Con Brio: Todd and Ian's story

64

Brett is pacing up and down the living room. He walks from the couch to the window, and back again. And Todd knows why, of course. Eddy has gone to eat at his mum's house a while ago, and Todd is completely sure that Brett shares his worries from the other night. That's why the pacing, obviously.
How will Eddy's mum react when she finds out he and Ian are together? Is Eddy even going to tell her? Have Brett and Eddy talked about it? 
"Bro. You're wearing a pattern in the floor." he says calmly. The sound of Ian's viola comes through the thin walls. He's practising triads at impressive speed. 
"Oh. Yeah. Sorry."
Brett sits down and pulls his cup of green tea towards him. 
"You worried?"
Brett smirks the way only he can and turns to him. 
"Am I that obvious?"
"Nah. I'm worried too, to be honest. I was already worried yesterday, when I had no idea how to act to your dad."
Brett gives him one of his deadpan stares. 
"Oh. Um. I'm sorry, Todd."
"No, don't be daft. I get it. It's just... I don't want to make things harder for you guys."
Brett sighs and shakes his head. 
"Yeah. I... fuck it, Todd, I have no idea how to handle any of this."
"Does Eddy?"
"No. His mum is worse than my parents. Much worse, I think. I think mine... I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if my mum suspects something. She'd never say, of course."
He looks up as if he's checking himself. 
"I mean... his mum is wonderful. You know that. It's just... this thing..."
"I know." Todd hastens to say. "Don't worry. I get what you mean."

They sit in silence for a long moment. When has he last had a conversation like this with Brett? He has no idea, but he's very glad he's opening up. The guy is like an oyster, keeping everything bottled up inside. That can't be good for your health, can it?
"Anything I can do... or not do. Okay?" he says and Brett nods. 
"Thanks, Todd. It's too fucking complicated."
Todd opens his mouth to say something else, but Brett's phone rings and Brett jumps half a foot into the air. He grabs for it and Todd sees his eyes widen. 
It's obviously Eddy. 
"Hey! You already done eating?" Brett asks, his voice much more neutral now. 
God, the guy is impressive at being stoic, isn't he? But then Brett breathes in sharply, clearly shocked, and Todd's heart skips a beat too. 
"Shit, Eddy, what happened?" Brett says. His face falls as he listens. "Eddy. What happened? Where are you?"
Todd watches breathlessly as the conversation, of which he can only hear half, unfolds. 
"O, Jesus fuck." Brett says harshly then. "Sit tight, I'm coming."
He hangs up and turns to Todd. 
"He told her about us?" Todd asks. Brett nods. 
"It went badly?"
Brett nods again. 
"Yeah. I need to get to him. He's in that park, you know? The one by Eddy's mum's house?"
"Oh, the one where you used to go to get off?" Todd says before he checks himself. Brett's incredulous glance tells him he had no idea he knows that. He would laugh if the situation wasn't so serious. 
Please. Brett. You don't know just how obvious you two are. 
"I'll drive you." he says instead. 
"Really? Thanks, Todd." Brett answers. He's already grabbing his light jacket and his keys. "We... we went there to be together, you know."
This time Todd does laugh, despite it all. 
"I know, I know. And to get off. I don't blame you. You should have been allowed to do that in a normal way, at home. Come on then."