The square is calm and quiet the night he arrives. It’s the beginning of December of 1986 when a big box is opened and a giant snow globe containing a single young man, with short brown hair, two black eyes, a defined jawline, an average looking chiseled nose, a pair of plump lips carved in a thin line, about a meter and 76 centimeters in height, dressed as a nut cracker; that is meant to walk around the snow globe as ‘snow’ falls over him whenever someone pushed a coin inside the base and pressed the red button.

That was his duty. That was what he was programmed to do.

But once the moonlight had hit his face, his eyes blinked, and he could move on his own.

Nobody seemed to know he wasn’t only a toy, he could move, he could feel and he could think on his own. He had life, even though he was made out of plastic.

He looked around his surroundings; he was alone inside a bowl of glass, a liquid was all around him, there was a white stuff all over the floor and two metal bars that went from the podium in the center to all the way round the globe. He supposed that was the path he was supposed to follow.

Beyond his glass were tall sticks with green stuff on them he didn’t know what to call, there were some ‘things’ were people would sit, he called them ‘sitthings’. The sticks made a circle around him a few meters away from his globe and there were four openings between a set of sticks and other. They were located at 90° from each other.

Beyond that there were huge boxes with lots of squared glasses on them all of them in perfect horizontal lines.

He wondered what that outside world was like.

~~

Whenever he could, he moved freely, contrary to his old fashioned routine were he just marched around the globe whenever a coin was set.

It felt nice; though, to break free from the path and just dance around freely.

It was times were no one was around when he did it. He danced all around the globe, making sissones, turning around in perfect spins; he would fly using the water as his support, spinning in the ‘air’ before landing in perfect arabesques and then he would jump again.

He made children smile, he entertained adults even, and rarely could he make a grandpa or grandma laugh.

That was his purpose: to bring joy to whoever visited the square and decided to see his show.

It was a magnificent purpose if we leave aside the fact that he himself wasn’t happy.

He was cursed to be trapped inside that snowy prison of his, forced to gaze upon the many wonders of the world yet unable to touch or to feel them due to the confines of his glassed bubble.

How does skin feels? Is it easy to run a hand through someone’s hair? How is air different from water? Why do people drip water from their eyes? Does a smile sounds? How does his show looks? Why people embrace each other? When water comes from the sky, does it feels nice? Why adults run from it but kids play under it?

Will he be ever able to be on the other side?

He didn’t even know his name, if he had one.

~~

The young man stood still saluting the crowd in his usual pose, he has been in the same square for six years now, though he doesn’t know, he doesn’t know what time is, or what a day is, he just knows that people move around when there is light, and don’t when there is not.

And that’s when he plays, when the light is gone.

And he works when the light is on.

And that time was now, Sun has just settled up and people were beginning to fill the square walking around to their different destinations, some just walking around to pass the time.

A little kid ran fervently towards him.

The toy soldier smiles just a little, that kid is the same that always stops by, if he doesn’t start him up, the kid only stares at him in amazement. Not a day had passed since that kid could walk that he didn’t stop by his globe.

“Appa, appa come! Quickly!” the kid yelled as he was nearing the snow globe in the center of the square.

“Donghae can you slow down a little bit?” his father said laughing at the kid’s excitement and following in toe.

The kid reached the snow globe and placed his hands and face against the glass. He loved that thing, he loved the soldier in it and he loved the music the globe played.

“put it! put it! put it! put it!” Donghae said animatedly to his father, jumping up and down.

“Woah alright, alright. Are you sure there’s no one else you want to go today Donghae?” his father asked as he looked for a coin. Donghae shook his head smiling.

His father nodded and placed a coin inside. Donghae pressed the red button and watched as the soldier came to life.

It was the same routine he has seen so many times, the same music played, everything was the same and yet Donghae was enthralled. His eyes widened and the brightest of smiles was present on his face, he pressed his face against the glass supporting himself with his hands, wanting to go inside, wanting to be with the soldier. His father watched the child with a small smile on his face.

A minute later the soldier was in his place again in the same pose Donghae knew too well.

“Another time?” his father asked.

Donghae did wanted to see the show again, but he had heard his parents talking yesterday about the issues with the money, how they didn’t have enough. Donghae looked down for a brief second and then he looked up at his father and shook his head.

“Come on Hae, is your birthday! Another time won’t hurt” his father said and leant down to place another coin inside but Donghae stopped his hand and shook his head. His father looked at him with concern but Donghae only smiled and grabbed his father hand, leading him back.

Donghae turned around just enough to imitate the pose from the soldier and then he left the square with his father.

The soldier had never seen such a scene before.

He felt bad for the little child, he had seen his face go down and he supposed that wasn’t a good feeling. The soldier had seen so many people come and go, many kids came to visit him, but that child; he was special.

His eyes brightened up in pure innocence and amazement, that child was one of the few whose imagination went beyond, who could see the world and feel the stars in his hands, who believed fish could swim in the sky, that kid was a dreamer. And in these times when technology didn’t let people dream, dreamers were rare and unique.

The soldier remained there posing, hoping to see the kid again.

~~

That night something amazing happened to the toy.

He was weakly dancing around his globe, wondering just what had the kid upset when he looked up to see someone running towards his globe. He quickly returned to his spot and stood in his usual pose.

A little kid was running towards him, something in his hands.

The soldier looked at the small figured surprised, what was someone doing out when there was no light? A closer inspection when the kid looked up to him revealed that it was no other than that special kid of his.

The kid placed whatever he was holding on the ground and mouthed words the soldier couldn’t understand, couldn’t hear.

“I wish you could play this song” those were the kid’s words.

He placed his hands and forehead against the glass and shut his eyes. After a minute or so he opened them again and then saluted the soldier imitating his pose and after that he left.

The soldier walked closer to the end where the kid just was. He looked down curiously at whatever the kid had placed there and then tried to push the glass so he could take it in his hands.

It was to no avail, the soldier then started looking for a way out desperately.

The more he looked the more he felt frustrated.

There was no way out.

The soldier sat down in resignation and a feeling he had never felt before came to his heart.

It was like if he had a hole, like if he was empty, like if a dove just fled out of his hands.

The moon took pity of him and carefully shone above the globe and above the item. The item then vanished and reappeared in front of the soldier.

The soldier look at it surprised, it was like a box, a small box with a handle and it had a cylinder with peaks connected to something the soldier couldn’t see. After examining it he decided to rotate the handle and a small sound came out of the box.

The toy gasped surprised, this was the first sound he ever heard.

He rotated the handle more this time not stopping.

tin, tin, TIN tin, tin, tin, tin, tin

Again and again. The constant hits he thought were the drops of water the third being fatter than the others.

And then occasionally another sound would appear, something the toy thought was the sound of the wind.

And it made him feel warm, and the toy found himself smiling.

Now his dance had a rhythm, now his ears had a distraction, now his world was a little bit more complete.

Now he thought that child was even more special.

~~

It was early the next morning when the kid was again in front of the globe. He was surprised to find out his music box wasn’t there anymore, he suspected someone had stolen it.

He inhaled deeply and then exhaled while sighing.

Big was his surprised when he pushed a coin inside and his song started sounding. He looked up at the soldier that now marched with his music box in hands.

There wasn’t a brighter smile than his, there weren’t eyes as tearful with joy as his, there wasn’t a heart that went more thump, thump than his.

He was the happiest child alive.

The soldier went back to his place, holding the music box securely in his arms.

Donghae clapped animatedly while he jumped up and down.

He stayed there in the square, smiling and following the soldier around whenever someone pushed a coin inside.

He was happy.

~~

Have you ever felt like if someone just ripped something out of you?

Or that the weight of a hundred stones just went down on you?

Or that feeling you get when you scratch your knee but multiplied by ten and spread throughout all your body?

That’s how the toy felt right now.

4 years had passed since he received the music box, or well ten years since his arrival.

The light was on; meaning he had to stood still and wait for a coin to be pushed in to move.

But the square was alone, except for his special kid.

The kid was sitting down on a bench with his knees up to his chest and he was crying. But it wasn’t a cry like when a kid is making a tantrum or when a kid fells down and gets hurt. No, it was more painful than that.

And who could blame the kid? He was just told that his father was sick with cancer.

The toy couldn’t do anything but feel miserable as he was forced to watch as his kid wept, screamed and just suffered alone.

He wanted to be able to get out, just for a minute only, to be able to comfort his child. To lift him up, to dance with him, to make him smile like it was his duty.

Because really, what was the point of a toy that had to wait for a coin to be pushed so it could make a kid smile?

This kid needed him now and all he could do was stand still with the music box in hands and just watch him. Without being able to really help him.

The toy looked down at the music box as he clutched it hard between his plastic fingers, then he looked again to his kid that was still crying hard on a bench.

Screw the coin the toy thought.

He rotated the music box without moving from his podium.

Softly, gently the music went out from the snow globe and reached the kid’s ears. The kid looked up in surprise.

He could only see the toy standing in his podium only rotating his hand.

But somehow the music relaxed him.

And the rest of the day was spent like that, the toy playing for the kid and the kid forgetting about his life for a moment and just listening to the music.

Until it got late and the kid left the square to go back home.

~~

Kids don’t always stay as kids, that’s what the toy learned as he saw his child walking with a girl.

Three more years had already went by.

The girl had long brown curly hair and she was pretty, she always dressed in short skirts and the toy knew it because they always passed through his square.

Holding hands, sharing food and rarely kissing each other on the cheek.

The toy watched them and wondered what it felt like.

The couple stood in front of the snow globe, the boy motion for her to wait a bit and he run to push a coin inside. Immediately the toy did his routine.

Once he returned to his podium he saw that they were holding each other arms and they had their lips pressed together.

Unconsciously the toy took a hand to his lips and touched them slightly.

They separated and they both had a smile on their faces.

 The toy however was expressionless

Some weeks after the couple were again in the square.

Donghae was really happy but the girl was serious. The toy watched in horror as the girl started talking and Donghae’s smile started fading. Once she was done she left the square and Donghae was left there alone, crying.

Again the toy couldn’t take it and started playing the music for his kid which in return calmed himself as he listened to the music.

It got late and Donghae had to go home.

The toy was left there feeling helpless.

~~

Time goes really fast, the toy had seen come and go multiple people, he had seen his kid with different girls and even with some boys.

He had seen the leaves of the trees change and die as new came and replaced them.

He had seen building being demolished and some new being construct.

He saw all that and all he wanted to do was to be able to feel it too.

He wanted to hear the sounds of the world out there, he wanted to feel the touch of skin, he wanted to fly with the leaves and the wind, he wanted to have lips pressed against his own, he wanted to be able to not only see but to feel the wonders of the world.

But above all he wanted to be able to make his boy stop crying.

The boy was now sixteen as well as him, and he was now again in a bench crying his soul out.

His dad had just passed away.

The toy was glad it was about to get dark, because even if he played his music box the boy didn’t seem to calm down.

It was when the light was completely out and there was no one around but him and his boy that he put the music box down and walked towards the edge of the glass that was closer to his boy.

He took a deep breath and knocked on the glass. His boy didn’t notice. Another knock, stronger this time. Nothing. Another, and other, and other, each getting stronger.

His boy finally looked up.

And then he fall off the bench in surprise.

The toy’s eyes widened in concern and he pressed himself closer to the glass.

Slowly, hesitantly, the boy stood up and walked the distance separating him from the globe.

He stood right in front of the toy; the toy smiled at him and placed a hand in his side of the glass. The boy looked at it hesitantly and then slowly he placed his matching hand on his side of the globe. The toy smiled fondly at the boy who returned a confused glance.

The toy separated his hand and signed for the boy to wait, and then he ran back to his podium. The boy hesitated on going or not, it was scaring the fact that the toy could move but inside a snow globe, how could it possibly hurt him?

The toy returned with the music box in his hands and the boy’s mouth formed a little ‘o’ the toy smile brightly at the boy and then he played his music filling his and the boy’s ears with music.

He finished the song and then looked up at the boy who returned the stare. The toy bowed down ninety degrees and then pointed at the music box. The boy gave him a confusing look. The toy bit his bottom lip, he didn’t know how to say the words he wanted to, he couldn’t even speak.

He wanted to thank the boy; he wanted to let the boy know he had given him music, sound.

The toy only bowed several times desperately but the boy only shook his head, he couldn’t understand what it wanted to tell him.

The toy then desperate pointed at the boy and then to the music box and finally he placed his hands on his chest.

The boy seemed to understand and the he looked for a way to talk to the toy back.

He ended up by placing his hands around his mouth and breathing to the glass so it would tarnish. Then he wrote “thank you?” in it.

The toy looked at the letters and then at the boy and shook his head and his hands.

“He can’t read” Donghae said to himself as he saw the confused glance the toy gave him. Donghae then questioned himself how could he ever communicate with Hyukjae. Because according to the plate on the snow globe that was his name.

Hyukjae caught his attention by knocking on the glass again and Donghae looked up to him.

Hyukjae put both hands up telling him to wait and Donghae watched curiously as Hyukjae went to stand on his podium.

Then his mouth fell open as he saw Hyukjae dancing around. He flew from side to side, pulling fake snow with him as he danced on the floor. His dancing was more enthralling than his old fashioned routine.

Donghae was mesmerized by Hyukjae, and for a second he forgot everything else and for him right now the only thing that mattered was watching Hyukjae.

Then he stopped and ran again to stand in front of Donghae.

Donghae clapped and Hyukjae’s smile widened.

Then Donghae received a phone call telling him to come home.

He waved Hyukjae goodbye and Hyukjae waved back.

~~

Ever since then all of Donghae’s nights were about coming to see Hyukjae dance.

Four years more had passed.

Donghae was now a really handsome adult, with small brown eyes, tanned skin, short brown hair, abs to die for but he still had that innocent cute smile.

One day Donghae found the surprise that the snow globe was cordoned with yellow stripes.

Someone was going to remove it from the square.

Donghae ran to the snow globe to find Hyukjae curled in a ball in his podium. Donghae had knew Hyukjae from all his life and the toy had never seen sad but right now he looked beyond sad, he looked devastated.

Donghae knock on the glass and Hyukjae looked up to him. Slowly he uncurled himself and got up, he walked towards Donghae, each step weakening him. Once he was in front of Donghae the latter placed his left hand against the glass and Eunhyuk put his right hand above. It was like the first time they met, only that this time Hyukjae was the one who needed comfort.

“I won’t let them take you” Donghae mouthed and Hyukjae started weeping. He wished he could understand Donghae, so at least he could understand his goodbye.

Donghae panicked, he didn’t knew how to calm Hyukjae so he tried something and kissed the globe. Which resulted in Hyukjae crying harder for not being able to feel it.

Donghae again panicked and then he quickly placed his hands around his mouth and let hot breaths against the glass, he then draw a heart in the fog. He pointed to him, the draw and then to Hyukjae but Hyukjae only shook his head, not understanding what Donghae tried to tell him.

Donghae was desperate now.

He didn’t want Hyukjae to disappear, he didn’t want to lose him, and seeing him crying (though not real tears came through his eyes) broke his heart. He really meant the drawing, he loved Hyukjae, after all the years he was truly in love with him even if he was just a toy, he had always tried to make him happy and that, that meant a lot to Donghae.

The fact that Hyukjae had always been there with him through his hardest times.

Hyukjae placed his forehead against the glass and his left hand too, and Donghae could only follow.

“I wish you knew… that I love you” Donghae said.

And then the moon shined bright above them and fell in love with their romance.

The snow globe shined, but more importantly it was Hyukjae the one that was shining. Donghae look at him surprised and he got away from the snow globe. Hyukjae was surrounded with these lights and dust that went all around him and shone bright blue. Suddenly the dust engulfed him completely and then he disappear only to appear just in front of Donghae- in the outside world.

Hyukjae was then uncovered by the lights and he was left panting breathlessly. He looked down at his hands shocked and then quickly touched his cheeks and he looked up at Donghae.

He was free.

He was out of the snow globe.

He wasn’t made of plastic.

He was human.

Hyukjae let out soundless gasp as tears of joy made it to his eyes and he looked up at Donghae who was watching him incredulous.

Hyukjae launched himself against Donghae in a tight embrace and Donghae hugged him back, still shocked.

“You’re free” Donghae said and Hyukjae separated from him covering his mouth with his hands.

He had heard Donghae’s voice.

“Wh-what? What is it?” Donghae said and Hyukjae let breathless pants while he smiled.

Hyukjae again hugged Donghae and Donghae hugged him tightly.

So this is what it felt like, now he understood why people liked to hug that much.

Donghae really didn’t understand anything but he was happy nonetheless, he was happy to have Hyukjae with him.

“I love you” Donghae muttered as he hid his face in Hyukjae’s neck.

However Hyukjae didn’t let him stay there for long, he separated from Donghae and took his face in his hands then he pressed their lips together.

And they kissed under the moonlight.

And they were both happy.

And the music box was forgotten inside the snow globe, but they couldn’t care less.

They were together.

That is everything that matters.

---

 

This whole ficwas based in a really stupid video... but once I got the inspiration for it I just couldn't let it pass so I had to write it

Hope you like it c:

please let me know if you do ^^