When Homecoming came, Edd finally came to a football game. He missed the game on Family Day because he was crashed out in his room after morning and lunch receptions with his parent's for their honor society reunions because he'd been up until 2AM in the lab getting the preliminary work started on a new project. Kevin was hurt, but reality quickly set in. Edd couldn't be there for him anymore and between his own team captain's duties, class and being wined and dined by the pro football powers that be, he wouldn't be able to be there for Edd, either. But he read about ever little thing Edd did. His mom made him a scrapbook after Ang told him that the school's student newspaper wouldn't host all the articles he had bookmarked on his computer for forever.
Two sets of parents, who'd been neighbor's for the better part of 15 years wondered how their two boys who loved each other deeply could walk away from the greatest love either had ever known. But every mother's prayer is for someday.
Someday...
Today, Edd is in the stands, football hoodie in place, smile on his beautiful face. And it breaks Kevin Anderson's heart. Eddward holds him in his usual contempt. But for Kevin Barr, he's a Heaven sent good luck charm. He's been doing well, but the pressure is murder. Never one to disappoint Edd no matter how many times he actually did it, Kevin gave his all in that game and it showed! Scouts were everywhere and they were liking what they were seeing. But they only saw it because for a couple of hours, Kevin could see Edd.
After a nap, Edd headed out to meet his friends at the club. Because he was finally 21, Eddy and Big Ed bought him a beer and some whiskey cocktail. Edd preferred the whiskey cocktail. Kevin kept his distance. But his heart held on after a little conversation with Ang by the bar.
"How's he doing?," Kevin asked sheepishly.
"Here we go again," the Peach State Gazette Features Editor thought to herself.
"He's fine. The research team thing has him more stressed out than normal, but he keeps killing it so it's all good," she shrugged.
"He's gotten so skinny, though," Kevin whined.
Ang leveled a look at him.
"Of course, you'd notice that," she teased as he blushed. "But really, he's been running again, so he's slimming down. Says it helps clear his head. Sy's been trying to get him in the gym to lift weights with her so he'd bulk a bit, but oh no you don't!," she exclaimed when she caught the lustful grin on his face.
"I'm just sayin', though!," he said as he gestured towards the dance floor where Edd was two stepping to Hold Me Now by the Thompson Twins with Jessie. Imagining Edd's soft curves being a bit more defined set all of the redhead's motors on Mach 10 and it showed.
"Do. Not," Ang said as she shook a finger at him.
"I won't," he sighed.
"If it makes you feel any better, he thinks you should try to get in with the Jets," she grinned.
After Kevin walked Edd to his English final last semester, Lance had to walk him to the coach's office because Eddward, who was being escorted back to his apartment by one of his teammates from the surgery theater in the university's on campus medical building, saw him and ratted the redhead out. His coach was furious, but once he was told who he was spending his final night with, he softened. Edd was one of the university's Golden Kids. It wasn't like he could do no wrong, but academically, he was a godsend to bringing the money that made the university do all sorts of cool things with, like upgrade the football stadium's locker rooms because a former alumni who played football there wanted them to look nice despite the fact that none of his children would ever step foot on campus. They bragged about their Ivy Leagues. He bragged about the smart kid from his state school, that was putting their Ivies to shame. It was a win-win the coach wasn't keen on losing. So instead of giving Kevin the write up and revocation of privileges (ie, suspending him from a few practices and games when the season started up again in the fall, snatching his team captain's title and making the whole thing public, thus making him lose out on his new found NFL prospects) that he so richly deserved, he let him off with a warning. And a few words.
"Let him go. If it's meant to be, it'll work itself out without you having to make it work."
Kevin, who was still too heartbroken over losing Edd to deal with Eddward, especially since he ratted him out and he knew about his plans to make Kevin his minnow, thanked the man by busting his ass in his summer training camps, sticking with his friends and dealing with googly eyed tutors to keep his grades up. But the results of all that hard work meant that Kevin was getting a few of the kind of write ups in the school newspaper that Edd was getting. And to know that the scholar was checking up on him as much as he was checking up on his dork, did things to Kevin that would get him through some very rough spots in his friendship with Edd.
"I'll think about it," he grinned to his friend which made her roll her eyes.
"I'll let my real estate broker keep an eye out on places for you," she smirked as she walked away.
"Make sure it has a real big bedroom," he called after her, eyes never leaving the only person he'd ever want to share the space with.
It was midterms and Kevin's taking a walk to clear his head. His current tutor's boyfriend felt the need to sit on all of their sessions and make wisecracks about how the school's hotshot couldn't understand simple business ethics concepts. Kevin maintained a poker face while she looked embarrassed, but not enough to shut the asshole up.
So he takes long walks to and from his study sessions. It would all be so much better if either Double D was there to help him, but one couldn't because he was up to his elbows in petri dishes and the other was a wanna be manipulative asshole.
Minnow, indeed.
Speaking of manipulative assholes, even in the sun's setting light, Kevin can spot the Shark's long, purposeful stride. Where Edd was graceful, Eddward was determined. But you'd know they'd got from Point A to Point B because of the way they carried themselves there. Nothing ever stood in their way. Which is perfect for Kevin, because Eddward was too engrossed in his phone conversation to miss Kevin's shoulder check.
Hearing him land hard on that tight little ass of his, made Kevin snicker as he strode away, Eddward's cursing like music to his ears.
Eddward's pissed. Kevin's shoulder check bruised his left shoulder and his ass for a week. He's always surrounded by his friends. He won't answer his texts or phone calls. And worst of all, the hotshot has become serious hot shit for the school and in his head, it's making him look bad in comparison. Not good.
No one really cares, but Eddward's feeling some kind of way about it and it's high time he put an end to Kevin Barr's shenanigans.
He knew that Kevin's new tutor had a jealous boyfriend. He knew because that boyfriend was in his Pumpkin's Computer System's Technology 300 class and the guy wouldn't shut up about how his girlfriend had to tutor the quarterback. Making sure that Pumpkin would gather what gossip he could from the guy, Eddward finally paid a visit to Kevin's room.
Time for Mohammad to go to the mountain...
Knocking on the door, he steeled his nerves for what awaited him on the other side. Kevin played him, but if he were honest with himself, he played Kevin, too. But the score must be settled in order for them to move forward. And he needed to move them forward.
For now...
He heard Kevin shuffle to the door, but he must have cheeked the peephole because he didn't open it. Eddward wanted to knock again, but he knew it was futile at the moment. The redhead was as stubborn as he was, even more stubborn than Pumpkin ever would be. But in order to get back in with the one he can't shake at the moment, he has to step his game up. So he takes a PostIt note out of his bag, folds it in half and writes a simple two word note on it before slipping it under the door. At least this way, he can say that he did something he never did before in situations like this.
Apologize.
Kevin sees the yellow slip of paper slip under his door, and he wants what's written on it to be the handwriting of another, but the hard, neat penmanship is unmistakable. But the note itself is a pleasant surprise. Not that Kevin is going to write home about it, but it was welcomed all the same. Maybe they could get somewhere. Or something. Maybe.
Naw!
Kevin smiled a bit as he flicked the piece of sticky paper in the trash, watching the two words go where he truly felt they should go at the moment.
I'm sorry
