distraction: you

chapter twenty seven

eddy's floating on cloud nine. cloud ten, even.

it's been two weeks since he'd broken down on opening night and gone to see his mother, and quite frankly, he's felt freer now than he's ever been his entire life, a heavy burden gone from his shoulders. he hasn't made mention of the visit to anyone else, but it's clear in the way he moves about, speaks around, that something's changed ever since, and all for the better.

he can only hope the others will approve. one particular violinist, most of all.

so, yeah, okay—fine. he hasn't told brett about the butterflies he lets loose in eddy's stomach every time eddy so much as looks at him, but that's irrelevant for now. before he can even think about telling the other man about his feelings, eddy needs to sort things out within himself.

being in love: it isn't something new to him. he's fallen in love only once before, with an upperclassman prodigy back in the music conservatory. their relationship had been a strange one, though—it had seemed too much like a competition, a game they played between the two of them, and when she had graduated ahead of him, she had immediately left him behind.

when it comes to brett yang and everything that he is, however—god. loving him doesn't feel like a game at all.

the bottom line is: eddy really doesn't want to screw things up just from the get-go, and so he'll bide his time. internalize, compartmentalize. make sure he's worthy of the man who's given him the will to become a better person.

are you sure that's why you'll wait? or are you just afraid of—

"hi, eddy!"

he jolts in his seat, startled. there's a short-haired woman peering down at him, stark red lipstick painted across her cupid's bow. he's momentarily distracted by the color that it takes him a few seconds to respond. "uh, yes? do you need something?"

"oh! sorry, i wasn't sure if you knew me," the woman smiles, extending her fingers out towards him, "but my name's amanda. i'm the violist sitting behind michelle."

he has no clue who on earth michelle is, but she clearly thinks he does. might as well be vague enough to skip that whole thing altogether. "that's nice," eddy murmurs, shaking her offered hand, but then he realizes how dismissive that sounds, and so he backpedals. "sorry, i mean—that's great! sorry, i didn't mean to—"

suddenly, amanda bursts out into laughter. "aw, they weren't kidding when they said you're an ice prince." she steps closer, a twinkle in her eyes, and oh no. eddy knows where this is going. "i wanted to ask if you'd be willing to have a coffee with me. please?"

he's gaping at her right now, eddy's sure of it. "i—i'm sorry, what?" he hadn't planned on stammering out the words, but they still trickle out like leaky tap water. this is bad; this is really bad.

amanda seems unperturbed by his nervous fit, tilting her head as she gazes down at him with amusement. "i was wondering if you'd be willing to have a coffee with me after tonight's concert," she repeats her request, firm and unflinching.

oh my god. judging by the interested glint in her eyes, she's looking to pursue something further with him, and despite what people may think about him being a cold ice prince, eddy isn't exactly well-versed in matters like this. no one had been willing to ask him out or anything before, so he's at a loss. he has to think of a way to let her down gently, but how on earth is he even supposed to—

as if on cue, brett materializes out of thin air with a wild look in his eyes, a deer caught in headlights, and it's a testament to how enamoured he is with brett that eddy's focus immediately zeroes in on the other man, even with a pretty woman standing right in front of him.

when amanda notices where he's looking at, she pivots to look at the man standing frozen in the middle of the hallway. with even more eyes and attention on him, brett pales, but then: "uh," he looks over his shoulder at someone unseen, and then turns back to eddy with a determined look. "can i talk to you?"

"uh, mister yang, was it?" amanda looks half-apologetic, half-impatient as she fully looks over at brett. "i was talking to eddy first, so can you please wait a little while—"

and nope, he's going to have to stop her there. "sorry, amanda, it's probably important." of course brett's more damned important. not that eddy's saying that out loud, though. he's trying to be more civilized nowadays, so. "maybe some other time?"

she looks put out at being passed over for someone else, but nonetheless, she recovers quickly, smiling cheerfully as she pats eddy's shoulder. "that's alright. some other time, you said! that's all i need to know." amanda nods at brett and then waves to eddy. "see you around," she says as a parting shot, and then disappears.

thank god. he'd dodged a bullet back there. eddy blinks once, twice, before he stands to his feet and walks towards brett. already, the world looks brighter in his presence. it's a cheesy thought, but eddy can't find it in himself to care. "emperor yang, you need anything?"

brett's face is unreadable, hands clenching and unclenching by his sides. eddy's eyebrows furrow, worry crawling up his spine as he moves closer to the other man. "is something wrong?"

brett is quiet for a few moments, and then: "hey, uh, if you don't—if you aren't comfortable with this, just let me know immediately, okay?"

"uh, sure, of course." eddy's so confused. "why?"

brett visibly takes a deep breath. "would you—wanna go out?"

eddy holds his breath, looks at brett like he's somehow grown two heads over the course of their conversation. when the shorter man doesn't immediately explain, he forces himself to open his own mouth. "you mean," he hesitates, "like as friends, or—?" he doesn't dare continue that question. god, brett's so wrong about him; is he being a coward, or what?

"yes—i mean, we are—but what i mean is," and here brett sighs, burying his face in his hands. "date. i mean on a date."

"a date?"

"with me."

"oh," says eddy, intelligently. very much like a scholar.

"yeah," says brett, sounding as if he'd like to sink into the ground and never come back out.

it takes a few moments of wild, soundless screaming in eddy's mental space before he can even think to reply. he puts on his brightest smile and prays to any deity who will listen that he won't mess this one up. "you don't get to sound so miserable, hey?" eddy reaches across the slim distance between them, takes brett's hand in his own. "any date i'm involved in will be excellent. i assure you, whoever gets to take me out is blessed."

his ploy works: brett's mouth curves upward, relief etched across the lines of his face. "yeah, right. who'd even want to go on a date with that ugly mug of yours?"

"you wound me," eddy pouts, a hand on his chest, "but if your majesty wishes it, then i shall happily go on a date with the emperor."

brett gapes at him for a second, and then the loveliest smile eddy's ever seen in his life appears on the other man's face. his heart shudders in his chest at the sight; he's so mesmerized by it that when brett rattles off the details of their date—a car, a cafe, a carnival—all eddy can do is nod wordlessly, struck dumb for once.

maybe he'll go learn salut d'amour and surprise brett with it. maybe that'll make the other violinist smile. eddy damn sure hopes it will—anything to see that brilliant smile again.