True to their status of absolute Marvel fans, the boys finished watching WandaVision as soon as it came out. Needless to say, both cried a little at the final episode, barely believing this was, quite possibly, really the end of such an amazing show. Well, Brian cried a little, Eric was a sobbing mess.

So when Brian suddenly spoke up in the middle of a comfortable silence, Eric couldn't believe what he was saying.

"What is grief-" Brian started, a small grin on his face. He knew this was still a sensitive topic for Eric, which was the entire reason why he had decided to make fun of it a little.

"Why don't you just stop and let me cry in peace, Brian." Eric's sad attempt at trying to sound annoyed backfired, making him sound more whining instead.

"If not love persevering?" Brian's smile was still in place, even after Eric threw a pillow at him from the other end of the couch. They'd both been working on their laptops in a rather comfortable silence, until Brian decided to speak up that was.

"I hate you." Eric eyed him, but couldn't help the smile that was forming on his face as well. In all honesty, he just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, but Brian wasn't having it and planned to make a joke out of such a beautiful line. Ever since Vision said it, Eric hadn't been able to get it out of his head, despite his numerous tries. It'd been a little too close to home and, to lightly put it, rocked his entire world. A few years ago, the blond sadly had first place tickets to Brian's grieving stadiums when his grandma passed away. The kind women held many hearts, always trying to make sure everybody felt comfortable in this cruel world. She was the first one to ever accept Brian for who he was, not wanting to change him and his personality at all. It had been a very rough period for the man, losing one of the few people that truly loved and believed in him for all he was worth and more.

"No you don't." Brian winked at the blond, gracefully getting up from the couch and making his way to the kitchen to start dinner. "Could never, I'm too loveable."

"That is very true, my love."

"What is grief-" Brian started as Eric accepted his phone call. The blond rolled his eyes, but a smile formed on his face as he recalled the evening a few days before.

"Would you please stop that? You'll make me cry my eyes out all over again and I'm in the supermarket, so I'd very much appreciate it if you wouldn't." Eric warned him as he moved past the dairy section.

"If not love persevering?"

"Listen, you little shit. They loved each other, but also lost the other many more times than a person should go through. You know what, I could just end the call here and now, you know?"

"That's just rude, do you really love me that much, babe?" Brian tried the one voice that got Eric to do anything he wanted to, and that really meant anything.

"Reconsidering now, honestly." Brian could tell Eric was joking, but couldn't help the way his insecurities took over for just a second. Of course, they joked around a lot, telling the other they never really loved them in the first place, but what if it was true? What if Eric really meant it this time? "But ugh, I'll be damned if I ever stop loving you."

Well, that almost killed every single one of Brian's stupid insecurities.

"Glad to hear that, I love you too. Please get home soon, and also safe, wouldn't want to grief over you next, huh? But if you think about it, it'd show that I did really love you, you know?"

Eric chuckled as he moved his cart to the check out, ready to leave this place within now and a few minutes. "I'm on my way, alright? Please write your essays down instead of pitching them to me. Would leave some lovely poetry if you pass away."

Brian laughed, but silently decided that maybe that wasn't a bad idea at all. They exchanged their final goodbye's before he got up to grab some paper and pen. Better get to work while it was still fresh in his mind, right?

"What is grief-." Brian yelled over the sound of water coming out of the showerhead, but didn't finish his sentence before he got a reaction out of his lover.

"Brian, I swear to god. If you don't stop right now." Eric groaned while he switched tv stations, leaving it on some trash worthy reality TV.

"If not love persevering?"

"I hope you choke."

"What is grief, if not love persevering?" Years later, Eric read the quote out loud, aware of how he wasn't talking to anybody at all but himself and a cold stone where it was written down upon in beautiful letters. More than anything, he wished he could hear it from his lovely Brian one more time again, promising he'd never make fun of it again. They'd stole the quote, and decided to make a running inside joke out of it in, not even the remaining Beale family members had any idea what they meant with it. Unknowingly to both of them, it had started out as an innocent joke, but quickly turned into their new way of exchanging 'I love you' s.

Eric leaned down one final time to place a single red rose on Brian's grave, promising to visit his beloved as many times as one would allow. A tear ran down his cheek as he recalled all of their memories. He truly loved the man, and there was simply no way to ever forget Brian. The blond turned around to walk back to his car, but not before whispering another line of the show that'd started this all.

"We'll say hello again, my dear."