Erasing Clouds
"Kevin?"
...A momentary pause, filled only with the sound that each drop of rain made as it descended from the murky sky and dispersed onto the pavement, held the air. When Edd received no answer, and instead a blank stare, he continued.
"What are you doing out here? Are you aware that being drenched for a prolonged period of time could easi-"
"What's it to ya, dork?" The red hatted boy rudely interrupted, still somewhat expressionless despite his peeved tone of voice.
Taken aback, Double D cleared his throat and reminded himself of just who he was speaking to; Kevin was, while not dim like so many of the other Cul-de-sac members, not one to be swayed by tedious lectures. Momentarily distracted by both the way the water droplets clung to Kevin's damp skin as well as his own analysis of how he could possibly handle the situation, it took Double D a moment to collect himself and respond.
"I was just wondering," he said slowly. "I had seen you outside, and..." Forgetting what he'd initially planned to say, Edd trailed off and became mesmerized with a droplet of water slowly sliding down Kevin's jawline.
Kevin looked at him for a moment longer, before his eyes returned to the sky. Both embarrassed and uncomfortable, Double D's eyes fell to the wet porch steps in front of him. Unlike Kevin, he'd chosen to stay at a distance from the messy water. Slowly, his eyes trailed back up to the boy that lived across the street, and Double D's breath caught in his throat as he finally took in just how Kevin looked at the moment. His clothes, darkened by transparent liquid, stuck to his wiry body in places and hung loose in others. Kevin's body was damp and slick, and his normally bright orange hair stuck to his face as a deep red. Edd swallowed thickly. Kevin's face held an unfathomable expression of deep thought as he stared at the smudged, topless sky; his normally expressive eyes construed none of his emotions, and Double D found himself slowly getting lost in Kevin's entire aura as a whole.
"Come here."
Edd, only partially broken from his thoughts, obeyed and walked forth into the rain. It didn't feel nearly so cold as he'd expected, but that didn't deter from the nagging voice in the back of his head that told him he should have stayed inside where it was warm. But how could he have denied Kevin?
Stopping less than a foot or so away, Double D examined Kevin at a closer proximity. In turn, he discovered that the boy was scrutinizing him as well, with that same blank and unrevealing stare. He began to reach out, before stopping, and his arm fell limp at his side. Double D watched the movement in perplexity, shifting his foot ever so slightly.
"You're soaked." Kevin stated in a quiet voice.
Double D looked at him curiously. "Yes, well. That happens when you stand in the rain."
Kevin continued to stare at him, before he took yet another step and made the distance between them less. Edd, surprised and slightly taken from his thoughts, didn't move for fear of making Kevin stop whatever it was that he was doing, although he mentally noted that his personal space was being invaded.
"I was thinking," he began to explain. "So what happens if we all do grow up, double dweeb? We're all older and stuff, but everything's the same."
Not quite understanding, Double D tilted his head. The closer he looked, it seemed, the more pain he saw in Kevin's eyes. He could tell that the other boy was struggling to convey his emotions.
Sighing, Kevin tried again. "You're still with you're dorky friends... I'm still with Nazz n' Rolf... We're separated, or whatever. And then one day-" His voice cracked and Kevin glared at the ground, kicking the sidewalk with his shoe. "One day one of us leaves Peach Creek. And that's it. We never see each other again, and nothing happens."
Double D opened his mouth before closing it again. "...Kevin?"
The jock looked up at him, this time his eyes filled with heavy weariness. He began to lean forward, biting his lip, before he turned around and trudged back to his house across the street. Edd stayed in the street for a moment longer, confused by the events that had just taken place, until he realized that he was getting soaked and carefully re-entered his home in hopes of becoming dry. In the process of toweling himself off, Double D thought that perhaps he'd invite Kevin over for dinner that night.
-End-