Hi there.

You guys have no idea how much your encouragement means to me. Thank you times eleventy bazillion for your comments and compliments. I wish you all the best in your lives, and I hope this fic makes your day at least a teensy bit better when it's updated.

I'm having my tonsils taken out on Tuesday, so I'll be out of commission for a bit. I've got more written, but I don't know how much I'll feel like doing while recovering. This is my third surgery, so it shouldn't be scary, but I'm definitely freaked out. o_o

In case you were unaware, I'm also posting this story on Ao3 (Archive of Our Own . org). My pen name is the same there, and because the site is exclusively for adults, parts of chapters that I have edited out to make sure this fic doesn't get taken down from Fanfiction are available to read there. It's hard to cut things out, but knowing what to edit down is a huge part of writing that I have to get used to. If you're comfortable with mature content, the "full" versions of chapters will be posted on Ao3 from here on.

The next chapter should be posted in around a week; maybe a bit longer. The next time I speak to you, I will be tonsil free!

Enjoy. :)

Chapter 6

On Friday the school was nearly humming on its foundation with pent-up energy. The coach made sure that the televised morning announcements included that football practice would be postponed for at least two more weeks due to the monsoon-like weather forecast, and with many of the school's athletes antsy from the conclusion of the baseball season just over a month before, the air was suddenly crisp with the electricity of barely-contained frustration. The newest issue of the school newspaper was out, of course, and the main article was mentioned by name: Cnidarians, Congressmen, and Other Invertebrates by Eddward Vincent. Marie Kanker was the only student intelligent enough to get the joke, and she giggled at the witty title. May leaned over to whisper far too loudly, "What'cha laughin' at, Marie?"

"You're too stupid to understand," the blue-haired sophomore hissed back, flicking a wad of paper at the blonde's face.

"Hey, Ed." Eddy hurried up to his towering, yellowish friend after the bell rang, releasing the herd of adolescents into the halls. "Are you busy tonight?"

"Yep," Ed replied, a pout on his face as he prodded at the pile of clothing on the top shelf of his locker. "I'm a charlatan."

"A what now?" Someone made a whooshing sound and swished their hand through the air over the short boy. He peered behind him, frowning suspiciously and rubbing his head.

Ed prodded the wad of fabric a few more times, smiling when a chewed-up pencil toppled out and hit the floor. "A charlatan, silly little Eddy. Sarah's going on a date, and Mom told me I get to go along."

"A … a chaperone," the greedy kid realized, slapping a hand over his eyes. "It's like I need a translator."

"Yep," Ed affirmed, slamming his locker door. "Oh, there's Double Dee!"

The slight-framed Edd was standing at his locker a ways down toward the restrooms, plucking slim folders out of the rainbow of stationary in his orderly locker. He was in a black V-neck shirt with the only hooded jacket he owned over it - an auburn zip-up with "Peach Creek Honors Student" on the back in white, glossy lettering. Ed whisked him off his feet, effectively turning him into what looked like a squished pumpkin.

"Good heavens, Ed!" The scholar wormed an arm out of his hulking friend's embrace to hang onto his hat. "Aren't you full of pep this morning."

"Pep, yep yep," Ed agreed, setting Double Dee on his feet.

"Ed's gotta babysit his plague of a sister tonight," Eddy muttered, his binder tucked under his arm, paper corners fluttering from its every opening when he moved.

"That's quite all right, Ed. It's important to make sure that courting is conducted in a…" he gulped, though he hoped not audibly. "…chivalrous and respectful manner."

Eddy gave him a funny look, and his hickey throbbed angrily under his jacket.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, we're observing planarians today under a microscope. If I'm lucky, Mrs. Sanders might just let me take a few home!"

"Don't get a rash, Double Dee," was Eddy's response.

"Pep pep, yep yep," Ed added. He waved cheerfully as their sockheaded friend made his way toward the science wing.

-x-

The air was crisp and tiny droplets of water whipped through it, misting Double Dee's face and hands as he walked home. The breeze on his back spurred him onward, overriding the fear that threatened to explode out of the back of his mind if he dared to acknowledge it. He zipped his jacket up all the way to the collar while waiting for a minivan to clear the crosswalk and realized that his hands were shaking. Edd stomped the sick feeling out before it could take hold in the pit of his stomach. Gripping the strap of his messenger bag tightly, he looked both ways twice and continued home.

When his feet met the porch, he realized that a scuffed-up pair of tennis shoes was already there. Attached to them, as his suddenly jello-filled legs had realized, was Kevin.

"Gracious," Eddward heard himself babbling as the blood left his face and elected to reconvene in the pit of his stomach, "I didn't expect you this early, haha. I, um, I have, there's a bit of, ngh." The deafening thudding of his heart drowned out the hiss of the wind and he snapped his mouth shut. Then, suddenly: "How did you get here when school doesn't let out for another thirty minutes?"

"Stop talking. Let's get inside before anybody sees us."

Edd watched as a single delicate hand attempted to unzip the pocket of his bag that his house key was in. When he was barely able to grip the zipper between his thumb and forefinger, he tried adding his other hand, and as he made a strangled sound of frustration, the athlete pulled his hands away and extracted the key himself. A keychain in the shape of a beaker with the words "I LOVE SCIENCE" engraved on it glinted in the light as the redhead shoved it into the lock. The genius found himself being yanked inside by his wrist.

Before he could think, the jock had pulled his bag off and had flung his own backpack to the floor. He fumbled with the door lock without looking at it and attempted to put the house key on the windowsill. Before it had hit the carpet, his hands were on the genius.

"K-Kevin!" Double Dee backed away, eyes widening to the size of baseballs. "Kevin, wait, please, we have to talk!"

"There's nothing to talk about." The redhead had gotten a hold of his jacket now and was trying to hold him in place, the heat in the older male's eyes almost scaring him into submission before another jolt of adrenaline had him scrambling backward once more. He attempted to skitter into the kitchen, but his shoulder caught on the doorframe and Kevin took the opportunity to push him against the wall, fingers leaving his jacket for the warmth of his small frame.

"I vehemently disagree! The consequences of such rash decisions are sure to be- ngh…" Kevin's lips were on his neck, tongue trailing beneath his earlobe. His stomach was inches away and the heat radiating from it was already hitting the smaller boy's skin. If he allowed their bodies to brush together, he had severe doubts about the strength of his self-control. "This isn't the logical way to go about - maturity should certainly require - don't touch me there, I'm ticklish!"

"Ticklish, huh?" The redhead's breath on his ear did little for Edd's case, and when the fingers returned to his stomach, the sound he made certainly wasn't one of being tickled. He gripped the shoulder seams of the athlete's shirt, not caring about the damage done to the garment, trying to push him away and somehow managing to drag him closer. Kevin's mouth caught his and the teeth on his bottom lip managed to make a far more convincing argument than he could with his immense vocabulary. Delicious, delicious friction between the toned body and his own made Eddward whine, and when the athlete ground something very hot and very hard against his stomach, he tore his mouth away hard enough to bang his head on the wall.

"Kevin! I implore you, desist at once! This display of graceless desire is utterly nnngh inexcusable! We … we need to talk! Your sudden and inexplicable infatuation must-"

"Inexplicable?" Kevin's hands were still moving, moving, and the expression on his face terrified Eddward into silence immediately. "Have you looked in a mirror? Jesus. Your face, your voice…" Large hands moved down to squeeze denim-covered flesh and Double Dee yelped. "…this tight little ass … what the fuck is inexplicable?"

"I … ahhh…"

Sky-blue eyes glazing over, the genius gasped for air. Friction was happening; exquisite, shuddering explosions of electricity that dulled his terror and made all of his senses impossibly sharp. Kevin kissed him again and the slight boy moaned against his tongue as he tried to mimic its movements with his own. The hands on him slid up to his waist, taking his shirt with it, and as the pressure of the wall left his back and the chill of the air conditioning hit his heated skin, it dawned on him that Kevin was carrying him up the stairs and he was doing nothing to stop it. The sticky notes on his door fluttered as it opened, and the sound of it slamming behind them made him jump in the jock's arms. The redhead grunted at the sudden sensation, his breath hot on the genius's shoulder as Eddward held onto the larger male for dear life.

When they toppled onto the bed, the fear returned a thousand fold.

"Kevin, please! Listen to reason!"

"Nope," the gorgeous boy growled out, shoving Double Dee's shirt up and biting his stomach. The scholar let out an undignified screech and grabbed Kevin's shoulder and his face, pushing on them with all his strength as his lower half attempted to spontaneously erupt into flames.

"I'm serious - oh my Lord I - please, this has to stop immediately, your saliva carries five hundred species of microorganisms and now they're in my naval good heavens Kevin PLEASE! I am strongly opposed to physical intimacy without strong feelings of emotional attachment and the prospect of an exclusive relationship at the very least!"

Kevin pulled back from where he was nipping at the sensitive skin just above Eddward's hip, his lips flushed from the contact and his face stained dark. "Yeah," he rasped. "So what's the problem?"

Edd's heart stuttered and his eyes grew huge. "I'm … I…"

He was far too beautiful to say no to.

-x-

Lightning flashed, glimmering off of beakers and jars and the ant farm in the corner. A hundred yellow labels blinked like light bulbs and went dark.

Kevin stared at Edd, wrapped in blankets and blissfully limp. Dark threads of hair stuck out from under his beanie and his skin glistened. One delicate shoulder was exposed, and it was peppered with marks, some in the shape of teeth and others blooming into dark, shapeless blots. He blinked back sleepily and shifted.

If Kevin had possessed the energy, he would've pounced on the scholar and squeezed him until he popped.

"How're ya feeling?" Kevin's fingers trailed the length of Double Dee's forearm, roaming from elbow to small knuckles and back.

"Nice," came the raspy reply. "Very, very nice."

The jock smiled briefly. "You're pretty sweaty. Want me to help you to the bathroom?"

"Mmm." The genius grunted softly, readjusting his head on his arm. "I'll shower later."

The whisper of the rain filled the darkness, sending streaking shadows across the window.

"Need anything? Water?"

"No, I'm…" A yawn; a flash of gapped teeth. "Sleepy sleepy sleepy."

The redhead sniffed in amusement. "God damn it, you're cute."

"Hmmmn."

Pause.

"Kevin…" Eddward's eyes had drifted closed and he opened them once more. "Kevin, we didn't study. Your … you have final exams and we didn't study for them."

The jock laughed. "I've got A's in all my classes, man. I'm good."

"You…? Oh."

"Thought I was stupid, didn't you?"

"Yes."

Kevin laughed, putting a hand to his stomach. "Oh my God."

"Kevin."

"Yeah?"

"Kevin, I need to inform you of … you are a marvelous … specimen, and I … I am … you are…" Kevin grinned when he trailed off and let out a loud yawn. "Yes. Sleeeepy sleepy sleepy."

"Sure." The older boy leaned forward and nipped the genius's bottom lip. Edd moaned in response and kissed back sluggishly. "I'm gonna let myself out, okay?"

"Hmmm."

Double Dee squirmed deeper into his nest of blankets and smiled. A few strands of hair fell into his face. Kevin tucked them gingerly under the elastic of his hat, biting his lip to hold back a grin.

"Bye, dork."