deux

bonus: epilogue

brett and eddy did end up going on that trip they had talked about, just the two of them.

they decided on japan one night, after brett's concert. the choice was an easy one—neither of them had ever been before, and plus, who doesn't want to eat great food and see the beautiful sakura trees?

the trip was everything they wanted it to be—and more. they stayed in a quaint, traditionally styled hotel just outside of the city, and spent their entire days together, catching up on lost time.

the two violinists only stayed for a week, but they made the most of it.

they went to tokyo disneyland, where eddy looked oh-so-cute in the winnie the pooh ears brett bought for him. they got lost in the expansive park together, as it had been awhile since eddy had brushed up on his japanese. but it didn't matter—it was fun for eddy to introduce brett to all the disney characters he missed out on while growing up.

they went to ueno park and sat under the sakuras, quietly playing the violin for each other, trying to avoid the sharp ears of the security guards. they spent hours there, relishing in the warm sunlight and the pink petals that fell around them. for some reason, soft kisses and whispered 'i love yous' under sakura trees were sweeter than they would be elsewhere.

they went to shibuya crossing, and brett held tightly onto eddy's hand amongst the swarms of people. he wasn't very good with crowds, but he couldn't help but admire at how eddy was just the opposite. he looked even more handsome when he was so confident.

the real treat was seeing the tokyo string quartet, live in tokyo. eddy's connections as a soloist had gotten them two tickets for the best seats in the house. eddy enjoyed the music, most definitely, but he thought that he had liked the look of awe on brett's face more as the chamber music echoed throughout the concert hall.

and of course they did typical date things in japan, eating dinner in skyscrapers and visiting night markets. there wasn't even a second of time where either of them were unhappy.

on the last day of their trip, they found themselves in ueno park again, sitting under a secluded sakura tree in the corner of the park. there was no one around besides the two of them, and the only sounds that pierced the air were the chirps of birds and the calm wind rustling branches.

they planned to spend the day there again, playing violin, having a small picnic, and enjoying each other's company.

of course, eddy had another trick up his sleeve, as he always did. he was always one for surprises—their relationship had been like that from the start. whether it was surprise kisses, matching anklets, or coming home early, eddy never failed to keep brett on his toes, and he loved it.

sometime after noon, after they had eaten the assorted fruits and snacks they brought with them for lunch, brett had fallen asleep on top of the picnic blanket they had, head resting in eddy's lap. it was nearly impossible not to, the quiet hum of the wind and the feeling of eddy's fingers running gently through his hair was practically a recipe for sleep.

eddy had looked lovingly down at brett while he slept so peacefully with little sakura petals in his hair. he wished they could stay like that forever, close in each other's arms, not separated by distance or time. he still blamed himself for the bags that lingered under brett's eyes and the separation anxiety brett felt when eddy wasn't near. but, they were together then, and that was all that mattered.

brett was roused from sleep an hour later, rubbing his eyes and pulling eddy in for a kiss.

"why didn't you wake me?" he asked between kisses.

"you needed it," eddy said matter-of-factly. and he was right, brett definitely needed the extra hour of sleep.

brett moved to settle in between eddy's legs, and pulled him in for a long hug. he let out a comfortable sigh.

"i love you," brett mumbled into eddy's neck as they embraced.

"i love you too," eddy responded pulling away from brett, who frowned at the gesture.

eddy saw the look on his face and smiled in apology.

"trust me, just close your eyes," he asked.

brett sat crosslegged in front of eddy, hands resting in his lap with his eyes closed for several seconds before he felt anything.

eddy watched brett's unmoving figure. he was nervous, but it was now or never.

he reached out, taking brett's small right hand into both of his hands. he traced the lines of his palm slowly, then ran his fingers over brett's rough calluses, a sign of years of practice. he flipped brett's hand over, palm down, touching the almost invisible scar from where brett had burnt himself on the day they first met. eddy smiled at the memory.

he did the same with brett's left hand, running his fingers over the soft skin and taking a long look at brett's ring finger.

"brett," he started, taking a deep breath, "i love you. you already know that, but i feel like i can never say it enough."

he paused, using his other hand to dig through his jacket pocket.

"it's silly, but i would give up the world for you, i really would," eddy felt a tear drip down his cheek, "you're the first thing on my mind, always, whether we're thousands of kilometers apart or right next to each other."

eddy sniffled, trying to keep quiet.

"eddy," brett interrupted, interlocking their fingers

"no wait, i'm not finished. what i wanted to say is that, on that night when you asked me what would happen after germany, i said i didn't know. and i still don't know."

the tears were free flowing now, and even began to prick at brett's eyes.

"but what i do know, is that i love you to the ends of the universe, and even beyond that if it even exists."

there was a long, heavy pause.

"i want to spend forever and more with you, if you would have me."

eddy moved his gaze from brett's hands to his face. his eyes were open now, and tears shined behind his glasses.

"i would."

-

a/n: and that is the end of deux, for real this time. i cannot thank you all enough for your unending support and wonderful comments—it is truly the best part of writing. i hope you loved reading this story as much as i loved writing it <3.

ps: if you'd like more breddy content, i have a oneshot book that i update semi-frequently and a new au story called 'holy', if you want to check those out.

once again, thank you.