Andante

XCII

Eddy was struggling to focus on the conversation around the dinner table, that night. His head kept alternating between shooting back to the day they'd had, and shooting forward to the night they might have, until he felt slightly dizzy. 
Would Brett want what he wanted? And how on earth would he broach that? Would he just kiss him more, and see what happens? Or should he discuss it first? How did any of this shit even work? 
He had no idea. 
"Earth calling Eddy!"
Todd waved a hand in front of his face and he grinned.
"Yeah, fuck off, Todd. Lemme eat in peace." 
But of course Todd did have a point, so he did his best to be part of the conversation again. 

It was only a short while later when he suddenly felt something under the table, softly touching the toes of his left foot.  
He'd kicked his shoes off way earlier, like he often did. He was Asian after all; it felt normal to eat without shoes on, so he liked to take them off. But Brett usually kept his on. 
But not tonight, clearly, because a stockinged foot rubbed against his own again now, and he realised straight away that Brett was doing this very much on purpose. 
Fire rapidly coursed through his body at the unexpected touch and hesitantly he moved his left foot, softly stroking Brett's toes under the table, meanwhile trying to keep a straight face above it. His left hand disappeared under the table too now and he found Brett's hand, waiting for him on Brett's thigh. Their fingers intertwined ever so tenderly, and Brett's thumb softly stroked the top of his hand. 
Eddy stopped breathing and leaned into the touch slightly, closing his eyes for a brief moment. 
Oh Brett. 
And he would have bent over to him and whispered in his ear, he would have asked him if he was okay with turning in early tonight, but then Todd's voice boomed over the table. 
"So, guys, I brought my laptop here and I've got a bunch of films with me. I say we have movie night!"
Seriously, Todd? Giggles were suddenly bubbling up from somewhere deep inside him, and he snorted, trying to keep them down. This guy and his impeccable timing, hey? He shot Brett a helpless glance, and at the sight of his disappointed face Eddy couldn't help himself anymore, he leaned back in his chair, threw his head back and laughed and laughed. Brett started grinning too now, and then he squeezed Eddy's hand once more before he let it go. 

One day Eddy would have to tell Todd what he had interrupted, but for now he just smiled as he heard Brett's deadpan assent next to him. 
"Sure!" 
It sounded plenty normal, but of course he knew Brett well enough to know the undercurrent in his tone. 
"Eddy, you game?" Todd asked, clearly somewhat nonplussed at all the laughing. 
"Sure thing, mate, absolutely." he said, the giggle still in his voice. "Let's go." 
So he shook his head in disbelief as he bent over and put his shoes back on, taking a deep breath as he did so to try and collect himself. 
Oh well. At least he'd get to sit on a bed with Brett all night, no? 

They all followed Todd towards the lift, and as they walked past the other diners at their tables he noticed just how flushed Brett looked underneath his deadpan gaze. He shot him a quick smile, and he was instantly rewarded with Brett's shy one. 
Well. At least it was good to know that he wasn't the only one who felt this way, no? 
The lift pinged soon enough and Todd led the way into his and Ian's room, put the laptop on the small table against the far wall and pulled up one of the chairs between the two beds. 
"Brett and Eddy only need the one bed to sit on, I take it?" he said, his eyebrows waggling up and down wickedly. 
Eddy grinned. "Yep. One bed will do, thank you very much, Todd."