Allegro con fuoco

LX

Brett's mouth opened wide as tears filled his eyes. Eddy got up with a shock so they were eye tot eye again. Tears? Why tears? 
"Eddy..." Brett whispered as he took his hand. Eddy didn't even look around now, he was past caring whether anyone saw them. Brett stood there, rooted to the spot in front of him, looking up at him as a tear spilled over and ran down his cheek. Automatically Eddy wiped it away. 
Shit. Why was he taking so long? Was he going to say no, I don't want that? Was he just looking for the words to let him down easy? A sick feeling started spreading through him as Brett stood rooted to the spot and eyed him more soberly than ever before. Eddy waited, his breath stuck somewhere in his throat, his system so taut that even his heart seemed silent.
"Eddy..." Brett whispered again, then a shiver seemed to pull through him and suddenly he smiled. 
"Sorry. Wow. Eddy mine. Okay, here goes. Wow. I've said this speech in my mind a thousand times. I didn't think I'd ever say it out loud."
Another tear made it's way up through Brett's eye and over his cheek as Eddy waited breathlessly.
"Eddy mine. I've loved you from the moment I saw you in that math class. I don't think I've ever told you how bowled over I was. I knew I was gay already but I'd never had more than little crushes. Then you were there, and it was like my insides melted. I loved you, instantly. I lay in bed that night, crying because I could never ever have you. I thought you would be straight, but even if you weren't that you would never be into little old me."
His eyes shone at Eddy, so earnest, bigger than he'd ever seen them. The little brown speck he knew so well seemed to float in them. Time had suspended around them and there was nothing Eddy could say, nothing he could do but hear the words, take them in, absorb them through his skin and into his heart. 
"Then I saw you at orchestra the next day. It turned out you liked me enough that you wanted to be my friend. I couldn't believe my luck. We kissed, we stopped. I was never sadder than the day we said we had to stop. We had those horrible years, those beautiful years at the same time, where we couldn't be together, I would lie in my bed and pine for you, but I knew you liked me at least. I was pretty sure you liked me."
Brett had taken both of Eddy's hands in his and squeezed them gently.
"Eddy... those days in Perth, when you said you wanted to be with me no matter what... I want you to know that no one has ever said anything better in the history of the world. Even now I'm in awe of you. You make me a better man. And now we're here and you've asked me this question I never thought I'd hear, ever. So yes, I will absolutely sort of marry you, and nothing will ever give me greater joy because the world without you would have no meaning for me. None."

Now it was Eddy's turn to stare at him open mouthed. He had never heard Brett speak a monologue like that, ever. It was clearly a declaration of love, and clearly one that he had worked on in his mind. For him. How could he ever have gotten this lucky?
"Bretty..." he whispered as he took the step forward and threw his arms around him, pulling him in. And he opened his mouth to say something back, something about how much he had loved him too, how much he had pined for him too, but he was interrupted by a scattering of applause. He let him go with a shock and looked around. 
The little group had come back from the direction of the marina and they were all smiles and claps. 
Oh my God.
Brett had him, of course. Before he could think what to do Brett raised his hand with his own and took a little bow. Then he turned to Eddy and grinned. 
"Come on. Let's get out of here and to the marina before we make a whole spectacle neither of us wants. 
What could he do but laugh and follow him?