Omnia Vincit Amor

XLII.

"Amantium iræ amoris redintegratio est." -Terence

The quarrels of lovers are the renewal of love.

Brett held Eddy by now shoulders and pulled away from the kiss. Eddy was confused and lifted Brett's chin for their eyes to meet. Brett was still avoiding his gaze.

"Brett, would you look at me, please?" Eddy coaxed, voice soft and borderline begging.

Brett obeyed. He knew he could not resist the man in any way shape or form. He just looked and tried his best to not cry.

"Eddy, please do not do this to me... I cannot bare it." Brett begged, removing himself from Eddy's arms.

"I am not doing anything... I just want to thank you for everything you have done." Eddy said, a bit hurt from the way Brett set their distance.

"You do not have to thank me. You are my brother-in-law. I knew you needed help and I cannot let you down." Brett responded, turning his back to Eddy and making his way to the bedroom he slept on.

"I am thankful for the help, I really am. I just do not understand why you would still help me after all those years..." Eddy said guiltily, not moving from the same place.

"You are family. I always help family without questions nor returns." Brett said, turning around to meet Eddy again. "Do you want to talk about it? I know it hurt you... Just sit down and I will prepare tea so we could talk." Brett added, leaving Eddy no time to argue.

The moment Brett returned with tea, he sat down across Eddy. He needed the distance for his poor heart could not keep up. He set it down on the coffee table and grabbed his. Eddy cleared his throat and Brett spoke up.

"How are you holding up?" Brett asked, taking a sip of his tea.

"I just am relieved that the kids understood our situation... I was not that sad when Irene was pregnant with another man's child but it was evident he loved the man. I am just glad she finally is with the one who she truly loved." Eddy said calmly and took a sip of his tea too.

Brett nodded, not being able to respond for a while so he fills the silence gap by drinking tea.

"It must have been hard, is it not?" Brett asked.

"It is but I am glad to let her go. I was not in love with her and it was better that she is now with a man who cherishes her. I felt horrible because she had to compete with a love that I already had before I even married her."

Brett felt his heart drop and shatter. He was already in love with someone else. How stupid of Brett to think he could ever be the subject of Eddy's love. Why he holds on, he will never know.

"You loved someone before you married her?" Brett asked, his voice had no malice behind them. Just plain curiosity, just so he could stop holding on.

"Yes. I loved you quite a lot, in fact." Eddy said, voice filled with bravery but his heart betrayed his voice.

There was a silence between them. Brett was still processing it and Eddy is afraid of whatever response he might get. Brett was the first to speak up.

"You loved me? I thought that was just a lie so I could mentor you... It hurt me when you said that you were never in love with me! You broke the news out of the blue to tell me you were walking out to be a good man for someone else!" Brett argued, tears dripping down his cheeks and neck.

"I apologize because that was too abrupt. I did not know what to do. I caved in the pressure of my mother wanting grandchildren and for me to marry rich. I did all that because it would be better to break your heart so you would not forgive me!" Eddy cried, matching the amount of tears that Brett had. "Then I hear Belle and Alexander telling me that you had forgiven me even if you never heard an apology from me. It guilted me! I wanted you to hate me. I made you my best man to hurt you! I did not want you to be that kind to me because I did not, do not and will never deserve you!" Eddy screamed.

"You could have just explained everything, Eddy! I could never hate you or be angry at you! I felt so pathetic because I still cannot get over a love that I thought was false. It hurt me so much, Eddy! Seeing you and Irene in the funeral, it was too much... I could not even think to be with someone else for you are the only one in my mind. I do not blame you for I have the control but I always find you in my dreams. Our younger years replay in my head and I always think of what it might be like to grow old with you..." Brett said, voice disappearing with a sob.

Eddy kneeled down on the ground next to Brett's feet and apologized.

"Brett, I am terribly sorry to put you through that. I was a coward, I could not fight for you. I do not know if you still want me or not, but I promise that I am not afraid anymore. I can and I will fight for you now. I am braver and I cannot lose the love of my heart..." Eddy said as he held Brett's hands.

Brett still continued crying. Years and years of emotion and sentiments spilling like ink.

"Eddy... Eddy... Eddy..." Brett cried as he buried his face in Eddy's neck.

"Brett, I am here now. You do not always have to be strong. I love you. I cherish you... Brett, I still live for you." Eddy whispered with tears, he was now comforting Brett.

Brett still cried up until he was shaking. Their tea had long been forgotten and now their warm hands, lips and words had found each other. The kiss was short and salty. Brett held Eddy until he calmed down. Eddy held him too, in order to tell him that it was real. Eddy was never going to leave again.

When Brett finally had his breathing back to normal, he had ran his hands through Eddy's hair and made him straddle his lap instead of kneeling. When Eddy was on his lap, he hand held him close.

"You do not have to apologize. I have forgiven you before you even said so. I love you. I cherish you. I cannot think of anyone else but you. I still live for you too, Edward Chen." Brett said, holding him tighter to his body.

If you had told them both that by the time they were thirty-eight and thirty-nine, they would meet again. They probably would have believed it. What they would not believe is one of them has three children while the other was now a world-class violinist. What they would not believe is they would live together.

What they would not believe is they were still in love with each other.

Frankly, everything would turn out just fine even if they were almost two decades late. Both men were glad to be reunited in each other's arms again. They are happy to be home again.

Especially how they both had seemed out for different homes away from each other. Whatever might happen to them, they could conquer it all now. They both had left behind the mistakes and they were glad to straighten it out.

They were back to Brett and Eddy. Eddy and Brett. Us. Them. We. They. Ours. They were complete again.

"Eddy, I will be touring in Europe next year for at least a year... Could you wait for me to get home and retire so I could be with you?" Brett whispered, lips against Eddy's hair.

"I will wait for you forever, my love. You do not have to retire... You could always be a soloist. I will be wishing and waiting for you constantly..." Eddy said, lifting his head to meet Brett's eyes.

Pure, pure bliss and heaven. Nothing could now ruin them. They would always be one and they had always been. Brett was back home and so was Eddy.

Eddy was still on Brett's lap and his hands wonder around the body he had missed. Brett was filling Eddy with kisses on the places that he can reach. They might be physically close but they are even closer emotionally. It felt right and true. It was the best thing they could ever ask for.

The sun shines on their skin and warms them both up even more. Their hands are tangled with each other, they were under the bed they had shared from their youth. Everything was back to the way it was.