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The afternoon air began to cool, a welcome feeling which enveloped LiMing and Heart as they sat quietly under the dim lamp light from Heart’s room. They’d been hanging out for most part of the day and had now settled into the quiet comfort of each other’s company, Heart reading and LiMing feebly attempting to study English.
His textbook lay open and the pencil scratched the paper rhythmically, the soft music he’d been playing in the background suddenly catching his ear. This was a favorite of his.
The music played on and he softly mouthed the words, not quite bringing himself to sing out loud. Heart looked up from his book and stared at him intently, drinking in the tender look on the other’s face and trying to follow along. He could tell the song was in another language, which made it harder to make out and drew a small frown on his forehead. Upon feeling the gaze, Li Ming looked up and smiled.
“I really like this song” he signed.
“Is it a love song?” he’d been able to make out something about my love from staring at his boyfriend’s lips, which now curled up into a smile. He quickly reached for the phone and restarted the song, pointing to himself in order to get Heart’s full attention as he began to sign.
“Moon, a hole of light
Through the big top tent up high
Here before and after me
Shinin' down on me”
The song was slow, but LiMing’s face had fallen into a determined focus, slightly waning his smile as he processed the English words and output them into TSL, just as he had seen someone else do on their first time out together.
“Moon, tell me if I could
Send up my heart to you?
So, when I die, which I must do
Could it shine down here with you?”
Heart’s face lit up, impressed, even when Li Ming’s hands stumbled upon the words, or when he had to pause the song to try to come up for the correct sign, his determination unwavering.
“'Cause my love is mine, all mine
I love mine, mine, mine
Nothing in the world belongs to me
But my love mine, all mine, all mine”
Li Ming was blushing slightly, it was hard to keep up with the music, as it was his first time trying this, but when he signed the words “my love” he made sure to look Heart straight in the eyes.
“My baby, here on earth
Showed me what my heart was worth
So, when it comes to be my turn
Could you shine it down here for her?”
The rush of emotions hit Heart suddenly, knowing how much Li Ming must have wanted to convey those words to him and he felt just as he had back when his now boyfriend started to learn to sign, bridging the gap between them, bringing their hearts closer together. This overflowing wave rushed out of his eyes turning into an intense and loving gaze, further flustering his other half.
“'Cause my love is mine, all mine
I love mine, mine, mine
Nothing in the world belongs to me
But my love mine, all mine
Nothing in the world is mine for free
But my love mine, all mine, all mine”
As the song ended the hands that had been moving non stop came to an awkward pause and came to rest sheepishly on his lap.
Heart’s hand immediately reached for Li Ming’s chin, holding it between his thumb and index finger, slightly shaking it before softly placing their foreheads against each other, unable to hold back his smile which mirrored back to him.
“Thank you” the words left his lips slowly, meticulously, “I love you”.
“Say that again!” shot Li Ming back immediately, fingers stumbling to follow up with his voice, unable to help himself from delighting on hearing the voice he adored and rarely got to hear. Heart giggled at the enthusiasm, lightly shaking his head and turning away, playfully struggling against the hands on his shoulders that were trying to get him to face the other boy.
Finally caving, he pulled Liming in for an embrace and put his lips next to his ear as he carefully repeated “I love you”, the words had barely left his mouth when there was another pair of lips on his, confirming that the feelings he had spoken out loud were reciprocated.
Their soft giggles echoed across the once silent house, becoming a soft promise of many warm tomorrows to come.