Broken String

CXLIII

"This is quite simply the best day of my life." Eddy tells his love as he watches him rummage around the bedroom, the door shut behind them both with Todd and a very relieved Ian firmly on the other side of it. Brett turns to him with some dirty shirts in his hands. Why is he even cleaning up right now? Don't they have the whole of eternity for such trivialities as laundry?
"Because you've been told you'll be okay?" Brett asks him neutrally enough, but Eddy hears the  question behind the question and he knows him well enough now. So he smiles sweetly and holds out a hand to his boyfriend.
Boyfriend.
The word floats around his head and his lips curl up.
"That's the second best thing that happened today, yes." he says quietly.

The pure elation on Brett's face is really something else and it hits him in a cloud of shimmers. It's really him, that's making him happy like this. It is, right? Has he ever seen this man happier? That's not just because of him not dying, right? It's the other thing too? Or both? Brett comes closer, like a large cat stalking its prey. The shirts drop to the floor as his stance changes subtly.
"I would like to make love to you now." Brett whispers, then shakes his head in wonder. "Whoa. I can't quite believe I can say that out loud."
Waves of tingled surprise run through Eddy's body. He takes in the words, so simple. He's used them before, many times.
Making love.
Yet he had never made love, not before... this. Not before them. He had no idea what it even meant.
"Wow." he breathes. Brett's lips spread slightly, his moist eyes trained on him, only on him.
"Yeah?"
"Did you... um. Have you felt like we were? You know, before, um, today?"
Now a smile, a real one, a soft one, that new one that Eddy didn't know existed in Brett before them.
"Yes. You?"
Eddy nods as he tries not to start crying again. He's cried enough for a lifetime, these last few weeks. He's choosing joy from here on in and forever.
"Yes. I think it's the first time I ever did." he admits quietly.
Brett's soft, surprised intake of breath, and then those eyes that widen in just that way, that speak their joy.
"Really?"
"Yes. You?" he throws his own words back at him.
"Eddy." Brett says soberly. He sits down next to him now and crosses his legs, his hand goes on Eddy's thigh because it's always belonged there. "I told you already, I've never loved anyone before."
A tear wells and spills after all, but who cares? It's not a sad tear. He loves him, he loves him.
He can't believe he loves him.
"I can't believe you chose me, of all people." Eddy says quietly.
Brett chuckles once, a dry sound.
"It's not like they were lining up. But it was always going to be you, I know that now."
"You've been with plenty of girls."
"And yet I feel like I lost my virginity to you." Brett whispers. "I was so... scared that I would fuck it up. To be honest, I'm still a little scared. Please don't let me fuck it up. Don't let me..."
Eddy's lip shivers and his hand goes over Brett's on his thigh. The hand is still a little sore but he knows now, he knows he can use it and it will be okay soon.
"Never. I'm never letting you go."
Brett throws himself forward suddenly, hugging him again, a small sob on his chest.
"I can't believe you're going to be okay."
"Me neither." Eddy breathes in his ear. "Tomorrow I practise walking."
Brett lets him go, his eyes moist again but there is strength in them. Determination.
"I'll be there every step of the way."
"Yeah?"
Brett nods.
"Of course. Always. Every step of the way."