We don't want to label it

XIV

"You are completely insane."
Tory is standing over him, towering over him almost even though he's like ten centimetres taller than she is. He shouldn't have told her while they were sitting on the couch but he wasn't thinking and now there's no way to get up now without it looking like he's trying to run away. 
She won't like it if he tries to run. 
"Why? I mean... why not try?" he says feebly.
"Eddy! You heard what the expert said! How the heck are you going to do this yourself?"
Eddy knows that Brett can hear them. He's in the studio, editing. Sounds carry in his apartment. 
"I don't know." he says in barely a whisper. "But I think we need to try. Don't you see how awesome it would be, Tory? Travelling? Bringing this show to people? You liked it, right?"
She seems to calm down a touch and he breathes an invisible sigh of relief when she sits down again. Her head nods and shakes at the same time. 
"I liked it fine, Eddy. Sure. But this? All the risks? And you have a job, you know. Stability. A future. How much money would you even need? This sounds like a suicide mission."
The world stops spinning, Eddy stops breathing. 
"A what?" he says before he can think whether this is a good idea, before he can wonder how to stop this from turning into an argument. His voice is low and flat. 
"Eddy. You've got to think about your future." Her eyes are wide, imploring almost but her words have him sitting up just a little straighter. 
"I'm not looking for stability." he finds himself saying, then watches as she pales. "I'm looking for something great to do with my life. Please, Tory. Be on board with this."
One, two, three, four long seconds pass. She's paler even now, mute. Then she takes a breath and her hand flies up to her forehead.
"Ow. My head. Eddy, I'm going to go home. Sorry. We'll talk some other point."
He opens his mouth to say something else but before he knows it she's gone, shutting the door behind her with the softest, most meaningful click.
No kiss. 

"So. That went well."
Brett has walked in and is sitting down where Tory just sat, his face the picture of sympathy. It makes Eddy want to get up and thump the kitchen counter. 
Not that he will. Of course not. He shakes his head and sighs. 
"No. Do you think she's right?"
"No." Brett says kindly. "But maybe she just needs to get used to the idea? I mean, it's true it's against the grain?"
"Maybe." he replies, but he has a sinking feeling he knows the outcome here already. 
Does she have a point? It's true he has a job, and he knows how special that is. How many students get a job right out of college? He probably wouldn't be able to take enough time off, he'd have to buy himself out of lots of concerts and he has no idea if he could even afford to. Would it jeopardise his career? Twoset is making some money by now, but would that ever be enough to live off? And even if so, what then? 
Is it even possible for Twoset to be a career? Ever? 
"How much do you think we'd need?" he asks, instead of asking the really big questions.
Brett shrugs. 
"I was doing some math. Don't start with jokes, it was just adding up, my math stretches to that."
Eddy grins and punches his shoulder softly. See? You can always count on Brett to lighten the mood. 
"Adding up. Wow, well done. So what was your conclusion?"
"Fifty thousand. I think it's the minimum. Then we can go to Asia, Europe and America. Maybe."

Tory's words still sit in his brain. 
It's a suicide mission. 
Something inside of him clenches. 
"Maybe it's enough." he says.