Everything was ready to go. The second prefab had been turned into a post-trauma / counselling centre, for victims, and the main box was the office. Furniture had been found, the walls had been painted, and there was even a small bar fridge connected to a generator outside. The scene was set.

The plan was to have a ‘mini’ opening ceremony in the following week. Even though they had gained a lot of presence already with posters, the official ‘coming out party’ (as he liked to call it), would be in the second week of November. It was the culmination of months of hard, mundane work and Eddie found himself quite excited about it. He had arranged music and Cress had organised catering. Even though it was ultimately supposed to be a low key sort of service, Eddie anticipated it happily. It was essentially a watered-down version of one of the many parties his parents liked to throw.

Except at this one he wouldn’t have to behave.

Eddie stretched. This hunching over computer screen was doing terrible things to his back.

“I would like to put ergonomic chairs on the budget.” He said to Richards.

But Richards was packing up. “Tell Cress.”

“You’re leaving?” Eddie said, though he was unsurprised.

“I have to attend a lecture, at nine, which means I need to change first. You can stay and finish up the spreadsheet.”

“You are extremely bossy.” Eddie grumbled.

Richards paused next to him before heading off. “I know you’ve put in more hours than anyone else on this Eddie. So thank you. It’s just until-”

“The opening, yes yes.” Eddie was aware of the fact that after they actually opened, his workload would decrease some. It made him feel a little hollow to think about it.

Just as Richards was leaving, Bren and Chris popped their heads through the door.

‘Guys, we couldn’t find anywhere open. How about we just call it a night and head back home?”

Home. He meant the apartment. Laurel didn’t need to be asked twice. She jumped up and snagged her bag from the back of the chair. “Let’s do it. I can’t feel my ass.”

“Ask Jordan to find it.” Eddie called to her, but was still looking at the computer screen and typing.

He sensed Christian come up next to and turned to meet his pale blue gaze. “You coming?” he asked. Even when his face was at rest, he always had a tiny smile there.

Eddie very purposely did not look at Em, who was still stapling away. “Sorry, Chrissy darling. I really do have to finish up here first, since Richards has grown-up things to do.” he said with a pained smile.

Christian smiled a little ruefully, cast his eyes down, and Eddie felt his heart clench to watch it. “We don’t see you much these days. We miss you.”

Eddie looked at him skeptically. “We?” he said, thinking Laurel wouldn’t share the sentiment.

Christian shook his head. “Yes, we. We haven’t played a round of Perspective since semester began.”

Eddie pretended tragedy. “The horror! How about this weekend? I’ll bring a box of margaritas. And also possibly a new couch.”

Chris laughed at that. “Perfect. I’ll see you then.”

“Ta ta, little snow-child.” Eddie said softly, waving at him but looking back at the screen. They departed, taking some of the cold with them and leaving the Blue House in silence. The only sound was the cla-clatch of Em’s stapler, and the low electric hum of the heater.

He felt cheered. A weekend with some light-hearted chatter, some cheap, sweet booze and food, would be good. But for now, he had things to do. He turned his attention once more to the screen in front of him, blocking out the rest of the world.

He finished finally, trying to rub the cooked-eyeball feeling away and caught sight of the time. Nine thirty. Goodness, no wonder he was feeling strung out.

He swivelled his chair around and saw Em still there.

“Glory be, have you been stapling for three straight hours?”

He and Em hadn’t spoken much since their spat; they worked around each other in carefully constructed silences. It was a bit like building a house out of transparent bricks. Eddie could see the spaces he would usually fill with words, but found that he either didn’t have the words to use or didn’t want to, so he let Em fill the gaps with his quiet instead.

Em didn’t answer, but he got up and walked to the door, sending a glance at Eddie so brief he almost thought it imagined. But he followed, and outside in the little courtyard made by the framework of the prefabs, Em held out his box to him, and Eddie took one.

“Thank you.”

The thing about Em, Eddie reflected, was that he didn’t give off a sense that he had things to say but was deliberately not saying them. He wasn’t choking back words. He was simply present, content not to add to the noise. And when he did, his words were considered, and to the point. Un-wasteful. His actions too, were made up of small infinitesimal movements, spoke louder than any voice Eddie knew.

However, Eddie was was not a subtle creature, and there were a lot of questions being reigned-in where Em was concerned, but he was too wary of pushing him for information now. He had to wait for the right moment, if that ever came.

“Em.” Eddie said, looking at Em’s profile, blowing smoke into the darkness. “Is that your real name?”

Em gave him a rare, considering look, and once again Eddie felt like the eye of Sauron was on him. Eventually he decided the question worth an answer.

“No.”

“I don’t suppose you’ll tell me?” Eddie inquired.

“You tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine.”

Eddie blinked. “How do you know Eddie isn’t my real name?”

Em’s eyes may have held a flicker of amusement. “Is it?”

Eddie pulled on the cigarette, covering his pause. Em was quite observant, in a lot of ways, it seemed.

“Bren. He told you.” Eddie eventually stated. Em tilted his head in what may have been minute acknowledgment.

“If Laurel ever found out my real name, she would throw a party. After breaking into the student records to find my transcript.” Not that she would need to, Eddie reflected.

Eddie half expected Em to ask why he insisted on keeping it secret, but didn’t.

“What’s ‘Perspective’?” he asked instead.

Eddie was pleased. “Ah, it’s a game. It involves people drinking and guessing things about each other.”

“Sounds like you made it up.”

“As a matter of fact, I did.” Eddie said, chuckling. “On the spot, because Madam was being such a bitch about knowing nothing about me, after Christian fished me up off the street.”

Em looked at him, questioning.

“Ah, Bren didn’t mention it? I first met Christian, then Laurel then Brendan, when I was higher than a kite at the college pride festival. I came down hard, and Christian forced them to take me home to their place instead of leaving me out in the cold, bless hims. Laurel thought I was a drug-addled convict and didn’t take it well.”

Em was still looking at him blankly, his cigarette held still between his fingers.

“Don’t assume. I’m not an addict. It was one time.” Eddie said, not sure why he was defending himself.

Em took a last drag of his cigarette, before throwing it down and stomping on the butt. “I don’t judge.”

Eddie believed him. He doubted he had ever explained so much of himself to someone who hadn’t demanded it. And on the flip side was Laurel, who couldn’t stop asking even though she got no answers.

They went back inside, and packed up the last of the papers lying around, leaving it tidier than it had been. Em pulled a black woollen beanie on his head before walking off, without so much as a wave goodbye, and Eddie found himself watching the dark figure disappear before closing up.