Andante

LXIV

Eddy felt the happiness flowing through his system the second they had set up and had started busking. Making music with Brett was so easy! They always knew exactly what the other one was going to do, their lines flowing together naturally without them ever having to agree very much. 
They were like two branches from the same tree.
The smile came naturally and happily now. Nothing had changed, here; they were just the same. Brett and Eddy. One syllable. 
They made lots of money too, and a few times people burst into applause as soon as the closing chord sounded. So by the time they had played through all their repertoire several times and they knew it really was time to put the violins back in their cases Eddy felt an awful lot better about everything.

¨You're looking much happier.¨ Brett remarked as they'd slung their cases on their backs and walked in the direction of the bubble tea shop. There was no need to ask where they were going: bubble tea was their standard M.O. after busking.
¨I am!¨ Eddy said, and he knew he meant it. ¨You?¨
Brett smiled then, and Eddy realised straight away that he hadn't seen him smile much, this week. In fact, had he seen him smile at all?
¨I'm much better too, Eddy.¨
They walked into the shop then and they ordered the same teas they always did, taking them and sitting down at their usual table in the corner by the window. 
¨That was awesome, Brett.¨ Eddy said, that smile still on his face. 
¨It was. I'm so glad we get to do it again next week. Maybe this seriously awesome violin is on the cards one day, if it keeps going like this!¨
Eddy grinned. 
¨Yeah, but you know what really awesome violins cost, right? We'll have to do a fair bit of busking to afford one of those...¨
¨Oh, I don't mind. We'll just have to busk every week until we go off to the con.¨
¨You're on, bro.¨ Eddy smiled. 

They sat for a while, talking about everything the way they always did, and Eddy was real sorry when it was time to go home. 
They walked side by side in silence for a while, just two Asian boys on the sidewalk, nothing noticeable. But to Eddy it meant the world.

¨You know, Eddy... I'm not sorry.¨
Brett's sentence came out of the blue, and his voice had so much depth to it that Eddy turned his head in surprise.
¨What, you mean AYO?¨
Brett nodded. ¨Yeah, I mean AYO. I just want you to know that I'm not sorry, not for one moment.¨
Eddy stopped breathing for a moment, and then he put his hand on Brett's shoulder and he didn't care who saw.
¨Brett... I hope I haven't seemed like I am. I'm not sorry either, not at all. I knew what I was getting in to, I knew it was gonna be tough back home and it was. But I'm not sorry for any of it.¨
Brett nodded again. ¨I know, I just wanted to say it.¨
Eddy squeezed his shoulder sweetly before he let it go.
¨I'm not forgetting any of it, and I'm saving it all in my head for the future. Because there will be a time when we can just be together, I'm sure of it.¨
Brett was quiet for a long moment before he spoke again.
¨I like that idea, Eddy. I like that idea a lot.¨

The words were bubbling up now, like an unstoppable force. Eddy breathed deeply. Shit, was he really going to say this? But the words were insistent. 
¨Look, Brett, I know I'm too young, apparently, and whatever.  But I don't give a shit. I want you to know... I want you to know that I love you.¨
Brett stopped so abruptly that Eddy had to turn around and walk back to him. A giant smile spread on his face as he saw Brett's elation.
Brett looked around him quickly to see if anyone was in earshot, and then he turned to Eddy and spoke slowly.              
¨Eddy... just imagine, okay? Just imagine that I'm hugging you right now. Okay?¨
Eddy closed his eyes for a second.
¨Okay.¨
¨Eddy... I love you too, with all my heart.¨