To say Edd was nervous was an understatement. Kevin asked him for his help with an art project and while he was more than happy to help his boyfriend of 6 months with anything, he was wary. Kevin was meticulous about few things, but his art, motorcycle and Edd topped the things you didn't get in the way of.

When they met at one of Kevin's showings 9 months ago, Edd was enthralled that the rough around the edges motorcycle enthusiast painted such imaginative works of art.

A floor to ceiling scene of clouds was really various cityscapes, parks, farms and quaint small towns when you got up close.

Another piece was a mural of a couple on the beach, with the stresses of the world behind them. It was Edd's favorite. To be able to get away with the one you loved and leave the world behind, if only for a few hours was like a dream to him. Especially since he was hopelessly single as he was romantic.

They talked for a bit and Edd bought a smaller piece of the sunset off the coast of Fiji that Kevin said he did on trip courtesy his biggest sponsor because he made such a killing at a previous show that they wanted to reward him with a vacation. But to Edd it showed the man's work ethic and appreciation for the beauty in the world around him.

Edd left his number in the guestbook and hoped against hope the tall, tanned, toned redhead with eyes as green as the Emerald Isle herself would call.

He did.

But it was to invite Edd to another show. When Edd didn't see anything jump out at him to put in his own home, Kevin suggested they sit down and talk over coffee so he could get a feel for the architect's taste. Turns out, Edd likes vacation scenes. Working in the big city, he longed to catch a view of the beach, mountains, or country backroads, even if it was of a painting hanging in his office.

So he commissioned Kevin to do a few pieces and then install them in his condo. Besides paying him for his work, he showed his appreciation by cooking for him so the artist wouldn't starve. A few dinners lasted late into the night with them talking about their hopes and dreams, their travels and past lives, lovers and friends.

Where Edd was serious about preserving the planet, but still covering its inhabitants with eco-friendly housing, Kevin was serious about his motorcycle and showing the world a new way of seeing things with his art. Then he became serious about Edd.

The ebony haired one didn't know what to make of Kevin's advances. The hotshot artist could haveanyone. But his eyes and heart were trained on the petite, leggy, walking brainiac with a panache for wine and murder mysteries. It took a few dates to alley coffeehouses, taco trucks in the park and a birthday dinner for Edd at a tiny French bistro that was booked for months til Kevin did some name dropping.

"I'm impressed, Kevin," Edd had said.

The look of relief on the redhead's face was so endearing Edd nearly kissed him. It was over a shared piece of French Apple Pie that he did. He got a bit of sauce on his face and when Kevin's face zoomed into his own he flinched as he turned his head and their lips collided. A heartbeat later, Edd's beanie is gone, Kevin's hands in his hair, and God it and the kiss that Edd took over felt delicious.

What was more fulfilling was the relationship they embarked on. Edd never missed a show, Kevin never missed an open house or groundbreaking. Edd would make gourmet dinners, Kevin would take them on long rides to get Edd out of the city and into the scenes that were hanging in his office at work and home.

It was perfect.

But all Edd can think now is that they were headed for disaster. Kevin wanted his help. How could he help?!

He went over a million possible scenarios as he headed to Kevin's warehouse studio that doubled as his apartment. The space was massive. Kevin lived in only about 800 sq ft of the total 3000 sq ft space. The other 2200 sq ft was dedicated to all of his art projects. Edd loved the art studio, even if it was messy, messy, messy. It was Kevin's and it was where he created his art so he loved it as much as he was coming to love Kevin.

Kevin was nowhere to be seen when he got off the elevator that led directly to his space.

"Kevin?," Edd called out.

"Up here," Kevin replied as he stepped out of the upstairs room that was the actual art studio. He was shirtless and wearing a pair of jeans he only wore when he painted. "Come on up."

"You said you needed my help with something," Edd said as he took the spiral staircase up to the studio.

"I do," Kevin grinned as he went to sit down on his stool. "I need you to take that shirt off and come sit with me."

Edd's jaw dropped as he took in the space around Kevin. There wasn't a canvas to be seen. Just a straight back chair. Kevin laughed at the look on Edd's face, but beckoned him over just the same.

"C'mon, Babe. Please," Kevin snickered.

Edd shoot him a look and Kevin gave him a puppy dog pout.

"Please?," he pleaded.

His willpower left him when those pleading green eyes caught his own. Shucking his shirt over his head and flushing at Kevin's gleeful cheer, he went to sit in the chair in front of Kevin.

"Now what?," he asked shyly.

"Well," Kevin said as he dipped his paint brush into a few of the blotches of primary colors on his painter's palette to create the color he needed, "if my canvas would hold still, I'm going to paint thislovely view of The Eiffel Tower as seen from The Seine on you."

"The paint's supposed go where?" Edd squeaked, as he flailed when Kevin's paint brush approached his bare chest.

"On you. Hold still," Kevin said soothingly.

His voice. Those eyes. Edd knew he could trust him, but he was still pensive about the whole thing.

"It's okay, Babe. It's just me and you," Kevin said softly.

"You and I," Edd said with his usual smile of correction.

"Uh huh," Kevin smirked.

Ice broken, Edd slowly, but very tentatively leaned back into the chair. He shuddered when the paintbrush touched his skin, and Kevin just grinned slyly.

"So, how was your day?," Kevin asked.

Edd knew the question was to distract him from acting out on the internal freakout he was having, but it worked. He told him all about his day, some plans he was making with his friends, his mother calling and wondering when Kevin was going to paint her something, and why he wondered why anchovies on pizza wasn't more of a thing.

It wasn't long until Kevin was done, and then he took out his phone and went to take a picture.

"Kevin."

"It's only from the neck up, Edd. And there ain't no way in hell I'm letting anyone see you like this. Only the canvases I put in my shows leave this space."

Edd nodded as Kevin took the picture, but his eyes were drawn to a piece on the wall. It was of Kevin's late mother. A portrait set against a sunset. Only those close to the redhead got to see it. As he surveyed the room, his eyes fell on more and more pieces that Kevin kept at home. No one saw them but Kevin himself and anyone special enough to come into his art studio. Not because they didn't reach the same level of perfection he put into the pieces he showed and sold, but because they were precious to him.

Somethings are too sweet to share with the world.

"Here," Kevin said as he handed him a towel, "Why don't you go shower and I'll order us a pizza."

Edd nodded and went to the door, passing the box where Kevin kept his blank canvases.

It was empty.

"And I'll order you some more canvases," he smirked as he walked out the door.

"I like yours better!," Kevin called after him.

"Uh huh!"

A View For Edd now hangs in the master bedroom of their pied-a-terre in Paris and only they get to see it. Kevin had the original photograph printed out and it sits on his desk in his art studio in New York. And Edd looks at it on his phone everyday.