were pursed and his brows furrowed, like he was trying to solve some sort of universal mystery instead of analyzing Seonghwa’s roommate’s behavior.

“What has he been doing, hyung?” Asked the lynx hybrid.

“I don’t even know where to start. He’s been, like, giving me things? Well, making me things. And giving them to me.” Seonghwa’s voice was exasperated, like he couldn’t wrap his head around what he was saying. “A few weeks ago, he made me a nest. With sticks from outside and feathers from my preening.” 

”A nest? Like a bird’s nest?” Yunho’s voice took on a similarly exasperated tone. He had never heard of a human making a bird’s nest of their own free will. Seonghwa pulled his phone out of his pocket and began tapping around, looking for something. When he found what he was looking for, he turned the screen to face his friend. A picture of the poorly made, vaguely round…nest thing was on the screen. Both hybrids furrowed their brows further and leaned closer to the phone. 

“Is your roommate secretly a pigeon? That’s the worst nest I think I’ve ever seen in my entire life, truly.” Wooyoung said, leaning back and glancing up to Seonghwa. The magpie huffed and retreated his hand from the scrutiny of his friends.

“Hongjoong is not a pigeon, Young-ah.” Seonghwa sighed, almost regretting asking his friends for help in this situation.

“Why on Earth would he build you a literal bird’s nest? Did he give you any explanation?” Yunho asked, actually trying to help his friend.

“Not really, he just said he wanted to make me something. He ran out of the room before I could ask any more questions. But that’s not the only thing! He made me a song.”

“Well, he is a music producer, hyung. It’s not completely outrageous that he would make a song with your help.” Wooyoung shrugged, about to dismiss the statement.

“No, Wooyung, he made me a song. Using my tweets and chirps. I was squawking into a microphone for over an hour at three in the morning last week.” Seonghwa was growing more exasperated the longer this conversation went on. He wasn’t sure if he was reading too much into his roommate’s behavior but it was extremely odd, even for the silly human. Wooyoung and Yunho were quiet for a moment, both sporting thoughtful looks. Yunho was staring at the table like it held every answer to the questions being presented. Suddenly, Yunho’s brows rose and his mouth dropped open. 

“He’s courting you!” Came the deer hybrid’s loud voice. Seonghwa flinched back like he’d been burned by the words alone.

“What? Yunho that isn’t funny, I’m seriously concerned-”

“I’m not joking, hyung. Think about it! He built you a nest. He used bird sounds, your bird sounds, to make a song that I can only assume was rather heartfelt. He’s courting you.” Yunho listed his reasoning on his fingers, looking Seonghwa directly in the eyes. Seonghwa’s mouth hung open, his brain unable to get any sort of response between his lips. 

“Oh my god, he is! He’s courting you like a bird!” Wooyoung sounded far too excited by the sudden revelation, like he had been waiting for this to happen for ages. 

Seonghwa sat in his shock for longer than he intended, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Was Hongjoong courting him? He ran through all of the human’s actions over the course of the past weeks. It was common for birds to build nests during mating season, and vocalizations were a huge part of typical courting rituals throughout the avian kingdom. Oh my god. 

“Oh my god, he’s courting me like a bird.”

3. Feed your lover!

Something Hongjoong was notorious for was his inability to function independently in the kitchen. It had started as a joke, but after the fifth time of him burning pasta or making wet cookies, it stopped being a joke. He was miserable when it came to following a recipe, somehow messing up even when Seonghwa or Wooyoung stood right next to him and instructed every single move he made. The human was lucky to have people in his life that were willing to make food for him, or else he would have surely starved to death by now. 

When he had read the article, this was the part that made him the most nervous. Sure, he could’ve just gotten some takeout from Seonghwa’s favorite restaurant and it probably would have had the same effect. However, he wanted to stick to his self-imposed theme of making things for the bird hybrid. He felt like it held more meaning when the items that showcased his affections were made by his own hands. As he stared at the recipe in front of him, he slowly became less sure of his ability to complete a rather simple task. It couldn’t be that hard to make a simple noodle dish…right?

Hongjoong checked the time on the microwave, noting that he should have just enough time to plate everything before Seonghwa came home from his coffee date with Yunho and Wooyoung, if all goes well. He looked back to the recipe on his phone, making sure he had all the ingredients in front of him before getting to work. All he had to do was cook the ramen packets and heat up the already cooked meat from dinner the night before. There was absolutely no way he would mess this up. No way at all.

———

Things were going well, he had successfully boiled the water necessary for the noodles and he began chopping up different vegetables to garnish them with. He wanted the meal to feel fancy, even if it wasn’t. Seonghwa deserved fancy. Hongjoong wanted to deliver to the very best of his abilities. There was no way he would let his incompetence get in the way of showing Seonghwa how he felt.

A sudden sizzling sound broke Hongjoong out of his thoughts, making him drop the knife he was using onto the cutting board. Turning as quickly as he could, Hongjoong moved towards the pot that had just been fine. Now, though, it was boiling over, hot water getting all over the stove and noodles threatening to jump out of the pot from the intensity of the bubbling. Hongjoong scrambled to find a towel or oven mitt or something to grab the handle of the pot before this became too much of a disaster. As he reached for the towel on the fridge handle, things got worse.

Noodles tumbled over the side of the pot, hitting the burner and immediately starting to burn. A rather indignant squawk left Hongjoong’s mouth as he raced towards the stove, grabbing the handle of the pot. He quickly dumped it into the sink, turning on the cold water. The human moved back to the stove and quickly turned the dial off. He wasn’t entirely sure what to do next, but he knew that the kitchen smelled horribly of burnt pasta and humiliation. 

Just as Hongjoong thought that this process couldn’t possibly get any worse, he heard the sound of keys turning in the deadbolt on the front door. Panic seized his chest as he heard the door swing open and Seonghwa enter the apartment. Surely the bird hybrid could smell the burnt food coming from the kitchen. Hongjoong had no idea how he was going to hide his failure from his roommate, so he simply stood in the middle of the kitchen like a guilty child. Hurried footsteps made their way into the kitchen and, soon, Seonghwa appeared in the doorway, clearly worried.

“Are you okay? Why does the apartment smell like something was on fire?” Seonghwa’s frantic voice filled the kitchen as he moved closer to the human. Once he reached his roommate, he began checking Hongjoong for injuries. The human gently batted the wandering hands away, moving back slightly.

“I’m fine, Hwa. I just lost track of time and over-boiled a pot of ramen and a couple noodles got on the burner. Everything’s okay, see?” Hongjoong reassured the magpie, gesturing to the stove and sink. Seonghwa looked at the stove before allowing his sights to move around the kitchen. He noticed the two torn open ramen packets, as well as his favorite ramen toppings chopped up on the cutting board. He slowly brought his vision back to the human in front of him.

“What were you cooking for, Joong-ah? I told you that we could figure out dinner when I got back from coffee.” Seonghwa questioned.

“I just thought…it would be nice for me to make dinner for once. Y’know, you do so much for me and I just wanted to do something nice in return.” Hongjoong scrubbed at the back of his neck, looking away from his roommate’s questioning gaze. He heard the magpie sigh before he felt his presence move closer.

“Hongjoongie, you do plenty for me. You don’t need to cook for me to appreciate all that you do for me.” Seonghwa wanted to reach out and comfort his silly human, but he refrained. His conversation with Yunho and Wooyoung weighed heavily in the back of his mind. Surely this wasn’t related to all of that, right?

“I know, Hwa, but I just…really wanted to do this for you. I wanted it to be special.” The last part was mumbled and if Seonghwa hadn’t been standing so close, he probably wouldn’t have heard it.

“Special…? Hongjoong-ah, why would you need to do something special?” Seonghwa asked, a confused lilt painting his voice. Hongjoong sighed, moving to clean the burnt pasta off of the stove in order to busy his hands.

“It’s nothing, Hwa.” Hongjoong deflected, trying to save face and turn this disaster around. Seonghwa sighed, deciding it would be best to just rip the bandaid off.

“I, um,” Seonghwa cleared his throat, “I talked to Yunho and Wooyoung about, um, your behavior the past few weeks. Like, the nest and the song and…I think I know what's going on, now.” Seonghwa watched Hongjoong tense, his hands stilling where they were on the stove. The younger turned to face the magpie, panic written clearly on his face.

“Seonghwa, I can explain…” Hongjoong’s hands were shaking. God, he was fucked. “I wasn’t trying to force anything on you but I just wanted you to know how I felt. I probably could’ve picked a better article or tried to look up something specific to your species, but I wasn’t really sure if I would even find anything that made sense and-”

“Hongjoong-ah,” Seonghwa interrupted the human’s panicked rambling. “I’m not upset. A little confused, sure, but not mad.” 

“I’m sorry…” Hongjoong wasn’t sure what to say. Truthfully, he hadn’t really thought this far. He thought, maybe, Seonghwa would understand what he was doing and he would make the first actual move since Hongjoong was clearly too scared to do it himself.

“There isn’t anything you need to be sorry for, Joong-ah. I have to admit, it’s all kind of endearing, albeit a bit funny.” 

Hongjoong was at a loss for words. Did his half-baked plan seriously work?  

“You’re…not upset?”

“Of course not, Joongie-yah. I feel the same way, y’know? I have for a while, I just didn’t know how to tell you.”

Hongjoong was astounded. How he had never noticed Seonghwa’s feelings for him was beyond him. However, that wasn’t important. What was important was that the object of his years of affections actually felt the same. He watched as Seonghwa moved closer, crowding him against the stove.

“I’m glad my idiocy worked in my favor, one way or another.” Hongjoong smiled, grabbing Seonghwa’s hands. A smile broke out on Seonghwa’s face as he gripped the human’s hands and swung them between their bodies.

“I am, too. However, if you had just said something, we could’ve done this ages ago.” Seonghwa leaned down, gently pressing his lips to Hongjoong’s. It was a soft kiss, nothing more than a gentle press of lips against one another. However, it said everything that Seonghwa’s words couldn’t. It spoke to the years of unsaid affection and love he had harbored for the silly human that stood before him. As they broke apart, twin smiles fell upon their faces. 

Despite the endearing idiocy that it had taken for them to get to this point, Seonghwa couldn’t imagine it happening any other way. The whole situation was so endearingly Hongjoong that he couldn’t help it when a small, breathless giggle escaped from his mouth.

“What’s so funny?” Hongjoong asked, tilting his head as he gazed lovingly at the older. Seonghwa shook his head, peering down at the silly human in front of him.

“You do know that they didn’t mean an actual bird’s nest, right? Like, when it comes to courting a bird hybrid?”

“...There’s a difference between courting a hybrid and courting the animal?”