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CXXIX

“E… Eddy, are you sure?”, Brett hissed as quietly as he could.
“Yup! A hundred percent!”
“But this… don’t they have like a dress code and stuff?”
“Checked. Apparently, the chef here’s young and super chill, so you could basically come in your running gear if you want.”
“God! I’ve never been to a place like this.”
“You think I have? I love I gotta experience so many firsts with you.”
Luckily, Brett was way too preoccupied to let his mind wander to a particular first he wanted to experience with this guy here, some day eventually. Preoccupied with this glassy, see-through elevator taking them to the freaking thirtiest floor or whatever, with the view which got wider and wider the more meters they climbed and with the middle-aged couple next to them, dressed in attire probably 300 times more expensive than what Brett was wearing, and Brett didn’t have to check to know that they were eyeing Eddy and him up and down. A clear, resonant, expensive sounding ping announced the arrival at their destination and the doors glid open to a scene Brett had only seen in movies with very rich people until today. 

Smaller and bigger round tables stood scattered across a wide room, all covered with white, heavy looking table cloths. There actually were candles on every table, giving this place an intimate, almost cozy vibe along with modern version chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows made out the whole front of the restaurant, providing guests with a spectacular view over some skyscrapers and the Sydney pier, the Sydney Opera House included. It was breathtaking. A grand standing in the corner on which a quite talented, young pianist was playing some light jazz added to the luxurious interior. 

“Uhm”, Brett whispered when they closed the distance between them and a small reception desk with unsure steps, “Are you sure we have enough money?”
“I hope so…”, Eddy mumbled back before stepping to a waiter who seated them at a table by the window. By the window! It was beyond Brett how Eddy had managed to score them a table like this with them being freaking con students.
“We don’t exactly fit in, do we?”, Brett meant, subtly throwing a glance around the room. Most of the guests had more similarities with the couple they’d rode the elevator with. 
“Are you uncomfortable? We can leave anytime if you want.”
Brett’s head whipped around. Eddy didn’t look upset. There was only this genuine care visible in his expression. 
“You kidding? This place’s food must be amazing and we haven’t earned that money for nothing now, have we?”
Eddy’s chest rose and fell as he sighed deeply. “Good”, he smiled, “But if you think it’s too obnoxious, we leave.”
“More worried about us getting thrown out first because of something off etiquette I do.”
“I'm the one with the impossible eating manners. But it’s more chill than it seems”, Eddy laughed, “I read some reviews online. We’re gonna be fine. Unless you turned vegan since lunch.”
“Not that I know, why?”
“Had to declare diets and allergies when I made the reservation.”
“Huh? Can’t we choose what we want to eat?”

Turned out they couldn’t. A waiter appeared the next second and explained the concept of the restaurant. Five courses and unless they had informed them, the menu was set, everyone getting the same dishes for every course. Brett’s excitement rose. He loved good food and if the cooks could concentrate on doing the few dishes they’d probably prepared the whole day, this promised to become a mind-blowing experience. They got a strong start for sure, an appetizer on the house, looking like the tiniest ship made out of black crackers with raw tuna tartar and a dozen other microscopic ingredients they ate in one go, setting off an explosion of flavours and textures in their mouths. 
“Damn!”
“Right? Never had something like this in my life!”
“For sure!”, Brett nodded, eyes closed and fully enjoying the tasty treat.

Next up was the first course, a salad, if one could even call it that. It had no similarity whatsoever with the stuff the con cafeteria was serving and Brett couldn’t even make out any salad leaves on the white, clean porcelain. It looked more like a miniature enchanted forest and the sauce was out of this world. His plate was empty way faster than he would have liked which had never happened before with raw greens. 

Eddy outdid himself today. How on earth was Brett ever going to top that? A candlelight dinner par excellence after hours filled with fun activities, great food, bubble tea and inspiring violin playing together. Not in his wildest expectations had Brett thought they would eat dinner at a place like this, though a part of him wasn’t sure if he didn’t actually prefer the hotpot at lunch over something this fancy. 

“You know”, Eddy said between the third and fourth course, their hands intertwined on the table, “As much as what happened after busking sucks, there’s one thing I realized.”
“Hm?”, Brett hummed, his curious gaze on Eddy’s content, calm face.
“I really don’t give much of a damn what other people think of me being gay, or bi, or whatever.”
“Oh?”, Brett made, a bit surprised by the topic Eddy brought up.
“Yeah. I mean, I’m still not sure how it’s gonna be when I have to tell my mum. Guess that’s gonna be a bit different.”
“I’m terrified to be honest!”, Brett admitted straight out, knowing there was no use in hiding it. The burden was lighter when shared and he felt this was especially the case for this one.
A soft, warm squeeze. “I’m with you every step of the way.”
“So am I”, Brett stated, “And you know, if shit hits the fan, we just move in together or something.”

He said it out of a whim without spending a fucking thought on it, which he should have he realized with a shock as soon as the words were out there, free and heard and that was the thing, right? He couldn’t just delete them, take them back and what if Eddy was going to freak out now? Here with dozens of couples and rich people around them? What if he was going to leave Brett here by himself because why the hell not? Proposing something like this when they weren’t even together, when they were still getting to know each other, when they agreed it was too early for anything serious. He could slap himself and he did, several times mentally to not make a bigger spectacle out of himself.

“Uh”, he stuttered, eyes averted to slightly trembling fingers, his tongue useless and his frozen brain just as much, “I mean… Shit Eddy, I didn’t mean…”
“Moving in? With you? Us together?”
Wait, his tone. It made Brett look up, hopeful that he hadn’t just ruined the night. Eddy’s eyes had that glimmer, the small flame of the candle between them reflected in his iris. 
“Would you… would you want to?”, he asked, apparently a bit at loss for words as well.
Brett's eyelids fluttered rapidly his heart indecisive if it should pick up the pace or stand still completely. “Uhm… I mean… my stupid subconscious seems to like the idea”, he went and threw all caution out the crystal clear floor-to-ceiling window.
Eddy frowned lightly. “Why stupid?”
“Not too soon to say something this cheesy and clingy?” Brett smiled a crooked smile. 
“Screw that!” 
Brett flinched.
“Sorry, but yeah, screw that! You know how happy you make me with what you just said?”
“R… really?”
Happy. Eddy was happy!
“Yeah. So why the hell should we hold back on things which make us happy? Doesn’t mean we have to move in immediately but to know that you can imagine this kind of future with me... So please!”
The earnestness in his pleading voice, the glimmer in his eyes drawing Brett in, taking his breath away, those big hands tightly holding both of his now. 
“Please do not hold back on those things. Cheesy as they may be, I want to hear them all if you’re the one saying them.”
Tears were just pressing under his lower eyelids once more when Brett took in this moment and they could have been standing in a dumpster alley as far as he was concerned instead of sitting here, in a high-end restaurant high above Sydney with food made for angels, he would still want to save every frame of this point in space and time in his memory and take it to his very grave.