Broken String

CLXXX (Epilogue part 1)

"Hey. Howsit?"
Brett sticks his head around the corner of the practice room and instantly Eddy's heart jumps. 
"Hey! You're here! I'm okay."
Brett walks in and closes the door behind him. 
"Cool. All warmed up?"
"Yeah. Well, as warm as I'm going to get. Are the rest all here?"  
"Yup. Your mum, Todd and Ian, Lily, they're all finding their place. Imma join them in a second but I figured I'd come say hello."
Suddenly Eddy puts his violin down and lurches forward, throws his arms around his love and pulls him in. His cheek is against his unruly, black hair. It smells faintly of their shampoo and their bed. He smiles as he thinks back of how he washed this hair gently, just last night, when they showered together like they often do. 
It's still his favourite thing in the world, showering with him. Some things in life never get old and feeling his love's fingers as they massage his scalp is firmly on that list, especially now that he can reciprocate and watch as Brett stills under his fingers in turn, his mouth slack, his eyes closed, surrendered to the cascading heat and him.
"I'm glad you did." he tells him honestly. "I'm... no, I'm not freaking out. But I'm nervous."
He can sense the little, wry smile under his right hand. He knows Brett still worries about him, but there's nothing to worry about. 
Not anymore. 
"Hey, I'm okay. I'm looking forward to it."
"Yeah?" Brett asks as he lets go, his large eyes framed by his sweet expression. 
"Yeah."
"Even the third movement?"
Eddy grins. 
"Kind of. The conductor did it super fast in the rehearsal earlier. He thinks I'm Hilary Hahn or something I think."
"You're getting there." Brett shrugs. "You'll be fine. Oh! I almost forgot! Our video! It's got a thousand likes!"
"What, for real?"

He picks up his phone to check and logs into their Twoset account. One thousand and twenty likes on the video they posted a couple of days ago. His heart jumps for the second time in as many minutes. 
"Whoa! And some new subs too!"
"I know, right? I think it actually may be going somewhere!"
Suddenly he's forgotten all about where he is, and why. Because who knows, right? Who knows? He hugs him again, tightly, then turns his face so he can touch his lips to his love's. 
Their kiss is soft, sweet. Gentle. A kiss that means something. 
No, a kiss that means everything. 

The knock at the door is soft but they both jump. Anita pushes the door open gently and beams at them both.
"Eddy? It's time. You coming?"
He nods and shakes at the same time as flashes of nightmares pull through him, long past.
Long, long past.
He grins as he thinks of how scared he was of her then.
"I am. You gonna walk with me?"
"Of course."
"Okay. I need to rush or they'll close the doors on me." Brett says as he pecks him on the lips one more time, wiggling his eyebrows on his way out. "I love you. You'll rock."

She laughs briefly as Eddy closes the door behind them both and starts walking with her towards the big hall.
"So. You two just as in love as ever I see?"
"More than ever." Eddy says softly. He wouldn't say that to other people, no way. But this is Anita. He doesn't need a filter around Anita. "More every day. I'm the luckiest guy in the world."
She grins softly. "I guess you both are."
"Maybe." he says, then changes he subject. "How did your concert go?"
"It went okay." she says warmly. "And yours is about to go fantastically, you'll see."
"I hope." he smiles. "I hope."