Con Brio: Todd and Ian's story

68

He takes him into the living room, sets him on the couch, quickly filling Ian in in careful whispers. Eddy takes the cup of green tea he gives him with a sad smile and says nothing else. He doesn't even comment on if Todd has put way too many, or way too few tea leaves in. He just sits still, his free arm around himself as drinks his tea of questionable quality in tiny sips, his eyes flying from the cup, to the door and back again. Todd is about to sit next to him and put his arm around his shoulder, or something, when the door opens and Brett walks in, looking dishevelled. 
"Brett! How..." Eddy starts, but Brett sees his state and interrupts him. 
"Oh, Eddy! Oh no, was it that bad?" He sits down next to him and takes his hand. 
"You first." Eddy says softly. Brett shrugs.
"Erm. It went... okay, I guess. I think my mum had suspected something for a while. I... I'm not banished, or anything. I... I had to tell them about your mum though, and how we came to have to say now, and why we hid so long."
A small weight falls off Todd's heart at Brett's words. Okay. Okay. One down. Brett's not been disowned, he doesn't have that on his conscience, at least. 
Eddy nods. 
"And then?"
"They'll be okay. I think they're a bit shocked, but that's all. They asked us to come to lunch tomorrow. I hope that's cool with you."
Eddy shrugs. 
"Of course."
Should he even be here? Should he just leave them to it? Ian is there, in a corner, neutral. Surely, if the boys wanted to be alone, they'd go? 
"Eddy. How did it go with your mum?" Brett asks again, urgently this time, and Eddy looks up at Todd, his eyes large and helpless. It's a cue. So Todd steps forward. 
"She said she had to think, Brett." he says in a surprisingly calm tone. "Eddy was a goddamn demi-god, on the phone. He was calm, and clear, and loving. More than she deserved, if you ask me. Then he threw up. I think he needs a massage, and some sleep."
"You threw up?" Brett asks Eddy bleakly. 
Eddy shrugs again, and Brett nods slowly. 
"Okay. So we're having tea?"
"Yeah. Todd made it."
"For what it's worth, Eddy." Ian says suddenly, stepping forward from his corner and sitting down next to Eddy. "I think you did real well."
"Yeah? It feels like I'm failing her. Isn't that stupid?"
"No. And I do believe she'll turn around."
Todd can't help it, he eyes his love proudly as he puts a hand on Eddy's shoulder protectively. He's different, now, stronger. He can see him changing in front of his eyes, this last week. 
Did he help? Is that partly because of him? 
God, he hopes so. 
"I hope you're right, Ian" Eddy says in a slightly calmer voice. "So. Can we please break out some beer or something? I need it to relax."
Todd grins instantly as images from a hotel room in Taipei float through his system.
"Yeah, we all know what some alcohol can do, right?"
Ian gets up and opens the fridge, takes out four bottles of lager as if it's the most normal night in the world.
"We do." he says. "Drinking is to be recommended, just sometimes."
Todd grins again, because he knows Ian is thinking about the same thing. He takes his beer from him and mouths his thanks
"Cheers." Eddy says as he takes his own beer, twists the cap and raises the bottle up to Ian and him. "To a new reality."