Broken String

CXXIII

They sit together, calm now, the storm stilled, the hospital so very far away, diagnoses, pain, all of it gone, destroyed in the fire they made together.
"That was so nice." Brett whispers.
Eddy nods.
"The best." he whispers back. "So, I'm guessing you won't tell our teacher this was what you did after the lesson?"
Brett throws his head back and laughs out loud.
"Ha! Maybe not. I may just tell her I practised to suck a lot less next lesson."
"You didn't suck. We just had quite the day. Next lesson you'll be great."
Brett's soft, gentle smile. His head that moves forward and kisses him one more time, calmly now. Oh, Eddy loves the post-orgasmic kisses he gives, soft, warm. Loving. 
"You will soon as well." Brett tells him sweetly.
Eddy nods quickly, stopping him from taking that thought any further because this is not something he can think about, you see. Hope is scary, you know, hope is the enemy because what if he doesn't?
What if he doesn't ever? Then hope would crush him.
"I hope no one saw us." he says instead, diverting away from the words that scare him. He looks around at the empty space around them, at the specks of people way down below in the park.
Brett shrugs.
"And what if they did? They surely only saw us kissing. I don't care."

The words are simple enough but they resound through Eddy anyway, crashing into him, surrounding him, taking away something he didn't even know was bothering him.
I don't care.
Eddy shoots him a radiant smile.
"Good." he whispers. "Neither do I."

He leans forward to kiss him again, to get as many of the beautifully languid kisses that happen after all the tension is gone as he can, but before he gets the chance there is movement behind him. His head whips back of its own accord.
"Oh. Shit. I'm so sorry."
Todd's face turns bright red and he starts his retreat towards the door he's just opened, but not before his eyes have flicked up and down and surely seen everything that's just happened. Shock flies through Eddy's system. Oh, crap, double crap, triple crap. He definitely knows...
Oh my God. Now he knows. But then, just as his heart is thinking about starting up again, suddenly Brett laughs freely from his lap.
"Good job you didn't come in about two minutes earlier, Toddy."
Wait, what? Bright vermilion cheeks spread over his friend as they must be over Eddy's own face, but Brett deep, carefree grin makes Eddy's heart sing. Then, right before his shocked eyes, Todd shakes his head and grins as well.
"Okay. So I'll definitely knock next time. I would come out there and tell you what I came to say but I get the feeling I'd see more than I should."
"Definitely stay in there, then." Brett laughs again.
And why does his freedom make Eddy so proud? He clearly gives zero fucks that they've been made. Something swells inside Eddy's chest.
What Brett doesn't want to do, he doesn't do.
And he made him feel that way, just now, he made him come, with his light touch. If he can do that, then what can't he do? Before he knows it he's raising one eyebrow to Todd.
"Yep. Definitely stay in there, bro."
Todd shakes his head, his vermilion cheeks already returning to their habitual white.
"Done."

One lopsided grin and he's already gone, closing the door behind him.
"Oh my God." Eddy manages.
"Um."
Eddy's eyebrows shoot up. Wait...
"He knew?"
Brett looks down for a second, and when he looks up again his eyes are serious.
"Um, yes. He guessed. I hope that's okay. He's... I guess you could say he's given me some advice."
"What, about this?" Eddy gestures down, not quite managing to keep his voice level.
"No, no. Not that. Just... about what to do with all of... you know. Us. Um. I hope that's okay."
Eddy takes a deep breath. His hands are still around Brett, after all, so it's easy to pull him closer. It's easy to lean forward and kiss his forehead.
"Absolutely. I mean, you didn't mind that people guessed with me, right?"
Brett smiles. 
"Nope. I kinda like it."

There's no stopping the shock showing on his face because it rushes through him like an electric fence. 
I kinda like it. 
"O-oh!" he stammers. "Um. I guess I like it too."
Another sweet, soft smile and Brett shifts slightly on his lap. 
"I should probably practise, though, if we're going to be out this evening." he says warmly.  
"Oh! Yeah, of course. Go ahead. Can I sit in?"
"Absolutely. Let's clean up first, yeah?"
Eddy grins. 
"Yep. Definitely."

Why does it look like Brett wants to say something? Words float in his eyes but his mouth stays shut. Then he smiles once more, tightly almost, and gets up in one fluent motion.