Club - a Breddy Fanfic.

38) Explain.

They walk in silence to the bubble tea store around the corner and order their teas. Brett leans against the counter, hands in his pockets, shoulders high, a clear sign of stress.
"Eddy, listen..."

"Let's go sit over there, okay?" Eddy interrupts. He doesn't look angry, just thoughtful.

They sit themselves in the back with their drinks across from each other.
Eddy twiddels around with his straw, still in thoughts, before smashing it through the lid. Then he finally meets Brett's eyes.
"Okay, I'm ready. Tell me your side of the story then."

Brett breathes a small sigh of relief that Eddy doesn't sound or look mad.
"She came onto me. I tried to get rid of her, I really did, but she kept coming at me. Then she suddenly locked lips." he almost stumbles over his words. "I swear I didn't want to! She was like a mollusc, couldn't get her of off me. It was horrible."

Before he has finished his sentence, there is some ruckus in the front of the store and the whole group of friends fall into the former peaceful store. Apparently Vincent has ordering duty, the rest walk towards their table and sit down. Mason drops besides Brett and Timo besides Eddy. Luke pulls up a chair for himself and the others and sits down.

"What's going on?" Mason asks. He fully well knows he's interrupting. That's why they are here after all.

"Brett kissed a girl a minute ago," Eddy replies, his eyes fixed on Brett's. "as you probably already know, you being there and all. And now he's going to explain how that happened."

Brett colours, but before he can say anything it's Vincent who comes to his rescue immediately.
"He couldn't help it Eddy! I swear it! I saw it happening. She came onto him, not the other way around. She didn't take no for an answer." The rest of the guys nod in union.

Eddy runs a hand through his hair, finally blinking, shifting on his chair.
"I know guys. I'm not even mad. I don't think he could help it, really. But it is fucking annoying, you know. They will always come at him. Just look at him. He's just too damn sexy."

The group laughs. They usually don't complement each other like that.
"Oh my God. That's so gay." Vincent smirks.

"Perhaps you have been missing some cues lately and may not be aware of the fact, but let me enlighten you I definitely am?" Eddy snickers. "But I'm not wrong, am I? They all want him. It just means I have excellent taste. But I don't like it that people are all over him."

Brett exhales audibly, just now noticing he has held his breath. He feels so relieved. Eddy is not mad at him! He relaxes a little bit. Finally he dares to talk.
"Eddy, listen please? I can't deny she put her lips on me, without me wanting it. And at that exact moment you came in! Did you not see that I pushed her away?"

"Yes. Why did you? She was quite pretty." Eddy looks intensely at his drink on the table, still playing with the straw. It's definitely a test, everybody can sense that from a mile away.

Brett doesn't fall for the trap set of course. "How can you ask why?! It's very simple, isn't it?! She wasn't you!" Brett looks across the table desperately, willing his intentions clear for everybody present.

Brett tilts his head to one side. "Come on, Eddy. You must know by now that I'd rather kiss you. And you know you're an excellent kisser."

Vincent snorts loudly of that and puts his hands on top of Luke's ears singing all mockingly "Lalalala, too much information!"

"Shut up Vin. Let them talk." Mason and Timo scold him, yelling at him both at the same time.

Brett ignores them completely and shakes his head.
"Look, I don't want this kind of thing to happen any more than you do." He thinks for a moment so he will be able to say the next words the way he wants to. "Okay. I see three options. One: I don't go dancing anymore. I would hate that, but I would give it up for you if that's the solution."
Eddy is surprised. He would give up clubbing for him?

Brett continues "Option two: I try to get them off of me every time they come onto me. But this one was very insistent, maybe more will follow. I don't know if I'm quick enough every time that happens. People will get used to me not responding anymore eventually."
Brett hesitates for a short moment. Eddy notices it.

"And three?" Eddy asks, playing with his straw again and looking down at his tea. Why does Brett hesitate about telling option three? Will he say that they won't be able to be together?

"Option three: I make it clear to everyone that I'm not available anymore. You'll come with me, we dance at the centre of the floor and kiss elaborately so the world can see how it is. The message will reach everyone through gossip within an hour. That's it." Brett reaches across the table, takes Eddy's hand from the straw and holds it in his own. "I would like to go with option number three, if that's okay with you."

Eddy gazes at Brett and tries to process what he just said.
The rest is too. All eyes are fixed on Brett.

Mason recovers first "Woah, dude! Eddy, you understand that this is a covert way of him asking you to be his BAE, right?!"

Brett blushes and looks from under his eye lashes at Eddy, shrugs and nods.
Finally it sinks into Eddy's brain. This marvelous man is asking him to be boyfriends, isn't he?! He wants to show him off at the Club? On his turf, his battleground, making clear he's taken? Woah. The realization makes him dangerously bold all of a sudden. He doesn't say anything, but gets up, bends over the table, grabs Brett's collar, pulls him close and kisses him hard, without any reservations and with lots of tongue, right in the middle of the bubble tea shop, in front of their friends to see. Who, of course, all start whistling and cheering, startling the rest of the customers, who immediately start staring. When Eddy finally lets Brett go, the man drops back in his seat, breathless, all kiss-dazed, and smiles.

"So this means yes, right?" Timo checks, as he glances from one to the other.

Eddy doesn't break eye contact with Brett. "Definitely a Yes!"
Both men beam at each other, all flustered.

Luke, who has no shame and doesn't care who he startles with the things he does, suddenly cries out, getting yet again glares from other customers. "Aw shit! Who had this week in the pool?!"

Peter rises his hand, looking all smug. "Told you so!"
Apparently he has finally guessed something right for once and of course goes all high and mighty about it. The others scoff and start handing him 20 bucks each, that must have been the stake of some sort of bet.

Eddy glances around. "What the fuck?"

Brett snickers, quicker to realise what must have happened. "You bastards. You made a bet about us becoming an item?"

Eddy's jaw drops. "You all did what?!" He says a bit offended and looks at his side. "Timo, you knew about this?"

Timo ostentatiously takes his wallet and hands Peter his money. "Sorry mate." he smirks.

"What was your guess when we would get together then?" Eddy asks him, not being able to deny he's curious now.

"I thought it would take another two weeks. But I really had faith that it would happen. We all had. Mason had the same week as me, right Mason?"

Mason nods and laughs.

"I already lost." Vincent says proudly.

"Loser." Luke scoffs.

"Right. You had next week, you bastard. So you also lost big time." Vincent throws back at him.

"But none of you thought we would last more than two months?" Brett wonders.

Mason smacks him on his back.
"No mate. You both are so lost for each other. Thank God the waiting is over."

Eddy has seen enough.
"Hey Brett! Wanna go home with me now?" He says coyly, eyes shining. "The rest are not invited, by the way."

Brett nods enthusiastically, sucks the last of his tapioca quickly and climbs over Mason in his haste to get going as fast as they can.
"Don't wait up, dads. I won't be coming home tonight." he smirks.
He grabs Eddy's hand and walks them quickly out of the store into the night.