It was 8 pm, right after dinner...

XX

"Hey! Did you get groceries?", Eddy asked, as soon as Brett entered their appartment with arms full of food and everyday items.

"Do I look like I haven't?", Brett huffed and handed Eddy a bag to put away, "Do we have any plans this evening?"

Eddy stopped in his tracks and pulled out his phone to look over their shared calendar. "Doesn't seem like it. Why?"

Brett's question was very casual, between bros at least. So he didn't quite understand, why his heart suddenly decided to accelerate like a freaking race car and his mouth turned itself into a desert. He swallowed, before he tried to say as deadpan as possible: "Thought would be nice to go for a picnic. What you reckon?"

Eddy furrowed his brows. If Brett would have had the ability to vanish into thin air, he would have done so by now, regretting his idea immediately.

"Picnic? Where is that coming from?"

"It's pretty nice weather actually, so I thought maybe.... But if you're not up for it, we can just stay in..." The last words were almost inaudible.

"No no!", Eddy exclaimed loudly, "I think, it's a great idea! I'm just a bit surprised... We never do picnic."

"So, you're in or not?" Brett tried to not sound too phased. It didn't really work.

"'Course!"

So they packed a bagpack full of food and drinks and headed out for the nearby park Brett almost knew by heart from his last visit.

"There's a nice spot, a bit more secluded. Wanna go there?"
"How come you know about this spot?"
"We've been here several times. Unlike you, I can memorize places, you know!"
"We've been here once or twice! And I'm not so bad with directions actually."

"So, what about the time when we were in Japan and had to walk around for hours to find that one special restaurant you'd been to and really had to show me?" There was a smirk on Brett's lips, while he led Eddy to a small field of grass between some willow trees, thinking back to what seemed simpler times.

Eddy laughed. "Oh god! Yeah, that was bad. Still sorry 'bout that. But it was one time and I had been there like two years before I brought you there. Wasn't it worth it?"
"Can't remember the food to be honest."

They sat down on plain grass and started to bring out their dinner.

"Seriously?", Eddy asked incredulously, "That's a very famous Unadon place, you know!? You should be thankful I brought you there."

"We should have brought a blanket", Brett just said, frowning, "The ants are attacking our food already."

"We don't have a blanket, since we've never done picnic before", Eddy remarked, trying to drive away the insects, which were taking advantage of the lack of said blanket.

"Cockroach!", Brett suddenly yelled and Eddy just screamed and ran away so fast some kids got scared and hurried back to their parents side. Brett laughed, proud of his prank.

In the end, they went to a nearby bench and finally started digging into the onigiris and sashimi. By now, the sun was almost gone and coloured the evening sky in bright pink and gold with it's last remaining light. Exotic birds were chanting and even some squirrels started to appear.

It was like a magical forest out of a fairy tale and a tad too sappy for Brett's taste. He looked over to Eddy, who enjoyed his food and had a relaxed and satisfied smile on his face.

What else was there for Brett to do, than to deem his stress with asking Eddy in the first place worth it and enjoy the special atmosphere? So he leaned back contently, took another big bite and sighed.

Eddy looked at him. "You happy?"
Brett smiled. "Yup!"
"That was a good idea!"
"Yup!"

After dinner, Eddy went to get some cold beers from a supermarket in the neighbourhood, a non-alcoholic for Brett of course, since alcohol was one of those banned items on Brett's new diet.

Brett stayed back to guard their stuff. As soon as Eddy was out of sight, he took a delicate necklace out of his left jacket pocket and stared at it.

He wasn't sure, why he'd bought this piece of jewelery with a rose dangling from it. It had been more or less on a whim and his hunch told him, that the one he intended to give it to would like it. He'd known, as soon as he had seen it.

What he didn't know was, what on earth he should say to him when handing that thing over. Brett sighed again and put the necklace away, leaving it to not so distant future Brett to deal or not deal with it.