Broken String

LXXXVIII

"Wait. What the hell just happened?"
Ian sits up in the bed and eyes him incredulously. Todd blinks and tries to find the right thing to say. Ian knows nothing, of course, because there has been nothing he could tell him. Is that about to blow up in his face?
"Um. Yeah." he hesitates.
Because there was no missing the noises, just now, was there? Not helped at all by the fact that their bedroom is adjacent to the bathroom, where clearly two boys just had a very, very nice time.
"Todd. You know something about this?"
Todd sits up too. Some conversations are better had vertically, you see.
"Not this, per se, no. I knew there were some things going on, though." He shrugs helplessly. "Look... it was told to me in confidence."
Ian nods slowly, his eyebrows making the return journey from the ceiling now, and he shakes his head in amazement.
"Yeah, of course. Eddy talked to you?"
Todd grins.
"No. I think he's oblivious."
"He's oblivious... after what we just heard?"
Ian's eyebrows fly back up and Todd can't help it, he chuckles.
"I don't know. That sounded pretty... intense, right? But you know our Eddy, he can be fairly..."
"Oblivious." Ian smirks.
"Well, yeah. He's got a few things on his mind, of course."
Ian's hand goes on Todd's thigh and he smiles sweetly.
"I know. So you've been worrying about them? I mean... are they... like... a thing?"
Todd shakes his head.
"I don't know what's what, especially after this. But I've been asked not to do or say anything about any thing, real or perceived."
"So we're going to ignore this and carry on with our day?"
Todd leans forward and kisses him quickly, chastely on the lips.
"Yes. I should make some breakfast, in fact."
Ian shakes his head again and shuffles out of bed.
"Well. Not in a million years did I see that one coming."
Todd gets up too and puts his arms around his love from behind, burying his nose in his short hair, inhaling deeply to get his favourite scent of all. Eau d'Ian. What is he going to say? Me neither? Because to be honest, that's not true. Somehow a small part of him is not surprised, and he doesn't even know why not. Is his gaydar that good, that he can tell bisexuality in outwardly straight people even when he's not aware he's doing it?
Are they even bisexual?
He shrugs again. That's definitely not for him to decide. What is for him to decide is how much bacon he's putting in the oven, though. He shoots into some sweat pants and walks to the kitchen. 

Plenty of bacon, he decides on. And when he hears the door open behind him he turns around with a neutral smile. He catches Brett's eyes, though.
Oh, God.
He's positively radiant, while at the same time almost haggard. Did he even sleep at all? Brett's eyes narrow slightly and he gives him the tiniest of nods.
He hopes he gets what he's trying to say.
I have your back. I won't say a word.
Brett puts Eddy by the table and walks towards him as Ian's scales drift through the wall.
"Hey, that looks awesome. Can I help?"
"Not really. You can grab some plates? I've put them in the oven to warm, so use gloves?"
Brett grins.
"In the oven? Soon we really will have to call you Nigella, Todd."
Before he can punch him he hears Eddy's phone ring, over by the table.
"Mum, hi." Eddy answers.
Brett's eyes shoot from Eddy back to Todd. He leans over to grab the oven mittens that live on the hook on the side of the fridge. He hears his intake of breath, so he knows something is coming.
"That was too loud, right?" he whispers then, so softly Eddy surely won't hear.
A deep grin bubbles up in Todd, but he keeps it under control. Instead he flips the eggs he's scrambling with the spatula and picks up the pan to slide them into the blue and white bowl.
"Definitely too loud." he breathes back.
"Oh, God. Ian too?"
The eggs slide into the bowl with an audible whoosh, courtesy of them trying to be quiet. Eddy hears nothing, though, he's talking to his mum in rapid Mandarin that Brett will be the only one in the house with any hope to understand.
"He heard, yeah. I told him we're ignoring it."
Brett puts the oven mittens on and Todd steps to the side so he can open the oven.
"Fuck it. I'm so sorry you're... I'm sorry. But thanks."
"No worries, of course. You good, though?"
Brett stands up with the hot plates. The bamboo place mats are already on the table. His eyes are shining like never before.
"Very, very, very good, thanks."
Now Todd does grin, but it doesn't matter because how would Eddy know why? Oh, post-coital bliss. Todd is absolutely sure it'll all catch up with Brett soon enough, but for now he's clearly on cloud nine. Who is he to take him down?
"Awesome." he says at a more normal volume. "I'll be two seconds here. Can you call Ian?"
"Absolutely."