Update time!!!🔔 And today is such a special day for me!!!😍 Why? Because.....

Today is JingYu's Birthday!!🎉🎉🎉
*screams birthday wishes at Kiddo*
(JingYu is Johnny, btw😆)

Today is my Mum's Birthday!!🎉🎉🎉
*screams birthday wishes at Mum*
😍😍😍😍

My son and my Mum shares the same birthday, isn't it great?!😍😘😘😘

Anyway, no rant today!

Don't expect much from this chapter as I wrote it in a hurry and also in high fever! *sneeze* I want to update something on JY's birthday because this is the only way I can gift him something!💕

Sorry if I sound disoriented.😞 I kinda feel floaty.😶😷

Happy Birthday, Kiddo! May you live your life the way you want to. May your smile never fades away. May your eyes never lose their shine. May you are loved the way you want to be loved.💗 God bless you!💗🎉🎉🎉🎉🎂

The song mentioned is- "All the right moves" by One Republic!💜

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Chapter-6

“Have you gone absolutely insane? No and I mean it,” Timmy yelled at him over phone. He was so prone to overreacting sometimes; Johnny rolled his eyes.

“It’s not like I had asked you to accompany me to rob a bank or something. It’s just a party.”

“Yes a party at your friend’s house who is a total stranger to me! How can you even make such a request?”

“A party is a party, Timmy! Who cares whose house it is as long as there’s food and booze?”

Johnny could almost hear Timmy rubbing his temples and he snickered soundlessly. Another month had passed in between that evening spent at the lake side and with time their friendship had strengthened more and more. Though they were still not as close as Johnny liked them to be because no matter what Timmy always kept an invisible wall around him but Johnny had been trying to penetrate it relentlessly and had high hopes of breaking it down completely soon. However, when it came to doing fun things, to Johnny’s utter misery, he discovered that his options were scanty. Except for going to some quiet places and chatting there was nothing much. Initially, Johnny used to take him to fancy restaurants because food was a sure success, but after seeing Timmy’s embarrassed flustered face when Johnny had to read the menu to him, he had realized how inconsiderate he was being.

The last time they ate out, Johnny had taken him to a posh, ridiculously expensive restaurant. Like always he was reading out the menu to Timmy when suddenly his attention went to the nearest table and saw some co patrons quickly averting their eyes from them. They were gawking at the scene. Getting more conscious about the surrounding Johnny swept his eyes over the other tables and caught a few stray eyes. His temper had risen immediately but mindful of his dinner partner, he kept on reading. However, this time some little details registered to him which he had failed to notice at first: like, how Timmy’s embarrassment was written all over his face, how his unseeing downcast eyes looked more lost than ever, how he fidgeted in his seat or how his voice dipped and turned hesitant whenever he had to ask Johnny to repeat something.

Johnny had never felt such a strong urge to burn down a place...............or slap himself. How did he miss this before? How could he not see? All the signs were there already, right under his nose! And he kept on making the same mistakes again and again till now. He wanted to apologize but could not without making Timmy self conscious in the process. Therefore, he swallowed down the bile along with the bitter food and vowed silently. He had never requested Timmy to go to some unknown restaurant ever since.

But he wanted his friend to have some fun too, to go out and experience life. Hence, when he got the invitation for the party, the first thing he did was to call Timmy up.

“You know I don’t drink and I’ll pass the free food, thanks.”

“What about having fun? Don’t you want to?” Johnny kept coaxing.

Timmy groaned aloud, “Johnny, I would have fun in a party full of strangers as much as you would in a library. Do you think that’s something appealing?”

Johnny scoffed at the comparison. So what if he had never touched a single book after finishing his studies? He could have fun in a library too if the librarian was an eye candy. Or Timmy himself.

“I don’t know and I don’t want to know. You have to go with me and that’s final.” He did not even care a fig for sounding so petulant.

“Goddamnit, Johnny! I’m blind! What the hell do you expect me to do there?”

“I don’t know,” Johnny yelled back, patience snapping, “Just pretend to be a floor-lamp and stand in the corner. But you have to go with me.”

“You are a gigantic insensitive prick.”

And the call ended there.

Throwing the phone on the bed in frustration Johnny let out a growl, “Fine, sit tight in that cage of yours. See if I care, you moron.” He yelled at the innocent device that held a selfie of him and Timmy as the screensaver.

Hours later a delivery man handed Timmy his favourite pizza and a compilation of the most popular pieces by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, one of Timmy’s favourites.

Not that Johnny cared or anything, of course not. It was just....well...

XOXOXOX

“I have a very bad feeling about it,” Timmy whined again; that was what he had been doing during the entire ride. Johnny blew out a long breath to stop himself from snapping.

“Stand-lamp, remember?”

“Shut up.”

To Johnny’s great delight that pizza and CD worked wonders and after a few more coaxing Timmy consented in coming with him to the party but he remained jumpy all the way to the place.

Just before entering the house, Johnny held Timmy’s hand and gave a light squeeze, “I won’t leave your side.”

XOXOXOX

True to his words, Johnny never left Timmy’s side. Whenever they had to move, he touched Timmy’s elbow surreptitiously; whenever he saw someone approaching them he muttered the direction they were coming from so that Timmy would know where to face. The later was wearing his dark glasses making it a bit easier for him. And Johnny did all this without even being overtly conscious about it, as if on an auto pilot mode. As if he had been looking after Timmy for ages.

Everything was going fine, the party went on uninterrupted. The host, Reina, a childhood friend of Johnny welcomed Timmy like she had known him for years and received a grateful nod of thanks from Johnny. A few other friends came and made their acquaintances with Timmy too. At first, Timmy was hesitant, almost baffled. Despite his usual eloquence Johnny could sense his unease in waves but gradually, as the evening turned into night, he saw those stiff shoulders relax, the light frown between those brows smoothen out, making Johnny let out a sigh of relief as well. His sole purpose of bringing his friend here was to give him an evening of normalcy and fun and everything was all right...till Johnny excused himself to bring some food and happened to bump into Biao.

An A-grade arsehole.

“Look who’s here! Isn’t it our Johnny boy? Oh, what a luck I must have to stumble upon such a celebrity!” The pest exclaimed dramatically, making Johnny roll his eyes. Gone were those days when he would have reacted to this type of inane provocations. Now he couldn’t care less about what these insignificant people had to say about him. He kept on piling up two plates with food.

Noticing that he could not even elicit a whit of reaction from his target, Biao tried to up the ante and chirped, “But haven’t you lost your prime slot already? Heard that you are now dumped in late night shows?” Drenching his voice with sarcastic concern he added, “But that should be good for you, though? Less listeners, less effort. It’s a win win, no?”

Heaving an exasperated sigh, Johnny finally turned to this idiot; there was a limit of his tolerance, after all.

“Yes, Biao, it’s definitely a win win. Prime slot or not, at least I don’t have to beg to Daddy dearest for money just to grab a bottle of beer.” Fully aware of Biao’s perpetual jobless status and the leash his rich father had on his son, Johnny knew he had hit this buffoon where it would hurt most. Smirking, he turned his back to him, eyes immediately zeroing on the figure that stood at a secluded corner of the garden. He had left Timmy alone long enough.

“You brought a party clown with you, huh?”

Johnny’s foot which was about to take a step froze. Did he just....?

He rounded on Biao, “Excuse me?”

Thinking that finally he had scored one over his long time eye sore, Biao’s face lit up with malice. Pinning his eyes on Timmy who stood away from their earshot, Biao replied, “That one, that’s our clown of the night, isn’t it? So, what he’s gonna do? Play tricks with his stick? Hobble up and down?” His raucous laughter filled Johnny’s ear with hot led.

After a beat a chilling smile slowly appeared on Johnny’s face and it was a testament of Biao’s foolishness that he did not retreat immediately even after seeing that.

“Ah, indeed we have a clown among us but you are mistaken on one point.” By the end of his reply even Johnny’s eyes turned icy.

“Oh? And what is it?” That moron still insisted.

“I did not bring the clown with me, he came on his own.” With another glacial look at Biao’s confused blinking, Johnny poured his drink on this ignoramus fool who dared to talk ill about Timmy. After a moment, in which Johnny had the vindictive pleasure of watching the incredulous expression on Biao’s rat face while he stared at his stained, smeared chest, he hollered, “Hey guys, we have a party clown with us!” And gestured at Biao, prompting some loud jeers all around.

Returning, Johnny could see Timmy was visibly tense. He touched his right forearm, “Hey, are you okay?”

Timmy flinched but collected himself almost immediately, “Y-yeah, I’m fine. But what’s going on? Where have you been? What was all that about a clown?”

By the way questions were spilling out of him Johnny knew he was nervous. “I was right there, at the food corner, not even a metre away from where you are, slightly to your left.”

“And what about a...clown?”

Johnny was really puzzled as to why Timmy looked so tense. Was he... “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of clowns!” Johnny half teased half enquired, fully expecting a retort from his friend which never came.

“Only when it is not used as an adjective directed at me.”

Stunned, Johnny tried to look for any sign of humour, to confirm that Timmy was having him on because it had to be a joke, right? It must be!

“What? Wha- Di-directed at you?” Frowning heavily, still not ready to believe his ears, Johnny waited for Timmy to laugh out loud and prove it as a joke......but he never did.

And adding to his already nonplussed state, Timmy’s visage relaxed at last, “I’m- I’m sorry. I....never mind my blabbering. I guess I am too keyed up tonight.”

“No, tell me what did you mean. I want to know!”

“Johnny...”

“Tell me,” Johnny persisted stubbornly and Timmy conceded.

“When you are impaired in any way, or even slightly different than the lot, you will discover those many ways people can describe you. The creativity is really astounding sometimes,” he gave a bitter laugh.

To say Johnny was shocked would be wrong. He was not shocked, he was furious!

“And you thought......you thought I was calling you......a clown? Calling you?”

If nose could look embarrassed then Timmy’s was looking like it, because his eyes were covered with those damned glasses. “I never said that! Don’t put your words into my mouth!”

“But you certainly thought that, didn’t you?” Of course, Johnny was not going to let it slide so easily.

“What if I did?” Timmy shot back, “So what? Can you blame me?”
Giving a gritted out chuckle Johnny replied, “Even better. I can kick you in the butt and make you repent for thinking so lowly of me!”

“What’s there to think? You are low!”

Instead of a kick, a not-so-gentle punch landed on Timmy’s butt.

Damn, how come his arse so soft? Johnny wondered irritated.

XOXOXOX

The party was in full swing. This was Reina’s farewell party, therefore attendance was a must. Also, they had a gazzilion mutual friends; it was a chance for him to get together with many of his old buddies. If asked Johnny would not be able to answer why exactly he dragged Timmy along. He just......he did not want to have fun without Timmy.

“Hey boys, having fun?” Reina, in her wine coloured short dress sauntered towards them.

Timmy straightened up immediately. Johnny had introduced them right after coming here. Reina, of course, had welcomed Timmy with her open arms, much to Johnny’s relief. Though he never doubted Reina’s uncanny friendliness but still it felt good to see his friends including Timmy.

Before either of them could utter a response, Reina deepened her voice, “By the way Johnny, what was that all about? Why did you splashed Biao with your drink?”

“He did what?” The usually calm and unobtrusive Timmy could not control his shock and blurted out and Reina turned to him immediately.

“Oh god, yes. They were at the buffet, bickering and Johnny had a glass full of punch or something and next thing we knew he was dumping all those on Biao!”

Timmy’s brows went above his glasses and he moved his face to Johnny’s direction, “Why did you do that? So that was all that fuss was about?”

“Yes, Johnny why did you do that?” Reina, that damned imp, threw Johnny a Cheshire grin, knowing very well why he did that.

Glaring at his traitor friend Johnny bit out, “Who told you to invite that fucktard?”

“Who told you to insult my guest?”

Johnny bit his lip, fully aware that Reina was testing if he would disclose Biao’s insult to Timmy. He narrowed his eyes at her in a threatening manner which was answered by another impish grin.

“I can’t even imagine how you could even do that at a party?! What are you, five?” Timmy huffed in annoyance.

Why was he getting so annoyed for? It was not like Johnny would let anyone get away with insulting his Timmy.

Wait, no, not his Timmy. No no no, just Timmy. Only Timmy. Bro Timmy. Dude Timmy. Timmy Timmy. Yep.

They bickered and chattered for a while in which Reina constantly teased Johnny teaming up with Timmy. Traitors.

“Oh, this song! Remember this?!” Reina squealed and without even wanting to a smile appeared on Johnny’s lips too. This song held so many memories. They had danced to this song, got drunk to this song, broke speed limit to this song, he soothed Reina after a bad break up while playing this song. In a way, this song was their friendship.

“Can I borrow your friend for a moment, Timmy? You see, this is kinda our groove!”

Timmy must not have been expecting someone to ask for his permission to take Johnny away from him for he looked quite lost for a moment before hastily saying, “Oh, yes  yes, of course. Have fun!”

Before leaving, Johnny leaned in and whispered into Timmy’s ears, “I’ll be directly on your right, approx twenty steps away. Somewhere I can watch you from. I’ll be near.”

Were those goosebumps he felt before trailing his fingers off Timmy’s wrist?

XOXOXOX

“So....what’s up?” Reina wiggled her neatly trimmed eyebrows at him while they danced.

“Nothing’s up,” Johnny feigned ignorance. He knew this was her sole reason for dragging him here.

Giving him a sly look, Reina swept her eyes over his nether region, “You sure nothing is up?”

“Ugh, Reina! That’s gross even for you,” Johnny scowled at her without any result.

“What? You mean to tell me there’s nothing going on here?” She looked at Timmy pointedly.

Johnny deliberately did not follow her eyes. “What’s there to go on?”

“Johnny!” Finally getting tired of his deliberate dodging Reina huffed out loud. “The last time you spontaneously brought some outsider at a close party like this was three years ago and you were dating her back then. So, care to tell me what’s going on?”

It was true that Johnny never brought anyone in these private parties if they were not already included in the group. The last time which Reina was talking about, Johnny was indeed dating someone and thought it to be a lasting relationship.

“It’s not like that much of a close party if that bastard Biao is invited here,” again dodging the actual question, Johnny grumbled.

“Johnny, you know he used to be our close friend and my colleague too.” She berated then shook her head, “It’s a shame that you two fell out.”

“Well, he grew up to be an arsehole-“

“And you grew up to be one too!”

“Oi!”

Reina’s answering laughter filled the air, “But what happened between you two tonight? I saw him dashing through the door cursing loudly.”

Johnny debated whether to tell her. He did not want to upset her more than he already did. But Timmy......Timmy deserved all the respect.

“He called Timmy a party clown,” he said quietly, with clenched jaw.

Reina’s face darkened instantly the way it did when she was about to rip someone’s head off.

“You should have poured the punch bowl down his head too.”

Relieved even though he had quite predicted his friend’s reaction Johnny grinned and patted her head playfully, “That’s my girl.”

“But I must say that was pretty childish of you! Throwing foods at your enemy? That’s so kindergarten thing to do.”

Johnny shrugged noncommittally. He was well aware of how petty his action must have looked but it was the only thing he could think of at that time. Letting Biao get away with insulting Timmy was not an option and beating that jerk would not have been an improvement either.

“I’m not judging you though,” Reina stated reading his thoughts, “So you can chill.”

“As if I care,” retorting absently he let his eyes stray towards a particular corner.

Timmy was standing there, alone, with a soft drink in one hand and his stick in another, head bowed slightly, sometimes keeping the beat with his fingers on the glass. Lonely in a crowd.

A dull pain shot through Johnny.

“Hey, go find someone else, I gotta go.” Without taking his eyes off Timmy, Johnny told her.

“Hey! That’s rude!” Yelling a mock protest and landing a playful slap on Johnny’s shoulder Reina sobered up quickly, “Are you sure about it? Didn’t know you swing this way too? It’s not experimental, is it?”

Johnny’s brows pulled tight as the questions got his attention, “Swing what way? What experiment?”

Instead of answering she stared at him weirdly then patted his cheek once, “Go but be careful this time, Johnny, all right? He seems like a really wonderful person.”

Still not quite sure what she meant but not wanting to delay either he just nodded at her once and jogged to where Timmy was.

XOXOXOX

“Johnny, no! Stop- what are you doing? Stop it, I say!” Timmy hissed furiously and tried to wriggle out of Johnny’s grip as he dragged him to the dance floor.

“Please, don’t do this, Johnny,” changing his tone, Timmy pleaded to him, “I wasn’t joking when I said I can’t dance!”

“Me neither. We’re on the same boat, don’t worry,” brushing off his concern JingYu steered them to find a good spot and stood face to face. “Now, put your hands on my-“ he took the said hands and placed them on his upper waist but Timmy pulled out as if burnt.

“Are you out of your mind? Two guys don’t dance like that!”

“Who says they don’t? Is there any written rule? Stop whining! The song will end soon,” JingYu grabbed his hand once again and placed in on his waist but unlike before, he did not slacken his grip this time.

“Why must you always force me into doing things?”

“’Cause otherwise you would just be a floor-lamp, standing in a corner, brooding.”

“I was not brooding!”

“Yeah yeah,” not wanting to waste any more time in bickering JingYu rested his hand just above the crook of Timmy’s elbow and said, “Now, we dance.”

But Timmy remained stiff as a rod. “I can’t dance, Johnny. I’ve never danced in my life!”

“That’s gonna change now.”

Face twisting up in a pathetic way, Timmy tried to placate once more, “People will be laughing at me.....at us.”

Exasperated, JingYu stopped manhandling this adorable git for the moment and asked, “Can you see them?”

“Prick,” Timmy shot back with his scrunched up brows.
“Then you don’t have to worry about some faceless, nameless entities. The only person you need to impress here is me and I’m already impressed.”

“Why on earth do I need to impress you?”

Leaning in suddenly, he whispered to Timmy, “Bro date, remember?” Then burst out laughing.

This had become almost an inside joke between them and hearing it the corner of Timmy’s mouth quirked up in a reluctant smile.

“You are insufferable.”

“And yet, you keep on suffering me.”

“And regret it every day.”

“Shut up and move your booty, baby!”

“Damnit!”

XOXOXOX

Gripping Johnny’s waist tightly, Timmy cautiously took a step ahead then hobbled back again. Face downward as if looking at their feet, his glasses had slid down his nose and Johnny could see his eyes screwed shut in concentration.

“It’s....Johnny, please, I can’t.”

He was visibly distressed and Johnny did not want that. He wanted for Timmy to have fun tonight, to experience something he did not get to do often......or ever. But if this turned out to be an ordeal for him then what was the point?

“Okay okay....umm..” stopping Johnny chewed his lip thoughtfully. They were on their third song now. People had already stopped staring at some point, sparing Johnny to save his glares. “How about you put the tip of your shoes onto mine and I push and pull you like a shopping cart? That way you won’t have to do much and can relax a bit.”

JingYu was certain that Timmy was going to hiss another protest at him but suddenly a smile leaked out of his pursed lips, drawing out a similar smile from JingYu too.

“You are.........I don’t even know what you are!” Timmy shook his head but JingYu could tell he had begun to relax. This made him inexplicably happy.

“I am me, that’s my definition,” he declared and nudged Timmy to quickly put his toes over JingYu’s shoe tip.

“Yes, you are you.”

And JingYu began to move their bodies back and forth slowly.

There was no maintaining of rhythm, no clarity of movements, not even the slightest bit of grace but there was an ocean wide of want to make someone happy and a fragile palpitating heart that took the first step towards the leap of faith.

“Can’t you take your glasses off?” Eyes straining to map every expression of the face in front of him, Johnny suddenly wanted to look at Timmy’s bare face, without any hindrance.

“No!” Timmy’s body went rigid immediately, “No, please, Johnny, no.”

“But you have such-“

“I said no, Johnny.”

Had anyone else used that tone with him, he would have done exactly what he was told not to do and forcefully removed the glasses. He was never one to consider much about others. But with Timmy, he wanted to comply, tried to be gentle. Loved to be someone with whom this stubborn git would feel comfortable.

What kind of sorcery was that?

And came to think about it, Timmy’s eyes should not be for everyone to have a look at. They were special. Revealing them was a show of trust for Timmy and JingYu would not share it with a boatload of people who did not even give a fuck.

Satisfied with his logic, JingYu smiled smugly and squeezed Timmy’s waist. He laughed outright when his dance partner almost jumped three feet up from the tease.

“This is called shaking the lampmm move!”

Well, he wanted to be good but not that good.

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Any thoughts?😶