Jun found Minghao in their bedroom. Silent, the lost boy had started to cry again, staring at the pile of clean warm clothing left on his bed. They had barely spoken but an unshakeable bond had already formed between them somehow. “Hey!” Junhui was desperate to lighten the mood. “It’s just some clean clothes!” he jokingly pushed the other boy by the shoulder and was pleased to see him laugh through his tears. The day had been so overwhelming. Minghao just wanted to sleep. He didn’t know how he would ever be able to put into words what Junhui had done for him today, let alone repay him, but he decided then and there that he would spend every day they were together devoted to making up for the other boy’s kindness.

He stood in the room holding the clean clothes, the towel and the socks, and as they locked eyes he felt it. It rushed through him like electricity, it made him feel hot and cold at the same time, like his body was tingling all over. He stared at Junhui, his perfect face and his soft hair, his mouth drawn up into a gentle smile, and Minghao wondered absentmindedly if this was what falling in love felt like.

Junhui held his gaze until he began to blush and looked away. “You need to be quick.” He said as he stared at the ground, suddenly shy, caught staring too long at the fluffy haired boy. “The hot water is a bit sketchy.” When Minghao left the room Junhui quickly changed his own clothing and slid into his bed. He left the light on and buried himself under the thick cozy quilt and stared at the wall while he listened to the sound of running water.

It had been such a long day. Junhui felt emotionally exhausted. And they had barely come up with any choreography for their auditions tomorrow. He suddenly remembered the clothes in the washing machine and jumped up to put them in the dryer. He didn’t want Minghao to have nothing clean to wear tomorrow.  He slid back into his now-warm bed and closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep. But when he heard the door creak open and then click closed he couldn’t help himself. 

He rolled over and watched Minghao sit on his bed and towel his hair dry. He looked so thin, so small in Junhui’s clothes, so fragile and young. But so beautiful. The purple bruise around his left eye was visible now he had washed his face. The shirt hung loose on his shoulders exposing a prominent collarbone and a few suspicious bruises just below it. Junhui shook his head a little at the thought that anyone could hurt this pre