GIVE AND TAKE

An EEnE Fanfiction

Rated: K+

Pairing: slight Eddy/Edd

"So you mean to tell me you'll be gone for a whole three weeks?" he inquired, obviously agitated at the mere thought. He tried not to let it show, but his emotions got the better of him. As per usual. He had called him outside his house just to tell him this. Unpleasant news was a great way to start the week.

"That's the plan." Double Dee responded, not visibly sorry in the least. In fact, he appeared quite content. "My parents offered that I go with them! Though it's unusual for them, I really do appreciate their gesture for me to join them on a vacation. I've never seen mountains up close before!" He went on, much to Eddy's dismay. "I do hope they bypass the skiing though...That's a screaming death-trap waiting to happen. Hiking would be better suited for us! Oh, but what about bears...?"

"Yeah, well," Eddy finally interrupted, "Just do whatever! I don't care." He shoved his hands in his pockets and avoided eye contact. As if he couldn't have been any more subtle.

Edd scanned him a moment. At first he thought he shouldn't take this into account because there was hardly a time where Eddy wasn't angry or annoyed. He learned not to take everything personally, but still, it was never fun seeing him or Ed upset. On the other hand, Edd wasn't oblivious towards everything. He figured maybe the duration of time that he'd be gone was a bit much for Eddy. The thought dawned on him that he was trying to say he'd miss Double D.

"Lord." he whispered to himself as he covered his face. His reaction wasn't towards Eddy, but towards himself. Eddy wasn't the type to go around missing someone, let alone expressing that he would miss someone. Edd felt incredibly stupid for thinking that.

Eddy finally looked at him, if 'side-eyeing' is a form of looking. "What?!" Instantly, he was defensive. Such a fragile ego he possessed.

Edd waved it off dismissively. "No, I just had a stupid thought." he said. "I actually thought for a minute that you're upset because" -he chose his words carefully- "I'd be gone so long."

"What kind of sap do you take me for, Double D?" he answered, smirking. This time he gave him his full eye contact. "That was stupid."

Part of him agreed, as that had been what he just stated, but another part of him felt a pang of disappointment. Disappointment? Where did that come from?

"Oh," he breathed. "Yeah, I thought so too." A nervous laugh left his vocal cords, but the tone of it was sad. What was he even hoping for? This wasn't like him to worry over the words Eddy said. Yet there he was over-analyzing again.

Eddy leaned against the side of his house that they were rested at, arms folded. They were both obviously uncomfortable at this point.

Edd looked down at his shoes to break his nerves. "I should go finish packing. We leave the day after tomorrow anyway!"

Before Eddy could say much, Edd was already out of his yard. Eddy reached up and rubbed the back of his neck out of discomfort. Just as Edd wasn't oblivious to everything, neither was he.

"You're such a liar. I know you, you probably finished packing, like, a week ago." He lowered his arm, but not before he kicked at the ground a bit. Quite frankly, he was at a loss. At a loss of what to do with himself. Was this some kind of anxiety? It's true he was overwhelmed with what to do with Edd gone, but it's not like this would never happen again. And it's not like he would have nothing to do. What was he being so clingy for? That thought sent him into a spiral. He felt emasculated and Eddy did not handle that concept well at all. It felt foreign.

He shook his head in attempt to stop himself from thinking anymore. It was only bringing him farther down.

"Ed's free, I'll probably just make him come over." He started to formulate a plan so he could get his mind off Double D. "Yeah, that's good! God knows I ain't going over there if I don't have to." Pacing, he rounded the side of his house to reach the front to head back inside. "Maybe we could clean it so I have some place to crash if I'm bored." He paused. "God, did I really just-? What's wrong with me?" Appalling that he would ever consider cleaning anything an option. Over his dead body.

There really was something wrong.

The night fell quickly on the cul-de-sac, but Eddy hadn't noticed. He had been in his room all day, windows closed, occasionally leaving to get food or go to the bathroom. All he really accomplished that evening was shifting in bed. The weirdest part was that he didn't feel like doing anything he normally would. Plan another prank? No. Watch TV? He tried, but he couldn't keep his mind on it. Video games? He probably wouldn't focus on that either.

The only thing he was thinking about was doing something with Edd before he leaves. It was strangely sentimental of him to think this, but that didn't stop him. Though he felt this strongly about it, that didn't mean he was going to do anything about it. What would he do? Call him up and tell him just that? It wasn't that easy for him. In fact, it would probably scare Edd or make him question his motives.

However, being in his room all day made him feel counterproductive. If he wanted to see Edd, this wasn't doing a thing to accomplish that. At the same time, he didn't want to do anything at all.

"How does that go? 'Sometimes it's best to do nothing.'" he said aloud. His eyes widened. "Did I just...quote?"

Instantly, he sprang out of bed, more agitated than he was before. And perhaps maybe more than he had been in his entire life.

"DOUBLE D." he wailed all the way down the hallway and stairs. Of course he wasn't going to hear him, but it was more in desperation than Eddy even realized.

In a matter of minutes, he reached the outside of Edd's house. He didn't know the time, but honestly didn't think twice about it.

Looking around for how to get his attention, he reached the conclusion rocks would work. Then, he began pelting Edd's window with small rocks. Somehow, they didn't shatter the window with how fast he was throwing them.

"Wake up!" he called after a moment of no response.

To his relief, the window opened. It was Edd. And like a rock being lifted from his shoulders, he felt his agony go away.

Granted, Edd looked mad and was about to protest Eddy's behavior, but he wouldn't let him.

"Don't go!"

The anger drained from his face and, instead, the comment left him slightly gaping.

'Shit.' he thought. 'Too deep, too deep, retract the claws!'

"I mean," he corrected, "I think...it would be better...if, you know...you stayed. Mountains are boring. I mean, you'd probably find some crap to ogle over, it being nature and all, but...I just think..." Eddy struggled to find an excuse to back him up. "Your parents are probably joshin' ya. Yeah, that's it! They told me, personally, that they totally wanna lead you into a false sense of security." He rolled his eyes, "Parents, ya know."

Eddy realized he lost Double D at the first sentence. His eyes were glossed over and he looked extremely sympathetic.

That was uncomfortable.

"No, wait, stop lookin' at me like that!" he yelled, now on the defensive. "Nevermind, just go, okay?! I won't miss ya, whatever!"

Leave it to him to take back everything he just said.

Edd thought he would play along for a moment and cunningly put on a fake glare and started to close the window. The best way to pull it back out of him was to do this, he knew.

"No, wait!"

It worked.

Edd smiled, though it was a 'I'm so clever' smile, and leaned on his window sill as he rested his head in his hand. "Yes, Eddy?"

Eddy looked down at the ground, defeated and given up. "I'd miss you." he grumbled.

This time, Edd's smile was a genuine one and he could almost cry. "Eddy, that's so good of you to connect with your feelings! That's really something, I never thought you'd be one to say that kind of thing. And here I was, about to leave feeling disappointed! You sure surprised me! I can't believe-"

"Okay, shut up, you're making me change my mind." he called, covering his ears as if he heard some kind of bad tune on a violin.

"Sorry," he chuckled. "Were you up all day thinking about this?" He found it funny that his friend couldn't even last a full day without exploding.

"What kind of sap do you take me for, Double D?"