Collection • TwoSetViolin

XVI. Savior

Summary: Brett doesn't expect his past to catch up with him. But when it does, he finds himself deciding whether or not to embrace the very thing he ran away from to protect the man he loves, Eddy Chen. [9631 words, ~45-50 minute read]

Warnings: Depictions of violence, major character death.

Notes: The summary's the same as before because I had no idea how to summarize this;;

I think I rewrote a few of these moments a lot of times, haha;; Nothing really felt too clearly depicted in all of the previous drafts, and they're still a little odd even in this version. If something's still weird or unclear or really odd to read in general, I apologize and would highly appreciate if you commented it/sent me a PM of sorts!

One thing I also tried to do was to work on depicting faster, more action-packed scenes (or moments with faster pacing). This experiment is most evident in one of the last scenes (no spoilers!), and I'm not quite sure how that worked out. Thank you all, and I hope you enjoy!

• • •

Brett couldn't remember the last time he had slept well. His dreams and thoughts kept him awake for too long, waking him up before the sun was even up and leaving him to pace his room in worry. He sighed, stretching, before yawning and sliding under the covers of his bed.

That night, he didn't dream.

• • •

Subject: Re: The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka
Sent on July 3rd at 00:48:13.

Good morning, Joshua.

Your most recent email surprised me - in an excellent way, of course. I did not know that you are a fan of Kafka, much less so bold and willing to confront me.

I sense a hidden challenge underneath those words. You desire something more from me, perhaps something reminiscent of your extraordinary past. Do not fear. I will definitely step up and meet your expectations; maybe I will even exceed them.

"[W]hat now if all the peace, the comfort, the contentment were to come to a horrible end?" Oh, but that is alright. I would do anything to satisfy your needs. If you wish for me to be more lethal, then I will leave the comfort of my own home to fulfill your desires. Expect me to achieve my goal in less than two weeks. I refuse to drag this on for any longer, and I am certain that you feel the same.

Sincerely,
The Savior

• • •

Even though Eddy had been staying over at Brett's house for the past week, Brett still felt giddy every single time they headed out together. The giddiness didn't overpower the fear that lingered in his stomach, but it was there and Brett didn't know what to feel about it. He frowned, continuing to walk through the park with Eddy right by his side.

He glanced up at Eddy, taking note of how pale he looked. His bags grew more prominent these past few days from worry, and Brett felt his stomach sink. Eddy had probably taken the majority of the blows; it felt as if threats were coming from all corners of the world, with the amount of strange letters and packages that were addressed specifically to "Edward Chen." Brett set his jaw and tensed his shoulders, pretending not to notice Eddy's wide, panicked eyes and the anger that burned inside his own body.

"Hey," he began. He needed to break the tense silence. "Did you hear about Michelle's engagement?"

Eddy shrugged. "No. I haven't been keeping up with anything lately."

"Oh." Brett flinched. Right. Both of them had been holed up in Brett's house. His head hurt every time he thought of Eddy, avoiding social media and his phone by practicing whatever he could. He loved listening to the music that came out of Eddy's temporary room, although he hated how he was able to sense the anxiety hidden underneath the notes.