soda water

Brett likes to party

They just finished a successful show and are out for a celebratory drink at a bar. Eddy wasn't really a party person, but he got a bit more open to things thanks to his multiple personas in their youtube channel. Brett on the other hand is more outgoing, despite not exactly having the best hold on himself with drinks. He usually just drinks soda water because he'll be totally floored otherwise. But tonight wasn't one of those nights. Brett's going all out.

Brett is currently on the dance floor after downing a few beers, and Eddy, the best friend that he is, makes sure to not drink too much so at least one of them has some brain cells to spare. Tapping his foot to the beat of the song in the bar, he squints through the lights to keep his eye on his bro. It feels strange to watch purebred classical musician Brett jamming to pop songs but he looks like he's having fun. Eddy asks the bartender for a mai tai. He continues to watch Brett as he waits.

He's been noticing the fans posting about their "loving stares" at each other in their videos. Do we really look at each other that much? He takes a long sip of his drink pondering on that thought and brings his eyes back to Brett. He's dancing with a girl, and Eddy feels something... hostile? What the frick, it's just his bro dancing with a random chick, he can do that too.

He finishes his drink and starts to get up. When he gets to where Brett is, he's already dancing with another girl, and so Eddy busts out some moves. Gotta channel that Viola King suave. What the hell am I doing? He feels utterly pathetic at whatever it is, and doesn't notice Brett shuffling closer to him. The song changes to something slower, and he feels arms encircle his waist from behind. The shorter man sways them side to side and Eddy is confused.

He puts his hands on the ones on his torso, and sways along. Under blue lights flashing slowly, Eddy wonders if he's always this comfortable with Brett. They've been friends for more than 10 years at this point. They've had sleepovers in their teen days, busked together in the streets, and have had hundreds of videos with casual contact, joking, and even dancing. Even Ray remarked that they're like an old married couple when they played charades with him. It could just be the alcohol, but he made sure to only drink a bit.

He's so into his thoughts that he barely notices when the song changes. There's a tugging feeling on the sleeve by his elbow, and he turns to see Brett mouthing something. Let's go, I'm tired. Eddy glances at his watch and sees 1:07am, secretly glad that Brett finally decided to go. They go outside and flag down a cab to the hotel. Brett falls asleep on his shoulder on the way home, clutching his arm. Eddy smiles fondly at this man one year his senior.

***

Okay, going to the bar and having a few drinks is fun. But when you're the one dragging a drunk Brett Yang to bed to sleep, it is no fun at all. "Brett, fricken let go of me," Eddy says frustrated as he tries to get out of Brett's clutches. "Mmh, but you're so warm and soft..." This is why Brett is supposed to only drink soda water. "Yeah, yeah, the bed will be warmer than me, and much softer, I swear." Eddy wrestles Brett onto his bed and tries to get him changed.

Eddy takes off Brett's glasses and puts it on the nightstand. He then gets Brett's shirt off, and the little prick giggles. "What the hell man, you- you taking advantage of me?" and he continues to giggle again and again. Eddy feels heat rising up the back of his neck and reminds himself: I am taking care of a 10 year old child in a 28 year old's body. He is drunk af and needs to get changed. His mom will kill me. Eddy grabs a Practice shirt from nearby. "Be a good boy and put your hands up for me," Eddy says softly to the still-giggly Brett, who raises his arms.

Eddy manages to put the shirt onto Brett, when something wraps around his neck and drags him down onto the bed. "Thank you," Brett slurs drunkenly. Eddy's not quite sure what exactly Brett is thanking him for but he stays still, hovering over his best friend. "I love you, Eddy." Eddy freezes, then softens, "I love you too, Bretty." The arms eventually go slack and Eddy removes himself to get changed.

It's not like it's new for them to say I love you to each other. They said it when they got their goal after days and nights of busking for their channel. They've said it in multiple videos and in late nights of comforting each other through breakups and bad performances. But every single time he hears it, Eddy just feels all soft and giddy for some reason. He's always been sure that it's just normal for best friends to feel that way, but that hostile feeling earlier in the bar... was it jealousy? He's not super sure if he's jealous of Brett being able to get the girls or... well that next thought is pretty gay.

But it's not like Eddy cared much about what others thought of who to love either. Sure, his Asian upbringing may have been a bit strict, but he always believed you should be able to love anyone regardless of gender. He stares at himself in the mirror. Do I love Brett in that way? The thought has come up a few times throughout their friendship, and with fans shipping them together, it has been a more recurring thought recently. He dismisses it as he brushes his teeth, looking at Brett's bed from the doorway of the bathroom. Brett is a catch though. Anyone would be lucky to have him. Eddy washes his face, and leaves a glass of water by Brett's bed along with some ibuprofen. He goes to his own bed and sleeps.

***

Brett's vision is fuzzy and he feels his cold toes underneath something soft. Where am I? He rubs his eyes and gets up, squinting in the dark. He must be in the hotel. It's so cold. He lays back down and tries to curl in on himself to get some more heat, rubbing his arms, but to no avail. He's still a bit drunk, and impulsive Brett is right around the corner.

He decides to go over to Eddy's bed and sneak under the covers. He huddles close to the warmth of Eddy's back, and Eddy stirs. "The fu- why are you in my bed, man? You have your own right there," Eddy says. "Mmm, too cold." Brett's feet touch Eddy's and Eddy jolts. "Oooh warmth," Brett slurs and snakes his fingers up to Eddy's neck. "Ah frick, seriously?" Eddy turns around, and holds Brett's fingers, breathing on them to warm them up.

Brett feels heat surge to his cheeks faster than his fingers warm up, and he opens his eyes. Eddy is still breathing on his fingers but much slower now. Brett figures he'd already fallen asleep again. Eddy's grip on his fingers loosen but Brett doesn't retract his hands. Through the darkness and his bad vision, Brett tries to trace the features of Eddy's face, from his hairline, his forehead, the area where his glasses would usually rest, down his nose and to those plump lips.

Brett's rationale is probably still clouded with alcohol, and so he reaches out to touch Eddy's cheek, and kisses him softly on the lips for a few seconds. It's soft, as he expected, and drew back to make sure he didn't wake Eddy. Eddy remained still, breathing steadily, and Brett decided to go to sleep, unaware of Eddy's pulse quickening.

Notes:

This was actually my first work, so you'll see how the writing changes from chapter one to five as I get used to my writing style. This was all inspired by one screenshot I saw of an old post on the twoset facebook page about how Brett's only allowed soda water bc he's a lightweight or something. Tbh it's so funny to me bc this was meant to be a one shot and I ended up with five parts instead.