So, here's the third chapter. I don't know how the story is going; it's kinda writing itself! 

Hugs and cookies for those who took the time to leave such lovely comments and votes. You guys are the reason I publish my writing. Love you!💗

And another important thing I want to point out- my knowledge about China, in general, is next to nothing. So, if anything feels weird, drop me a word. But as it's an Alternate Universe, I hope I'll get a leeway.😁

Now, off with the reading!

POV- JingYu

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"And please, say to me
You'll let me hold your hand
Now, let me hold your hand..."
- "I want to hold your hand" by Beatles

XOXOXO

Chapter-3

“He’s good, isn’t he?” Mei lifted her chin to indicate the stage.

JingYu gave a non-committal ‘hmm’ without glancing up. The kid was not just good, he was brilliant! And very, very strange. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but the way that boy kept looking at this direction, at him felt….weird somehow. Strange. And what was he doing here anyway? With this much talent the kid should be singing for big labels already, and JingYu had seen life enough to know where the kid came from money wasn’t an issue. Then…why?

A customer came for a beer. Delivering the bottle JingYu’s eyes slid past and landed on the singer: sitting on a stool, fingers playing on the guitar strings, lips almost touching the microphone, eyes closed. Why did he look so familiar? The more JingYu looked at Timmy Xu the more known that face felt.

Their eyes met and JingYu ducked his head, turning to the shelves to tinker with the glasses. This, the involuntary eyes contacts, had been happening throughout the evening. A bit too much for his liking. However,  his shift was about to be over and the ice bucket needed refilling before he left.

“Hey Mei should I fi-“

“This is my last song for the night,” the voice from the stage cutting him short, “I hope you people enjoy this.”

“Ooh, quite smart for a newbie!” Mei remarked with a grin, eyes at Timmy.

That got JingYu’s attention, “Newbie?”

“Yeah, that’s what he told the boss, that this was his first time singing in a pub, pretty- oh, I love this song!” Mei squealed as the tune started, “Beatles!”

And Timmy began to sing.

“Oh yeah, I tell you somethin’
I think you’ll understand
When I say that somethin’
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand”

And he was looking straight at JingYu.

“I want to hold your hand..”

And JingYu was looking right back at him.

“Oh please say to me
You’ll let me be your man..”

A shiver ran down JingYu’s spine that had nothing to do with cold. He felt pinned by those eyes still staring at him. It was as if the boy was looking into his soul. Those eyes….those words….felt like a physical push. As if he could feel them on his skin. It felt personal, and some of the audiences were already trying to follow Timmy's line of sight. That was so not good, so not. JingYu looked away hurriedly.

“…it’s such a feelin’ that my love
I can’t hide
I can’t hide…”

“Mei?”

She was leaning forward on the bar counter, eyes squinting at the stage. JingYu surreptitiously stole a glance at Timmy. Thankfully, the eyes were closed this time.

“Mei!”

“What?” She asked without taking her eyes off of Timmy.

“If there is nothing else, I’ll be off now.” The eagerness to leave the place was growing by every minute.

“Yeah, okay. Hey, why is he,” Mei finally looked at him, “singing the song looking this way?” She asked, looking puzzled.

“How the hell I know? Maybe he likes you!”

“……..Does he?” Mei looked back at Timmy again, unconvinced. The song was coming to a close.

“I want to hold your hand…”

JingYu left.

After changing his shirt and putting on his jacket, when JingYu finally stepped out of the building the feeling of being free came with its usual sweetness. It happened all the three days he bartended. He cupped his hands, blew into them and rubbed the palms together. The unease that had been eating at his mind dissipating quickly. Honestly! So what if that boy was looking at him? And with those shady lightings it wasn’t even possible to be certain of it. God, how ridiculous could he get? He needed to vent his stress out before he went barking mad.

He clucked his tongue at his own stupidity and pushed his legs towards the subway.

Someone bumped into him.

“Hey,” it was Timmy.

“Hey,” JingYu greeted back.

“Going home?”

“Yeah, you?”

“Yeah, me too,” Timmy said and began to walk by him.

Maybe he was feeling guilty for getting irritated at this guy for no reason, maybe the silence felt too awkward for him but whatever the reason was, he decided to carry on talking.

“You were pretty great tonight,” he said.

Timmy looked at him with unbidden surprise, “You really think so?”

The disbelief in his voice caught JingYu off guard. He was pretty sure Timmy was habituated in receiving such compliments, what’s with his talent and all, but apparently, he was wrong on that front too. He gave a small but honest smile and said, “Yes, I really do.”

When Timmy smiled from the heart, he noticed, it reached his eyes and made him look even younger. JingYu smiled again. The silence started to feel companionable.

“You know, I get the feeling that we’ve met before.  Have we?” He asked.

“Yes, yesterday,” Timmy deadpanned.

That made him huffed out a laugh. He shook his head, “No I mean-“

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I don’t know. Probably. Why? Do I look familiar?”

“Yeah, its- yeah, kinda.”

Timmy shrugged, “We’re both locals, so, maybe we’ve had bumped into each other sometimes.”

“Yeah, that’s more likely.”

JingYu looked at the boy walking beside him. Bumped into each othe? ….Probably. 

The following silence was filled with Timmy’s humming. An unknown song.

The question that was brewing up inside JingYu, the one he wasn’t sure at all whether be appropriate to bring up, sat on the tip of his tongue, ready to roll off once he opened his mouth. What was the harm anyway, he tried to reason, we are both guys, right?

“So, umm, do you like Mei or something?” He wanted to sound casual but failed.

That stopped the humming instantly, “Why do you think so?”

JingYu gave a half shrug, “It’s just…you were looking at the bar while singing, so, I thought…maybe…you know? She’s quite pretty after all. A lot of guys hit on her.”

“There were two of you,” Timmy cocked his head and turned his body at JingYu without stopping his pace, causing him walking backwards.

“What made you think that it was Mei  I was looking at?”

JingYu’s steps faltered. Now, what does that suppose to mean?

“It wasn’t….her you were looking at?” He shouldn’t drag this topic anymore, it was none of his business; Timmy was probably having him on, but still….after that statement, the question slipped out of him automatically.

“Maybe.” Timmy replied, the distance between them growing. JingYu slowing down, Timmy speeding up even while taking back steps.

“Maybe not.” The boy added and gave him a wink before turning back and walking away.

JingYu stood there motionless. A heavy frown settling upon his handsome feature.

XOXOXO

When JingYu finally got under the duvet on his bed, his mind was still playing the conversation with Timmy on a loop. Being on the receiving end of attention from the same gender was not an alien concept to him. He had studied in an all boys’ school, after all. Adolescent boys, raging with hormones, often tended to confess their undying love to each other in his school. He had experienced a few of them himself, as a receptor, of course, and never had any adverse attitude towards homosexuals. But the fact was that he was straight, straight as an arrow, as the saying went.

Regardless of what he asked Timmy or tried to convince himself, he was quite sure that it was him the boy was looking at while singing. This kind of blatant display never bothered him before; bartending could prepare a man for a number of unusual things. But something…something unexplainable was there in those eyes that made him halt and think. Made him uneasy. It wasn’t bad, per say. Timmy wasn’t disrespectful or anything in anyway, it was just….something.

JingYu let out an impatient sound and rolled over to press his face into his pillow. Why was he thinking about Timmy so damn much anyway? He liked boobs, didn’t he? And that boy was practically a kid, for fuck’s sake! What was wrong with him?! He just stared at JingYu a couple of times and here he was, assuming the hell out of it, acting like a total pervert.

And he couldn’t afford it anyway. He rolled over once again. This small bedsit, his three part time jobs, his Jiu Jitsu- these were his world. He toiled from morning to night aiming for only two things: a better situation for his mum and an opportunity to pursue his career in Jiu Jitsu. Romantic entanglements, sharing his life with another person was not for someone like him. It was a luxury he couldn’t afford at the moment. Maybe someday, when he wouldn’t have to worry about paying the rent or arranging the money for his training. Maybe a day would come when there would be someone beside him to hug away his tiredness, when the bed would be warm….when he wouldn’t be afraid to dream anymore. Someday. But not today. Not now.

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A/N: Comments and votes are very much appreciated.😊💗