A/N:
Hi guys!
Sorry it's been so long! I got held up by a bit of writer's block and finals. Well now it's SUMMERTIME! So things should be picking up around here for me. This chapter is inspired by yet another The Summer Set song called The Way We Were. I highly recommend giving it a listen!
Just want to say thank you to everyone for all your lovely reviews! They really make my day and I love you guys for it!
Disclaimer: I do not own Ed, Edd, n Eddy. This story is of my own original thoughts inspired by music and a couple of filler OCs.
Kevin stood there in the middle of the street for a moment trying to wrap his head around what had just happened.
"It had to have been him," Kevin thought. Why else would the man run away from him?
Edd found himself winded after about two blocks so he went into the nearest building he could find which happened to be a diner he vaguely remembered frequenting with the redhead he just ran from.
Double D didn't dare look behind him as pushed the door open to the diner. If Kevin was right behind him he wouldn't know it, nor did he want to. He took a seat in the corner booth facing the door. Hoping that if the redhead had followed him Edd could see him coming first. Not that he could do anything about it anyways.
A waitress approached a flustered Double D and he nearly jumped out of his seat when she introduced herself for the second time.
"Can I get'cha somethin'? How abouta coffee, hun?" the waitress asked.
"Uh, yes. A coffee would be fine, thank you," Edd said as he remembered he dropped his by his car.
"Anything else, dear?"
"No, that will be all. Thank you very much."
Edd's head started to swirl with his thoughts of what had just occurred. He didn't want to eat. He couldn't. The shock of seeing Kevin had been too much for him. It was only his first day back in town and the redhead had already popped back into his life. He wasn't even sure what to make of the letter he discovered yesterday. It had only been last night when his whole world seemed to have been completed shifted all because of a stupid, hopeful letter.
If it even still held any truth to it.
The waitress returned with a pot of coffee to fill his cup and told him if he wanted anything else to let her know.
Edd sighed into his cup of coffee. What was he going to do? Did he still love Kevin? Well, maybe, probably, but it had been so long since they've seen each other, let alone spoken. Edd knew he was solely to blame there.
He knew a part of him had always secretly hoped that Kevin would have found him one day and swept him off his feet. But if Edd was anything, he was efficient. He was careful to not leave any clues or hints of his whereabouts after he left Peach Creek. He was sure even his parents didn't know where he went to school. He had told them, but they never listened.
Things had to have changed for the redhead in all these years apart. How could Kevin even still be the same? Double D was sure he wasn't the same. Things had changed for him. He wasn't the same shy kid he was, was he?
For one, in London Edd got to be his own person for the first time in his life. He was completely independent. He didn't have anyone to impress or work hard for other than himself. Though his parents did have certain expectations for their son, he didn't go out of his way for them anymore. It was all for him. He no longer answered to them. All his schooling and living expenses were paid for by himself and all the scholarships he received. He had worked hard and they hardly acknowledged that.
Edd found himself liberated. He got to start fresh and be with individuals who shared his interests. He found that he could be quite the social butterfly with his new friends. Alex the cellist, Austin the percussionist, and Emma a second violinist. They were his best friends in London. Alex and Austin were his roommates and Emma was Alex's girlfriend. They had gotten very close and Edd knew he could depend on them. They were true friends in Edd's eyes and he was sad he had to say goodbye to them.
Edd, Alex, and Austin had lived together when they attended college, but even after graduation they remained in touch. Emma and Alex had gotten married after they finished school and already had 2 beautiful little girls. Austin confessed having feelings for Double D and they dated for a while after college, but it fizzled out. Edd didn't feel the same for Austin as Austin did for him. Edd didn't want to keep hurting him and he finally told him about Kevin. Edd was relieved that the man was so understanding and that he didn't lose a friend.
Austin came to understand what Edd had been dealing with the whole time since leaving his hometown. He remained by Edd's side as much as Edd would let him. He loved him and accepted that Edd would never feel the same, but he would wait forever for the ravenette. Edd never realized how much Austin had actually picked up on from his little confession about a redhead he had shared a summer with. To Austin it was obvious that Edd still loved Kevin, but he never pointed it out to him. It had been selfish on his part, but he told himself it was up to Edd to figure out what the redhead truly meant to him.
Edd missed his friends in London. They all tried to get together the day before Double D moved back, but everyone had been too busy. He hated leaving them behind without a proper goodbye. He knew he could still rely on them for support if he needed, but it was so hard with them being so far away. What Double D couldn't admit to himself was how much he had actually missed having Kevin in his life. Sure, the first few years away had been hard, but he had made great friends that kept him busy and that cared about him.
What could he possibly have with Kevin now? Edd was certain there wouldn't be any lingering feelings after all this time, but if his breakup with Austin had been any indication, even though it was a few years ago, Edd certainly still felt something towards the redhead, no time apart could make that go away. As much as Double D tried to deny it he definitely felt something akin to butterflies in his gut just thinking about the brief encounter he just had with Kevin.
He undoubtedly still looked like the same Kevin. That handsome face with that shit eating grin and sparkling green eyes, those gorgeous red locks of his, and Edd was sure he was still built like a god, maybe even more so by the way he filled out that jean jacket. Yes, that jean jacket. He still wore it. Of course he did, it was his father's. It surely was the same jacket; Double D could recognize that jacket anywhere, even from a pile of jean jackets. He would always know that jacket. His jacket.
All in just a few moment's glance Edd caught all that. That had to mean something. But was he ready to find out if it was? He hadn't even be in town for 24 hours yet.
Goddammit! He ran away from Kevin. Again! What must Kevin think of him now! He was a coward. The redhead surely didn't want to speak to him now. Double D intentionally snubbed him in public. How could he have been so rude?
Edd looked up from his coffee to glance at his watch. He'd been lost in his thoughts for nearly 15 minutes. This wasn't accomplishing anything. He had a lot to do today and he couldn't waste it on trying to make sense of feelings he wasn't sure he had for someone he wasn't sure he still knew.
He got up from his booth and went to the register to pay for is coffee. He hesitantly exited the building looking around for any sign of the redhead. Confident that the coast was clear Edd made his way back to his car.
As Double D approached his car he was careful to avoid stepping in the puddle of coffee that remained. It seemed that someone had already picked up the cup and donut and disposed of them in the trash can that was in front of the coffee shop. He pulled his keys out of his pocket and unlocked his car.
Edd got in and put the key in the ignition. When he looked up from the steering wheel he noticed a small folded up piece of paper tucked under his windshield wiper. He could suddenly hear his heart pound in his chest as everything else went silent. It couldn't possibly be a note from him. Well if it was it probably said something like, "Get out of town! I never want to see your face again!"
He opened the car door and slowly slid out of his seat to retrieve the note. He gently lifted the wiper and picked up the note with his fingertips as if it would disintegrate if he handled it too roughly. He sat back down in his seat and slammed his door shut before he opened the note.
It was obviously from Kevin. Double D could recognize that handwriting anywhere. He now realized why the redhead hadn't run after him. He sighed loudly before he began to read what Kevin had wrote.
Edd,
I think we need to talk.
I'm guessing you've been home and that you've read my letter.
Just please talk to me, D.
How about dinner at the diner on 5th at 7 tonight?
You know I won't take no for an answer. Hope to see you there.
- Kevin
Edd rested his head on the steering wheel as he let out a long sigh. How could he honestly face him now?
He tried to come up with a logical explanation for what seemed to be Kevin's continued interest in him, but Double D simply could not fathom that the redhead could actually still harbor feelings for him. Edd found this to be completely far fetched and down right impossible.
The only scenario that made any sense to the genius was that Kevin probably wanted answers. He probably wanted to know why he left all those years ago with only a single letter left in his wake that offered no explanation as where he had gone.
Yeah, that's all it was. Kevin just wanted answers and maybe catch up like old friends. Well that's what Double D tried to convince himself.
So Edd decided it would be best to distract himself, lest his thoughts consume him for the rest of the day, and he set out to do what he had originally planned to do this morning when he left his house.
The rest of his afternoon seemed to go off without a hitch. He went to the supermarket and purchased what was necessary to sustain him for the week including some wine, scratch that - lots of wine and other liquor he knew he was going to need.
When Double D arrived back at his childhood home he unpacked the car a little giddy having forgotten, albeit only briefly, of his evening plans. He almost started to make dinner for himself when he remembered he was going to meet Kevin for dinner in just a few hours.
Edd suddenly lost all his appetite as his heart sunk into his stomach. He needed to eat something because had not eaten a thing all day. His head was scrambled, to say the least. Double D wasn't even sure what was going to happen tonight and he was already so confused and nervous. He knew he shouldn't make assumptions, but he had nothing to go on except the two letters he had from Kevin and one of them was almost 4 years old. Edd knew he was solely to blame for the lack of communication for running away like he had. Both times.
He tried telling himself that it was all in his head and he had no reason to be nervous about meeting the redhead. Kevin clearly barred no ill will toward him and this was just going to be a friendly dinner, or so he hoped.
And hope he did. Edd found himself wondering if he could still feel the same about Kevin as he once had. They were so young when they had been together and it was only for a short time, though they had known each other practically their whole lives and they became very close friends during their senior year.
They had made so many promises to each other that summer, obviously none that either boy kept, well Edd didn't keep. Maybe all those 'I love you's and promises would still mean something to the redhead if Double D hadn't left his amazing boyfriend that summer.
No, Edd couldn't let himself think like that, of what ifs. He made a choice a long time ago. He was content with the decision he made. He had been happy in London. Double D loved the time he spent in the Philharmonic, the beautiful music he played, the crowd that applauded, and the satisfaction he got from playing. It was all real and as beautiful as any relationship could be.
Right?
Double D tried to think of how he felt during his last performance, when the music swelled into the glorious melody, when he could feel the stage vibrate beneath his feet as the notes climbed with the crescendo, and when his bow bounced happily on and off the strings in a staccato. It was all so beautiful, so amazing, so wonderful. How could anything compare? No, nothing could. The feelings he felt that summer couldn't compare to that. All those emotions were on completely different levels from each other.
No, he couldn't compare the two things. He tried to suppress his memories and regain some semblance of sanity for the evening. He was going to get answers soon enough. There was no point in sitting there confused and hopeful about the situation. So, Edd opted to make himself a light snack to calm his nerves before going up to his room and getting ready for dinner. And then there was a new dilemma at hand - what was he supposed to wear?
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