Unchained melody

A ‘Box Of Lies’ drabble 

17th April

“Dance with me,” Junhui grabbed Minghao by the arm. He’d found an old vintage record player that day, nestled in the back of a second hand shop, its only companion a single black vinyl.

It cracked and popped as if forced itself into life and the words poured out like velvet into the room.

‘Oh, my love, my darling

I've hungered for your touch

A long, lonely time’

Minghao gave in. He let the older man pull him close as the rich voices of the Righteous Brothers wrapped themselves around Minghao’s fragile heart. Why? Why did it have to be this song? The nights he’d laid alone in his bed aching to be held by his unrequited love and now here he was. Right where he wanted to be. He knew it wouldn’t last.

‘Time goes by so slowly

And time can do so much

Are you still mine?’

Minghao let Junhui twirl him around their tiny living room and wished time would stop altogether. When they were together it seemed to fly by and when Junhui wasn’t around every tick of the clock was an eternity. Minghao hungered for the days when Junhui was his and his alone. He was selfish and he didn’t care. He wished Junhui’s heart belonged to him.

‘I need your love

I need your love

God speed your love to me’

Minghao could pray to a thousand different gods and it wouldn’t make a difference. His need, his hunger, his desperate fight for affection would still be lost in the dark hours of midnight.

‘Lonely rivers flow

To the sea, to the sea

To the open arms of the sea’

Junhui hated the beach. He hated sand on his skin, he hated too much sun on his perfect complexion, he hated the sound of too many people. But Minghao still dreamed of a day under the warmth of the suns rays, tangled hands and tangled limbs hidden under soft towels and shy smiles.

But it wasn’t Minghao’s dream to dream. His path was the lonely road of unrequited love and heartbreaking jealousy.

‘Lonely rivers sigh

"Wait for me, wait for me"

I'll be coming home, wait for me’

Home. Where was home? If home is where the heart is then Minghao only felt it in Junhui’s arms. This was his home, his comfort, the place he was meant to be.

I’ll wait for you Junhui. I’ll wait forever if I have to.

“She’s here!” Junhui said with a jolt of surprise as a knock at the door resounded. He untangled himself from Minghao’s arms and the younger wanted nothing more than to hold on tighter.

Instead he just lifted the needle and abandoned the soft crackle of the vinyl in favour of the crack and break of his gentle heart. The feeling hit him harder than ever before and he almost couldn’t bear it.

He went into his room and closed the door before he had to see them together.

It was almost Junhui’s birthday and he didn’t know if he could handle this much longer. It was getting harder every day.