Play!

CVI

“So, you guys made up?”
Mr. Thames walked up to them after rehearsals in which Brett had played a passable third movement and thus calmed down the poor conductors’ nerves a bit. Eddy shot Brett a quick look before he bobbed his head. “We did. We’re sorry for being late.”
“As long as you bring Brett back in a state where he can play like he just did, I’m good”, Mr. Thames meant, the corners of his mouth lifted.
Eddy’s grin made Brett’s heart skip a beat. “I’ll do my best from now on.”
“Good! I’m counting on you.”

“What the hell was that?”, Brett hissed after making sure their conductor was out of earshot. 
“I think he knows”, Eddy said as if he was talking about yesterday’s dinner and closed his case with a snap. 
“What?”
“The sus glint in his eye… dunno. Gut feeling.”
“Oh my God!”, Brett groaned, sinking down his chair until he had an awful lot of resemblance with a bag of potatoes. 
Eddy laughed. “Not okay?”

Was it? Or not? What was there to know anyway?

From the corner of his eye, Brett saw Cole leaping towards them before he could formulate an answer. 
“Fellas! Ready for dinner? I’m starving!”
“Actually”, Eddy’s gaze rested on Brett, “I think we need some time to talk things out.”
Brett blinked, partly to not get blinded by the bright creature wanting to spend some alone time with him, partly out of surprise. Eddy wanted to talk! That was a good sign, wasn’t it?
“Got it!”, Cole winked. However, Brett sensed his curiosity seeping off every pore. You’re not the only one who’s curious, mate, he thought to himself and promised, “I’ll see you later”. Because if someone deserved to know what was going on, it was Cole. 
“Yeah. At the hotel?” 
“Yup.”
They had a free evening which could be filled with much needed practice… or other things, for that matter. Cole gave them a wave and dragged Nathan along with him who was just on his way over.

Eddy held out his hand. “Shall we?”
Brett stared at the open palm in front of him like it was a new type of instrument. “Uhm… you sure?”, he stammered. Holding Eddy Chen’s hand here on stage, was this really happening?
Eddy shrugged unfazed. “Of course. Let’s go! Gonna treat you to ramen. Pretty sure you can’t say no to that!”
Slowly, Brett laid his hand into Eddy’s, relishing the warmth and how it almost disappeared when Eddy closed his fingers. Most of the students were gone already, so there were no prying looks, at least for now. Still, Brett’s heart was in his throat when he got up and walked off stage beside him.

Eddy didn’t let go in the hallway. He also didn’t let go in the cafeteria where he had to pay that muffin he’d gotten for Brett as an emergency snack. And he was still holding his hand when they exited the building and strolled toward the Japanese place Brett had been with the others on the first evening of orchestra camp, when he’d thought Eddy hated him.

How the tables had turned.
 

“Are you okay?”
Brett looked up to Eddy’s soft, open features. A lifetime wasn’t enough for getting used to eyes as beautiful and earnest as Eddy’s observing him.
“I am… just a lot to get used to, I think.”
“Oh”, Eddy made, and let go of Brett in an instant. “I’m so sorry! I should have… I mean…”
“Oh, no no!”, Brett hurried and took Eddy’s hand again out of instinct, like he’d done so his whole life. “No it’s not that…really!”, he emphasized when he noticed Eddy’s unsure demeanor. “I… I don’t know. Normally I don't give a fuck about what others think, but this is so… different.”
“You mean, because I’m a guy?”
Eddy didn’t sound pained. Only a bit unsure, just like how Brett felt and that’s why Brett didn’t immediately deny it only to ease Eddy’s worry. Like this, he could actually take his time to think. 

Was it? Brett wasn’t so sure. It had taken him some time to get used to the idea of liking Eddy and he’d been upset when Cole had helped him realize that. Maybe, touching on a reality of being with him would take some time too? After all, he’d been convinced his feelings would lead to nothing and even though it had hurt like hell, his life didn’t have to change. It was different now, which was wonderful, and a bit frightening as well. 

“Maybe a little”, Brett decided to be honest, “But also, I’ve never really been with anyone… so that’s a first too.”
“I thought you had your fair share of experiences”, Eddy said, a curious undertone detectable. 
Brett rolled his eyes as he thought back to those so called experiences. “God, only girls I wasn’t interested in confessing and me kissing one or two here and there when I had a bit too much to drink.”
“Then I gotta make sure you won’t drink too much the next time we go out.”
They could see the restaurant further down the street now when Brett gave Eddy’s palm a squeeze. “Depending on the desired outcome.”
Brett kept his gaze straight but he could hear Eddy’s breath hitch and a sense of satisfaction made him grin like a loon. 

“What about you?”, he asked when they sat down at a small table by the window, the cool AC-air drying off of their sweat. “You seem so comfortable and confident, even at the con. And it’s your con too!”
Eddy smiled and took Brett’s hand again after he put down his case. 
“I told you once I don’t care what other people think either. And after we talked on the roof… I wasn’t doing very well.”
Brett flinched. He had been in bad shape too, but at least he had his friends by his side. Eddy had gone through this alone and Brett doubted Eddy had told his mum about all this. 
“So now, being with you, knowing you… I still can’t believe you like me!” His chuckle sounded incredulous. “I really couldn’t care less about everything else. I’m just so, so happy I get to, you know, talk to you again and that you don’t despise me.”
Another flood of warmth filled Brett’s body.
“Oh, wow”, he mouthed, unable to formulate anything more coherent.
“But I’m not expecting that it doesn’t bother you or anything. It is a lot to get used to. I’m still getting used to it too. And I guess there might be some things we should talk about?”
How was this guy so sweet, providing Brett with the security and space he needed to ponder? And he got even sweeter when his smile widened and he stated, “But first things first! You, Sir, need to eat!”

They ordered two bowls of the restaurant’s special Tonkotsu ramen and Brett’s appetite grew with every minute. Thankfully, the dish arrived fast, courtesy to the relatively small menu and he found himself digging into the bowl of goodness like it was his first meal ever.
“God! That’s so good!”, he munched after the initial hunger was satisfied. 
“Glad to see you eat properly!”, Eddy slurped, sprinkling soup within an impressive radius.
“Yeah, sorry ‘bout that.”
The spoon Eddy brought to his mouth froze midway when he turned his head left and right. “I'm sorry I brought this upon you.”
“Eddy”, Brett put his chopsticks down and laid a hand on Eddy’s on the table, “I was stupid enough to let myself go down that road. That’s not on you, okay?”
“I… I can’t help but think how my attempt at sparing you from everything has brought you into that mess”, Eddy admitted, eyes cast on their intertwined fingers.
“You couldn’t have known it would come to that. We only knew each other for a few days and… I mean, I do feel like it was pretty obvious that I like you, but it’s much more likely to think I would have just moved on.”
“Nonetheless, I hurt you”, Eddy said and looked at Brett with this earnesty again, “And I’m so sorry I did!”
“You’ve apologized already”, Brett said encouragingly and hoped he could lessen Eddy’s guilty conscience with what he said next, “It’s okay now. We’re okay now and I thank the heavens we are. Enough apologizing, okay?”
The smile Brett got back was everything. “Okay!”