Double D was confused but understood as soon as he saw Kevin walking into the kitchen. His heart seemed to stop and his face paled. He felt suddenly weak and breathless seeing him there and Edd gripped the end of the table to steady himself.
"K-Kevin . . ."
It sounded more like a desperate gasp for air than a statement and Kevin nodded.
"Hey, dork," he smiled, taking a seat at the table.
"Wha-Eddy . . . Eddy!" Double D called out, trying to make sense of what was going on.
"I'm here, Edd. Don't worry," Eddy leaned against the wall and smiled weakly at his friend.
Edd nodded, his face stricken and he turned his attention back to Kevin.
"Kevin, I'm so sorry about-"
"Let me speak, please."
Double D nodded, his shaking hands gripping the tea cup as if it was a lifeline to the only thing that grounded him in reality.
"I'm sorry about what happened today," Kevin sighed. "I should have been more careful and I was careless so this all went down." He looked at the boy with a steady and reassuring gaze; unwavering and determined.
"I came with Eddy to make sure you were okay and I hid when I heard you didn't want to see me because I didn't want to upset you," he explained. "You are my priority, Edd, and your happiness because I really love you."
Kevin was sweating with anxiety but he didn't stop. He wanted Double D to feel complete confidence in him and his love.
"I don't want this to break us up. We can get through this together and I'm ready to move forward in the open with everyone knowing about my feelings for you."
Double D remained silent, pale and he looked afraid.
"So, please, Edd. Will you be my boyfriend?"
Eddy looked out the window over the sink. He felt as bad as Edd looked and although he worried about the future - for himself, for Edd - seeing Kevin talk to him with the confidence and assurance he was, made Eddy feel at peace. If Edd had to pick a shovel chin, he was happy it was Kevin.
Double D cleared his throat. "Kevin. I am honored, but have you thought this through?" His voice cracked. "This could affect your future and scouting and prospects and -"
"If it does, who cares," Kevin interrupted. "I don't want something that we don't even know for certain to dictate the decision we make right now."
He reached out to take Edd's hands in his own. At first hesitant, Double D sniffled, his eyes watering, and he let Kevin take his hands.
"Edd, please. Don't let fear cut our time together short," Kevin pleaded. "Please. I love you so much. I want to be with you and if you decide that you are happier without me - we'll cross that bridge then but right now that we want to be together, please say you'll stay with me."
Edd leaned forward, burying his face into his arms and sobbed quietly into the table. "Kevin, how do you know you won't want to leave me?"
Kevin kissed his hands. "Because right now is when I should be running away, right? Right now is the time to run because I'm not as invested, shit hit the fan but I'm here asking you to spend the rest of your life with me," he said standing and kneeling in front of Edd.
Double D looked at him out of the corner of his eye and he choked with emotion. "Kevin!"
Kevin smiled. "I love you, Double D. Please be my boyfriend. Please! If I make you happy, let me make you the happiest because you make me the happiest!"
There was a pause that was a little too long for comfort and Kevin momentarily faltered. Was this really not going to work?
Slowly, Double D lifted his head and covered his face with his hands. Kevin leaned closer to him and Double D let his head rest on Kevin's shoulder. In that moment of doubt, that simple gesture almost made Kevin sick with relief.
"Kevin?" Double D sniffed.
"Yeah?"
"Can we be the happiest together?"
Kevin smiled and wrapped his arms around Double D. "Yeah, I think so, Dork."
Edd nodded, wiping his nose with the back of his hand, and looked at Kevin with tears rolling down his face. "Then, I think I want to be the happiest with you for the rest of my life."
Kevin smiled wide, laughing, and hugged Edd close. "Me too, Edd. Me too!"
Kevin stood and lifted Double D easily off his seat. The boy gasped and laughed, wrapping his legs tightly around Kevin as they spun around. Kevin wouldn't put him down and kissed him over and over again. Double D blushed but didn't stop it. He had never felt so happy.
Eddy watched them with a mixture of envy, joy, and nausea. They were still holding each other and laughing together at nothing when Eddy cleared his throat.
"Okay, okay. You guys are sweet and shit but I wanna fucking puke."
Double D smiled wide and Kevin scoffed kissing Double D on the cheek again in response.
"Deal with it, loser. You're just jealous."
Eddy laughed. "Not even close, shovel chin. Just that -"
He stopped mid-sentence.
"Eddy?"
"Ssh. Do you hear that?"
Kevin and Edd stopped to listen but only heard the small humming of the fridge.
"I do not hear-"
"There it is again. What is that?"
Kevin puzzled to listen harder. "Dude, I think you're losing-"
"No, Kevin, I hear it too."
The trio walked towards the living room.
"Oh, I hear it now."
"It's getting louder," Eddy said as he neared the window.
"What-"
"EDDY! EDDYYYYYYYY!"
The three looked up in time to see Ed running towards the living room window shouting at the top of his lungs.
"EDDY! DOUBLE D IS MISSING!"
"Oh, shi-"
"Move!"
Kevin grabbed Double D and tackled him to the floor shielding him from the incoming assault.
Ed crashed through the window, glass flying through the air and shattering on the floor. Kevin covered Double D with his entire body as Ed ran Eddy over and threw him against the wall.
"EDDY! Double D has been eaten!" the large oaf yelled in hysteria. He clutched Eddy to his chest. "We have to find him, Eddy! Eddy!"
"Let go of me!" cried the shorter boy as he struggled against the super human grip Ed had on him."Let go, meathead!"
But the poor Ed would not be consoled and he cried with worry over the well being of his best friend.
"You okay?" Kevin asked brushing off the rainfall of glass. Double D was curled under him - not a single shard on his perfect body and Kevin smiled in pride. He would take care of Edd no matter what.
"Oh, Kevin. Are you alright?" asked the smaller boy in concern.
Kevin nodded, brushing the top of his hair and shaking himself off. Most of the glass landed on his back and he easily shook himself clean. Double D approached the inconsolable Ed.
"Excuse me, Ed. Are you alright?"
It took him a second to register that Double D was in fact not dead and very much alive. A smile immediately stretched across his red face and he picked Double D up in an embrace.
"Ed! You're so red! Are you alright?"
The boy didn't answer, overwhelmed with the joy of finding his best friend.
"Lumpy probably ran here from school," Eddy said shaking his head as he took a seat, dusting the cushions before falling in.
A breeze came through the now gaping hole in the wall and just when they thought things couldn't get any worse, a car pulled up to the driveway.
Edd's heart sank. "That's Father's car," he said quietly, afraid. There was a woman in the front seat. "With Mother."
Kevin could see the boy was shaken and he took his hand and gently squeezed it. Double D cleared his throat and recomposed himself, stealing himself for the explanations ahead.
"You want me to go?" Kevin offered although he so badly wanted to stay.
Double D shook his head. "No. I would like to explain everything to them properly," he said, anxious but confident. Eddy smiled at his friend; he was so proud of him. "Besides," Edd continued. "I don't know which explanation I dread more - explaining us or the hole in our wall."
Kevin tuned out immediately after Edd said 'us'. His chest swelled and he knew no matter what lay ahead - even as the parents stepped out of the car and came towards the house - Kevin could face it with Edd by his side because, dammit, if the way Edd said 'us' didn't sound like the greatest thing in the world.
Hello, friends! One more chapter and that's it for this story! Thank you so much for your amazing support! Every review gives me so much energy to keep writing! I hope if I'm ever famous you will all support me as you support me here! Until next time! :D Love, moon-bunny15