Title: Without Harm
Author: kiraloverless
Account: u/6023476/k…
Fandom: Ed, Edd, 'n Eddy
Musical Recommendation: watch?v=8Z5EjAmZS1o Yiruma's Greatest Piano Hits
Setting:
Hotel/ Apartments
Pairing: Kevin/Edd (lil bit of Nat x Rave)
Genre: Hurt/comfort, some smexy in later chapters.
Rating: M
Chapters: 15
Type of Work: Multi Chapter story
Status: Incomplete
Warnings: Gay sex, angst,
Disclaimer: I don't own Edd n Eddy belongs to cartoon network and Danny Antonucci, Rave belongs to kirakurryart, Nat belongs to c2ndyac1d

Chapter 11

In the lab, sat four volunteer subjects, anxiously waiting. They were all young adults knowing full well what they were getting themselves into. Scientists and assistances waited patiently till the clock ran down to midnight.

Only a few more minutes until the final compatibility check, and then they would be inseminated.

"This is all very exciting, It's risky and dangerous, but still exciting. Bard… If this works… we would be changing the course of biology, chemistry and human nature to nurture. So many things would change." Eddward's whispered into the elder's ear, the vibrations of the sound making him laugh out an airy chuckle.

"Well, one step at a time. We still have one more experiment left after this, don't forget to bring the extra samples hm?" He whispered back giving Eddward a tight squeeze around the waste, earning a soft hum.

"Alright everyone, It's almost time." A voice could be heard over the chattering about the room.

Eddward visibly let out a breath of anticipation tightly clinging to the elder man's lab coat.

General P.O.V:

The following morning Eddward watched out the window at the neighbors, children and birds outside Kevin's apartment window. Realizing he had slept over, having spent a very intimate evening with the red head.

He sat there near the window with an arm around his waist. The slight tightening of Kevin's arm had jolted him from the dream he'd been having. The dream in itself wasn't unpleasant, but the memories that would follow… were very much unwelcome.

'Why do I have to remember such unpleasant things now?'

His thoughts knocked around in his disturbed mind. Slightly tussling the red bead of hair beside him. It was upsetting him that instead of enjoying the morning with his new life, with a lover who cared for him. That past had to shatter him from sleep, as though his current life was only a dream he'd wake from. It was a very surreal feeling that did not settle well with him.

Letting out a heavy sigh, gathering his clothes to dress and leave. Gently Eddward pet Toby's head whispering "Shhh". The canine whimpered as he quietly slipped out the front door, descending the stairs shivering slightly from the cool morning breeze. The bitter sting of guilt had hit a little harder than he had hoped. It was a feeling he never wanted to feel again.

Where was he going so early in the morning that had been more demanding than the comfort of Kevin's arms?

He himself did not know.

A few minutes later, prier to entering his apartment Kevin had called him asking where he had gone.

"Hey, where did you go? I thought you'd be here, I'm a little worried. Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

Eddward felt a weight on his heart. "No, you did nothing short of being a perfect host. It was not my intention to make you feel that way. I just… needed to get out and get some air."

"Well, do you want to have breakfast together? We could have waffles?" he suggested.

"I'm afraid I've already reached my own apartment…and as tempting as that sounds I… need some alone time to think."

"Edd you're sounding kinda weird, be real with me. Is something wrong?" Kevin pressed again finding Eddward's behavior strange.

Eddward sighed pulling out his keys before climbing the stairs.

"I … had a dream of my past and it shocked me … I wanted to sort through my emotions at my own pace, so I left." The words were honest but sounded like a sad excuse, absurd to his own ears. It was too late to take them back at this point. Eddward laid his forehead against the nearest wall.

'Honesty is always best, but I sound like a fool
' he thought.

"Ok then I'll come by later. What do you want to eat for lunch?" Kevin's voice called out to him. Even though he was being selfish with his own emotions, Kevin's kindness always made him feel even guiltier.

Whipping the tear that slide down suddenly on his sleeve Eddward chuckled slightly. "You don't have to bring anything. You were far too kind to me last night already."

Kevin's breath sounded on the other side of the line concerned and still loving. "Babe, I'm going to come and check up on you with or without food. I'll climb in through the window if I have to, I need to know that you're alrigh'."

Eddward slightly chuckled, a warmth spreading through his chest. "You wouldn't dare."

"Actually I would, I'd scale the walls and figure out to get into your security tight apartment." He was obviously joking; Eddward lived on the tenth floor. To actually get up that high would be suicide. And furthermore, the apartment had only one entrance and one exit that was also code secure. If anyone were to be able to get in it would be the kind of people he was trying to avoid.

"Kevin… I know you're joking but please don't… " Pausing a moment to let the words roll in the back of his mind 'say that, it's not funny' but decided against it. Stepping into the elevator "Ever try something dangerous like that."

"Only if you promise to stay with me so I can kiss you good morning next time." Came Kevin's cheeky low voice.

Eddward bit his bottom lip trying to suppress a smile.

"If I were still there, you and I both know you wouldn't get to work on time." He replied with a grin of his own feeling like a teenager again, flirting fondly with the red head.

"Yeah, that's probably true. Ok then… I'll hang up now and see you during lunch." Groaning a stretch Kevin sounded about to hang up when Eddward sounded distressed on the other line. He was breathing erratically as though he were about to scream "…Edd? Is everything ok?"

Kevin sat up in the middle of the bed feeling an unsettling fear quickly spread through out his body like hot magma.

"Edd talk to me. What's happening?"

Listening carefully for any clues to what was happening. But Edd didn't respond, at least not in words. There was a huff of jagged breath followed by a sob and then heavy crying. And finally a door slammed. The line went dead.

The sound startled the red head making him jump and find some clothes to dress in. scrambling for his keys leashing Toby they ran to Edd's apartment all the while hoping that what he heard was not what he thought it was.

What was it he was thinking had happened?

'What happened?'

Passing by cars and houses Kevin prayed that he wouldn't find Edd missing or dead.

He wasn't very religious and didn't pray much for anything but he prayed at that moment that nothing was going terribly wrong.

"Please let him be ok"

It wasn't long before he reached Edd's apartment building, out of breath, looking around for anything suspicious as he took the elevator up. At Edd's door he noticed it was locked.

"Edd! Are you there? Open the door!" He called out ready to kick the door in if he had to.

No sooner had he said that the door flung open and Edd threw himself into Kevin's arms, tightly holding on for dear life.

"Kevin… they know where I am… They found me. They're here … oh god … I shouldn't have stayed here.."

Kevin held onto him just as tightly. Confusion struck him. Fear gripped at his guts. Slightly relieved that Edd wasn't hurt, just scared out of his mind, but not hurt, certainly not dead.

'What was going on?'

Taking a minute to just be thankful that he was all right Kevin let Toby go as he seamed to want to sniff something. Looking around while holding Eddward to himself. Kevin looked him over once more holding one hand to the side of Edd's face to calm him.

"Babe, I'm here. You're ok. I've got'chya…" Kevin looked around inside the apartment from the front door for any intruders. Toby had gone inside sniffing things and began to growl at something on the coffee table in the living room.

"They were here, Kevin! I came in and the lights were all on, and that was there with a note. They know where I am." Eddward began to pull him towards the elevator saying that they had to leave somewhere safe.

"Toby, lets's go!" Once the K-9 left Kevin closed the front door when a thought struck him.

"If they knew you were here, then maybe they always knew where you were. They didn't break the door down, and they didn't kill you. They just left you something on your table.

… Edd did you read the note? Did you look at what they left?" He asked trying to make sense of things.

Eddward stood there shaking his head "What ever it says is not going to be good, we have to get out of here now."

"Why didn't you run away then? Why did you lock yourself in your apartment?" Kevin asked.

Eddward was looking around frantically almost as if he knew he was being watched.

"Edd? Why did you lock yourself in your apartment? Was someone in there?.." "He came up behind me, beside the elevator doors. I didn't know what else to do so I ran inside and locked the door. When I turned around it was there … and then you came… Can we please just get out of here! They might still be around."

They left. Kevin held onto Eddward's hand tightly using his phone to call Nat to let them stay there since their place was closer. There was an extra key hidden somewhere around the outside of their apartment.

All the while Eddward was looking out the windows. Clutching the note in his hand still unopened. Kevin sat on the couch watching him.

'This must have been how he acted when this happened to him a year and a half ago. Frantic, scared and the hell did they find him?'

It pained him to almost feel like those scars were freshly bleeding in a scenario much like this, where Eddward had nearly died.

"I think we should call the police" He said. Standing to join Eddward at the window, crossing his arms around his slender waist. Noticing the quiver that ran through out his body.

"No, they won't find anything. The police can't help. The first time we tried, everything they found had been my wouldn't be of much help" Eddward turned to Kevin avoiding his eyes. "I should have never brought you into this." The note was clenched tightly.

Kevin decided to make himself scarce by finding something in the kitchen for them to drink.

Taking a breath Eddward sat at Nat and Rave's Living room table placing the note on it opening it.

Kevin's P.O.V:

After a few seconds of reading Eddward set the letter down and sat back into the sofa placing his hands over his face. I sat down two ice-cold beers on the table. I wanted to know what was going on so I took the note not bothering to ask Edd first and red it.

Dearest Eddward,

Glad you stopped running.

Congratulations on your new home.

I had hoped to catch you at home, but I suppose you've spent the night with your new lover, Kevin was it? I'll drop by another time. Enjoy this modest home welcoming present.

-Yours truly, Bard.

"Shit… " I took a breath, popped open a beer and tipped it back for a long swig. Toby set his head on my knee whimpering to be pet. "I'm going to take today off."

"Kevin please don't feel the need to…" I gave him a look daring him to say I shouldn't worry about him. He smiled softly looking towards the table and popping open his own beer. The look on his face was like he had seen a ghost, which in this case was pretty damn close to it I guess.

"I think it's time I explained… what happened" He sat straight taking a good long drink of his beer, nearly half the bottle. Looked me straight in the eye and started talking.

"I'm a not just a scientist, I am a biotechnologist, I worked for a secret underground facility with the objective of creating mutations, clones and ectopic implantations. We were looking for solutions to find a cure to birthing complications in human pregnancies. It was my research and work that found a way to enable pregnancies to baron mothers and even males as well. We recruited a number of both female and male subjects to actually get pregnant and safety deliver the babies as human subjects for the project. I had taken the treatment myself as well.

We were conducting projects on human subjects and the FDA wasn't supposed to find out about it until we had proof that it had actually worked."

It was obviously science fiction I was listening to. If I hadn't already seen those scars I probably never would have believed him. I mean mutations and clones? This was fucked up on so many different levels.

But what's funny about this is that I'm only bothered about why he had taken such a dangerous experiment on himself? I was afraid I wouldn't like the answer but I decided to ask anyway.

"Why? Why would you do that to yourself?"

He was staring holes into the table, avoiding my eyes.

The sound of the clock ticking away was grating on my nerves as time passed. My stomach churned violently while thoughts ran marathons in my head.

"It was the perfect plan. Bard, the man who wrote this note, is the man I've been running from. He was my fiancé. We were going to marry once the project was successful and we had our own child. That's why I wanted to take it."

Edd was trying to keep the tears from coming but I knew they would fall at anytime. His breath was jagged, his hand shivered and he was bouncing one heal on the ground nervously.

My head was spinning, I was getting stomach craps thinking about actual people being mutated in a lab, actual human experiments.

"Edd, stop we don't have to talk about it" "NO! … I've done nothing but run and hide. I'm sick of this haunting me… I'm tired of this! I just… wanted to be happy, I just wanted a family of my own. For once… I wanted to have a loving family, that I never had… I wanted to help people who deserved a family to be able to, it was never my intention to hurt them. It was never meant to harm them. The projects were not a complete success, some of the subjects died, they were the lucky ones.

The Government found out what was going on and pulled the plug on all the came in and destroyed everything, nobody was supposed to walk out of there alive. A few of us who knew about it had a chance to run with the shirts on our backs but we didn't get far. Two of us got above ground and ran, when they caught up to us they took us, tortured us and then beat us senseless. When I woke up … my baby was gone, but I was still alive. Barely stitched up I don't think they thought I would wake up but I did and I kept running."

At this point Edd was crying as he spoke, the tension in his face was twisted in pain. I couldn't take it anymore.

"I remember calling Eddy and then, we just left. Hotel hopping and .. here I am. So, we can't call the police because I would also be locked up."

Before I knew it I was throwing up in the toilet bowl.

'This couldn't have possibly been real.'

'What is this?'

My head wouldn't stop spinning.

'Edd is a mad scientist! A criminal even! They've known he was here the whole time and they want Edd dead to cover their tracks!'