Andante con Brio

X

"Hi." Brett said quietly the second he came around the corner. Had he been here the whole time, waiting, leaning against the wall? He was looking worried, haggard almost. 
"Hi." Eddy replied in a tone that somehow echoed Brett's. God, where would he even begin to tell Brett what had just happened? He could feel his heart rate slowing down though, now that Brett was here, and suddenly he could have cried. 
Brett put his hand on his shoulder. 
"Talk to me, Eddy, you're freaking me out."
Eddy nodded. 
"Yeah. Sorry. I'm just pissed. But it's okay. Let's go to the post box and I'll tell you what happened."

The post box wasn't that far away, but it was far enough for Eddy to tell his boyfriend in some short sentences how his mum had reacted. He didn't miss Brett's startled inhale when he told him what she had said about the test. 
"Whoa, for real? That's... look, I get where she's coming from but that's..."
Eddy touched the back of Brett's hand briefly in one of those small, soothing, almost-invisible gestures they had perfected together. 
"Yeah. I know. But it's okay. I'll take the stupid test, I'll ace the stupid test and that's that one dealt with."
Brett looked at him suddenly and cocked his head back. There was a curious glint in his eye and his voice was soft but clear. 
"Whoa, I've not often heard you quite this determined before."
Eddy came to a stop in front of the post box on the corner of the street and gripped the envelope in his hand a little tighter. That he would get to reply to Brett's comment right at the moment when he would put his papers in the mail was nothing short of poetic, really, was it? 
"You're right, I don't think I have been quite this determined before."

He held his breath as he slid the envelope into the red slot and heard the tiny thump it made, falling down on the other side. There was no way out now, he couldn't retrieve it even if he wanted to. A Cheshire cat smile started spreading on his face without any help from his conscious mind. 
He was doing this! He was really, truly, actually doing this! Would it be very immature to start jumping up and down on the spot right now?
Well, probably, yes. 
He turned to Brett and managed to keep his voice quite level. 
"So, that's done. We could get another Bubble tea? Or walk on a little bit, maybe go to the park? Or you wanna head back?"
Brett waggled his eyebrows in that lovely way he had. 
"Congrats, Eddy. Bubble tea and park, please."
"I was hoping you'd say that."

Now the world really did look different. The pavement seemed to have just that little shine, as if the dull grey of the stones had somehow suddenly become more silvery. The sun above him was a solid gold, and Brett... well, he was just radiantly gorgeous. 
But that was nothing new. 
Everything had changed for him when he popped that envelope in the red post box, and he wasn't even mad at his mum any more. Let her think what she wanted, he had a plan. Because his papers were sent and in a few short weeks he would finally be auditioning to go where he had always belonged. 

"You know, Eddy, not to gush." Brett said almost shyly, just as they walked up to the Bubble tea place for the second time that day. He had the sweetest little smile on his lips. 
"But I... well, I guess I just want to say I'm  proud of you for doing this, for not giving in."
Before Eddy could say anything in return, Brett had hopped into the shop, and all he could do was follow him, that Cheshire cat smile once more very firmly in place.