Episode 56 - On The Stage

From the side of the stage, Taitai rushed over to his father, who crouched down next to him, pulling him in with his free arm. There were "awws" from the audience and Yangyang chuckled again.

"This little guy is my son. Taitai, say hello to everyone."

"Hi!" the child shouted excitedly into the microphone, and the crowd laughed.

"I've never brought my son to a show before," said Yangyang, still crouched on the stage. "But, someone recently told me that if I was his father, he would want to see me doing what makes me happy. Simple words, but they really hit me."

Yangyang scooped Taitai up and carried him over to the piano, two shadows becoming one as he set the mic into the stand.

"My band members had no idea I was going to do this, but I wanted to sing a song tonight for my son, and also partly for that person, since he's often like an innocent child himself."

He touched the piano keys, then leaned into the mic again.

"I'm not a singer, so I apologize in advance." He cleared his throat and there were more laughs from the audience. "I'll be singing Baby Song by Eason Chan. It's in Chinese, but the screen above will show the translation so you can understand."

A hush fell over the crowd as the house lights dimmed, and Yangyang's fingers moved gracefully across the keys, the sound echoing, then halting for a moment as he began to sing.

Yangyang wasn't a vocalist, but his deep voice was filled with enough emotion that for this song, it didn't matter. With just that voice and the piano, he was better than a professional. He was singing to someone he loved, and the audience could feel every note and lyric.

Taken by the words, Amari could hear the shift in his tone, sadly telling his son he was sorry the world wasn't fair, but to follow his heart. Knowing the situation at home, with his mother's stubborn aversion to his music, Amari wondered if he had ever sung to Taitai this way. The thought made his chest tight.

Yangyang's voice was barely shaking now, and Amari's whole body tensed, his breath trapped in his lungs. It had taken so much courage to get to this point, and he didn't want anything to ruin it. Without letting his emotions sweep him away, Yangyang finished the last line, the last notes from the piano ringing clearly through the quiet club. As if time had stopped and started again, silence turned to cheers. A warm smile spread across Amari's face and he stared at the blur of man, child, and piano, knowing the crowd could never fully understand how beautiful that performance really was.

Yangyang sat still for a moment, then cleared his throat. "Ah, that was embarrassing..." He chuckled as there were more cheers. "Alright, enough being sentimental. Let's have some fun, yeah?"

More cheers drifted up and after a few moments, Amari felt a tug at the hem of his t-shirt. Taitai placed the microphone into his hands and he crouched to the child's level.

"Are you gonna stay up here and play with me?" he asked, putting his free hand on the child's head to feel it nod up and down. "Perfect. Make sure you stay close, okay?"

Taitai nodded again and he smiled. Yangyang walked past, petting his short mohawk before grabbing his Strat, playing a few notes to test the tuning. Staying crouched down with the child, Amari raised a hand to let everyone know he was ready.

Yangyang's distorted guitar started, then Bowen's drums, and then Amari sang along to The Kinks' You Really Got Me, bobbing his head and moving his shoulders, feeling Taitai follow along.

Well into the first verse, Amari took his hand away, but stayed in a squat to play with the child, bouncing and swaying to the music. This low to the floor, he could feel the vibrations of Taitai's feet next to him as he jumped, and feel the thick air shifting across the stage as the audience moved.

At the guitar riff, he tapped on the back of his neck, then hoisted Taitai up onto his shoulders. He slowly stood, legs kicking against his chest and hands on his head, and the child giggled loudly, making Amari grin wide. Grabbing the mic in one hand and a small ankle in the other, he moved around his area, swaying carefully to the music.

When the song stopped and the audience cheered, Taitai clapped over his head, the sound echoing in his ears. He was already starting to sweat, the lights and the child's body radiating heat, and he took a deep breath, feeling that rush he only felt singing with a band.

"Okay, we've got one more," he told the crowd, and Yangyang shifted closer to him. "Howlin' for You by the Black Keys."

"Having fun?" the man asked his son after Amari had lowered the mic. He received an enthusiastic "Yeah!" in response, making Yangyang laugh. "Do you want to stay up there for the next song?"

Amari felt the child bob and sighed loudly. There was a second laugh, followed by a sympathetic pat on the back. Reaching for the stand, he stuck the mic in the holder, grabbing Taitai's legs firmly.

"Okay, but I'm gonna move more for this one."

The child's hands instantly pressed onto his head, and as the drums started pounding, he smiled, then began to sway.

"Alright. Yeah."

Amari raised his hands up and clapped to the drum beat, feeling Taitai's hands lift from his head, following him. Yangyang and Yinyi played their back and forth parts and his smile widened.

"Well now."

Amari could feel Yangyang close to his side and his familiar scent mixed with the club air to fill his head. Taitai's hands continued to clap above him and he bounced and swayed, holding tight to the child. As the verses ended, he briefly let go of a leg, raising a hand to wave, encouraging the crowd to join him in singing the easy chorus.

"Da-da da-da da, da-da da-da da"

As they went into a second chorus, Amari could hear Taitai trying to sing along as well. His cheeks were growing sore from smiling at the child and he had forgotten the audience, everyone he cared about playing on the stage with him.

At the instrumental bridge, he moved around the space while the guitars buzzed and drum thumped, swaying Taitai on his shoulders, then returned to the mic stand, gently checking its position with his foot.

After a final chorus, the band took over then cut out, and the crowd cheered again. Amari gave a small bow and felt his shoulders become light, the child lifted off. Letting out a breath of relief, he smiled gratefully at Yangyang's figure next to him.

Exiting the stage, Yangyang put his son down, letting him run free.

"Ba! Did you see me?"

"Of course I saw you. I was standing right next to you."

The man laughed, his deep voice light and excited like his son. There were gleeful giggles from Taitai, and Amari could hear the sounds running around them. He walked cautiously, careful not to trip over the child.

"I was so high! And e'rybody was clappin' and movin' around!"

Yangyang laughed again. "So, I guess that means you had fun?"

"Ēn!"

Amari hung back as the man hurried ahead after his son, taking a breath and exhaling out a long sigh. He reached his arms over his head, stretching his sore neck, and grinned at the feeling.

"Wèi, Li gēge." A little hand tugged at his waist. "Are you coming?"

He nodded and Taitai took his hand, dragging him forward down the hallway.

Yangyang kissed Amari on the top of the head, tightening his arms around the boy's shoulders. His bare chest was warm and comforting against the boy's back. Curling up, Amari pushed himself further into him, getting as close as possible.

"Ah... What a good night," mumbled Yangyang, laying a heavy leg over Amari's thigh, making him groan from the weight.

"Hey, Yang ge." He hit the man's knee, pretending to be annoyed. "Can you not be so heavy while you cling?"

Yangyang grumbled but didn't move.

"Hey, Yang ge." Amari shifted inside the man's embrace, looking up at the ceiling, his tone much softer this time. He felt a kiss on his cheek, the man letting him know he was listening. "What do you tell your ma when you stay here?"

"Sometimes nothing, because she doesn't ask. Lately, I just tell her I'm staying with you."

Amari furrowed his brow and frowned. "And she isn't suspicious? That doesn't seem strange to her?"

"Nope." The man sounded too sleepy to care.

"You're not a teenager anymore. You're almost thirty." There was a groan at the mention of his age, making Amari smile. "It isn't normal for a thirty-year-old man to have sleepovers with friends. Unless it's our kinda sleepover with our kinda friendship..."

Yangyang huffed lightly. "I'm not 'almost thirty.' How about you stop rubbing it in that I'm older than you, yeah?"

"That's not really the point."

Amari frowned, but Yangyang just pulled him into his chest, turning him so his face rested at his neck. Taking in his smell, he laid still for a few moments.

"Then, can I stay over with you sometimes?"

"You want to? We can't do this at my place."

Amari coiled in closer, the man covering him with his large body. "I like your family. It'd be nice to spend more time with them."

"Ah?" Yangyang chuckled. "Am I not good enough anymore?"

Amari responded with a punch in the chest.

"I'm kidding. Of course you can come over. My sister was right when she said ma is oblivious." Yangyang sighed and rubbed Amari's back. "Which is why I know it'll be hard to convince her of this. It's so out of the question, it wouldn't even cross her mind as a possibility."

Kissing him softly on the neck, Amari nestled against his shoulder. "We'll find a way."