CII

                                    

                                          
"Woooow!"
"Woooow wooow wooow!"
"That's huge!!!"
"Yeah!"
"Sure we can eat that?"
"Meh, we're two people. And we have to get you chubby again! So eat!"
"What? When have I ever been chubby??"
"There was a time... and I like you with a bit more! You're so soft when you're not super thin like now."
"What? When? You literally said I'm soft like... I don't know, three days ago."
Eddy ignored the first question. "Yeah, of course. But you're so much more squishy when you have some fat on you."
"Bro, you're so weird! I don't know if I wanna be squishy."
"Come oooon! For me?"
Brett had to hold back hard to not kiss the pout Eddy was making. He sniggered, shook his head and picked up a spoon. 
"Wanna take a picture for our socials? For New Year's?", Eddy asked and pulled out his phone with one hand. "It's also a good memory of the first ever sweet treat you're allowed to eat again."
"Dr. Han's gonna get a stroke if she sees this, but yeah, let's!"
They positioned themselves next to each other, faces contorted in huge glee, the giant sundae decorated with m&ms, bisquits, a chocolate bar and tons of cream on top between them and the phone. 
"Perfect!", Eddy exclaimed, quickly saved the picture so he could later post it on Insta and Youtube with a short description before he pocketed his phone, "Let's dig in!"
The sugar rush Brett felt was almost brutal after such a long time living without any. The rush of sharing a desert with his love was still stronger though. 
"Mhhhmmm", Eddy made, cream everywhere but inside his mouth. 
"Dude!", Brett chuckled, "You got ice cream all over your face."
"Maybe I did it on purpose so you can... clean me up." There was only one word that could describe what Eddy did with his tongue, trying to reach all the sweets splatteted around his face: obscene!
Brett almost snorted out the m&ms he just ate. 
After the giant ice cream Brett felt so jittery he dragged Eddy up a tall hill where they'd have a nice view over Singapore to get rid of all the excess energy his body suddenly got provided with. 
"Bro, wait up!"
"Come on, slow coach! One could think you were the one with months of bed rest! I thought you've been working out?"
"I have much more muscle mass to carry, unlike you!"
"Than use that muscle to walk faster!"
It was kind of nice to be the one who was setting the pace for a change. 
They arrived in time at some view point to see the first fireworks go off. There wasn't a big official one planned though due to the pandemic.
"Let's sit down", Brett suggested, took Eddy's hand and pulled him to a grassy open spot. 
"There's a nice one", Eddy pointed at a bunch of glittery flowers exploding at the bay.
"It is! Nothing compared to Sydney!"
"Dude, no way! Sydney's just awesome."
They watched the fireworks being lit in different places throughout the city. It wasn't long until Eddy laid his arm around Brett and pulled him to his side, warming Brett with his closeness and making use of the fact that there was practically no one else around. Brett laid his head on his love's shoulder and sighed.
"You happy?", Eddy asked, his voice soft like the breeze surrounding them, drying the sweat sticking on their bodies from their little climb. 
"Very! I don't think I've ever been happier in my life", Brett said very honestly. 
"Sap."
"Have to keep up with you."
"Or course."
The vibrations set off by Eddy's chuckle were soothing, casting away some of Brett's sugar high and calming down his heart beat. 
"You?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you happy?"
Eddy turned his head a bit and gazed down at Brett, the fireworks seemingly forgotten.
"Yeah. So very very happy."
There were no more words needed. Brett could feel in the weight of the last sentence how much it meant to Eddy that Brett was in his arms, that they could be together like this, counting down the old year and soon starting a new one. Together, as partners and best friends like they'd been for forever, but also as so much more.
They sat there, Brett held by Eddy, Eddy's fingers intertwined with Brett's, until their buts hurt and their minds grew lazy. 
"How long is it till midnight?", Eddy asked at some point. 
Brett glanced at his watch. "About an hour."
"Let's go. I wanna take you to somewhere."
Brett looked up in surprise. "Okay?"
They made their way down the hill and through the city, always close by each other. Brett was digging around his brain where they could be going and started to think at some point that they would count down to zero in some side alley in a random part of Singapore. It wasn't a neighborhood he was familiar with and the obvious choices like the park, their apartment or even Esplanade had been ruled out pretty quickly.
Eddy did stop for bubble tea though, got two huge cups packed up in a plastic bag, before they continued their journey. 
"Uhm, where are we going?"
"You'll see", Eddy answered, an enigmatic smile tugging at the corners of his lips. 
At some point, Brett did start to recognize things. Impressions of a long, silent walk after he had been misdiagnosed slowly resurfaced... it felt like a lifetime ago. Ten minutes before midnight, sounds of rolling waves found their way to Brett's ears and after a couple of minutes, they reached the open sea.
And there it was. The beach Eddy had led him to after they had gotten the false diagnosis of Crohn's disease. Like then, they took off their shoes to feel the sandy beach between their toes. Like then, Eddy took Brett's hand and pulled him along until the gentle waves washed over their feet.
Unlike then, there wasn't an uncertain future full of worries lying in front of them. Now, they were going to enter a new, exciting year. And like then, they were going to face everything together. As best friends, and now even as lovers. 
Eddy took out the bubble teas and handed one to Brett. They looked at each other as they stabbed the straws through the lids with a satisfying pop. Other people around them had their champagne bottles and glasses ready or were setting up some kind of online or television countdown. 
"You ready for 2021?", Eddy asked solemnly, his eyes shiny, reflecting one or two fireworks nearby from time to time. Beautiful. 
Brett took a deep breath and cast his eyes down at the dearly missed beverage in his hand. 
"I'm sure as hell ready for THIS!", he exclaimed and raised the cup. 
Eddy laughed the kind of laugh which carried a lightness and pure joy. The kind of laugh Brett had secretly set as a goal to hear more often from his love. 
"Good thing we don't have to wait for too long then."
The last two minutes of 2020. Of a on so many levels challenging year nearing the end. Still, not for the life of his did Brett want to miss out on this one. He looked at the reason for all the wonderful things that had happened this year and reached out his free hand. Eddy took it, intertwining their fingers. 
"Ten, nine, eight...", people around them started counting. Brett and Eddy didn't join in. Too immersed they were with looking at each other, savouring the moment. 
"...seven, six, five..."
Eddy came closer. 
"...four, three, two, one!"
Their lips met. Brett closed his eyes, the pangs of fireworks around them going crazy, welcoming the new year as his heart jumped happily and the shivers running through his body made his mind fly even higher than the glittering flowers, joining the moon overshining the beach.
"Happy new year, Brett", Eddy whispered against Brett's lips, his eyes half lidded. 
Brett reached up and touched the side of Eddy's face softly, hoping it could show just a fraction of how much he loved his Eddy. 
"Happy new year, Eddy."
"I love you."
"I love you too!"