On the first day of February, Kevin received a Valentine's Day card from Edd. However, Nat was the one that typically checked the mail for them since one of his classes was near the campus post office, meaning Nat was the first to see the red envelope and the return address. Nat ignored his own mail, including a card from his own grandmother guaranteed to contain cash, in favor of opening Kevin's card. When Kevin returned from class, Nat started taunting him before the door was even closed. It wasn't until Kevin saw the card propped on his desk with the open envelope underneath it that he realized why Nat kept insisting that Kevin had to be hooking up with Edd, or at least got him tied around his freckled finger.

Kevin ran his hand over the frayed edged of the envelope, trying to control his temper. He was failing at the task. Through gritted teeth he said, "You do know it's a felony to open someone else's mail, correct?"

"Psh. Whatever! True love isn't bound be things like federal laws and prison time."

Kevin rolled his eyes, still clenching his fist, before opening the card. Below the valentine's day pun printed by Hallmark, Edd had written a brief message.

Hope you have a fun Valentine's Day, even with college still in session.
Miss you, as always.
XX, Edd

Kevin could feel Nat creeping up behind him, peering over his shoulder, but he didn't even bother hiding the message. Nat had already seen it. Maybe even took a photo of it and made it the background on his phone. Creepy? Yes. But was it something Nat would most likely do just to tease Kevin? Also, yes.

"What's with the 'as always' there? You guys say, 'I miss you' that often to each other?"

"Too often." Kevin cursed his tongue for answering too quickly without thinking first.

"Oh shit!" Nat exclaimed, grabbing Kevin by the shoulders and spinning him around, before shaking him too much. "Please, please, please tell me you also kiss way too often."

Kevin gave him a blank stare until Nat stopped shaking him, cautiously letting go and allowing his arms to fall to his side.

"Not possible."

"Dude. I saw those X's on the card."

Fucking creep. He totally read the card a hundred times, before taking that pic I'm sure he has.

Kevin sighed to himself and decided to just come clean with everything. "Not possible. I rarely see him, and there's always too many people around."

Nat's grin lit up. "But you want to, right?"

Kevin nodded, walking over to his nightstand and propping up the card.

"You gonna finally grow a pair and ask him out."

Kevin looked at the card, fingers still lingering on the edges of it. "No chance. He's too far away and long-distance relationships are always doomed to fail… I'm… I'm okay with things… the way they are…" Kevin trailed off.

"Bull fucking shit." Nat said, plopping down on his own bed. "You're looking at a fucking Valentine's Day card as if it were the only photo left of your lover who died in the war."

Kevin dropped his hand and turned his head just enough to give him the side-eye.

"Fucking remove your widow's veil, return to this century, and ask the fucking cutie out."

"I don't even know if he wants a relationship himself," Kevin snapped back. "Dude's pretty straight-forward with this stuff, obviously, but he hasn't said shit about dating. Probably because he knows long-distance isn't going to cut it."

Nat groaned and flailed on his bed before suddenly sitting up. "He sent you a card with a sweet message. At least get him flowers or something."

Kevin stared at Nat for a moment before shaking his head and sitting down at his desk. He quickly opens up his laptop, tapping his fingers impatiently as he waited for it to load.

"Dude. Come on. Just a cheap, simple bouquet of flowers, to test the waters."

"No. No bouquets."

"If you don't get the damn boy flowers, I will, and I'll rub our sweet, sweet love in your face."

Kevin started surfing the web, still not responding.

"Fuck. I'm serious, Kevin." Nat got up and dramatically sat down at his own desk, turning on his own laptop. "I'll fucking get him like ten bouquets!"

Kevin froze and sternly said, "Don't you fucking dare, Nat. I said 'no bouquets' and I meant it."

"But why?" Nat whined.

"Because… because that's not Edd… I got something better in mind..." Kevin returned to what he was doing. Nat jumped up and rushed towards Kevin's desk, peering over.

"Dude. Yeah… that is better…" Nat whispered, clearly impressed.

At night on Valentine's day, Kevin was pacing his room. Nat casually looked up from his textbook as he said, "You worried about Edd getting that succulent you sent him?"

Kevin only nodded as his continued to pace.

"Don't worry. He'll get it."

"He got it."

Nat slammed his book shut, flinching a little at his thumb getting caught in the process. "AND?"

"And nothing."

"What do you mean!? He didn't say anything? How do you know he-"

"No. Tracking said it was delivered at 9 this morning. It's…" Kevin strained to look at the clock. "It's practically 9 pm now! But he hasn't said a fucking word."

"Dude. I'm so sorry," Nat said softly. "Doesn't make sense though. That succulent was perfect for him. Like him flying straight here and hopping into bed with you perfect."

Kevin rolled his eyes and threw himself face-first on the bed. He laid there for a good few minutes, before picking his head up and looking at Nat. "I think I figured it out."

"What?"

"The plant was a bit too much afterall."

"But the fucking card," Nat said, gesturing towards Kevin's nightstand.

Kevin, frustrated, knocked the card off the table. "Obviously it was just a generic card, like the ones you send to everyone. Edd probably sent a card to everyone he knows. So, getting a plant in return was probably unwelcomed."

"Oh, fucking get a clue, Kevin. Even if he sent out a lot of cards, you really think he'd be all 'I miss you always' and 'kisses' on cards for everyone he knows!?"

"I dunno. Maybe." Kevin said sheepishly.

Nat rolled his eyes. "There's probably a totally rationale explanation for Edd's lack of communication about the gift."

"Like what?"

"He's probably so overcome with emotion at the thought you put into it, that he's spent this whole time jerking off to thoughts of you."

That night marked the first time ever that Nat received a bruise from getting hit with a pillow repeatedly.

When Nat returned from class, Kevin immediately gets up, unlocks his phone, and hands it to him. Kevin never lets Nat touch his phone, so he stood there looking as terrified as ever, his mind quickly racing through the past few hours trying to determine what kind of trouble he was in.

"I need your weird social cues skills to decipher this for me."

Nat dropped his bag at his feet and snatched the phone. He saw an image of 5 giant boxes of chocolates on a lab table, but didn't think much of it. Then he read the two texts that followed.

Edd: Today's chem class is eating chocolates.

Edd: Thanks to the professor's ex who doesn't know when to quit.

"Am I over thinking it, or does it sound like he's trying to give me a hint to back off?"

"Def over thinking it! Have you tried asking him about the succ?"

"One, fucking say 'sucCULENT,' ya perv. I'm tired of telling you that. And, two… no… don't know who to at this point."

Nat rolled his eyes bringing the phone closer to his face. "Dude it's that expensive shit. Edd's prof's ex pulling out all the stops." Nat then turned his back to Kevin, walking slowly to his bed. He sat down, tilting his head at Kevin's phone. "I seriously think he's just pointing out some v-day humor. That's all. And there's bound to be a good reason for his non-response on the suc-CU-LENT."

"Like what?"

Nat shrugged, handing the phone back to Kevin. "I don't know, but we're about to find out."

Kevin grabbed his phone and felt his heart drop. When Nat was turned away, he had written a response to Edd.

Kevin: Lol. Nice! Btw, you get any mail recently?

Kevin tossed his phone on the bed and pushed up the sleeves of his hoodie, prepared to do more damage to Nat than the pillow ever could. He threw himself at Nat but held back at the last second when he heard his phone chime. He landed flatly on top of Nat and both boys snapped their head to the phone on Kevin's bed. A second chime came in soon after. Kevin darted for his bed, but Nat pulled him back and reached the phone first. Kevin peered over Nat's shoulder, his curiosity about the new messages outweighing his displeasure of Nat having his phone again.

Edd: No.

Edd: Should probably check after my next class.

Nat gave Kevin as shit-eating grin as he handed the phone over.

"Shut your face," Kevin said but his angry tone did not match the smile stretching across his face.

Several hours later, Kevin picked up his phone the second it started ringing.

"Hey, dork!"

There was no response. Kevin looked down at his phone, making sure he actually accepted the call.

"You there?"

"Y-yes… I just… I don't know what to say."

"Oh."

"This is absolutely splendid, Kevin! It's so beautiful and the perfect species for growing in a dorm window! This is so thoughtful!"

Kevin mentally patted himself on the back for taking the time to find one that could survive in indirect sunlight.

"Glad to hear you like it."

Nat perked up and harshly whispered, "IS THAT EDD?"

Kevin turned around and soon found himself using his spare hand and one of his feet to push Nat away from him as he continued the conversation. "I mean, you got me a card, so I figure it was the least I could do."

"This is nothing compare to a card though. I wasn't even expecting anything in return, much less such a beautiful and efficient specimen!"

Kevin grinned at all of Edd's gloating, dropping his guard in time for Nat to snatch the phone. Kevin barely kept hold on it, but Nat still had enough control to press the speakerphone button.

"Hey, Double Delight! You finally get Kevin's gift!?"

"H-hello, Nathan. And yes. I did."

Nat managed to wrestle Kevin to the bed, pinning his arm down, so even though he didn't have phone yet, Kevin wasn't able to fully keep it from him. "You don't know how relieved I am to hear that!" Nat shouted over Kevin's protest to get off him and to shut his trap.

"What do you mean?"

"Poor Kevy here got a notification yesterday that you received the package, and pouted the whole night, worried that you were avoiding his…" Nat started coughing, and tried to rasp out, "Kevin… Kev… can't breathe…"

Nat started sitting up and Kevin released his grasp from Nat's throat with his free hand. Nat took a deep breath before shouting, "I HAD TO MOP UP HIS TEARS!"

Kevin kicked him away and quickly tried to turn off speakerphone. He didn't press the button in time, and Nat clearly heard Edd giggle and mockingly say, "Oh, really now?"

Kevin put the phone back to his ear while giving Nat a threatening look. "No. Not really."

"You sure?" Edd reply, tone still teasing.

"I'm sure… just… concerned that you probably didn't get it yet."

"Ah. Yeah… I didn't check my mail yesterday. Found a package slip notice in my box today, after you reminded me of my post box, and voila! There was a box behind the front counter with a beautiful plant inside!" Edd paused before softly saying, "Thank you. So much."

Kevin grinned to himself and flipped out Nat who started making cooing sounds at Kevin's reaction. "No problem dude. Glad you like it."

"Indeed… Kevin? Do you, perchance, have a free weekend coming up?"

Kevin strained to go through his mental calendar. "I, uh, I'm honestly not sure… But there's always spring break…"

Edd frowned. He was spending the break touring Paris with his parents. But it wouldn't have mattered either way. The boys soon realized their breaks were one week apart, Edd's the week immediately after Kevin's. They instead planned to meet up the second weekend in April, when neither had any extra curriculars and Kevin's only Friday class was an online exam, meaning he could drive to Edd's dorm earlier, as long as he completed the exam before midnight. Edd was excited but April was so far away. He wasn't too happy about having to wait for this long but he felt a little better after hanging up and seeing an unexpected message from Nat.


A/N: What's this? Two updates in one day? I saw the chance to post a valentines chapter on valentines day, and I took it. *shrugs*