A/N: Just like Three's A Crowd, I'm very excited about writing this story. I have so many ideas flowing through my head, so I hope you all stick around to the end. Also, since we don't know Kevin or Edd's last names, I used the last names of their voice actors, which are the names this fandom usually uses.
The Great Escape by Boys Like Girls. Check it out. :D
Answers to reviews:
"Susan - This was so cute! I liked it so far, can't wait to read more! :) I've been to Florence before when I lived in Italy for about 9 months and it's really nice! (The first time that is.. After going there three different times doing the same thing each time it gets boring..xD) I can totally picture Kevin and Edd there! :D"
- Well, perhaps you could help me with details on Florence? Because I'm just going off internet sources as best as I can. lol
"Guest - This made my heart pound because I'm about to graduate in less then 3 weeks and when it said 2012 I pretended it said 2013 and I got scared haha. I really loved this so far :) more!"
- Yay ^_^ I envy you, though. I still have one more year of high school to go. Oh, and here is more :D
The picnic table was set up with potato salad, macaroni and cheese, tortilla chips, salsa, avocado dip, and varies liter bottles of soda. Sarah placed paper plates, utensils, cups, and napkins on the table and smiled. She looked over at Kevin who was grilling the meat.
"So Nazz really couldn't come?" The fifteen year old girl asked him.
Kevin shook his head. "Nah. She already made friends in her new town and they invited her to their barbeque before we did."
"Oh. Well, we can still have fun!"
The redhead smiled at her and nodded. She skipped off to go find Jimmy. Kevin looked back at the grill and sighed. It had been a month since he had seen his best friend. He missed her. Text messages and Skype calls weren't enough. He was so used to seeing her everyday that not seeing her at all felt off.
"Pay attention, shovel chin!" Eddy cupped his mouth as he yelled out, walking up to Kevin.
Kevin groaned and rolled his eyes. "I am paying attention."
"Then why do I smell burnt chicken?"
The redhead looked down at the grill. "Oh, shit!" He scooped up the pieces of chicken with the spatula and shot Eddy a glare. "Don't just stand there. Make yourself useful and me that plate over there!" Kevin pointed his finger at the table.
Eddy squinted his eyes before retrieving the blue plate. He held out to Kevin and the redhead placed the chicken on it.
"I'm not useless," the short Ed mumbled.
Kevin waited a few more minutes before taking out the hamburger meat and hotdogs. He set the plate filled with food on the table and sat down, sighing in relief. He took off his hat and scratched his head. It was almost seven PM on fourth of July and the summer sun was almost unbearable.
"Tell the others the food is ready," he told Eddy.
"Don't tell me what to do!"
"Just do it!"
Eddy rolled his eyes and went off to find his friends. Sarah and Jimmy returned and took their seats at the table. Kevin didn't serve himself until everyone else was seated and eating. Edd was sitting in between his best friends, gently cutting a piece of his chicken with a plastic knife and fork. He was saying something to Eddy, but Kevin couldn't hear him over the loud noise of everyone else speaking. The redhead looked down at his hamburger and took a large bite out of it.
"Don't forget to chew!" Jonny teased him.
Kevin smirked and chewed slower. The feel of someone watching him caught his attention and he glanced up to find Double D staring at him. Eddward turned away as fast as he could and shielded his smile with his hand, but Kevin caught a hint of it and chuckled slightly before taking another bite of his food.
"So when are you and orange hair over there leaving?" Eddy asked the sockhead. Edd cringed at the sight of his friend's full mouth.
"You really should swallow before you speak, Eddy," he scolded, but then sighed. "Kevin and I are leaving in two days."
"I only have two more days left with you?" Ed pouted.
"Don't be sad, Ed," Double D told him. "I may return."
Eddy scoffed. "You're not coming back, Sockhead. You're going to end up loving it and come back next year."
"Next year?!" Ed's eyes widened with horror. "You wouldn't leave me for that long, would you, Double D?" His lips quivered.
Eddward hesitated. Eddy could be right. He may just end up liking the trip and want to stay for as long as Kevin had originally planned. But looking at his friend's expression, he couldn't admit that. "I'll always come back, Ed." That seemed like a good enough answer. It wasn't exactly a 'yes' or a 'no'.
"Still can't believe lumpy and me are just staying here in boring ass Peach Creek where nothing exciting is going to happen because Nazz is gone, Rolf is going back to wherever the hell his homeland is to visit his relatives, and you and Kevin are going to Italy!" Eddy furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms.
"Sarah, Jimmy, and Jonny will still be here, Eddy!" Ed reminded him.
"Yes, and the Kankers," Double D added, nodding his head.
"Yeah, like that makes it any better," Eddy mumbled.
The gang spent another half hour finishing off their food. Afterwards, they started heading off into town for the firework show. The sky was still too bright, but it was better to get there early to snatch a good seat. For it being just around eight thirty, there was already a huge crowd of people awaiting the show. Sarah, Jimmy, and Jonny squeezed in the front while the others found seats in the middle. Double D was tied to the hips of the other Eds as usual and Kevin felt a ping of annoyance run through him. They were always, always hogging Edd.
Whatever, I'll have him all to myself in two days, the redhead grinned at the thought. He was excited but also a bit nervous. This was the first he was going to go somewhere far, very far, from his home and to make it even more ridiculous, his first time leaving was with his crush. They were going to be together - alone. Kevin gulped and shook his head as if to shake the nerves away, but it didn't do the trick. They kept each other occupied with conversations for another hour until the show finally began. Couples snuggled in closer. Kids crawled into their parents' laps and stared up at the sky in pure amazement as gold and silver sparked and sparkled, then blue, red, green, and purple.
"Look!" Sarah pointed at one of the fireworks. "It's the flag."
The others looked and in unison, said, "That's so cool." For being between the ages of 15 through 18, they found nothing wrong in being overly excited and astonished by fireworks. They shot up into the air and exploded into colors and the friends just found that to be incredible.
"Look at all the pretty colors, guys!" Ed bit down on his lower lip as he smiled wide.
"Did you know that fireworks are made from combustible chemicals and-"
Eddy stopped Double D from speaking any further by placing his hand on the sockhead's mouth. "Shh. Don't ruin it for us."
Edd squinted his eyes and grabbed Eddy's wrist, pulling his hand away. "Was that really necessary?"
"Yes, it was!"
Double D shook his head. Kevin smirked at him. He glanced up to see more than one firework were being blasted at a time and he made his way over to Edd's side. Double D smiled at the redhead.
"Having fun?" Kevin asked.
"Yes. These are quite beautiful." The ravenette smiled lopsidedly, his eyes never leaving the sky.
The redhead grinned as he watched his friend instead of the fireworks. Double D looked as content and pleased as he did after completing an invention he almost gave up on, and it was so adorable, Kevin couldn't look away. He gently brushed his hand against Edd's. Eddward gasped softly and looked down to see how close they were standing next to each other. He held his breath as he lifted up his head to meet Kevin's gaze. The emerald-eyed teen smiled softly at Double D. Edd swallowed hard and nervously returned the smile. The fireworks blasting in front of them were now long forgotten.
"Need any help?" Kevin's mother asked as she walked into the redhead's room. Kevin was finishing off his packing for the trip.
He looked over at his mother. "That'd be cool."
Mrs. Barr smiled and picked up a few of the clothes laid out on Kevin's bed and folded them neatly. "I know your father and I haven't been supportive in your decisions and for that, we apologize." She stopped momentarily and sighed. "We love you, Kevin, and we'll be here for you no matter what."
The redhead faced her and smiled. "Thanks Mom. That means a lot."
Mrs. Barr nodded and went back to folding. She handed over the folded shirts to Kevin and he packed them. "So why Edd?"
"What do you mean?"
"You have many friends. I know you and him are good friends, but why go with him and just him only? I'd think you'd want to go with more than just one friend. The more the merrier, right?"
Kevin thought about his answer. "Because it's Edd's dream to travel and mostly everyone else had plans this summer already." He shrugged. What he wanted to say, 'Because I like him, Mom.' But he wasn't ready to come out to his parents about having a crush on someone of the same sex. The time would come eventually.
His mother smiled. "That's nice, then. I hope you two don't get into any trouble. Remember to call us every other night."
Every other night, Kevin chuckled. "We won't and I will call. Don't worry."
"I do worry, Kevin," Mrs. Barr said. She sighed. "This is bigger than you think. You've never been out of the country before."
Yeah, I know... "I... We'll be fine, Mom."
Eddward was busy at home finishing his chores. His packing had been all done five days earlier. It had given him a hard time since he wasn't sure just exactly how much to pack. What if they did only stay a month... but what if they didn't? Double D had went back and forth, adding in and pulling out clothes from his suitcases. In the end, he decided it was safer to pack more than to be sorry later.
As he scrubbed the sink, his eyes kept darting over to stare at the clock on the wall. His heart would almost skip a beat every time he saw the time pass more and more, closer to leaving with Kevin. He tried not to think about it too much, but if the redhead knew just how much this really meant to Edd. Not only did he get to live out his little dream, but he also was able to share it with Kevin. Hmm, Kevin. Double D smiled to himself and sighed lovingly as he leaned over the sink and rested his chin on his palm. After a few seconds, he stepped back and rolled his eyes.
"I'm merely an excuse for Kevin," he said. "I will not be surprise if I end up alone in a hotel room while he runs out and fools around with a bunch of foreign girls." He sneered at the thought. No way would he let that happen. Kevin could have his fun, but he would make sure he would get his own fun as well. Double D leaned against the counter and covered his face with his hands. "Oh why do I have to have such ludicrous feelings for him?"
Kevin was asking himself the same thing as he finished off his packing. He zipped up his last bag and tossed it into the pile with the other two. "I'm finally done." The redhead sat down on his bed and allowed himself to fall back. Staring at his ceiling, he smiled, his thoughts roaming back to the night before. The firework show. The Edd. The ocean blue eyes that always made him feel weak at the knees. Kevin's smile faded and he groaned.
"Look at how pathetic you're making me, dweeb," he mumbled, but he had to admit, Double D was worth it.
Mr. and Mrs. Barr drove Kevin and Edd to the airport early the next evening, but Double D had to wake early in order to say his goodbyes to his parents. His mother held him tightly in her arms, whispering into his ear about remembering to be safe and never leave Kevin's side. She told him they needed to stay together at all times. Eddward's cheeks had turned a bright red and his mother kissed each one before heading out to her car. His father hugged him quick and told him he would miss him. Edd told him to have a nice day at work and that he would miss him too. They both waved goodbye as they drove off. It was bittersweet and Edd almost wished he could stay. Almost.
They arrived at the airport just in time for their plane and that's when it was Kevin's turn to give his parents his heart filled goodbyes.
"I'll miss you guys," he said to them.
"We'll miss you, too, baby," Mrs. Barr said, gently cupping his face.
Kevin smiled and kissed her cheek.
"Did you remember to exchange half your money for Euros?" Mr. Barr asked.
"Yes, I did." He gave his father a quick hug before turning away and following Edd. He glanced over his shoulder and waved at them. They waved back and continued to do so until Kevin and Double D disappeared around the corner.
"For it being seven PM right now and the flight being a fair eleven hours long, but with Italy being the central European time, we should arrive in Italy at approximately noon tomorrow," Edd said as they made their way through the gate.
"That almost didn't make sense to me, but okay," Kevin said. They reached the end of their walk and Double D stopped in his tracks. The redhead was about to step onto the plane when he noticed the lanky teen was no longer by his side. He turned and raised an eyebrow at Edd. "What's wrong?" He asked.
Double D shifted his eyes back and forth from the plane entrance and Kevin. The redhead sighed, understanding what the problem was. He smiled and placed his hand on Edd's shoulder. "Scared of flights?"
"I wasn't aware I was..." Edd looked down at his feet in defeat.
"Hey," Kevin whispered, gently rubbing the other's shoulder. "It'll be fine, alright? I promise." Double D slowly looked up at the redhead and smiled slightly.
"Come on," Kevin said as he entered.
Edd hesitated a bit before taking a deep breath and walking in afterwards. Their seats were towards the middle. Kevin asked Double D whether he would prefer to sit by the window or the edge. The sockhead chose the edge and Kevin took his seat. Edd sat down and clutched his laptop bag in his arms. He looked over at the redhead who was now opening up his travel guide of Florence. Edd couldn't help but smile.
"I see you're getting prepared," he commented.
The emerald-eyed teen nodded and grinned at Double D. "It's always good to be. You taught me that."
Double D felt his stomach flip. "Y-yes, indeed I did." The fact that Kevin remembered made Edd feel somewhat special and he didn't quite get why.
The plane remained still for a while, but once it began to move, Edd tensed up a little in his seat and Kevin's immediate action was grabbing his hand.
"Dude, relax," he told Double D. "I promised you." The redhead gave Edd's hand a reassuring squeeze and Edd's nerves weren't about the plane ride anymore.
The sockhead looked away, hoping Kevin would free his hand, but when he didn't, he let out a quiet sigh. Hand holding. Oh, do not overreact to this, Eddward, he bit down on his lower lip. Kevin finally let go after the plane went up and was steadily flying. Edd spent the first two hours reading Anna Karenina while Kevin just sat there, listening to his music. The emerald-eyed teen didn't bother reading any more of his travel guide, but when three more hours passed, he picked it up again. Five hours down, six more to go, he thought to himself as he flipped through the pages.
His eyes were beginning to feel a little sore. He put the book down on his lap and rubbed his eyes before looking over to find a sleeping Edd. The redhead closed the guide and smiled at the sight of Double D snuggled up in his seat, facing him and snoring softly. It made him yawn and realize how tired he actually was. He sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. It didn't take him long to drift off into a deep sleep and they both didn't wake until they arrived at their destination.
They landed at the Peretola airport at noon just as Double D had predicted. No surprise there.
"I'm feeling really jetlagged right now, I could literally fall onto the floor and sleep," Kevin said as they made their way to the baggage claim.
"You just slept half of the plane ride here," Edd told him.
"Yeah, but I'm still tired."
Double D giggled. They waited until their bags came into view. Edd reached out to grab his, but Kevin gently held him back.
"I got it." The redhead reached over and grabbed all three of his friend's bags. He handed one over and tossed the others aside.
"I could have taken those as well, you know?" Edd narrowed his eyes at Kevin.
"Yeah, but you were taking too long." Kevin grinned as he retrieved his things and turned to face the ravenette. "Alright, so are we taking a bus or something to um.. the Palazzo... err.. Magnani Fettuccini-"
"Feroni!" Edd wailed his hands in the air and sighed. "I told you many times already."
"Well excuse me for not being an expert at Italian."
Double D got a good grip on his bags and began walking off. Kevin quickly adjusted himself and jogged to catch up with the blue eyed teen.
"I was thinking we would just walk," Edd said.
"Walk?! But we don't even know how to get there."
"That is why we get a map and ask for directions, Kevin."
"I'm not walking."
"Why not?"
The redhead's eyes widened. "I told you, I'm tired."
Double D frowned. "But walking gives us a chance to really see everything."
"Can't we just take a damn bus? We'll explore and stuff tomorrow."
"But Kevin." Double D stopped walking and turned around.
Kevin raised his eyebrows when he saw the disappointed look in the other's eyes. "Are you trying to guilt trip me?" Because it's working.
"Why would I do that?" Edd tilted his head a little.
The emerald-eyed teen growled. "Fine, we'll walk, but we better stop and get something to eat. I'm starving." He walked ahead of his friend and Edd stayed behind a moment to smile and praise himself.
Although that pride faded after asking one of the airport securities that knew English very well, yes that was lucky, for directions, because Double D realized the walk would actually be at least an hour and immediately decided against it. Kevin sighed in relief and allowed himself to do his own mental victory cheer. Sight seeing tomorrow then. They made their way to the front desk and asked for a taxi. Since the taxi would take around fifteen to thirty minutes, Kevin and Edd sat down as they waited.
"Does it make you feel a little weird that we're this far from home?" Kevin asked.
Double D thought about it and nodded. "It does, but it also feels quite exciting. My parents have traveled many times before, but I've never gotten the chance to join them in any of their business trips because of school." He looked sadly down at his hands and sighed. "It doesn't bother me as much as it used to. It all worked out, though, considering I didn't want to miss on any schoolwork and I'm here now... with you." Edd smiled softly.
Kevin's lips parted as he stared at the blue eyes looking at him. He wiped his hands on his jeans and forced his mouth shut as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yeah, man. Here we are. Together." He smiled genuinely.
The rest of their wait was in silence as they just examined their surroundings. People came rushing in and out. Kids kicked and screamed. Some said their goodbyes and watched as the other walked away. A young man, around his late twenties, wearing a white collar button down and blue jeans entered the building and stood in the far corner. He held up a sign that read "Kevin Barr" and searched the room for someone to notice him.
The sockhead looked over and saw the sign. He tapped Kevin's shoulder and pointed at the man. The two stood up and made their way over to him.
"Mr. Barr?" The man asked, his voice carrying a thick accent.
Mr. Barr? Emerald eyes smirked and nodded. "Yeah, that's me."
"Please, follow me." The driver lead the way out of the airport and to the white car with the sign 'taxi' above it.
The teens got into the backseat and told the driver where they wanted to go. He nodded and headed off; slowly. The traffic was barely bearable. Many people on foot kept crossing the street in groups. Kevin groaned and crossed his arms as he sat back. Edd covered his mouth as he giggled.
"Patience, Kevin," he told the redhead.
"Yeah, yeah." Kevin rolled his eyes.
The long ride ended after what seemed like forever. Kevin was just antsy to get some food and rest. Edd enjoyed the drive. He was still able to stare out the window and see all the buildings he had only read about and seen on the internet. To finally be able to see them in person made goose bumps rise all over his arms and legs. The driver stopped in front of the Palazzo Magnani Feroni. Kevin quickly paid and thanked the man before stepping out behind Edd. Double D gasped in amazement as he stared up at the building in front of them. He smiled a wide gap-tooth revealing smile as he stepped forward. They walked through the front glass doors and stepped up the cement steps only to freeze in their tracks midway as they saw what lied ahead. On the right, a row of red velvet loveseat couches faced each other with coffee tables in between them. Sculptures were lined up against the same cream colored wall. At the end stood a marble wall with a plant in front and yet another loveseat couch next to it.
"Wow," they breathed out. Kevin and Eddward made their way passed the opened iron doors and slowly walked passed the couches. People were seated in some of them, having casual conversations with each other and sipping coffee. Occasionally, one or two people would look over at the doors as if expecting to see someone.
Edd's mouth was partly opened as he gazed up at the tall windows.
"This is the lobby?" Kevin asked, his jaw dropped open as he took in the view. "It looks like a hallway in some mansion or palace."
Double D faced his redheaded friend. "Well, 'Palazzo' is Italian for 'palace'."
Kevin squinted his eyes. "I knew that." He shook his head and made his way to the check in desk.
The receptionist was a little baffled by Kevin's English, but she tried her best to understand him.
"We just want one room," the redhead said, lifting up one finger. "Two beds." He put up another finger.
"Ah-yes," the receptionist nodded and smiled as she typed something in her computer. She asked for how long they were staying and when Kevin responded with, "Around a month", she lifted her head and gave him a confused look.
He sighed and said, "Just put us up for twenty days, I guess." As she added that in, Kevin leaned over the counter and whispered, "I honestly don't know how long we're staying."
The blonde didn't really understand what he meant by that, but she smiled.
"Do I have to pay now?" He asked her.
"Now or when you leave, but if you will pay later, I need your card." She held out her hand.
Kevin shuffled through one of his bags until he found his father's credit card that he was only allowed to use if he actually needed it. He shrugged and handed it over. She asked for the usual information before giving him the key to one of the Feroni suites. Kevin turned around to find Edd slowly walking around the huge environment, looking over every painting on the walls. He smiled and went over to join the sockhead.
"Got our room," he said, startling Edd.
"Kevin," Double D squeaked and Kevin erupted into loud laughter. "I don't appreciate you finding that so amusing." The sockhead furrowed his eyebrows.
The redhead cleared his throat and smiled. "I'm sorry, Edd. I couldn't help myself." He grabbed Double D's wrist and placed the key in the palm of his hand. "Let's get up there and see our room before we go eat."
Edd looked down at their hands that were still making contact. He agreed and pulled his hand away, holding tightly onto the key. Kevin followed him over to the lift.
"No way," Kevin said, his eyes widening. "There's a couch inside the elevator!" He stepped in and took his seat.
"Oh, Kevin," Edd said with a smile as he sat down next to the redhead.
They were lifted up to their floor, Kevin enjoying himself a little too much in which Edd found to be entertaining to see. As the y stepped out of the lift, other guests made their way inside. Double D walked closely next to Kevin to their suite. The redhead looked at each door and stopped once he found theirs. Edd unlocked the door and opened it, letting it sway gently to the wall.
"I don't think I have ever seen so much beauty in just one hour before," he commented as he walked into the suite.
It was large; tall ceilings and wide space. The decorations and furniture were in pure vintage style. Creams, reds, and browns filled the living room. There was a couch and sofa with a coffee table in the middle of them and a mirror with a golden frame on the wall above a small table where champagne bottles stood. A desk in the corner caught Edd's attention. He walked over to it and grabbed the note resting on it: We are happy that you have chosen the Palazzo Magnani Feroni. We hope to be at great service as you enjoy your stay in the beautiful city of Florence, it read. There was also numbers to the room and maid services and to the lobby. Edd went along to investigate the other rooms while Kevin was still stunned by how high the ceilings really were.
The blue eyed teen entered the bedroom and his eyes widened. "O-oh my." He brought his hand to his mouth as he stared at the king size bed. The only bed in the only bedroom in the suite. "Kevin!" Edd called out.
Kevin was checking the champagne bottles when he heard his name. "Yeah?" He called back.
"Could you come here, please?"
The redhead set the bottle back down and hurried over to the bedroom. "What is it?" He asked, but knew the answer once he saw the bed. "One bed? I told her two! I did." Kevin crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.
"She must have just misunderstood, it happens." Edd smiled.
"I can sleep on the couch and you can take the bed."
"Nonsense. The bed is large enough for us to both be comfortable on our own sides. We won't even bump into each other."
Kevin rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know, man. I'm kind of a crazy sleeper."
"I don't think that will matter." Edd smiled sheepishly to himself as he turned away and exited the room.
The redhead smirked and glanced over his shoulder at his friend. "Alright, cool with me." He walked out to join Double D by his side and said, "Now let's get some damn food."
A/N: If I screwed up on the time thing, my apologies. Math is not my strong subject, lol.