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XLV

The music was loud. Way too loud. Brett rubbed his ears while his eyes followed Nathan squeezing himself through the sea of people gyrating their hips and bodys to the techno/trance/electro whatever music this place had deemed a good decision to put on tonight to the middle of the dance floor where most of their group was already showing off some moves. Nathan cheered, beer lifted high, another one handing over to a girl Brett had forgotten the name of and soon enough, he was at the center of them all, dancing to the beat. 

Any other night, Brett would have been among the firsts on that dance floor, even though he wasn’t the greatest at bopping to music he didn’t understand, really. But he liked partying and having a good time once in a while. 
Tonight however, there was one thing, or rather, one person holding him on the edge of the booth sofa they’d miraculously scored. And it was an even bigger miracle this person was here in the first place.
 
“Does it have to be this loud?”, Eddy screamed, a deep frown between his brows showing either disgust or displeasure, maybe both. 
“You seriously telling me you’ve never been to a club?”, Cole asked loudly over the music, a half empty gin tonic standing in front of him on the table of their booth. Brett’s friend wasn’t much of a dancer, but he enjoyed the company and one or two drinks occasionally, despite the horrendous prices. 
“Never crossed my mind. Was too busy practicing.”
Which made the resolution Brett had silently made the second Eddy Chen had uttered an insecure “Yeah, why not?” when Angelica had asked them to join the partying and Brett had eyed him questioningly significantly harder to achieve.

Getting Eddy to dance!

He didn’t know why he wanted to see it. He just knew the desire to witness this was huge and there was no way he could suppress it. Brett pushed yet another confusing image of the both of them, only centimeters in-between their bodies because of the hundreds of people fighting for space, half-lidded eyes locked with each other, tiny beads of sweat shimmering on Eddy’s forehead, the colours reflected in them changing rapidly as the lights flicker to the beat, to the furthest corner of his brain.
“Just so you know, I’m regretting this!”, the protagonist of Brett’s weird fantasy yelled into his ear, giving it a hefty sucker punch into its gut. 
“It’s actually quite fun if you get used to, well, the chaos.”
“You call this fun?” Eddy’s hand motioned to the admittedly scary crowd moving in unison. 
“Maybe you need a drink or two to get into the mood?”, Cole said, his suggestion clearly an indication for his first, by now finished cocktail. 
“I’ll buy you one!”, Brett announced before he could chicken out.
“No!”, Eddy exclaimed and grabbed Brett’s hand as the smaller stood up. There was no way Eddy noticed him flinching with all the noise and lack of proper lighting though, was there?
“Come on! It’s not everyday you’re here. What would you like?”
“I’m gonna leave, Brett. And the last thing I need is a hangover the next day when our competition is about to happen.”
“Competition’s in two days. And if I drink too, we'll have the same handicap! Come on, Eddy! Pretty please?”
Brett was well aware he was acting pathetic, but the part of him who’d cared had apparently been held back by a bouncer when they’d entered the club and send to Hawaii as well.
Was it his pout, or the pleading look Brett sent him? He’d never seen this many wrinkles of doubt on Eddy’s forehead as the battle in his mind went into its final stage. 
“Argh! Alright! A beer’s fine!”, Eddy groaned as his I’m-gonna-regret-this-shit-side won and trumpets of triumph echoed through Brett’s brain. He shot a fist in the air and withdrew his happy ass from Eddy’s reach so he couldn’t hold him back again. 

It took Brett forever to get their brews and he sure hoped queuing for half the night and being almost run over by a mob of half drunk bachelorettes was worth it. 
“Thanks!”, Eddy yelled when Brett staggered back to their booth and passed over Eddy’s drink.
“You’re welcome!”, Brett screamed back, let a first, cool sip run down his throat and sighed contently.
“You better drink it quick!”, Cole meant, “Before it gets lukewarm.”
Eddy’s contorted face made Brett guffaw and he took a big gulp.

Brett wasn’t sure if it was the music, the late hour, his desperate soul or the small, Asian, physique God had gifted him which was incapable of breaking down alcohol, but the next thing he let out was certainly not something a sober version of his humble self would utter. Not under normal circumstances. 
But then again, Eddy Chen being in a club was something the world hadn’t seen before, by all accounts. 
“Spill! What do I have to do so you’ll join me-” He pointed to their dancing group of friends in the middle of the club, “there?”
The panic in Eddy’s eyes didn’t escape Brett, despite the darkness. “What?”, he said, voice breaking down at the end.
“You. Me. Dancing. There!”
Damn he got bad with holding his liquor and regret was already spreading its nasty web, capturing Brett’s consciousness wholly, when Eddy took another big gulp, almost emptying his beer. 
“Nah! Not happening. Not in a million years!”
“I’ll buy you bubble tea till the end of orchestra camp?”
“Very tempting, but nah! Not worth the public humiliation.”
“You won’t make a fool out of yourself! I can tell you know how to swing your hips and stuff!” 
Again, not something Brett would say without being tipsy… but who was he kidding by now.
Eddy just stared at him, lips tonelessly forming “swing your hips…”
Cole was a giggling mess by now. “Bretty Brett! Stop harassing the poor guy! He’s never gonna go out with us ever again!”
“I’m impressed by your foresight, Cole, because that’s exactly what’s gonna happen!”

Eddy got up in one, impressively swift move for him having downed a beer in three swigs just seconds ago, but Brett was having none of that. 
“You! Come! With! Me!”
And like this, the unfortunate guy got dragged towards the dance floor, Brett’s hand clutching Eddy’s palm without mercy and any chance for Eddy to slip away.
“Brett, wait!”
“Nah! Waiting’s over! We’re gonna go dancing now!”

A/N: Sorry again for the late upload hour. Was so busy it isn't funny anymore. Anyway, happy reading!