Andante con Brio

LXXX

"Come on." Todd had said. "It'll be fun." Todd had said. 
So why did he feel like he was facing some sort of firing squad as he walked into the dorm building with Brett? 
The place was filled to capacity as well, with pulsating music and writhing bodies everywhere.
Oh God. 
Brett's eyes were light though, he stepped in with easy confidence, his hips already gyrating to the pounding beat. Eddy grinned. It wasn't even like Brett would know any of the songs. He was a complete purebred classical musician, who never even listened to pop music. But he liked being with people, he liked yapping all night. 
Oh well. Eddy liked watching Brett, so it would be just fine. Even if he couldn't see Todd or Ian anywhere, yet. 
"You came!" 
He recognised Natalia's voice straight away, even though he would barely have recognised her herself. Her long hair was free from its pigtail now, and she had done something to it to make it super full and wavy. Her eyes were so heavily made up with what he guessed was false lashes that her pretty brown eyes seemed to have doubled in size and her lips were painted red. She grabbed Brett's hand and pulled him further into the room. Someone else pushed a beer into his hand and suddenly Eddy was left standing by himself, just inside the door, blinking against the beat. 
Shit. 

His heart was sinking fast as Natalia pulled Brett into a dance, standing way too close to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. 
Shit, why wasn't Brett moving away? She was clearly flirting with him, right? Why wasn't he pushing her off, telling her he was taken? 
I mean, he knew why he wasn't telling her that last thing. But did he have to let her be all over him like that? Or was he... was he enjoying it? 
The thought was too painful to entertain and with he shock he turned around and found a little group of girls to stand with. He couldn't watch, not anymore. His bottom lip was shivering, but he quickly manned up and smiled when one of the girls asked what his name was. 

He forced himself to never look around again at whatever scene was unfolding on the dance floor and he was still there, he had no idea how much later, chatting awkwardly to some girl he hadn't met before, when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He would recognise that tap in a million taps.
Brett.
Eddy turned around straight away, but he couldn't keep the stupid hurt out of his eyes. 
"Come on, walk with me." Brett said into his ear. His eyes were wide, and weary, somehow. 
Eddy followed his boyfriend automatically.
"Where are we going?"
"I told her I needed some air."

He followed Brett out into the courtyard and to the left, where there was a cluster of trees in a quiet, dark corner. Oh man, what was he even going to say? How did he even feel? He really didn't know, but as soon as they were in the dark, between the trees, Brett took his hand and stroked it sweetly with his thumb. He could hear Brett's breath as he waited, somewhat laboured, pained somehow. What was Brett about to tell him? He braced himself as he looked around him at the empty courtyard under the streetlamp a bit further up. There was nobody around anywhere. Then Brett took the deepest breath and spoke. 
"I'm so sorry, Eddy. I... I hadn't seen what her plan was. I knew she made me uncomfortable, but I thought I was being silly. I got out of there the second I could, but I... I couldn't blow our cover."
He looked down at the ground, his floppy hair just about visible in the dim light of the streetlamp. 
Eddy couldn't help it, he sagged against the nearest tree, retreating even further into the shadows. Oh God, what an idiot he had been. How could he have been so jealous? Brett had told him often enough how he felt, hadn't he? He had no reason to be jealous, had he? He could feel the relief pulsing through him like the music had just a minute ago. 
"I'm sorry." he whispered then. "It... it was hard to see."
"I get that. Do you want to go home?"
Eddy shook his head. "Nah. Todd and Ian are expecting us."
Brett looked up at him helplessly. 
"Yeah. Sure. Of course. But... what do I tell her?"
"I... I don't know."
Eddy had no idea what it was, maybe it was Brett's hapless tone, or the fright he had just had, but his libido suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree. He looked around to check once more that they were alone, then he pulled Brett to him and crashed his mouth into Brett's.