Club - a Breddy Fanfic.

9) Walking home

Eddy looks to his side while walking in the cool night. Brett is walking besides him.
His mind has difficulties to comprehend this fact. Brett. Is. Walking. Beside. Me.
Eddy can't believe he just made this happen.
He had, sort of, danced with Brett! He challenged him!
He had almost died of anxiety too, but managed not to show it.
How on earth had he dared to do all this!

This whole week he's been brooding over the issue if he wanted Brett for just one night or not. Although he has some problems with even the existence of one night stands, he had to admit that it's the only thing that might be within his reach with this man. And maybe it's enough to cure him from this disease called Brett? To 'get it out of his system' like Timo has suggested?
He isn't averse of the physical action of course. It's been too long. And he likes Brett's appearance very, very much. Too much maybe.

So he had made up his mind to just do it just this once.
Having decided this, he had to make a plan how he could pull it off.
He knew he needed to trigger his interest. Make him curious. Make him contemplate to go with a man.
It's clear what he had to do: First, he must be seen by him, second, they must talk and pique his interest, and third, he must lure him to his house. But that's easier said than done.

He told his friends about his plan with burning cheeks out of embarrassment. But of course they were thrilled. An Eddy taking action is a rare sighting, so they were willing to go to any lengths to make his wish come true. They would have preferred it not to be for Brett, but the world can't be perfect.
Tonight they had even insisted to pick him up from his place to help him prepare for this evening.
They had checked his looks. He had dressed in the clothing suggested by Timo a week ago. Timo unbuttoned the 2 top buttons of his shirt and Luke had helped him with his unruly hair. How is it possible to need two allegedly straight men to fix a gay man's looks? Before you know it, it will snow in Sydney.

During the walk to the club they had been going on and on about what he should and shouldn't say, do and shouldn't do. They had him even memorize some cheesy pick-up lines that would have a 100% success rate. According to Luke that is anyway. They had even made him do a role-play to practice said lines.
It had been... interesting.
Especially with Timo, being the sarcastic brat he is. He almost snickers by remembering.

"Hi, I'm Brett." Timo wiggled his eyebrows up and down, making Luke roll with laughter.

"......." Did Timo really expect Eddy to answer to that?!

"Come on mate, don't let me hanging! Reply!"

"Hi Brett, I'm Eddy." Eddy replied meekly, trying to hold in his own laughter.

"Nice evening Eddy. Fancy a fuck?" Timo smirked.

"Timo!!" Eddy almost died out of embarrassment.

"Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry. Too blunt, right?" Timo made an exaggerate bow, looked up from beneath through his eyelashes and said very seriously: "My dear Eddy, you always look this fuckable?"

"What the hell Timo! I'm not doing this." Eddy laughed.

Let's just say it wasn't all that helpful.

But he did as he was told, and took position at the bar again, leaning a bit sideways at it, trying to look sexy, but feeling like a fool, looking at Brett again to see if he would notice him.

When Brett had entered the room with his gang of friends he had felt his heartbeat multiplying, making him almost sick. But he had stood firm. He had made his resolution, so now he had to follow through! It had not been long before he had felt their gaze connecting, the thin line of electricity forming the same way it had done the previous encounters. Brett must have felt it too, because he had walked towards him with his dark haired friend following in his wake.
Eddy had thought he would confront him directly, but he had just ordered some drinks.
He had been confused for a moment, before realizing it had just been a diversion when Brett suddenly had introduced himself. He had felt his heart skip a few beats, finally hearing his voice, but he had remained his cool demeanour. And then when Brett asked him if he was gay, he had almost denied it out of habit. But luckily he remembered quickly that he actually wanted this man, so he needed to be honest.
The long pause after that statement almost made him run out of the room, hide behind the coats hanging in the lobby, but he had been paralyzed for a moment. His heart sank in his shoes when Brett had said he didn't 'go with men'.
Thank God he remembered the line Luke had practiced with him. 'You don't know what you are missing out on.' He couldn't believe he had used it! But it had worked. Brett had looked at him like he wanted him. It was so exhilarating that he couldn't help but shiver.
He hoped Brett hadn't noticed it. He doesn't want to be seen as 'needy'.
He even managed to make a cool remark back, as the final phase of the dance, which had the remarkable effect that Brett really started to consider to go with him.
How on earth had he found the courage to even talk! Normally he just shuts down, making apologetic sounds for his existence and crawling into a deep abyss somewhere where no one can see him. But he had done it!
After his final remark he couldn't take the tension anymore, so he had walked past Brett and deliberately brushed his arm on the way.

Eddy is really proud of himself.
He had been sexy, confident, direct, but also a little distant and seductive. It couldn't have gone better.
He makes a mental note to thank his friends for making him ready to do this.

And now they are walking beside each other, the air thick around them with expectations, when a new problem arises.
Brett is coming with him!
He didn't think it would actually happen, so now he doesn't know how to proceed. He starts to freak out internally.

"Where do you want to go?" Brett asks with his sonorous voice, startling Eddy with his sudden spoken words, scaring him out of his thoughts and emerging panic.

Eddy blinks a few times, getting himself steady once more.
"My place. If that's okay with you."
Eddy doesn't want to be in a place he doesn't know. He needs to feel safe to pull this off. For as much as that is possible, considering what they are likely going to do.
"I live by myself, so we'll have privacy and will not be disturbed by others."

He sees Brett looking sideways at him. He seems happy with this situation.
Why is that something to be happy about? It's nice though.

"You want to walk or take the bus? Walking is about 15minutes from here." Eddy asks.

"What do you want?" Brett's tone shows he's open for what Eddy wants.

Eddy thinks for a moment. "I prefer to walk, if that's okay with you."

Another surprised look from the man next to him.
"I prefer that too. Frankly, I don't like buses at night. The light's way too bright for my liking. Thanks."

In turn, this surprises Eddy. So he doesn't like the bright light either and yet he asked me what I wanted? That's actually sweet.

They walk on calmly, their strides the same size. All the stores are closed being this late, but the lights in the window light their way.

"Look at that. Everyone seems to sell the brand S. A. L. E. nowadays. Quite popular now, don't you think." Brett looks all serious.

Eddy can't help to exclaim a "Huh?" and looks sheepishly at the windows with the sale posters everywhere, telling there's a lot of discount to get.

Brett laughs and winks a fat wink in his direction. "Got you there, didn't I."

Eddy blushes, but can't be too upset about walking into Brett's trap when he gets that marvellous white teethed smile of his. "It distracts me way too much with you here next to me, that my brain doesn't function as it should, thank you very much." He then bumps Brett's shoulder.

Now it's Brett's turn to blush slightly. Eddy likes it that he at least has managed that in return.

They keep on talking bits of nonsense, questioning street lamp colours and so on, when it suddenly hits Eddy.
Why am I so relaxed? he wonders.
He was on the verge off a panic attack a few moments ago, but now he's actually feeling comfortable. He is even looking forward to show Brett where he lives.
When he thinks about what to do next when they arrive, he feels the anxiety rise again. He quickly pushes the thought to the background.
Let's get there first and then see where it all goes. Brett has experience, so he will take the lead, won't he? And I'm also not a newbie at this. Get a grip Eddy! You can do it!