For all of our favorite science teachers with no sense...

Kevin stood on the other side of a classroom door with a blacked out window and took a deep breath as he listened carefully for any sign that it was safe to walk inside.

On the other side was the school's favorite 8th Grade Science teacher and his long time crush.

And Edd had the nerve to know it.

His classes were exciting and the talk of the damn town sometimes. In the last ten years, Edd's had no less than thirty former students go on to study in the STEM field in college and start their own careers in what Edd called the facts of life as science dealt in fact, even if a lot of theories were involved.

But sometimes it was just dangerous to walk into his classroom out of the blue as you never knew what was going to come flying out the door.

Once, an office clerk dropping off some paperwork created a backdraft that caused a five foot flame to shoot up into the ceiling and set off the fire alarm.

Another time, the principal was nearly bowled over by a group of girls beating the boys in tug of war.

Usually it was just Edd, though.

Edd got a rolling desk chair and would sit in it for nearly all his lectures, rolling around the classroom as he taught and facilitated discussions in what they were studying.

But bruised ankles and toes hurt, so Edd put up a sign asking people to knock and wait for a response before coming in.

It worked, but the window on the door proved too much for people in the hallways who would peek inside, intrigued about what Edd was doing as he rolled around the room, thus distracting his students.

So long before school shootings became regular news and not just some twisted story about someone poor student, parent, or teacher hell bent on hurting the institution that hurt them, Edd put up a black piece of construction paper over the window in the door to keep lookyloos at bay.

It was a boon for Kevin, though because it gave the boys gym teacher and football coach a chance to gather his nerves before Edd shattered them with that gapped tooth smile.

For nearly fifteen years, they've flirted, but Kevin's never made a move because he just can't.

Girls he got for the most part.

Some guys were pretty easy to understand.

If someone tossed him off his game, there was nothing wrong with being friends.

But Edd was an enigma and he just had to…

Smile in his face, say hello, talk about the weather, and occasionally their childhood days, before talking about work, and then saying their goodbyes, all while Kevin died inside.

Their friendship was easy once they figured out that if they just gave each other some space to be themselves, they'd see that they could get along.

But for every step forward, Edd would knock him back with some quip or insightful perspective, all enlightening, all making him want more.

He couldn't figure out why he never asked for more, no one could.

So they stay simple friends, colleagues, working professionals determined to change the world.

Today, however, he's got a very serious reason to be in the 8th Grade hallway when he should be in the gym with his sixth grade second block class.

Jerome Williamson was an offensive linemen on the same team Kevin used to quarterback for when he was in middle school.

Jerome kept his grades at an A- average, won all the citizenship awards, was genuinely everybody's friend, and a hell of a line man.

But Jerome was also sick with Wilms Tumor which made him slightly more in tune to his last name because if he could beat the kidney cancer, the only thing that would be able to take him out would be himself and he wasn't doing that.

He was diagnosed last year after a sickly fall semester where he tried his damnedest to prove he earned his slot on the football team, but his body was fighting against the disease and he had to drop the game he loved before Halloween.

Everyone in the building rallied around him, which lifted he and his family's spirits tremendously.

Edd was everyone's first go to with questions as no one really wanted to overwhelm Jerome when they saw him again as doctor's visits, chemotherapy appointments, and a weakened immune system kept him out of school.

Kevin now knows how to expertly pronounce nephroblastoma and he's had to talk the football team out of donating their kidneys a couple dozen times.

But working with Edd on the kidney donor signup drive made an otherwise dark semester kinda bright.

This year, Jerome was at school everyday for the entire first quarter, and Kevin had high hopes for the second, but he had to be sure.

Which meant going to his various other classes to get doctor's notes to add to his sports file that he would send to the district offices for review and clearance to get the kid back on the field again.

But Edd warned everyone that his chances of survival were only good if he and his doctors stuck to a five year treatment plan. Which meant that he probably wouldn't be cleared to play again until his senior year of high school.

That didn't stop Kevin from letting him keep his jersey and giving him a spot on the sidelines if he felt up for sitting with the team during a game.

Rumor had it that he was looking good this week to at least sit in the press box for a bit during the Saturday afternoon game against Lemon Brook, and Kevin was bound and determined to make it happen.

Considering that he had a doctor's note that cleared him from gym class indefinitely as his body wasn't ready to participate in the high octane activities Kevin planned out for the hyper active kids and the gym itself wasn't clean enough for his weakened immune system even with his near permanent surgical mask on his face, Kevin was at Edd's classroom door to get his latest doctor's note for clearance for any extra curricular activities he may be involved in. Then he'd take the rest of the day off to hand walk the newly updated sports file to the district office himself. He was also going to have a sit down with the athletic director to discuss giving the young and still slightly beefy cancer warrior some sort of acknowledgement during the game.

With giving one of his favorite little cobbling hustlers some sense of normalcy in mind, he knocks on the door in front of him and waits.

The door cracks open a bit a few moments later and he hears the quick shuffling of feet scamper away from the door as Edd calls out, "Yes?"

"Hey, Mr Vincent, is Jerome Williamson in?" He asks as he steps inside, his file feeling suddenly very heavy in his hand as bright blue eyes look up at him curiously and twenty five fingers point to the tall brown skinned boy in the back of the room.

"Hey, Coach!" He said brightly from behind his mask. "Mr V is showing us the power of force!"

This made Kevin turn his head to the man in charge and there was Edd, sitting in his rolling chair, a smoking and near empty fire extinguisher in his lap, foam all over the front of the classroom.

He then pointed the hose at Kevin and said, "It's a great escape device, too, because if someone is hot and coming towards you, you just hose them down and run away."

Then he pulled the trigger and let the force of the shook up extinguisher force him away from a red faced Kevin and towards the back of the classroom where Jerome was sitting to get the note Kevin needed from him.

When the kid handed it over, he then stood and rolled Edd back towards the front of the classroom and Kevin.

"I said it was to help you get away from the hot person, not go towards them!" Edd only semi-jokingly yelled out, the students all having a laugh because Kevin's good looks weren't lost on anyone.

"You gonna hose him down, Mr V?" Angela asked, all school girl flirtatiousness at the slightly overwhelmed coach and her silly Science teacher.

"Nah, we need the fire department for this mess," he quipped as he handed Kevin the note, the classroom erupting into junior high giggles and rim shots at his words, and Jerome rolled him away so he could talk to Kevin. "Now get out your workbooks so we can review what we just learned by reading and working out problems written in boring words by boring people. A few of whom I count as dear friends!"

The kids groaned and did as they were told while Jerome told Kevin he could come to the game Saturday as long as he felt up to it and the weather stayed clear and bright. Worst case scenario, he would sit in the press box, but he really wanted to be there to root for the team.

"I'll let Coach Smith know and give your mom a call as soon as I get word on his decision, ok?" Kevin told him as he tucked the note into his folder and Jerome nodded apprehensively. "Chin up, J. You got this," Kevin said before directing him back towards his desk and walked out the room, tossing a, "Later, kids!" over his shoulder.

Edd looked at the closed door for a brief moment, a slightly frustrated look in his eyes. It would be too easy to say that he was perturbed by the interruption, because everyone knew how much he loved to show anyone what he was teaching. So the kids decided that he would be the first on the line to get the district athletic director to let Jerome sit on the sidelines if the answer after Kevin's meeting was No.

They'd only be half right.

His heart held the other half.

Just before 11AM on Saturday, Kevin visualizes plays in action as he stares at the empty football field in front of him.

An arm leaning on his shoulder brought him back to reality and he saw Edd standing next to him, sipping an iced coffee despite the autumn coolness, looking at the field in a different way.

Slight disdain.

They were twenty years removed from their own time spent on the field, and Kevin knew Edd didn't like it, but he had forgotten how much.

"It's ok, Edd, I'm not gonna throw you out there to tackle some Sharks," he smirked.

"I know," Edd grinned. "I'll kill you first."

"That bad?"

"Puberty sucks, my friend."

"And yet…"

"Here we are," Edd chuckled. "I'm a sadist."

"Oh really?" Kevin grinned, smoldering but also curious.

Edd gave him an annoyed glare before turning his gaze back on the field and saying, "Nazz told me what you did."

"She's grounded," Kevin grumbled and Edd laughed.

"Oh, c'mon! Like your best friend wasn't going to come bragging to me about you."

"It's not like that, Edd!" Kevin protested and the slightly hurt look in his eyes was all Edd needed to know that his fighting for Jerome's place on the team was really about giving the bright kid with all the potential in the world a chance to hold onto what cancer was trying to take from him. And not, as Nazz suspected, Kevin trying to show Edd his nice guy side in order to wrangle his attention, but then run off as soon as he had it.

Again.

Naturally...

"I know," he said gently as he pulled a small bottle of Kevin's favorite Gatorade out of the pocket of his hoodie. "That's why I told his mother that if he needs a break, I cleaned the press box so he can stay if he wants."

"You did that for him?!" Kevin asked, astounded that Edd would do anything to keep Jerome near the field he loved and not in a sterilized doctor's office or clean classroom.

"You told Mike that if Jerome couldn't come, you were throwing a 50 year old tradition and forfeiting the game. 'He's sick, not dead,' I think were the words used," Edd smirked as Kevin opened his Gatorade to get his attention off of Edd's fawning. "So I figured, if you could get him here, I would keep him here. It's only right if he's feeling up for it. And it's good for the team's morale."

"I'm telling Eddy that you're helping the football team," Kevin snickered and Edd went red.

"I'm helping a student," Edd retorted and Kevin gave him a long smirk as he said, "You know you don't have to impress me, Edd."

"In order to impress you, I would need your attention first and I can never seem to get it," Edd sighed as the Peach Creek parents pulled in and the team tumbled out of cars, trucks, SUVs, a few minivans, and two crossovers.

Kevin wanted to say something, but couldn't because it was game time, and Edd disappeared as quickly as he had come.

Jerome was on the sidelines for the pregame prayer and the National Anthem before going into the press box to talk to the radio commentators about not only the game in front of them, but how he was fighting so he could play again.

At halftime, there was a battle of the bands between the two middle schools, Jerome was presented with a Peach Creek High School jersey to grow into, and he gave his team their second half pep talk before heading home for a much needed nap.

Edd took the video that was posted on the district page from the team giving Jerome a cheer with the cheerleaders after they won the game.

Eddy gave him a jawbreaker sucker at their weekly Sunday Night Football party for his efforts.

But Kevin wasn't as much impressed by what Edd did as he was once again intrigued about the many facets of who the man was.

Bright and early Monday morning, Kevin made his way over from the gym and knocked on Edd's open classroom door with no hesitation.

When Edd looked up at him and invited him in, but to shut the door behind him so everyone would know he was busy and not to be interrupted, Kevin started to falter.

Until he saw his desk.

Stacks of graded papers were neatly piled on the left hand side, special worksheets and handouts on the right.

In the center of it, was Edd's laser pointer, remote for the overhead projector and smartboard, five different colored whiteboard markers and eraser, and coffee cup filled to the brim with a black, slightly sweet Ecuadorian brew.

But just to the right of center of the desk was of picture of a very young Edd with a man who looked to be his older twin.

"Who's that, Dee?" He asked as he came closer, feeling a little silly that he had never noticed it before.

"Oh! This is, well, was my father," said as he looked at the picture.

Kevin had only ever really remembered meeting Edd's mom a time or two when they were in high school when she wasn't traveling as a writer for National Geographic, and couldn't really fathom him having a father, even with the man looking at him in the face.

"Was?" Kevin said as he leaned on Edd's desk.

Edd picked the picture up and said, "He passed away the summer before we went to high school, so you really wouldn't have met him."

"Did the other dorks meet him?" he asked as he took the picture from him and just stared at it.

"Yes," Edd snorted. "They were even there with me when he passed away."

"What happened?!" He whispered before trying to backtrack and saying, "Only if you want to tell me, though!"

"It's quite alright, Kevin, I don't mind talking about it," he chuckled lightly as he took the picture from him and put it back on his desk again. "It was Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and he had it most of his adult life. He got good treatments over the years, but there was only so much he could handle and he passed away."

"I'm sorry, Dee," Kevin said empathetically and Edd smiled as he looked at the picture again.

"Thank you," he said softly. "He'd liked you."

"Wha? Really?"

Edd looked up into disbelieving green eyes and saw Kevin try to run away from him again and needed to pull him back in.

"Yes, you're tough, but not in that way where you're trying to hide all your insecurities behind this façade of yourself that you think that people want see."

Kevin cocked a disbelieving brow at him and Edd laughed as he said, "Ok, ok, not so much anymore as you did when we were kids, but to grow out of that is truly admirable. He'd like to see have seen that in you."

"And you?"

Edd bit back his giggling as best he could as Kevin's face went beet red at his own words.

The words hanging in the air, though, while they terrified Kevin, gave Edd a chance to give Kevin one he couldn't misconstrue as anything but what it was.

"I like it, too."

Green eyes sparkled as they took in a blushing smirk and nervous hands twitching as they rearranged an already perfect desk.

Kevin grabbed his hands and tugged them so that he rolled from behind the desk to the side of it and then dropped to a squat in front him and sighed.

"So?"

"So."

Shy green met nervous blue and he had to smile.

With the playing field level for once, he felt secure in shooting his shot because he just knew Edd would catch it.

"I was thinking that we could go ride over to the Kid's Fest at the hospital next weekend together and -"

"On your motorcycle?"

Kevin cocked a brow at him and said, "If ya want. And the weather holds out."

"Oh," Edd said flatly, a bit disappointed in Peach Creek's temperamental seasonal changes.

Seeing that reality was going to play a big part in making this thing happen, Kevin tried to come up with a compromise.

"We can take your convertible, that way if it does rain, you can just put the top back up," he shrugged and Edd nodded a bit as the plan solidified itself in his head.

"And if it doesn't?"

"We'll take my ol' girl out and -"

And Edd squealed.

They quickly pulled their hands away from each other, Edd to finish squealing behind his palms in happiness at the prospect of a ride and embarrassment to his reaction at the idea; Kevin to hide his face in his hands because oh, my God, this guy.

The bell ringing that the building was open for the free breakfast the kids needed twenty minutes before classes started brought them back to reality and Kevin stood as he said, "I'll let you get back to it. Just thought I'd see about Saturday."

"I look forward to it," Edd grinned and a pack of butterflies took flight in Kevin's gut, but it sounded like he was hungry, which, after waiting God knows how long for this chance, and getting it, he kinda was. "You might want to grab some breakfast, too," he snickered as he pushed back from his desk and rolled towards the door.

Kevin rolled his eyes as he walked past him, but gravity, centrifugal force, Cupid and fucking Fate working together for once made one of the wheels on Edd's chair spin out of control, catching a loose bit of Kevin's shoelace, so the redhead tripped and fell into his lap.

Edd caught him and then himself on the wall before he hit the door and Kevin had never seen him look so flustered in his life.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I really need to tighten the wheels on this thing up."

"It's cool," Kevin grinned. "Not everyday I get to roll with the coolest guy in town."

Edd flushed red from his neck to his ears, big blue eyes looked like they would pop out of his head in shock, and the dorkiest grin on his face.

"I'm not that cool," Edd said softly as he started to pull his arms away from Kevin's waist and curled in on himself.

"You're right," Kevin said with just a tinge of worry in his voice as he placed the back of his hand on Edd's tomato red forehead. "You're hot."

Edd shoved him out of his lap with a frustrated grow and went to roll away, but Kevin jumped up and had his arms wrapped around him as he laughed.

"Do I need to call the fire department?" Kevin teased and he could have sworn that he saw steam coming out of Edd's beanie.

"Nuuuu," Edd whispered as he buried his face in his shoulder.

"Ok then."

Sheepish blue met sparkling green as distant lockers started to open and slam close and young voices rang out in the halls.

"Saturday?"

"Saturday," Kevin said as he rolled him back to his desk letting Edd's wide grin roll over him as he sauntered out of the classroom.

On Saturday, Jerome thought it was super cool that Mr V got to ride with Coach B on the baddest Harley in town.

Kevin would always prefer rolling around in Edd's chair, though.