Andante

CIC/CC

"Do we have to go home?" 
Eddy's face was buried in the smooth fabric of Brett's t-shirt, his voice soft and quiet. 
He wasn't serious, of course. Well. Not really, anyway. But his feelings were echoed in Brett's deep inhale before he answered. 
"Yeah, I think we probably do, my love." he said quietly. 
"Hmmm." Eddy hummed, and he dug himself a little deeper into the mattress, a little deeper into Brett, like he was a chipmunk, building a burrow. "I can't tell you quite how much I don't feel like that."
Brett put his arm tighter around Eddy's back and pulled him as close as he could. 
"I know. I feel the same. But hey. You can kiss me, and I'll forget all about that?"
Eddy grinned softly as he raised his head and did just that. 

The flight, that had seemed quite long on the way there, seemed to be over in minutes today. They hadn't spoken much, they had just sat together in the small isle, as close as they could without attracting unwanted attention, their hands together underneath the arm rest. 
"It'll be okay, Eddy." Brett said suddenly, his face turned towards him so no one else would hear. 
Eddy nodded and looked out of the window at a drifting cloud in the distance. It looked like you could jump on it and it would hold your weight, allowing you to drift there, suspending time forever. 
"Yeah." he said then. What was he going to say? That he wasn't actually really that sure whether he was going to be okay? And what choice did he have about that, anyway? 
He was going back home. Back to his room, his window with its outlook over the street, back to the endless, soul crushing gloom, and he would just have to deal with that. For Brett's sake. For his mum's sake, even. 
Brett squeezed his hand lightly. 
"I mean it, Eddy. It'll be better, I promise. I'll be there all the time, yeah?"
"Yeah."
Suddenly he turned to Brett and smiled at him for real. 
"Yeah. This week has helped, Bretty. And it's only one more year, anyway."
There was something in Brett's eyes that made him wonder whether he believed him. 

They deboarded the plane in silence and walked the halls of the airport side by side. Yeah, they were still together, for now, but they were firmly back in, right? Eddy looked around him at the arrivals hall and then he squared his shoulders.
He only had one more year, just one more, and then he would be off to the con. Then he would be free. He could do that, right? 
He stepped out of the airport and smiled at his mum, who was already parked in one of the little kiss and ride bays up ahead.

He'd be fine. He had this. 

Chapter CC, or A/N

Jeez Louise, guys. (Yeah, I don't swear as much as Eddy does ;-))
I distinctly remember saying to someone in DM - you know who you are - that this story was probably not going to be very long. I really do. And yet... here we are and it's somehow grown to two hundred chapters?! When did this happen? And I know that you guys are about as ready to let go of this Brett and this Eddy as I am, so I have started a new book, which now has the first chapter out! It's called Andante con Brio (link in comments) and it will start on the day that Eddy finally turns... eighteen! 
So, I can't even begin to say how much I've loved writing this book, how much I've loved reading all of your comments, seeing all of your stars coming in and knowing that this book has somehow made your days a bit brighter. 

ily all!