LXXX

                                    

                                          
After their impromptu rehearsal of the first movement, Brett actually managed to get another hour of practice in. It was like that little intermission, filled with Eddy's closeness, had given him another power boost. Like the reassurance of Brett still being an equal part of Twoset had fired up his motivation.
Maybe he'd get better sooner than he thought he would!
It didn't pass by Eddy unnoticed either. 
"You've practiced for quite some time there", he remarked over dinner consisting of cauliflower pizza, some recipe Eddy had seen on a Tiktok feed of a keto/vegan/whatever-diet/superhealthy person. It was underwhelming and not worth the effort, Brett found, as he tried to pick up a slice which crumbled into thousands of tiny pieces instantly. 
Eddy seemed to be fairly disappointed himself, stabbing little holes into his pizza intead of putting it into his mouth. 
"Yeah!", Brett replied, "I felt quite energized after we played together, so I thought, why not go for as long as I can?"
"And how do you feel now? Not too tired?"
"I mean, a bit. But it was much worse like two days ago. It's a huge improvement." Brett tried to bring the bits of cauliflower together so he could scoop them up. Eddy had given up on eating and laid his fork down. He smiled widely nonetheless. "That's awesome, bro! So the meds are working?"
"Apparently. At least better than the ones before."
"What about nausea?"
Brett tried to recall the past couple of days, but had trouble to think of anything outside that THING that had happened with Eddy. 
"I'm not sure to be honest... I think it has lessened!?"
"If you're not sure it can't be that bad."
"I guess... I was a bit distracted", he admitted shyly and got to see a knowing smile on Eddy's features as a result. 
"Hmmm... I wonder by what?", Eddy asked jokingly, his eyes scrunched together and a hand under his chin as if he was thinking hard. 
"Maybe it was my flatmates lousy attempt on cooking", Brett retorted. 
Eddy grimaced. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that. Never gonna try a Tiktok recipe ever again."
"Don't be. If it doesn't have to represent pizza, it's actually okay, tastewise." Brett demonstratively took another mouthful. 
"Nah! It's terrible. If you don't wanna eat it just leave it. I'll make us rice noodles later."
"It's really not that bad. I can finish my portion no problem."
"Really? It tastes like cardboard for me!" Eddy pushed his plate away, got up and took an apple from the kitchen counter. 
"Well, you don't like mushrooms either, so maybe your tastebuds don't work properly." 
Eddy just stuck out his tongue as a response.
After dinner, they found one of the old Hong Kong kung fu movies from the eighties to watch. They'd watched those Hong Kong cinema legends fight their way through countless bad guys since they'd been kids (never mind the age limit! Their parents didn't care about stuff like that) and it was hilarious. 
"Oh my God! Did you see that move?", Eddy cried, but Brett was too busy laughing his ass off. 
"How does every punch sound exactly the same? That's too much!", he guffawed. 
"Right? I forgot how funny they are!"
It was good to laugh like this while watching a movie after what seemed forever. To feel light and joyful for a change and just enjoy each other's company without having to think too much. Brett hadn't known how much he'd missed this. 
At some point, Eddy leant his head against Brett's shoulder and yawned. 
Brett looked to the side, down at Eddy's beautiful lashes framing his tired eyes. 
"Hey", he whispered and started to brush through Eddy's hair, hesitant at first, but when he felt Eddy leaning into the touch, the movements became more natural and confident. 
"Hey", Eddy mumbled back. 
"You tired?"
"Kinda. Long day you know, baking that stupid cauliflower pizza."
Brett chuckled. "Sleep then. It's nice it's not me dozing off for a change."
"I liked that though."
"What? Me sleeping all the time like a sloth?"
"Yeah. Gave me the opportunity to watch your sleeping face."
"Did you count the times I drooled and snored?"
"'Course! Have a bet going on with Jordon and the team."
Brett froze. "Wait, what?"
"Kidding!", Eddy sniggered and received a head slap for his joke. 
"Already thought I'd need to restore my honor." Brett continued to tousle Eddy's oh so soft hair. Did that guy change shampoos? It smelled amazing. 
"Imagine! I'd never sleep peacefully for the rest of my life, waiting for your revenge all the time!"
"You bet! You'd get your ass kicked like that guy there", Brett said and pointed at the tv, where some strong lady faught a group of bandits. 
"I'm stronger than you", Eddy remarked, but sounded like a tired kid, tucked in and on his way to dreamland.
"Not when you're sleeping."
"Good point."
For the next five minutes, there were just the tone studio punches and outcries of fist throwing people audible. Brett's thoughts were starting to swirl around the still desperately looked for Christmas gift idea for Eddy, when the other picked up from where they'd left off. "You look cute when you sleep, you know." 
The butterflies took off instantly. Brett inhaled deeply and managed a smile.
"Really? Is that good or bad?"
"Good of course, very good..." It sounded like Eddy wanted to say more but held himself back just in time. Good, Brett thought. It was a tricky situation already. One, in which the whole "holding back" issue was threatened to be thrown of the roof from Singapore's highest building. 
Brett cleared his throat. "You're a creep."
"Hmmm...", Eddy made and snuggled closer to Brett's side.
It took him another five minutes, until his breathing slowed down and his body leaning against Brett got heavy. Brett took the liberty to turn the tables and glanced down at his best friend, the subtly rising and falling chest, the big hands folded in his lap, his eyes closed and his features perfectly peaceful. 
"How did I not fall for you earlier?", Brett whispered and brushed some strains out of Eddy's face, the kung fu masters on screen forgotten. And suddenly, there were tears yet again pressing against Brett's eyelids. 
What the hell? Hadn't it been enough crying for one day?
But as he observed Eddy through his blurry sight, Brett realized something. Or it was more the sum of realizations today that brought him to the brink of wailing.
The realization, that Brett had been able to practice for a longer period of time. That he'd actually managed to get more dinner down than Eddy without vomitting. That he'd enjoyed a film, laughed until his belly hurt and hadn't fallen asleep before Eddy did. 
That Brett was truly, finally on the way of getting better! 
There it was. A wave of gratefulness washed over him and a single tear drew a line down Brett's cheek. And like out of a reflex, an instinct deep within, he started to thank God or whatver deity was up there or around them for at last slowly putting an end to this shit he'd been through, for finally knowing what treatment he needed and most of all, for having Eddy by his side during all this time and for so much longer before.
Another tear, and another tear fell and Brett had to put his hand over his mouth, so his sobbing wouldn't wake up the one he treasured most above everything. But it was too wholesome for him to just stop or be angry at himself for all the crying. And he knew deep within that it was okay, that his heart needed this and that it was part of his healing as well.