A/N: This is the sixth and final episode of a short story within the Twoset Veterinarian series. The previous chapters are:
173. Twoset Veterinarian XI
174. Twoset Veterinarian XII
175. Twoset Veterinarian XIII
176. Twoset Veterinarian XIV
177. Twoset Veterinarian XV
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Eddy turned back towards the bookshelf. Liszt looked pissed. His mouth opened wide as he let out another long hiss, his pupils were in thin vertical slits and his ears flattened like aeroplane wings.
"Liszt..."
Eddy then sensed Clyde standing right behind him.
"Eddy..."
Eddy's vision blurred with tears.
Oh my god how much punishment am I copping today!?
Eddy wasn't sure what scared him more. Clyde whispering his name as he felt the intruder's hand grip the back of his neck, or Liszt letting out another hiss as he leapt from the top of the bookshelf towards him.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!!"
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Eddy was pushed forward by Clyde's hand and he fell face first onto his bed. He scrambled around in panic and pushed himself up with his arms as quickly as possible and turned around.
The screaming continued.
What Eddy saw was Clyde screaming and struggling with Liszt. Liszt was fierce; clinging onto, biting and clawing Clyde all over his face.
Eddy watched, mouth agape in utter confusion.
Liszt..?! He's.. protecting me..!?
Clyde had staggered backwards, out of the bedroom. After sounds of further struggles, Eddy heard his front door being opened. It sounded as if Clyde managed to get away from Liszt. He heard the soft click of the autolock of his front door as it closed shut. The unit became quiet again.
Eddy's bedroom door was now wide open. Eddy saw Liszt had come back to the bedroom. Liszt stopped right by the bedroom door frame, sat down and started licking his fur, grooming himself as he always did after a kerfuffle. Then he looked up towards Eddy and meowed in the sweetest tone, as Eddy had always remembered him.
"Liszt..."
Liszt meowed sweetly again.
"You... saved me. Is that why you.. came back?"
Liszt slowly blinked.
"Liszt.. I.. I thought you hated me..."
Again, Liszt meowed sweetly in his usual intonation.
Tears welled up in Eddy's eyes, blurring his vision.
"Thank you boy..."
Eddy blinked and let his tears fall. He quickly wiped his tears with his sleeve. When he opened his eyes again, Liszt was gone.
With trembling hands, Eddy picked up his phone to contact the police.
Back to current time
"HOLY F*CK EDDY, CLYDE DID THAT TO YOU?!"
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you Brett."
"I barely remember him.. I do remember finding him a bit annoying when he kept teasing us but otherwise I thought he was pretty harmless and you guys seemed to get along well when you worked together. So what happened to him?"
"I reported him and the police arrested him. He had scratches and bite marks all over his face. The police also found my cat ears headband and rosin case at Clyde's place. I.. remembered taking them to uni on two separate occasions.. I thought I'd show them to you and forgot about them. Clyde admitted going through my bag and taking them while I was working. He got expelled from uni and I've never seen him again."
"Oh my god. Eddy... why.. why didn't you tell me?"
Eddy bit his lower lip.
"..I couldn't bring myself to explain what happened. I initially blamed myself because Clyde said I invited him by offering my keys to him. And what he said about you and me was so.. disgusting.. we weren't like that.. I felt like I let him taint our relationship so I was ashamed to see you."
"Eddy.."
"The police referred me to a victim's counsellor and I also had a few private sessions with a psychologist. I was pretty messed up for a while"
"We didn't see each other as much during that time, did we? I remember there was a period of time when I could only text you and I really missed you without knowing why."
"Yeah I quit my coffee shop job and I told you I was busy with my studies"
"But then you.. suddenly decided to talk to me and.."
Eddy smiled.
Back to 10 years ago
"Brett"
"Eddy!!
"Ow"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to yell into the phone. It's just that I haven't heard your voice in weeks. I'm so glad you called. How've you been? Is uni work still keeping you really busy?"
Eddy chuckled.
"Brett, slow down."
"I've got like tonnes of stuff to tell you. And tonnes of things I want to know about what's been happening with you."
"Will you come over and see me?"
"Of course I bloody will. When? Now? I can come over now."
Eddy chuckled again.
"Okay. Now. Please."
"Great see ya soon."
Back to current time
"Yeah, Brett, I eventually worked things out after speaking to my psychologist. I had a lot of suppressed angst about not being able to bring myself to tell you how I felt about you. I was hurt because Clyde called what we had going with some horrible name but then I realised I hadn't articulated what I felt for you either. So once I did and told you, things kinda fell into place."
Brett smiled.
"That was a great moment."
"It was for me too. How great that you didn't spit in my face with disgust and reject me."
Brett scoffed.
"Oh c'mon as if I would!"
"So Brett, I think I became a veterinarian because I found animals were more grateful of people for what they are, as they are, without any self-centred expectations. Humans can be awful."
Brett pouted.
"I'm human.."
Eddy smiled.
"You're an exception."
Brett grinned.
"I bloody better be. But I must admit Liszt was pretty incredible to protect you like that. Talk about a guardian angel. It's a tough act to follow."
Eddy smiled as he listened to his partner, grateful for accepting his bizarre story for what it was.
Back to 10 years ago
There was a loud knock on Eddy's door.
"Eddy!! Eddy!!"
Eddy opened his front door.
"Oh my god Brett will ya keep yer noise d.."
Eddy was pushed back as Brett ploughed into him. Eddy not only had the air knocked out of him but also squeezed out of him by Brett's hug.
"Oh my god Eddy I missed you so much, are you okay? I was so worried but you just wouldn't answer my calls and only gave me itty bitty bits of info by text, is there anything you're keeping from me? Because I'll listen, anything, Eddy. I really need to know if something is going on.. but then again maybe you've just been super busy with uni and I'm just being paranoid but I keep thinking maybe I did some dumb sh*t that pissed you off but usually you tell me if I step out of line and so I have no idea what's going on and I've been so worried but I haven't been able to talk to you at all and.. oh sh*t I'm just going around in circles because I've been frickin' going crazy and I did actually rehearse what I was gonna say to you but the second I saw you it'd all gone out the window and..."
"Shhhh... Brett, I... I need to tell you something."
Brett looked up.
"Oh. ...Okay."
"I trust I can tell you anything because you've been my best friend for like forever."
"Of course."
"And no matter what I tell you, you will hear me out and I hope we can still remain as best friends."
"Oh my god what have I done!?"
"But if you don't want to be my friend anymore because of what I tell you then I will have to accept the consequence but I want you to know that I will always be there for you. And I still have to tell you what I'm about to say because I can't keep living a lie."
"Oh my f*cking god what have you done!?"
"I love you, Brett."
"F*ck"
"F*ck?"
"Eddy, I love you, too. So we love each other. How fabulous is that?"
"What? But when I say I love you I mean.. not just as a friend but.. I..."
"Eddy, I don't just love you on some half-arsed scale either. I love you... on a galactic scale"
"Galactic scale?"
"Is that big enough? What's bigger than a galaxy?"
This time Eddy made Brett squawk like a rubber musical chicken as he hugged the air out of him.
A/N: This concludes the 6 part short story Liszt's curse within the Twoset Veterinarian series. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as did writing it.