"Hey, Double D!"
Edd peaked his head out of his locker to see Angela and Nazz skipping down the hall to him, arm in arm. The two girlfriends, who had girlfriends, were grinning mischievously at him. Seeing their grins and the sparkle in their eyes, he knew the two friends were up to something.
"Good morning, ladies," he smiled, leveling them a look.
"Oh, don't look like that, dude!," Nazz grinned. "You ready for today?"
"I suppose," Edd said as he shut his locker and adjusted his messenger bag on his shoulder.
The two girls exchanged a look and Ang made a face.
"What?," Edd asked curiously as he started to walk to their shared homeroom class.
"You know what today is, don't you?," Ang asked.
"October 3rd," Double D snickered, as he adjusted the Fullmetal Alchemist beanie Kevin had gotten him just because.
Since it was Wednesday, both girls were wearing pink, but Ang's brown eyes grew pensive the closer they go to their classroom.
"Yeah, besides all of that...," she whispered as they walked into the classroom.
"Well, if it isn't the best boyfriend in Peach Creek."
All three teens snapped their heads towards the snarky commentator, who had his sneer trained on the smartest of the Eds.
Tate Michaels
The men's rugby team captain was rude and crude at best, and his animosity towards all things Ed was worst than the cul-de-sac's on their best day. The kids as a group grew close after their throw down with Eddy's brother, but Tate felt like he had to carry the mantel that most of the kids in Peach Creek held up growing up. He made it personal when Edd came out sophomore year. And when Kevin's crush on Edd became public knowledge, it was Tate who led the charge to make sure that the two boys knew that even their friendship, shallow and new that it was, wouldn't be tolerated beyond simple greetings, if that.
Edd questioned the seriousness of Kevin's crush as Tate's threats and violence had made the redhead scarce and quiet, despite being quick to fight back when directly confronted. The Eds stood strong because that's just what they did. The rest of the cul-de-sac rallied around them as did their new friends, Nat, Ang and Sy.
It wasn't until the day that Tate and Kevin were suspended for fighting that everyone figured it all out.
Kevin was gay and he liked-liked Double D.
The fight was during gym and Eddward had a front row seat to it all from his window seat in Mr Marshall's AP Biology class. This particular gym class was made up entirely of the starting lines for the JV football and rugby teams. It was their time to get their weightlifting and aerobic conditioning done so they could focus on practice and preparing for their games during practice.
And the two teams went from running the track after doing their stretches to circling Kevin and Tate, who were throwing blows at each other. The nurse was thisclose to sending them both to the hospital, but didn't because neither complained of dizziness or passed out. They were both too pissed at each other to show how the fight had kicked their proverbial asses.
By lunch, Kevin and Tate were stuck in ISS for the rest of the day and the rumors were all confirmed.
Edd had Speech II and Honors History II with Kevin to close out the day and he was voluntold to take the redhead his homework for the next week because of Kevin's suspension. And every day, Kevin would win him over in some new way. Sometimes silly, sometimes surprising, always as sweet as the jawbreakers that defined their childhood.
So when Kevin came back to school, hand in hand with the dorky Ed, Tate went from using his fists to using his words, if only to keep from getting suspended again.
So now the dishwater blond was using those words and that tone to try to intimidate Edd, but because he had no clue what his angle was this time, he just said, "Takes one to know one, Mr Michales, but you wouldn't know that."
Nazz snickered at the pout on Tate's face as Ang drug Edd to his seat, but couldn't say what she needed to say because their teacher, Mr Donovan walked in and the cross country track coach had one rule for homeroom: SILENCE.
Edd just took out his copy of Their Eyes Were Watching God and started to work on his extra credit on the book for his AP English class.
It was after third period that Ang managed to corner Edd at his locker again.
"Did you get him anything?," she whispered.
"Get who what, Angie?," Edd asked incredulously.
"Kevin," she hissed in an exasperated whisper.
"What? Why would I be getting Kevin anything?"
"Because it's National Boyfriend's Day, Sockhead."
Edd quickly popped his head past his locker door and saw Eddy standing there with three red lipstick prints on his cheek and a bag of jawbreakers in one hand, his folders for his classes in the other and not nary a book in sight.
Edd just stared at his best friend as he tried to wrap his brain around the words that Eddy had just said.
"Told you that you should have gotten him the Holiday-A-Day holiday calendar," Ed said with a head shake as he gently scooted Angela away from the front of his locker and put the tiny teddy bear May made for him in Home Ec inside and took out his gym bag.
"Yeah, yeah," Eddy retorted. "Jawbreaker?"
Ed and Ang both grabbed a jawbreaker as reality hit Double D like a ton of bricks.
"OH, SHIT!"
Ed and Eddy started laughing and Ang nearly lost her jawbreaker because of her dropped jaw.
"Now, he gets it!," she said as she recovered and shook her head as she headed to her fourth period College Algebra class with her girlfriend.
"Oh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god," Edd muttered as he started to panic.
"Easy there, Dee," Ed said gently. "He's not gonna be mad. It's not like he knows."
"He knows."
The three Ed's snapped their heads to the interloper on their conversation.
Sylina.
"Oh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god."
"Breathe, Dee," Sy said softly as she came to rest her hands on his shaking shoulders.
Edd just whined because he was now afraid that Kevin would never say those words in that damn sexy ass baritone voice of his to him when he needed him to ever again.
"How could I not know?!," Edd asked desperately as he looked at the Far Side calendar Eddy had gotten for him for his birthday the year before.
But there it was at the bottom of a picture of a woman hiding Jesus behind her curtains from door to door missionaries.
National Boyfriend Day
And Eddward wanted to cry. He loved holidays. To celebrate anything with his family and friends was something he looked forward to very much with every chance he could get. Dating Kevin just meant more of that. But now a new holiday has presented itself and he was woefully unprepared.
"Dude, chill," Sy said as she crossed her arms.
"Chill?! How, woman!? HOW?!"
"By taking a chill pill, yo!"
Edd rolled his eyes and Eddy made a face as Ed snickered.
"Sup, Nat," Sy said with a head nod.
"Hey, yourself. What's with you, Double Delish?"
"He forgot National Boyfriend Day," Eddy scoffed as he walked way because the warning bell rang.
Nat gave the smartest Ed a genuine look of surprise before smiling gently at him.
"Look, it's not that big of a deal."
"Oh, come off it, Nathan," Edd scoffed as he walked to their shared AP English class.
"Ok, so it's that big of a deal. But you're not seeing him until after practice today, so you've got time to get something together."
"I have practice today, too," Edd deadpanned as he collapsed defeatedly into his seat.
"Shit, for real?"
Edd nodded as he hid his head in an arm fort on the desk.
"At least you don't have lunch with him today," Nat said, hoping the reprieve would offer the genius some comfort.
And for the first time all school year, Edd was glad to not see Kevin all day on Wednesday.
After Edd got of swim practice, he actually went five over on the speed limit to the local Walgreen's.
"Eddward, Son? What are you doing here?"
Edd sighed as he shuffled over to the tall man questioning him and leaned his head on his shoulder.
"It's National Boyfriend Day," he sighed.
"Really? That explains the flowers your mother sent me this morning," the pharmacist said as he draped an arm around Edd's shoulders.
Edd looked up into eyes as blue as his own and pouted.
"I forgot."
"Holy shit," his father snickered. "That's not like you."
"I know," Edd whined. "What do I do?"
"What do you want to do?"
"Go home and take a nap."
"Well, how about you grab a Red Bull and get him a card?"
"A card, Father?"
The man shrugged.
"Look, he's your boyfriend. You'll figure it out. But I have it on good authority that he likes R/C cars and Airheads."
Edd stood up straight as his father's words lit up a series of ideas in his head. As he walked away muttering to himself, Manuel Vincent, shook his head and sent a quick text to his girlfriend. New holidays aside, his love for celebrating love remained. He was just glad Eddward had found it as young as he did so he could celebrate for as long as he could. A lifetime would be nice. And he knew he would get it, but as a parent, he also knew that sometimes love needs a little outside support. Plans in place, he headed back to the pharmacy and Edd got in his car, chugged half his Red Bull and went home to set his ideas into motion.
Edd was surprised not to see Kevin sitting on his couch when he got home. Kevin knew where the spare key was and would let himself in from time to time. It used to drive Edd nuts, but now he's more upset to not see the redhead in his home than he was when he just pops up seemingly out of thin air.
But this gave Edd time to wrap Kevin's gift, write a sweet note in the card, take a quick shower, chug the rest of his Red Bull and wait.
And wait he did.
Edd's father came home to see Edd pacing the kitchen.
"Keep walking. I've been meaning to get the floor replaced," he said as he leaned on the door frame to the kitchen.
"Oh, Father!," Edd said as he jumped in fright and confusion. "You're home early."
"More like late, Eddward. It's 830."
"Oh," Edd sighed as he looked at the clock.
"Anything?"
"Not a word," Edd said as he came to sit down and made a face at the quickly purchased, but still thoughtful gift on the kitchen table.
"Hmm."
Then the door bell rang as a series of lights flashed on in the backyard.
"I'll get the door, you check out back," Manuel said as he headed to the front door.
Edd cautiously went to the backdoor, and what he saw in his backyard floored him.
All along the fence line were twinkling white lights. The tree trunk was wrapped up in its own set of white lights while the tree itself seemed to be draped in the bright bulbs. The back deck was alight with battery operated tea candles and path of rose petals led from the deck to a small table set for two in the center of the backyard.
Edd was out the door like a shot!
But there was no one around.
"Forgetting something?"
Edd turned to the voice that used to frighten him, but now he loved to hear.
Kevin
"H-Hey, I guess I am," he said shyly as he saw Kevin standing on the deck, holding his gift, card, and a box of pizza.
Kevin grinned fondly at him before hurrying into his arms.
"I missed you."
"I missed you, too."
Wednesdays were rough on them as their schedules didn't mesh for the day at all. So Wednesdays were now their date night so they could connect like they normally did on all the other days of the week. Edd would make dinner, they would do their homework and study, watch a movie and makeout like the teenagers they were. But this particular Wednesday had Edd all messed up because he forgot about a sweet holiday just for them. And if it wasn't for his parent's quick thinking, they'd be having sandwiches and chips instead of the large half meat lovers, half veggie lovers pizza his dad bought for them at his mother's suggestion.
"Soooo, I heard what happened today," Kevin said as he grabbed his fifth slice.
Edd groaned and his full lips turned into a full pout.
"I'm sorry!," he protested. "I don't know how I missed it, but I hope this makes up for it," he finished sheepishly as he pointed to the large box on the table.
"Oh, Edd," Kevin smiled as he put his elbow on the table and propped his face in his hand. "I'm sure it's nice, but this is what I wanted," he said as he gestured between them.
"Just us?"
"Always."
Edd's bright grin could have cracked the sky. When Kevin gave him a kiss on the nose, he finally relaxed for the first time since finding out about the holiday.
"Is your mom still in Toronto?," Kevin asked as he tried to figure out the controls to his new R/C car.
"Yes, the conference ends tomorrow."
"Cool, cool."
"What do you need, Kevin?," Edd smirked knowing his boyfriend only asked about his mother's trips as a pharmaceutical rep when he wanted something.
"Uhh, pens. And some of those little note pads."
Edd snickered as he tore open another mini Airhead from the bag in his lap.
"So school supplies?"
"Yeah, yeah. Ooooh, it spins!"
And Edd outright laughed as Kevin grinned in delight at the trick his new toy could play.
Manuel peeked at them from the window over the kitchen sink before returning to his phone call.
"Yeah, he met the pizza man at the door. It was a good thing, too, because Eddward forgot the gift on the table, so Kevin brought it to him."
"Aww, my poor baby. At least he has such an understanding boyfriend," a thick, but sweet French accent replied.
"That he does."
"So how's my boyfriend?"
"Missing his girlfriend."
"Soon, mi amour. Does Kevin need anything?"
"The usual."
"School supplies?"
"School supplies."
And their light laughter was only matched by the two lovebirds outside.
After Edd reluctantly walked Kevin to the front door, thus ending his first oh so sweet and special boyfriend holiday, and kissed him goodbye while making a dozen promises to get together over the weekend, his father brought him a cup of tea as he got ready for bed.
"So how was your holiday?," Manuel asked as he sat the cup on the tea warmer on Edd's nightstand.
Edd spun around in his desk chair to face his father and held up both of his wrists, a new Fossil watch was on one, a black leather braid on the other. The clasp to the bracelet was in the colors of the Pride Flag and it was held together by a magnet.
"Nice. I got flowers."
"Father, I got...so much," Edd sighed happily.
To be honest, he had been eyeballing the bracelet for months, ever since he saw the one that Marie got Nazz for National Girlfriend Day, with the Lesbian Pride Flag colored clasp. To know that Kevin had kept it in mind for so long made him fall in love with the redhead all the more. And the watch? He just felt spoiled and he loved every second of it. And just getting to spend the time with Kevin was all he could ever want and then some.
"What did he think of your gift, though?"
"He's like a giant child with those cars," he grinned as blush danced across his cheeks.
Despite the forethought the redhead had put into their date, Edd's gift had made Kevin's day. He took a host of photos of it and posted them to Instagram and shared them across his social media spaces and then made Edd do a Snapchat video of him playing with it. And every hashtag praised Edd's best boyfriend EVAH status to the digital skies.
"And the candy?"
"Oh, shoot! I need to go brush my teeth!," Edd cried before scampering off to the bathroom.
Manuel laughed as he headed to bed himself.
Kevin may have been the more popular of the two, but he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that his super smart, sweet, kind, and kinda snarky son was what Kevin had been trying to show everyone for the last year, haters like Tate Michaels included, The Best Boyfriend In Peach Creek.
