Forget-Me-Not chapter 7
"Oh! Isn't this the cake you made for my birthday 2 years ago, Double D?" Nazz chirped as she and Sarah looked through the recipes Edd brought.
"Yes, it is. I'm happy you remember," Edd smiled brightly.
"Of course I remember! It was amazing!" Nazz smiled just as brightly, remembering how much of the cake she ate that day. "Are we gonna make it for Saturday? I can't wait to eat it!"
"Yes, of course. As requested, We will make 2 cakes of different flavors and a dozen cupcakes," Edd chuckled. Most of the food they had requested were deserts, which Edd didn't approve of, but decided it was okay once in a while. He'd be sure to make some other healthy snacks alongside the sweets.
"I'm just gonna say 'no' to the plain salad sandwich now to save everyone from barfing later on," Sarah scrunched her nose at the sandwich list. Edd huffed and Nazz giggled.
"Excuse me, Sarah, but Ed, Rolf, Jonny and I happen to love them," Edd harrumphed.
"You guys and all the other weirdos in this town," Sarah countered, snickering at Edd's narrowed eyes.
"Fine then. No plain salad sandwiches. I'll just have to add lots of veges into the other sandwiches," he snatched the list of sandwiches from Sarah's hands and cancelled the salad sandwich with a pen. Sarah stuck her tongue out in disgust. Nazz poked her cheek.
"Oh come on, Sarah. Veges are delicious!" she said sarcastically. Edd rolled his eyes. Just before he could reply, Nazz's doorbell rang.
"It's unlocked!" Nazz called out. The door opened and Jimmy poked his head in.
"Hi girls! I got the stuff you needed!" he said cheerfully. Sarah perked up.
"Jimmy! Come on in!" she hopped off the counter stool she sat on and walked towards her best friend. Edd smiled as he watched Sarah hug Jimmy and pick up the bag of groceries while they linked arms. His smile faltered as soon as his eyes met Kevin's. Kevin smiled nervously and slowly walked towards the kitchen, eyes never leaving Edd.
"Kevin! Didn't I tell you not to come over?" Nazz blocked him and put her hands on her hips. Kevin looked down to her.
"Oh, hey Nazz," he smiled awkwardly, resisting the urge to look back up at Edd and focused on Nazz while she talked.
"You're stubborn with or without your memories," she rubbed her temple, then noticed the bags in his hands. She smiled and took the bags. "Thanks for the help, but you gotta leave now," she put the bags on the counter and pushed Kevin to the door.
"Whoa- Hey, Nazz, wait!" he protested, looking over to Edd as if asking for help. The look he gave was desperate, and Edd, being the kind soul that he is, just couldn't avoid it.
"Wait!" he called in a panic, and everyone in the room froze. He felt embarrassed as everyone watched him, "We um- might need him for uh- something," he stammered, avoiding eye contact from Kevin, who could feel his cheeks getting warm. Nazz lifted an eyebrow and eyed the embarrassed genius.
"You're okay with him staying?" Nazz asked slowly. Edd nodded, looking everywhere but Kevin. "You're sure?" Nazz asked again. Edd hesitated, and for a moment Kevin was afraid he had changed his mind, but when Edd looked up at him with an awkward smile and nodded, he was sure he had just gotten the chance he wanted.
"W-We um- don't have an eggbeater-," Edd stuttered, "a-and my physical strength isn't that great, so..." he trailed off.
"Well, I guess you're right. We could use him to beat the eggs for us," Nazz's bright smile returned. "Alright then! Let's really get to work!"
After they finished making a dozen different sandwiches, which took longer than expected because Jimmy couldn't help himself, they started mixing in the batter for the first cake. Kevin had helped them with retrieving utensils and ingredients, washing the vegetables, and even cut the sandwiches into triangles. He made sure not to disturb Edd as he worked. Edd had also kept a distance from him, though they shared a few glances and exchanged a few shy smiles.
"He's so skilled..." Kevin mumbled to himself as he watched Edd swiftly crack eggs into the batter, not a single drop on the counter or himself.
"What was that?" Jimmy asked, thinking Kevin was talking to him. Kevin looked down at the preteen and smiled.
"Nothing. Sorry, I was just thinking out loud," he smiled awkwardly. Jimmy smiled back and went on with wrapping the sandwiches. Kevin glanced over at Edd again, but his view was blocked by Nazz.
"Double D, can we just use all-purpose flour for the cakes? Apparently Jimmy bought this instead of cake flour," Nazz asked, raising the already unopened packet of all-purpose flour. Jimmy protested.
"I couldn't find any cake flour! It was either that or corn flour," he huffed. Kevin tilted his head in confusion.
"What's the difference?" he asked, looking directly at Edd. They made eye contact, and Edd chuckled nervously.
"Well, you see, Kevin," he cleared his throat. "Different flours have different effects in baking. Cake flour is very soft and very low in gluten, and it rises with an even and soft texture. Corn flour is gluten-free, and is best used for making hard batter, like bread or cookies," he finished with a smile. Kevin smiled back, stepping closer to the genius. I just can't stay away.
"Okay, then what's the difference between cake flour and all-purpose?" he cocked his head to one side and gave Edd a smile that made his insides melt. "Well, sweet angel?" Kevin smirked as he rested his folded arms on the counter right in front of the blushing nerd. Edd could hear the fits of giggles around him, which only made him more nervous and totally embarrassed.
"W-Well, K-Kevin, When I was- um," he gulped, feeling his cheeks warming feverishly. He broke the long eye contact and looked down to the large bowl in front of him. I swear there is some kind of switch for this man! How could someone change from clueless to sexy so quickly! "When I-" he breathed out, "created the recipes, I was using cake flour. Cake flour weighs less than all-purpose flour, so..." Edd looked up to see Kevin watching him with a quirky smile. "Wh-What is it?"
"I like it when I make you blush all nervous like this," Kevin laughed. Edd pouts, feeling his nervousness slowly subside at the lighter mood. He smacks Kevin lightly on the arm, which only made the redhead chuckle more. Edd huffed and folded his arms.
"For that, you won't get any cake tomorrow," he joked. Before Kevin could retort, Nazz cleared her throat to get their attention.
"Sorry for interrupting your cute flirting, but we still have two cakes to bake, remember?" she said as she lifted up the recipes to show them. Edd smiled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. Kevin stood up straight from the counter just as awkwardly.
"Right, sorry. I'll just uh-" he gestured back to the front counter where he wrapped sandwiches with Jimmy, "I'll be there. Just tell me if you need me," he smiled widely.
"Okay..." Edd smiled and sifted the flour. He could feel his insides tingle as he finally accepted the fact that Kevin definitely likes him. I'm so happy I could die! Oh, I can't wait to tell Eddy all about this!
DING! Nazz stood from her couch and hurried over to the oven. After they were done with the batters and put them in the oven, the group decided to watch t.v. together. The couch was occupied by Nazz, Edd and Kevin, with the blonde in the middle, but once she got up, the two boys tensed. Even with all the flirting, they still felt awkward being so close to each other.
"Oooh! They're done!" Nazz carefully took the cakes out and inhaled the sweet smell. "Mmm, they smell so good!" she sighed happily. Sarah and Jimmy immediately jumped from their shared armchair to take a whiff at them. Edd also stood up, followed by Kevin.
"Can we eat some now?" Jimmy asked, staring intently at the cake. Sarah shook her head.
"I think you've been hanging out with my brother way too often, Jimmy," she sighed. Nazz giggled. It was true. Ever since Jimmy started hitting puberty, he had become more attached to Ed and Edd, though Sarah would always be his best friend. Jimmy smiled guiltily, then the doorbell rang.
"Come in!" Nazz called out. The door opened and the other two Eds stepped inside. "Hi Eddy!" Nazz greeted with a smile. Eddy gave her a small wave as he neared the first counter.
"Hey Nazz. We came to pick up our Sockhead," he pointed a thumb to Edd, who was in the middle of pouring icing into a Ziploc bag. He glanced at his wristwatch once he was done.
"Oh my. I didn't realize it was so late," his eyebrows furrowed at the time. He quickly handed the bag to Sarah and pat himself clean. "Nazz, Sarah, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to decorate the cakes yourselves," he apologized and gave tips on decorating neatly as he took off his apron.
"Alright, Double D. Thanks for all your help!" Nazz waved him goodbye as he and the other Eds walked towards the door.
"Wait, Double D!" Kevin called out, stopping the genius halfway out the door. Edd turned to him quickly, already feeling warm from the closeness.
"Y-yes, Kevin?" he stammered. Kevin hesitated, but took Edd's hand in his own.
"Will you-" he started, but stopped. He wanted so badly to say it, but he knew the time wasn't right. He stared into Edd's eyes, half-expecting the redhead to continue, but fearing it would be what he thought. Kevin squeezed his hand. "Will you sit with me tomorrow?" he changed the question. Edd felt relieved, but at the same time disappointed.
"Sure, Kevin. It's going to be a long trip though, so we might change seats a few times," Edd smiled as he slipped his hand out of Kevin's grip.
"Nah, I'd rather sit closer to heaven, so you'll be stuck with me for a few hours," Kevin said with a smirk. Edd blushed slightly, and just as he was about to give an OK, Eddy made gagging sounds behind him. Edd gave him a small glare as he pulled the genius' arm.
"I'm glad you two are finally getting somewhere, but I'd rather not watch you devour each other on Nazz's doorstep. Now, if you'll excuse us, we've got a marathon to get to," Eddy teased as he dragged a fully embarrassed Edd out of the neighborhood, with Ed tailing them with joy.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
The KevEdd fluff has started! I could laugh at how much I know about baking... Anyway, are you guys happy this chapter didn't take as long as the last? I sure am! Your reviews, as usual, give me life. And to all of you who are about to start the new chapter of your life, congratulations and I wish you the best of luck!