A Good Edd Is Hard To Find
Summary:
The Ed's encounter with Bro takes a dark turn as the savage sibling concocts a dangerous game for Eddy and Double D. The race is on for Ed, Eddy and the kids of the cul-de-sac to save Edd from Eddy's brother. Friendships will be questioned. Sanity will be strained. Will the Eds be separated for good?
Triggers include Pedophilia, Child Abuse, Sexual Assault, Dub-Con, Drunken Behavior, Alcohol Abuse, and Physical and Verbal Abuse. Other warnings include Violence and Language.
Pairings include BroEdd and EddyEdd. Subtle Hints at other pairings, but BroEdd and EddyEdd are the main two that will be focused on it.
This is being co-written by DuoXKouga and Battygirl.
Authors' Notes:
DuoXKouga: Usual warnings...
Battygirl: I have no excuse. I just had trouble getting this out. What can I say, I'm the only one actually writing anything for this fic for reasons I'll just go ahead and not go into because that's really no one's business. Not much more to it than that. I also don't have much to say in regards to this chapter. Just know that a lot of the BroEdd stuff you'll see from here on out DOES have a purpose. It's NOT PWP. There is a reason for all of it. Anyway, with that out of the way, I hope it was worth the wait which I apologize for. Enjoy.
Chapter 10: A Chain Is Only As Strong As Its Weakest Ed
Eddy's eyes are downcast as he lags behind the group. In his hands, he cradles the soft fabric of Edd's hat. He still feels sick looking at it, knowing how his friend must be going mad without it. He casts a glance at the group ahead of him. They all look a bit more hopeful than before, but there's still a somber feeling settled amongst them. He certainly understands. His own mood has been fluctuating since they began walking…
"What do you mean 'we've been going the wrong way'?!" Marie's screeching voice demanded as she clenched her fists tightly.
Without waiting for a response, she made a mad dash for Eddy, opening her hands and raising them with the intent to wrap them around his throat. Before she could make it within ten feet of the boy, Ed had stepped between them, providing an effective barrier and stopping her in her tracks. He glared down at her, daring her to make a move towards his small, grieving friend. She had been unfazed, returning the look with just as much vigor.
"Outta my way, ya big ape!" she'd growled, "I've gotta throttle that little bastard behind you!"
"Hey!" May cried, stepping towards her, "You watch what you say to my man!"
"Yeah!" Lee concurred, "Mine too!"
Marie pointed an accusing finger at Lee; "You stop defending him! Because of your stupid boyfriend, we've been following the wrong trail! Now we may never find Double D!"
Tears had welled in her eyes then. Her lip started trembling. After a moment, she fell to her knees, burying her face in her hands. The anger she'd been projecting onto everyone had finally drained her and there was nothing left but sorrow.
She cried.
Eddy sat, numb, never moving from where he'd fallen to the ground himself. The photo had been held limply between his fingers. His eyes searched blindly in front of him, as though he'd find an answer there. Of course, there was nothing. Weakly, he returned his gaze to the Polaroid and turned it over again.
"Ed…?" he'd mumbled.
The taller boy almost didn't hear him, he'd spoken so softly. However, he turned to him and stooped down. Eddy grabbed the front of his shirt.
"Give…Give me a pen or something…" he stuttered.
Ed had sat back and opened his jacket without a second thought. He scoured through the mess for a minute or two, but had eventually come across a marker pen, which he proceeded to hand to Eddy. Mumbling a soft thank you, Eddy took the pen and drew onto the image on the Polaroid. If the others got their hands on this, he was going to make sure Edd's secret would safe. He took a moment to doodle a poorly-drawn, black hat over the image of the boy's head, effectively hiding the scar. The brief, calm moment was again interrupted by Marie as she began to recover from her sobbing.
"You…" she'd whimpered, pointing to Eddy, "This is all your fault! How stupid are you, really? Going to that sick fuck…following a fake trail…Because of you, we'll never see Double D again!"
Eddy's eye twitched a bit. The numbness began to fade some. Marie sparked the anger again. He rose slowly to his feet.
"Don't you think I know all that by now?!" he growled.
Marie was startled by that. His voice had been soft instead of screaming. That had struck a chord…
"Don't you think I know how bad I fucked up?" he continued, "Of course I do. This is my fault. I'm the idiot who thought he could trust a path left by his…psychotic brother. Who thought he could trust him at all. But I can't change what happened!" He started to deflate, too emotionally devastated to remain angry for too long. "And that's not even the point. We've gotta figure out where to go from here…"
"What are you talking about?!" Marie snapped back, "It's hopeless! As far as you know, we could've been going around in circles this whole time!"
"All the more reason to get back on track!" Eddy argued.
"But where can we start?" Kevin asked, rubbing the back of his neck as the others finally seemed to remember his and Rolf's presence, "We barely had any idea what we were doing when we first left that park…How do we find our way now?"
"Well, I think the first thing we gotta do is figure out why that stupid pig led us the wrong way!" Lee snarled, turning to Rolf accusingly.
"Rolf is just as confused as the rest of you," the boy had shrugged in response, "Wilfred is usually so adept at tracking…"
Eddy furrowed his brow as he considered that. Rolf was right; the pig really was good with tracking…But then why had it taken them along this route? Why lead them so far off the correct path? While the others stood around, arguing about various reasons — the pig is just stupid, it can't really track, Rolf's an idiot, and so on — Eddy wracked his own brain for an answer. He wished so badly that they could have had Edd's deductive reasoning. The smarter boy could have cracked this riddle easily…Glancing at the photo, Eddy cursed his brother. The man had done this on purpose, leaving them fake clues to get their hopes up, only to then lead them astray. He shouldn't have been too surprised. It certainly wasn't the first time he'd been lead on a false path by his brother. If only they'd had something better to go on besides these breadcrumbs and his brother's scent…
He'd gasped loudly as realization struck him. His eyes went from the photo to the hat grasped tightly in his fist. It was so simple. He literally held the answer in his hands! Again, he felt the urge to cry, but this time it was from overwhelming joy. A wide grin had broken out on his face as he looked up at Rolf.
"Hey guys! I got it!" he'd cried. He rushed over to them, Ed following close behind in curiosity. "I figured it out! The pig was tracking right! It's not his fault we were going the wrong way! He was just following the only trail we had!"
"Yeah…and?" Kevin had shrugged in confusion.
"Don't you get it, Shovel Chin?!" Eddy groaned, "He was following the wrong scent! We shouldn't have been tracking my brother!"
"What do you mean, No-Neck Ed-Boy?" Rolf asked, confused.
"Yeah, what other trail were we s'posed to follow?" May added.
"Well, okay none that we had when we started…" Eddy admitted, before grinning wider, "But one we have now. The pig was following the freshest scent from my brother. That's why it led us here." He holds up Edd's hat proudly. "But let him get the scent off this, Rolfy-boy. Now that we have this, we can track Double D instead! If the pig gets Double D's scent, we should be able to find him in no time, right?"
The group had regarded Eddy with surprising admiration then. They could hardly believe that the boy had been capable of coming up with that solution. Hope began to well up within the group. They shared a look before returning their gaze to Eddy. Rolf took the hat in his hand and held it towards Wilfred's snout so the pig could take several greedy sniffs of the material.
Everyone held their breath in anticipation. They could only hope Edd's scent was engrained deeply enough in the hat that the pig would be able to pick up on it. Wilfred put his snout to the ground, sniffing around him. There had been a distinct mingling of Terry's own scent among Edd's on the cloth. It wasn't exactly 'surprising'; the man must've held onto the hat for a while as he traveled to leave this fake trail.
However, that distinct mixture of scents had been enough. Wilfred began waddling away from the area, heading in a completely different direction. The hope that had slowly been filling the group then swelled even more.
And now here they walk, following a new trail the pig is tracking, determined. No one's said anything since then. There's not much to discuss. Hours pass. They stop every once in a while to take short breaks. The group is exhausted, but no one wants to remain sitting for too long. Now that they have a new path to follow, they have no desire to waste any more time. Eddy keeps an eye on the sky, watching with worried eyes as the sun dips lower and lower over the horizon. As night falls, they're dragging their feet. Their tired bodies are begging them to stop, but no one is willing to rest. It's only when Ed collapses that they force themselves to stop.
"Aw c'mon, Ed!" Eddy whines, "Not again! We don't have time for this! We gotta find Double D! Remember?"
"But Eddy!" Ed pouts back, "I can't go on! Too tired!"
"Dude, let's just crash for the night," Kevin sighs, "We can pick it up first thing in the morning."
"We don't have time!" Eddy snaps back, "Tomorrow's the last day my brother gave us! If we don't find them soon he'll…H-He might…"
He stops himself from finishing that thought. The others share a worried glance. They're just as afraid of what the man would do to the capped Ed. However, as Ed releases a wide yawn, they decide that they have little option. The larger boy is difficult to carry around as is. If he falls asleep, he'll just be dead weight. They'll get nowhere like that. Eddy glances around. They haven't left the wood since finding Edd's hat. The area around them doesn't feel too safe, but walking much farther isn't in the cards, it seems. Eddy looks to Ed with a furrowed brow. The taller boy is lying on the ground, almost too weak to stand again. With a shaking sigh, he relents.
"Alright…Ed…" he mumbles, "We'll get some sleep…but the second that sun comes up; we're gone!"
Ed nods before his eyes close again. He can't keep them open any longer. He's out.
Eddy looks to the others, to tell them what they should do next. They're already moving. Rolf is making a small fire pit. The Kankers and Kevin are all gathering firewood. If they're indeed going to rest for the night, it stands to reason that they'll need to eat as well. Eddy fidgets uncomfortably before taking a seat beside Ed. What else can he do?
He curses their new situation. To be completely bound to this new trail that may or may not be the correct one and now for their feeble bodies to prevent them from continuing down that path. It's hardly fair. As he glances at Ed, an overwhelming feeling of failure accosts him.
By now, he'd become accustomed to the experience. His grades have never been something to write home about and his scams were never on par with his brother's endeavors. However, none of that had ever affected him like this. Much to Edd's chagrin, he never saw any problem with slacking off in school. Sure, his parents would act disappointed and try to punish him, but in the grand scheme of things, he saw no consequence. When it came to his failed scams, he was always disappointed, always saddened that his efforts were never rewarded, but he still faced no real loss. He'd never invested any money in the scams, so he never actually lost anything — he just never earned anything back from the wasted time and energy.
Now…Now it's different. Now he has something to lose. Something so precious to him. He feels sick even thinking of the consequences of this failure. The other Eds, at least, are expecting him to fix this — to find their stolen third and bring him home. But instead, he'd gotten himself and several others hopelessly loss. His stomach is in knots. Panic and grief are the only feelings he can comprehend.
A warm light and the smell of smoke alert him to the presence of the small bonfire. He ponders how long he'd been wallowing in his own emotions as the others take their seats around him. The Kankers pull out the dwindling pack of hot dogs. Eddy wonders if they'll have enough to last them through tomorrow as they set the food up to cook.
Everyone's quiet. It's a very different atmosphere compared to the night before. Eddy assumes no one wants to talk. He chances a look at Marie. She's trying to look tough — to stay angry — but there are tears in her eyes that escape every now and then. She wipes them away roughly, hoping no one had seen, and returns her focus to her stoic facade. Her sisters look unsure. May looks like she wants to comfort her, but is afraid to get too close. Eddy doesn't blame her; it's best not to push Marie too far right now, lest she blow up on them again. Lee, conversely, is trying to look disinterested, but Eddy can see by her composure that she wants nothing more than to hold her sisters tight. It'd be heartwarming if it were anyone but the Kankers, Eddy assumes.
Rolf and Kevin look worse for the wear. Kevin, normally so cool and collected, looks weary and downtrodden. He looks anxious and more irritable than normal. Even Rolf, who lived for the hunt, as far as Eddy is concerned, looks, for lack of a better word, uninterested. Though Eddy's certain the boy cares about their situation, a part of him wonders just how motivated he is anymore. Eddy sighs, running his fingers through his hair. He wishes he knew what to say to lift their sorrows, but he can hardly raise himself up. He imagines it'll be a long night.
The food is cooked in short enough time and they eat quickly. The sooner they get to sleep, the sooner they can rise again the next morning and set out again. When their bellies are full, they huddle into their little groups and lay their heads down to sleep. Despite his own desire to sleep, Eddy feels too restless. He lies on his back, staring without blinking up at the inky black sky. The fire hadn't been put out all the way and is still emitting a bit of warmth from the dying embers. He hears the fire crackling some and sits up. His startled gaze meets Kevin's own nonchalant one.
"Can't sleep, Dorky?" the athlete mumbles, poking at the logs again with the stick he'd used to roast one of the hot dogs.
Eddy settles a bit as he adjusts himself, sitting up fully.
"No..." he grimaces, "Guess you can't either, huh?"
Kevin shrugs, rubbing his arms in what Eddy questions to be an effort to warm himself.
"What's with you, Tough Guy?" the shorter boy asks suspiciously, "I ain't seen you this weirded out since I spread that rumor about my brother coming home."
"Yeah, well maybe that should give ya a hint, twerp," Kevin snaps back, "I mean...what's gonna happen when we find him? He doesn't seem like the kinda guy who likes losing..."
Eddy tenses a bit before averting his gaze to the ground. Kevin watches him carefully, brow furrowed in concern.
"Do you even…have a plan?" he presses.
"No, alright?!" Eddy growls back, silencing the boy. He glares Kevin's way, "What do you expect from me?! I'm barely able to come up with scams that work! How can you just…expect me to come up with a plan to take on my brother?" He falters a bit, stuttering. "You…You saw what he's like…"
Kevin nods his head in agreement, letting Eddy take a moment to calm himself. When the other boy is settled, Kevin speaks again.
"Ya know…" he begins uneasily, "Something he said's been buggin' me…"
"What's that?" Eddy grimaces, cocking his brow.
Kevin shifts uncomfortably; "Eh…It's the way he was talking about Double D…He called him…'Girlfriend' and…and he said if we failed…" A warning look from Eddy stops Kevin from finishing that sentence. "I just…I dunno…it's been bothering me. I mean…did you know your brother was into…uh…"
"Into guys or into kids? Cuz I didn't know about either," Eddy sneers, hunching his shoulders defensively.
Kevin winced at the harsh tone.
"Do…Do you remember your bro ever going out with dudes before?" Kevin asks curiously, avoiding the mention of the man's suggested desire of children
"He only ever bragged to me about all his girlfriends," Eddy explains, shaking his head, "He never mentioned any guys." He pauses, looking thoughtful. "Course…I guess if he had ever dated any guys, he mighta called them 'girlfriends' too." Eddy scoffs a bit. "Terry always tried to act all macho and shit. Wouldn't surprise me if he called any guy he dated his 'girlfriend' to feel like…I dunno…like he was 'better' than them or something."
Kevin is silent again for several moments. He fidgets more, poking the logs, now cool, with the stick. He glances at Eddy. The kid's looking more agitated than before. It makes him hesitate speaking again, despite the question on his tongue. Biting his lip, he opens his mouth.
"What…What do you think he's doing to Double D?" he asks shakily.
Eddy shoots him a glare, his jaw clenched to prevent him from yelling at him.
"I don't know…" he spits through his teeth.
Kevin doesn't buy it. He can see that Eddy's thought about it too.
"Do you think he's…" he licks his lips nervously, "touched Double D or…"
Bad move. Eddy's on his feet within seconds. Hate is alight in his eyes which are trained on the jock.
"Shut up, Kevin!" he snaps, "Don't you say another goddamn word!"
Kevin's startled by Eddy's outburst, eyes wide as he leans back. A few of the others stir. Lee sits up.
"What's all the yelling about?" she grumbles, reaching under her hair to rub her eyes.
Before Kevin can explain, Eddy's storming away.
"Hey!" he cries, scrambling to his feet, "Come back here, Dork!"
"Don't follow me!" Eddy demands, "I wanna be alone."
Kevin groans and moves to follow him anyway. A hand around his arm stops him. He turns to find Lee behind him, shaking her head in warning.
"Let 'im go," she advises, "I'll go get him in a bit."
"What the heck is with you lately?!" Kevin demands, smacking her hand away, "Since when are you so up for giving the Eds their space and shit? I've seen the way you and your sisters act around them. Why aren't you chasing after him?"
"Cuz this is different, stupid!" Lee argues, "It'd be like if someone took May or Marie from me. I know how he feels, alright? Just…give 'im some space to think. When this is all over, sure, me and the girls will give our boyfriends all the lovin' we're holdin' back. But right now…" She sighs a bit, not sure how to continue.
Kevin backs down, unsure. In a way, he acknowledges that she has a point. He has no idea what Eddy's going through. Maybe it's best to back off.
…For now.
Eddy, meanwhile, is stomping along in the dark. He stumbles now and then on a rouge tree root, but doesn't come to a stop until running straight into a large tree. Releasing an angry roar, he kicks and punches randomly around him. If it were possible for a person to see him in the dark, it'd be quite humorous; him flailing about. After a moment, Eddy's limbs fall limp to his sides. His chest heaves with heavy pants. Gritting his teeth, he tries to rub away the tears making themselves known.
"Dammit!" he curses, "Not again! I'm sick of crying! How much more useless can I be if all I can do is bawl like a baby?!" He takes a few moments to regain his composure. "Why the hell did Shovel Chin have to say that?!"
Of course he's thought about it. Of course the thought has crossed his mind that his brother may have done unspeakable things to Edd already. However, none of that means that he wants it spoken out loud. It's a frightening enough thought in its silence.
It takes a few minutes, but he finally calms down. His eyes are red from crying and his breathing is uneven. After stumbling around a bit, he finds a tree again and sits against it. His thoughts betray him and drift back to Kevin's question. What do you think he's doing to Double D? He hugs himself in a feeble attempt to stop himself from shivering. He knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that his friend is in pain. There's no way his brother will leave Edd unscathed throughout this entire ordeal. He can only hope it's not too severe. Laying his head back against the rough bark, he mumbles soft apologies into the night. He can think of nothing else to do and he doesn't want to return to the others just yet.
"Hey, Eddy."
He opens his eyes, finally adjusted to the dark, and can just barely make out the silhouette of Lee standing a few feet in front of him.
"Go away, Kanker," he bites back, "I wanna be alone."
"Yeah I know…" Lee shrugs, "But it's gettin' late. You need some sleep."
"I don't wanna sleep."
"I know. But if you don't, it'll be harder to find Double D." He hears her stepping towards him. "And you know it."
He bows his head, shoulders slumping. As much as he hates to admit it, she's right. Her hand extends towards him in front of his face.
"C'mon," she breathes, "We should get back."
With a dejected sigh, Eddy pushes her hand away and rises to his feet. He doesn't look at her as he begins walking back toward the camp. Lee catches up with him within moments and nudges him in a different direction. In his frenzy, he'd gotten himself turned around. With her help, they return to camp. Lee retreats to her sisters, who are sleeping soundly. Kevin seems to have finally settled down to sleep near Rolf again as well. Eddy finds this most welcome as he approaches Ed and settles next to him, using his larger friend as a pillow.
For a few minutes, he lies there, his eyes trained on the sky. It feels like ages before he finally feels himself growing tired. And longer still before he finally drifts to sleep.
The corridor is long, but oddly familiar. The walls go on forever in either direction and he can't see the ceiling. The hall is wide — like a highway. Where is he?
"Eddy…"
It's so quiet. As he looks around, he sees picture frames. The images within them, however, are too distorted for him to recognize.
"Eddy…!"
So faint, but he swears he can hear something…something familiar…The hallway warps around him slightly, wobbling as though moving in and out of focus.
"Eddy!"
A voice. That's what he hears. It's a voice he knows, he's sure, but he can't place the name. The hallway warps again, but this time becomes a bit more recognizable. Furniture rises from the carpeted floor, leaning against the walls. Familiar surroundings. It's his house. It looks like the upper level, to be more precise.
"Eddy!"
That voice again. Why does…?
"Eddy please!"
Eddy feels a jolt of panic as the voice finally registers to him. He opens his mouth to speak the name. Nothing comes out. He's rendered silent. But the name is clear in his mind.
Edd.
He tries to walk faster, but his legs are incapable of carrying him at any quicker pace. Finally, a door comes into his line of sight, a light shining out into the hall.
"Eddy!"
Crying. Edd's crying. He sounds desperate and scared.
"Eddy! Please! Please help me!"
He hears laughing amidst the pleas. It's familiar too. Its voice is deep and scratchy. A voice he knows he's heard before, but not nearly as often as Edd's.
Other sounds begin to join the laughter and Edd's crying. A rhythmic squeaking — like mattress springs when he and his friends would jump around on his bed. As he moves slowly closer, he can make out loud moaning, as though someone's in pain. Closer still, he can hear the heavy breathing. It's like the hallway's stretching out beneath his feet as he walks. The closer he thinks he's getting, the farther away he really is. He's startled as, moments later, the moaning gets louder, a crescendo of guttural sounds coming from the room.
Then, silence.
Eddy holds his breath, the silence drags on. The hallway has stopped stretching. He's almost at the door. The crying returns. Little, weak sobs. Eddy almost doesn't hear them. Finally, he steps into the doorway, seeing what's beyond. His heart drops.
Edd lying on the soiled sheets, whimpering. Wearing nothing but the bruises left by cold, calloused hands. Terry is beside Edd. To Eddy's great relief, the man is clothed at least in his boxers, but the relief is short-lived as he sees the grin on his brother's face.
"Too late, Pipsqueak," he cringes at the sound of his brother's voice and as the man's laughter echoes around him, "Been having lots of fun with your little girlfriend." He chuckles. It reverberates louder around the room as he pets Edd's thigh. "Well…my girlfriend now, huh?"
Eddy fights the urge to vomit. Feebly, Edd reaches for him. The most pained look reflects in his eyes. Tears run rampant down his cheeks.
"E-Eddy…" he sobs, "Why…Why did it take you so long?!"
Eddy opens his mouth, releasing silent screams. He becomes hysterical, covering his eyes as he starts crying. He screams at everything and at nothing, sobbing as his brother's laughter rings in his ears. Darkness collapses atop him.
He sits up, choking on his screams.
"Eddy!" a voice calls to him, but he doesn't acknowledge it, "Eddy!"
His eyes snap open. He looks around. Lee is standing over him, face contorted in concern. Kevin is behind her, looking annoyed, but with an air of curiosity. He can hear a few of the others mumbling around him. Ed too, is looking at him in worry.
"What's wrong, Eddy?!" Ed asks, panicked.
Eddy pants, trying to make sense of it all. He rubs a hand over his face. Cold sweat comes off on his palm. He takes in his surroundings. They're in the forest again. Finally, he comes back to reality.
A dream. Just a very, very bad dream.
He glances at the others, still trying to catch his breath.
"S…Sorry guys…" he pants, "I…I guess I was having a nightmare…"
"Musta been some nightmare…" Kevin grumbles.
"You okay, dreamboat?" Lee asks.
Eddy nods; "I'm fine, I'm fine. Let's just…Just try to get back to sleep…"
Kevin takes the suggestion to heart and returns to his sleeping spot. He hears the others grumble an agreement before settling back to sleep. Lee's the last to retreat to her sisters, watching Eddy curiously.
"Buzz off, Lee," Eddy snarls, "I said I'm fine."
He can tell she doesn't believe him, but she stands and walks back to May and Marie. Sighing softly in relief, Eddy leans back against Ed.
"You sure you're okay, Eddy?" he hears the larger Ed whimper.
"Yeah Ed," Eddy nods back, "I'm fine. Go back to sleep, Lumpy."
With concern still on his face, Ed lays his head back down to rest. He closes his eyes. It takes some time for the others to fall back to sleep, but eventually, they settle again. Eddy leans against Ed, still trying to calm himself. The dream had felt so real, but so surreal.
"Eddy?"
The shorter boy doesn't answer the voice mumbling his name. An echo from the dream, he thinks.
"Eddy?"
When it's spoken again, he realizes that the voice is right beside him. He glances at Ed to see the simple boy looking at him with a pout.
"What is it, Ed?" he asks, brow furrowed.
Ed sniffles, tears welling up in his eyes.
"I'm scared, Eddy…" he whimpers.
Eddy sighs and pets the top of his head.
"Yeah…" he breaths, "Me too. But don't worry, Ed. We'll find Double D."
Ed shakes his head, drawing Eddy to give him a confused look.
"I-I'm scared for Sarah," Ed elaborates, "D-Do you think she got home okay? And Nazz? And Jimmy and Johnny?"
Eddy blinks in surprise. He'd barely thought about any of them since the younger kids had left Mondo A-Go-Go. He ponders Ed's question, however, for only a moment.
"Yeah," he nods, "I'm sure they did, Ed. Nazz may suck as a baby sitter, but she'd never let anything happen to any of them. I'm sure they made it home safe and sound."
The larger boy is quiet for several minutes. For a moment, Eddy think he's fallen back to sleep, content with his friend's answer.
"D'you think they miss us?" he asks.
Eddy can hear the sadness in his voice. He frowns. Sarah had never hidden her disdain for any of them. Even the few times she'd act sweetly to Edd because of her little crush, she would still never go easy on him when she was in one of her moods. Jimmy was the same, without the violence. He hated the three of them just as much, if not more than the other kids. Johnny seemed to have a new found hatred of them, but generally tolerated them. Then there was Nazz. He wondered how far her care and understanding could stretch. His hand is sitting idle upon Ed's head. With a sigh, he returns to patting him gently.
"Sure they do, Ed," he retorts confidently, "Deep down, they all love us. You know that."
When Ed doesn't reply, Eddy wonders if he's caught on to the lie. After a moment, however, Ed embraces his friend in a tight hug.
"Thank you, Eddy," he coos, kissing the top of his friend's head.
The shorter boy grimaces in disgust as Ed cuddles up beside him, still holding him tight in a hug. As Ed calms more and more, he slips seamlessly back into his dreams.
Eddy, however, doesn't sleep for the rest of the night.
Edd stares blankly in front of him. The window from which sunlight had once shown so brightly through is now black. Night has fallen. He curls a bit tighter in on himself. The couch upholstery is a bit irritating to the bare skin of his legs near his backside which isn't covered by the plaid jacket. He shivers a little. The summer night is warm, but Edd feels a chill run down his spine. He brings his hand up and touches his hair, the fresh bandages rubbing against his forehead. The cut along the side of his hand still feels a bit tender, but the heavy bandages are easing the minor pain. Now, however, something else is weighing on his mind. The several events since he'd woken up had been enough to distract him from the fact that he is missing his beloved headwear, but now that he has a moment of peace, the anxiety from its absence is returning. It's almost enough to distract him from his hunger. He winces as his stomach, as though to counter this fact, offers complaint.
His attention snaps to the doorway when he hears the footsteps return. He instantly regrets the sudden motion. The way his body had jerked from that quick turn of the head sends a small shudder of anguish through him. He's still in a great deal of pain, after all. Hunching his shoulders, he avoids looking Terry in the eyes as the man leans against the doorframe. Similarly to the boy cowering on the couch, he's wearing very little; only a plaid robe. He regards Edd with a smug grin.
"Pizza's in the oven," he informs the boy.
Biting his lip, Edd nods, hugging his knees to his chest. As Terry approaches him, his toes curl anxiously. He bows his head, his body tensing fearfully as the man takes a seat beside him. He feels Terry's eyes on him and swallows the nervous lump in his throat. A hand to the back of his neck has him flinching. Terry chuckles in twisted delight at his fear.
"Sit in my lap, Girlfriend," he purrs.
Edd pouts a bit and glances at him. With only slight hesitation, he uncurls himself and rises to his knees before pulling himself to sit across the man's lap. He shuts his eyes tight as one of the man's large hands comes to rest on his thigh, the other caressing his back to hold him steady. His fingers grasp at the fabric of Terry's robe as the man squeezes his thigh. The touch is far from gentle and makes him cringe in pain. Were he looking up at the man's face, he may have noticed the mischievous look in the man's eyes.
"Sit up and straddle me," comes the sudden order.
Edd offers a weary whimper in rebuttal as he does so; rising up slightly. It's a difficult task, he regrets to discover, due to their considerable differences in size and the soreness of his limbs. His hands rest upon the man's chest as he settles again in Terry's lap. Shyly, he glances up as if awaiting the next order. Terry sits back, resting on arm along the back of the couch. With his other hand, he returns to stroking Edd's thigh.
"Tell me…" he chuckles, "Who do you belong to, Princess?"
Edd's eyes flicker over his face briefly before he bows his head in defeat, opening his mouth to answer.
"Eyes on me, sweetheart."
Edd raises his gaze to meet Terry's again, looking worn.
"Y-You…" he mumbles.
"What's that?" the man's tone is warning, "Speak a little louder, Princess."
"Y-You," Edd repeats, loud enough for the man to hear him, "I-I'm…yours…"
Terry smirks. He seems to be satisfied with that.
"That's right," he sneers, "Because no one else would ever want a worthless little thing like you. Aint that right, darlin'?"
Edd nods, keeping his eyes trained on the man's face. He squirms a bit as Terry's hand moves higher up his leg before coming up to grope his rear. A flinch contorts his features for a moment and he shuts his eyes tight as the man's hand gives a firm squeeze. The man's chortling sends a shiver down his spine.
"You like that, don't ya?" the man taunts, "You like it when I touch you."
Again, Edd nods. The consequence should he dispute any of the man's words is too painful to bear.
"Speak up, Princess," Terry jeers, grinning teasingly, "I wanna hear you."
Edd whimpers pitifully as the man brings his free hand down to start touching his chest through the material of the jacket.
"I'll let you try again," he chuckles, "Do you like it when I touch you?"
"Y-Yes," Edd stutters, "I-I like it…"
The man laughs triumphantly, pleased with Edd's submission. He leans forward, pulling Edd closer to him so he can speak into the boy's ear.
"It's cuz you want me, ain't it?" he purrs, squeezing Edd's backside for emphasis.
Edd whimpers a bit, but nods again.
"Y-Yes…" he whines, "I…I w-want you."
Terry hums a bit in satisfaction, massaging the boy's soft flesh. He sits back and observes Edd carefully.
"Prove it," he commands, "Show me you want me, Princess."
Edd averts his gaze for a moment, feeling uneasy. He's not too sure what he should do. A thought comes to mind quickly enough and has him sitting up just a bit. Leaning against the man's chest, he shyly presses his lips to Terry's. To Edd's relief, it seems to be enough as Terry moans into the kiss. He brings a hand up to cup the back of the boy's head, urging him closer to he can deepen the kiss. His caresses become rougher as he probes the boy's mouth with his tongue. Edd doesn't react much and does not offer any protest. He opens his mouth when Terry's tongue demands entrance and even leans in some to appease the man. Abruptly, Terry removes his tongue from Edd's mouth, moving swiftly to whisper into the boy's ear.
"Ride me, Princess," he snarls, biting the preteen's earlobe.
When Edd is released from the possessive embrace, he looks to the man in question. The vernacular is confusing to him. Terry seems to spot this and gives him his answer; reaching between them to pull open his robe. Edd blushes a bit as Terry's hand wraps around his own half-flaccid arousal, stroking himself to reach full erection. It doesn't take much more than that for it to dawn on Edd what the man wants. He's not very sure what the man expects of him, but, given what all Terry has done to him in the past twenty-four hours, he has a vague idea. He cringes in anxiousness before looking up at Terry's face pleadingly.
"P-Please, Terry…" he begs, whimpering as he clutches the fabric of the man's robe, "D-Do I really…really have to? I…I'm still…still in so much agony. Please, I…I'll do anything else…anything you want! But…but not that…Please."
Terry grimaces and grabs the boy's wrist. Edd's caught off guard by a sharp smack to his cheek. With the man holding his wrist, he doesn't fall from Terry's lap, but he's knocked slightly off balance. His eyes are wide as he looks up at Terry and the cold look on his face. He's not interested in showing mercy.
"Did I fucking stutter?" he growls, yanking Edd towards him, "Let's try that again, shall we? Now, fuckin' ride my cock like a good little whore." He pauses, a dark look passing over his eyes. "Or maybe you want me to punish you again?"
Edd winces at the harshness in his tone and the stinging in his cheek. He has no choice but to obey.
"N-No…" he sniffles, "I-I'll…I'll do as you ask…"
Terry grins, leaning back against the couch and watching Edd expectantly. The boy fidgets nervously.
"What…Wh-What do I do…?" he asks shyly.
"What do you think?" comes the snide retort as the man pulls Edd towards him to close the space between them, "You're gonna ride me. Sit yourself down with my cock in your tight little ass."
The preteen's face is bright red, accentuating the look of distress. Terry releases Edd's wrist, resting his hand on the boy's thigh. The boy glances down with anxious eyes at the man's arousal. He bites his lip uneasily. Every time Terry had penetrated him had been so terribly painful. The lubricant the man had used made the act slightly less agonizing. He returns his gaze to Terry's face.
"Um…" he fidgets some, unsure, "Wh…What about the…th-the…" Edd stutters over his words, too ashamed to voice his question. When Terry remains silent, Edd realizes he has to say it. "What about the…l-lubricant…that you used before…?"
The man scoffs, regarding Edd with a sneer and making the boy flinch.
"I dunno, sweetheart," Terry says with a grimace, "You've been misbehaving again; questioning me when I give you a fuckin' order. I'm not sure you deserve that luxury."
The boy's shoulders slump in disappointment. He tries to calm himself, but it's proving a difficult feat. It's quite apparent that he must perform for the man and without preparation. He can feel Terry's eyes on him, watching him carefully as he waits for the boy to respond. Taking deep, soothing breaths, Edd rises onto his knees. The man observes him, grinning deviously, as Edd reaches down with a shaky hand to stroke his cock. Biting his lip, the boy starts to lower himself over the sizable erection. He's startled as Terry stops him.
"Hold on, Princess," he says, reaching into the pocket of his robe.
Edd furrows his brow, confused, as the man retrieves a small tube. He blanches some as he recognizes it as the lubricant and at the realization that Terry had intended to ravage him again anyway. As the bottle is placed into his hand, Edd wills himself to speak.
"I…I thought you said…?"
"You may not deserve the preparation," Terry explains, "But that doesn't mean I'm gonna hurt myself fucking you."
Edd pouts some before reluctantly uncapping the bottle. He's thankful for this at least. Perhaps it won't be as painful as he's expecting? He squeezes a large glob into his palm before using it to coat the man's cock in the viscous material. To appease him, Edd forgoes any preparation for himself. Moments later, he has his hand on Terry's shoulder for balance and is guiding the man's cock to his sore hole. He bites his lip as he lowers himself, the pain of the initial penetration making the process slow. Terry watches him, pleased as, with a few careful movements, he's sheathed fully in that familiar, tight heat. It's a sight to see, really, and the knowledge that he's reduced the boy to this state is proving to be a powerful aphrodisiac. Edd pauses for a few moments, trying to adjust to the pain again. Everything hurts from before and the fresh pain is making movement difficult. Terry, however, isn't feeling very patient.
"The hell you waiting for?" he snaps, "Ride me."
Edd whimpers before attempting to oblige. He clings desperately to the man's broad shoulders, trying to block out the pain as he begins slowly bouncing himself up and down the shaft. Terry brings his hands down, pushing the fabric of the jacket aside to set them over Edd's hips. The boy whines in pain, trying to steady his movements. As Terry massages the boy's tender, inner thighs, Edd begins to feel the pleasure. He starts moaning, the man's name sipping from his lips as he begs for the pleasure to continue.
Terry is more than content to observe him, drinking in the sight. To see the boy coming undone like this, to hear the pitiful whimpers mingling with lustful moans. It's nudging him toward his own delicious peak. The kid's subservience is another welcome stimulant. Such obedience should be rewarded. Keeping one hand on Edd's hip to steady him, he begins stroking the boy's small cock. Edd cries out in ecstasy, digging his fingers into the fabric of the robe. The man leans forward, kissing and suckling along the boy's neck. The preteen's weak body won't last much longer.
"T-Terry!" he moans, willing himself to move faster as he rests his forehead against the man's neck, "A-Ahh!"
Terry glances at him, panting as he grinds the boy down over his lap. Edd's arms wrap around the man's neck as he feels himself getting closer. Chuckling, Terry hastens his movements, stroking the boy faster and driving him down harder onto his cock.
Edd cries out; "T-Terry! I-I think I'm going to…to…!"
Leaning in, Terry nibbles along Edd's jaw and to his ear.
"Let go, Princess," he breathes, "Cum for me."
The boy clings to him, crying out in agony and pleasure as he's shaken by his release. Edd's already tight body constricting and convulsing around him is the last push Terry needs to reach his own orgasm. As they come down from their sexual high, Edd falls limp against the man's chest, his breathing labored. He feels Terry's hands rest on his hips. The man's lips return to his neck, peppering light kisses along the tender flesh. The preteen keens in response, leaning into his touch. A few moments later, Terry leans back against the couch, holding Edd off of him and cupping his chin.
"That's a good boy," he purrs, stroking the boy's cheek.
Edd shudders, leaning into the hand and cooing softly. He's startled at the sudden buzzing of the timer in kitchen. Terry glances at the doorway to the kitchen before returning his attention to Edd. The boy cringes and whimpers softly as Terry pulls him up and off of him. He's set back onto the couch as the man stands and adjusts the robe. He doesn't say another word to the boy as he returns to the kitchen to retrieve their meal. Edd lies against the couch, clutching the edges of the jacket in his fists as he tries to fight back his tears of shame.
End of Chapter 10.