Andante

CXI

And just like that the evening found the four guys back one more time in that dank, grey hallway, their instruments in their open cases beside them, their breaths bated for the last concert of the week. 
"This is it, huh? I can't believe it's almost over." Todd whispered close to Eddy's ear as they stood together in front of the door that lead to the stage. 
"I know, man." Eddy whispered back, leaning his elbow against the door. "It's been real and I'll be forever thankful you invited us here."
He could hear Todd's slight grin beside him. 
"Nah, mate. I'm just glad you came. It's been a lot of fun to see you guys taking the next steps."
Eddy laughed softly now as he turned his head to look at his great friend. 
"I'll bet it was. Though I'm willing to bet it was even more fun taking them."
Todd waggled his eyebrows up and down. "Yeah, I can believe that."

It was the final piece before the quartet already, and Eddy walked the couple of steps to his violin case to take out his instrument with great care. He stroked the smooth wood absent-mindedly as he walked back to the door to wait, every curve and every edge so familiar to him. 
How many hours had he had this violin in his hands, practising, honing his skill? And how many more would it take before he was actually, properly good? 
He promised himself on the spot that he would work even harder when he got back home. He would show Mr. Davids that he was just as motivated as he himself had been, and that he could take himself at least as far. 
And you know what, he thought, staring at the stage door, maybe he should start getting up an hour earlier as well, so he could get some proper practice in before he even went to school. 
He nodded quietly to himself. Yeah, he liked that idea. He'd start doing that the second he got back home. 

Suddenly he felt Brett's warm hands on his back, and Brett's mouth was close to his ear. 
"You'll rock, Eddy." he whispered.
He turned to him and smiled gratefully. 
"You'll rock too, Bretty, of course you will." 
He looked around him quickly at the deserted hallway, but they'd never seen anyone else here, had they? Certainly not during the concert? It had to be safe. So he leant over slightly and kissed Brett once, softly on the lips. Then he looked somewhat timidly at the other boys, who were right there, waiting as well, ready for the applause to come, but neither of them seemed to have even really registered that they had kissed. Eddy had to swallow quickly, to stop the surge of emotion he felt at how easy it was to be with these guys, at how much they had been allowed to simply be themselves, this week.
So just to celebrate that fact, that heady feeling of acceptance, he pulled Brett close one more time, and looked right into his shiny eyes. And Brett was the one now who leaned forward and kissed him softly once more. Eddy lingered for just a moment, but then he remembered that he had important stuff to do. So he smiled coyly at his boyfriend and then he turned around with resolve to wait for the final chord and that roar of applause. 

And when it was time to open that door and walk to that semicircle of chairs in front of the orchestra one last time he was completely present, completely in the moment. He breathed in deeply as he saw the rows upon rows of audience out of the corner of his right eye, and he happily sat down on the first chair and tuned the quartet. 
Nothing could touch him now, not after this week, not after this afternoon. There were no cares left in his mind, there was only him, his friends and their Mendelssohn. 
He had this.