lullaby

3. Sonata

Brett and Eddy are laying on the backyard of the cabin, wearing only his swim trunks.

They are laughing at something one of them said, just looking each other as they smile joyfully.

Both are soaking in sweat and flustered.

Brett watches how Eddy's eyes wrinkle when he smiles. Then looks at his mouth. He thinks that, same as Eddy, his smile is a charming chaos.

He bites his own lips softly.

"I'm so tired", murmurs as he close his eyes.

With his eyes closed, he can feel Eddy's scent stronger in the air. A mix of sweat and citrus.
He breaths deeply. It makes him feel so good and calm.

"Brett", Eddy whispers on his ear, he can only hear him breathing really close...

"Can I kiss you, Brett?"

Brett open his eyes suddenly.

He's no longer on the beach, just laying on the couch of his department. He turns his head, and sees Eddy's face of surprise from the other side of the sofa.

"Are you alright?", Eddy asks trying to hide a smile.

Brett checks his body. Good, he's not naked.

"Nah, nothing, bro", he says fixing his sweater and taking of his glasses. "I guess I just passed out a bit. The movie is over?".

He takes a small pink cloth from his pocket and starts cleaning them.

Eddy starts giggling. "From about and hour, yes", he says staring at him. "Dude, can I ask you?", his tone is playful.

Brett puts his eye glasses back. "Sure, what?"

"What were you dreaming of, bro?", he says smiling.
His eyebrows rises in expectation.

Brett blushes a little. "Nothing relevant, you know?", says looking at the TV's screen.
"I can't even remember it!"

He smiles, but avoids eye contact. He's lying.

"Really?", Eddy questions in a high voice. Brett shivers. "Cause you were giggling in sleep!"

Brett panics.

Eddy continues, "I heard you laughing really low, and I thought you were awake. But when I turn to see you, your eyes were closed!", he exclaims, and pauses for hearing a response.

Brett panics more intensely.
I didn't said anything weird while sleeping, right?

"And then, you woke up all scared. You also scared me, you know!", he says laughing, to relax Brett a bit.

Brett responds with a smile, he's relieved to know he only giggled.

"I was dreaming of a beer", he says as he gets up from the coach. "Wanna go for some? Since you're staying tonight. Let's celebrate we finished this week's recording"

Eddy gets up in a jump. "No need to ask, bro. Let's go!"

***

"And then, it was totally messed up. I didn't want it back, you know? So I just said like, "Never mind. Just keep it, dude"

Eddy's conversation is loud and lively after five beers.

Brett listens to him, staring at the faces he makes while talking. They are sitting in the living room, beers and snacks on the coffee table.

He takes the last sip of the beer, barely on time before bursting in laughter when Eddy starts mimicking the face of the dude who stole his towel on the gym.

"What a sacrilegious boy!", Brett responds, and Eddy starts laughing louder in approval.

Brett is a chill quiet drunk. All smiles. He opens another beer as he approaches it to his ear, to hear the squish* of the can as he makes an aMAZing face.

His eyes are sleepy and his cheeks pink. His hair is crazily messed up.

"Bravo!", screams Eddy excited, clapping as if in a concert, "I think that was a like a B flat or something, isn't it?", says touching his ear and making a thoughtful face while smiling.

"I don't know", replies Brett before taking a big drink. "I am no Mr. Perfect Pitch, you know", he says this last thing raising his voice and giggling his eyebrows, as if making an Eddy's impression.

They start laughing loudly once again.

Brett takes another sip.
Eddy stares at him not saying anything.

Brett blushes, he's not that drunk to keep himself calm in front of a drunk Eddy being too straight forward.

"What's the tea?", Brett asks, ending the awkard silence as he lays on the carpet of the living room, running away from his eyes.
He's feeling a bit dizzy.

"Nothing, bro", Eddy responds as he lays in the carpet too.
The coffee table separate them, each one on a side of it.

Eddy rolls to face Brett. He takes a look.

He can only see his hands and his pale fingers, extended under the table. They look even paler on the low light of the room.

He extend his own hands trying to touch theirs. But stops, and puts his hands under his head as a pillow.

"You really won't tell me what you were dreaming, bro?", says Eddy almost on a whisper.
"I really would like to know...", he says almost like a child before throwing a tantrum.

Brett sighs. He's now too sleepy for panicking.

He closes his eyes slowly and breaths heavily.

"I was dreaming about you", mumbles.

Eddy gets up really fast. "No way, no way", he murmurs. He needs to see the face he's making.

But when he reaches the other side of the table Brett already passed out.
Eddy stares at him, standing at his feet.

Brett sleeps calmly with a hand over his belly. His cheeks are pink and his lips halfway open.

He murmurs in sleep again. "Bro..", and smiles in dreams.

Eddy's body falls on his knees softly. "Damn, dude", he groans quietly.

Brett laughs again, not knowing anything of what's happening in the real world.

Eddy approaches his face to him slowly, trying no to touch him.

He stares at his pink lips, still wet in alcohol. His glasses falling over his nose.

Wake up, Brett. Please stop me.

"Can I kiss you?", he whispers touching his cheek with his nose.

"Yes, Eddy", mumbles Brett.

A shiver runs Eddy's spine. His face gets bright red and his heart starts beating fast.

"Brett...", whispers again more tenderly, almost touching his lips...

Eddy, you need to promise mom you won't do that again, ok?

He freezes in fear.

His face fells softly over Brett's, kissing his forehead gently.

Then he gets up back to the side of the table.

Laying on the carpet, a tear falls from his face slowly.