Hey guys! Sorry for the late update. Since school has gone out for summer I've been trying to catch up on some much needed reading and writing. Thank you guys for having stuck around and who are still into this story. I know how hard and annoying it can be to wait on an author to update and sometimes you never know if they might just fall off the face of the earth or not. So thank you for reading/following/liking, thank you for enjoying, and thank you for reviewing!

Here is the next bit for you guys. The next couple of chapters have been written up but need some serious editing. So more to come.

Enjoy!


Edwin nuzzled his nose into Eddward's neck, breathing in the scent of the boy's natural musk. It was… different. Sweeter than he recognized. It smelled of that guy who hurt him and he hated it.

Edd pushed himself up from the comfort of Edwin's arms and rubbed furiously at his eyes. He knew the implications of going back home. To leave now meant he would never come back. Edwin wouldn't allow it. Now that he was found he would be taken home to pick up the pieces of his old life. He would be leaving this city and all the people in it; Nathan, Cassandra, Mr. and Mrs. Barr, and most of all Kevin.

Two more tears slide down his face.

The cab shook as the driver hopped into his seat. "Ready to go mates?"

Edd shook his head.

"Wait."

He looked to Edwin who cocked a brow which disappeared beneath the hem of his hat.

"I need to grab my things. It is not much, just…" The sockhead heaved a shallow sigh. "There isn't much."

Edwin exhaled slowly through his nose, lifting his gaze to glare out the taxi window. Admittedly he didn't like the idea of his beau walking back into the den of that freckled faced bastard but Eddward had nothing on him. Not even a pair of pants. Edwin had intended to go back upstairs alone to collect his things and to confront Kevin without Eddward having to witness it, but he knew his little one was a stubborn one. He tried persisting when he stepped out of the vehicle, his arm stretched out to keep Edd, but the sockhead was adamant. Against his better judgment Edwin relented.

"Very well. Come chère."

Taking Edd by the hand he guided the teary eyed boy out of the car. He poked his head back into the cab and handed the cabby a crisp twenty dollar bill.

"Wait for us. We shan't be long."

The cabby took the bill gratuitously and nodded, unfolding the map he had tucked into his coat pocket to keep busy in the meantime.

Edwin let the sockhead lead him slowly through the doors and back into the lobby. Not as many people were staring in their direction but Edd felt as if every pair of eyes were on him, judging him, mocking his very existence. He hadn't been there for his mother and now this had happened. How could he have been so selfish? To make matters worse the boy was still dressed in nothing but Kevin's shirt. He felt overly exposed and far too naked for the world to see.

The ride on the elevator was spent in agonizing silence. His hand no longer held tight to Edwin's but the taller man refused to let him go. Whether it was support for Edd or himself the sockhead couldn't say. He was ashamed to admit it was encouraging, like an anchor keeping him grounded. The hall was empty but Edd felt trapped, struggling to breathe with every step that carried him closer to Kevin's door. The hall was long and winding and yet the trip was short, bringing him to the end of his journey much sooner than he anticipated.

As soon as he stepped through the threshold he knew it would be his last. He would never see that beautiful view of the city from the sliding door again. He could never again feel comfortably lazy on that particular couch, all wrapped up in wonder and laughter as Kevin told him stories of his childhood. He would never feel the love he felt when he met the Barr family who treated him as one of their own.

He will never see Kevin again. That truth hurt most of all.

The possessive touch of his hands, the tantalizing taste of his lips- it would all fade into the farthest parts of his memory, distorted and all but forgotten. Everything he learned here in New York will have been for nothing. It hurt him to know this and even more to go through with it, but his mother needed him. Blood is thicker than water, as they say, and though Edd couldn't bring himself to think kind thoughts of the woman who begot him, he was her son. She was all he had. Without a sibling or a father to depend on Eddward was the only Vincent left to make what he could of his very tiny family work.

He looked up to Edwin who squeezed his hand, finger interlocked.

"I shall go in with you. I will not allow him to harm you again."

"It wasn't even like that." Edd said softly. "He didn't mean to hurt me."

Edwin snorted. "And the sky is orange I presume?"

Edd found himself shaking his head. He had forgotten Edwin's knack for sarcasm. It was… charming to hear it again.

It took Edd forever to open the door. When he finally did the squeak of an unoiled hinge made his blood run cold but Kevin was nowhere in sight. Edwin stepped in first; his hands clasped into fists as if he were ready for a fight. When he saw no sign of the brute he motioned Edd in.

"Don't be long."

Eddward took off down the hall to his room, running as fast as he could. He wanted to avoid seeing Kevin. If he were to catch sight of him now he knew he would be able to handle it. He'd burst into a million unrepairable pieces.

He dug through his drawers, pushing away the things he knew he would never need once he made it back to Peach Creek and taking only what he couldn't leave behind. There were no pictures, no memorabilia of fond memories for him to take; just the clothes on his back and a few orderly documents. There wasn't much.

And here I thought I had more than enough, he thought as he tucked a handful of papers into a folder. A sheet or two fell but he was far too lost in the motion of the action to stop and collect them.

He had started with nothing and in the end would still have nothing. No, not true, his mind corrected. You had him. You had Kevin.

In a bag he found in the closet he stuffed away a change of clothes, making sure to take the pretty black and blue shirt Nathan had given to him along with the heels. He loved that outfit and couldn't bear to part with it. It would be his little token to remember the eccentric model by and while he couldn't imagine where or why he would ever wear them again, he promised himself he would.

He quickly changed out of his shirt and into something sensible. However he found it difficult to let the shirt go. He tried setting it down on the bed and then into the hamper, but his fingers refused to unlatch from it. Desperate and afraid he held it to his nose and inhaled. He picked up the faint scent of Kevin smothered somewhere deep in the fibers. Honey and milk. He decided then he couldn't leave it behind either. He stuffed it towards the bottom of the bag.

As soon as he was done collecting what few items he had, he turned to look about the room one last time. Over the span of an entire month he had learned to call this place home. And now-

No stop. Don't think about it anymore. This has to happen.

He had to be firm. This couldn't go on forever. But Kevin-

Edd picked up his bag, shouldering the weight of his decision as he took one final look at the room before finally departing.

Kevin was on the kitchen floor, pressing a frozen bag of peas to his face. By some strange miracle he had managed to drag himself to the kitchen. He was unable to stand.

The pain hadn't receded yet and the swelling had just kicked in. The entire side of his face now burned. It would be a while before his face fully healed. That black haired bastard had seriously knocked the wind out of him. Though it hurt to breathe Kevin couldn't deny the guy had guts. Not many were tough enough to stand toe to toe with him. He wasn't exactly a scrawny man after all. He had some muscle underneath all those freckles and was often referred to as a man built like a brick shit house. That other guy hadn't been nearly as built as he and yet his punch had packed a furious wallop. While Kevin had a serious growing hatred for him, he had to give credit where it was due.

Fuck that hurt.

Kevin winced as he sat up, inhaling deeply and wheezing when he felt a sharp jabbing pain in his side. He hoped to god it was a bruise and not a fractured rib.

The sound of the door opening drew his attention but not enough to get him to pick himself off the floor. It simply hurt too much to move. His eyes danced to the side as the sight of something dark caught his eye- tall, dark, and every bit infuriating to look at.

"Hey," Kevin called, drawing Edwin's attention. Eddward was nowhere in sight.

"I don't know who you are but you pack a serious punch." He said, gingerly laying his hand across his stomach.

Edwin crossed his arms, leaning his hip into the kitchen counter. He said nothing, simply glaring at the fool on the floor as he waited for Edd to return. Kevin laughed bitterly, dropping his hand with the frozen peas into his lap.

"Nothing to say? Yeah, well fuck you too."

The soft patter of feet drew Kevin's attention and finally he was looking at the standing figure of Edd. The sockhead was dressed simply in a shirt and shorts, his shorts the red-head noticed amusedly. He was also wearing his beloved hat but what really caught his eye was the bag hanging over his shoulder.

Kevin felt his world coming to a crashing halt.

Eddward approached Edwin with saddened eyes, blue depths red with moisture. Edwin took the bag from him and slung it over his shoulder with ease.

"Come. Let us leave this place."

The sockhead nodded but as he turned to leave he paused, looking into the kitchen and into the shocked eyes of his red-headed lover. It hurt to look at him, to see him this way. He wanted desperately to go to Kevin and to pick him off the floor; to nurse him back to health and forget this day had ever happened. He wanted their moment of understanding back. He wanted to kiss him and make the pain go away forever, but he couldn't.

There is only one thing left I can do.

Edd stepped into the kitchen, much to Edwin's chagrin, and knelt before Kevin. Forest green met chrome blue, pleading and searching for answers to questions he couldn't bring himself to ask. Edd settled himself between Kevin's knees and leaned forward, tears now streaming down his face. He still felt numb. He couldn't feel their hot saltiness staining his reddening cheeks or how cold they became as the winter air from outside dried them to his face. Kevin felt the sudden urge to lean forward and kiss them away. Though he was still hurt and angry for what Edd had done his initial reaction had finally eased into a steady feel of disappointment, but this… this was too much.

Eddward cupped his hand around the back of Kevin's neck, leaning forward as his chest shuddered in his attempt to speak.

"Kevin," He sniffled. "I-I have to go now."

The athlete's arm moved as though it had a mind of its own, coming to wrap around Edd's tiny waist. Kevin leaned closer to him, bringing their faces close. He wanted to ask why he had to leave and where. He wanted to demand he stay but he couldn't bring himself to speak the words. His arm merely tightened in protest.

Edd quietly sobbed, touching their foreheads together.

Edd committed the feel of Kevin's arm wrapped protectively around him. This would be their very last embrace and he wanted to remember exactly how it felt. He didn't want to forget the iron grip of Kevin's muscles, the heat radiating off his chest, and the smell of his breath as it washed over his face.

Kevin's arm wound around him further, eyes shifting to glare daggers at Edwin. The man was standing stiffly, one hand gripping the counter so tightly his knuckles had turned white. His eyes took on a visage of jealous intensity and that made Kevin feel wickedly good. Whoever this guy was, he would see exactly what Kevin and the sweet dork had.

Had.

He seriously fucking hated this.

Consider this a parting fuck-you, asshole.

Kevin stole a kiss from Edd who welcomed the sudden intrusion. Their tongues danced in a frantic rhythmic chant, Kevin's fingers tangling into the loose ends of hair that fell from beneath the boy's hat as if his grip alone could keep the boy above him within his grasp. They plundered each other's lips for one last taste of sweet, sweet bliss; the world slipping from their minds as they shared one last moment of pure, unadulterated love.

Fresh tears streamed down Edd's face, glinting light starlight as he summoned every ounce of his will power to tear his lips from Kevin's. The cold air bit heir moistened mouths, swollen red yet starving for more. Any longer and Edd knew he wouldn't be able to stop. He had never experienced a kiss so insanely perfect. Oh how he wished it could have last forever.

Goodbye Kevin.

The very words in his head might as well have ripped the still beating heart from his chest. He couldn't say it. He just couldn't. Not here, not now, not ever.

Edd stumbled back as he stood, turning on his heels and making a mad dash for the door. He couldn't stand it any longer. That look of desperation and pleading had only made the parting worse. Tears fell behind in a glistening trail, his now aching body pushing past its limits to reach the outside. It didn't matter that it had begun to snow or that he was freezing. It didn't matter that his chest convulsed in sharp painful jabs as he fought to catch his breath, nearly collapsing to the snow covered ground to empty the contents of his stomach. It just didn't matter.

The blood pumping through his veins was enough to combat some of the chill but not enough to trick him into thinking he wasn't freezing. He slipped silently into the taxi, shivering and shaking as bits of fallen snow fell off his quaking shoulders. He refused to look out the window. He just wanted to be gone from his place, to tear away the scab covering the wound. Yet he knew when he did the ache would never go away. Kevin had reserved a special place in his heart and it seemed as though he was there to stay.

I'm so sorry Kevin!

He finally collapsed into a heap in the back of the taxi, uncaring if the driver was watching as he curled into himself and wept.

And just like that Eddward was gone. Out of Kevin's arms and out of his life. He wasn't sure how long he stared at that open door but deep down inside he silently prayed it was all just one cruel joke. That the boy would come skipping back in with a massive grin on his face and yell 'surprise!'.

No, Kevin's mind mused. This is real.

He knew he should be happy. The traitor was now out of his life. That two timing twit was gone. That idiot sockhead, that stupid, conniving, too sensitive, gap toothed DORK!

His dork.

Realization couldn't have hit him any harder than Edwin had.

Oh god.

His eyes fell shut. If he thought he hurt before, well, this was a pain beyond any he could have ever conceived. It wasn't the same pain of losing a friend but rather the soul deep ache of losing someone much more meaningful. That meant the idiot had gone and done something to make himself mean something to Kevin and now he was leaving? Heh. What a dick. Nat would be so proud. If he wasn't in so much pain he'd run after the kid and congratulate him for really messing up his life.

"I don't understand." A voice dripping with venom began, snapping Kevin out of his inner reflection.

"How could you harm a boy like that?"

Kevin wheezed in response, lifting the corner of his mouth into a smirk. "Look you bastard if you knew me or Edd at all then you'd-"

Edwin stalked forward, kicking Kevin firmly in the leg.

The motorcyclist bit back a yelp and growled between clenched teeth as pain radiated out his knee cap.

"Low blow dude."

"He has been through more than you will ever know." Edwin hissed. "You do not, and could never know him like I do."

His challenging stare turned icy but Kevin tried his best not to acknowledge the cold shudder that raced down his spine even as the man stood straight and turned his narrow back on him. Feeling frustrated Kevin spat a mouth full of blood at Edwin's feet. Edwin found himself turning his gaze from the door to the glob of blood sitting not two inches from his sleek and polished combat boots. His lips curled into a wicked and satisfied grin, the kind that made resolves melt and stomachs curl. He could feel the loathing emanating off the red-head in waves and he reveled in it.

Kevin wanted to rip that smug look off his face and stuff it down his throat.

"Who the hell are you anyways?"

Edwin licked his lips in a slow and calculated caress. His eyes lifted from the ground to look directly into Kevin's depths, his posture relaxing as he settled in for a final blow.

"Well, if you must know."

His voice was like silk in Kevin's ears and the athlete couldn't stand it. It was like Edwin knew this and was entirely amused by it. He spoke in a slow mocking tone, flicking his wrist in such an infuriatingly nonchalant manner.

"I'm Eddward's boyfriend."

The click of his boots was the very last sound Kevin heard before all sound vanished. The door swung shut and the sound echoed down the hall and throughout the flat, but Kevin was deaf to it. Even the pounding of his heart went unheard. His arms felt too heavy to lift and his legs felt too much like jelly to even attempt standing, even as the bag of peas in his lap slowly started to thaw. He was utterly paralyzed.

His boyfriend.

The ring of his cellphone should have shocked him out of his catatonic state but even Nat's silly ring tone couldn't surface Kevin from his deep inner thoughts.

His boyfriend.

Those two words persisted long after Edd and Edwin's departure, keeping him chained to the floor of his very empty kitchen in his very empty house.


So what did you guys think? I know, I hated myself writing this but trust me when I say the story is far from over. This isn't the end!

So let me know what you guys thought. See you all next chapter :)

Ciao!