Beyond the end

Time out

"Okay, time out!" Dylan shouted and sat down next to Brandon.
"You're getting old," he told him seeing Dylan exhausted.
"So do you " and they laughed.
They made the bottles tingle in an improvised toast.
Dylan water crap tonic.
Brandon a beer. An intense break followed. Each for himself. As men do, they know how to do, they want to do.
"Dylan.." Brandon whispered without looking at him.
"You don't have to tell me anything," he replied, "I know what I need to know and what I don't know, I see it from me" he stopped for a moment, carefully chose the words and then looked at him calmly "do you remember when we made that two-day trip on a motorcycle? Do you remember when the Indian sheriff made us dig that hole in the earth? And I was a violin string. Tense like a monkey. Do you remember why? What did I tell you?"
"Because you thought I would do the hole better than you," Brandon replied.
"That's right," replied Dylan, " I stillthink so. You would know how to make her happy better than me. I've always thought so. But I wanted to try to be the best especially since Sammy is there but it didn't work. I thank you are one of the reason"
"You can still be," Brandon replied
"No.." he laughed "no.. it's not me. I know that. She knows that. It's the truth, I'm not. We don't want the same things. And trying to adapt only took us deeper."
Brandon listened carefully to him.
"Sorry if I tell you, but the choice is also hers. The fact is, I will be back in Washington. She was clear. I don't know."
"Yes, you know," Dylan was now staring at him and Brandon didn't answer that definition of himself, so direct, so true.
"What about Brenda?"
"SHe wants to go back to London. SHe has her things to do. Instead i want to take her to Jim and Cindy"
"In Minneapolis?"
"We haven't seen them in a lifetime. Maybe going to Jim and Cindy's will help us define things better"
Brandon turned off his smile.
"What about that Perreira?"
Dylan shuddered "I solved it. But you don't have to talk about it with Kelly. SHe will start asking me questions and get worried"
Brandon sensed that his sister knew everything instead.
Brenda was beginning to feel the tiredness of the trip, the stress, the tangle of emotions and everything in between, but Sammy was too agitated and excited by his father's presence and seemed not to want to sleep.
"Why don't you sleep with me dad tonight? As we always do!"
Sammy smiled without at least a couple of teeth.
They all looked at each other. Dylan didn't know what to answer, he didn't look at Brenda or anyone else's.
He didn't want to disappoint his son.
"Of course."
Kelly searched for Brandon's eyes and then Brenda. They seemed unbreakable.
No one was moving.
"Let's go put on your pajamas then," Kelly said, stretching her hand towards him and we'll make your father's bed next to you."
Sammy wanted Dylan to help him, and Kelly had to give up. The three of them set off together while Brenda and Brandon stayed in the garden.
"Don't say a word," Brenda sighed in her brother's ear.
"Ah ha," he laughed, " what should I say? You want to come to my place at the Hilton. There is Valerie too."
"What's up? In your bed?"
"Really witty," he replied.
"Why not, I certainly won't stay at Dylan's house without Dylan"
"It's something you'll always have to deal with if you want to be with Dylan," Brandon sighed seriously "the question is, is that what you want?"
"What about you?" Brenda filmed it
Brandon did not answer. When Dylan and Kelly resurrected they found them chatting busy.
"We're going," Brandon said.
"Brenda you can sleep here, there's a room" Kelly hurried to say
"No, thank you," Brenda said kissing her on one cheek as a sign of greeting, it would have been nonsense "I'm going with Brandon."
Kelly had tried to avoid Brandon's gaze until that moment.
"Why don't you stay here?" Dylan asked Brenda as they heading towards the entrance.
"You'll be kidding"
"I can't tell him no"
"I know this" Brenda tried to stay calm. I'm going to Brandon's. Tomorrow we are going home. Dylan, i'll probably regret what I'm about to say but I stopped living in fear. Okay?"
"Okay" he kissed her. He couldn't leave with her. They had spoken and talked again. He hoped Brenda wouldn't have headshots.
Further on Brandon just wanted to leave.
"I have a long day tomorrow," he told to Kel .
"Bran"
"No. Please. That's okay. Two months, even less. No? Whatever I say now either I'm an asshole or an egoist or both. Let me go without becoming an idiot"
He kissed her on the cheek.
"We'll talk tomorrow" but he already knew he didn't want to hear anything.
Always holy is the work that takes you away from everything. Who had taken him away for years.
He shook Dylan's hand and felt his vigorous strength. The eyes crossed for only a few seconds.
When they were in the car Brenda looked at her brother.
"Would you like to go see Walsh's house?"