LIII

                                    

                                          
When Brett came out of his room, Eddy was still on the call with Jordon, so he decided to step out a bit and get some fresh air. 
He knew, he'd gotten Eddy a bubble tea yesterday and he also knew, that having one of those heavenly beverages half filled with tapioca pearls wasn't the best for anyone's health, really. But it was the most innocent way he could think of to express his gratitude for the thing he pulled with all the among us participants, so he was on his way to the closest Chicha Sanchen bubble tea store when the phone in his pocket vibrated. 
"Eddy?"
"Bro, where are you?" Eddy's concerned voice rang through the line.
"On the way to get bubble tea, why?"
"What? You can't even have any."
"For you, idiot!"
"Oh... Oh wait up! I'm gonna catch up. Where are you?" Brett heard rustling on the other end, probably Eddy trying to get into his shoes. Brett quickly described his location and sat down on a nearby bench in the shadows to wait for him.
"Hey", Eddy waved, a bit out of breath and coming closer with quick steps. He was wearing one of the grey shirts they had bought in the shopping mall a while back and Brett cursed himself for getting so flustered seeing Eddy in this. It was nicely fit in all the right places though... those pecks and upper arms... when the hell had Eddy found time to work out? 
Brett swallowed hard, averted his gaze and got up. "You didn't have to come, you know." They made their way to the bubble tea store side by side, the back of their hands brushing against each other from time to time which drove Brett crazy. He tried to create some distance and almost fell off the sidewalk but got pulled back by Eddy, who mumbled: "What are you doing? You gonna end up under the wheels, bro!"
"Who told you to hog all the available space? And you really didn't have to show up", Brett retorted. 
"I know, but it's good for me to walk around a bit too. Feel stiff from all the practicing and sitting at my laptop."
"Shall I give you a back rub you when we get back?", Brett suggested with a wink, but was still not looking directly at Eddy in order to avoid his cheeks coloring into an exposing pink. 
Eddy glanced at him. "Wouldn't say no to that, actually."
They got to the bubble tea place and Brett ordered Eddy's usual and for himself an unsweetened, luke warm greentea. What a sad day.
"Thanks! Wasn't necessary", Eddy said as they sat down at a free table. 
"Kinda is, after what you've pulled with our friends", Brett remarked matter-of-factly.
Eddy took a sip and moaned with satisfaction, which started a shitload of non-pg pictures to flood Brett's poor brain. He looked away deliberately. 
"Oh, this." Eddy took another long sip. "I thought about what could help you with your self worth and stuff. I also thought it might help if it isn't just coming from me." He looked at Brett with questioning eyes. "And? What do you think?"
"I actually have no words", Brett stated truthfully and looked at him, "Thank you! Really. For taking care of me on that level too... It's just..." He swallowed hard and suddenly felt a warm hand holding his on the table.
"I'm glad it helped", Eddy said softly.
Brett gulped again and added sheepishly: "And... you said you gonna deliver your speech later as in... now... maybe?"
Eddy just grinned. "You'll get my thoughts on you soon enough."
The finality in Eddy's tone held Brett back in pressing further. So they just looked at each other with deep appreciation, until another burning question pushed itself to the forefront of Brett's consciousness.
"Uhm, about before..."
"When before?" Eddy slurped again.
"About what you've said to that guy back in Brisbane on the beach..."
Eddy leant back, poised, looking like self confidence personified. 
"I think I've told you. I told him the truth."
"Yeah... but...", Brett hesitated. Eddy lifted a brow. Was it too weird to push further? Would Eddy wonder why it was so important for him to know whatever there was to know?
"Argh, forget it!", he finally backed out and turned away, the almost untouched greentea in his hand slushing around in the plastic cup.
"Okay. Then I have a question for you."
"Yeah?", Brett made, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity. 
"What did you and Sophie talk about?"
Oh no! Not this! What was he supposed to tell Eddy without looking like a complete head over heels idiot, trying his best to not act like a stupid teenage girl in love?
"Uhm... Nothing important. Asked her a bit about her upcoming recital." Not a lie, technically. Just not at all the whole truth. 
"Oh, okay..." Eddy didn't look convinced in any way. He furrowed his brows, before he said: "So, when will you guys see each other again?"
Brett stopped in his tracks. Where the hell did this come from?
"What? We haven't set any dates for calls or anything. Why would we?"
"Oh...", Eddy seemed surprised, which started to get Brett a tiny bit annoyed. 
"I figured if you'd like to talk to her in private, you might want to do it again or something..." Eddy looked down and suddenly seemed very insecure. Gone was his strong demeanor from just a minute ago.
Brett stared at him, trying to make sense of his weird behaviour. Why did chatting to Sophie alone led Eddy to think Brett would want to raise the number of tête-à-tête conversations with her? She was a good friend of both of them, so what was the problem?
"I don't get it. I talk to her once without you being around and you seem off. Are you afraid I'm going solo or something? Needing an accompanist?"
"Collaborative pianist!", Eddy corrected, "And no, that was not what I was thinking. You'd never make it without me."
Brett huffed. "So what were you thinking?"
"Bro, you demand to talk to a girl alone, what do you think I thought?"
It was almost impressive how slow it dawned on Brett what this fuzz was actually about. But when it did, a knowing, somewhat pained grin escaped him. 
"Ohhh... Are you maybe.... jealous?"
Eddy looked up with slight panic in his eyes. He shrugged, as if he tried to brush it off as something irrelevant. Brett didn't buy it. 
"And?", he pressed. 
"Well, she's pretty."
"She is."
"And you're taller than her for once."
"Am I?"
"By a margin."
"How did you even notice these things? We haven't seen her for ages!"
"I just did."
"And you think, we'd make a great couple?"
"I mean... Yeah. You'd always have a collaborative pianist AND violinist playing duets with you."
Brett leant back and sipped his tea, trying to ignore the sting in his belly region caused by a nasty feeling creeping up on him.
"Nah, don't worry. Won't snatch her away from you. Not interested."
Eddy frowned. "You think I am?"
Brett frowned. "Didn't we just establish that you're jealous?"
"Hmmm...", Eddy made. A slight smile appeared on his face to Brett's surprise. 
"What?"
"You think I'm jealous of you?"
"Who else? I feel like, we had this conversation before!"
"Yeah, the roles were reversed though.... Did you not hear back from the violinist girl and thought you go for someone you know better?"
"The hell, Eddy! I told you, you can have Sophie!" 
Eddy's hand, cool from holding the bubble tea cup, suddenly shot up and cupped a very irritated and baffled Brett's cheek. A tiny part of his mushed up brain was marveling over how well the side of his face fitted in Eddy's hand, like it belonged there...
"And I told you", Eddy said, his voice steady, calm, low and vibrating through every fibre of Brett's being, "You're mine!"
And as Brett once again tried to make sense of what the hell was happening and what Eddy meant, because what last had been mentioned had nothing to do with Sophie at all, he observed Eddy's originally serene expression change into a slightly worried one. 
"Brett, you're warm", he stated with a frown.
"Well, you're hand is there, so of course I get warm", he stuttered, desperately trying to keep his composure.
"No, you're like, burning up!" Eddy brought up his other hand and pressed it against Brett's forehead. 
"Whoa, bro! You're like a thousand degrees. And you're red like a tomato!"
"Way to exaggerate", Brett commented, but touched his unoccupied cheek and neck and discovered, that Eddy was right.
"But I don't really feel off...", he said truthfully. He also hadn't noticed any discomfort while they'd walked here. Just his always half hungry half hurting belly, but it had almost become a new normal, so...
"Yeah, I reckon we better get going before you do", Eddy said and got up, holding his half finished bubble tea in one hand and Brett's palm in his other.