This is an old, old fic…and I'm not a writer by any means. Im sure the fic switches tense a few times… I'm still confused with English. It hasn't been beta-read, so if there are any errors I apologize. Feel free to point them out. Not sure how long this is going to go, but it will be Eddy/Edd eventually.
The Time Between Noon and Dusk
Brown paper clung to the side of the caramel but he didn't care and he ate it all anyway. The piece was too big to chew and too sticky to suck on, and his tongue worked on mashing the candy while swallowing pieces as they melted off. It stuck to his teeth and the roof of his mouth and he was probably drooling all over his chest but that didn't bother him.
The lightening flashed once and twice and he draped his feet over the edge of the fire escape and out into the air. He tilted his head back against the brick of the building and looked at the clouds beginning to swirl into themselves.
Music played from somewhere, blasting and creating a pulse in the air. Downstairs maybe, or a car or a shop, someone's radio. But that's ok. It's a song he likes.
The cigarette smoke came from behind him and he recognized it, sensed with his eyes closed as Eddy climbed out and onto the fire escape with him.
Ed looked at him and smiled, drool leaking out of the side of his mouth where he missed to lap it up, cheeks full of caramel, and his hair flat to his head with sweat.
"S'going to rain." He spit as he talked.
Eddy nodded as he blew smoke into his face. "Mmhm."
Ed took the paper bag from his lap in one hand and offered it to Eddy. For a moment Eddy eyed the bag; giant grease stain on the bottom, pieces of it missing from the sides, Ed's sticky fingerprints dotted along the top. He wondered how much of Ed's drool had covered the candy inside and realized he didn't care.
Eddy nodded, reached over and put his hand into the bag, fingers sticking immediately to the first piece he touched and he grimaced a little. He put his cigarette into his mouth and with both hands took the candy out of the paper bag. The piece was lined with parchment paper, but in the heat it did little good to keep the candies separated and whole.
"It's melting all over the place, Ed." He grumbled around his cigarette.
"Mmm that's when they're best!"
Eddy looked from the piece of candy slowly oozing out over his outstretched palm to Ed, who was happily slobbering on his own candy. It was muggy up there on the 5th floor landing and Eddy didn't like the feel of sugar on his hands. He spit his cigarette out over the ledge, brought his hand up to his mouth and forced the whole thing in. It was warm and gooey, for some strange reason salty underneath the sweet, and as it covered his tongue he tried hard to chew. The parchment paper seemed glued to his hand but he couldn't shake it off and he was not really finding it all that enjoyable. He looked to Ed but Ed was done with his piece and was reaching for another.
"They are so good, right Eddy?" Ed said with his tongue hanging out.
Eddy slowly chewed his caramel, glared at Ed and wiped his hand across the brick of their flat to get off the wrapper that was stuck to his palm.
"Yeah I know, I could eat them all day." Ed sighed and happily shoved another whole candy into his mouth, not caring about his roommate's lack of enthusiasm or the sticky mess he created on his clothes, face, hands and the entire surface of the fire escape.
It was quiet between them except for Ed's loud smacking of his lips, the thunder from overhead and the music still coming in beats and deep basses. Ed swung his legs happily in the damp summer air and held onto the handrail as he peered down to the ground below. The sidewalk was a deep red brick and the road lined in grey and brown pavers. He guessed it was because of the weather that no one else is outside.
Eddy wasn't thrilled at all. It was hot, humid and sticky and the candy made him thirsty. Double Dee was supposed to be home an hour ago and it made Eddy edgy and annoyed, for reasons he wasn't sure he likes.
It was earlier that morning when Eddy heard Double Dee getting ready to go to class. He was the only one of the three who decided to go to college while the other two got jobs, and even though it was community college, Edd made sure to wear his best clothes and be early to every class. His routine was predictable and monotonous; he woke to the beeping of his alarm, showered for precisely 7 minutes, ate a healthy oatmeal breakfast, brushed his teeth and hair, got dressed and slipped out of the apartment on time to catch the bus downtown. Eddy's room was next to Double Dee's and whether Eddy liked it or not, he woke up at the same time as Double Dee. Eddy stayed in bed, eyes closed, and listened to the sounds of his roommate getting ready. It was comforting in its own way.
Today was different though. Double Dee took too long in the shower, didn't take the time to fix breakfast, dragged his feet to the door and Eddy would be surprised if he caught his bus at all. But it was not in Eddy to worry. And it was not in Eddy to ask what's wrong.
So he waited, sat with Ed on the fire escape and lit another cigarette. The storm overhead was slowly building in strength and the clouds were getting darker. Today wasn't supposed to rain. It was the foreboding of the weather and Eddy felt anxious. It was not like Double Dee to forget.
It was his birthday after all.