Straight

IX

"Are you okay, Eddy? You look super pale. Did you drink too much?"
They have finally walked out of the bar and Eddy is dragging in huge gulps of sweet, cool night air. He shrugs. 
"Yeah, I'm okay. Just got a headache."
Brett's eyebrows knit together. 
"Why didn't you say?"
"What, and drag you away? Nah. I was alright, don't worry about it."
Brett is quiet for a long moment, as if he's wondering what to say, but he says nothing. Then he touches Eddy's shoulder lightly. 
"We'll get to bed soon. So... you and Vanessa were hitting it off?"
Eddy nods. Look, what is he going to tell him? That he had a chance, maybe, to take it further? That he decided not to? That he doesn't know why? It was probably just the headache, anyway. He's even feeling a bit sick now, now that his head can adjust to silence again. 
"Yeah. I dunno."
They're almost at Brett's house, and Eddy's glad for it. He's not even going to shower, he's just going to crawl into bed and stay there until late morning. 

"Do you want something to eat? You're not gonna hurl, are you?"
Eddy has taken his trousers off and has let himself drop on the bed, pulling the sheet over himself before deciding never to move again. 
"No, and no. I didn't drink much. I just need some sleep, I think."
For some reason tears are pressing right underneath his eyes, and he doesn't even know why. Is he just too tired? Has a busy week caught up with him? He swallows them down and closes his eyes. 
Brett is beside him in minutes and slides into the bed next to him. Eddy smiles as the tension starts to leave his system. 
"Girls are complicated." he says before he can think. Brett grins. 
"God, yes, don't I know it. Do you... do you think Vanessa... wants to have sex with you?"
Eddy shrugs again. 
"I dunno."
A few days ago having sex was one of the biggest things on his mind. Finding out how it feels to be inside someone, to thrust into her... 
Why didn't he take his chance tonight? 
He grunts and shuts his eyes again. It must have just been the headache. Tomorrow the whole world will look normal again. 

He's dancing with Vanessa again, but this time he's all on the ball. He takes her hand and she follows him outside, to the alley beside the bar. He kisses her, once, twice, wet and sloppy. His hand is disappearing under her shirt so easily now, and he fumbles her nipple through the thin material of her bra. She groans as he tweaks it and bites his lip softly. He's hard as fuck as her small hand squeezes him and he presses his pelvis into her side. He's grabbing her tight, pulling her to him. Oh my God, is this going to be it? Are they taking it further? Is he going to get laid, at last? But suddenly he can't see her face, it's gone blank, as if Vanessa is gone. He screams in horror as her whole body crumbles into dust in front of him. 
"Eddy."
The voice of Brett, the voice of calm. 
"Eddy, wake up."
He opens his eyes with a gasp. Brett is eyeing him calmly, but he's very, very close. Much closer than normal, and somehow Eddy has his arms around him. 
"Fuck." he pants. "Sorry. So sorry, I had this dream, Jesus. I was kissing, and then she vanished... Jesus, sorry, it's stupid."
He lets Brett go, but Brett doesn't move back to his own half. Instead he smiles a tiny, whistful little smile.