Disclaimer – I do not own or profit from Ed, Edd N Eddy. Rated a very light but still definite R.

Author's Note – I just read the word 'need' the other day, & this was what came of it. Dedicated to everyone who's ever flamed a story purely because they hate slash. You can all suck my nonexistent 'chicken'.

Need, Want, Love, Take

by Ghost Helwig

Need.

Eddy didn't want to admit that he needed anyone, but he knew he did.

Want.

And wanting wasn't even a question – he wanted him, too.

Love.

That was trickier – and the reason he spoke of his growing emotions to no one at first. What if he didn't love him? Wouldn't that hurt them both, to try to be together without love, wouldn't that be worse than just staying apart? What if it didn't work out? What then?

And the worst question of all-

What if he loved Double D, and Double D didn't love him back?

Take.

People always said: "take what you want". But he couldn't do that here...

Could he?

Need.

Eddy gave in to his need when he and Double D were alone in his room one night, after Ed had fallen asleep watching a B-horror movie. Double D was drifting off, his green eyes slitted open as he struggled to retain consciousness. Hesitantly Eddy shifted, letting Double D rest his head against his chest. Almost as soon as he'd done that, Double D fell asleep.

And Eddy stayed up half the night, not thinking, but feeling the breath in the body lying against his as a cool breeze against his thirsting skin.

Want.

A week later, and Double D was sprawled on his bed, exhausted from a day of scamming the masses. Ed was there, lying on the floor and giggling about aliens, but Eddy didn't even see him. He crawled on the bed, staring down at Double D's trusting face, finally lowering his head to capture those perfect lips beneath his.

A sigh echoed through the room. Eddy assumed it was Double D, Double D assumed it was Eddy, and both were wrong. Unnoticed, Ed slipped out of the room, smiling.

Those lips were parting for him now, and Eddy gladly entered that hot mouth, wanting more, and more, and more. He never knew how he and Double D managed to get their clothes off, but then Double D was naked, and that he noticed. He took a moment to admire that beautiful body before diving back into his trance, kissing and caressing and finally entering Double D in a way that shook them both.

Love.

They never said the word, though Eddy could tell Double D wanted to. It was in his eyes every time Eddy looked into them, it stared out at him so blatantly that he wondered if Double D could hide anything behind those eyes. Or maybe Double D just wasn't bothering to hide; maybe he wanted Eddy to know.

But Eddy couldn't give it, couldn't say it, couldn't speak. And Double D didn't pressure him, because with parents like his who accepted only the best from their son he knew of pressure, and he was far too kind and understanding to hurt Eddy that way. But his kindness grated, because it was just another way Double D was better than he was, better than he deserved.

And then one day, he saw Double D tending to a wounded cat on the sidewalk, risking scratches and gouges but not caring, and the words just slipped out, past his swollen lips.

"I love you."

Double D looked up at him, the tears in his eyes bright beams.

Take.

They still hadn't told anyone, because Eddy was afraid. Afraid of rejection, of hate, of the callous words of the people he'd always wanted to like him. And Double D let it go, because he was Double D and that was what he did.

But it grew in Eddy, a need to be open, to have more than Ed be aware of his happiness, his love. He'd taken what he wanted, and it was about time people knew that.

So when Double D went to greet him in the lunchroom at school, Eddy looked at those perfect lips and lost himself in a trance all over again. He held Double D against him and kissed that mouth that pulled him in, ignoring the catcalls and the jeers and the shock of their fellow students. He needed, he wanted, he loved.

And it was about time he openly took.