Brady listened and remained quiet, but the longer that Milian continued, the more he felt like butting him and telling the other how different everything really was. Brady didn't want to leave Milian, he just wanted in, and it seemed he really didn't even have to ask about that. But seeing Milian so damaged, so upset, Brady couldn't deal with that. He felt his own eyes beginning to tear up from the thickness of it all, his hands soothingly rubbing Milian's back, just trying to make it easier.
"You can cry, it's okay," Brady interjected somewhere in the middle, wanting Milian to know that crying didn't bother him, he just wanted Milian to feel better. Reaching over with one of his hands, Brady wiped away the tears, his thumb gently caressing the soft skin.
Hearing that declaration, Brady looked up, catching Milian's eye. It was getting harder and harder to control his emotions, especially with the way his chest was getting tight, his eyes beginning to burn. He swallowed thickly, licking over his lips to stop the inevitable tears from falling down his face. He had to be strong for Milian, and he couldn't be strong when he was crying.
Once Milian finished, Brady took in a shaky breath, blinking a few times to regain his composure.
"Mil," he began, looking down at the floor, "I didn't mean to treat you any differently. I'm sorry that you think I'm only doing this to pity you, because it's so far from it. And believe me, I'm hardly perfect, I'm human, but I'm so terribly addicted to you that I couldn't even stop if I wanted to, and believe me, I don't." he said, pausing, looking up at Milian. "You're so beautiful, you know that?" he asked, in a much softer voice, his thumb running over Milian's cheek again.
"That night at Wands, I couldn't keep my eyes off of you, and I still can't. I don't want you to feel like you're anything less than you are, just because you told me. You're so strong for dealing with this and I don't think I could love anyone else," he said, licking over his lips. "Because you're not the only one feeling that, Mil, I already love you, too." Brady leaned over, pressing his lips to Milian's cheek, holding them there for a moment before he finally pulled back. "And I don't want to be with anyone else, because no one else has made me feel the way you make me feel. My heart beats so fast every time I see you, and," he paused, words suddenly hard as his throat constricted and the tears started, "and right now, I can hardly breathe or speak, but I need to be with you. Until the end, and after it, because you'll always be with me."
Brady stared at Milian, breathing heavily, blinking to get the tears from his eyes. Everything felt so much heavier, but at the same time, it felt cleansing, and there was nothing Brady wanted to do more than be there with Milian.