"Those are definitely fake."
Edd rolls his eyes before shooting him a disgruntled look, allowing Terry's pointing finger to lower the magazine.
"What does that matter?" he groans, "And how can you even tell?"
"Ain't it obvious?" Terry retorts, "They're bigger than her head."
He's not terribly sure how their conversation shifted from whatever articles the magazine had laid out to a discussion about fake versus real breasts, but here they are, flipping through said magazine to debate it. Well, okay, so he's the only one actually putting any effort into their little back-and-forth, but that last quip got the kid giggling, so he considers it a victory and one helluva way to pass the time.
And they've still got time to spare, after all. They're about midway through the drying cycle by now, so it won't be much longer before they're done. And, Terry shudders to think, not much longer before he'll present Edd with that old hat. Fuck if he ain't feeling more and more anxious the nearer they get to that moment. Hell, he's not wholly sure how Edd will react or if he'll even like this gesture. He assumes it'll be ultimately positive, but…he regrets to admit that he might've fucked up a little too much back then. Might've soured Edd towards ever wanting it back.
Oh well, just gotta wait and see…
At least Edd's in a better mood than before. Smiling as his eyes drift over the pages and giggling at Terry's shitty jokes. Swinging his legs, while being careful not to bang his heels on the counter he's sitting upon. Best seat in the house, as far as Terry's concerned, since he can speak to the kid at eye level and get in a few inconspicuous cuddles and even a few daring kisses while they wait. Nothing sordid — heaven forbid! A quick peck on the cheek or temple is more than enough to convey his affections. Affections that Edd so wantonly leans into, might he add. Fucking precious! He's got his arms wrapped lazily around the slender waist and his darling's head against his shoulder whenever he feels cozy enough is delightful as fuck. That warmth is regrettably removed, however, as Edd turns to him with a grimace.
"Are you implying your mother also had…um…'work done'?"
"The fuck does that mean?" Terry nearly snaps back, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Well…" Edd stammers back, "as I recall, your mother is a very…well-endowed woman…is she not?"
"I mean, I guess?" Terry shrugs, "Were you puttin' in a lot of time oglin' my mom's assets?"
"No!" Edd guffaws, his face burning scarlet, "I just…your mother was often very…affectionate towards me…and she was…very fond of hugs…And since Ed, Eddy, and I only came to about that high…well…"
"Ah…so you'd get a face full of tits whenever she'd get all huggy, huh?"
"Precisely…" Edd mumbles, his indignant aura dissipating.
"Makes sense…" Terry shrugs, "Anyway, no. As far as I'm aware, Mom's are real."
Bowing his head, Edd starts flipping through the book again for a moment before looking back up at him with a smirk.
"Alright, since you're so knowledgable on this matter," he begins, pointing to another picture, "What about her? Are…hers…?"
Terry snickers a little, pleased that Edd's so keen to play along, and hugs him a little tighter as he looks over the page. Another big-busted bimbo, as far as he can tell, but he finds himself a little surprised by what he sees.
"Those are real."
"Really?" Edd looks between the pages, clearly comparing them, "How can you tell? I don't see the difference at all. And you seemed to imply that…ahem…'size' was the discerning factor."
"Not always," Terry explains, pointing to the new photo, "This one was fuckin' blessed n' you can tell cuz of they way they sag." He flips back to the other picture. "Meanwhile, this bitch has a boob shelf cuz of all the saline or…whatever they're injecting into themselves these days."
After taking a moment to absorb this explanation, Edd shakes his head.
"Do…I want to know why you're so educated about this?"
"Let's just say I've studied the female anatomy quite extensively," Terry retorts.
"Oh yeah?" Edd giggles, "Did you come across this dilemma often?"
"Every now n' then, yeah," Terry shrugs, "I had a good ten years before I knew you existed, darlin'; during which time, I came across many a girl who'd had work done and some who came by it natural."
Rolling his eyes, Edd shakes his head again, returning his gaze to the magazine.
"I don't know whether to be impressed by your ability to quickly discern the difference," he begins slowly, "Or disgusted by how you so effortlessly objectify these women and their bodies to do so."
"I'll take impressed," Terry shrugs, leaning in to nuzzle Edd's temple and coaxing further giggles from him.
"Aww…so sweet!"
Brow cocked, Terry glances to his left to spot a woman unloading a nearby dryer into a basket and glancing at them every now and then.
"What's that?"
She shakes her head; "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt or anything. I just looked over n' saw how sweet you were bein' with your daughter. It's always so nice to see such a loving father with his little girl."
The 'f' word makes Terry bristle and he glares back at her.
"She's my sister, bitch," he nearly growls.
"O-Oh!" she stutters, "I uh…I-I…"
He feels Edd delicately touch his arm.
"I…believe she's trying to say you're very…'doting' towards me," he murmurs.
Glancing his way, Terry allows himself to calm, recognizing that he was about to jump the gun over something horribly trivial. With a sigh, he shrugs and peers at her. She's back to unloading her dryer, a light blush on her face.
"Thanks, I guess…" he mumbles, trying to return his attention to the magazine so they can get back to their ridiculous and unimportant conversation.
No response from her after that, leading him to believe for a moment that she's going to mind her own goddamn business. But, of course, she crashes back into his thoughts before that hope can properly flourish.
"Oh, hey!" she cries, her voice full of some realization he can't quite place, "I didn't recognize you at first! How did things work out with your puppy?"
"My what?" Terry retorts, choosing not to look at her or properly entertain her question.
"Your puppy," she repeats, "That was you, wasn't it? I remember you bein' in here a while ago with some book on training dogs, right?"
Terry opens his mouth to snap at her that he doesn't know what the fuck she's talking about when the realization hits him like a ton of bricks. How he'd foolishly relied on the book she's referring to in an effort to coerce Edd to do what he fuckin' wanted. Shit…What's worse, he can feel Edd's angry eyes boring into him.
Damn the brain on this kid…
"I dunno what yer talkin' about," he grumbles, his tone forced, "Musta been someone else."
"Are you sure?" she presses, "I could swear it was you…You said were having trouble with a new puppy — something about how it wouldn't listen or…Oh! And that it was barking a lot. Don't you remember?"
Edd crosses his arms over his chest, his dirty look intensifying. God fucking dammit — can't this bitch just drop it?! He glares in her direction.
"I dunno what you're talkin' about," he repeats, "I aint ever seen you before in my life."
She hums, clearly not fully convinced, but shrugs uneasily; "My mistake, I guess…I see lots of people in here all the time. Maybe I'm confusing you for someone else…?"
"Clearly," Terry retorts, resting his chin in his hand.
"Well, I'm sorry to bother you two," she shrugs, adjusting her basket on her hip, "Y'all have a nice day."
Fuckin' finally, she walks off, giving them plenty of space on the counter. But now Terry's left to deal with a very irritable Edd. He forces a laugh.
"What's she smokin', huh?" he scoffs.
No initial response as Edd simply glares back at him. His forced smile falls as Edd speaks.
"You were utilizing that book for me, weren't you?" he asks, keeping his voice down to a low whisper and speaking through his teeth.
"What?" Terry guffaws, "No! She's…She doesn't…"
He tries so hard to avoid Edd's eyes, but to no avail. The kid's seeing right through him. Realizing that making up some bullshit lie is going to get him nowhere, he heaves a sigh.
"Okay, yes," he mumbles.
Flinching away, he expects a tirade of hisses about how horrible he is to have used something so abhorrent for Edd or how he's the worst — a monster for it! But instead, he's met with silence. Peeking at the boy, he finds him looking slightly more disappointed than angry.
"That would explain why you treated me like a canine…" he murmurs under his breath.
Fuck it. This is way worse than him being angry. Terry licks his lips as he chooses his next words carefully. Taking Edd's hands in his own, he leans in a little closer.
"I'm sorry," he breathes, "Really. I…didn't know what I was doing. I regret it — really, I do. I wouldn't do that to you again. I just…felt like it was going to be the most effective option."
"Is that how you perceived me?" Edd asks, his voice becoming strained against oncoming tears, "As some pet you could abuse if I didn't obey you?"
Terry winces against the truth of that statement. It feels like such a far away notion, but he can't deny he once believed it. He bows his head a bit.
"It…was," he admits, "But not anymore."
"How can I be sure?" Edd hunches his shoulders, "If you saw me like that before…who's to say there's no remnant of that? You do…still refuse to use my name. You only ever call me that horrid…pet name…among others. Almost like you're trying to rename me?"
Terry sighs. That fuckin' tone speaks volumes, and he has a feeling he knows what's going on in Edd's pretty little head. He can't deny that he gets it — that the boy's clearly looking for any reason to prove he'd made the wrong decision to stay. To validate the negative feelings that have been eating away at him for the past few days.
Fuck that.
"Listen…" he murmurs after a moment, kissing Edd's knuckles, "I know there's nothin' I can do to make any of that up to you, but it ain't like that anymore. I'm gonna let you out all you want, I gave you the choice to go home — I even brought you out with me today. And I ain't done none of that hateful shit since Christmas, so…I'd think that's enough of an indication that I won't do any of it again, right?"
Edd shrugs, bowing his head a little. Terry grimaces, tilting his chin up so the boy's looking at him.
"As for those pet names…" he continues, "Is it so wrong for me to want to call my most precious anything by my favorite sweet-nothings?"
Edd searches his eyes a moment before sighing, his little body deflating a bit as he looks away, still unsure. A buzz behind Terry draws their attention, alerting them to the dryer finishing. The darks are done. Hmm…
"Okay," Terry stands straight, "Then maybe this'll prove it?"
Leaving Edd to wait on the counter, he turns to the dryer and opens it up. Reaching in, he searches through the articles until he finally feels the cloth of the hat. The wash seemed to work, as the fabric is smooth and soft again. He takes a breath and rises back up, still hiding the hat for a moment longer.
"Well…maybe it won't make up for anything," he mumbles, finally turning to him and revealing the surprise, "But I'd like you to have this back…if you want it…"
As Terry draws near, Edd gasps softly; his eyes locked on the item. He starts shaking as he raises his hands, instinctively reaching for it as tears burn the corners of his eyes. He stops short, however, as though he expects the article to burn him, and shies away.
"You…Y-You did such…unspeakable things to that…" he whispers.
"Yeah…" Terry shrugs, "But you just saw me pulling it out of the dryer with the clothes we just washed. It's clean."
"When did you…"
"Doesn't matter," Terry holds it towards him, "You've been real fuckin' depressed lately, n' I thought this might help…"
Edd stares fixedly upon his beloved headwear before exhaling a shaking breath.
"Thank you, Terry…" he breathes, a weary smile creeping onto his face.
Relieved, Terry returns the smile before leaning in to press a kiss to Edd's forehead. He expects the boy to take it then. To replace the squid hat with the one he really wanted. However, that never happens, even as he pulls Edd into a pseudo embrace. Brow furrowed, he glances at him.
"Don'tcha want it?"
An uneasy whimper is his response as Edd cringes away from the fabric.
"Can you…perhaps wash it again?" he asks, eyes darting to the machines behind him, "Along with everything else it touched?"
Terry eyes him incredulously; "I'm pretty sure everything else it touched is clean enough from being washed too?"
Edd turns back to him, unwavering.
"Please…wash it again," he insists, "All of it."
Dammit, he's definitely not budging…Terry sighs.
"So much for the library…" he laments, reaching for his wallet, "Lemme get some more quarters."
The remainder of their day proves fairly uneventful. After a second wash and dry — and after carefully folding the laundry per Edd's request — they raced to the library in hopes of arriving before it closed. Luck was on their side today, as they made it with about ten minutes to spare. With a little begging and some puppy eyes from Edd, the sweet little librarians begrudgingly allowed them to slip inside to pick out a couple of books and a movie. They tried to offer Edd a library card as well, but were swayed not to by Terry's insistence that they avoid holding them up any longer than they were already with the paperwork required. Maybe next time.
Once that was done, Terry offered to take Edd to look at clothes — with the added implication that he might buy him something if it wasn't too expensive. As expected, Edd was eager to agree to take a look, before murmuring a shy 'if…you don't mind, that is…'. So, off they went, hitting up that cheap-ass big-box place he got Edd's other outfit from, hoping to be able to get something. He kept him clear of the girl's aisle (if only to prevent him from spotting the hooded dress) and let him pick out something that's not too boyish, just to keep up appearances, but not too feminine, for his comfort. The modest outfit came to just over twenty bucks. Thank fuck. No decently-priced jackets that would fit him, but they should be good for now with the over-sized one they already have.
Finally, it's back home — after a quick pitstop to pick up some fast food, that is. As they return to the park in a silence laden both with contentment and a growing anxiety, Terry glances over at Edd. He's still not put that old hat on, opting instead to keep the novelty one securely over his head. Taking a slow, soothing breath, Terry trains his eyes on the road in front of him.
"Ain't ya gonna put yer old hat on?" he asks, hoping to sound as calm and casual as possible, "Or did it need a third wash?"
Despite staring ahead, he spots the kid hunch his shoulders in discomfort.
"Oh…um…" he stutters, "No, I just…" He fumbles for an excuse, tugging on the squid's tentacles. "Didn't want to…get it dirty? We did just wash it, as you noted."
"Yeah…" Terry grimaces.
"Anyway! It doesn't really matter that much," Edd shrugs shakily, forcing a chipper tone, "After all, I won't need it when we settle in to watch our movie, right?"
"Guess not…"
Dammit…Somethin's clearly bothering him, but he still won't talk. But…then again, he's still in a better mood and he's actually looking forward to snuggling up to watch a movie with him?
Fine. He'll take it for now, if only to enjoy their night together.
A few days pass since that little outing. Shit's calmed down a little, but the nights are still driving him up a goddamn wall. Still waking up to Edd blubbering about this or that. Oh well, the beers he'd get up to guzzle down when that'd happen proved to be a decent enough distraction from that mess. At least for a minute, before Edd would get all pouty that he was drinking again.
He's back on the schedule today. Another quiet one, probably due to the temperature staying low as hell. He's stuck at the Tilt-O-Hurl today and is more than a little eager for the end of his short-as-fuck shift to end. He lets his mind wander a bit as the ride loads up, thinking more about how nice it'll be to head home and bury his face between Edd's legs to get those sexy noises of his ringing in his ears. To get him all relaxed and satisfied before satisfying his own lust. He barely has the mental strength to remember to start the ride as that little fantasy takes hold. Only a couple more runs n' I can make that shit a reality.
"Terry?"
Mm…this little fantasy is starting to sound a lot more real…
"Terry!"
He nearly jumps as Edd's demanding tone jerks him out of his daydreaming. Turning, he finds the boy standing beside him, bundled up in his old coat and…dammit…that stupid squid on his head.
"The fuck'er you doin' out here?" he nearly snaps.
Edd pouts back; "You said I could!"
Oh. With a sigh, Terry allows himself to relax as he leans on the console.
"Right…" he grumbles, "Sorry…I mean…did you need somethin'?"
"Not really," Edd shrugs, glancing at the ride, "I was just hoping…maybe you could show me how it works?"
That's…surprising. Terry glances at his watch.
"Yer a little late, y'know," he states, "My shift's 'bout over."
Shifting from one foot to the other, Edd allows his gaze to drift around; "I know. I…considered staying in, but…I was starting to feel a little…'stir-crazy'."
Terry hums in response, unsure of what to really say to that. Edd fidgets a bit before taking a step towards him.
"Would you…show me how you operate it?" he asks, glancing at the ride again.
With a shrug, Terry beckons him over.
"Sure," he replies, "Whatever you want."
Letting Edd stand between him and the console, he leans over him and goes on to explain the controls and what button does this or that before the ride must come to an end. While he waits for the kids to step out, he turns to Edd to find him slipping away from the control panel again to carefully watch the mechanisms at work. Terry decides to leave him be for a minute, allowing him to gape at the whirring beast and marvel as it begins to move again. But only for that minute.
"Yer still wearin' that stupid thing?" he finally asks, his tone bitter.
Edd glances at hm, surprised by his sudden question. Terry's eyes flicker towards the hat and he nods his head towards it as well for further prompting. That seems to click and Edd blushes.
"Oh…um…" he mumbles, fidgeting, "I uh…I've started to…really like it!" He throws on a big smile. "You…did win it for me, after all. And…I think it's kind've…cute?"
"Alright, stop."
Whimpering a little, Edd hunches his shoulders. Terry glares at the Tilt so as to avoid giving Edd the same dirty look.
"If you don't want that old hat of yours, you can just say so."
More whimpering; "It's not that…I just…"
He flounders for an excuse, managing little more than further stuttering. Checking his watch, Terry heaves another sigh.
"My shift's gonna be over in about five minutes," he states, "Why don'tcha go get us somethin' to eat?"
Relieved, Edd stands straight and turns to him fully; "What would you like?"
"Burger's fine," Terry retorts, "Adam's workin' one of the stands near the trailer. Shouldn't charge ya for it if you tell 'im I sent ya."
With a nod, Edd shuffles away, making a bee-line in the direction of the trailer. In the meantime, Terry goes back to leaning against the console, plotting out just how he'll bring this up. He wants to be nonchalant — relaxed. But he's starting to think a more stern approach is best. He can't keep letting Edd weasel his way out of these conversations with his hemming and hawing.
A nudge to the shoulder draws his attention to Russ' arrival and he takes his leave. After a quick pitstop near Mike's trailer to clock out, he begins walking back home. Past the Fun House, he comes within view of the food stands. He can spot Adam grilling in one, throwing a casual wave over his shoulder. Edd's waving back as he walks away from the stand, bags in hand. He spots Terry approaching and stops to wait for him, after which, they head back to the trailer together.
To the table first, Edd sets the bags down and starts to remove the food.
"No," Terry counters, pushing the bag away, "We need to talk first."
Edd seems to want to argue, but shyly allows himself to be ushered to the couch to sit. At first, Terry finds himself at a bit of a loss for words, unsure of where to begin. Hoping to quell the frustration before it can build too much, he begins rubbing his eyes.
"Alright, I need you to tell me what's wrong with you."
"What…do you mean?" Edd asks, his voice soft and mumbling.
"You know what I mean."
"No…" He can feel Edd squirming beside him. "Can you be more specific?"
Breathing hard through his nose, Terry looks at him again.
"Well, let's start with that old hat of yours," he retorts, "You still won't fuckin' wear it. Why?"
Edd whimpers again, tugging on the tentacles of his squid hat; "I-I told you…I…like this one."
"Bullshit," Terry argues, "You were just complaining on Valentine's Day about not havin' that thing anymore. Now alluva sudden you just like this one better?"
"Well…"
"Just tell me," Terry grumbles.
Now it's Edd's turn to give an exasperated sigh.
"I just…can't really engage with it anymore…"
"Yer gonna have to dial back the fancy words, Princess," Terry notes, "Give it to me straight."
"What I mean," Edd starts squirming again, "is that…every time I look at my old hat or…if I touch it, I start to feel…so awful. I start thinking about all the h…h-horrible things you did to me. I can't bear it when that happens, so…I've been trying to avoid it."
"Why didn't you just say so?" Terry asks, allowing an irritable grumble to follow; "Especially after making me wash it and everything else twice?"
He sees the boy wince, realizing his mistake too late.
"That's…part of the reason I didn't say anything…" he explains, "I'd already made you go through all that trouble and waste more money you didn't have to. I couldn't just…say I didn't want it anymore…"
Gritting his teeth, Terry takes a moment to chastise himself before Edd continues.
"But not just that…" he pouts, "I felt like…I had to take it back. Not just out of guilt, but also…out of some sort of sentimental obligation. Even if it made me feel wretched, it's one of the only things I have left from my life before…well…before you intervened. How could I reject that?"
The guilt festers and bubbles in Terry's gut. He figured this shit was going to be difficult, but he's not sure he was expecting this…Okay. Just gotta approach it delicately…
"It's fine," he begins softly, "If you really don't want it, you don't have to keep it. I ain't gonna guilt you into holdin' on to it and, if it upsets you that much, we can put it away somewhere or soemthin' like that. I won't throw it away or anything. I'll let you do what you want with it."
"Oh…well…thank you…" Edd mumbles, still fidgeting.
Terry observes him for a few moments longer, realizing they're not quite done yet.
"But that's not the only thing you got on your mind," he states, leaning against the couch and resting his arm along the back of it.
Edd shakes his head, his shoulders slumping.
"Alright, out with it," Terry insists, "You can tell me."
After a pause, wherein Edd starts picking at a loose thread on one of the tentacles, he relents.
"I'm not sure how to explain it properly," he explains, his nose starting to tinge with red, "I just…feel bad…all the time."
"About what?"
"About…everything?" Edd sniffles a little, "No…about…me…"
Terry gives him a confused look; "Not sure I follow."
Edd winces again; "About…my decision to stay here…"
There it is…
"So you did change your mind?" Terry grumbles after a moment.
"No," Edd shakes his head, "I told you…I didn't change my mind."
"So…what?"
"Well…" Edd shifts uncomfortably, pulling his legs up and hugging his knees to his chest, "It's just…I agonized over that decision for so long before you'd let me give it to you." He hunches his shoulders, "I wanted to go home so badly, but…the more I was made to think about it, the more I realized that…I couldn't."
"Yeah, pretty sure you mentioned as much…" Terry concurs, "But, I repeat, 'so what'? You ended up choosing to stay. Now you're regrettin' it?"
"No," Edd argues, again, without hesitation, "I mean…I don't know…I…" Tears begin burning the corners of his eyes, which he tries to wipe away with his sleeve. "How horrible does that make me?" Before Terry can ask what he means, Edd continues. "I-I'm too afraid to go home…To people who should love me and miss me and want me back! And…" He deflates a bit. "And now I'm stuck in a place I don't belong. All because I'm too cowardly to go home…" Rubbing his eyes more fiercely to chase away the tears, he casts Terry a regretful look. "I-I'm sorry. I…I know you hate hearing that…"
Biting back any response he has in mind, Terry allows Edd some time to calm again.
"I don't see how that makes you a 'bad person'."
"How can it not?" Edd asks, turning to him. His eyes are glassy and red by now, and the tears are slipping forth. "It's all I wanted for months. But now…I can't."
As Edd starts weeping again, burying his face in his knees, Terry finds it's his turn to start fidgeting. He feels compelled to comfort him, but isn't quite sure how. Finally, he slips his arm around Edd's shoulder and pulls him against his side. Sniffling, Edd leans into the embrace, his breathing growing ragged.
"I still don't see how that makes you a bad person," Terry assures him softly, "You didn't wanna go home, so you didn't. What's so bad about that?"
Edd tenses, bowing his head a bit more before shifting to speak again.
"It's not…just that," he mumbles, "You…were right."
Right about what? There's several things he has a feeling he was definitely right about, but what was Edd referring to, exactly?
"I never noticed how lonely it was back home…" Edd continues, "I never cared about preparing a meal and eating alone. I never missed the conversation…mostly because they never occurred. But…I…like eating with someone that I've cooked with and…and engaging in a conversation about…anything…"
Terry cocks his brow; "What about that is so upsetting, exactly?"
Edd doesn't respond right away, but after a moment, turns to him a little more and wraps his little arms around his torso. The hot tears soak into Terry's shirt as the boy's body shakes with sobs.
"Because…" he weeps, "I-I still…miss them, but…they don't miss me…So I'm still here. Where I don't belong…all because I'm too afraid to face that. A-And so…a-all I do is feel guilty…because I'm a c-c-coward…"
He sputters a little longer, trying to calm down. His stomach growls after a moment, which he tries to stifle shyly, immediately prying himself away to hold his middle.
"I-I'm sorry…" he mumbles, "We should eat, right? Th-The food is going to get cold."
"In a minute," Terry retorted, taking one of Edd's hands to keep him from slipping away again.
With his other hand, he pulls the kid back against his side.
"Deep breaths, sweetheart."
Only after Edd calms more thoroughly does he continue.
"Now," Terry breathes, "You keep saying yer a coward and a bad person, but I don't get that. If anything, I'd say yer finally doin' somethin' for yourself for once."
"For myself?" Edd echoes, gazing up at him in confusion.
"Sure," Terry shrugs, "You chose to stay with me cuz you knew how miserable you'd be goin' home. It ain't cowardly to choose to avoid people who wanna just use you n' hurt you the way they would. You chose to stay and be happy." He cups Edd's chin. "Haven't I made you happy, Princess?"
Edd searches his face for a moment, his brows knitted together before he offers a shy nod.
"Then ain't nothin' 'cowardly' about any of this," Terry assures him, pressing a kiss to his forehead, "You can't keep puttin' them first when they'd always put you dead last. Let yourself be happy instead."
Though these words seemed to be comforting enough, Edd still eyes him uneasily. Feels like for-goddamn-ever before he gives him another uncertain nod.
"Good," Terry purrs, stroking his cheek, "Now put that outta yer head, will ya? I don't want you makin' yourself all sad about this. Just come to me whenever you start to feel bad like that again, alright?"
The tiniest, sweetest smile creeps across Edd's face as he leans back in for another hug, nuzzling his chest.
"Thank you, Terry."