I have recently fallen in love with all of dshell99's Kevedd stories. After spending the last few months reading ALL OF THEM I decided to try my hand at writing a Kevedd fic based on a few of my favorite songs on my Sing Along playlist. The tentative goal is to do one fic for every song, but knowing my record for finishing a story once I start one I am going to take this one story at a time and make zero promises. (Please don't hate me!)
Here's the fun part for you guys! I won't tell you what song each story is based on. The title of the previous song will be at the beginning of the following story. Feel free to leave your guesses in the comments or just keep them to yourself and have fun trying to figure out how my brain turns music into fanfiction haha! I'll give a couple small hints: I was born in 1991 and raised on music from my parents generation (think BeeGees, Beatles, and ABBA), so I have quite the eclectic mix of genres and time periods that I enjoy. Good luck and happy guessing!
So without further ado, away we go!
This chapter is rated K+ for some language.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this except the plots I attempt to write.
It all started with a football game.
Peach Creek was having their last home game. Except it didn't have to be the last game. If they won, they would go on to the regional championship and the school hadn't been in over a decade. Now, the principal would never openly admit that he would bribe students to show up to the most important football game of his career, but almost every teacher in the school was offering extra credit if you went out to support the team and showed your ticket in class the next week. So naturally, 90 percent of the student body was in the stands that night. Most of the cul-de-sac kids would have been there anyway, to show their support for Kevin and Big Ed, but Double D arriving was a huge shock to Eddy. His parents didn't believe in any of that school spirit, show your pride nonsense.
"Sockhead! You're here!" Eddy gaped in amazement as Edd shyly walked towards the rest of the group.
"Yes, well, when I informed Mother and Father that the game this evening would provide enough extra credit to make up for the A- that I currently have in my AP English class they relented," he replied with a smile.
"Wait...You have an A- in English?"
"Of course not Eddy, but Mother and Father do not need to know that." Double D grinned and walked past Eddy to buy his ticket.
The short brunette stared after his friend incredulously before smirking and jogging to catch up. He clapped Edd on the back and chuckled, "I guess I've been a bad influence on you after all. Lying to your parents? That's got to be a first."
"You are correct, Eddy." Double D smiled back at his friend, "However, given the circumstances, I believe this one incident can be forgiven. I have not been to a school sporting event my entire high school career, it is an important social experience."
"Whatever you say, brainiac. The important thing is that you're here, and Nazz reserved us the best seats! Right on the 50 yard line where the cheerleaders line up." Eddy grinned and nudged Double D with his elbow.
"Need I remind you that we are here to support our friends and fellow classmates, not to gawk at the cheerleaders," Edd chided.
"Hey, they're our classmates too. I plan on letting them know just how much I support them," Eddy grinned again and headed off towards the bleachers. Edd followed with a sigh.
They made their way through the crowd to the center of the bleachers where the front row was taped off with a sign that said Reserved by Nazz in bright lettering. Rolf, Sarah, Jimmy, and Johnny were already sitting in the row. They waved as the two Eds approached and scooted down to make room. The group made small talk as they waited for the game to begin.
In the locker room, Kevin was dressed and ready to go. As the team captain, it was his job to keep the the boys calm and focused for the important game. The nervous energy in the room was building the closer it got to game time. Kevin was only a Junior, but he had the respect of everyone on the team. He had proven himself both on and off the field. Outside of the game, he was supportive and understanding. Due to this, the players felt that they could come to him for anything: relationship advice, help with school, troubles at home, and the team flourished because of his ability to step up and get what needed to be done, done. On the field, he was a force to be reckoned with. He could tell when they weren't trying as hard as they could, but he could also tell when something outside of the game was interfering with their focus. Tough, but fair. That was Kevin Barr.
Kevin scanned the room, taking in the player's shaking legs and twitching fingers. They were nervous. This game meant something. This game could define them. This game could ruin them.
Kevin took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Steeling his own nerves, he jumped up on the bench, "Alright guys! Listen up!" The team gathered around him, the eyes staring up at him held a mixture of admiration and fear.
"I know you are all nervous, I'm nervous too. This game could be the biggest win for our school. This game could be the biggest win for our seniors." The seniors in the group smiled slowly at the idea of getting this win and going to regionals.
"This game could be a lot of things for all of us, but I don't want you to think about what could be. I want you to be thinking about what we know! We KNOW we currently have the best record this school as seen in over a decade! We KNOW that outside, waiting in the stands, our friends and families, classmates and teachers, our community, are here to support us, win or lose! We KNOW that we can trust each other to make the plays, to score, to win! We KNOW we can win. I know we can win. So let's go out there and WIN!"
The team cheered and banged on the lockers. Kevin checked their faces, all the nervous jitters were gone, replaced with hard determination. Nodding to the team, he jumped down from the bench, grabbed his helmet, and started to lead the way out of the locker room to the field. Win or lose, this was it.
As the two teams filed onto the field, the crowd cheered for their respective schools. Lemon Brook, the away team, had a sizeable turnout, but it couldn't compare to the standing room only turnout for the Peach Creek Cobblers. Kevin joined the other team captain center field for the coin toss; Peach Creek won the ball. They took their places and the game began.
60 nail biting minutes later, the game was tied at 42 apiece. Both teams were exhausted. Kevin couldn't feel his right arm anymore, except for the throbbing pain. He was also pretty sure he had bruises on most of this chest and back. Ed had left the field a few times for bandages for his forearms and shins, scraped against the ground or enemy players during tackles. The other team wasn't faring any better, with a few players even having to sit out for the remainder of the game. Neither team would relent, and they met at the line once again.
Edd and the other cul-de-sac kids sat on the edge of the bleacher just waiting for the few final plays to take place and seal the school's fate.
Throughout the game, Edd had been watching his two childhood companions battle their way up and down the field. He had researched some of the finer points of the game before coming to the football field. He knew that even if his presence was only for support, there was no reason that he should not be at least somewhat versed in the this point the Cobblers had possession on the third down. With how little time there was left, they really needed to score now or else they would risk Lemon Brook getting the ball and scoring with no time left to return to a tie. From what Edd had researched, now would be the time for a classic Hail Mary pass into the end zone and go for the win. However, judging from the way the Kevin had been nursing his arm the last 20 minutes, he really didn't think that the quarterback had it in him to make the play. He bounced his legs and stared at the team as Kevin attempted a fake to one player only to have a linebacker notice and tackle him before he could make the real pass down the field.
The crowd groaned and watched with worried eyes as Kevin slowly raised himself to his feet after the hit. He shook his head and sighed, looking at the clock to see they had only a minute to make the play of the century. The coach called a timeout and the team shuffled to the side line to get their orders. Edd watched as the coach pulled out the playbook and started instructing the players.
"They need to run the ball..."
"Did you say something Sockhead?" Eddy glanced at Edd.
"Oh. Umm… yes, actually. I believe now would be an excellent time to run the ball instead of attempting the Hail Mary pass. Kevin's arm is bothering him and even if it was not, our best receivers are currently sitting out with injuries. However, it seems that the coach wants to try for the pass. I am not sure why that is the strategy he is favoring." Edd shrugged.
"What makes you the expert on football all of a sudden?"
"Well, I was not going to come to the game without doing my due diligence to understand the sport. I spent most of yesterday afternoon reading up on the different play styles as well as reviewing our own playbook. I borrowed it from the coach under the pretext of laminating the pages in case of inclimate weather." Edd responded with a small huff. Had Eddy really expected him to be completely ignorant of the subject at such an important event?
"If you're so knowledgeable then maybe you should tell the team what to do instead of the coach." Eddy laughed and returned his attention to the red headed cheerleader he had been eyeing all evening.
Edd glared at Eddy for a second. He could never go down to the field and try to tell the coach what the best option was for the team. The man was known for being stubborn, some blamed his coaching style as the reason the school hadn't made it to regionals in so long. They were predictable, unchanging, and the call to make the daring pass at this point the game could be seen from miles away. Edd knew it, and so did the opposing team from the looks of glee in their eyes. They knew they were going to win.
Edd sighed at the thought of his schoolmates trudging through the halls come Monday morning. The usual rowdy jocks and bouncing cheerleaders with sad smiles and downcast eyes as people reminded them that "they did their best" and "win some lose some". The players would just nod, shrug it off like they always did after a hard loss. Eventually the team would get over it, move on to the next event, but Edd knew that there was one man who would silently brood over the loss for the rest of the semester. Those green eyes would never seem as happy as they had the days leading up to the game…
Edd stood suddenly and moved along the railing to where Nazz stood at the end of the cheer line. He waved his arms at her, "Nazz!"
"Double D?" She walked over to the other side of the railing, "What's up dude?"
"I need you to get a message to Kevin." Edd spoke quickly and as loudly as he dared.
"He's about to go on the field, it will have to wait until after the game." Nazz replied shaking her head.
"No. Now." Edd said firmly. "He incapable of throwing anymore, his arm is in shambles. He needs to run the ball, if he tries to throw it like the coach said the other team will intercept it and we will lose. They are not expecting him to run, they know how predictable our coach is. They are already planning for this, but if he takes off up the left side he can score before they know what happened."
Nazz paused for a second. She had never heard shy little Double D talk with such authority or have such a determined look on his face. She smiled up at him. "Alright dude. I'll see what I can do."
Edd sighed out in relief, "Thank you, Nazz."
Nazz hurried back to the field and pushed her way through the mass of football players to where Kevin was.
"Hey! You're not allowed over here young lady." The coach yelled at her as she finally reached the redhead. "You need to leave right now."
Nazz put on her best smile and turned to face the man, "Aww, come on Coach. I'm just here to give your star quarterback a little luck." She turned back to face Kevin and pulled him down to whisper in his ear. Laying out Edd's plan and reasoning quickly, she winked at him before planting a chaste kiss on his cheek and sauntering away. "Good luck boys!" She called over her shoulder.
The teens collectively blushed as they watched her retreat to the sideline. Then turned to grin knowingly at Kevin. Most had long suspected that the two were an item. Kevin always denied it, as the two were closer to siblings than love interests, but given the situation he decided to just shrug and smile at the team. Best to keep the mood light.
As they made their way back to lineup, Kevin quickly pulled his team into a huddle. "We're not going to do the pass." He spoke quickly, "I'm going to run it. I can't throw anymore. I've given it everything I have already. They'll never see this coming. Cover me on the left and let's take this home." Without waiting for a response he turned and headed to his spot to hike the ball.
Edd watched the exchange between his neighbors with worried eyes, but when Nazz got back to her spot she held her thumb up to him and smiled. He happily returned it and went back to his seat. We're going to win.
Kevin called the play.
The ball was snapped.
Lemon Brook players rushed back in preparation for the pass that would never come.
Kevin ducked left and ran with all his might.
The air was hot around him as his feet pounded against the short grass. He could hear grunts and thuds from his right side as his team took out anyone attempting to get in his way. Ed appeared out of nowhere and launched himself at the last player running at Kevin. He was in the clear. Kevin closed his eyes as he ran the last five yards to the goal. We're going to win.
The cheers of the crowd could be heard through the whole neighborhood as Kevin scored the winning touchdown. The people were on their feet screaming and celebrating the long awaited win. Classmates hugged, people were crying, the principal shook hands with teachers and district administration. Edd sat in content silence. He was grinning from ear to ear as he watched the team lift Kevin onto their shoulders and parade him around. Across the wide space the jock's eyes met the scholar's.
We won.
That night Edd sat up at his desk reading his latest book from the library. A small desk lamp illuminated the pages and a small, purple candle to his left flickered happily to the gentle breeze through the cracked window. He hummed lightly as he turned the pages, content with the outcome of the evening. A small clink at the window distracted him from his book. He looked over and out into the night. A small object hit the window with another clink. Edd placed the book on his desk and went to open the window. Looking down he saw Kevin rummaging through the planter on the side of the house.
When Kevin looked up again, he dropped the small rock he had fished out of the dirt and smiled up at Edd. "Hey."
"Good evening, Kevin. What are you doing here so late?"
Kevin averted his gaze and scratched at the back of his neck, "I...wanted to...ya know...come thank you in person. We were all so tired during that last play that I didn't even think about the fact that coach is so easy to read...woulda lost the game...if...ya know...you hadn't said something." Kevin raised his eyes back to the beanie clad teen and gave an embarrassed smile.
"Oh! There is no need to thank me Kevin. I was happy to help a fellow classmate. Besides, I wanted us to win as well." Edd chuckled.
"Well, it means a lot to the team that we won tonight. They're like my second family, so it means a lot to me too."
"Well then, you are welcome, Kevin."
The two stood in silence for a minute before both started to speak at the same time. They shared awkward laughter before Kevin motioned for Edd to go first.
Edd nodded shyly, "Would you...would you like to come up Kevin? It is getting cold and after all of the physical activity this evening I would imagine that your body is in a weakened state to fight any bacteria. Illness would be most unfortunate."
Kevin laughed aloud at the dork's logic, "Yeah, alright." He started to head to the front of the house.
Edd closed the window and hurried from his room and down the stairs. Taking a deep breath once he reached the front door, he exhaled as calmly as he could, grabbed the handle, and pulled it open. Kevin stood on the other side, hands deep in his pockets, a lopsided smirk on his face. "Fancy meeting you here Double Dork."
"I live here Kevin." Edd deadpanned back to the snickering redhead.
"Yeah, yeah." Kevin stepped around Edd and into the house, glancing around at the organized space and meticulously clean carpet.
"Shoes off please" Edd said as he closed the door.
"Your folks not home?" Kevin asked as he looked at the only other pair of shoes sitting in the entry way.
"No. Mother and Father left on a business trip a few weeks ago. They call everyday, but they will not be home for a while still."
Kevin raised his eyebrows and stared at Edd in surprise, "So you're here all alone?"
"For the time being."
"But who looks after the house? Cooks? Cleans? Pays the bills?"
"Well, I cook and clean while my parents are away, but they still pay for the necessary expenses of the house and keep the pantry stocked. They are extremely busy with work, so this sort of thing is normal."
Kevin just looked at him in silence. This wasn't the first time he had been in the dork's house. After the cul-de-sac had reconciled their differences in middle school the group had become quite close. They would often throw large parties at their houses during long weekends or summer break. Kevin was usually the favorite host, as his house had a pool, but Edd had hosted a couple of the get-togethers. They usually comprised of board games and movies with snacks that wouldn't stain the carpet if dropped. Not the most exciting of events, but it was a welcome break when everyone just wanted to chill out. This was, however, the first time that Kevin had heard that Edd's parents were not frequently around. He had always assumed they just worked during the day and would be home late, but if they never came home…
"Sounds lonely." Kevin said as his eyes met the smaller teen's.
"I-I-I...umm...I get along quite w-well, thank you." Edd sputtered out, breaking the eye contact and moving to go around Kevin into the living room. As he did he brushed against Kevin's right arm. The jock gasped quietly and hissed at the sudden contact with the overworked muscles.
"Oh! You must be horrible pain. Please, follow me." Edd hurried out of the room and up the stairs
"Uh...K…" Kevin followed the dork to his room. Edd instructed him to sit on the bed, while he searched through his desk drawers.
"Ah ha! Found it." Edd turned around proudly, holding a small bottle with what appeared to be lotion inside.
"What's that?" Kevin looked at the bottle warily. Lotion was harmless enough, but when Double D was involved this lotion was probably more than just lotion.
"It is a mixture of peppermint extract, aloe vera, eucalyptus, and lavender in a coconut lotion base. It is perfect for sore muscles. Trust me. I've used it many a time after dodgeball in gym class."
"Whatever you say dork." Kevin pulled at the base of his sweatshirt, lifting it over his head so he was only in a tight fitting white tank top. Edd blushed furiously at the sight at first, then noticed a splotch of purple on the jock's side peeking through the thin fabric. His eyes widened and reached out without thinking to lift the edge of the tank top to better inspect the bruise.
"Hey-" Kevin went to protest, but when Edd's hand gently touched at the sensitive skin he bit at his lip to hold in the gasp of pain that wanted to escape. The bruise stretched over his whole side, covering the right side of his ribs and shoulder blades. Smaller bruises were mixed in along his back and a twin to the large bruise was spreading over his left side as well. Damaged, but beautiful. Edd dropped his tank top, opening the bottle and squirted out a good portion into his hand.
"Y-you are going to have to take the tank top o-off too…" Edd looked away bashfully as he rubbed the lotion between his palms.
"...O.K." Kevin removed his shirt as he was told.
Edd set to work on Kevin's hand. Rubbing the lotion into the muscles at the pad of his thumb before moving up to his forearm. Edd massaged the area thoroughly with the lotion, before applying more to his palms and continuing on to Kevin's bicep. The jock had his eyes closed, tongue between his teeth as he tried to force his mind to focus on something other than the weird pleasure pain that his muscles were experiencing. Edd released his arm and hopped onto the bed so he was situated behind the jock. More lotion was applied to his shoulders and the muscled slope leading up to his neck. Kevin twitched whenever Edd came into contact with a particularly sore spot and in response Edd would apply steadily increasing pressure on the knot, massaging in small circles until the area relaxed. This continued over all of the abused muscles.
"There, I think that covers all of it." Edd smiled proudly as he closed the bottle and placed it back in the desk drawer. "If you let that sit, the peppermint will start to cool and relax the tension away and you won't be as sore tomorrow."
"Y-yeah...alright" Kevin reached out for his shirts and was surprised to find that movement was not as difficult as it had been a little bit ago. As he redressed he thought about all the help he had received from the dork tonight. He'd need to do something to repay him, but what would Edd want? Lost in his thoughts Kevin scanned the room for ideas. Everything in the room was labeled and organized. The book shelf was full and alphabetized by title. Edd's desk had file folders with different types of paper stacked inside, a cup for pencils, a cup for pens organized by color, the desk lap was angled to be perfectly centered on the desk, a book lay open in the middle, bathed in the light from the lap. The candle stood out from the rest of the desk. It flickered in the breeze from the window and the wax was pooled at the base, covering the surface of the tiny dish it stood in. It had melted enough to overflow a little on one side and was dripping on the desk top.
"What's with the candle Double D?"
Edd glanced at it briefly, "Hmmm? Oh, I made it to add some refreshing scent to the room. This one is lavender. Lavender is known for its relaxing properties. It is often used by those who have difficulty sleeping."
"Do you have difficulty sleeping?" Kevin asked.
Edd turned away from the jock to look back at the candle, "Sometimes." He replied softly, almost as if he didn't want to jock to hear. The two sat in silence a while longer, sharing in the calm moment.
"W-well, you should be getting home. I am sure your family is wondering where you are." Edd smiled as he stood to direct Kevin back downstairs.
"Yeah… I guess you're right." Kevin stood as well and lead the way back to the front door. Kevin slipped his shoes back on as Edd opened the door for him.
"Have a good night, Kevin."
Kevin paused for a moment in the entry way. He turned to face the smaller teen. The redhead looked at Edd, and really looked at him for once. He was slight, not unhealthily thin, but he still looked like a good gust of wind would take him out. His beanie covered all the hair on his head, except for a few strands that slipped out around the edges. He was smiling slightly at Kevin, the gap in his teeth just barely peeking out under his lip. Skin so pale it looked translucent in the glow of the moon, and eyes as blue as the deepest parts of the ocean. But under those eyes were dark bags that revealed the true nature of the need for the candle. His smile didn't quite reach his cheeks. Damaged, but beautiful.
Kevin reached out for the thin teen and wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. Edd stiffened in his grasp, but relaxed enough to return the gesture. Kevin pulled away, "Thanks again, Double D."
"Of course, anytime."
With that Kevin turned on his heel and left. He jogged across the street to his house and turned at his driveway. Edd still stood at his door, he raised his arm and waved and Kevin happily returned it.
Beautiful.
The two boys quickly established a routine. After school, Edd would stop by football practice and use his now extensive knowledge of the game to help the players prepare for regionals. Then, Kevin would walk and talk with him back to the his house for homework. With the stress of the previous game, Kevin's grades had slipped, and they couldn't have the star quarterback suspended from games due to failing. On days when neither one had homework, they would watch a movie from Netflix. No matter the genre, one of them had something to criticize about the plot. Edd was a stickler for the correct use of science in any action or sci-fi movie that they watched. Kevin would always point out the ridiculousness of horror movies. "Why are you running that way! Run away from him, you moron!" This would reduce both boys to fits of giggles.
One day, Kevin arrived at Edd's house to find that there were several tall skinny jars on the table.
"What's up with all that?"
"Hmm?" Edd looked up at him, then followed his gaze to the table. "Oh, I need to make a few more candles this evening and those are the jars I use for holding the wax while I dip the candles."
"That's cool, dude. Want some help?" Kevin smiled down at his friend.
"Oh, no Kevin. You do not have to trouble yours-"
"It's no trouble. I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to help."
Kevin's smile was reassuring and had the small boy blushing lightly. "Very well. Then please take a candle with you when you leave, as a sign of my gratitude."
"Choice."
The two had such a wonderful time chatting while mixing and pouring wax everywhere; like when a small amount was flung from Kevin onto Edd's face, "An accident, I swear!" Kevin ended up leaving with two candles; a purple, lavender one just like Edd's, and a blue-green one that was a blend of scents that Edd swore would smell just like an apple orchard at the beach. Kevin put both candles on his window sill that night.
If the practice had been tough, Edd would apply the lotion to Kevin's tender muscles as they reviewed lessons. It was on one day after a particularly trying practice that Kevin had also needed some lotion on his thighs. His back and arms were one thing, but Edd was not willing to start rubbing his hands up and down the jocks legs. It was...embarrassing. So, after helping Kevin with his shoulders, he handed him the lotion for his sore legs. Not one for being shy, especially after spending the last several years changing and showering with an entire football team, Kevin stood and dropped his pants, revealing a pair of gym shorts.
Edd's hands and flown over his eyes as soon as Kevin started pulling at the zipper. He blushed furiously, "Good lord man! Don't strip here!"
"Relax, Dork. It's just a pair of shorts. I wear them under my jeans, so I can change quickly for practice." Though the idea of stripping in front of Edd was now on his mind, and he was also blushing. Why am I worried about that? It's just Double D. We're both dudes.
The tension in the room wouldn't clear, not even after the boys watched the cringiest movie they could find. The laughter at the ridiculousness of the plot was mostly forced and while they would usually watch a couple movies, they kept it to just one that night and Kevin left early. Their usual hug at the door was more awkward than it had ever been before. Edd stood in the doorway, watching as Kevin jogged back across the street to his house. Their trademark wave at their doors was skipped.
Edd sighed and closed the front door again. He wandered around the living room cleaning up the leftover snacks and homework. He wiped down the coffee table and ran the vacuum over the carpet in front of the couch, just to make sure that no wayward particles of food were left. He put all the cleaning supplies back in the closet and started turning off the lights.
The moon came through the front window, illuminating the couch that he and Kevin had spent the last three weeks getting to know each other on. He smiled as the memories seemed to play as a slide show through his mind.
Laughing at movies.
Excited cheers as homework concepts finally clicked.
Football plays sketched out on Edd's whiteboard.
Deep conversations on their very different lives.
Sweet, friendly hugs when those conversations just floated to an awkward end.
Edd's smile faded slightly at the sudden loneliness that the couch seemed to represent. Sure; Ed and Eddy would come over frequently and they would chat and laugh about everything and nothing, watch B-rated horror movies until they passed out, listen to Eddy gossip about the girls he was attempting to court, whatever they could think of in that moment. The three boys had been inseparable since Edd moved to the cul-de-sac as an elementary school student.
His parents had wanted a more calm environment for his young mind to develop in. That calm environment that they were so insistent upon soon stopped including themselves. As soon as Edd could be trusted to work the stove and feed himself the business trips started.
First it was only a few days.
Then a week.
Then two weeks.
At this point, it had been almost two months since he had seen his parents. They still called frequently and would send gifts from wherever they happened to be that week. Most of the time it was a book by an author who was from the city they were located in. Edd would always fall asleep clutching the new novel after reading well into the night. When they did come home, it was a huge celebration. They would catch up on life together, eat as a family, and usually go to a movie. Grades were checked and he was heavily praised for his consistent, outstanding academic results, and the house would feel like a home for a couple of days.
Yet right now, Edd stood in the house alone.
No Ed and Eddy.
No parents.
No Kevin.
He sighed and turned away from the couch to head upstairs and prepare for bed. Teeth brushed and pajamas on, he settled into bed and pulled his newest book from his side table. He adjusted his table lamp and lit his lavender candle, but the relaxing feeling of it just wouldn't stick. His mind restlessly turned with thoughts of his redheaded neighbor and his hasty departure from the house. It made his stomach tight. Why was it as awkward as it had been? He needed to know if he had any hope of sleeping tonight.
Edd got out of bed and grabbed his phone to text the only person in his life he could go to for advice on this situation.
To Eddy: Good evening Eddy. I hope I did not wake you, but I am in desperate need of some advice. Please respond at your earliest convenience.
To Sockhead: relax dude i wz up wats up
"Oh, curse Eddy's impractical texting style." Edd sighed.
To Eddy: Well, I am not entirely sure, but I just had a rather uncomfortable situation with a friend and I am uncertain why it occurred.
To Sockhead: wat hapnd
Edd paused for a moment. Eddy and Ed didn't really know how close he and Kevin had gotten in the past couple of weeks. The whole neighborhood was pretty close at this point, but what he and Kevin were doing was outside of the normal neighborly hangout that everyone else did. Eddy and Kevin were never going to be good friends. Tolerant acquaintances, at best. They didn't fight anymore, but there was always a small amount of tension in the room if they were left alone for too long. Time to get creative with pronouns.
To Eddy: I have been helping a new friend with school and they were over at my house for homework and movies. Due to some unforeseen circumstances we had a "wardrobe malfunction", and after that things got a little tense between us. I am not 100% sure why the tension was as palpable as it was. In retrospect it seems completely harmless, but they still left early and our usual farewells were stiff.
To Sockhead: ha!
To Sockhead: wat knd of "wardrobe malfunction"
To Eddy: Their pants fell off, but they had another pair of pants underneath! I was just startled and concerned about the indecency of it. I guess I freaked out more than they did. Do you think they are mad at me because of my reaction?
To Sockhead: u can b a little ovr the top dd
Edd huffed at his phone and rolled his eyes.
To Sockhead: but i thnk they wer nrvus cuz they lik u
To Sockhead: i c it all the time wit grls
Edd blushed furiously at the thought. Kevin doesn't like him. He's…he's...Kevin! Resident hero. Mr. Popular. A lady's man if one ever existed.
To Eddy: That is entirely impossible! There is no way that they like me. They are athletic and popular and such a people person. I am just me.
To Sockhead: so u lik em 2!
To Sockhead: go get em einstein
Edd frowned at this. I like Kevin? That doesn't seem right. They had been spending a lot of time together and Edd always had fun with the jock. Ed and Eddy were good for a mind numbing hangout, but Kevin let Edd think. Whether is was homework, or the science of movies, or even just an interesting topic he wanted to discuss; Kevin was a good listener and actually contributed to some of the conversations.
To Sockhead: i need 2 get 2 bed meetn that cheerleader tmr
To Sockhead: gn lovrboi
To Eddy: Have a pleasant evening, Eddy.
Edd sighed and tossed his phone on the bed. Thinking that Kevin was angry at him for his reaction to the whole pants situation was one thing; thinking that Kevin had a crush on him, a crush that Eddy thought Edd reciprocated, was completely different. This was not something he could just apologize for. This would need to be discussed and both parties involved would need to come to a decision about what it meant for their future friendship. Edd hated that idea. He and Kevin had grown so close and to have it all fall apart over a simple crush was disheartening.
Then again, if Kevin did indeed share his feelings, would that lead to a relationship? Edd had never dated anyone before. Does having a crush on Kevin make me a homosexual? No...I had that crush on Nazz when we were all in middle school. So that makes me bisexual, correct? At least that part is simple, I still have to talk to Kevin.
Finding a minor amount of solace in having a label for what he was feeling, Edd sank back onto his bed. During the brief conversation he'd had with Eddy, the candle had melted a fair amount and the room was filled with the fresh scent of lavender. Edd took a deep breath and allowed the calming properties to work their magic on his rattled mind. He turned off his desk lamp, allowing the light of the moon to take over illuminating his room. From where he was lying, he could just see out the window and across the street to Kevin's house. The only light in the home was small and flickering in one of the first story windows.
I wonder which candle he is burning tonight. Edd smiled at the thought, and drifted to sleep.
Kevin was currently pacing in his bedroom.
After leaving Edd's house he had gone straight to his room. He had ignored the leftover dinner his dad had set out for him and flopped onto his bed in frustration. The events of the evening kept looping in his mind. Hell, the events of the last few weeks were looping in his mind. Edd's smile at the football game, his gentle hands coaxing Kevin's muscles to relax with his miracle lotion, the movie nights, the laughter, making candles, that blush that graced the dork's cheeks this evening was so beaut-
No. Stop that thinking right there.
That was where the pacing began. That one simple thought forced Kevin to keep his legs moving in order to force his mind to think of something, anything, other than the sockhead across the street. So he walked and grumbled to himself about how stupid it was to be thinking the things that his mind was thinking.
Unlike Edd, Kevin immediately recognized what was going on. He'd felt it before. His Sophomore year of high school he had started dating this girl that was on the cheer squad with Nazz. They had dated for most of the school year when she had decided to date the baseball captain instead. Rebecca. No, Rachel. Who cares. The same bubbly, nerve tingling sensation that had consumed his life when he first met the girl was now boiling its way through his body as he recounted all of his time with Edd.
It had started the very night that he went to go see the dork and thank him for his help at the game. Shirtless and sitting in Edd's room while the genius carefully applied the lotion to his overworked arm. Edd had warmed the lotion between his fingers before lightly rubbing it over the muscles. He'd worked the uncomfortable knots away and whispered soft apologies whenever Kevin had tensed at a particularly sore spot. It was so tender. So compassionate. So lov-
No! Stop that!
Kevin kicked at a random shoe, sending it flying across the room and into the wall. This was not him. Kevin Barr does not lose sleep over his dorky neighbor. Especially not his male, dorky neighbor. Not happening. Not real. No way.
He stopped his pacing and faced the window to his room. The two candles that he and Edd had made together were still sitting there. He hadn't lit either of them yet, there hadn't really been a need. The whole process of making the candles came floating to the front of his mind. It had been quite the adventure picking out the scents and specific properties that they wanted their candles to have. Edd had made almost exclusively lavender candles, but Kevin wanted at least one that didn't smell like some flower, so Edd made him the beachfront, apple orchard candle.
Kevin grabbed a lighter from his desk, wandered over to the window sill, and lit the blue-green candle. Immediately the strong scent of apples filled the room. Kevin closed his eyes and could just picture being surrounded by apple trees, but as the candle burned another, more subtle scent joined the apple trees. Salt water. An almost humid smell of the ocean that hid just underneath the fruit. His mind's eye shifted the view around him to be at the edge of the orchard with an expanse of sand and water stretched in front of him. He breathed in deep and opened his eyes to the look at the candle again. The cyan color reminded him of bright, knowledgeable eyes. How he so enjoyed looking into those eyes…
NO!
Kevin grabbed the candle from the sill and tossed it at the trashcan next to his desk. The flame went out as it sailed across the room to the bin, where it landed with a thunk. Kevin slumped onto the bed and put his head in his hands. Everything had been going just fine. He had kept these unwanted emotions in check for weeks, writing them off as "excitement" over the new friendship he had with Edd. It was that stupid blush on his face that had flipped the situation. Edd had looked so cute. His cheeks were completely red, all the way to his ears; hands over his eyes in embarrassment. The whole scene brought butterflies to Kevin's stomach.
He'd tried to will it away. We're just friends. We're going to watch this movie and it will all go back to how it was. Yet, he couldn't force it. He had forced himself to watch the movie, forced his laughter, forced himself to hug the boy before speed walking to the safety of his house, but he couldn't make the comfortable friendship between the two of them return. It was gone. He knew it the moment that adorable blush appeared on Edd's face. They were doomed.
Denial is a funny thing. It's like taking the extreme version of mind over matter and thinking that it can be applied to a particular fact in life, so one doesn't have to face the truth. If hope had a negative value, that would be denial. Kevin had been in denial from day one, but now his mind was losing to the matter of this situation. Though he wouldn't be going down without a fight.
Kevin straightened and looked back at the remaining candle. Edd's words drifted into his mind: "Lavender is known for its relaxing properties. It is often used by those who have difficulty sleeping." Something told Kevin that he was going to have difficulty sleeping tonight. Maybe the magic flower candle would actually help calm his restless mind enough to sleep before school. He leaned over a lit the wick, watching as the end slowly charred and the wax began to melt. The lavender scent started to overpower the leftover apples and Kevin closed his eyes, falling back on the bed. He blindly reached out and switched off his desk lamp and rolled to face the window once more. Blinking open his eyes he could see Edd's window was dimly lit from one side, but more directly through the window was the flickering light of a candle.
I wonder which candle he is burning tonight.
Edd had resolved to talk to Kevin today about his new found feelings. It was only fair that he keep his friend in the loop on what was going on. He didn't want it to ruin their friendship. Kevin had come to mean a lot to the sockhead, and logically speaking it would be foolish to choose his crush over their current bond. Romantic feelings can be fleeting, especially in high school. Friendships can last a lifetime.
However, Kevin had made a resolution as well. His solution to this whole thing was to avoid Edd at all costs. The out of sight, out of mind philosophy. So, Kevin started dodging Edd whenever he could. He knew all of the routes the smaller boy took to his classes, so Kevin picked new ones. They already sat at different tables in the lunchroom, but just to be safe Kevin hid in the locker room with the football coach under the guise of forming new plays for regionals. When Edd arrived for the after school football practices he had taking to coming to, Kevin had his co-captain talk to him instead, so that he could "learn how to be captain one day". Then Kevin would hightail it home to hide. Rinse and repeat.
The new routine went on for the remainder of football season. Kevin and the team made it to the semi finals of regionals, but couldn't make it past the reigning champs from last year. The school still celebrated the accomplishment of making it as far as they had. Kevin, attended the mandatory assembly, but refused to go to the afterparty. He was so angry. The loss was his fault and he knew it. He was so distracted by this "not a thing" thing between himself and Edd that he couldn't focus on the game. After the loss, Kevin stopped talking to him teammates and sulked around the school, snapping at anyone who came to close.
Edd had been holding out the hope that once the football season was over, he and Kevin would reconcile. It was stress that was taking Kevin away from him. With that option official over, he felt himself sinking into an all too familiar lonely depression. Kevin was avoiding him because of something that he had done, right? That was the only thing that made sense. Edd had insulted Kevin somehow and now he was avoiding him out of anger. Maybe, Kevin just came to realized how immature Edd was as a friend. Who gets that easily upset over just some misunderstanding over pants? This had to be Edd's fault. The sockhead just accepted that Kevin was never going to speak to him again.
Winter break was spent alone.
Edd opened the mailed packages of presents from his parents.
Kevin waved goodbye to his dad as he took an extra shift at work.
Edd made a New Year's resolution and wrote a letter.
A chilly Monday morning welcomed the first day back to school. It wasn't unusual for Edd to get to school before Kevin, so slipping his letter into the jock's locker wasn't difficult. He figured that whenever Kevin found he would be in class and well out of the way for whatever the aftermath of it would be. Edd arrived in his first class of the day and slumped into this desk, burying his head in his arms. He hadn't been sleeping well again. His candle was proving absolutely useless. His parents called the day after Christmas to inform him that they were going to be in a series of conferences in China for the next few weeks and due to some of the remote areas they would be visiting, they would not be calling again until well into January. The emotional stress was proving to be quite trying for the dork.
Ed and Eddy wandered into the classroom seconds before the bell rang. Plopping into their regular seats they glanced over at their friend. Edd hadn't moved since he'd reached his desk, not even to acknowledge the bell signalling the beginning of class. Eddy's scrunched his eyebrows together in concern. This wasn't like the sockhead at all.
"Hey, Double D, are you O.K.?"
Edd turned his head in his arms to look at his friend. His face was red, eyes glazed over with heavy bags underneath them. He gave a small smile to his shorter friend, "Of course I am fine Eddy. Why would you think otherwise?"
"Oh hell no. You are anything but fine! I can tell just from looking at you. You're going to the nurse, right now. Ed, get him up." Eddy got the teacher's attention, while Ed pulled Double D to his feet. The two friends helped the genius to the nurse's office, admonishing him the whole way about taking better care of himself, or at the very least informing them that he needed help. They got him settled onto one of the beds and promised they would come by to check on him during lunch.
Kevin had arrived at school late. He hadn't slept that much the night before. The combination of his sleep schedule being changed for the holidays and how his mind kept wandering to a certain beanie clad boy had kept him awake most of the night. He'd used the Edd's candle to help get him through most of the nights of vacation, but now that it was gone had nothing to help ease him off to sleep. Kevin grumbled and moved to open his locker.
The hallways were completely empty, so he didn't have to deal with the student body continuously asking how his holiday went. Even after the break, Kevin felt on edge about everything. He had been hoping that a few weeks of not seeing anyone would calm his nerves and he would be able to return to life as usual. Well, life before Edd kind of usual at least. However, there was no such luck. Edd continued to haunt his thoughts, and avoiding the dork just made him feel like the scum of the Earth.
He roughly pulled his locker open and immediately an envelope fell at his feet. He recognized the swirly handwriting on the front immediately. Edd…
Picking up the letter, he pulled open the envelope and removed the neatly folded paper from inside.
Dearest Kevin,
I must apologize for whatever behavior I exhibited that caused such a rift to form between us. It was not my intent to upset you so. It is horribly cowardly of myself to write you a letter instead of voicing my concerns to you directly, but I find myself unable to face you. I hope that you know that the weeks that we spent together in friendship were some of the happiest days I have lived recently. I am sure you can understand the loneliness of a single child, as well as having parents that are required to work so frequently.
I must say that our friendship means a great deal to me and I would do nothing to harm it in the future should you see it in yourself to provide me with a second chance. I wish to continue our movie nights and homework sessions. I find myself with uncharacteristically low motivation for my studies since our falling out. Please my dear friend, I wish for nothing more than an explanation for our distance.
I eagerly await your response.
Sincerely,
Edd
"Stupid dork…" Kevin gripped the paper tightly, the edges crumpled under his fingers. He threw the letter into his locker and slammed the door shut.
"Stupid." He kicked the lockers.
"Stupid!" Again.
"STUPID!" And again.
Everything that he had tried so hard to keep from his mind came rushing back in. The dam was broken, and the flood of memories of his time with Edd washed through him in a heartbeat. He fell to the floor, head hanging low as the reality of the whole situation clashed with his thoughts. A knot started to form in his stomach.
Edd's grin as they won that football game.
That night in his room when Edd nursed his arms back to functioning.
The knot pulled tighter.
The homework help.
The movies.
Tighter.
Laughing over candle wax.
That gapped tooth smile that shone with all the happiness in the world.
Their usual hugs goodbye.
And tighter.
The friendly chats that turned deep and understanding at their common struggles.
Falling asleep to the candle light in their windows.
That blush…
It snapped.
Kevin jumped to his feet and took off down the hall.
That was it. He can't take it anymore. What was the point of fighting what he was feeling? He just felt like crap constantly. No matter how much he ignored it, Edd was always on his mind. He was everywhere. Kevin followed his movement with his eyes when the dork wasn't looking. He watched Edd's window across the street, just waiting for the small glimpses of a shadow in the flickering candle light, just to know he was there and okay.
He rounded a corner and ran towards Edd's classroom.
He'd do anything to get the dork to forgive him for acting like such a jerk for the last month. He just had to see him smile again. He had to know that they still had a chance at a friendship at the very least. Kevin hoped against hope that he could fix this mess he had made. He needed Edd in his life. He accepted that Edd was someone special. His friend, maybe his best friend. His confidant. His crush.
His crush.
Kevin smiled to himself as he ran. Yes. That was what he needed. He needed Edd to know his feelings. So what if Kevin had only ever dated girls? So what if he was the town hero? Football star? Resident ladies man? He was Kevin first. He was Kevin, and he was in love with his adorable, dorky, male neighbor.
He skidded to a halt in front of the door to the classroom. He quickly composed himself and looked through the window. Edd's usual seat was empty. Kevin frowned and checked again. Nope, not there. Maybe he's in the bathroom. Kevin took off running again.
The closest bathroom to Edd's first class was empty.
So was the second bathroom.
Think, Kevin. The dork would never ditch… He's too much of a goody two shoes. Plus, I saw him leave his house this morning, so he has to be here. GAH! He would think I'm such an idiot for not being able to figure this out! Kevin rammed his head into the wall of lockers.
Well that did nothing but give me a headache…
Wait, the nurse's office!
Kevin turned and ran towards the front of the school.
Breathing heavily, he slid to a stop at the door. Edd was lying in the first bed along the wall. His beanie was pulled down a bit farther than normal to cover his eyes, but Kevin could make out the red tint to his face.
"Edd." Kevin breathed out.
Edd twitched on the bed. He raised his hat above his eyes and looked at the jock standing in the doorway. "K-Kevin. What are you doing here?"
Kevin leaned against the doorframe. Now that he was here, how was he supposed to tell the genius that he had a crush on him? He had been so focused on finding Edd, he didn't even start to think about what to do once he actually got to him. Plus, now that he had run all over the school looking for the object of his affections, he was really tired.
"Are you well Kevin? You must be at the nurse's office for a reason? Has something happened? Do you require assistance? I am here for other reasons, but I was the nurse's assistant at one point, I can help."
Kevin slumped to the floor, never breaking eye contact with Edd. He was propped on his knees, head resting on the door frame, chest heaving, and slightly sweaty. How was he going to tell the dork everything? There was so much to say and in his mind none of it made for a good starting point. Too blunt to just spit it out. Too much to explain to start at the beginning.
"Edd...I-I can't do this anymore."
Edd pulled his eyes away from the jock. "Oh...I see. I can tell that you received my letter and...and you wish to put an end to the friendship we had. I underst-"
Kevin slammed his fist onto the door, "No! Edd...tha-that's not it…"
"I do not understand."
"I…I can't…."
Kevin lowered his head and fixed his eyes to the floor.
Kevin's voice was a near whisper, desperate and scared, "I can't stop thinking about you. I can't stop thinking about how you helped us win the game, and all the help you gave the team. I can't stop thinking about the movie nights, or you helping me with my homework. I worry about you all the time. I see the candle light in your window from my room and I just know that you are struggling with something and I can't take not being there to help you. I can't sleep. I can't dream without seeing you. I've never felt this way before and I can't...I just can't do this anymore. I can't be without you." He slumped the rest of the way to the ground, head in his hands and shaking. This was the right thing to do, but what would Edd say?
Edd stared at Kevin through his whole confession. He swung his legs off the bed and made his way over to the jock on the floor. He seemed so vulnerable and almost broken, so unlike the strong, confident person that Edd had come to know him as. Edd would never consider himself to be bold, but he found himself feeling like he needed to be the one to be brave. He knelt in front of Kevin and brought his heads to the sides of the red-head's face. He pulled those green eyes up to meet his own.
"It is okay, Kevin. You do not have to fight this. I feel the same." Pulling from his sudden burst of courage, Edd closed the distance between their lips. Kevin could feel his face turning red with embarrassment. Shy, socially awkward Double D was kissing him and he was just sitting there wide-eyed and unmoving. He quickly pulled himself together and wrapped his arms around the small teen in front of him, dragging him closer. Kevin closed his eyes and just let the moment be.
The two finally broke apart, both red faced and smiling nervously at the other. Kevin's eyes softened, and he gave the dork his signature smirk.
"I love you, Edd."
So this story took me over two months to write. It was supposed to only be a couple thousand words long and then I couldn't stop writing. So here we are almost 10K words and a whole lot of frustration later. I had the hardest time trying to decide how to end it. I'd love some feedback on the ending in general, not sure I love it as it is, but I needed to get this out so I can move on to the next song already.
Leave your guesses in the comments, reviews are always welcome. Thanks for reading!
Cthepolkadots