It had been a year since it had happened, and Double D still wasn't the same. He still trembled in the hallways, had panic attacks in the filthy bathroom stalls and waited till the early morning hours to force his body into a few hours' rest. He was a wreck. It was entirely understandable, what with the events that had transpired that night. The nightmares were the worst though, they left him screaming and shaking, clutching his soaked sheets. He usually woke up crying and was unable to sleep for the remainder of the night. Tea was replaced with strong coffee, his organization became slightly lessened and, though he was still concerned with being clean, he couldn't scrub himself from the inside out. He had tried though, in numerous ways.
He didn't think about what had happened, how he'd been alone, how they'd broken into his house and- he stopped the thought cold in it's tracks. Today was not the day for thoughts like that, he had too much to do and not enough time to get it done. His junior year was half over, he was seventeen, enlisted in every AP class he possibly could be, and trying out for the swim team, the chess club, the mathletes and the Quiz bowl after school. Double D didn't have time to cry about the past anymore.
"Hey Sockhead, wait up, will ya!?" Eddy called, rushing to catch up with the surprisingly fast gap toothed teen. "What the fuck's the rush?!"
"Language Eddy!" Double D's voice was sharp as he adjusted his satchel across his shoulder. "We will be tardy to class if we do not make haste. I shudder to think what Mother and Father would say if they found out I was tardy. No time to dawdle." He continued at his brisk pace, adjusting the books in his arms and failing to notice the large dip in the pavement.
Double D slipped, his books flying, the hat falling from his head, skin being pulled from the palms of both his hands as he automatically reached out to catch himself. All three boys fell silent, hell it seemed like everything stopped, if only for a moment.
"... Does it hurt Double D?" Ed's voice was surprisingly soft as Double D righted himself, dusting his hands on his shorts and hissing at the sting.
"No, Ed, it does not pain me anymore." Edd quickly returned his hat to his head before going about collecting his books.
"Don't worry Lumpy, Sockhead is tough, right?" Eddy handed Double D his Calculus book, smiling and scuffing the ground with his toes.
"Indeed Eddy, I healed quite nicely and am doing perfectly well." Eddward offered a rare smile, tucking his hat securely onto his head before continuing to walk, occasionally checking his watch to ensure he wasn't going to be late. "But I worry we'll be tardy at our current speed."
"Relax Sockhead, we're almost there." Eddy never had a care in the world, hands tucked into the pockets of his loose blue jeans.
"We will move as quickly as butter on toast, Double D." Ed chuckled, continuing to lope along behind the smaller boys.
"There isn't time to relax, Eddy." Double D's tone held a note of worry, but he did slow his pace as the high school approached.
The halls were filled with mindless chatter, it was Monday and tales of the weekend were being valiantly regaled as Double D quickly entered the combination to his locker. He hummed quietly under his bed, swapping the books in his arms for those he would need in the first few hours of his day. Eddward quietly shut his locker, satisfied he had the necessary books for his classes, turning to make for his first hour.
"Sup, Double Dumbass?" Kevin's voice had gotten even lower with puberty and he had a fine sheet of stubble across the chin he'd grown into. His eyes were mint green and sparkling with something Eddward was having trouble naming, perhaps it was malice.
"Language, Kevin." Double D sighed, leaning against his locker.
He and Kevin ended up next to one another every year, as if the school's office had planned it that way. As a result, the two were on friendly terms, though they weren't exactly friends. Kevin resisted the urge to beat the snot out of Double D provided Eddward tutored him in pretty much every class he was taking. It was an awkward and tedious arrangement, but it worked out for both parties.
"Listen, I need you to tutor me tonight, I have a math test coming up and if I bomb it I'm fucked. They'll kick me off the baseball team. So seven, my place, okay? I'll bring pizza and soda. No objections." Kevin was gone before Double D had a chance to reply.
"If you came to me to ask for tutoring help, you shouldn't have started by insulting my intelligence," Eddward muttered to himself as he hurried to class.
The day passed more quickly than Edd thought it would and before he knew it he was home and the clock read thirty minutes till seven. His academic tryouts had gone well, but there was still some hesitancy from the swim team. They'd given him a week to get in better shape and try out again. His form was good, he just lacked the stamina needed to get the win.
"Mustn't be tardy.." Edd muttered as he took a quick and rather hot shower, being sure to lather his hair and gently disinfect the scar he kept tucked away under his hat. "Kevin would be most displeased if I was late, not to mention it sets a bad example." He quickly rinsed off and towelled himself dry.
The arrangement with Kevin had been set up by the school their freshman year. Kevin had been failing nearly every class and Double D had been buzzing around the office for weeks, looking for any chance to volunteer. Even some as rudimentary as Kevin could have seen where it was going. Almost two years later and Kevin and Eddward had at least two study sessions a week, provided their schedules allowed it.
Double D hurried to dress, though his clock said six fifty and Kevin's house was only a minute's walk away, he was still anxious. He pulled on a light gray, woolen, long sleeve shirt and a pair of dark blue skinny jeans. He tucked his familiar black and white striped beanie safely over his scar, before zipping up his large, fluorescent orange, downy winter jacket. Once he was confident his looks were well adjusted, he added a notebook and pencil to his satchel before slinging it over his shoulder and heading down the stairs and out the door, locking it behind him.
The air outside his door was brisk, as seven pm was quite late in the middle of December. Eddward tucked his hands into his pockets, amazed at the winter wonderland that surrounded him. Snowfall had always been one of his favorite things, so pure, so innocent, so breathtakingly simple. He hummed softly as he made his way across the quiet cul-de-sac, knocking softly on Kevin's door three times. After a long moment. when there was no answer, he knocked again. After yet another long moment and another silence, Eddward knocked again.
"Kevin? I'm here for our study date, are you alright?" Edd knocked again, harder this time, and the door swung open. "Kevin, I'm, um, I'm going to come in now, alright?"
Double D waited for a response that didn't come and stepped in.
"Kevin? H-Hello?" His voice rang in the dark, empty room and he was suddenly reminded of his own empty home. A shudder rippled through his body.
"Should I come back later, perhaps tomorrow?" His thoughts strayed to calculate how late he could stay and still get the maximum eight hours of sleep.
"Kevin?" He called out, one final time.
"Double D!" The voice was loud and entirely unexpected.
Eddward jumped, his hat fallling from his head as he worked to force the panic down. The voice had obviously been Kevin's. He was safe, nothing was going to go wrong, everything would be alright. Edd tried to even his breathing, slowing his heart rate easily, he'd had enough practice in the ICU, before finally looking up.
"Double D!" The call was a laugh accompanied by thundering footsteps and the sound of someone falling. "Double D, man, it's great that you're here! Danny just broke up with me and I was having a drink, but I guess it's time for our study date now, huh? Choice! I fucking love studying with you!" Kevin stumbled into the room, looking disheveled.
Double D adjusted his hat and took a long moment to look Kevin over. The teen was obviously drunk, noticeable if not from the smell than from the state of his clothes. Kevin was wearing boxers, low slung on the V of his hips, and a black wife beater. (*author's note, a wife beater is the tank top with the lines down it, just google it) His eyes were blurred and unfocused, a bottle barely held by the fingertips of his left hand. There was a slow smile creeping on his face as he sauntered across the room, toward Double D, who was growing more nervous by the second.
"My apologies Kevin, I am very sorry to hear about the unfortunate status of your relationship. May I be of any assistance? I know some very useful coping mechanism and I have a few texts you could possibly- MMPH!"
Kevin's lips were pressed, suddenly, to Ed's. His tongue was warm and heavy in Eddward's mouth, hands everywhere, leaving trails of fire on his skin. Double D almost wanted to stop him, but Kevin's hand slipped down to cup his ass and all resistance left his body. Edd threw himself into the kiss and, if only for a moment, said be damned the consequences.
"Fuck, Double D, you're so hot. Don't know why I didn't do this sooner, that cute little body, all hot and willing. Should have done this last year, fuck." Kevin's voice was a slurred mumble as he left wet kisses up the side of Edd's jaw, his hand sneaking into the smaller teen's pants.
"Kevin, wait!" Edd stumbled back, face flushed, chest heaving. "I cannont allow this. You are inebriated and thinking rashly, I will not lose my virginity to a pity coupling by a drunken childhood friend. I apologize but we will have to reschedule this study date. Have a nice evening and drink some water for the hangover."
"Wait, Double D!" Kevin stumbled, trying desperately to grab Edd before he made it to the door.
His state of inebriation almost made it too easy for Ed to slip by him, firmly shutting Kevin's door in his own face.
Edd made it all the way home before the tears began. He sunk to the floor, back to the door, and let them consume him, fragile body heaving with the weight of his sobs.