Closer 2

79.

"How about we start with how long you've know each other?" the therapy lady asked with a polite smile. Brett turned to Eddy, expecting him to answer, but then realized he was looking at him with the same expectant look. Brett couldn't help but smile just a little before deciding to answer for them.

"Like fifteen years? Something like that?" Brett half asked, half stated, looking over at Eddy. "Since we were kids."

"Yeah, I was thirteen and you were fourteen," Eddy nodded with a small smile. "Maths tutoring."

"I still suck at math, didn't work," Brett joked, elbowing Eddy. "Remember we used to send notes?"

"I remember you trying to send me notes and me trying to do good in school so I'd be allowed to hang out with you in the afternoons," Eddy snickered, shaking his head.

"Sounds like you've been close for a long time, then?" the therapist chuckled politely, writing notes as they spoke.

"Yeah, best friends for thirteen years and boyfriends for two, yeah?" Brett said, turning to look at Eddy again.

"Well, twelve years of being best friends, one year of... best friends... with benefits and two years of being boyfriends, yeah," Eddy said, blushing. "I'd... I'd like to make a separation on that."

Brett furrowed his eyebrows. Had it really been that different? Wasn't it just another activity they did at the time, like playing video games?
"Oh... Okay..?" he said, sounding a bit unsure. "If you think so..?"

"Yeah, I think so," Eddy nodded, running his tongue over his lower lip. He shifted his gaze down to his hands, folded in his lap.

It was quiet for a bit until the therapist broke it.
"Wanna explain why you think there's a difference there, Eddy?" she asked with a small smile. Brett felt like he had been unable to spot a wall as he ran into it, really. Was there a difference there?

"I just... I don't know, it's probably just because I already had feelings at that point, so it wasn't just something we did, you know?" Eddy tried to explain, eyes locked to his slightly shaky hands. "I felt so lucky to have that time, and it was something special to me."

"It was special to me too," Brett said, running a hand through his hair. It felt like he had taken advantage of Eddy's feelings to get sex, even though he couldn't have known how Eddy felt. He thought it was just mutual sexual frustration, he really did. "Maybe not... in the same way? But... But of course it was special..?"

"I thought it didn't matter to you," Eddy mumbled, visibly making himself smaller. "But I always felt lucky you'd even consider..."

Eddy felt his throat tighten as the tears forced their way out. Feelings he hadn't felt in over a year washed through him, making it difficult to breathe. He shrugged off Brett's hand when he tried to stroke his arm, though. It was just him being stupid and trying to blame Brett for things that wasn't Brett's fault.

"I felt lucky you'd even consider touching me, because I felt like I wasn't important," Eddy explained, trying to wipe his tears. The therapist handed him some tissues to help him, and he accepted them with shaky hands. "I'm still not. I'm just... just interference."