Hey everyone!

Gonna ramble for a bit lol

Ok so first off sorry for the hella slow updates If you follow me on Tumblr then you may be aware that I'm currently overwhelmed with college applications and building a portfolio. Recently, I just hate everything I draw so it's been taking me a while to finish it and it's becoming really stressful, frustrating and nerve wracking mainly because I have to go under a portfolio review to get into the program I want. Sigh~ it doesn't help that my own insecurities and negative shiz like to eat at me during these certain times. Unfortunately, due to all this I have had absolutely no motivation to write. No matter how much I want to my writing only comes out forced and I hate it. This is why I take a while to write and update, because I can only write fluid on times when I'm calmer and in the mood to write (Which usually happens to be at midnight lol)

Nonetheless your supportive and kind reviews have been really touching and I'm beyond happy that there are people who love this story as much as I do. Alright it's like 4 am for me need sleep :P

I hope this chapter is decent enough, and that you enjoy it nevertheless.

Much love from Ari :3

That night Eddward Vincent had slept peacefully next to Kevin. This was quite abnormal for him, however what wasn't now a days. Since, Kevin had barged into his private life everything had gone whack!

Eddward Vincent had particular nightmares you see, nightmares that wouldn't go away so simply. They were his regrets that tormented him enough to wake him up in the middle of the night gasping in sweat, sometimes in tears. They occurred much more frequent after the beating on the small freckled teen on the last week of their sophomore year. Well, the memory alone was enough to make him feel an ocean of guilt and he'd often burry it in the farthest of places in the back of his mind. He feared sleep, because even though he tried his hardest to ignore the memory and everything else that he had done he simply could NOT run away. The same scenes of a beat up crying Kevin haunted him, the same whispers and laughs that ridiculed him reminding him over and over again how he didn't deserve the empathy given by Kevin, how it would be easier to go back to the way it used to be, and how he wasn't worth enough to live…much less breathe the same air Kevin Barr breathed.

Yet, somehow lying next to Kevin did not provoke more discomfort but on the contrary it was welcomed. On the nights the ginger teen slept next to him, everything was quiet, everything was warm, his mind at peace. It was on those nights he thankfully was able to sleep tranquilly. Unfortunately, this comfort provided room for selfishness…the warmth the small teen radiated was something the raven haired teen craved most nights.

So when the morning rays of the sun hit his eyelids forcing him to stir awake in a state of numbness, unknowing of how to feel, possibly relieved that he had slept properly? Or frustrated that he had to depend on someone to rid of these horrid nightmares? His attention however quickly moved over to the side when he felt weight on him. He had woken up to yet another drooling...yet endearing looking Kevin who had tangled his legs with his own. He froze instantly feeling a mix of emotions fill his stomach. But the warmth was there, it was there and it calmed him down. Kevin warm freckled skin was beyond comforting to him he couldn't help to lean in slightly.

After calming down and letting his body relax once again he resolved into letting the freckled boy enjoy his sleep. His eyes moved to the glass door and he noticed it was still fairly dark out maybe around four or five in the morning. It didn't annoy him however, since he was used to starting his day at such an early hour to go out for a run. On the other hand, with the smaller teen wrapped around him he found it impossible to get up. Well, he could but you know... It would be a shame to disturb such peaceful rest.

So he stayed still for the next hour until the ginger boy finally moved facing the other way. Instantly the swimmer felt cold, but before he could think too much on his small disappointment he quietly raised himself from bed and sneaked out of the room. Making his way across the small hallway into his own room he calculated at least two more hours before the ginger boy would wake up. He couldn't blame the kid if he slept in until the afternoon. The horrible dark circles under his eyes the teen carried recently clearly said he got little to no sleep.

He took his shirt off and folded it placing it back to where it belonged, before dressing in sporty gear figuring he'd take a shower after his run. He glanced at himself in the bathroom mirror and noted his hair a completely curly mess…morning hair. He brushed it out and put tied it into a ponytail. The sun was only now lighting up the sky, he could hear faint sounds of the wild beginning to rustle about as he closed the door behind him. He could feel the temperature of the air rapidly increasing in heat, today once again would be a horribly hot day. The raven haired teen, had always been a colder season type of person, mainly because summer brought on sweat which he detested.

He had ran down the hill knowing there was a huge lake close by, the tranquility of the water had always been relaxing to him. He could never figure why he had grown so attached to water, it was weird but every time he went for a swim he felt a sense of peaceful fluidity. It was almost like it was his natural element, again weird but he couldn't complain because it was one of the few things that brought him genuine joy in this life.

Less than hour later he had made full circle and returned to the cabin to find that his calculations were correct, Kevin had not woken up yet. He looked at the clock on the wall in the kitchen seeing it read a little past 7 in the morning. With that he made his way to the shower with fresh pair of clothes in hand.

After dressing in clothing for the rest of the day he decided to head on to into the third bedroom in the cabin which was downstairs. He opened the door quietly inhaling a moment as he saw boxes, and dust overflowing the inhabited room. The room was dark, the windows covered by old cotton cloths, there was dust everywhere, and completely filled with nostalgia. Closing the door behind him, he stood there a moment eyes wondering among the labeled old boxes. There were boxes with the labels clothes, toys, and other things of the sort. Quite honestly these were things that he himself had brought over from his own house and locked up. His childhood was in here, locked away and forgotten for most of the year until the day when he revisited. He walked up to a box and carefully looked inside, there were items inside. Perfume bottles, a music box, makeup, and some dresses. Ah, this was his mother's articles...

There were things his mother and father had left behind, things that simply didn't matter enough to them to take it along when they had decided never to come back again, things that he despised. He had kept everything for two years just in case they decided to come home, sleep in their room, have dinner together or whatever but after a while he began to rebel against their written demands. He no longer was afraid of punishment or disappointing them further. He had taken all of their things from their room and locked it up in this room along with everything else they had given him such as gifts, clothes, and furniture. It was all here.

Had he gone truly mad during his middle school days, he would have burned the damned things yet the treacherous memory of the family they once were didn't allow him. He sold some furniture, taken small jobs around the neighborhood and although he wasn't proud of it, he had also taken on jobs for Sam. It all proved worth it when he had raised enough to buy it all new and rid of these disgusting things. However there had been one room in the house he could never dare to touch for various reasons…his father's office. Everything from the house except things from that office was locked up in here.

He hoped to get rid of everything once and for all one day.

Having the physical items of his abandonment in front of him was painful…painful and disturbing.

...

Kevin tossed and turned for a couple of minutes the sun waking him but still wanting to continue sleeping. As he turned over he slowly began to feel a loss of warmth. He slowly opened his eyes and saw nothing but the plain wooden wall, and an empty spot next to him. The teen sighed rubbing his tired eyes and yawned feeling as if he had never had a better sleep than he had now. His mind a little disoriented, but once he focused enough he was able to think back to what had happened the previous night, and what had been talked about.

The raven haired teen had been so sympathetic it felt a bit weird, but then again, it hadn't been the first time. His face flushed recalling memories of the past couple of months and the times that Eddward had cared for him, sometimes it made him wonder if he did it out of plain guilt. Most likely…

He wondered about how Eddward was feeling at the moment, after having their talk. It must have brought painful memories back, and he couldn't help but feel guilty about it as well. Adults were so…messed up. Having kids they don't even want only to abandon them and leave them to suffer alone. It only when to show just how strong Eddward really was mentally and emotionally. The all mighty Eddward had to deal with all these emotions and confusing thoughts and loneliness and oh my god, how had this kid lived this entire time when Kevin couldn't even maintain his state of mind over his mother being alive.

Again the alarming carvings on his beautiful tanned skin flashed through his memory. It hurt to look at them, it really did. So most of the time Kevin would ignore them, and pretend they weren't there and that Eddward's suffering wasn't physically engraved for the rest of his life on his arms. Yet last night in the middle of the night, Kevin had stirred awake finding himself facing the swimmer, and Eddward's arm laying between them.

A chill had ran through him as he stared directly at the scars, memories of the night he had ran to confront the raven haired and had seen him in such broken state. He had dreams about it still once in a while, ominous flashbacks to the time he saw Eddward about to jump, and when he had found him in the locker room shower. He'd dream about times when the taller teen might finally explode and actually go through with it on the nights they were far apart making Kevin unable of rushing to his aid.

"I don't have a family, haven't had one in years...why should I live a life I was never meant to live?"

He'd dream about the many things the taller teen had said, though the one statement that screamed at him the most as he stared at the moonlit scars on the boy's arm had been that one sentence…Besides Eddward's words, he now supported the freckled teen in reuniting with his own mother. Kevin couldn't begin to imagine the amount of pain this was causing Eddward…

Having Eddward this close to him that he could feel his body's warmth and hear his soft breathing relieved the ginger teen. Breathing out slowly he moved closer to the raven haired teen hoping not to wake him and placed his cheek on the other's hand and wrapped a hand around his arm full of past wounds hugging it close to his chest.

"…but everyone deserves a second chance right?"

He had thought back as he closed his eyes once again, feeling the other's pulse and the bumps of the scars on his freckled fingers. Had that meant Eddward had given himself a second chance? Did this mean he was ready to not give up on this life? Did this mean Kevin had done it?

As much as he (in the far back of his mind) hoped to find the presence of the other next to him it was always the same when morning came. Eddward would no longer be there, he would be up and about doing something around the place, just he imaged he was doing right now hearing noises from below.

This whole thing was still so weird to him, the way he and Eddward's interaction had suddenly become friendly. It was as if the old Eddward had been a completely different person, someone who he used to know as his tormentor… the very being that brought hell to him daily. This Eddward was so nice, and caring… it was weird, not that he was complaining of course, in fact he loved it. Ever since that night he had gone to confront him, the taller teen seemed to actually want to change, let him in instead of pushing him away as he had done so many times before.

Now that he thought about it, there was only a little over a month left before their Junior year began…was it all going to be the same? Was he going to have to suffer Jimmy and Johnny's wrath once the school year started again? Was Eddward going to turn his back on him again? Was this whole thing temporary? The gentleness, the caring, the fondness they shared on harder days?

Eddward had brought him up to his cabin for crying out loud…by the look of yesterday when they arrived, it was his own personal space. What did this mean for Kevin? Had the guy brought anyone else up here before? Was this even ok?

He pulled up the blanket to cover his head and groaned feeling frustrated from the amount of thoughts and questions first thing in the morning. Perhaps it would be best to just get up and start their first official day at the cabin.

Just as he thought the Raven haired had prepared their breakfast and was sitting down with a book in hand. The very first thing he noticed besides those same focused ocean eyes, was the fact that Eddward had his hair tied up that caused it to form into a small bundle of curls. Beanie was nowhere in sight since the previous day. The look was cute quite honestly, the thought making him smile "Morning, smells good" he hummed as he picked up a plate and began to place some scrambled eggs, fruit and toast.

"Good Morning, how are you feeling?" Eddward asked flipping the page of his book.

Kevin took a seat across the other took a bite humming again at the delicious food this secret professional chef could make. "Better than I have in like a century" he smirked "What are you reading?" he asked looking at the cover of the book and noticed the Title was in Spanish?

"It's called Cien Años de Soledad translates to one hundred years of solitude" He said nonchalantly turning the book and looking at the cover. "It's a very well-known novel around the world"

He hummed recalling if he had heard of the name before "Really? Wait are you fluent in Spanish?" he asked surprised stuffing his mouth with fruit.

"Yes, and French, though I wouldn't call myself fluent relatively yet" Eddward responded like it was absolutely nothing to be so surprised over.

Kevin set his fork down and made an explosion sound followed by a gesture of his hands "Mind fucking blown" he said staring at the other in awe "You're just fucking full of surprises and secret talents aren't you, when did you even have time to study TWO languages?"

"No I am not, and technically I only had to study one." He mumbled taking a bite of toast then continuing as he saw the raised eyebrow on the ginger's face clearly wanting more of an explanation "My mother's Guatemalan, born and raised in the U.S. however. I grew up bilingual due to mother"

"Wasn't that confusing?" He asked curiously finishing the eggs.

"Not really, it was natural I suppose…Maybe she was just a good teacher…" setting down the book the raven haired teen began to trail away.

Shit... Kevin thought "SO what are we doing today?" he asked cheerfully changing the subject.

Eddward sat up raising an eyebrow at the other in surprise to his sudden enthusiasm "Hm? I believed you mentioned wanting to explore the area last night, so we could hike up the mountain if you'd like"

"Yeah! That sounds good" he hummed finishing his food and swinging his legs back and forth. "By the way like the ponytail" he chuckled as he saw the flushed on the other's face at the comment.

...

Within an hour they were both ready to go out. Apparently the hike would take them quite a while to do, and they had prepared their bags full of any essentials as well as small snacks and water bottle. Kevin followed Eddward out of the cabin and slowly began their journey through the woods. They walked in peaceful silence for a while, only with the sole company of the wild animals around them. "Are there any other cabins around?" Kevin asked out of the blue as he noticed the quietness of the area.

"Around this side of the mountain no, but there are some on the other side of the lake" Eddward responded

"Where's the lake?" he questioned as he realized that sound of the water beginning to fade.

"10 minute walk down the mountain, there's also a smaller one up here with a waterfall" He announced remembering.

Kevin made a small voice of excitement and hopped a little "Let's go then" he grabbed Eddward's hand and pulled him along the trail.

Eddward tensed at the touch of the freckled hand "Slow down Barr, you'll trip" he said relaxing and leaning into the warm hand. He never wanted to let go of the teen's small hand. The physical contact was a way to assure him that the teen was alive and well, and the only way he be one hundred percent sure was through this small touch. He gently wrapped his slender fingers around the small pale ones. "It's a thirty minute hike" he said getting a weird mix of twists and swirls in his stomach.

"No problem we got all the time in the world" the ginger mumbled starring up at the trees trying to ignore the slight trembling of his hands and praying the other wouldn't notice. "I wonder how old these trees are?" he asked randomly.

Eddward followed the other gaze up and stared as well seeing a squirrel jumping around "Much older than 200 years most likely"

Kevin hummed in response "God, imagine having to live that long…what would you do if you had 200 years to live?"

Eddward raised an eyebrow at the ginger teen. He could tell something else was on the smaller teen's mind especially from the faint tremble of his hand. "Not sure… travel perhaps"

"Is that what you're planning after high school?" Kevin slightly tugged at the slender hand.

The raven haired paused a moment, intrigued by Kevin's sudden interests these random questions. "Well, perhaps…" he began thinking that literally 2 months ago he hadn't thought this far ahead in his life, but it hadn't been until recently that he had actually made plans. "As of right now based on my academic success and by upholding a swimming scholarship I have two options I could stay and go to Harvard probably" He paused noticing the loss in speed in Kevin's steps "or I could go to Oxford"

Kevin tensed at the mention of Oxford… both universities were far, but if Eddward decided to go to Oxford, well he'd be unreachable…"But…what do you want to do? What do you want to major in?" Kevin stopped in his tracks and looked back at the teen. Kevin was happy to hear the teen did indeed plan to strive for something in life, but he wondered if he would have any support from his parents. Though he was curious of the situation, he didn't ask because he was done talking about parents. He just wanted to focus on Eddward.

Eddward stared at him for a long moment confused by the sudden questions "…I haven't decided yet" he spoke slowly. They stared at each other for a long moment with simply the faint sounds of the leaves rustling about "What are you planning after high school?" he finally broke the silence.

Blinking out of a trance Kevin thought on the question "I…I don't know. I mean there are lots of Universities I want to go to, but you know I kind of need the scholarships and all."

"And if you had 200 years to live?" Eddward returned his question

Kevin was silent for a moment thinking "Honestly I don't even know what I'm going to do with the 60 years I have" he chuckled.

Eddward breathed in "Live" he responded. He'd thought that this kid had a million things on his list.

Kevin chuckled beginning to walk once again "Yeah that's all we can do" he hummed softly "live and make the most out of this life"

Eddward trailed behind a little, not wanting to walk by the other's side because that way the hand holding could be interpreted as simply dragging him along. "What's with all the questions?" he asked softly.

The raven haired felt the grip on his hand tighten slightly nervously "no reason, just making conversation" he smiled

"Hm…" Eddward breathed out. He wondered what the ginger boy was thinking about. He had figured Kevin would be much more open to him after their talk last night. Perhaps it was something else other than his mother? He'd have to figure it out because having an anxious Kevin was unacceptable.

About twenty minutes of pure silence and hand holding, Eddward was now the one walking slightly in front leading the way. Kevin followed looking around the forest making a note of every turn they made. "We're almost there" he mumbled slightly turning his head towards the other.

"Ok…" Kevin responded holding onto the hand a little tighter as uncertain thoughts filled his mind. They had been bothering him since the morning, however it wasn't unusual knowing far well that in a couple of days it was his birthday. He didn't even know if he wanted to mention it to Eddward yet, he didn't want to celebrate not with everything that had happened but he did want something else. A clear explanation from his father, he wanted his father to tell him his side of the story, something he hadn't done yet for some reason. Mr. Barr in steady been closed off more so than ever and it only fueled Kevin's anger. The only thing comforting him was the gentle caress of the other's hand which served to keep him grounded as his thoughts had him flouting about.

A little bit further and they began to hear the splashing of a waterfall "Sounds high" he said peeking out through the trees until he saw a glimpse of the waterfall. A tall cliff with a narrow waterfall fell hitting their skin with little droplets of water as they neared the area "woah" he breathed out "This is amazing"

"Indeed, this is why I enjoy coming up here as much as I can throughout the year" Eddward announced softly.

Kevin gave the raven haired a soft smile before breathing in and finally deciding to let go of Eddward's hand. "I bet the water's nice enough to swim huh?" he questioned bending down and lightly touching the beautifully clear water of the lake. He hadn't seen the King of sharks swim in the longest time, he missed seeing how free and graceful Eddward looked when in the water. Anyone in Peach Creek High would confess it was quite the sight to behold.

Eddward chuckled "As much as I'd loved to jump in now, I think we could go out for a swim another day and be more properly prepared" he awkwardly played with his fingers unknowing what to do with his now free hand.

"That would be great…" Kevin mumbled softly "But I'm gonna dip my feet in just a little" he quickly said placing his backpack down and taking his shoes off. He saw a big rock a bit further up and walk over to it.

"Don't fall in" the taller teen called out setting his own backpack down and kneeling down carefully observing the ginger teen jumping from rock to rock. Kevin had sat down and rolled up his pants then slowly placed his feet in smiling wide at the refreshing touch of the cool water. Sometimes Kevin was too…pure for his own good Eddward though smirking at the completely joyful expression the other carried. And sometimes he thought this was all a dream and that reality were actually those pesky nightmares. 'This entire thing is too good to be true' was something that he would tell himself on a daily basis to remind himself not to get carried away.

The trembling had seemed to stop halfway through their hike, but he could tell the boy was still unfocused. He sighed before taking his shoes off as well and walking over to join the teen as well. Kevin was splashing his feet gently back and forth as he took photos of the scenery on his phone. "You're so lucky you can come up here whenever you want…I mean this is such a gorgeous place, and there's even Wi-Fi in the cabin. If I were you I'd never leave" Kevin chuckled acknowledging the other's company.

Eddward shook his head with a smile "I'd love to, but I wouldn't be able to escape my responsibilities back in Peach Creek"

Kevin raised an eyebrow "What big responsibilities do you have?"

The taller teen paused a moment hesitating on how to answer the question. "Well, there's Ms. Adams…School…and other things" he mumbled softly leaning back on his bands.

The smaller teen hunched over staring down at the water questioning what the other things were…but he decided to leave it be for now. "What's on your mind Barr?" he suddenly heard the raven haired speak.

Kevin turned to face him confused "What do you mean?" he stilled his light splashing.

Eddward leaned forward staring at Kevin with a stern look "You've seemed anxious since the morning…is it about your mother?" he asked

Kevin blushed feeling embarrassed that he was so easy to read. He had thought he had kept his cool for the most part but clearly that wasn't the case. "No, It's nothing important so don't worry about it" he gave a reassuring smile back to the taller teen then began his splashing again as he hummed softly trying to avoid the question.

The taller teen once again leaned forward lifting his feet and crossing them raising a brow at the other. Did he really think he'd get away from talking about whatever was wrong with him when literally last night he had done the opposite? Inhaling deeply he called out "Kevin…"

Kevin slowly looked up to stare at the other and gave him a lopsided smirk "Really, it's nothing important"

"Really? Something so insignificant has been bothering you enough to make you uneasy" he mumbled returning the smile to Kevin.

The smaller teen once again blushed from embarrassment as he cleared his throat unsure of what to say.

"Kevin" Eddward spoke softly "Speak what's on your mind"

Kevin scratched at the nape of his neck still unsteady, he really didn't want to bother Eddward further and god it would be so awkward telling him it was his birthday very soon. "H-have you seen your parents at all since they left?" he asked changing the subject.

Kevin swore he saw a hint of a scowl on the other's features, however the raven haired teen seemed to calm his possible anger at the mention of his parents quickly enough. Eddward sighed and ran a hand through his long tied up raven locks as he stared at the forest from the other side of the lake. "I've briefly seen father throughout the years…he irregularly works in Peach Creeks Hospital" the teen lifted his wrist in sight and jiggled it a little. Kevin stared at the arm realizing quickly Eddward was indicating he had gone to the hospital due to the cutting... Did this mean Eddward's father was aware of his son's hurting?

The realization made Kevin beyond nauseous. This man was revolting… "Irregularly?" he asked slowing touching his stomach.

Eddward had lowered his arm and was now staring at it "Hm, yes" he pulled his attention back to the other "He travels to many different hospitals around the world" he clarified.

"A-and your mom?" he quietly asked unsure if Eddward was willing to speak about himself anymore.

Eddward turned slightly to face him and his lips formed a sad smile. His ocean eyes had looked at his for a second before turned to stare at the water "No…I haven't seen her since" he spoke heartbrokenly.

Kevin nearly whimpered at that sad expression. Was this why Eddward was encouraging him to give his mom a second chance? "Do you miss her?" he asked grabbing ahold of the others hand once again terrified that any second Eddward would return to being the closed off person he once was.

Eddward squeezed the freckled hand tightly "Of course…" he whispered so lowly as if he was afraid that even the trees surrounding them would become aware of this weakness.

Kevin leaned in his own eyes tearing up again…It was just so unfair…a child so young and malleable had been denied love from the very people who had brought him into this world. He had been rejected, abandoned, and hated…no explanation given…this reality was too painful.

Yet, he was thankful for Eddward's honestly. He needed someone to be honest with him for once in his life no matter how heartbreaking the truth was. He sniffed as he stared out at their perfectly still feet in the water, the ripples deforming their natural shape.

Before he realized it he had Eddward's fingers wiping at his teary eyes. He looked up confused and flustered at the intimate gesture. "Don't cry anymore, you've cried enough already" he warmly smiled.

Then for a slip second something gripped Kevin's chest tightly, he couldn't breathe, think or speak. Nervous chuckles were the only thing that came out after he felt the tightness in his chest dissolve. "I guess huh…" he stared down at the water again suddenly hyper aware of the closeness of the other, his sigh of relief and…the hand that still held his own. Quickly he splashed the water with a strong swing of his feet and pulled them up and close to his chest.

Eddward pulled his hand away wiping the water that Kevin had splashed him with. He chuckled hearing the other being to laughing along. "We're going to get hella wrinkly feet if we keep them in the water any longer" Kevin stated.

With that the boy's got up and continued their hike around the mountain. To the ginger's fascination they were able to find many gorgeous areas around. They found a small cave, and more deer, as well as mountain lion footprints (identified by Eddward of course). To which Kevin wanted to go looking for the lion, but the idea was turned down by the raven haired. Their favorite place by far was the cliff that overlooked the entire town of Walnut Creek. They had sat down for a good hour resting and eating at their snacks and lightly talking. When they returned home, they both simply had some left over burgers from the previous night too tired to make anything else and headed straight to bed…in their separate rooms.

…

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! These precious kids r gonna be the death of me lolol

Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated!

Let me know if you have any thoughts, predictions, and any feels! :3

Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.

I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO