Collection • TwoSetViolin

XIII. Gold and Silver

Summary: After meeting the fencing legend, Eddy Chen, in a national competition, Brett can't help but be astonished by him and his calm demeanor. He's determined to figure out the reasons behind his attitude, only to find that Eddy's doing anything he can to keep his private life a secret from everyone, Brett included. [6352 words, ~30-35 minute read]

Warnings: Depictions of abuse.

Notes: I have absolutely no idea if the depiction of fencing is clear in this haha;; Please tell me if something is weird/needs more explanation because I will try my best to clarify it in the story!

Again, this is a friendly reminder that this will be a long, long read. It might be a bit weird here and there as I play around with repetition/fragments, so please feel free to leave some feedback! Also, be aware that this will be a two-shot. If you prefer reading the entire series as a whole, please wait until the next part is published! Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy!

• • •

This was the last point.

He was out of breath. Underneath the wires of the mask, he could feel droplets of sweat pouring down his face and dripping down his chin, soaking his t-shirt underneath. The blade in his hands felt heavier as he bounced back and forth, taking careful note of his opponent's actions. He could hear the silence in the crowd. Even though there were other bouts going on, he knew that all of their eyes were on him.

Brett Yang. The wild card. The novice.

The same man that was eliminated in the first round last year.

He took a deep breath and extended his arm, hoping that his opponent would react the way he hoped. Once he saw the flick of the blade, he lunged, prematurely breaking out into a grin as he finished his attack. He didn't even need to hear the beep of the machine to know that he had gotten the touch.

Brett couldn't explain the joy that he felt as he saluted his opponent, took off his mask, and gave him a handshake. It was odd, feeling joy at the sight of his opponent's disappointed eyes, but he couldn't help it. This was a new sensation, and he was going to relish in it for as long as possible.

His face was glowing as he sprinted off of the strip, blade still in hand. He felt tears welling in his eyes from everything that was happening. A part of him couldn't believe what was going on; he couldn't hear anything that the announcer was saying, nor could he hear the crowd's hushed whispers, nor could he hear his coach cheering on the sidelines for him.

He had won the semifinals. He was going to finals. He was going to get gold or silver.

Brett stopped by the sidelines, wiping his tears with the sleeves of the white jacket. He felt his sweat being wiped away by his coach and a bottle of cold water being thrown into his hands, but nothing else. The feeling of joy burned through his system.

He had done it.

• • •

"Who won?"

Alexander cleared his throat. "Brett Yang. 15-3."

"15-3. Against Mattias." Eddy raised an eyebrow. He shook his head, still out of breath from finishing the bout before. "Maybe we underestimated him. I thought I would be fencing Mattias again during finals."

"And you beat Mattias. Heck, you slaughtered him. I think you'll be fine either way."

"Perhaps." His eyes were too busy focusing on the screen that displayed both his and Brett's name in the finals round. They both had some time to relax before the next bout started, luckily, but Eddy wasn't one to relax. He stood up, tightening his grip on the blade around his hand. His wrist was throbbing thanks to all of the parries he had done the previous bout. "Can you call me when it's about to start? My phone will be in my pocket."