Universal Love - Scenes of YuZhou

Illusions

The light slowly fades from the room, darkening shadows melting across the space to replace it. The encroaching darkness perfectly accentuates the hauntingly yearning melody WeiZhou plucks from the strings of the guitar resting on his lap. JingYu sits with his back against the arm of the sofa, one bare foot on the floor, the other tucked behind WeiZhou. His fingers float through the hair above WeiZhou's ear, his arm resting on his propped up knee.

"I don't want you to go."

"I don't want you to go," JingYu echoes. His voice is rough from the emotion that comes with WeiZhou's honest statement.

"But you have to go."

"So do you."

WeiZhou tilts his head into JingYu's hand and hums as a thumb brushes the ridges of his ear. His own fingers never hesitate as they continuously create through the guitar strings the same three bars of melody that have been trapped in his head recently.

"Why is it always so hard?"

"It would be sad if it was easy."

WeiZhou nods his head slightly, understanding what JingYu means. If it was easy for them to leave each other, to be away from each other, it would be sad. Even more painfully so than the fact of not always being together.

JingYu begins to hum softly along with the guitar. The treble from his vocal chords adds an accent of resonance WeiZhou has been searching for, but unable to produce, from the instrument in his lap. WeiZhou closes his eyes and JingYu sings.

"It's not that I need you; I just need to love you; The only thing; My everything; A granted gift; My final wish; Just you; All I need; Is just to love you."

The final strains of melody float away with JingYu's voice. WeiZhou leans forward, setting the now silent guitar on the floor, before he pulls his feet onto the sofa. His arms wrap around his legs and he lays his head on his knees, his face turned towards JingYu. Sitting up straight, JingYu moves himself closer, his leg wraps around WeiZhou's hips and his hand rests on WeiZhou's neck. They stare at each other for a few seconds before JingYu presses his lips to the slight furrow between WeiZhou's brows.

"Was it that bad?" JingYu asks quietly.

"It was perfect," WeiZhou answers as he grabs JingYu's fingers and rubs his thumb across his knuckles. JingYu is so close WeiZhou would barely need to lift his head to brush their lips together. He doesn't, though. He doesn't want to break this simple moment, to let time move forward, even as he feels it rushing ahead.

"Don't focus on the eight hours we have left, Zhou," JingYu says softly, with an equally soft smile, "think about the forty hours we've had so far."

WeiZhou nods his head against his knees and sighs. He's not surprised JingYu read his mind. Whenever their time together nears the inevitable end, they tend to fall into this lull of quiet introspection and heartfelt fussing, only to comfort each other without complaint and as lovingly as possible. They know each other so well. One of the many reasons WeiZhou hates leaving. It's bad enough when it's a few days or even weeks. This time they will be separated for months, again. They've done it before, WeiZhou tells himself sternly, they can do it again. Even if it is hard as hell and hurts twice as much.

Seconds tick by as they stare at each other. WeiZhou can not tell when it happens, but somewhere between JingYu's devoted gaze and the gentle grip at the back of his head, he feels time slow down. Tick, tick,...tick,......tick. WeiZhou's mind empties as the silence stretches. With his thoughts stilled, WeiZhou perceives everything around him clearly, sharply. A wave of warm peace washes over him. It is as though every thought and vibration of love in the universe - for him, for JingYu, for them together - becomes visible and fills him with understanding, and resolve.