A/N: This chapter is pretty short, but there wasn't more to add.
Nathan belongs to c2ndy2c1d :)
It was almost impossible for Kevin and Nat to avoid each other. Coach Boyce told them it was whether deal with it or they couldn't play. Practices were awkward for not just them, but the whole time. They could feel the tension there and it threw them off from concentrating. And because the two wouldn't quite play well with each other, they lost against the Lemon Brook Lumpers. Kevin didn't even care. He was more disappointed to find that Edd wasn't there in the crowd as he usually was. He didn't blame him. They technically broke up. They weren't official for so long and it was already over. Kevin knew it. He knew the moment they became an actual couple that he would fuck up. He fucked up by letting his jealousy take over.
And that just made cooking class the worst. Kevin and Edd wouldn't speak to each other, but since they were partners, they still worked together, but in silence. Kevin would complete half of what they were making while Edd did the other half and when it was finished, they would sample it without saying a word to each other about how it tasted. Then they cleaned up and just sat down, waiting for the bell to ring. Kevin knew he deserved the silence. He shouldn't have suggested that Double D choose between him and Nat, but he didn't really expect Double D react the way he did.
It was a mistake, he understood that now. He wanted to turn back time and ignore the way his best friend and Edd flirted with their eyes. He wished he would have just pretended like it didn't matter. Why did he have to open up his big mouth? People are supposed to live life without regrets and now he had a huge regret haunting him. The fact that he was single wasn't even what bothered him so much. It was that he probably lost his absolute best friend forever; someone was like a brother to him. That hurt the most. He missed Nat. He also really missed Edd, though. He hated not talking to them when they were next to him, but most of all, he hated that Nat didn't just tell him that he had feelings for Double D when he had the chance to. Why did he keep a crush from Kevin?
Sure he called Edd a dork before really getting close to him, but that didn't mean Nat had to hide that information. If Kevin would have known, he would have helped his best friend get with Edd. But now... now it felt like that was too late. Now he felt like he couldn't do that without feeling envious of Nat being with Edd and secretly wanting to punch him every two seconds. Jealousy was a bitch and it wouldn't leave Kevin alone.
Double D sat at his desk in his bedroom, trying to finish his homework but he was too distracted by the suggestion. He didn't even know how he could even choose. He didn't want to lose either of them. Kevin was someone he had known almost his whole life, although he had bullied him and his friends a great part of his childhood, the redhead had grown into someone Edd really admired. Nathan came later into his life, but Edd had to admit, he knew Nat better than he knew Kevin. They knew each other's likes and dislikes and the real personal stuff. There were things Nat had confessed to Edd that he had never said to Kevin. Double D could remember when Nat told him about he really felt about himself during one of their study sessions.
"You know," Nat said, "I love myself. There's no doubt about that." He grinned, but that grin slowly faded. "But... do you ever sometimes wish you can change some stuff about yourself?"
Edd thought about it and nodded. "I do. Maybe more than I should."
"Really? Well, I don't think you should change anything about yourself. But me..." Nat shrugged. "I don't know. I know I annoy people sometimes, but I can't help who I am. So, I'm sorry if I bug you. I'm actually really surprised you're still helping me with math after you've gotten to know me more."
Double D sighed. "Nathan, I'll have you know that I very much enjoy spending time with you. You are truly a good friend and no one should ever have a problem with you." The corners of his lips slowly rose. "No need to apologize for something that isn't true."
Nat looked over at the sockhead and grinned again. "You're awesome, Double Dude."
Double D smiled at the memory. Nat was really something. The doorbell broke him from his thoughts and he flinched. Rolling his eyes, he got up from his seat and left his room. The doorbell rung ten more times in a row and Edd knew exactly who it was.
"Eddy!" He scolded as he opened the front door. "I wish you wouldn't do that."
Eddy laughed. "Then maybe you should hurry up and answer the damn door."
Ed stood behind the shorter teen and waved excitedly at Double D, smiling his usual bright smile. "Hi Double D!"
Double D smiled at him and moved aside so the two could step in. He followed them to the couch and sighed loudly as he sat down.
Ed frowned. "Aw, what's wrong Double D?"
"Are you still sad about your love triangle situation?" Eddy asked.
When Double D told his friends, Eddy did feel sympathy for him, but he couldn't help but have his little boastful moment by saying, "I told you he liked you! I told you! And I also knew you liked him, too! I'm always right!" But after that, he knew to keep his mouth shut and listen to his friend vent about it.
"Love triangle," Edd said as he wrinkled up his nose. "Is that what this is?"
Eddy nodded. "Why are you letting this bug you? I thought you said you weren't gonna fuss over it, because you weren't going to choose."
"Yes, I did say that."
"But now you feel like you do wanna choose, huh?"
Edd shook his head. "Absolutely not!" He fiddled with his fingers and sighed. "I am thinking about speaking with Nathan, though."
"Are you gonna tell him that you like him?" Ed asked.
"I-I'm not sure what I'm going to say. I just know I need to talk to him as soon as possible."
And that ended up being right at that moment. Eddy offered to give him a ride. Double D hesitated, but he nodded and the three made their way over to Nat's place. Nat was enjoying his dinner of pizza while watching TV when Edd arrived. He muted the show and walked over to the door. Seeing the sockhead on the other side made Nat freeze momentarily, but he swallowed the lump in his throat.
"Well this is a surprise," he said.
Double D smiled nervously. He had told his friends to wait for him, that he wouldn't be long, because he really just wanted a quick talk with the freckled teen. "May I come in?"
Nat didn't answer. He just turned around and returned to his seat, leaving the door purposely open and Edd took that as a 'yes'. He closed the door behind him and joined Nat.
"How have you been?" Edd asked.
"Been better," Nat mumbled, then groaned. "I think I know why you're here. Kevin told me about what he said to you and if you think I'm onboard, I'm not. I think you should just go on with your life."
Double D gasped a little at how much that made his heart ache. "I-I can't," he choked out.
Nat rolled his eyes and stood up from the couch. "Whatever man. Can you just leave me alone? I don't wanna deal with this."
"But we need to talk."
"We just did."
Edd shook his head and stood up as well. "No. You don't understand. We need to discuss this rationally."
Nat raised his eyebrows. "What is there even to discuss, Edd? I told you I don't wanna deal with this, so I'm not going to."
"Nathan, that is not how life works. You cannot just say you don't want to deal with something and think it's going to go away."
Nat squinted his eyes. "Yeah, well I can try if you would go away. Why would you even bother coming here? Why can't you just be like Kevin and leave me alone?"
"I'm sure Kevin has wanted to come speak with you. He just doesn't know what to say."
"Of course you're defending him." Nat looked away and crossed his arms.
"Nathan!" Double D huffed. "I am not defending anyone. Why are you being so difficult?"
The green-haired teen gasped and scowled at Double D. "I'm being difficult? Me? Seriously, dude?"
"That was a poor choice of words on my part." Edd shrugged. "I apologize."
Nat rolled his eyes. "Get away from me, Edd. I don't blame you for anything, so don't think that's why I don't wanna talk to you. I'm just not in the mood right now and I don't feel like taking my anger out on you."
Edd sighed in defeat and nodded. "I will go, then." He felt his eyes getting watery, but he ignored the feeling as he walked to the front door. He opened it and looked back. "I hope you and Kevin can work things out. I'm very sorry about everything." And with that, he left, leaving Nat to stand there in the loneliness of his house.
Nat took out his cell phone from his pocket. He had new text messages from a lot of his friends, but none from Kevin. Nothing at all from Kevin. So far, Edd's hope was far from happening. The redhead wasn't making any effort. Then again, neither was Nat. One of them had to make a move in order for things to get better, but Nat couldn't help but feel like Kevin should be the one to do so first.