Neighbour

19.

"Thanks again for letting me borrow it, and… and I'm sorry I can't give you a ride," Brett said, handing him his old violin back as they got just outside the door to the rehearsal space. The rehearsal had gone well, and he had even seen Brett smile as they played a passage he later whispered to Eddy that he really liked. 

"Don't worry about it, the bus isn't…" Eddy began, but paused as he spotted a familiar silhouette leaning on one of the columns at the corner of the building. That asshole really was spying on him getting out of work, wasn't he? "... Isn't too bad." 

Brett turned to where Eddy was looking as well, and looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him upon noticing what Eddy had already seen. His fist tightened on the tote bag he had his sheet music in as he turned back to Eddy with the little smile from earlier now gone like dew in the sun. 

"That's good at least. I gotta go, though," Brett said quickly, taking a step back. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." 

"I'll see you tomorrow, yeah. Be careful, though, okay?" Eddy requested softly, trying not to look at Mike approaching behind Brett. He didn't want to alarm the guy. "Just let me know if you need anything." 

"Thanks. See you," Brett said, turning to head off to the car park, which was in the same direction Mike was standing, but crashed directly into the large man he called his boyfriend with a squeak. 

"Hey babe, finally done for today?" Mike asked him, firmly placing his arms around the smaller man who looked like he'd rather he didn't. "I came to meet you after work, but it seems you already have company…" 

"No, no, Eddy was just leaving. We were just talking about some technical part in the…" 

"Didn't think you'd stay at work full day today, since you got your violin smashed," Mike interrupted him, raising an eyebrow. He glanced up at the second violin on Eddy's back. "Did you suck a dick to borrow one, or what?" 

Eddy turned back to him with the most sugary sweet smile he could do. The asshole was implying that he had made Brett have sex with him to get to borrow the violin, which he was not having any of. 

"I just happened to have my old violin with me for a small adjustment today," he lied seamlessly. He was getting so easily irritated with how Mike used such a condescending tone when talking to Brett. "But I'm not using it, and Brett is needed for the concert so I thought I'd be a good colleague."

"That's so nice of you," Mike answered flatly, tightening his hold on the small man. Brett's eyes were big and clearly uncomfortable.

"Just trying to help," Eddy said, still in the sugary sweet tone. He wasn't even trying to not sound fake. "Anyway, gotta head off. I'll see you tomorrow, Brett."

Eddy walked off after that, not wanting to say anything to make things worse for Brett while he was so irritated with the asshole he called his boyfriend.