Sorry this is a little later than I usually update but anyway hope you guys enjoy. I have two weeks of holidays now and for my report card this term I got 6 As and 1 B so I'm feeling pretty happy- but you guys aren't interested in that so without further ado I give you the next chapter of Dirt and Soap.

Kevin paced around the room nervously, the constant tapping noise his shoes made giving Nazz a head ache. She rubbed her temples and decided to speak up, holding herself back from shouting at him.

"If you're so worried just go check on him at the hospital, I don't even know why you left in the first place. I mean from what you told me you just paid for his hospital expenses left the flowers by his bed and came back here- to my house of all places."

"But Eddy and Ed are with him, they're his child hood friends, I'd just be in the way- I haven't known him as long or gone through the kinds of things they went through together…" Kevin murmured, so softly Nazz had to strain herself to hear him. "I would be out of place there."

"You're out of place here!" Nazz cried pointedly, "You haven't even stayed in the same place for more than a second; you've been pacing around since you arrived."

"I'm just a little worried…"

"A little?" Nazz raised an eyebrow before continuing, "You know if you check on him he might even be awake and well, put your mind to rest."

"Or he could be dead." Kevin stated bluntly.

Nazz didn't have anything to say to that, she merely sighed and said, "Just go. You're stressing me out now."

"I dunno-"

"Please, just go, Kevin, it'll be better for both of you."

Kevin opened his mouth to protest before losing it again, nodding, and opening his mouth once more to simply say, "ok."

Eddy looked up as the door opened and Kevin entered, he smiled sheepishly at the two Eds but Eddy merely shrugged and watched as Kevin wandered over to Edd's side. Ed watched him for a moment as well before pulling on Eddy's sleeve to get his attention.

"I think we should give Kevin and Edd some private time." He whispered and Eddy was shocked to hear Edd not only say a sentence without any comic book references but also call Edd by his name. It was mostly due to this shock he allowed himself to be pulled from the room by Ed.

Kevin turned at the sound of the door closing and smiled, glad not to be under the Ed's scrutiny anymore. He pulled up a chair beside the still unconscious Edd's bed and his smile widened; though he had been changed into a hospital gown his fish hat remained on his head. A nurse had obviously still tried her best to clean his face of all the gunk that usually covered it and Kevin was surprised to see black locks of hair falling across Edd's face. He reached his hand through the fish's wide mouth to brush one strand out of his face. At that moment a nurse walked in and looking around the room breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank god those other two boys are gone, I can finally take of that forsaken head wear." She muttered but when she moved to do so Kevin blocked her path.

"Sorry, I can't let you do that. It, uh… Means a lot to him, see?"

The nurse looked him over before snorting, "look here now, you may be Mister Incredible-Super-Hero but that thing is getting in the way and we must take it off. I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Woah. Ok… Mister Incredible-Super-Hero?" Kevin laughed nervously, "is that what they're calling me now? I, uh anyway, I'll see what I can do but please don't take it off now, ok?"

"Fine but don't take too long I'm getting impatient." She growled, turning and leaving the room.

Kevin panicked, trying to think of a solution, finally it hit him, maybe if I get him something else to wear on his head that's not so big… He ran out of the hospital without another thought to find a hat for Edd.

Kevin arrived back in the hospital with two hats- just in case Edd woke up and preferred one over the other. Edd was still unconscious, however, and Kevin decided to put on the black beanie he had brought with two white stripes on Edd as it seemed less likely to get in the way in comparison to the other hat he had brought, a red cap. Not having anywhere else to put the cap, though, he placed it on his head before going to lift Edd's fish hat. His hands stood still holding the head gear but not lifting it, the began to shake slightly, was the really alright? He gulped closing his eyes and pulling the thing off. What he saw shocked him, without the fish hat in the way Kevin could clearly see his face and he was actually kind of attractive. More attractive than Kevin had thought he would be at least. As Kevin's eyes moved up to his hairline he saw something even more shocking, a jagged scar across the left side of his head parting his hair. Kevin's hands drifted to the scar and he brushed his fingers gently across it. It seemed confidence wasn't the only reason Edd wore his hat. Kevin grabbed the beanie a pulled it onto Edd's head, making sure the scar was completely covered and arranging his hair neatly. He then sat back in the hospital chair, leaving only when the nurse told him he needed to do so.

Once he arrived home he collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep, still wearing the red cap he had brought earlier.

Kevin wearily made his way into the dining room for breakfast to find Rolf already sitting at the table.

"Casanova Kevin, good morning. I have an important matter to discuss with you, breakfast can wait, no?"

Kevin sat down at the table and indicated for Rolf to continue, "This man who's kidnapping you and the smart Ed boy and almost killing him, he seems to be very dangerous. Much more so than any of the Eds. We have therefore decided to work with the Eds until we have taken this cruel mastermind into our custody!"

"So… We'll be teaming up with them all… like buddies, pals, old time friends?" Kevin asked, smirking.

"Well, we'll see if we become quite so close… but yes."

"Cool. I'm going to visit Edd, then."

"Ah, yes, if the smart Ed boy is conscious yet you can tell him, yes, yes?" Rolf smiled pleasantly but stopped as he saw Kevin head to the door, "Wait, you're leaving right away, what about breakfast! Even Rolf's nana knows not to miss breakfast."

Kevin continued towards the door though, shouting over his shoulder, "I'll get it on the way."

Kevin made his way to the hospital quickly, stopping briefly only to buy a muffin and coffee for both Edd and he, just in case he's awake, he thought. He ate his own muffin as he continued on his way to the hospital.

He entered Edd's room to find he was, in fact, awake and when he saw Kevin he struggled to sit up wincing and putting a hand to his stomach.

"Hey, hey, be careful, you don't have to sit up- we don't want you hurting yourself any more than you are."

Edd nodded laying back down, "Kevin, the nurse told me you paid for my treatment and brought me this replacement hat… Thank you. I'll repay you as soon as possible."

"What? Repay me…?" Kevin looked genuinely confused and Edd couldn't help but smirk at him, "You don't have to repay me."

"But-"

"No." Kevin stated, "I'm a wealthy bastard, I don't need your money."

"I have to repay you somehow." Edd insisted and Kevin sighed.

"Fine. Tell you what, once you get better you can repay me by coming out for coffee with me."

Edd raised an eyebrow, "I thought we decided it wouldn't be possible for us to be friends with one another."

"Yeah but that was before the Eds teamed up with us to get Eddy's brother. So until he's caught we're on the same team."

"What if he's caught before I get better?"

"Look, dork, are you gonna accept my offer or not?"

"Alright, alright- I accept as long as you stop calling me dork." Kevin grinned at him scratching the back of his neck, but something was in the way.

"Ah, right!" Kevin cried pulling of the red cap, "I actually brought you this as well, in case you preferred it to the beanie."

"No thank you, Kevin, I'm fine with the beanie- plus the red cap actually looks pretty good on you."

Kevin grinned, he was almost going to ask Edd about his scar but stopped himself, instead handing him the muffin and coffee he had brought him. Edd received it gratefully.

"It seems I will need to sit up now anyway, do you mind helping me?"

"Of course." Kevin replied, he put one arm around the back of his shoulders, leaning Edd towards him and lightly placed one arm over his stomach, careful not to hurt him. He pulled him up as he did so Edd awkwardly bumping into his chest. Finally Edd was sitting up but he stopped Kevin from moving away.

"Please, just give me a moment…" He muttered through ragged breathes. When he did eventually pull away Kevin kept one hand on his shoulder until he was sure he was alright. Edd smiled reassuringly at him and bit into his muffin.

"So I'm guessing Ed and Eddy haven't come by yet today?" Kevin asked.

"Oh no, they're both fairly late sleepers most of the time- they'll probably come by in a few hours."

"I see, so I guess it's just you and me until then, huh?" Kevin grinned and Edd chuckled, before the two fell into a comfortable silence only broken by Edd's eating noises.