Brightside

11 | it's nice to have a friend

"Eddie—Eds... Yamaguchi." Axel giggled. He'd been twirling her messy hair around his finger for the better part of a few minutes. "Akuma."

Eddie snorted out a little laugh. Poked him in the nose. Maybe they had nearly finished the bottle of wine. Tipsy was a good word—even with the pasta in their bellies. "Axel."

"I need to say something."

"Say it."

"Can we—you know, you and me. Us."

"That's what we means."

Axel laughed again. Eyes surrounded by loving crow's feet, nose wrinkled. "You're so smart."

"Say something. Say that thing. Thing you wanted to say."

Axel's eyes were a little glassy but they refused to leave Eddie's features. Wandered around her face like they were trying to figure out what they wanted to focus on. More than a few darts down to her mouth. "Would you... I don't want this to sound bad. An—And you can say whatever you want."

"Can't say whatever I want if you don't say your thing first."

Axel let himself look back at the curled hair around his finger. "Your hair is really soft. My God."

"That's what you wanted to say?"

"Among other things."

Eddie put a finger under his chin and raised his head to look at her. "Other things?"

"Can I?" Axel asked.

"Can you?"

"Can we?"

"You haven't told me—"

"You can say no but if you want to I want to and if you don't that fine." Axel's knuckle trailed down Eddie's arm and she didn't stop him. "I like your skin. It's soft. Like your hair."

"Axel."

Axel laughed. "Eddie."

"You haven't—"

"What's Eddie short for?"

"That's what you wanted to ask?"

"No." Axel shrugged. "But now I'm curious."

"That's classified information."

Axel narrowed his eyes at her. "Edwina?"

"Disgusting. No."

"Edna." Axel snorted. "Edna Mode."

"Are you this drunk?"

"I forgot my meds but that's probably a good thing." Axel frowned. "Doc says mixing Adderall and alcohol is no bueno."

"It's not Edna."

"Kennedy?"

"No."

"Are you going to tell me if I guess it?"

"Sure."

"Theodora?"

"Where does that tie in?"

"Theodore would be Teddy..." Axel said. "Eddie is Teddy. Like that guy Robin Williams played in Night At The Museum."