It was 8 pm, right after dinner...

XLVII

"No mum! You really don't need to come over!"

Brett was on the phone with a very worked up Mrs. Yang while he roamed around the vegetable section in a supermarket looking for a cabbage. Eddy almost hadn't let him go after what had happened two days ago, but Brett had assured him, that after one and a half days of proper rest he was more than capable for this little errand. And because Eddy had that super important video call with their team preparing for their hiatus he couldn't come with. They needed a cabbage for filming a new video this afternoon though, so Brett got his little outing without a babysitter.

Which was more than overdue by now! Eddy had been so caring with cooking proper healthy meals and providing everything Brett needed, it made Brett want to hold on to him tight and never let go. But since he couldn't do that, holding himself back was the only painful option and he felt his control slipping more and more with every sweet gesture Eddy did and with every look Brett glanced at him because of course that guy had to be so unbelievably fucking gorgeous!

Needless to say, alone time was very much required, in which he could clear his head from the pink, glittery fog clouding his brain nowadays.

"Mum, where are the cabbages normally stored in supermarkets?", he asked after he'd made his third round through the veggie section without spotting his target. Might as well use his mother's knowledge and experience at this point.
"Do I know Singaporian supermarkets? Go look where the vegetables are! Haiyaah! And don't try to get me off topic! Brett, you need to take care of yourself! 如果你不小心你的身體健康會有大問題! (If you're not careful, you'll have big health issues!)"
"知道啦，媽! (I know, Mum)", Brett sighed in Mandarin, hoping it would cool down her temper.
"And tell me, if you need me! I'll fly over any time!"
"You'll be in quarantine for as long as it'd probably take me to get better. Did you forget?"
"Haiyaah! Doesn't matter! I can come by anyway!"
"Alright mum! Thanks for calling! Gotta go!"

He hung up before she could suggest any more visits, grabbed the finally acquired cabbage and went to the cashier.

Be normal! He told himself, before he opened the door to their apartment.
"I'm back!", Brett called. Eddy waved at him. He was sitting on the couch with the video call still going. Brett took the Tiger Sugar bubble tea he got for Eddy, sat down next to him and handed him the lovely beverage. Eddy mouthed a "Thank you" with a big radiant smile on his face, which made Brett consider those 5.30 $ very well spent and his grief for himself not being allowed to have any worth suffering through.

"Hi team!", Brett greeted and waved at the screen. Eddy set the call on speaker and everyone happily greeted back. They discussed some different responsibilities, which had to be taken care of during the break of their channel and by the time Eddy's bubble tea had vanished, they had succesfully planned out their "time off", holidays over Christmas for everyone included.

"Thanks for the boba!", Eddy said after they ended the call and shook the empty cup.
"No worries! Least I can do!"
"How do you feel?"
"Okay, a bit weak, but I managed the shopping trip, as I said."
"So you got the cabbage?"
"Yup. And guess what, my mum called."
"She did?", Eddy sniggered, "What did she say?"
"Said a bunch of stuff about how I'm not taking care of myself and she wanted to come over..."
"Sounds familiar." Eddy inspected the cabbage Brett had placed on the kitchen counter.
"Yeah, she said the same things last time I called, remember?"
"Is she not trusting me or something?", Eddy asked with a smirk, but there was something in his eyes that made Brett stop in his tracks.

"Bro, of course she is! She's just a mum and you know her. She wants to do everything herself, especially when it comes to taking care of her children!", Brett exclaimed, came closer and touched Eddy's forearm.
Eddy looked down. "Yeah, you probably right..."
"Eddy, is there something going on? You seem upset..."
"It's nothing! You shouldn't worry about anything else than yourself now", Eddy said and turned around to put his laptop away.

Brett shook his head.
"Bro, if you don't tell me, I'm gonna worry anyways. I'd rather know what's bothering you."
Eddy looked up, deliberated for a moment and finally let out a breath.
"I'm sorry, if I'm not good at taking care of you...", he started quietly, but got interrupted by a wide eyed Brett.
"Eddy!!! Where is this coming from?"
"You seem to be doing worse by the day!", Eddy almost yelled, "And no matter what I try, it doesn't help one bit!"
"That has nothing to do with you!", Brett said loudly and took Eddy's hand, so he would turn around and face him.
"Eddy, look at me!"
Eddy reluctantly did with tears welling up in his eyes. This had been on his mind before, Brett could see it. He had to make sure Eddy understood, that what he believed was as untrue as if Hilary Hahn sucked at playing the violin. So he wanted his next words to be as clear and powerful as possible.

"None of this is your fault and I'm sorry if me not getting better makes you feel that way. But you gotta trust me if I say, I'd be way worse off without you! You're the one holding everything together!"
Brett could still see uncertainty clouding Eddy's gaze, so he continued: "You're going beyond what a best friend would normally do and you've saved my ass so many times since this stupid thing started! I... I really wouldn't know what I'd do without you! And I'm so grateful you're here I don't even know how to express my gratitude."

Suddenly, Brett found himself in Eddy's arms, holding him tight.
"Okay", Eddy softly whispered into Brett's hair, "I get it. Thanks."
Brett hugged him back with all his might, ignoring his heart doing summersaults and his knees getting weak. So much with being normal but to hell with that. There was an Eddy to console. "Thank YOU. For everything! Really."
"I'm sorry for losing it."
"Don't be! I'm sorry I'm making you worried all the time."
"Okay, we gotta stop apologizing now", Eddy chuckled, slightly loosened his embrace...

but froze half way.

Brett could swear there was a current flowing through the small distance between their faces, as Eddy looked at him with the sweetest, softest smile. He just stared back, half of his brain wondering why Eddy hadn't let go of him yet, keeping him so close it made him dizzy with happiness and longing. Longing for more warmth, more Eddy...
Longing for closing the few centimeters between their lips. His trembling ones and Eddy's dark red, plump, glistening, slightly opened ones. He felt an irresistible pull towards them and it would have been so easy to give in, so easy to succumb to his desire to feel them, taste them...

But there was also the other side of his brain, ringing shrill alarm bells and blinking red lights all over the place, forcing him to stay frozen in this space between the magnetic pull towards his best friend's perfect being and the drag away from those surely very kissable lips (not that Brett would know) to what seemed safety, normalcy and fucking bro-like friendship.

And while Brett was caught between those two forces and hating it because it was a very non-"Just-Do-It"-situation, Eddy lifted one hand and brushed some lost strands of hair away from Brett's left cheek, soft like butterfly wings. So soft Brett didn't know for sure if that was really happening.

"You're very red, Brett", Eddy whispered and continued, "You..."

What? What is it, that you want to say, Eddy?