Disclaimer – I still don't own these guys... shame...

A/N – The long awaited 5th chapter. As you've no doubt noticed the rating had changed to 'R'. Um... I guess my plans for a short 4-5 chapter story have kinda been thrown out of the window here – I guess it's looking to be about 9-10 chapters before it's finished.... Ah well...

Dedication – I think I'd like to dedicate this chapter to GhostHelwig as a thank you for faithfully reviewing each and everyone of my posts. Reading your reviews never fails to bring a smile to my face, so I hope you enjoy


Closeted Secrets

Double D sat in Eddy's room, perched gracefully on the edge of the lavish circular bed, and watched Eddy as he turned back to face him. He couldn't quite figure out why, but something was very wrong tonight. Eddy was not his usual relaxed self and there seemed to be an unease in the atmosphere that, for whatever reason, sent chills down the slight boy's spine.

Eddy cringed as Double D shot him a weak smile. He knew that Double D could sense his tension – they had known each other for too long to be able to mask their emotions successfully from each other. In fact, Eddy was astounded that Double D had not yet been able to figure out the mystery of Eddy's sexuality for himself. It was too late for that now though. Double D would just have to have the truth shown to him.

He walked cautiously toward his bed, making sure not to break the eye contact he held with his best friend to look toward his closet door. He needed no reminders of the fact that Kevin was there, watching and waiting. He nervously sat down, trembling, next to the concerned Double D. Eddy had never been so completely scared in his life than he was now, and to think that the person causing this fear was none other than Double D! The boy who had been his best friend for as long as he could remember. His confidante. His soul mate.

His secret love.

It had been the only part of his secret that he had been able to keep from Kevin, who had never wondered how Eddy had known that he was attracted to men. But Eddy knew, each and every time that he was around his friend. Looking back, he could never pinpoint an exact time when he realised that he was attracted to the taller boy. He guessed it must have been a gradual thing – something that had slowly built up inside him throughout the years the two had spent together. Sure, he loved Ed too – he would always stick by his large and playful companion, but the connection that he held with Double D was that much stronger, and so very different. He would have given anything to let Double D know this part of his secret without his egotistical instincts and fear standing in the way, and finally it seemed as though he had been given that chance, though he would have done anything to dull the guilt smothering him in this situation. The alcohol just wasn't doing its job. Maybe, if Eddy had told Double D all of this a lot sooner then none of this would have happened.

A long silence passed between them, lasting only seconds, but to both of the boys, seeming hours. Finally, Double D spoke
"Eddy – Is there something wrong?" Eddy could feel his friend's concerned glance falling over him, studying his every move. He glanced up to look deeply into Double D's brilliant emerald eyes – so beautiful, so soulful – Eddy usually loved Double D's eyes, they were his most stunning feature, but now, now he could hardly bear to hold his gaze.
"I need to tell you something..." he began, swallowing the lump building in his throat, "something I've been wanting to tell you for the longest time..." he trailed off, gathering his confidence in an attempt to deliver the next line.
"Go on..." Double D encouraged his troubled friend, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder
"I'm..." He started before taking a deep breath, "I'm gay Double D..."

That was it. His secret was out. Eddy was too scared to look at his friend. He couldn't bear the expression on his face if he were to condemn him.
"I know." Eddy's eyes flew wide open as he quickly turned to face the boy beside him
"You what?" he asked, still in shock after Double D's sudden revelation.
"I know that you're gay Eddy. I've known for ages."
"Who... who told you?" The shorter boy was close to tears. Had Kevin betrayed him and told Double D?
"No-one" Double D answered quietly. "No-one needed to. You're my best friend! You think I wouldn't notice something like this? I've known you for too long now not to know exactly what's going on in that head of yours." He broke off, nervous of how Eddy would react to this and gave him a small smile as he gently squeezed his shoulder where his hand still rested.
"But... I don't understand... you knew? And you never said a thing?" Eddy shook his head in a vein attempt to clear his thoughts so he could better acknowledge his friend's words.
"Well... yes... I thought it better to carry on as normal and just wait for the day that you felt strong enough to tell me yourself." Anger began to flare through Eddy's body. He knew? Eddy had spent the best part of a year complying to Kevin's every whim in an attempt to hide his secret from someone who already knew!!! No doubt this was one of those 'lessons' that Double D had always been so keen on. He could just hear Sockhead's voice in his mind now "It'll be a good learning experience for you" – a line that Eddy had heard on many an occasion from Double D, and a line that almost always left him enraged. He was about to launch into a full-scale attack when he suddenly realised just what this meant.
"You knew – and you don't mind?" he asked hesitantly.
"Of course I don't! As I said – you're my best friend! There is nothing that could change that." Eddy's heart skipped a beat. Firstly guilt rushed over him as he remembered that he was about to commit the biggest test of their friendship that they had ever endured, but then the release of the weight that had been pressing down on his shoulders for years had finally been lifted. Tears of mixed emotions fell from his eyes and ran smoothly over his cheeks as he reached up to grasp his friend's pale hand that lay on his shoulder
"You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that" he exclaimed as Double D smiled widely – touched by Eddy's rare display of sentimentality. He lifted his free hand off the bed and held eddy's chin, turning his face so that he could study the expression on his face that was now clouded with emotion.
"Eddy. I want you to remember that I will always be here for you and I am always going to love you – no matter what skeletons you have hiding in your closet." Eddy visibly cringed at the irony of Double D's words. He had all but forgotten the fact that Kevin was hiding there on the other side of the room, waiting for the show to begin, and he wanted no reminders of that. He glanced briefly to the closet standing opposite where they sat and could practically feel Kevin's eyes bearing down on him expectantly, impatiently, through the thin gap where Eddy had left the door ajar ready for his arrival. Tearing his gaze away Eddy finally looked back to his friend's pale form.

Personality-wise, Double D had changed very little over the years. He was still obsessed with being clean – almost as much as Eddy was still obsessed with cash – and was still the sweet, polite, sensitive and moralistic person he had been as a child. However, eddy had noticed that the tiny sarcastic streak that he had so desperately tried to conceal when he was younger had only grown stronger, and both Ed and Eddy often found themselves on the receiving end of his acerbic glances and razor-sharp wit. Physically Double D had remained pretty much the same. He was still taller than many of the boys in the cul-de-sac (except for Ed and Rolf, who both held several inches on him) but had an extremely lean form that gave onlookers an impression of fragility and delicacy. His skin was still pale, and looked somewhat out of place with the sleek ebony hair that fell around his face and cascaded over his slender shoulders. And his eyes... God, how Eddy loved his eyes.

Both boys could feel the tension in the air around them. They watched each other intently, emerald upon sapphire, as the gap between them closed and Eddy softly pressed his lips to Double D's. They remained, frozen in their shared daydream, for several seconds – just enjoying the sweet warmth of the kiss – before slowly parting and gazing intently at each other once more. The expression haunting Double D's eyes was unreadable, but as a small smile crept slowly onto the pale boy's face – along with the innocent blush that already graced his cheeks – Eddy breathed a sigh of relief. Double D's arm snaked around Eddy's shoulders as he enveloped his friend into a large hug. The shorter boy returned the embrace, placing his hand behind Double D's neck and lovingly stroking the beautiful black mane that escaped from under his ever present 'sock hat'. He was in heaven. All of the feeling of pain and loneliness and desperation flooded from him as he sat in his friend's arms, eyes closed, just suspended in his own fairy tale.

Until he re-opened his eyes, which rested on the closet door, and all those feelings came rushing back as he came crashing back down to reality and his dream world fell around him, shattering menacingly as it hit the floor. This was not going to last forever. Kevin would be getting impatient and Eddy knew that he would have to move this along pretty swiftly if he were to gain Kevin's approval. 'Please' he thought to himself 'please don't let him try and resist. If I have to force him into anything then... Well... I'm guessing we won't be sharing any more cherished moments like this any time soon...


And there we have it! Chapter 5! Yaaaay! So, I hope you enjoyed that, and as always please R&R. Your reviews have all been most generous so far, and have given me a lot of inspiration, so keep 'em coming! Toodles!