"So he just hopped out of the truck and walked over because he wanted to have a word with me?!," Edd squeaked and Kevin sighed.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Baby. But if it makes you feel better, he scared the shit out of me with that, too."

"I could tell," Edd said softly as the image of his tall, brawny boyfriend sitting with his head between his legs like a scared child on his front lawn popped back into his head.

"But for real, he is cool with it. I mean us!," Kevin said quickly and Edd gave him a light laugh.

"My parents are, too. Kinda sorta anyways."

"What do you mean, kinda sorta?"

"Well," Edd said as he walked from his desk to his bed and fell on to it, the weariness from a full day at work dying away into the soft mattress. "My mother is happy for us, but my father is…less than truly forthcoming about his feelings.

Kevin caught the thoughtfulness in his tone and could see the dark look on his face through the phone.

"So he's not happy?"

"I didn't say that," Edd said carefully. "I think it's because it's you."

"What did I do?!"

"You know what you did!," Edd laughed.

Kevin huffed and Edd laughed even harder.

While the redhead's bullying ways had died down to mere teasing of damn near anyone over the years, his reputation did precede him and most parents watched him warily. Marie and her sisters were his only real besters, so Mrs Kanker didn't bat at an eye at him.

"I'm trying here, Babe!," Kevin protested before pouting out, "Cut me some slack will ya."

"I know and I will," Edd said gently. "But tell your mother that we can come for dinner on Thursday."

"Okay, I'll let her know," Kevin sighed and Edd wanted to hold his hand and tell him that everything would be okay, but knew that he couldn't because he was still at work and then would be spending the night babysitting Rosie while Marisol did the night shift at Wendy's.

"It's gonna be fine."

"Uh huh."

"It's gonna be terrible and our parents will all hate each other and we'll break up by Labor Day."

"That's more like it!," Kevin said brightly before Edd's words really sank in. "Hey, wait a minute!"

"Well, isn't it?!"

"No, no," Kevin said quietly and Edd heard a door open so he knew he was headed back into work. "It's gonna be fine."

"That's more like it."

Kevin gave a huff and sighed and Edd knew by the way he sighed that he was starting to come around to the whole idea of their parents meeting and them surviving no matter what happened.

"I'll see you soon, Thursday for sure," Kevin said and while Edd caught the anxiousness on the edge of his voice, he still held on to things being okay.

"Okay. I love you."

There was a beat of silence followed by the softest, "I love you, too. Bye."

Edd couldn't help but smile as he looked at his phone and picture of them in a hug at Nazz's First Day Of Summer party where they came out to the rest of the cul-de-sac appeared on the screen.

In that soft response was so much hope and even more love.

Just like his hugs.

"Eddward, are you ok?"

Edd looked to his mother as he rang the doorbell to Kevin's house and nodded.

He knew he was fidgeting, but he wasn't scared as much as he was excited about what could possibly happen next.

After coming out to their parents and friends thanks to Sean's watchful green eyes, the world didn't end. So what could happen next had to be good and Edd was ready for it.

"Marisol?," Marion said in some shock as Kevin's cousin answered the door.

"Hi, Dr Vincent!," the young woman said cheerfully as she adjusted her sleeping child on her shoulder. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well, thank you. How's our Rosie?" she whispered and Marisol turned her body towards her so she could see the sleeping child in question.

"Knocked out, thank God," Marisol giggled. "I don't know what Kevin did to her today, but it worked. I'll see y'all later!"

Said redhead scampered to the door as Marisol walked out and ushered Edd and his parents inside.

Edd made quick introductions as they walked up the stairs from the small vestibule into the living room and Edd tripped up the stairs as his mother screamed when she walked into the living room.

"CAMILIA?!"

"MARION?!

"Why are we yelling!?," Kevin asked as he helped Edd up the stairs.

"This woman," Kevin's mother said as she pointed to Edd's, "just thinks she can walk into my good Christian home like she owns the place! I have news for you, Marion Rockwell," she said as she turned to Marion who was rolling her eyes, "you picked a mighty fine time to show up! My baby boy has a date coming and we don't have time for your shenanigans! Also, you still owe me five dollars."

"D'Ward, my purse," Marion snarked as she held her hand out for the purse Edd's father was holding. "And what date?! I was told to be here for dinner at six!"

"Wait…," Camilia gasped as she looked to Kevin who was holding Edd's hand. "Kevin, ¿este tu novio?"

"Si, Mama," Kevin grinned as he led Edd across the room to his mother. "Edd, Ma. Ma, this is Double Dee, remember."

"Oh!," she exclaimed before hugging Edd as she fussed at Kevin in Spanish.

Which was when Marion started mocking her in French.

Fiery hazel met teasing blue and Camilia threw a few raspberries at her over her shoulder before storming into the kitchen, Marion on her heels, still mocking her.

"What just happened?," Edd said as he looked around in confusion.

"I don't know," Kevin muttered thoughtful.

"Ahem."

Both teens turned towards Edd's father, who had a thoughtful look on his face that Kevin had grown to love on Edd's.

"Kevin, is your mom from Puerto Rico?"

"Yes, Sir. Why?"

D'Ward tossed his head back on a quick laugh and said, "They met when Grandpa Ed was stationed there when Marion was a girl. Best of friends. They kept in touch for years but then Marion's letters started to come back as undeliverable when she went off to college. My guess is that this is them just picking up from where they left off."

"How far off?," Edd asked, a bit amazed that his mother had friends he didn't know about.

"Thirty years?," the man said as he made a face and shrugged.

"WHAT?!," Kevin and Edd said.

"Why are we yelling?," Sean asked as he walked down stairs.

"Dad, Edd's mom knows Ma!"

Sean looked at Edd and then his son before peeking into the kitchen and quickly coming back out.

"Your mom is Marion Rockwell?"

"Uh huh," Edd nodded.

"I think we might want to order out then," Sean snickered as he peeked back in the kitchen to see the two women at the kitchen table, phones in their hands as they scrolled through pictures and tears in their eyes. "They've got a lot of catching up to do."

They didn't have to order out, but dinner was late.

The mothers apologized as they sat close, held hands, and made a thousand plans to get together.

And Edd wondered about Fate.

Kevin's family moved into the house across the street about twelve years ago, but Edd's parents missed it because of work.

Edd brought over a welcome gift of cookies he made himself and while he met Kevin, he didn't meet his parents until they were in middle school and even that was in passing.

The kids kept their shenanigans quiet for the most part as they didn't want to cause too much trouble amongst themselves as the consequences of their actions had been laid bare in the moment a scam went bad.

The only time they came even remotely close to suffering anything worthy of the severe punishment they deserved was when they had their throw down with Eddy's brother.

Every parent was shocked that their kids weren't with their other friends as they had thought, but outright missing from home for a good twenty four hours before they all came back home to laugh and play together til dinner. The stories they heard over dinner that night put the kibosh on anymore such shenanigans and apologetic phone calls were made and messages left, never really to be returned as life called them away from phone tag.

Their parents all tried to make up for time lost by leaving their babies to themselves over the years, and while the attention was accepted in the spirit it was given, it was all but too late as the kids were all grown up and well on their way out of their respective nests.

But love called two boys home.

Over a dinner of pasetelón and whiskey pie, a friendship was renewed, a new one was made over home brewed beer, and everything was fine.

"Told you it'd be ok," Edd whispered as their mother's traded baby stories and their fathers talked about the current baseball season.

"Meh," Kevin grinned as he squeezed the hand he was holding under the tighter.

"Sei caso dork," Edd snickered.

"Wha?"

"It's Italian," D'Ward as he sipped his homemade beer. "He gets it from me."

"You're Italian?!"

"Only half! And I just found out that your mother came here on a yacht because it was cheaper than flying," Edd retorted and Kevin rolled his eyes.

"And you just thought he was just another white boy," Camilia snickered.

"At least I can dance!," Edd protested and Kevin groaned.

"It is truly our family's only shame," Camilia sighed and Sean cut his eyes at her.

"Shouldn't have fell in love with the jincho," he smirked and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Heh," Kevin snickered. "I've got a Latin lover."

"Half and same," Edd deadpanned at him and Kevin gave him a mock pout.

"And the other half of you is white as hell."

Everyone looked at Marion in amused shock and she shrugged.

"Don't look at me! I'm so European that my son is gay!"

"Heh," D'Ward snorted. "How's that Euro working out for you?"

"May I please be excused?," Edd said quickly as he caught the dark look in his mother's blue eyes.

"Me, too!," Kevin said, just wanting to be where Edd was.

"Yes, you may," Marion said quickly before turning on her husband, a sneer on her gapped tooth face. "It's working just fine, thank you! France is not about to just run away because things suddenly look tough."

"Says the third generation American!"

"SAME, D'WARD! SAME!"

"Run," Edd whispered to Kevin as he piled up their plates and scampered to the kitchen.