The Mirror has Two Faces

A change in style of teaching

"You should try being less formal with clothes. You're a teacher, not a lawyer." Eddy said as he fixed Brett's tie.

"It makes me feel comfortable in my position." Brett replied, looking up at Eddy.

"But is it comfortable?" Eddy sassed.

"Not all the time." Brett said.

"Precisely... When you're teaching, make yourself comfortable."

"Well, how do I get my students to interact with me teaching philosophy?" Brett said as he completely removed his tie and vest.

"That looks better now, isn't it? You used to look like you're always about to play at a concert. You just needed the coattails." Eddy said as he laughed. "And as for your students, you should try telling a story. Put a little humor in it. Let them speak. Turn your body towards them." Eddy added, walking up to Brett to loosen up his two top buttons.

"I feel uncomfortable like this..." Brett worried as he tried to button them back up.

"No, it's perfectly fine." Eddy assured. "When you're teaching, it's like you alienate yourself from your students. Let them engage with you." Eddy added, kissing Brett's cheek.

"And a confession. I still have coattails from when I was in youth orchestra. They still fit me up to this day." Brett said as he watched Eddy.

"I wish we met when we were younger. Imagine, we did the same things at the same timelines but we didn't meet before. I would've loved to see you in coattails, cummerbund, wire glasses, neat hair and braces." Eddy replied, laughing hard.

Brett went nearer Eddy, looking malicious.

"Take that back." Brett said lowly, nearing Eddy.

"What if I don't wanna? What are you gonna do about it?" Eddy challenged, going nearer Brett.

"This." Brett said as he lightly dug on Eddy's sides using his fingertips, ultimately tickling him.

"Stop! Brett! Ahhhh!" Eddy screamed and laughed.

"Oh my god, you're too ticklish." Brett said, laughing as he kissed Eddy's cheek.

Eddy wanted the tickles to stop so he kissed Brett. Brett stopped for a while and just rested his hands on Eddy's sides. Eddy pulled away breathless.

"I would have loved to see your Beethoven-esque messy hair cut..." Brett said, whispering. "We should stop playing around, you should be helping me teach better." Brett added, leaning in for a peck on the lips.

"You say stop playing around but you're about to initiate another kiss." Eddy said, rolling his eyes. He doesn't remove himself from Brett's hands, though. "Okay, I'll sit down. Try to teach me something about Philosophy." Eddy said.

"Okay, let's try simple. Like the concept of value theory. Ethics and aesthetics. Both are value theor-" Brett said but was cut off by Eddy.

"You're alienating yourself again. Look at me more, interact with me. Try telling a story with the concepts so I could understand it better." Eddy said.

"Okay, so... Once upon a time? There was a man..." Brett said, slowly building up a story in his head.

"Yes, what about this man?" Eddy asked.

"He was asked to choose between two people..."

"Oh, drama. What happens next?"

"The first person is a good person, heart of gold and good personality. Everything you could ask for in a partner, smart and funny, but not as attractive as the second person."

"What about the other person?"

"The second person is beautiful but lacks substance. You cannot conversate with them properly because your interests are different. The person is not bad, you both have nothing to talk about but they're pretty."

"Okay, how will you conclude that?"

"What will you choose and why?"

"I would choose the first one because I want the substance they have." Eddy replied, smiling.

"Well, that is like ethics. It's not just simply good and bad, right and wrong and people often say that politicians lack this. But valuing ethics is believing to live alongside of virtue. Things you consider that would be good for you." Brett explained.

"But what if I pick the second person?" Eddy asked.

"Then you most likely value aesthetics. Not that there is something inherently wrong with valuing the beautiful. There is a depth in the beautiful too. A concept that philosophers believe that isn't just pretty. It is the beauty of life, answering questions that seen unanswerable." Brett said, not zoning out anymore.

"We as humans, value both with depending on the context. It is what makes us unique to our counterparts such as animals. We have control and reason. This is what makes us human, the combination of both ethics and aesthetics." Brett concluded.

"Well, I've learned something... Good job." Eddy said, clapping and smiling at Brett.

"Couldn't have done it without you, my hubby." Brett said, hugging Eddy.

Eddy hugged back, the height difference was perfect.

"Well, anything for you my lovely, lovely husband." Eddy replied.

They were still hugging when one of Brett's students enter the classroom. They pulled away from the hug and she stuttered.

"I w-was to set an appointment, Mr. Yang..." She said quietly.

"Come see me after class." Brett said, clearing his throat.

"O-okay..." She said as she left.

Eddy was bright red and Brett was chuckling. Brett hugged Eddy again while Eddy was sitting down on his desk.

"Aww, you're actually tomato red right now." Brett said, resting his cheek against Eddy's shoulder.

"Shut up... I'm not used to PDA." Eddy said.

Brett pulled away a little and kissed Eddy's cheek.

"I love you..." Brett said. "I wish you were actually just this tall." Brett added since Eddy was shorter. This was like their heights have interchanged. The artificial height difference made Brett feel giddy.

"I love you, too... But I like being taller than you." Eddy said, looking up at Brett a little.

They were still hugging until it was Jordon who entered the room.

"Guys, this is sick. Don't PDA here." Jordon said, trying to be annoyed but he was happy for the two.

Eddy gave Jordon a middle finger and Brett laughed.

"Shut the fuck up, Jordon. Not like you were any better when you got married." Brett said, still hugging Eddy.

- - - - -

The next day, Brett was teaching his students about eastern philosophy. He allowed his students to interact and they were happier about it too. They stayed while he discussed.

"Well, happens when you apply this knowledge nowadays?" A student asked.

"Well, I might have just ask my husband first." Brett remarked and everyone laughed. He was happy about these lectures.

The students laughed and Brett smiled contentedly.