Club - a Breddy Fanfic.

47) Mason

Seconds pass in silence while Mason keeps evading Brett's look, until Brett leans over and places his hand on Mason's knee and squeezes it softly, awakening him from his thoughts.
"Tell me? Who are you crushing on, mate?"

"Oh, I'm not. I was just asking, hypothetically speaking." Mason says hastily, but his guilty look at the floor tells Brett all he needs to know.

Brett scoffs. "The fuck it was! You don't fool me, mate." He shakes his head. "Did you forget? 'There are no secrets between us.' How many times have you told me that? Those were your words! You think you can shut me out now that you finally need me, that I can finally repay all the things you've done for me."

Brett is right. Mason knows it too. True friendship is not a one-way thing in sharing the difficulties that make up life. After dropping this bomb, Mason knows he can't back out now. He needs to spill his beans. But it's so hard when you don't want to know yourself.

"I.... I don't know Brett. I just don't know anything anymore." Mason tears up for real now.

Oh no, Brett didn't want to make him cry.
"Oh bro... I'm sorry. But let me help you to make it more sensible for you. Please?"
Brett thinks hard. Who's got Mason so shaken? Can it be someone from the orchestra? Did he meet someone at the Club? Or is it a friends of his? They share most of their friends together, so does he actually know the person?
He looks around, searching for clues and sees an extra whiskey glass on the table. Vin and Peter don't drink strong liquor. They are light weights and would fall apart immediately if they would.
Suddenly realisation hits him, his eyes open wide, making Mason cringe.

"Timo! It's Timo, right?!" Brett can't think of anyone else. They have been remarkably good together and Mason has been with him way more than he has ever been with someone he just recently met.
"And he was here today too, right?" Brett next thought startles him. "Woah. Did he also stay the night?" He's been at Eddy's, so he doesn't know what happened here after he left.

"No, of course he didn't stay!" Mason tells with agitation. "He needed help for an upcoming concert of his. He was looking for someone who could accompany him on the piano so he could practice better. I volunteered, so he came over. And yes, he did stay for dinner. It was nice."

"Did you kiss?" Brett curiously.

"No! Of course not. He has no clue. I don't know if I have a clue actually." Mason lowers his head into his hands. "I don't know what I'm feeling right now."

Brett understands him of course, it's hard to acknowledge something like that.
"Okay. Let's get something clear then. Do you want to?"

After waiting a few seconds for an answer that doesn't come, Brett repeats the question.
"Mase? Do you want to kiss him?"

Mason looks up, staring Brett straight in his eyes. It takes quite a long time for the unsteady answer to cross his lips.
"Yeah..." he whispers, his cheeks going bright red. It's very obvious that he has been thinking about it.

"Have you thought about fucking him?" Brett sees Mason wincing. He should have applied a brain-to-mouth filter on that. "Sorry. I will phrase it better: do you want to touch him?"

"God, I don't know! Okay?! I don't know!" Mason hisses.

Ai, that's definitely a question for another time. So Brett sits himself besides his friend and wraps his arms around him. "Hey, mate. Don't worry. Please? It's okay if you like him. Or even love him. You know love is just an incomprehensible thing. It happens when you least expect it. Who cares if it's a man."
It's a bit strange to think Mason with another man, but he secretly likes the idea of them both having boyfriends.
"You know what? We should find out what Timo thinks of you."

"Fuck no! He's straight, you know?" Mason says with conviction.

"U-huh. Right. So were you?" Brett looks meaningfully at him. He really never had any doubt that Mason would be anything other than straight before. But now he suddenly has a crush on a man? Nobody saw this coming, apparently Mason himself least of all. Even Brett needs to get used to Mason's bisexuality as the new reality, so it must be quite earth shattering for him too.
"Have you ever had feelings or something like that for a man before?"

"No. Timo's the first." Mason's eyebrows knit together, forming one line. "I don't know what it is with him! He's funny, witty, nice looking. He plays wonderfully as well. I feel so comfortable around him, but also very excited. Truly a fucked up combination if you ask me. I think way too much about him when he's not around. When have I ever done that with anyone? I liked dark women with curly hair and big butts! Not some pale skinned man with short spiky hair." He shakes his head sideways.

Brett smiles softly. "This is quite something alright. You've always been so very rational about lovers before. So unlike me, who just fall head over heels for the first person who smiles sweetly at me." He rolls his eyes up, thinking about all the past mistakes and disastrous relationships he's had. Mason never had that kind of shit to deal with.

Mason snickers. "Yeah. But you're a moron."

"Yeah? Well, join the club." Brett laughs, but then adds more seriously "But seriously. Shall I ask Eddy to investigate a bit? See if he knows what Timo thinks or feels?"

"No. First I want to figure things out myself."
But the look on Mason's face says it all. He has definitely been thinking this over already. Brett knows he needs more time to get used to the idea, so he will be the last one to deny him that. He knows this must be scary.

"And there's also the thing that I don't want to destroy a good friendship. If he knows, he won't be that casual around me anymore. Things will change, if we like it or not. So for now it's a no. I need to be sure that I can't change my feelings." Mason sighs deeply.

Brett nods, although he already knows the odds of him changing how he feels are quite small.
"Okay. You know I won't say or do anything without your consent. But know I'm here for you. To talk to, to get things out of your head. Anything. Please?"

Mason nods and sighs again. "All right. Thanks Brett. I'll hit the sack. So should you." He stands up, stretches and ponders for a moment. "Glad you and Eddy will work things out. You really are good for each other. No doubt there." He nods again as to himself. "G'night."

Brett leans back into the cough, watching Masonleave. He feels so sorry for him that he has so much to figure out. At leastwith him and Eddy it has been clear from the start what they want from eachother. Although... What will Eddy do? What pace will be good?
Maybe he should go to bed too.