Chapter 8

September faded quietly into October and Edd's stitches healed in a timely manner. Kevin had kept him in bed and out of class for the full week the doctor had suggested, though he couldn't keep the boy from working on papers, lab reports, and other research while in bed. And despite his near endless protestations, Edd's grades did not suffer in the least from his time out of class.

One day in mid-October, Kevin came back from practice to find Edd studying at his desk, as usual, books spread across every nearby available surface. He walked over and draped his arms around the lean boy, looking at a computer screen filled with equations he didn't quite recognize. He pressed a kiss into the boy's temple.

"Kevin you are covered in sweat and I'm in the middle of my midterm lab report. Could you please go decontaminate yourself?"

"Sure thing, Dork," he said with a smile. The childhood moniker had taken on a softer, loving meaning. "I just wanted to ask you about something first. Well, not quite ask, just suggest."

Interest peaked Edd glanced over his shoulder at his now shirtless boyfriend. His eyes traced the lines of Kevin's hard muscles, still dewy with perspiration. "Yes?" he said, licking his lips.

Kevin gave him a few more moments to stare before asking. "Long weekend is next week. Somehow we weren't scheduled for a game and I guess coach has to go to a funeral or something. I was thinking about making a trip home. I mean, I know your parents probably won't be home, but I'll bet Ed, Nazz, and Rolf and maybe even Eddy will be."

Edd smiled at Kevin bringing up both their friends, despite his dislike for Edd's compatriots. "That could be quite enjoyable, but I don't have a car here at school…." he trailed off.

"No problem. I have my bike." He glanced back at Edd when he heard the measured intake of breath. "What? Don't give me that look. It's perfectly safe. I have an extra helmet and everything. I've never once been in an accident or even gotten a ticket. And I promise to go slow."

"Perhaps we should just stay here."

"Going home would be nice. Just promise to think about it?"

Edd nodded.

Satisfied for the time being, Kevin left for a shower and Edd returned to his report.

With a bit more gentle prodding over the next week, Kevin managed to convince Edd to let him drive them both home for the weekend. Kevin tried to drive slowly, but the freeway required he keep pace or he would get them both killed, and Edd's hands dug into his leather jacket the entire way home. When they finally pulled into the driveway of Edd's house, he thought that the boy was going to kiss the ground in joy. Instead he slumped against a tree for a moment. Kevin smiled and led the boy into the house. He hadn't been in Edd's house in years, but the layout was the same and he found the kitchen without incident. He brought a glass of water back for the boy who sat on the couch. Some color came back to his face and he smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry. I tried to go slowly."

Edd nodded. "I know. I just need a moment to collect myself."

He bit his lip. "Is there anything I can do?"

Edd snuggled into his chest. "You can pick out a film. We're going to have a date night, since you won't take me on one at school."

"Hey—"

Edd stuck out his tongue. "I'm not asking you to take me to dinner or out to a movie. Just pick out a film and put it in the player."

Kevin looked up, inspired. "I'll take you out to dinner."

"No no no, I was merely joking. Just pick a movie."

"No really. Let's go on a date. No one here gives a shit if we're together now."

Edd put his hand on Kevin's jaw and turned his head to his own. He pressed a gentle kiss to his lips before shaking his head. "If you still want to take me out tomorrow, we'll discuss it then. For now will you please just choose a film?"

Kevin nodded. It took him a few minutes but he finally managed to find a movie that wasn't a documentary or "based on a true story." He popped it in the DVD player and returned to the boy on the couch, who looked like he felt much better. Kevin lay down against the back of the couch, pulling Edd down in front of him to watch the movie. For the first half of the movie or so, they watched. Both of them had seen it several times. Kevin ran a hand lightly up and down Edd's hips and ribs, causing shivers to crawl up the boy's spine. When he grew bored of the movie, Kevin proceeded to nip at the back of Edd's neck and suckle hickeys into the soft tissue. Finally, Edd turned toward him and pressed his mouth to Kevin's. The rest of the movie was forgotten as they explored each other's mouths with tongue and lips and torso's with hands.

The phone rang, pulling Edd from the kiss.

Kevin groaned as the boy got up to answer the incessant ring.

"Hello? Oh yes hello, Mother. How are you and Father? No you didn't call my cell phone. This is the house; did you need me to write you a message?" The boy rummaged through a drawer, extracting a pack of post-it notes and a pen. "Yes, I've got it. What am I doing home? It's long weekend. I know I mentioned it to you when—oh right. Of course. Well enjoy yourselves. No no, I'm not alone. My roommate came with me. You remember Kevin, well he and I are kind of—oh, of course. Goodnight. I love you." He returned to the couch, looking dejected and sad.

Kevin pulled an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. He pressed his lips to Edd's temple. "Are you okay?" he murmured still at the boy's temple.

"Yes, I'll be fine. Would you like to put in another movie?"

Edd woke the next morning alone on the couch. He and Kevin had fallen asleep watching movies and kissing the night before. Confused, he wandered into the kitchen, to find Kevin at the stove, flipping pancakes. "What's going on?"

"Making breakfast," he said as he flipped another pancake. "I was going to wake you as soon as they were all done. Sit down. I set out some orange juice and the food is just about ready."

Edd followed instructions and sat at the table. "So, what are the plans for today?"

Kevin set a plate piled with food down in front of Edd, then sat down with one of his own in front of him. "Well, you're going to hang out with Ed and Eddy, since they've both texted you about my bike being in front of your house. Your phone is on the coffee table, by the way. I'm going to go see if Nazz or Rolf are around and plan our date."

Edd had been eating his breakfast, marveling at how good they were, but he set his fork down and looked at Kevin. "I was merely joking about the date. There is no need to out yourself."

"I want to take you out. I don't care if people know about us. I only don't want to say anything at school because of—"

"I know. But—"

"Please let me finish. The teams are the problem at school. But next year at the latest, we won't have to hide it. Even if I lose my scholarships, I promise."

Edd nodded. "Yes, dear."

Kevin smiled shyly at him. "Eat up and get to your friends. I'm sure they've missed you."

He rolled his eyes. "Ed might have, but Eddy and I had a falling out before I left. I'm sure he only wants to berate me more."

"Well, if that's the case, you can look forward to a romantic dinner tonight, okay?"

Edd smiled. "That sounds most pleasing."

Kevin left after breakfast with a kiss and promising to pick him up for their date later in the afternoon. Edd showered and texted Ed and Eddy to invite them over; he hoped that Eddy would be more pleasant than he had been. Ed knocked on the door almost immediately.

"Double D, are you home still?" He poked his head in the door.

Edd ushered the boy in. "Yes, Ed I'm home all weekend. It's good to see you again."

He had just set up Ed with some snacks and they were in the process of choosing a video to watch when the door flew open.

"Hey, Sockhead, why the hell was Kevin's bike in front of your house this morning?" he half shouted in his strained voice.

Edd glanced up at the boy who had been his friend for as long as he could remember. Their last argument echoed in his head, Eddy accusing him of thinking too highly of himself for leaving, Edd retorting that just because he had gotten into college did not mean that he felt he was better than anyone. "Well, Kevin's my…" he trailed off unsure of what to say.

Eddy's eyes locked on Edd's neck. "Did you get a hickey?"

Edd burned red.

"Who gave you a hickey? That Wilhelmina girl who's always writing on your wall?"

"Do you have a girlfriend, Double D?" Ed asked.

"No—no she and I are merely friends. The hickey is from—the hickey is from my boyfriend." The words hung in the air.

Eddy looked like he'd been slapped. "Boyfriend?" he sneered.

"Yes."

His lip curled. "What, so you're gay now?"

Edd paused. "I guess I am."

After several tense minutes he nodded. "Okay."

Ed looked up. He had hot fudge running down his chin. "Is Kevin your boyfriend?"

Edd sputtered. "I—what?"

"Is that why his motorcycle stayed outside your house all night?"

Eddy looked inspired. "He is, isn't he? You're fucking Kevin. Oh this is too good. You go to college and somehow find the one guy we can't stand and end up fucking him. You find the one guy who has hated us since the start of time and you think, 'yeah, this is a good idea. Let's betray my friends back home and—'"

"Let's get one thing straight here. I'm not 'fucking' him as you so coarsely put it. We are in a relationship yes, he's my roommate, and he has never once made me feel as bad about my intelligence as you do on a daily basis. If you feel the need to do so, you're welcome to leave. I'm happy for the first time in a very long time and if you can't be happy for me than you should leave." He shook with barely suppressed rage, finally able to let out some of it after years of resentment.

Eddy raised his eyebrows. He looked like he was going to fight again but kept his mouth closed for a minute. "Okay. Sheesh. Get your panties in a twist why don't ya. We gunna watch a movie or not?"

Ed glanced between his two competing friends. He glanced down at the cases before pulling up a classic male comedy. "I picked it out. Put it in, Double D."

"I'm sure he hears that all the time," Eddy muttered.

Edd glared at Eddy but put the movie in and threw himself on the couch. Ed and Eddy joined him as the movie started, Ed pushing pop corn in his mouth. Edd ignored the snacks, still full from breakfast and generally against eating so much junk food in one sitting anyway. About halfway through the second movie, Eddy really looked at Edd who still felt awkward and angry, twisting the hem of his shirt in his fingers and scowling at the screen.

"You're really dating him?" he asked in a low voice; Ed was notorious for being angry when people talked through movies he wanted to see, and the zombie flick he had chosen next definitely counted toward that list.

Edd nodded. "Yes, I'm really dating him."

He nodded and looked back at the screen. "How'd that happen?"

Edd could tell he was trying to sound off hand, but the idea of he and Kevin dating had Eddy upset. He shook his head, fairly certain the boy was watching him out the corner of his eye. "I'm not really sure to be honest. I didn't think I was even really…interested in anyone until school started. I tried to be with girls, well a girl. It…it didn't feel right."

"Could have just been the wrong girl."

He shook his head. "No, I don't think so."

"How can you be sure?"

He sighed and finally looked at him. "I've never had feelings for anyone else. Ever."

"Will you guys shut up? I'm trying to watch the movie," Ed interrupted.

They continued in silence. Edd got a text from Kevin at three. "Wear something nice. I'll be there at five sharp." He smiled and put the phone away.

When the third movie ended, Edd started clearing away the empty snack bowls. He winced as he turned in the kitchen.

"You hurt?" Eddy said, carrying in glasses and empty chip bags.

It occurred to Edd how much his friends had eaten throughout the afternoon. He himself had only had a bit of hummus and some vegetables, still careful of what he ate, even weeks after his surgery. He smiled. "I'm fine. I had to have my appendix out about a month ago. The incision can still be bothersome if I move incorrectly."

"You had surgery?"

"Well yes."

"What happened?"

"I woke in the middle of the night in pain. Kevin called campus security, then carried me down to the car. We went to the hospital and I had surgery."

Eddy looked shocked. "He carried you?"

Edd bit his lip as he washed dishes in the sink. "Well yes. I couldn't carry myself. He stayed by me the entire time."

"Oh" was all he could manage. "So is he coming back over tonight?"

Edd shrugged. "He's planning something for tonight, some sort of date, I suppose you could say. Our first. But I don't know any other information about it."

"Edd is going on a date?" Ed walked in the kitchen.

"Yes. I believe I am."

"With Kevin?"

"Yes, Ed."

He looked pensive for a moment and nodded. "Just be careful not to break your naughty."

Kevin spent the morning with Nazz and Rolf. Nazz had been shocked by the revelation of Kevin's sexuality, but came around quickly. They caught up while Nazz let the two boys tune up her car. She had gone to a state university nearby and was home visiting for the weekend. She had a football player boyfriend already at school. Kevin suspected that he wouldn't last long. Her boyfriends never did; she moved through them quickly, though she was never cruel when breaking up with them.

"So wait. You only like guys now?" Nazz asked immediately after Kevin admitted that he and Edd were dating. Apparently everyone in the cul de sac had noticed his bike had spent the night outside of Edd's house.

"Well…I've only ever liked guys," he confessed. He was glad to be under the car, changing her oil so she couldn't see how red his face was.

"So when we dated in high school?"

He peeked his head out. "Sorry."

"And when we—"

"Again, sorry. It's nothing about you…I'm just—not into girls."

She seemed to accept it, though her astonishment was apparent. He couldn't blame her. She was the first girl he actually slept with and really his first relationship. His high school reputation as a stud had started with her, and she knew that as well. They remained friends, rarely discussing the fleeting few months they had been together.

Rolf said that he had always suspected that Kevin was more interested in the bull than the cow. He still worked with his father. He seemed to be enjoying the work still, talking about the new calf they had just birthed. Kevin wondered if he dated, but decided not to ask.

He decided a slight subject change was in order after listening to Rolf tell how the calf was born, the imagery alone was enough to make him gag. "I'm taking him out tonight," Kevin said as he wiped grease from his hands on a rag.

"Oh yeah?" Nazz asked.

"Where are you taking the Edd boy?"

He shrugged. "I don't know yet."

Nazz looked up from filing her short nails and smiled. "You should take him to that new place. I've heard they're really nice. And the music selection is awesome from what my friend said. Real classy during normal dinner hours but then it gets all alternative and cool during hours when people go for drinks. Sometimes they even have live music."

He mused on it. "Maybe. I'm not sure that's really a place Edd would like. You know how he is."

She grinned, small white teeth like pearls. "Actually, we didn't interact much. Not that he's not a cool guy. But we were just in different circles in high school, if you remember."

He conceded, "True. But you can guess. I mean, you knew him when we were kids. He's not too different now, really."

"There is always the museum restaurant. It is a bit far but your Edd boy would probably enjoy it greatly," Rolf chimed in. He held a wrench in his hand, covered in grease, though Kevin couldn't actually remember if he'd done anything to the car. They'd fixed up cars before, but today Rolf seemed more hands off.

Kevin smiled, imagining Edd marveling at the different exhibits and then being seated to overlook the sculpture garden. He could see the dork's face lighting up in front of modern art exhibits, blushing at any nudes. He could practically feel him shaking in excitement next to him. He couldn't guess why he thought Edd would enjoy an art museum so much, only that he had the feeling he would. "Do you think I could get reservations?"

"Only one way to find out," Nazz said, dialing on her cell phone and handing it over to him.

After confirming a reservation for two at eight o'clock, Kevin sent Edd a text that he would pick him up at five o'clock sharp.