It was 8 pm, right after dinner...

LXV

E: Finally got home! Boba never tasted so delicious 🥺🧋
E: You ok?

It was nightfall, when Brett woke up and saw Eddy's text. Warmth rippled through his insides like those occasional small waves on that koi fish pond in the park near their flat.
He had been sleeping for ten hours straight and felt marginally better than when he came in. Someone had put a tray of food on the table. Brett slowly got up, took the drip and his phone with him, sat down and grabbed the onigiri filled with salmon. While he chewed on his riceball with quite some appetite, he typed an answer with his unoccupied hand.

B: Just woke up! I reckon the path from SGH to our apartment is cursed! Last time you had to walk for 2h, now you took just as long missing stations

Brett had taken another four bites, when he got Eddy's reply.

E: Slept well, sleeping beauty?😉
E: You prob. right man! Soo unlucky
B: Or you're just useless without me
E: That's a well stated fact, didn't you know?

Count on Eddy to make him smile. Brett smiled.

B: Course I know! I babysit you all the time!
E: Says the guy who has been sleeping the past two months! Who's been cooking your meals, huh?

Brett pictured tiger mum's high pitched voice squeaking the last comment and had to hold back a laugh.

B: Thanks mum for taking care of me!
E: Always ungrateful! Haiyahh😡
B: I just said thank you!
E: Not early enough! Never early enough! Never good enough!!!🤬
B: Never, for tiger mum!
E: You bet 😉

Brett finished his onigiri and took a bite from an apple next.

B: You had dinner?
E: Nah! Gonna order some indian or smth
B: Sounds good!
E: When you're good again, we'll do a week just eating all the take out food you want!🥪🌭🍔🌮🥙🧆🥘🍝🥫🦪🥗🍜🍲🍛
B: I like your food though!
E: Really?
B: For reals! You improved tons!
E: Gonna leave you behind if you're not careful
B: Think you already did! You'd make a good housewife!

A way too vivid and unwelcomed picture of Eddy in a maid dress popped into Brett's brain and forced itself to the forefront of his consciousness. Brett had to shake his head vigorously, before he could read Eddy's text without hiding his burning face. Damn his own stupid wording!

E: You mean, like the ones wearing a dress, waiting at home for their husbands to return?❤️❤️

Oh, this was just great! Ling Ling was probably punishing him for his dirty thoughts and testing him by letting the love of his life mention a slightly more pg-friendly version of his fantasy.

Brett failed the test completely.

So, he just went for it and typed:
B: Yup! The ones from the ads from the fifties or smth. Should be the next dare!
E: Oh God! I'd pay good money to see you in a maid dress!💓

Brett almost snorted his last bite of apple out. There it was! Eddy mentioning a maid dress just proved, how similar their minds worked. Of course he'd bring it up in this context.

B: Why me? Didn't we establish you're the housewife?
E: Pleeeaaaseee! You'd look adorable!
B: Nah! Not gonna happen!
E: I'm taking such good care of you! Would be a way to say thx!🙏
B: Never!!!
E: Come on! Christmas gift?
B: You have a fetish or what? Nah!!!
E: Pleeaaaseeee 🥺🥺🥺🥺
B: I'll buy you one so you can wear it!
E: You want to see me wear one?
B: Oc! As much as you want to see me in one!

This was so ridiculous! Brett hid his face in his hands, although there was no one around to witness his embarassment caused by the string of texts they were exchanging.

E: Alright! Let's just settle with no one wearing it! 😋
Thank God he was backing off! Brett quickly punched in some letters.
B: Yes! Let's forget we've ever talked about it!
E: ... For the time being...
Oh no! Brett knew Eddy. He'd find a way for him to have to put on that damned thing for sure. He gulped.
B: Nah! It'll never happen! Forget it!
E: I do have bad memory... Maybe you're lucky.😋
B: I'm doomed!
E: Hahahaha😂😂😂

Brett chuckled and relished in the homey warmth their conversation was giving him. They rarely texted like that, they were almost always around each other. This carried a hint of excitement, of something more unfamiliar than the short informative texts they usually exchanged, except for the last few times when he'd been at the hospital. And it almost felt like Eddy was here with him, at the hospital in his room, filling it with life and laughter.

B: Thank you!
E: What for? 😊
B: For keeping me company!
E: Well, thx for doing the same. The apartment is way too empty without you 🥺
B: Aww, don't feel lonely
E: I am! Come home please?
B: I will! Tomorrow, remember?
E: Oc! Can't wait!
Brett hesitated with the next question, but proceeded with typing it after all.
B: Are you not enjoying your time off?
E: What do you mean? I did do some work you know
B: I mean from me! You're free when I'm not around...

He knew, he sounded like he was drenched in self-pity and maybe that was actually the case. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder, if his fears from last time he was here and Eddy hadn't replied weren't justified.

E: Bretty...

One word. That was all Eddy needed to send for Brett to feel like his insecurities were as silly as if Ling Ling wouldn't practise fourty hours a day. But Eddy even doubled down.

E: You are not a burden! Please ingrain this truth into your brain and never forget this ever again!
B: Ok...
E: If there is someone worth caring for, it's you! And if that'd be the only thing I'd do my whole life, it would be the most meaningful and fulfilled life in the whole universe! Get it???

Brett's insides did summersaults on the double. His fingers were shaking as he typed the next few letters and he had to erase and retype the whole thing, before it made sense.

B: ...Really?
E: Yup!
B: You're a sap.
E: I don't care! As long as you're getting the msg!

Brett's head shook itself fiercely. He couldn't believe what Eddy had written, but it was there, black pixels on a beige background, clear as day. Messages, he'd later take screenshots from and archive for future Brett to read and reread thousands of times. To remind himself how important he was to Eddy in times, when doubt and his battles over his self esteem weren't as victorious as he'd liked. To remind himself, that he had the absolute best mate in the world.

Brett had to hold back a tear, when he wrote his answer.

B: Got it!
E: Sure? 🤨
B: Absolutely! Thank you! And sorry
E: Noooooo! Don't apologize!
B: For once, I'm not around and you still have to console me! So, yes, I do have to apologize!
E: Accepted! We're good?

Brett smiled once again.

B: More than good! Thank you! For real
E: No worries! Anything for you!

Really?
Even if he'd knew, what kind of feelings were making Brett's heart jump every time Eddy entered his visual range, would he still say that?

All of a sudden, Brett felt as if he was deceiving his best friend. Taking advantage of his caring side without him knowing about Brett's stupid feelings seemed so wrong and Brett felt an almost overwhelming urge to just tell Eddy everything. Wouldn't he deserve to know? To know, how his best friend, who he was living with, sharing his dream and passion with, really saw him?

Brett had been sitting there, a half eaten apple in his hand long forgotten, pondering about what was right and wrong and okay and despicable, when his phone lit up with a new notification.

E: Might sound lame, but I miss you. I wish, I could take you home with me right now...

There was no stopping the tears that welled up in Brett's big eyes, staring at the screen, and that's when Brett made a firm resolution, his hands clenched to fists, the apple rolling on the floor and big, salty drops being pulled down by gravity, falling on his lap.

As soon as he was good again, he was going to tell Eddy.