Heyooooo! No excuses for the delay, except for me boarding another ship.

*drum rolls*

HAVE YOU GUYS WATCHED GUARDIAN??? Of course, you did. Everyone watched it, right? No? 'Kay. For those poor souls, let this potato illuminate you. 😌

Guardian is a Chinese web series containing 40 episodes. It was adapted from a full on BL novel by Priest. But they had to cut all the BL parts due to China's No-Homo policy. BUT here comes the yummmmm. The two actors (best casting decision ever!) were so brilliant, so so amazing that without any intimate scene they turned this drama into a classic love story. They once again proved that you don't need an intimate scene to depict love. This story is about love at its purest form. And the chemistry between the two actors.......hot damn! *making embarrassing noise* I have started shipping them in real too, which I don't do unless I have some sort of proof. *Sherlock theme music plays in the background* But let me warn you, don't judge this drama by it's subplots, which sucks, or by it's technical effects, which mostly sucks too. All I can tell you, you won't regret watching it even for a minute. Guardian has already become a phenomenon. But be warned, it has a sad ending....kind of, even though the novel has a very good, mushy gushy ending. But still watch it, guys. It's on YouTube, all episodes are subbed. And the songs. Listen to the OST, Flying Across Time. The two actors, Zhu YiLong and BaiYu have sung it. It has a subbed version too.😭😭😭😭

And guess what??? China has banned it too. Yep, such an active censor board, always ready with scissors. We must bake them some cow dung cakes.😌 At least, the drama is finished and the novel is being translated.

And I am utterly in love with these boys. They are so awesome!😍 Well, those of you who follow my Instagram already know this, doncha?😉

No, I am not jumping my YuZhou ship! Come on! They are my foster kids!😒

Back to Blind. The story is reeeeeeally near the finishing line. Like really. Hope you'd read this chapter and smack me with your thoughts?😅🙇

And I have received quite a few requests from Guardian fans to write a smut (of all things!) on the boys. So, I am writing that currently. I plan to write a full fledged Guardian fanfic soon......ish.😚

Umm, yeah, that was my idea of self promotion. Ain't I just awesome? *wink wink* 💃

Okay, off with the read, lovelies! Hope you guys are doing okay. Me, not so much. I have developed an eating disorder. I am not eating much but I am not losing fat either. *cries in potato speech*😢

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Chapter-15

Patience was a virtue Johnny did not posses, he was well aware of that and never bothered to mourn for the loss. But after three weeks of silence from the opposite side, he knew he should have gone to some mountain top and practiced inner peace.

He took his phone from the desk and stared at the display. No new notification.

Three weeks. Three bloody torturous weeks and not a single message. Some nights when the silence became too much and the memories of those quiet eyes tried to crush him, Johnny wanted to cave in and call Timmy. To ask him, to beg him to say something. There were messages in his phone that he wrote in such nights but never sent. He held on, stretching his self control thin, and gave Timmy as much time as he needed.

At the beginning he was so sure that Timmy would choose him but now, not so much. Doubt had crept and crawled all over his mind, corrupting his trust. Was he fighting a lost battle? Should he just move on? People had break ups all the time and they were not even together in that sense. He would get over it in few days...or months...or maybe...

A life where he would never see Timmy again, ever. Would never hear his voice, never feel his touch, never look into those eyes.

Johnny's chest gave a painful clench.

...Or maybe he would never be able to get over Timmy.

He looked out of his high-rise office window. The sky was murky grey today. What was the colour of the sky outside Timmy's window? Suddenly, getting the answer of that question felt like a physical need. He needed to leave. Now. He would go home, call Timmy and ask him.......ask him if Johnny could go to him and look out his window and if Timmy would stand by it Timmy when Johnny left like he used to. He got up, all set to escape.

A knock came from his door. Johnny did not answer and kept looking for his car keys. Seemed like he had lost them again. Crap!

The knock came again.

Groaning, Johnny barked, "What is it?"

The door opened to reveal his assistant, who bowed slightly as an apology for the interruption. "Sir, your 3pm appointment is here."

"My what?" Johnny asked absent minded, going through the content of his drawer. Honestly, empty chocolate wrappers?!

"Sorry, Sir, but you told me to reschedule your yesterday's appointments today after your board meeting," the assistant informed him, well accustomed with his habit of forgetting anything and everything related to work.

"I don't care. Reschedule again."

The assistant hesitated but did not agree, "Uh, forgive me, Sir, but in my opinion it would be better if you take this appointment today. Tomorrow you have two meetings and a spot visit. And it's," he licked his lips, clearly struggling to find the right words.

Johnny was wide alert all of a sudden. His heart rate shot up instantly. Is it....no, it can't be...but..is it...?

"Is it for a personal purpose?" He was deliberately indirect yet careful.

Assistant opened his mouth to answer but was not given the chance as the door flung open and entered the Poison Pygmy.

Well, that was what Johnny called her inside his head.

Poison Pygmy was a 4 feet tall, dumpling shaped, grey haired grandma who broke all the stereotypes of tiny loving, ever smiling grannies. She was loud, demanding, annoying, persistent, cranky and a pain in Johnny's arse. Everyone in the company gave her a wide berth whenever she dropped by.

Which she did every two days. Without fail.

No wonder, Edward was so ready to leave the office.

The story behind acquiring this pocket size nuisance was that, Johnny's company took over a construction project on a flea market place. The shopkeepers were all promised to be given a spot in the new super market building, and among them one was this lady's. Previously, two other companies took over the project but they both changed their minds after few days. The profit scale was not really what initially looked like. Then it came to Edward's attention and he took over.

Big mistake. Because none warned them that this project came with a 4feet long Poison Pygmy and that Pygmy took an instant dislike to Johnny when they first met.

The feeling was entirely mutual, Johnny could assure.

"I have been sitting on that rusty chair for three hours and you want me to come tomorrow again?! How shameless can you be, young man?!"

For a moment, panic engulfed Johnny and he looked at his assistant, who avoided Johnny's eyes and slipped out of the room, shutting the door close. Traitor. Johnny was going to sack him as soon as this tiny tornado left. He tightened his jaw and prepared his battle face.

"None of our chairs is rusty, you old racoon. You would not know fine leather if it bit you in the arse."

The old woman gasped dramatically even though they had been hurling insults at each other for ages now. "How dare you to ill treat a helpless old-"

"Helpless who?" Johnny cocked his head in mock shock. "Lady, even Help would need help dealing with you!"

The woman's cheeks puffed up in anger, making her look like a blow fish and said, "Well, if you give me the written promise of that toilet, I'd be out of your hair instant."

Johnny groaned out loud.

The root of all problems was her demand of a toilet. According to the rule as well as norm, the new shoppers' market would have employee-only bathrooms and the company even promised them to build four instead of two and everybody was happy. Except for one.

No, this lady was not happy even with four and when Johnny had asked if she needed to pee in different one each time, she demanded a separate toilet for her in her own shop. Without compromising the size of her shop's space.

"And I can give you that this instant. It's your shop. Whether you want it for selling cannabis or hold a secret Satanic cult, that's up to you."

"I am not letting you take one inch off my rightful place!" She shrieked.

"But you have no qualms of taking it off from someone else'?"

Her nose went up in the air and she sniffed haughtily. She was already watching Johnny with head tilted all the way back. Now, she looked on the verge of falling down.

"I have a right to receive sanitary accommodation."

"Which you will get."

"But I do not agree with it."

"Then wear a bloody diaper, woman!" Johnny threw his hands up in absolute frustration. He did not mind riling this grandma up in days he felt picking up fights but today was not such a day. Arguing with her was futile. Johnny had a suspicious that the woman came and make a fuss just to cure her boredom. Because no sane person could be this whacky, right?

He looked at her. Then again, with her size, her brain must be tiny. Very tiny.

Poison Pygmy spluttered in rage and threatened to report Johnny once his brother was back, to which Johnny told her to suck it up and she left with the promise of returning the next day.

Johnny kicked his desk hard. What had his life come down to! All he wanted was to have a relationship with Timmy.

Taking a deep breath, he exhaled noisily. Fuck the keys; he would take a cab.

That traitor of an assistant came in after a knock.

The man was immune to Johnny's glare, so, he did not bother and simply said, "I'm leaving. If that old hag comes tomorrow, throw her out. And if you let her come in here, kiss your job goodbye."

The assistant nodded dutifully. Johnny had a suspicious that he did not believe the threat.

"Sir-"

"Oh no, no, no more visitor today," Johnny protested before he could say anything.

"I understand, Sir, but the man has been waiting for a long time."

"And? I could have been out on an emergency!"

"Yes, very true," the assistant seemed particularly persistent, "but he said it would not take much time. So, if you could spare a few minutes...."

Johnny blinked and stared. Who worked for whom exactly? But unfortunately, this was a good man; practically working as Johnny's proxy since he had joined. "Are you holding me back for some nefarious purpose?" He half joked, "Okay, let him but this one's the last one, mind you."

The assistant nodded with a small smile, "Yes, of course." And left to fetch the next visitor. Another whiney client, no doubt. How the hell his brother dealt with them? He did not sit and stood leaning against the front of his desk. If he stood, he would not have to offer the visitor a seat, thus cutting the meeting short. One leg bouncing with impatience, Johnny waited.

And then his whole body went rigid.

A faint sound of metal hitting the linoleum floor could be heard from outside. Johnny knew that sound.

His heartstring was tied with that sound.

Then the door opened, in came the assistant, followed by one Timmy Xu.

XOXOXOX

The breath knocked out of him. All Johnny could do was to lean more heavily against his desk and grip the edge, while his eyes fixated on the face his heart was dying to see.

Sensing something very important was about to unfold, the assistant bowed and hurriedly took his leave, shutting the door close on his way out. Johnny knew they would not be interrupted anytime soon.

But everything else became just a white noise as he stared at the man in front.

Timmy looked the same as he did three weeks ago. Maybe a bit better, seeing he no more sported sickly dark circles under his eyes. But there was a tightly coiled tension all around him. He stood stiff, hyperaware of his surrounding, body slightly turned to Johnny's right, face half bowed. He wore his clear glasses today.

Minutes passed by.

"Johnny-"

"What-" They did not speak at the same time. Watching Timmy opening his mouth Johnny had begun to speak. He wanted to be the first to say something, to do something. But his voice broke and he had to take a pause before speaking again.

Detecting his exact position, Timmy now faced him, eyes still downcast. Johnny's eyes started to sting.

"What took you so long?"

Timmy's eyes moved up to Johnny's chest and his grip on his cane tightened. Johnny's nails dug deeper into the wood. None spoke a word for a long time.

"I was getting acquainted with my way back," Timmy answered softly.

And Johnny heard the unspoken "way back to you," in his reply.

Unable to hold back any longer, he strode to him but stopped right before crashing. Eyes roamed with an insatiable hunger all over that handsome face. Timmy's breath stuttered sensing the close proximity and his eyes flickered left to right.

"Timmy?"

"...........Yes?"

"Can I.......hug you?"

He followed the slow swallow of Timmy's throat and heard a hesitant, "Okay."

He embraced Timmy and pressed his face against smaller man's shoulder.

They were in his office; though the room had an illusion of privacy, it was still a public place. But he could not care at the moment. If he could not touch Timmy, could not make sure he was really with him, he might die.

After long moments, two smaller hands touched his back. Not as tight as his own, they hugged him nonetheless.

Johnny was not a sappy bloke in any stretch of the word but he could feel his throat forming a painful lump inside. He squeezed his eyes shut.

"I thought you were never coming back," he mumbled into Timmy's shoulder.

"I thought so too," Timmy agreed. His hands were still warm on Johnny's back.

Johnny's eyes opened without seeing anything, and his body pressed tighter, "What changed your mind?"

Another long pause.

"I thought....." Timmy spoke and fell quiet. Then spoke again, "I thought if I let go.....I would never have the chance to know how you looked. And it was worse than my other fear."

Johnny closed his eyes against the sudden salty moisture in them.

XOXOXOX

The journey to Johnny's new flat was charged with tension. None spoke much after they left the office. Though, thousands of words were rushing through Johnny's head.

Knowing that Timmy did not book a hotel had made him happy, and happier when the man did not protest against going with Johnny.

"Did you come alone all the way?" Johnny asked, eyes on the road, voice carefully casual.

Timmy lifted his head from where it was rested against the window, "Yes, I came here alone."

"You could have informed me. I would have picked you up from the airport," he grumbled, "And how did you find our office anyway?"

Timmy smiled softly before answering, "It was no trouble. The staffs at the airports and on the flight were very helpful. I did not have much trouble navigating." Before Johnny could latch onto that "much" part, he continued, "And Lili helped me find your company. You told me the name once and she searched the internet for its location and found it. She even offered to come with me here." He smiled with an absent expression, "I am grateful to her. She is a very good friend."

Not wanting to hear his Timmy praising some girl, Johnny hurriedly changed the topic, "Are you hungry?"

Timmy must have been surprised by this sudden change as he took a few moments to reply, "I ate before boarding the flight."

But Johnny wasn't fooled. "How before?"

"Erm...."

Johnny wished this idiot could see the roll of his eyes. "Let me get some takeaway. Something you prefer?"

"Uh, no, anything is fine."

Johnny parked the car and went into an eatery.

Food cartons in hand, when he was nearing the car, he could see Timmy's silhouette; stray light had illuminated parts of his face, making it look like some abstract art.

He stopped and stared.

All these past three weeks, he had suffered, brooded, lamented, raged and thought only about his side of the story. And while he was wallowing in pity, doing nothing, this man, this infuriatingly gentle, kind, beautiful man, took decision, asked for help, arranged a trip and flew to another city to meet Johnny.

What did Johnny do to deserve him? What anyone, who came in contact with Timmy, did to deserve him? His nose tickled as his eyes began to burn. Damnit, he was turning into a crybaby.

He got inside the car and had to clench his fist to restrain himself from reaching out and touch Timmy. Oblivious to his struggle, Timmy turned to him, blank eyes wide which did strange things to Johnny's heart, and asked, "All right?"

Johnny nodded looking at him and said, "It is now."

XOXOXOX

Not wanting to live in his brother's flat, Johnny had rented another small one. After opening the door, he ushered Timmy in. "It's a small hallway leading to the living area. On your right is the shoe rack, left the coat hanger. The left side wall ends after roughly a metre. The right wall stretches to bump into a window."

Timmy followed the instruction carefully and stood in the middle of Johnny's living room.

Facing Timmy's back, Johnny watched him as he took off his own suit jacket. Timmy stood still, straight, head tipped forward slightly, the cane clutched in both hands. It was a fixed, rigid posture but the tense tightness was missing from his body. He was relaxed even though he had no idea of his surroundings. And with a jolt, Johnny realized that it was not the surrounding that made Timmy relax, it was......Johnny's presence.

With that, the enormity of the situation came crashing down on him. It was not a trip Timmy took, it was not a mere friendly visit. Last time they parted, they agreed upon a decision Timmy would have to take by the end of an uncertain amount of waiting. And today, this moment marked that end.

The end of "you" and "I" and the beginning of "us".

Because Timmy came back to him.

Johnny bridged the gap between them in two long strides and without any warning, enveloped him from behind, pulling him closer to his heart. Timmy squeaked and gripped the strong arms that twined his torso.

"You are here," Johnny buried his nose into the crook of Timmy's neck and inhaled long and deep. "You are here."

After a moment's hesitation, Timmy let go of his stick, which fell with a metallic clang, and raised his right hand to touch the back of Johnny's bent head. "I am."

"You are here," Johnny repeated, reassuring himself, "You came back to me."

"I had to."

A wave of emotion swelled inside Johnny's chest, making the lump in his throat more painful. He held tighter, buried his face deeper, "No, not because you had to. Because you wanted to. Say because you wanted to. Because you wanted to." His voice trembled like a whimpering child seeking warmth in its mother's lap.

Timmy's hand began to card through Johnny's hair from an awkward angle. None of them cared. "I wanted you never to leave in the first place. But.....I am not as brave as you, Johnny. I am slow at everything."

"No, you're not, you're not. You're perfect," came Johnny's muffled, whining protest. "I was scared."

"I was too...... Still, am."

"Don't be." And Johnny kissed the skin his lips were touching. Timmy shivered.

Lifting his face, Johnny nuzzled behind Timmy's ear and took another long whiff. He left a kiss there. Timmy's nails dug into Johnny's arm.

Johnny moved and they faced each other. He touched Timmy's chin with his thumb and forefinger and brushed his left cheek with lips. "Don't be," the whisper followed the kiss. He turned the face and grazed his lips on the other cheek. "Don't be."

Timmy's breathing quickened and it had a wet quality to it.

Looking at the cherubic face, at those close eyelids, those quivering lips, Johnny dipped in and kissed the forehead. "Don't be."

Timmy hugged Johnny like a blind man hugged his first light.

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Any thoughts?😶