OFF OF THE DEEP END | CHANGLIX ✔️

5. terrible attempts at flirting

song: head over heels // tears for fears

Changbin's fingers tapped idly on the wooden counter in front of him. Creating abstract rhythms, beats for the backgrounds of songs yet to be produced flowing from his fingertips. His mind wandered elsewhere, several songs that he'd heard recently spiraling around his skull. The steady drums from Head Over Heels merged with the melancholy guitar from Space Oddity that spiraled into a weird mixtape of the two songs inside his mind. Pink sparkles merged into the whirlpool of song lyrics and melodies, bringing with them a small adult singing a pop anthem. The hot pink of Felix's joyful tune further added to the bizarre track.

Head nodding to the beat of his fingertips, song lyrics spiraled to the front of his mind, lyrics he'd written under covers at the dead of night. Jisung had modified them several weeks ago, adding his own style to the words. Changbin itched to add the finishing touches and make a beat to match the rhythm. Perhaps he'd contact Jisung's friend who owned a small studio, and produce the song there.

He wouldn't release the song. No, producing was more of a hobby, one that he didn't exactly keep hidden, but didn't announce to the world either. Files full of songs were stored on his computer, an occasional cameo from Jisung or his friend, Chan, being featured on the tracks. More of a type of therapy than anything, it was just a passion that provided surges of pride.

Jisung staggered in from behind a bookshelf, groaning under the weight of a stack of books. His small frame was almost completely hidden by the thick leather backs of the vintage books they'd found at a yard sale. Limping his way to Changbin's corner, he dumped the stack on an empty cart, groaning complaints about his back. Exhaustedly, he opened the wooden gate attached to the counter to slip behind and join Changbin on the couch.

Changbin raised an eyebrow at Jisung, who had promptly collapsed and shoved his face into the leather of the couch, "You're back."

"I think I just died."

"You lifted about seven books."

"Yeah and they were fucking heavy."

Drowned in a maroon hoodie, a familiar person hidden by a mask peered over the counter, eyeing Changbin sitting neatly and Jisung smashing his face into the leather cushions with his limbs dangling haphazardly off of the couch. Recognizing the confused customer, Changbin hoisted himself off of the furniture, leaving Jisung splayed alone.

"Welcome!"

"Is this an okay time?" Felix asked tentatively, eyes flitting between Changbin's self-assured smile and the lifeless body of Jisung.

"Yup. Don't worry about him, he's fine."

Changbin finally got a good look of Felix, or at least what wasn't covered by a mask, "You look worse."

"That's not how you treat customers!" Jisung yelled from behind, voice muffled from the couch cushion.

"You look like Death stabbed you with his scythe and then let you bleed out and wander the world as a lifeless corpse. Are you okay?" Changbin asked.

"Quite an imaginative description. But I'm fine, just surviving off of no sleep. I finished the book by the way, do you have any other suggestions?"

"The author has some other books you might like, they'll be in the same shelf as the other one was."

"Thank you," Felix answered, leaving to wander the shelves in search of another book.

A hand aggressively yanked the back of Changbin's collar and whispered into his ear, "Who is that."

"Just a frequent customer," Changbin responded, being held in an awkward position due to Jisung's clutch on the hem of his shirt. Jisung let go, and flopped back onto the couch, beckoning forthe other to join him.

Once Changbin had returned to the comfortable squish of the couch, Jisung turned and continued in a whisper, "I just gay panicked from his voice alone. He's so hot."

"You don't even know what he looks like...?"

"I can tell. No one has the slutty hair," By slutty hair, Jisung meant Felix's cute fluffy flop of messy black hair, "And the absurdly deep voice without being hot."

"Sure."

"Do you know what he looks like?"

"No," Changbin lied, "He hasn't taken off his mask yet." He refrained from telling Jisung any information about Felix, conscious of the fact that the idol was trying to hide from fans. It was a coincidence that Changbin even knew the truth, and he didn't plan on exposing number-one-fanboy Jisung to the veracity of the costumer's identity.

"I'm gonna get his number."

"Do what you want," Changbin replied, doubting that Felix would react to Jisung's cringeworthy pickup lines. Besides, the mask and voice hid Felix's identity and if Jisung hadn't already realized, he doubted the fanboy would.

Jisung sauntered off in the direction of the shelves Felix had disappeared into, the owner of the swaggering walk surely armed with another dreadful attempt at flirting.

A confident voice boomed from behind the shelves, "Are you a new book? Because I'm definitely checking you out."

Jisung had really outdone himself today. Changbin dissolved into giggles that succumbed him to his knees, clutching his stomach as fits of laughter washed over it.

"I'm sorry?" The deep voice of Felix rang out, "I'm not really interested—"

"One chance is all I ask for!"

"Sir, I'm sorry I have absolutely no idea who you are—"

"That doesn't matter! We can meet each other on our first date."

At that moment, Changbin lifted himself off of the couch and made his way towards the two, determined to stop Jisung before he further embarrassed himself and made Felix uncomfortable.

He arrived right as Jisung was about to shout yet another pick-up line, smoothly shoving himself between the boisterous man and the confused idol. Jisung was typing on his phone furiously, presumably browsing google to find another terrible attempt on flirting.

"Jisung, he said he wasn't interested," Changbin lectured firmly.

The mentioned lifted his head out of the screen, absentmindedly waving his phone around as he argued back, "I was just harmlessly flirting!"

The swing of the device flashed bright pink, and both Changbin and Felix's eyes caught on it. As the arm attached to the phone slowed its agitated flailing, the flash of pink became visible. A laminated photo card, a familiar man with shiny pink hair and pale skin beaming. Changbin glanced at Felix, trying to gauge the man's reaction on seeing himself in someone else's phone case. It was surely not a new sight, but a probable unwanted vision.

Sure enough, Felix uncomfortably looked away and responded, "I appreciate your advances, but I'm not looking for a partner. I have to go for, um, work, bye."

book: harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban // j. k. rowling