Fantasia

XCVII

Brett was so happy about the fact that his fingers were still able to coax beautiful music out of a violin, that he played four more pieces before Eddy's violin was put in its case again. One of them was Beethoven's Romance number two and Eddy remembered vividly, how this particular piece had proven, that Brett hadn't just been a projection of Eddy's mind. 

"Man! Feels good to play again!", Brett stated with a wide grin when Eddy set the case away. The taller's smile wasn't less big.
"It's good to hear you play too!"
"We could go fetch my violin. Maybe we can play some duets, if you're down for it."
Eddy stopped in his tracks, mentally slapping himself for not thinking of this brilliant idea before.
"That'd be amazing!"
"Yeah?"
"'Course! We'll tell your mum to bring it. What do you say?"
The glint in Brett's eyes matched his smile nicely. "That'd be awesome! Thanks!"

Needless to say, Brett's mum was more than happy to hear about Brett being able to play the violin and wanting to have his instrument with him again. 
"You should play a duet!", she proposed, her expression delighted to say the least.
The two looked at each other.
"Wanna try the Adagio?", Eddy asked. 
Brett grinned. "Sure. Then you'll finally hear the whole version, mum."

They unpacked their instruments.
"Wait...", Eddy found himself saying when he saw Brett's violin. 
"What is it?"
"It's the same violin!"
Brett looked down at his instrument. "Uhm... I hope no one exchanged it while I was unconscious."
"I made sure of that, don't worry", Mrs. Yang said.
"No, I mean, it's the same like in our dreams", Eddy pointed out.
Brett looked down again, his fingers gently wrapped around the wooden neck. 
"You're right...", he stated slowly. 

"You never noticed?", Eddy asked incredulously.
"I guess I never paid attention over there. I mean, I didn't remember anything anyway, remember?"
"Ah, yeah. True."

It felt so familiar and yet so weird to tune their violins together. They'd done it many times in the other world and it didn't work differently here. Although there was a sense of novelty to all of this, the little time it took for them to prepare their instruments like a safe space for Eddy. One, in which he could take a breather, calm his heart before he'd open it for their surrounding to hear. 

Brett's eyes locked with Eddy's and when he gave Eddy his cue, they were off. 

The melancholic melody filled the room and Mrs. Yang closed her eyes along with her son and Eddy. It was like they were on that stage again, just without the pressure of Brett's life depending on it and thus, they were able to soar along with the music. The sting in his eyes was still there, but not as harsh anymore, not as urgent. They felt light, free. 

So, when the Adagio ended after a fulminant climax, Eddy continued seamlessly with his Rhapsody. Brett threw a glance at him, before he joined in with an accompaniment, as if it had been written with the main melody all along. And when they reached the part which Eddy had taken over from the variation, it sounded almost exactly like when the two mystery musicians had played it what felt like ages ago.

"Wonderful!", Brett's mum exclaimed, clapping her hands almost furiously. It must mean a lot to her, seeing and hearing her son, who barely escaped death, play the violin like this.
Brett exhaled and once again, his eyes found Eddy's shiny ones. 
"That was great!", he beamed, causing Eddy's smile to widen even more. 
"It was! It was amazing! You sound so good on your violin."
"No different than in the other world, no?", Brett winked, plucking the strings softly. 
"You should do that more often! I haven't seen you this immersed in your playing in a long time, Brett", Mrs. Yang pointed out.
"I know what you mean", Brett said, "Yeah. Maybe, we should play together on a regular basis."

Playing the violin with Brett? Everyday? Eddy could barely imagine something more fulfilling.