It was 8 pm, right after dinner...

XCVI

"Good morning Mr. Yang, you look much better than last time I saw you. How are you feeling?"

Another doctor's appointment on another December morning. Dr. Han was radiating after the Christmas holidays and apparently, so was Brett, because she eyed him curiously, adding: "Did something good happen? You got a long awaited Christmas gift?"

Brett sat there, stunned, while Eddy tried to contain his laughter without much luck. His whole body was shaking and if Dr. Han didn't think anything was suspicious before, she certainly did now.
"Uhm..."
She winked. "A prank gift maybe?"
"Uhm... not really... or actually, yes! Many."
"I get it. Those are usually the best."
Brett wouldn't have placed her as the type who'd enjoyed these kind of gifts at all, but, oh well, never judge a book by it's covers. Like a week ago he'd been pretty sure his best friend was straight, so there was very obviously no relying on his judgement anymore.

"So!", she pulled him out of his reverie, "I'd like to take a look at your blood pressure, temperature, values and so on. The usual. If things have improved, you'll get clearence to start eating sugar, carbohydrates and starch. In small doses as I've said before, but it's very important that you gain weight now."
Brett nodded and felt Eddy's hand on his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. She proceeded with giving Brett a thorough check-up and extracted some blood at the end for sending it to the lab.

"It all looks pretty stable to me at the moment, but we'll wait for the test results to come in tomorrow and I'll give you a call regarding the changes in your diet. Is that all right for you?"
"Sure. Thanks Dr. Han", Brett said and got up.
"Any changes in his medication?", Eddy asked.
"Not at the moment. I'd like for Mr. Yang to take his medication for the time being and we'll reduce the dose at the given time. You'll get a call from me tomorrow."

"She saw right through me, huh", Brett shook his head on their way home in the metro.
Eddy laughed loudly. Happily. Brett glanced at him.
"I like that."
"What exactly? That I'm suddenly an open book for strangers even?"
"No, that people can see that you're happier", Eddy answered and laid an arm around Brett, pulling him towards his side in a manner which would let people suggest he'd done that a million times by now. It felt familiar already. Safe.
"At least she thought it was your prank gifts that did the trick", Brett sighed and leaned in closer to his boyfriend.
"Maybe she watches our videos."
"Maybe."

The last few days felt like a dream to Brett and he had indeed caught himself pinching his arm or cheek at times when he had simply felt so happy it almost scared him.
He wasn't used to being this joyful, wanting to hug every stranger on the street and tell them how beautiful life was.
He wasn't used to waking up not only having meaning in life (because what they had been doing with Twoset and him doing music in general and having a loving family and great friends and all that had always given him a lot of purpose...), but carrying a huge smile the second he'd turn around and see his best friend and now lover/boyfriend/soulmate/any kind of (sappy) term for romantic partner insertable here, really, lying next to him, breathing peacefully.
He wasn't used to all the hugs, the stares, the smiles, the glances they shared.
He wasn't used to the touches, soft and passionate ones. The kissing, slow and hot. Them moving together until their moans mingled into a duet, a perfect symphony...

Yeah... Brett wasn't used to all this at all. And it made him so freaking happy he feared if he'd lose this for whatever reason, whatever freak accident, he would just go lost with it and vanish into nothingness.

And he couldn't believe how any of this was possible, but being with Eddy still felt very familiar despite the novelty of their relationship. Very much like home. They were still bantering, still taking care of each other (or Eddy of Brett mostly, at the moment), still sharing meals and practicing together, now, that Brett felt stronger day by day, still making jokes and laughing together.

Being with Eddy was in every means as awesome and wonderful as Brett had imagined, and more.

He was one lucky bastard!

"Brett? You're head in the stratosphere, love?"
"Hmm...", Brett made, looking at their reflection in the metro window opposite of them, showing two not so young guys anymore sitting next to each other, much closer than normal bro's would... still an unusual sight for Brett, but a beloved one nonetheless. "Just thinking..."
"Wanna share?"
"Just how lucky I am... and how unbelievable all of this is for me."
"Is that good or bad?"
"Good, I think."
"Good."
"Mhm."

"You know what? Let's take a walk in the park", Eddy suggested quietly when they were nearing their station.
"Why?" Brett furrowed his brows. It was like 35°C outside, not really the temperature one would want to go for a stroll.
"Just feel like it... if you're up for it? Not feeling too weak?"
"No, not at all."

They held hands while walking beneath the willow trees, seeking shade in the brutal heat.
"So?", Brett said after strolling for a while.
"Hmmm?"
"Why did you bring us here?"
"You see right through me, huh", Eddy chuckled and squeezed Brett's hand he was holding.
"Well, I'm your boyfriend now. So I want to make sure you're fine." It sounded less concerned than Brett was feeling.

But then again, there was no fooling Eddy. "Everything's fine", he started, "it's just..." he stopped under some especially long branches of a willow tree which almost touched the ground, surrounding them like a curtain. Brett looked at him  questioningly, trying to ignore his dumb heart beating nervously fast all of a sudden.
"Brett, this is all very surreal for me too. Since we've been together, I sometimes wake up at night. That's nothing new for me, I've always woken up... but now, I wake up because I'm afraid this is all a dream after all. And that none of this is real."
"Oh, Eddy...", Brett breathed. He could practically feel Eddy's fear and he wanted to take it away as fast as possible. They had talked about this briefly on Christmas Eve and of course Eddy would feel like this. He'd waited way longer than Brett had.
"But when I see your face next to me, I calm down instantly. So it really does help sleeping next to you, being close to you. I guess it's some left over anxiety from when you were like super sick."
And that had only been like two weeks ago. Too little time to overcome one's fears.
"But I kinda get what you're talking about. This, Brett, and YOU! You make me so, soo very happy I just can't believe this is our new wonderful reality now. And I will do everything in my power to protect what we have. And protect you."

Brett shot up and met Eddy's lips. Insistent. Reassuring.

"Eddy", he said, still so close he could feel Eddy's breathing on his face, and cupped the other's cheek. "I love you and I seriously doubt this will ever change. Hell, I've thought so much about us, about you, like I have never before for anything in my life, so I wouldn't screw us up. But you were, and still are, so perfect! So even if I screw up, and I probably will at some point, I kinda know it's gonna be okay."

Eddy smiled his sweetest smile, making Brett's soul sing.
"You can screw up as much as you want. You're not getting rid of me, Brett Yang."
"Neither are you, Eddy Chen."
Eddy pressed a kiss of the possessive kind on Brett's lips, causing Brett to forget himself for a sweet moment.