the things you see in traffic….
"You the kids looking for the 33?" The tall redheaded man asked as he rolled the new tire to the odd trio standing next to a black BMW convertible that he knew had seen better days.
"Yah," Eddy grunted as he tapped on his phone and Ed came over to inspect the tire.
Eddward bit his lip as he kicked off the side of the car and walked to the trunk.
"He looks familiar," he thought to himself before yelling at Eddy to open the trunk.
Eddy hit a button on the keyfob as he showed Ed whatever he was looking at on his phone and the trunk creaked open. Eddward sighed at the mess in front of him before slamming it.
"It won't fit," he huffed as he came back to his friends and the whiff of a familiar scent hit him.
"We can put it in the back," the redhead shrugged, mostly to shake Eddward's stare off his left bicep.
He was used to people staring, but this kid was old enough to be one of his own and he knew he didn't have any.
"Want a seat buddy?" Eddy grinned and Eddward rolled his eyes and turned to walk away, tossing a huffy, "Let's go," over his shoulder.
"Thanks, Mr Barr," Ed said gratefully as he shoved two dirty and crumpled up twenty dollar bills at the man in front of him and Eddy started to roll the tire.
"Sure thing," he replied, "And tell your sister that it may be a Ford, but it's only a car, not a tank."
"Yes, sir," Ed nodded as he ran back to the car to head back home and fix Sarah's latest mishap.
"Oh, she's hot," Eddy smiled as they eased into the bumper to bumper traffic leading from the edge of the busy city's downtown and back toward Peach Creek.
His friends looked in the direction he was staring and sighed.
"She's like, forty, dude," Ed said as he went back to texting his sister.
"What?!"
"Yah," Eddward agreed. "She's -"
"How do you mother fuckers know?!" Eddy sneered.
"That's a newer Kia," Ed pointed out. "With personalized tags. She's gotta have a real job to afford that."
"Wha?"
Eddy was getting quieter as he stared so Eddward knew he was getting mad.
"Yes, and check the plate frame," Eddward said as he tapped his fingers to the beat of the music blaring from the stereo.
He had noticed that the woman was glancing at them because the music was loud and obviously not her taste as her face had squished up into an annoyed frown when they pulled up alongside her. This also gave him a few chances to get a good look at her.
She was a young Black woman, not quite middle aged, but definitely older than them.
Only actual university alumni used license plate frames on their cars and hers was definitely an older one as the university name had changed in the last decade from a state school to its own stand alone institution outside the state school system.
"Oh my God," Eddy groaned as he slammed on the brakes and Eddward chipped a nail as he dug his fingers into the tire to keep it from flying out and into the stop and go traffic.
"What?!" Eddward growled once his nerves settled down.
Ed just gave him a cold, disappointed look.
"She's fucking forty," Eddy huffed as he slammed the steering wheel and the Kia took the break in the far left lane's traffic to move over and zip down the highway. "Why the cute ones always old enough to be my damn mom?" He sighed as he leaned his head back into the headrest and silently prayed for a breeze.
Eddward and Ed both barked out a laugh and Eddward laughed harder when Ed said, "You need to get out more, dude."
They all knew Eddy was out nearly everyday since his dad gave him his brother's old BMW. With the current pandemic restrictions lifted, and his grandma needing errands run but too sickly to do them herself, Eddy gladly ran her errands, his mom's, his own, and anyone else who asked.
But he wasn't running into as many hotties as he would have liked. The last long weekend was filled with disappointment of one woman of color after another being so much older than him.
And all the girls his age got on his nerves.
Shut up, Ed," he seethed as he honked at the car in front of them as if it was going to help.
But the semi honking behind them shut them all up and Eddward set a new record for his heart rate on his smart watch.
"Who's got the nuts," Ed asked as Eddward held the tire steady.
Eddy pulled the lug nuts out of his pocket as he tapped away on his phone.
"You're the nut," Sarah huffed as she stood cross-armed behind Eddward.
"Sarah Lynn Hill, you get your skinny ass in here, now!"
Mrs Hill's shrill voice made them all jump and Ed nearly lost control of his lug wrench, but Eddy snickered in relief as her hoovering made the job just that much more difficult to do, and it was too damn hot out for all that.
Ed had all the lug nuts in position as Sarah made her way into the house and a couple of minutes later, Mr Hill pulled up.
"Hey, Dad," Ed grinned as the tired and overworked office man stepped out of the garage he had pulled his car in.
"Hey, String Bean," he grinned as he came to examine Ed's work. "I want just you to take her for a test drive when you're done, but you boys are more than welcome to stay for dinner."
"I'm sorry, but I can't, Pops," Eddward shrugged defensively.
"Why not?!" Ed pouted as he pointed the lug wrench at him.
"Put that down, Ed!" His father shouted.
"It's Tuesday, dude," Eddy said, proud he remembered this special bit of Eddward's schedule.
"Tues -" Mr Hill began but his son waved him off with his unarmed hand.
"He has dinner with his parents on Tuesday. It's their only free night."
As realization crossed the elder Hill's face, Eddward said, "Yes, so I must be going, because I'm sure they'll be home soon."
"Later, dude," Eddy called after him as he jogged down the street towards home, his parents' car not too far behind him.
Eddward was on his sixth taco when she walked in.
"Granny Barr!" his mother exclaimed and the woman came to their table with a smile in her eye.
"Hello, Dr Rockwell and Dr Rockwell," she snickered through her mask. "How are ye?"
"Well, and you?" His father asked pointedly.
The elderly woman pointed to her mask and snorted.
"My Kevin tells me that they have the best tacos in town here, so I try to stop by when I can. Beats that Taco Bell trash. And who's this fine young man?"
Eddward quickly set his taco down, wiped off his hands, sanitized them, and then held it out for her to shake. Her grip was weak but he accounted that to age as her spirits still seemed strong.
"I'm Eddward Rockwell," he smiled. "Pleased to meet you."
"And so polite, too," she giggled. "How many have you had?" she asked as she leaned her head toward his plate.
"Uh, six, ma'am," he said quietly.
"Good."
He looked up at her with surprised eyes and was slightly stunned to see a familiar deep hazel looking back at him.
"Keep it up," she said firmly. "You're a growing boy and tacos are good for you."
"Ms Barr, your order is ready!" A thick Mexican accent shouted across the small restaurant.
"I'll be seeing yah," she smiled as she shuffled away.
"You better not," his father whispered and his mother damn near choked on her Lime Jarrito.
Eddward would always recommend the Mexican Coca Cola to his friends, but warn that it's not a good idea to have it come out of your nose.
Eddward's heart nearly leapt out of his body when he opened his bedroom door and saw his favorite study buddy sitting on his floor.
"Uh, your mom let me in," they said as they looked up from the mess of robotic parts on the floor. "And I think she went to bed. She looked really tired."
Eddward shrugged as he shuffled into his walk-in closet thankful he had grabbed his housecoat before heading into the shower again.
"They're both on twelve hour split shifts for the next few thousand years, I guess, so yah, she had better be sleep. They both probably have surgeries to do in the morning."
"Mhm."
As he got dressed in the closet, he couldn't shake something in his gut.
"Do you have family here?"
"What?"
"Do you have family here?"
"In Peach Creek or the state?"
"Yes."
"Also, yes."
Eddward cleared his throat as menacingly as possible and the other laughed.
"My uncle owns the Pick N Pull in the city and my Granny lives with him and his boyfriend? Husband? I don't know, just some dude he's been with for a thousand years."
They had only known each other a few months but the other's sudden appearance in his life made sense.
People didn't move to Peach Creek for kicks that's for sure.
Eddward donned boxer briefs and a loose tank top before deciding to grab a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie.
He didn't want them to be uncomfortable and the house was cool enough to warrant the extra layers.
Especially in his basement bedroom.
Far enough away to get away with murder, but close enough to smell his mom's coffee and his dad's bacon.
The side door just a few feet away let overnight guests slip away into the alley unnoticed by humans anyways. Rolf's rooster would yell at the breeze if it blew too strong for its liking.
"So what do you have for me?" He asked as he sat next to them.
The other wrapped their short arms around his waist and he leaned into the hug.
It was a dance and he loved to dance.
"A hug?"
"Ha."
"And a malfunctioning piece of shit that's going to get me kicked out of this summer camp if I don't get it together," they pouted.
He was too tired to chastise their language and it was taking his full concentration to figure out the mess in front of them.
"Where are your plans?"
He nearly regretted asking as their warmth left when they jumped up to dig into their backpack which was next to their overnight bag.
"And do they include staying long?"
Gapped tooth smirk met wide eyed and caught.
"I don't mind."
"Well, then," they grinned and brought the plans for the robot in front of them to him as Eddward's heart did that jumping thing again and he was so glad for the extra layers because he was sure they'd see the effect they were having on him and he didn't want to risk screwing up this dance just yet.
For the next three hours, they worked in near silence. It was comforting in a way. They had established a repertoire during the last regular semester, so it was easy to meet up during the summer session for a study session or break. The work would get done and afterwards they'd talk about anything and everything which would leave to the other leaving early in the morning. Eddward would worry about them on their motorbike, but not tonight.
Their small, "Woot!" when the robot finally started acting right thanks to Eddward's more elaborate tool set, helping to put gears in place and tightening wires, made him feel so accomplished.
They put the robot away as gently as possible while Eddward made hot cocoa.
"Wanna watch the Mr Beast premiere?" They asked when he came back downstairs, a steaming mug in each hand.
"When?"
"In like twenty mins? I can shower first because I understand your whole clean bodies on the bed thing."
Eddward glanced around the room and knew that if they wanted to not disturb his parents, they'd have to stay in his room and watch it on the tv in there versus the couch in the rec room.
"Yes, go shower," he said thickly. "I'll get you a towel and make some snacks."
"Choice."
A popcorn bag, a small stack of jawbreakers, a case of Capri Sun, and a hodgepodge of left over Easter candy laid on the picnic blanket between them as they sat in gaming chairs and razzed each other in Mass Effect 2. The Mr Beast premier led to a CoryXKenshin live, which led to them playing video games at 2AM.
Right around the sixth time Eddward had to revive them, he called it a night.
"Don't you have to work in the morning?"
"Don't remind me," the other said as they took off their glasses to rub tired eyes.
"I'll set an alarm for -"
"Ten. I don't have to be in til twelve."
"Ten it is."
In the darkness, Eddward bit back a smile as his friend tried to get comfortable.
"You ok over there?" He snickered.
"Why is it so hard to try to fall asleep in someone else's bed?" They whined.
"The unfamiliar, I suppose," Eddward replied. "A natural instinct to stay alert in an unfamiliar place?"
"I hate it."
"You're stuck now, buddy!" Eddward laughed as he wrapped a long arm around them and pulled them closer.
"Dee! I can't breathe!" They tried to scream but as their face was stuck in Eddward's armpit, it came out muffled and huffy, damn near child-like and it made him giggle and wonder about their childhood…
"Better?" He asked as they adjusted themselves across his whole damn body.
Oh, this was nice.
"Mhm."
He couldn't help himself when he kissed the top of their head and he was sure his heart stopped when they shifted again, pulled his chin down, and kissed him square on the lips.
He moaned embarrassingly and needy and oh God, oh God, oh God, were they…?
Eddward lost his tank top and made it to second base.
Thankfully, the mess was easily cleaned up because he could only move so much. If the heat of the day hadn't sapped him so much, he'd done whatever they wanted because their warmth was just intoxicating.
His logical side was begging him to think clearly and figure out what this all meant for their budding friendship, but tangled up with them and his weighted blanket was far more comforting and easy to do.
Just as soon as he was ready to drift off a small kiss hit his lips again.
"Kiss me again and I swear to God -"
A challenging chuckle met his ears and his eyes flew open to be met with deep hazel eyes and a toothy grin.
The wild bed head gave him an idea that just stuck.
A forehead kiss.
"Good night, Pumpkin."
"Night, Dee," Kev said sheepishly knowing he won't ever be able to live this down.