Denial - a Breddy fanfic

115.

Brett was watching their things at one of the bright yellow chairs of the café. He was sitting with his back towards the door, seeing Eddy by the counter ordering them coffee and some pastries. Brett was actually getting kind of hungry by now, and the café smelled like freshly baked pastries.
Eddy came back with their coffees and went to the counter again to grab their pastries.
"Thank you", Brett said with a tiny smile, trying to force himself back into the happy mood he was in earlier. He wanted this to be a good experience for Eddy, and the fact that he might have already ruined that was scraping through his mind.

Eddy sat down across from him and placed his hand on top of Brett's.
"I think I owe you that much", Eddy said, rubbing his thumb over the top of his hand. "For making my life a million times better."
Brett looked down at their hands, seeing Eddy's ring glimmer as the daylight from the window hit it. The sight of it made his stomach tickle, but it also made him feel guilty.
"Do I, though?" he mumbled, leaning his head on his available hand. "It feels like I'm forcing you, or tricking you, into caring about me."
Eddy took a sip of his coffee, burning his lip slightly in the process. He tried to think of the right thing to say.
"I don't know how to prove to you that's not the case, honestly", he finally said, putting the cup down. "All I know is that I love you, and that it hurts to see you struggle. I want you to be alright."
Brett looked away, tears stinging his eyes. He tried to blink them away.
"I'm sorry I'm not alright", he whispered, trying his best to hide the fact that he was crying in public again.
"It's not your fault, Brett." Eddy reached over the table and wipes a tear running down his cheek. "We'll figure it out, I promise."

After a couple of minutes of wiping tears and breathing, Brett finally calmed down enough to have a sip of the coffee Eddy has bought for him. It was a good coffee, and the feeling of the warm drink running down his throat calmed him down further. He noticed he was holding tension in his shoulders and let it go and relaxed.
Eddy could see and feel his fiancé calm down, and he smiled a bit to himself as he turned into the sweet, calm Brett he remembered noticing in the classroom when they met for the first time all those years ago.

"I think I wanna try to havea look at the view later, if that's alright with you", he said softly, taking a bite of the lukewarm pastry Eddy had gotten him. Eddy looked up from his coffee.
"Sure, if you're sure you want to. You don't have to if you don't feel up to it."
Brett shrugged.
"I feel alright right now", Brett said, actually not completely lying. He felt fragile, but not really out of it like he had earlier. "But only if you're there with me, though, so if you're done with the view we can do something else."
Eddy smiled and leaned over the table to touch his arm.
"I'd love to look at the view with you, let me know when you want to head out."

Brett nodded and had another sip of his coffee along with a bite of the sweet pastry. Eddy had a taste of his pastry too, and made an impressed face.
"Damn, I didn't expect this to be that good", he commented, still chewing. Brett snorted.
"You're spitting it all over. You sure it's good?" he joked with a smile, putting his cup down on the table. Eddy swallowed it before giving him a look.
"It was good alright? I can't help my need to express it."

The two boys shared a laugh just as the door opened behind Brett and an old lady Eddy didn't recognize stepped in. He didn't really take much notice of it before she walked past their table and over to the counter, because when she stepped into Brett's line of sight he lit up.
"Berit?" he asked, looking more cheery than before, and the old lady turned around.
"Oh my, Brett? What are you doing here? It's so nice to see you!" She put her hands together and smiled like she had just met a long lost grandchild. She turned to Eddy with a warm smile. "And you must be Eddy! It's nice to finally meet you! Do you boys mind if I join you? I'll just get me a coffee, give me a second", she said without waiting for an answer, and headed over to the counter to place an order.
Eddy turned towards Brett again with a questioning look. How on earth did Brett know anyone, especially an old lady, in Norway?
"Oh uh, she helped me out twice. The first time when I couldn't find you in thw concert hall, and then again when you broke up with me. Got some sense into me again, and all", Brett explained quickly, running a hand through his hair with a shy smile. "Is it okay with you that she..?"
Eddy shrugged and smiled.
"I mean, she seems nice, and if she's a friend of yours I guess I should know her too."

A minute later, Berit sat down next to Brett with a big smile.
"It's so nice to see you boys made up", she said, mostly to Brett, but giving Eddy a smile too. Brett smiled back.
"I'd say you really helped that, honestly, Berit", Brett said, reaching over to grab Eddy's hand on the table. Eddy didn't really know what to say, so he didn't say anything.
"Oh, and I didn't get to tell you, Eddy, your playing on the concert was fantastic! I have never heard anything as well played as that evening!" Her old lady vibe eased Eddy up quickly, which wss a relief to Brett.
"Thank you, it's always nice to hear", he replied, sipping his coffee.
It was quiet for a second while Berit sipped her coffee, and Brett tried to think of something to say. Berit put her cup down on the table and wraooed her hands around it.
"So, why are you up here, Berit?" Brett asked, still with his hand touching Eddy's on the table top.
"Oh, I come here every day. It's always nice to see the different tourists coming by!" she said with a warm smile. "And did I not find some tourists to talk to, hm?"
Brett laughed at the last part.
"You did, you did", he smiled. "Oh, Berit, would you like a pastry? It's the least I can do after the nice dinner you made."

Eddy followed Brett with his eyes as he walked over to the counter to buy Berit a pastry. He turned his eyes back over to the old lady across the table and smiled politely, not sure what to say. He ran a hand through his bangs to move them away from his eyes. Berit smiled at the sight of the gold ring on his finger.
"So you did say yes?" she asked with a smile, sipping her coffee again. Eddy looked down on his finger with a smile.
"Yeah, I did", he said, smiling fondly at the memory. "But I have to say, thank you for what you've done for Brett. I don't really know the details, but anyone who's there for him when I'm not is a hero in my eyes, honestly."
Berit laughed a bit at that comment.
"Who wouldn't help him in the state I found him in, honestly?" she said with a short laugh. "And also, you're friendly with my granddaughter. What kind of grandmother would I be to not help her friends out?"
Eddy furrowed his brows in confusion.
"Your granddaughter?" he asked, not really understanding what she was talking about. Just as he said that, Brett sat down and handed the green plate with the pastry over to Berit.
"There you go, I had them warm it up for you", he said with a smile, and Berit patted him on the shoulder.
"Aren't you a good boy", she said, all grandmotherly and taking a bite. "Ohh, that was a good one. Thank you, young man."
Eddy couldn't help but smile a bit. Berit seemed like a nice lady. Then he realized who she was.
"Oh! You're Victoria's grandmother!" he exclaimed, probably slightly too loud for the little café. Brett looked shocked from Eddy to Berit and back to Eddy.
"What?" he asked, giving Eddy a confused look. "Is she?"
Berit almost spat out her coffee at the confusion.
"Yes, I am!" she laughed. "You hadn't figured that out yet, Brett?"

After almost an hour of chatting, Berit decided it was time for her ro head back home as she was expecting a friend over for dinner. Brett gave her a hug, and she took initiative to give Eddy a hug as well.
"Thank you, boys, for keeping me young", she said before heading out, leaving Brett and Eddy in the café.
"So she's the one who put you back together when I fucked up?" Eddy asked, intertwining their fingers on the table top.
Brett shrugged.
"Well, yeah. I'm just glad it worked out", he said, his eyes resting on Eddy's ring again.
"She's my new hero, then", Eddy said. "I can't believe I didn't know the woman who gave me my man back."
Brett looked up at Eddy quickly before his eyes was drawn back to their hands again.
"We would've figured it out eventually", Brett mumbled, running a finger over the back if Eddy's hand. Eddy let out a sigh.
"Would we have, though?" he asked, feeling Brett's touch tickle him slightly. He loved the feeling.
Brett became quiet for a while, and Eddy had to look up to check that he wasn't breaking down again.
"No, we wouldn't", Brett finally concluded with a sigh. "I don't think I would have managed to live with it, if I'm honest."
Eddy squeezed his hand lightly. He didn't want to think about what could have happened, but the thought flashed through his mind and made his stomach hurt.
"I guess Berit saved us, then. Saved our relationship."
Brett nodded.
"Yes, she really did. I'm eternally grateful for it."

It was quiet again while Brett had a sip of his coffee. Eddy watched as his lips laid softly over the edge of the cup, smiling fondly.
"You know what, we'll invite her to our wedding, okay?" he stated, and this time it was Brett's turn to almost spit out his coffee.
"I'm not sure if she can afford the travel though, I haven't asked about stuff like that...", Brett said, furrowing his brows. "Isn't that a bit much to ask of her?"
Eddy leaned over the table and kissed Brett's coffee stained lips, smiling into it.
"I'll pay for it. That'll be my engagement gift to you."
Brett stared stunned at him for a second before snapping out of it.
"You're serious?" he asked, a smile spreading on his face. Eddy nodded and smiled bsck at him before Brett threw himself around his neck in a hug.
"I love you so much. Thank you", Brett whispered, kissing him again.
"I love you too", Eddy replied, hugging him back. Seeing Brett this happy was the best thing Eddy knew.