Hey babes! Hope you guys are all right and having a good week so far! Here is the third installment of 'Not' series, sequel of 'Call Me Not'. Yes, it's a date!😁

Comments and votes and shares are candies!😍

Those who commented/voted/shared previously: you guys are The Best!💗

@struggle_wind (IG- youiszhou62): my clingy koala hugs for you for making that yummmm cover for 'Blood&Roses' ch-4! You RAAAAAAWK! 😍😍😍😘😘😘💗

Photo courtesy- addicted Korean fan club💗

Hope you enjoy the read!😊

--------------------------------------------

Date Me Not

WeiZhou combed his hair with utmost care, something he rarely did, and looked at the full length mirror. The peacock blue button down was a gift from his mother and he thought it looked good on him. But now, he was not so sure.

Is it okay? Will that crease there be noticeable? Does it go with black jeans? Will JingYu like it?

He never had a date before. He did not know what were the rituals one should go through to be a perfect date. And the fact that JingYu had way more experience in this scared him more. He was not a good company in general. He liked to keep quiet and listen to others when gone out with friends. And people constantly reminding him of his shyness did not help the matter. But JingYu probably knew that already, right? He would probably forgive WeiZhou if he made a mess.

And never ask you out again, his brain supplied.

He sighed. He had shaved properly, without scraping any skin. Had used his father’s aftershave also. Even sneaked some cologne from him. It was perfunctory to smell good at a date, wasn’t it? At least, that was what said on the internet. At first, WeiZhou had decided to forego his nerdy looking black glasses, then, realized he couldn’t even see his nose without it. So, the glasses were kept in place.

Another dilemma he was faced with while going through his be-a-perfect-date checklist was whether he should buy flowers for JingYu. Being a guy, he might think it as something cheesy but WeiZhou could not possibly go empty handed. He lost half of his brain cells brooding over it and finally, decided to skip the flowers. He bought chocolates, instead.

After giving himself another one over, he checked the time. 19:16pm. Still forty five minutes to go. The place they’d be meeting was approximately twenty five minutes of walking distance from his home, and he decided to walk. He donned his down coat, wrapped the muffler around his neck and put the hat on which was a bobble at the top.

They had a medium length mirror in the hallway. After tying his shoes, WeiZhou stood up to be face to face with his reflection and it gave him a pause.

He looked like a………..panda!

With his black and white coat, black jeans, fluffy muffler that hid most of his face and a woollen bobble hat, he looked straight out of a comic book. The only two things that were visible in him were his nose and bespectacled eyes.

There goes my peacock blue shirt.

He looked on gloomily. Even he would not have liked someone who came to a date looking like this. Now, the only thing that could save him was if JingYu got blinded temporarily. With lips pulled down, WeiZhou stepped out of his house.

XOXOXOX

The signal turned red for the pedestrians. He was standing at the pavement of a street. Cheerful crowds thronged around him; although he felt like nothing existed. As if alone in a deserted land where his thoughts, his memories were flashing by.

WeiZhou looked up at the traffic lights. Lighting up. Going still. Blinking. Fading out. Just like his hopes. He was going to a date with a boy whom he had never had a proper conversation with. Everything was going on a reverse way. They kissed first. Then exchanged numbers. Then decided to meet. As crazy as it sounded, that was how his love life was going.

Love life….

Those two words pushed him into consciousness and made him notice that the light was green again. He had a love life now. Or at least, that was what he thought, and it chilled his bones with a kind of fear that urged him to walk away from it.

He was afraid of a heartbreak. Afraid of his plainness. Afraid that he would not be enough. Afraid that he would love JingYu more than he could afford.

But how could one walk away from the call of someone who had held their heart captive? WeiZhou did not know. Hence, he walked slowly towards the place where JingYu would be waiting for him to start a new year together.

XOXOXOX

JingYu was already there when WeiZhou reached the venue: a riverbank where a small carnival was held every year for the occasion of January 1st. WeiZhou did not immediately go to the other boy; he just stood there, admiring the vision in front of him from afar, like all those many times at school.

The older boy was clad in black. From head to toe. But instead of looking bleak and non-descriptive, it made him look gorgeous. He was rubbing his gloveless hands and looking anxiously here and there for……

For me, told his heart quietly. He blushed.

WeiZhou went and stood right behind the boy.

“Hi.”

JingYu whirled back. His face going through an array of emotions- surprise, paused heart, relief, elation and pure joy. WeiZhou watched, fascinated, as they played out.

“You came!”

“Umm…yes. I- I promised, didn’t I?”

“Well, yeah, but I wasn’t sure.”

“Why?”

JingYu shrugged and toed the beneath their feet, “I guess, I still couldn’t believe that you’d choose me.”

WeiZhou’s heart skipped a beat.

Don’t make me feel this much important. Don’t make me fall any harder. I won’t survive if you’re not there to catch me in the end.

JingYu tried to sneak a glance at WeiZhou which he was caught doing and WeiZhou smiled at the adorable gesture.

“I hope you can believe it now.”

The sight of a dazzling smile with those pointed teeth greeted him.

“Yes, I do.”

XOXOXOX

The Pikachu plushie in his arms felt warm and lovely. He squeezed it tighter and burrowed his nose into it. They were wandering around. Stopping here to look, surfing there through the things on display.

“Don’t hug it any more than you already are doing, or I’ll throw it away,” JingYu grunted walking beside him.

“What?! Why?” If anything, WeiZhou hugged it more, “ But you are the one who took all the trouble to hit those cans to get me this!”

“If I had known that you would forget me as soon as you get this..” he tried to wring the cottony ear but WeiZhou swatted the hand away, “this menace, I would never have done so.”

Oh. He’s feeling left out. But….I’m right here with him! Am I…am I ignoring him? But I thought it’d make him happy that I loved his gift. What should I do now?

“Uh…I’m sorry.”

The other boy didn’t respond and kept walking with a pouty expression.

His fingers tingled with anticipation and nervousness. Should he do it? Was it allowed? Would it look like a bit too forward? Another look at JingYu’s displeased face and WeiZhou threw caution to the wind.

Slowly taking his right arm off the plushie, he put it around JingYu’s bent elbow hesitatingly and wrapped his fingers to the crook.

When JingYu, as his silent answer to the gesture, took WeiZhou’s hand off of his elbow by his other hand, WeiZhou’s heart stopped. Before he could start weeping in humiliation, JingYu took out his left hand that was in his coat pocket and held WeiZhou’s hand in his own and gave it a little squeeze.

He hadn’t realized that he had stopped walking, but when JingYu tugged him by their joined hands, he quickly shook off the stunned happiness from his mind and began to follow where the boy was leading him. And if he kept looking at their clasped palms, well, nobody had to know about his silliness.

XOXOXOX

“JingYu!!!!!!”

The squeal from a shrill female voice pierced through the hustle bustle of the carnival and forced them to turn and see a flurry of pink was flying towards them. It came and had JingYu in a bear hug.

WeiZhou’s stomach dropped below. He knew her. She was in JingYu’s class a few years back and then transferred to somewhere else. She was famous for two things, her ravishing beauty and being JingYu’s girlfriend for the longest time. WeiZhou took a step back and tried to make himself invisible.

“Why didn’t you text me back? I’ve been here for a week already! And I wanted to meet you as soon as I landed!”

WeiZhou saw how she kept asking questions after questions, how she demanded JingYu to do this or that, and how her hands hung onto JingYu’s wrists. He saw how beautiful she was, charming, smart, fashionable and……….a woman.

All of JingYu previous partners had been women.

He took another step back without being aware of it.
“WeiZhou?”

Having zoned out, he jerked to reality at the call. JingYu was looking at him expectantly.

“What?” He asked, not knowing what JingYu wanted.

“Come here, why are you standing so far?”

And without waiting for him to move, JingYu came, took him by the hand and dragged him beside him. The girl was still there and gawking at them.

“Eh??? Really? It’s true, then?” Seemed like squealing was her usual way of speaking.

“Yep, absolutely.” JingYu nodded.

Her eyes mapped through WeiZhou, taking in all the details, “Woah! You’re so cute! But I’m so jealous! You snatched my man away.”

WeiZhou gulped down the uneasiness that was spreading through his body and mind. He could feel another pair of eyes on him too. He didn’t say anything.

“So,” the girl clapped her hands excitedly and wiggled her eyebrows, “are you in love, too?”

“What?”  Wait, ‘too’? But…..does that mean…?

He looked at JingYu who just smiled at him shyly and gave a squeeze of WeiZhou’s hand that was in his own. The thumb started to rub over his knuckles.

WeiZhou’s heartbeat sped up at an alarming rate. Love? JingYu loved him? Then why didn’t he say that to WeiZhou? Why did that girl get to hear the confession that was intended for him? His ears rang.

“Well...I…umm…that is….I mean…”

The girl broke into peals of laughter.

“Oh my God! He’s so irresistibly cute!” Eyes still on WeiZhou, she told JingYu, “And he’s holding a Pikachu plushie, too! Awww.”

When JingYu informed her that it was a gift from him, she did some more aww’ing and they bickered some more.

WeiZhou sucked in his bottom lip; the rubbing over his hand increased.

“Just shut up and go away, will you? You’re ruining our date!”

“Oh, so possessive already?” She winked and when JingYu scowled, she quickly added, “Okay okay, I’m going, I’m going.” She, then, directed her attention to WeiZhou, “Take care of him please, won’t you? He’s very dear to me and he’s an idiot. You have to keep a strict eye on him, all right?”

I just want to go home. “Okay.” He nodded. His throat pained.

She took her leave.

“WeiZhou?”

He didn’t answer.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

To his horror, his eyes began to fill.

“Can I go home now, please?”

“What? Why? WeiZhou, what’s wrong? Tell me please.”

Why was she in our date? Why is she texting you? Why is she so beautiful, attractive? Because I am not. Why did you choose her? Why did you choose me? Does she still like you? Do you still? Why did she call you hers? And why…why did you confess about me to her before you even did to me?

But he just kept mum.

JingYu, too, was quiet now and had his eyes on the river.

“Are you upset because I said I loved you?”

His own misery forgotten, WeiZhou gaped openly at JingYu, whose back was facing him currently.

That’s what he thought I was upset about? Because he loved me?

“I’m…sorry, I should have talked to you first, but…”

Well, damn right, you should have. WeiZhou’s internal commentary continued.

“….But I was so happy and proud and wanted to show you off to her-“

Proud of me….? You were proud of me? You wanted to show off…me? What?

“Because for me you’re….”JingYu turned to look him in the eye, “You’re the blessing that I needed so desperately all my life. You are my treasure.”

The need to hug JingYu, to touch him in any way hit him like a tornado and he flung himself onto the boy and wrapped his arms around that long, swan neck. Resting his chin over the shoulder and staring at the river in front.

Fireworks exploded in the sky from distance. Lighting up his life.

XOXOXOX

“She was your girlfriend, wasn’t she?”

They had found a secluded place on the other side of the river and now WeiZhou was licking ice cream from a cone that JingYu had bought for him, and JingYu was eating the chocolate bar that WeiZhou gave.

“Yeah, she was,” JingYu answered, all the while trying to get the sticky sweetness off his teeth with his tough. “How did you know?”

“The entire school knew. She was a known beauty.” WeiZhou informed without taking his eyes off the ice cream.

“..................She’s not that much pretty.”

Surprised by that statement, WeiZhou turned his head to look at the boy, only to see a frown marring JingYu’s feature.

He bit his lips, considering asking the question that had been eating him up.

“Are you two.....still close?”

JingYu thought a for a moment and said, “That depends on what kind of ‘close’ did you mean. Yes, we’re still friends as we had a clean, mutual break up. And both of our families are friends. Saya is probably my oldest friend. We grew up playing with each other.”

With a constricted chest, WeiZhou only nodded. He knew it was wrong of him; he had no ground to feel hurt or jealous, but he could not help himself from comparing the situations.

Don’t say it. Don’t make a fool of yourself. “I think she still likes you.”

A laid back expression descended upon JingYu and he answered, “Don’t know ‘bout that, but I don’t think so. She’s always been a prankster.”

“And...” Don’t ask. Don’t do this to yourself. You won’t be able to take it if the answer is a affirmative one. “You? Do you still like her?”

Some of his emotions must have slipped past because JY skimmed closer and positioned his upper body in a way that he could peek into WeiZhou’s downturned head.

“Heh? Are you jealous?” JingYu smirked.

“No!” Crap. In order to save face, WeiZhou’s protest came out as stronger than he intended and way quicker, too. His face began to burn immediately.

The smirk that was directed at him developed into a full blown smile.

“You are jealous!” The fool exclaimed gleefully and pulled WeiZhou closer with one arm around him, chin propped up onto WeiZhou’s shoulder, near his ear. “There is only one person I like and love, and he’s in my arms now.”

Overjoyed, anxious, blushing red, WeiZhou gave a tiny push to JingYu chest. He didn’t mean to push him away altogether, just something of a token protest. But JingYu withdrew and flopped down on the ground.

“You know,” JingYu began, hands under his head, eyes on the sky, “before I thought jealous partners were a nuisance. But....”

WeiZhou held his breath.

“When it comes to you, when I see you being jealous over me, it feels like a personal achievement. Like, I matter to you.” He paused.

The damp wind that rose from the river mussed their emotions.

“I’m discovering myself anew through your eyes, WeiZhou.”

XOXOXOX

“Let me taste some of that ice cream.”
Still lying on the ground, JingYu told WeiZhou, who was sitting beside.

WeiZhou offered his cone to the boy, but he refused.

“No, not the cone. I want to taste it directly from you.”

He froze like the ice cream in his hand. He was not sure how should he react. Should he just throw himself at JIngYu the way his heart was telling him to? Or should he refuse?

While he kept blinking, JingYu held the lapels of his coat, gave a sudden tug that had WeiZhou almost topple over the boy and crashed their mouths together.

JingYu slipped his tongue in, taking advantage of WeiZhou’s parted lips, caused by the sudden movement.

WeiZhou’s eyes fell shut automatically and the strong flavour of chocolate assaulted his senses. The tongue swept over his gums, teeth, the inside fold of his lips. His glasses were digging through his skin but he didn’t care. All his senses were concentrated to his mouth. Artificial sweetness mingled with the bone deep physical want they both felt. And when JingYu’s tongue touched his own, a moan escaped from him. The soft sounds of wet sucking, of smooching filled the air. Slowly, WeiZhou’s fingers curled to hold on to the older boy’s coat. The passive aggressive kissing of JingYu blanked out his mind, wiping out all sense of time and place. Neither of them cared nor noticed for how long they stayed joined like this.

A string of their mixed saliva hung to connect their lips and then broke when they finally parted. WeiZhou watched as JingYu licked his wet lips as if to savour the taste in them. His taste.

Fogged up glasses, quickened breath, bitten lips, face red, WeiZhou sat there motionless as JingYu lifted himself up to a sitting position, took the glasses off of him slowly, stroked his left cheek with the back of his hand, bopped the red nose with his index finger and gave him a soft, dreamy smile.

“It’s going to be another year soon.” JingYu said, eyes on WeiZhou’s lips.

“A new beginning?” WeiZhou asked, eyes on jIngYu’s lips.

“If you want to.”

The arm circling his neck pulled him closer, their cheeks touching almost.

“I want to,” he murmured the words to the corner of JingYu’s mouth.

Supporting WeiZhou’s back with his own chest, JingYu slid the fingers of his left hand into the soft, inky black hair of his and tugged them seductively. The other hand cupped the side of his face, thumbs tracing patterns over his cheekbone.

They breathed the same air, tasted the same intoxicating emotions that emitted from them. Lips touching almost.......but not quite.

“It’s almost time. Are you ready?” JingYu asked.

Are you ready to start? Are you ready to take the leap? Are you ready to be ‘us’ from ‘you’ and ‘me’? WeiZhou heard all the unvoiced questions with the voiced one.

“I’m scared.”

12

“Of what?”

11

“Of loving you more than I can afford.”

10

“Of not loving you enough.”

9

“You don’t have to love me if that scares you.”

8

“But I want to. So much.”

7

“Then let me love you so much that you won’t be scared of love anymore.”

6

“Let me be with you.”

5

“Just never leave me alone.”

4

“I am not myself when I can’t find you near me.”

3

“I won’t. Ever.”

2

“I love you to the moon and back, WeiZhou.”

1

“And I love you from my heart to your heart.”

They kissed. Under the sky. Under the stars. Under the lights of thousands fireworks that marked a new beginning.

They kissed. With love. With passion. With the longing that filled their hearts. With their entire being.

They kissed. With innocence. With hesitance. With sorrow of the time they wasted not being with each other.

They kissed. And kissed. And kissed.

“Happy New Year to us.”

“Yes, to us.”

[][][][]

Feel free to inbox me if you need to ask anything.😊