September slowly fades into October into November, the grass turning pale brown and crunching beneath shoes, the rather chilly breezes softly tossing the warm-coloured trees back and forth.
Unlike the seasons outside, Eddy's feelings for Brett haven't changed. Not one bit. Maybe they have, but knowing Eddy, he's most likely fallen deeper.
As one does expect with love, though, some things do take a turn, all times in which Eddy's not expecting it.
Not when they both post matching Instagram stories of this evening's dinner, Brett posting his with the words "with love." (And that in itself is an intricate puzzle, an enigma variation that's anyone's game to figure out.)
Not when Brett confronts him about his recently changed demeanor over dinner.
"So, do you want to talk about it, or—"
Eddy glances up from the plate of food he's been picking at with his chopsticks, looks up at the shorter sitting across from him. "Talk about what?" He asks confusedly.
Brett stays silent for a few moments, merely holding eye contact with him as though it's a goddamn staring contest. God, but Eddy feels like he's just exposed a part of his soul, with the quiet way Brett's staring into his eyes. And he's doing his best not to shift, with the way Brett's inscrutable expression makes him slightly nervous.
After supposedly eons of silence, Brett sighs, brows furrowed. "You know this is the first time in a while you've looked me in the eyes for longer than three seconds?"
Oh. Oh, crap. He had not meant to make his inner dilemma that obvious. And he had most definitely not meant to make Brett feel like he did something wrong, nor that he was neglecting him.
Brett pushes forward. "Eddy, will you please just tell me what's wrong? Because—" he sighs, his mind supposedly flailing to piece together the right words, "—I dunno, I'm starting to get the feeling that—I did something wrong. And now you're not yourself."
Brett Yang? Do something wrong to Eddy Chen? Not in a million years. "Of course not. You definitely didn't do anything."
"You've been acting off-color lately, so I thought I'd check in. Are you sure there isn't anything I can do?" Brett asks seriously.
"I guess the whole acting-off-colour thing was just me being an idiot. I'm alright, bro, don't worry. But thanks for asking."
He's being stupid. He shouldn't be making Brett worry. From here on, he'll try to keep up bro vibes.
Try is the key word.
♡ ♡ ♡
It's 2:37 AM, and Eddy's in the midst of his usual nightly routine; flop down on his bed, stare up blankly at the ceiling, let his mind drift to his almost sickeningly romantic fantasies of him and Brett until he falls asleep. Except, he hasn't quite reached the "fall asleep" phase just yet.
Which is why he's quick to pick his phone up off his nightstand when it vibrates. A text message on Instagram from Ray.
raychenviolin: got the tea recently. is it true you're in love with brett?
Eddy's mind comes to a full stop, right then and there. Who told—
He replies, thumbs flying over the keyboard as his heart catches in his chest.
eddy_adventure: yeah, who told you? jordon?
raychenviolin: oh, so jordon knows as well?
raychenviolin: nah dude, you're in hot water, brett himself told me.
Whoa whoa whoa. And just like that, half the orchestra comes in a different key, the other half gets lost and the beautiful orchestral sound dies away. Eddy's mind and heart, too, seem to have stopped altogether.
eddy_adventure: wait WHAT?
eddy_adventure: are we talking about the same brett? brett as in brett yang?
eddy_adventure: when did he tell you?
eddy_adventure: what'd he say?
raychenviolin: bro slow down
raychenviolin: yeah brett yang
raychenviolin: he talked to me last week
raychenviolin: said he thinks you might be feeling different towards him these days. but he doesn't want to make any assumptions yet
eddy_adventure: bro I think my heart just stopped beating
raychenviolin: playing G-double-flat for respect
raychenviolin: can't believe you actually fell in love with him though
raychenviolin: fanfictions becoming fan-nonfictions
eddy_adventure: very funny ray
eddy_adventure: really though don't tell brett anything or else I'll die
eddy_adventure: so he's not 100% sure I'm in love with him?
raychenviolin: yeah he's definitely not 100% sure but still be careful eddy
eddy_adventure: alright I will
raychenviolin: and don't worry, I won't say anything
raychenviolin: just please win him over already, it's getting almost painful watching you two brainless lovebirds
eddy_adventure: goddammit ray
eddy_adventure: first jordon and now you?
raychenviolin: just wait till I tell sophie and hilary
eddy_adventure: ray chen don't you dare
raychenviolin: jk
eddy_adventure: yall always coming after me istg
eddy_adventure: that's enough for me today I'm out
raychenviolin: alright bye
raychenviolin: good luck winning him over ;)
Eddy sets his phone back down on his nightstand, before flopping on his back and staring up at the ceiling, hands in his already tousled hair. Somewhere in the distance, Shostakovich's string quartet no. 8 second movement blares as his brain tries to absorb everything that just happened.
In a short summary,
Brett knows.
YOU ARE READING
(love)birds of a feather
FanfictionIn which Eddy stumbles upon the inner crisis of falling in love with his best friend, his other half, the other bird of his feather, Brett. It's always been like this - however hopelessly in love he may be, they're friends. But this time, flowers...
