Crepuscular Clocksmith

10. Nesting Promises

Mingi picked up the crate with a huff. He had chosen the heaviest one, claiming his tail and arms were more powerful than those of the others. As he struggled to hold the impractical shape with all four hands, Yunho hurried to support him on the other side. With a grimace, Mingi accepted to carry it together.

"I need more arms," the naga complained as they lugged the chest full of weighty candlesticks and books to the counter.

Yunho stared at him incredulously. His face made Mingi giggle.

While Wooyoung and San dragged the other two boxes over and drowned in their chattering about a movie San wanted to watch with him, Yunho emptied the contents of the trunk to spread them out for Mingi to work with. He curiously ran his hands over the brass candlesticks and blew the dust off a book whose eloquently painted cover claimed to teach the language of flowers. As he flicked through the pages, it was neither a fantasy novel nor a children's book. It was historical, a remnant from Victorian or Edwardian times as people had wooed each other by sending meaningful blossoms and letters to each other's doorsteps.

Charmed, Yunho searched around until he found a flower he wanted to give to Mingi. The man would look into this book sooner or later.

Snowdrops stood for hope and new beginnings. Yunho wished both upon Mingi. Next time he would visit, he would bring one for him.

Yunho closed the book before Mingi peeked over his shoulder. His pale hands lingered on the flowers drawn on the otherwise brown cover.

"More candlesticks than I could ever need, nice," Mingi commented as he set them down, one after another. Wooyoung booed at him from the table.

"It's so dark in here, you don't even need to sell those. They can stay and light up the place."

"Not everyone strives under the light of the sun," Mingi reminded him. Neither snake nor cat was too fond of bright light.

Already distracted by something else, Wooyoung patted his pockets down. Once he found what he had been searching for, he produced a sealed envelope.

"Also this; it was in the mail." He flicked it over to Mingi like a frisbee. The naga caught it without effort and frowned at the sender.

"Another invoice?" He groaned. Quick fingers opened the letter and skimmed its contents. Afterwards, he tucked it under the notepad by the register. His face was gloomy when he returned to his work, so Yunho didn't address it.

Once the big crate was empty, they opened the next one. Yunho gasped when they found a taxidermied cat right on top of it. Its fur was as grey as San's.

Mingi turned to inform their friend of the doppelgänger, but San was nowhere in sight. It had been a moment since they last heard him giggle with Wooyoung. Where had he gone?

"San?" Mingi called into the room. Yunho poked a finger at the cat. He thought San was joking with them, but the body in the carton was stiff and cold.

"Ah, I picked it up because it looks like him. Perhaps it resolves the mystery around him. Or makes it even more confusing."

For a scary moment, Yunho thought San had died despite Wooyoung's reassuring words. When the man came back inside where he had gone to move Wooyoung's scooter under the canopy of the terrace, a weight fell off him. The shape-shifter looked around with wet hair and innocent eyes.

Mingi put the cat aside so they could clear up the rest. Once all crates were empty and sorted, they found their way back to the door so Wooyoung could take them with him once he left.

While the two lovebirds were outside on the terrace flirting, Mingi brewed some tea. The soothing scent of chamomile seduced Yunho's senses yet again. He accepted the cup Mingi handed it to him and sat with the naga at the tiny desk. For a while, they shared the ambience of the rain outside the open door and sipped their warm tea.