Fantasia

IC

It was kind of weird and good, to have his mum around.

They talked a lot. In Brett's room in his presence and sometimes by themselves. About the past years since they'd had that big fight, about their phone call and a bit about the future. Eddy could tell that his mum was causcious to say anything that would cross some line and although he had forgiven her, he was still grateful for that. Brett's mum and Alan came by in the evening and they greeted each other like very old friends who hadn't met for ages. Brett and Eddy exchanged a small smile when their two mums were hugging each other and chatted rapidly in Mandarin shortly after, any sort of awkwardness that could have overshadowed this encounter untraceable.

Eddy ordered Chinese take away from a place Brett recommended and they all had a feast in that blue hospital room, making Eddy feel like a kid again whenever his family had organized a big family gathering. Their laughter rang throughout the room into the hallway, until a nurse had to tell them to turn it down a bit. Of course, their mothers insisted on Brett and Eddy playing the violin for them and they were more than happy to follow their wish. Their Adagio got sweeter the more they played it and it was astonishing, how that piece still managed to touch Eddy's heart.

"Will you come back to the hotel with me, Eddy?", his mum asked, when the clock neared ten p.m..
"No, gonna stay with Brett for a bit. I might stay the night. You go ahead."
"Alright. You sleep well. And Brett, look after Eddy for me, will you?"
"Of course!", Brett said, while Eddy rolled his eyes at his sniggering mother.

"That went well", Brett meant after she'd left.
"It did", Eddy agreed with a yawn and slumped down on a chair next to Brett's bed.
"You gonna leave in a bit?"
"Nah. Think I'm gonna stay. I'll shower tomorrow."

They both brushed their teeth and changed into their pyjamas, Brett needing less and less help every evening.
"So, have you thought about what you'll do after you won't have to work anymore?", Brett wanted to know as they pulled their blankets over themselves.
Eddy glanced at him and turned around so he faced Brett.
"My mum asked me about it a bit, but not like super specific."
"I know. I overheard. Sorry if I shouldn't have."
"No, no!", Eddy hurried, "It's fine. There's nothing I wouldn't tell you anyway."
"Well, thank you", Brett smiled.
"I don't know... I mean, I know I wanna play the violin. And I'm gonna start practicing regularly for sure. But other than that... I guess I'm gonna move back to Australia too when I'm done in Singapore. Maybe try my luck with joining an orchestra or something."
"Mhm", Brett made, his eyes cast on an unknown future.
"What would you recommend? You as a pro?"
"I'm not a pro anymore." The smaller shook his head, making his cushion rustle.
"You were for many years! And you could still join orchestra, if you want!"

Brett was quiet for a long time. So long, that Eddy wasn't sure if the other hadn't drifted off to sleep already. But then, he inhaled sharply.
"I don't know, man. I can't tell you what to do and orchestra might be a good place to start. Or to stay, if you like it. I've been thinking a lot these days though. About us, how we play the violin together and how it seems to touch people. Our families at least, which are biased, so I don't know..."
There was a point Brett was trying to make, and judging by the way he was beating around the bush, which was totally untypical for him, it must have been something meaningful he tried to convey. Something he didn't want Eddy to misunderstand, perhaps?
"But maybe, you know... maybe we could, do something together? Music related, I mean. Like, playing the violin together..."

Eddy didn't dare to blink as his eyes tried to read Brett's half hidden expression in the darkness.
"Are you... are you really serious?"
"Of course, only if you want. You don't have to just because of what we've been through. It's just an inkling of mine that it might work out and I know for myself that this is something I'd really like to try. I don't want to hold you back though-"
"Brett!", Eddy interrupted, his voice raspy, "I know you'd never force me to do anything!"
A moment of loaded silence, before Brett said, "Okay. Good. You don't have to answer immediately of course. Take your time. I mean... maybe it's a stupid idea anyways..."
"It's not!", Eddy quickly threw in, his heart hammering in his chest indicating how much, oh how much this offer meant to him. Brett Yang, his role model, concertmaster of the SSO, the guy, whose tone was the sweetest on the planet in Eddy's humble opinion, asked him to play the violin with him for a living!
Eddy had no idea how they could make this work. And how they wouldn't try anything countless violin duos weren't succesful doing anyways. With Brett by his side however, he felt like there was nothing they couldn't do. They had defeated death, after all, hadn't they?

"So, you're not... I mean, you like the idea?", Brett asked carefully, his tone small.
"Yeah! Very much! God, I feel so honored!", Eddy exclaimed, definitely too loudly for a hospital ward after ten p.m.. He was half sitting up by now, any trace of fatigue long forgotten.
Brett snorted. "Dude! I'm not like Vengorov or anything! I'm surprised you're not repulsed."
"Brett! Please! You're the one guy I've looked up to my whole life. The one who brought me back to my passion! I absolutely adore your playing, you should know that by now! And now you're asking me to work with you? This is just..."
Brett blinked rapidly. "Really?"
"Really! Wow, I'm... Brett! I really think this could be something! We could think of something to bring classical music to a broader audience for example. We wouldn't be tied down by politics, or grants, or admins. I have savings I can invest too! This could be really, really awesome!"
"It could also suck! We could suck!"
"I somehow doubt that", Eddy sniggered upon Brett's phrasing.
"Why?"
"Why did you ask me in the first place if you wouldn't believe that it could work?", Eddy asked back with a confidence he didn't know where he'd dug up from.
Brett chuckled. "Got me there."
"So you also think we could make it work?"
Eddy's best friend got quiet, before he quietly laid out, "It's more an inkling. Like an instinct or something. My musician mind is telling me I'm crazy. We're crazy! So many factors are against us! How should we even earn money? We can't just go around busking all the time. What platform would we go for?
But then, there's this feeling inside me, which lets everything, every doubt fade away."
Brett's eyes were practically glowing in the dark and Eddy's were for sure no less shiny.
"And every time we play the violin together, it's like music becomes a language even deaf people can understand. I know it makes no sense and it sounds unbelievably cringey, but that's really how I feel. That's why I think whatever we'd manage, it could be meaningful. And I really do think we should at least give it a go."

Yet again, Eddy had to hold back tears. Happy tears.
"I'd really like that, Brett."

A/N: Holidays really keep me from writing and updating XD. Also have been sick, so I hope this chapter makes up for the wait.