Andante

CLIII (posting despite Wattpad issues, hope you can read this!)

Eddy tried to breathe deeply to calm himself down as he opened his case and took out his violin, but it wasn't really working. He put the shoulder rest on the violin mechanically, and started tightening the bow. 
Brett had rocked, just like he knew he would. He had offered for Eddy to record first, but Eddy had said no. Of course. Look, it might have been better for him to go first, given how fucking nervous he was, but he didn't want to. Brett was the one who had arranged for Steven to be here at all; he deserved it way more. 
Still... even though it had been really lovely to sit and wait on the floor, his back against the giant mirror, watching Brett nail it, it had not helped his nerves one bit. He was feeling even more jittery now than he had at the bus stop and he was starting to worry the whole thing would become ricochet instead of beautiful light legato and detaché. 
His breath came shakily as he put his bow to his violin, looking at Steven for the A. 
Brett had put his own violin away and he was coming over now to stand by his side.
"Hey my love." he whispered, soft enough so Steven would definitely not hear. "You'll be okay, I promise."
Eddy almost groaned. He wanted so desperately to come off strong, suave, in control, but he knew Brett was looking right through him.
"I'm freaking out." he admitted under his breath. "Why did I choose the Bach again, where everything is technique? I should have just gone for something romantic, where at least I can fake it."
Brett smiled softly and brushed his hand against his, the comfort pouring out of him despite the distance between them. 
"You don't have to fake it, my lovely Eddy. Because you can play it, and you know it."
Eddy nodded. What could he say? You have too much faith in me? Soon the whole world will see how much I suck? Somehow he didn't think that was the right sentiment to express out loud. So he just managed to smile at his love.
"I wish I could hug you right now."

Suddenly Steven cleared his throat. 
"Erm, guys.... this may be the right time to tell you that my cousin is deaf."
Eddy looked up in surprise at the non sequitur. 
"Oh?"
Steven nodded and carried on in the same pleasant, slightly gruff tone he'd come to know over the last days.
"Yep. So I practised with her a lot when we were kids and that is how I learned to read lips. So..."
He didn't really need to carry on, because the implications of his words hit Eddy in the face like a freight train.
Shit. They'd been whispering, but that didn't matter if someone could read lips, did it? His eyes shot from Brett to Steven in a panic, but Steven just smiled.
"Don't worry about it guys, I had an inkling anyway from the way Brett's eyes always start shining whenever he talks about you. And I would have kept my mouth shut normally, but I just felt I should say it now, so you can give him that hug without worrying."

Eddy was still in astounded shock when Brett started grinning nervously next to him.
"Well, shit." he said in his most deadpan voice.
"Really, don't worry about it, my lips are sealed." Steven shrugged, and he sat back down at the piano as if nothing had happened at all. 
And just like that Brett seemed to make a decision, and his arms were around Eddy and he pulled him in. 
"He won't talk, I'm sure." he whispered in his ear, on the side that Steven couldn't see. "Well. I'm pretty sure anyway. So you're just going to stand there and play a fucking awesome Bach and everything will be just fine."
Eddy could feel himself relax as they hugged. All his worries dissipated as he rested in Brett's strong arms. 
Would Steven keep his mouth shut like he'd said? He didn't know. But at the very least he was glad that he had told them what he'd read on their lips instead of staying quiet about it, or telling someone else instead. 

He sighed once more and then he let Brett go, picked up his violin and walked to the piano to finally start his Bach.