It was the same thing every night. Kevin would walk in the door at 630 on the dot and they'd sit down to dinner by 645. Well, except last Thursday when the redhead walked in looking very dapper, indeed. He had a late afternoon meeting and instead of running to the gym after work, he went on his lunch break and got a haircut while he was out, so by the time he got home, he looked and smelled as fresh he did when he left that morning.

And Edd didn't think it was fair to keep him home when he looked so good, so he gave him his usual Welcome Home kiss as he drug Kevin back to his motorcycle and quickly pulled up one of his foodie apps and made reservations to their favorite Irish pub for dinner and drinks and to show his hottie boyfriend off. And that night, he could have sworn a supermodel made love to him and not the cul-de-sac's tough boy that he fell in love with some ten years ago. And it was amazing.

But tonight, things are different. Edd's feeling tense, antsy. He rushes around the kitchen making not just dinner, but their lunches for the rest of the week and a few things to munch on over the weekend, because if a thought about Kevin crosses his mind, he doesn't know what he'll do. It's been two weeks since that impromptu date and nothing outside of Welcome Home kisses and cuddles as they watched TV has happened between them.

He damn near dropped the bottle of wine he had just pulled out of the fridge when he heard the garage door open. Taking a moment to put the bottle on the counter, he shook off his nerves as best he could and dug into their big spoon drawer as Kevin called it, as it held all their mixing spoons and a wide assortment of other small handheld appliances, for the corkscrew and then pulled two wine glasses out of the cabinet.

"Hey."

Turning around, Edd's heart pounded in his chest as he took Kevin in. He was leaning heavily on the doorframe as he toed off his shoes. His hair was still wet from his shower at the gym and he was dressed simply in a white tshirt and black Reebok basketball shorts. Despite being a decade older then the first time Edd saw him like this in the doorway to his kitchen, he was still Kevin. Tall, tan and toned, hair a brilliant shade of auburn that was truly all his own and as many freckles as there were stars in the sky.

But the look in his eyes was weary. Edd knew he was tired. His days were spent on his feet on as a foreman in the candy factory on the Hudson that made the world's largest jawbreakers, late afternoons in the gym for a couple of hours and then back home to the best clinical therapist in the Five Boroughs. But some days were rougher than others. And today looked to be such a day.

Like that spring day back home in Peach Creek junior year, when Kevin had stopped by again just to hang out. Edd nearly sent him home but Kevin looked like he wanted to talk, so he set about doing what he usually did, putting the TV on Cartoon Network and starting something easy for dinner.

And Kevin stood in the doorway, watching him before asking him how he felt about dating anyone at school. Edd scoffed out a laugh and said it'd be a miracle if anyone wanted to date him because they'd have to go through Marie first and no one was willing to risk doing that, even if Edd had been refusing her advances since fucking middle school.

"And if someone was?," Kevin had asked him.

"I'll make them dinner," Edd said with a sassy smirk and an eye roll.

"I like sausage and cabbage with mashed potatoes and real cornbread," Kevin smirked.

And Edd dropped their sodas. That Saturday, Edd made Kevin dinner and he's been doing it nearly every night since.

But unlike that day, Edd's grown from a shy brainiac, whose hostess with the mostess skills could rival Martha Stewart's into a strong, capable man, who knows what he wants and how to get it. Still, he'd never cross Kevin's boundaries no matter how much he wanted to. Respecting each other's space was paramount as respect meant they got to stay in it. So he pours their wine and sets the table, making an effort to not throw himself at the man.

"H-Hey. How was work?"

"I'll be glad when Halloween is over. What's today's special?," Kevin asked as he walked past Edd to peek into his soup pot.

"Uh, just broccoli and cheese soup. I added chicken though for sustenance," Edd said as he gripped the counter for support. Something about the redhead's scent and the domineering figure he struck as he stood next to Edd and the inquisitive pout on his face as he poked the soup had the ravenette reeling.

Despite another hard day at work, Kevin would come home to him. He got to stand next to the toughest boy he knew. He got share a life with him. After taking down Marie in a dodgeball game for Edd's hand and heart, Kevin got to share all that life and love had to offer with Edd. A simple crush had grown into love and it was all their own. They wouldn't trade it for the world.

But sometimes, you just have to let the other person know how you feel.

Seeing Kevin's grin over adding meat to one of his favorite veggie soups let Edd know that it was safe to approach Kevin with more than just a hug and a quick kiss to welcome him home. But his hormones and his heart took over his mind and he pushed him into the wall next to the stove. That kiss made Kevin's knees go out, but Edd was strong enough for both of them and held on to Kevin and that kiss.

And as the oven's timer went off and Edd had to let him go, Kevin knew that this evening would be another special one. It would be the kind that every day love is built on that sustains who they are to themselves and each other. It was far too long coming for both of them but they were going to hold onto it as best they could now that they had it in grasp.

Edd just took the cornbread out of the oven with a wink and said three of Kevin's favorite words.

"Welcome home, Baby."