I used to be able to dance in the pouring rain.

We used to splash in the puddles together, the both of us. Our bare soles would splash into the huge collection of droplets, and then we’d squeal as the droplets hit us square on the face. When we got tired of playing in puddles, we’d simply hold hands and skip down the road, the joy of the rain pelting down on us inexpressible.

The best part was singing songs though. He would suddenly loop me up in a tight hug and then kiss me so hard I sometimes couldn’t breathe. Then he’d tilt my head to the sky and sing softly, “If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gum drops, oh what a rain it would be!”

I’d smile brilliantly at him, then twirl him around and continue, “Standing outside with my mouth open wide!”

Then together we would stand, heads facing the heavens, and chorus, “ah-ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah.”

Raindrops would drip drop into our open mouths, and I always giggled at the imaginary taste of lemon and mint.

Fun filled rainy days disappeared along with the use of my limbs.

When it’d rain, I’d burrow myself in my bed and wrap the cover over my head, refusing to come out until the rain had stopped. No amount of coaxing and cajoling would make me come out of my safe haven. Thunders and lightning were the worse; where I once loved the beauty of these natural phenomena, I now could only whimper and pray for them to pass quickly.

Right now, it was raining again.

“Taemin my love, won’t you play in the rain with me?” Minho asked softly, running his hands through my thick mop of hair which was peeking out beneath the blanket. I shook my head furiously, tunneling deeper into my blankets, and he sighed.

“I wish you would,” he said softly, before slipping off my bed and leaving the room.

As the door shut quietly, I thought about what Minho had said. It had been so long since I had felt the cool caress of the rain, and even if I didn’t really want to feel it, it wasn’t fair to keep him from embracing it either. I slowly removed my covers, eyes rolling to the side to survey the scene outside the window.

I sighed myself too, but shouted, “Minho!”

In a minute we were out in the rain, and while Minho was laughing and singing, I could only stare mutely at the puddles as I was pushed down the road. Minho continued straining his vocals, until suddenly his voice lowered to a trill, and he stopped pushing me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Minho knelt down in front of me, his deep, dark eyes boring themselves into my brown ones. Staring back at him, I felt like I could travel down into his eyes and never come back out again. He gently cupped my face with his hands, and then brought our heads together so that I was even more into him.

“Lee Taemin. I’m tired of you not enjoying life, I’m tired of you not relishing in the moments we once treasured, I’m tired of you not being you,” he said solemnly as my own hands momentarily s around his jaw, shocked.

“I’m willing to sacrifice my pride because I love you, I’m willing to catch you every time you fall, I’m willing to re-live our legacy together every minute of every day, I’m willing to love you with all the innocence I’ve got, and most of all, I’m willing to be with you, for forever and always,” he continued.

My tears were the heaven’s tears and the heaven’s tears my own now, and as I cried he whispered into my ear, “I want you to feel, Taemin, feel.”

And then he tilted my head gently upwards, like how he had always done before. I squinted in the rain, but for the first time, I felt … alive. I could feel each bead of moisture frame the shape of my face, gently whispering all the world’s secrets to me until they dripped to the ground and new treasures from the sky greeted me. I flung my arms wide and laughed loudly in the rain. Minho laughed too, then imitated me, his tawny arms outstretched like mine were.

And then he started singing.

“If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gum drops, oh what a rain it would be!”

I lowered my head to meet his eyes, and I clearly saw my own reflection in them. I smiled, then continued, the old lyrics coming back as quick as a gunshot.

 “Standing outside with my mouth open wide!”

“Ah-ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah!” we sang in unison, and once again I felt the familiar taste of lemon and mint. I was laughing like I never had laughed before. I know what Minho wanted me to feel; I couldn’t feel with my legs, but I could taste the rain, hear the rain, smell the rain, see the rain and most of all, feel the rain – with my heart.

If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gum drops, I’d collect the all and give them to you, my dearest Minho.

 -  END  -