the man with luminous eyes

10.

"Holy fucking—!" He stumbled back, falling on his ass with a loud thud. Pain spiked up his spine as he froze. "Ow..."

"Brett!"

The man he had seen in last night's memories appeared before him.

"What the fuck are you-- Ow, ow, ow," Brett grimaced at the pain.

Eddy offered a hand to help him up, which Brett hesitantly accepted. He wobbled uncertainly on his feet, his lower back a cesspool of pulsing discomfort.

"You alright? That was quite the fall..."

"Yeah, why do you think?" Brett snapped, pulling his hands away from Eddy's. "What're you doing here?"

"Your friend called to pick you up--"

"That's not what I asked!" Brett eyed the spare blanket sprawled messily on the used couch. "What the... Did you spend the night?"

Eddy avoided eye contact when Brett turned to him, pushing a warm cup of coffee into his hands.

"My hangovers get pretty bad, so I just... thought you'd need a hand in the morning... and I drove your car here anyway, and the subways were all down by the time I got you home, so..." Eddy scratched his head uncomfortably, clearing his throat. "Sorry... There's hangover soup in the kitchen if you want it?"

The steaming cup in his hand provided some comfort, Brett had to admit. He took a sip. Good coffee. His head cleared as the warm liquid quenched his parched throat.

"Sure, I guess..." Brett muttered. Guilt washed over him as Eddy replied with a soft smile.

"I'll go heat it up. Is your back ok?"

"I'm not an old man. I'm fine."

"Great," Eddy encouraged him toward the dining table. "I'll go get it for you, then."

Brett watched him leave, taking a nervous gulp of the warm drink in his hand. He felt tense in his own home, opting to stay quiet as Eddy approached him with a warm pot of beef soup.

The two ate in an awkward silence. The soup felt comforting against Brett's tongue as he took another sip of the broth.

"Thank you," He muttered. "But you really didn't have to do this."

"I know," Eddy nudged the side dishes closer to Brett's direction. Brett eyed him as he continued to eat nonchalantly. "I'm sorry that I scared you. I swear, I didn't do it on purpose."

Brett couldn't help but smile a bit. "It's alright. I owe you one."

"You sure do," Eddy nodded. He leaned forward, leaning his chin against interlocked fingers. "So. Rehearsal is later today. Hang out with me until then." 

Brett looked up from his bowl, raising an eyebrow. "Hang out? After what you just pulled this morning? I don't think so."

Eddy feigned a dramatic pout, but Brett remained unmoved. "Come on, please? I made you soup! Besides, it's not like you have anything better to do."

Brett sighed, setting down his spoon. "I appreciate the help, but I need some time alone to recover. I can't just jump from a hangover to hanging out like nothing happened." 

Eddy leaned back, crossing his arms with a thoughtful look. "Alright, how about this: We keep it low-key. No big plans, just a quiet day. We can do movies, practice, whatever you feel like." 

Brett leaned back. "Why all of a sudden?" 

Eddy untangled his arms, scratching his head. The expression on his face looked almost sad. Brett's sharp eye caught it, though Eddy hid it under a fake smile. "I just don't wanna be alone today."

Brett wanted to push, but decided it was best not to. Eddy returned to the pouty, puppy-dog-eyes look as he heaved a sigh. "You really aren't going to leave me alone until I say yes, are you?"

Eddy grinned, knowing he had won. "Exactly. Besides, you'll feel better with some company. I promise I'll be good."

Brett rolled his eyes, though the idea of a relaxing day was too tempting to resist. "Fine. But if I change my mind, you're out the door, got it?"

Eddy nodded eagerly. "Got it! Now, finish your soup and then we'll go get bubble tea!" 

Brett shook his head. "You're relentless, you know that?"

"It's my charm."