The two boys walked down the stairs, Eddy in front should Double D miss a step.

"I don't need you watching me like I am about to fall over the railing, Eddy!" Double D protested.

"I ain't taking any chances," Eddy said protectively.

Edd took a breath and stopped half way down the stairs. "Thank you for coming to see me, Eddy. I'm glad it was you and not Kevin."

Eddy's eyes shot open and he chuckled nervously. "Really? Why? You don't wanna see him? He might want to see you."

"I would rather not have to deal with that rejection today," he said, gesturing to Eddy to hurry up and move. "I might never see him again anyways. This might all just blow over and - Eddy! Please! Why are you just standing there!" he cried in happy frustration.

"Oh, sorry. I was just focused on what you were saying," Eddy said, taking painfully slow steps down the stairs.

"I promise you I am not going to fall over!" Double D laughed, pushing Eddy to move forward so they could reach the kitchen.

"Uhm, yeah. I know that," he said slowly, stalling.

Edd walked around his friend and was at the bottom of the stairs, looking around. Eddy waited for it and tensed.

"Eddy!" Double D called up. Eddy opened one eye and looked down at him. "I'm waiting. Come!"

"What?"

"I am craving tea now. So let's make some," Edd smiled going into the kitchen.

Eddy ran down the stairs and looked around. Kevin was gone?!

"I'll put some water on for your coffee," Edd called from the kitchen as Eddy skulked around downstairs, seething.

"Huh! Sure, yeah, thanks Double D!" He turned back around. "Kevin!" he hissed through his teeth. "Kevin! You here?!"

He snuck around the corner, looking in the tiny space behind the sofa - of course he wasn't there.

That spineless good for nothing-

"Eddy!"

"Shit!"

Kevin poked his head out of a closet door under the stairs. He waved his shoes at him, showing him there was no trace of him in the house.

"How'd you get in there!" Eddy whispered, trying not to attract Double D's attention.

"I heard that he didn't want to see me, so I grabbed my shit and I'm hiding so I don't upset him," Kevin explained, as if that was the most logical thing to do in a situation like this.

Eddy wasn't sure if he was more stupefied by the fact that he even did that or that he said it with an absurd amount of sincerity.

"Really? That's why?"

Kevin nodded. "He's having a rough day already. I don't wanna make it worse if he doesn't wanna see me toda-"

"Eddy! Where are you?"

Double D came out to the hall and Eddy slammed the closet door behind him.

"Why are you in our coat closet?"

Eddy laughed nervously. "Oh, uhm, just making sure I didn't forget my scarf here that other time . . ." he said lamely.

Edd nodded slowly. No, it didn't make any sense. But then again - Eddy didn't always make sense even in the best of times.

"Well, I hope your search satisfied you. Will you please, come? The water is about to boil."

"Uh, yeah, let's go Sockhead!"

And the two boys entered the kitchen.

Eddy took a seat on the one of the chairs, his foot anxiously tapping on the floor. "So, let's just say - hypothetically," Eddy began suspiciously. "That Kevin wanted to see you and tell you that he wanted to stay together. Then what?"

Double D nodded, smelling the light tea. "I don't know," he sighed taking a seat in front of Eddy. The teapot was warm with the hot fluid within and he poured them the glasses. "I don't see that happening so -"

"I said hypothetically, Sockhead," Eddy said, stirring his coffee in frustration. What the hell was he doing?! He hated Kevin. He didn't want Double D to date Kevin. But then, seeing Kevin try to be so considerate of Double D; seeing him genuinely putting Edd first - Eddy could see that despite the fact that he hated Kevin, Kevin loved Double D.

Edd sighed, breathing in the scent of his tea. "Then I think I would simply breakdown in tears," he laughed.

"In a good or bad way?" Eddy asked cautiously, taking a loud sip of his coffee.

"What?"

"Just answer the question!"

Edd laughed. "In a good way, of course. It would mean that Kevin really cared about me and that he wants to stand by me despite everything that has happened."

Eddy nodded solemnly. "Would you be willing to stand by him, though?"

That was a very important and subtle question and the unspoken implications did not lose themselves on Double D.

"That's a very tricky question," Edd smiled at his friend.

Eddy said nothing but continued to sip his coffee, looking at him with a level gaze.

Double D took a breath. "I am ready to stand by him no matter what," he breathed. "I have never felt like this and I want to see this through to the end. I also think that even though this incident is very daunting and I feel afraid of what awaits me at school - if Kevin said he did not care, I wouldn't care either." He smiled. "Kevin and I can make it through this together. That's genuinely what I think. And if he decides that I should confront this alone - I can do that also."

Eddy nodded and took a breath. He groaned and rubbed his face with the palms of his hand. "Ugh! You know I love ya, right man? Like really?"

"Why yes, Eddy. I do." Double D smiled.

"And you know I would never do anything to hurt ya, right?"

His friend again nodded.

"So you trust me?"

"Completely."

Eddy took a deep breath, stood and walked out of the kitchen. From the hallway, Eddy called out: "I need you to trust me right now, Edd. Completely! I'm not going to fuck you up, okay!"

Double D chuckled nervously. "You're scaring me, Eddy. What is it?"

He moved to stand but stopped.

"No! Just wait!" Eddy called out, jumping back to halt him.

"Eddy, I'm getting very nervous . . ."

"No, there is no need to be nervous," Eddy reassured him. "I'm here. And I won't mess you up. So, please, just give me a minute."

Edd was hesitant, afraid. After everything that had happened he just wanted a moment of peace. But he took a breath and resumed his seat. "Very well, Eddy. I do trust you." And he took another sip of tea.

"Alright, gimme a sec."

He disappeared back into the hall and took a deep breath before slowly opening the closet door. Kevin came out and Eddy shoved Kevin against the wall in a mix of anger and confusion.

What am I doing!

"Look, you hurt him I'm gonna fuck you up - so bad!" Eddy threatened, shaking to control the fury raging within him. "I will fucking kill you, got it? Kill you! I will not let you fuck up my best friend! You can't fucking hurt him!"

Kevin nodded, trying push Eddy off him but the shorter boy was much stronger than he appeared.

"If you aren't ready to deal with this shit right now, leave. Out the fucking back. I'll take care of Double D. Because you go out there, there ain't no going back!"

Kevin would have felt angry under normal circumstances but seeing how much Eddy truly cared about Double D made him happy. He took a breath and put his hands on Eddy's shoulders.

"I'll take care of him," Kevin said softly. "I won't let anything happen to him and I'm ready to be his support no matter what."

Eddy was still shaking and he felt like crying for some reason. This was turning out to be harder than he'd imagined.

"You'd better! He's got a brighter future than anybody else in this shithole town! So you better not drag him down!" Eddy fumed, leaning against the wall for support.

He felt dizzy and weak.

Kevin laughed. "You look like you're about to give your little girl away."

"Shut up. Just go see him already . . ."

Eddy let himself fall against the wall and he took a deep breath. Kevin nodded, giving him a thumbs up, straightened his shirt out and took a deep breath.

"Don't get mad," Eddy called out to Double D as Kevin made his way to the kitchen.


Hello, my friends! Chapter 8! We are almost at the finish! Let me know what you guys think, please! I love getting feedback! :D I'm doing a Danny Phantom one next? In theory? I haven't decided yet :) I try to upload on the 15th and last/first of the month! Thank you for your support! Love you guys! Every comment of encouragement is like fuel for my writing! I won't stop writing! Love, moon-bunny15