Chapter 10. Belated Germs, Scars, and Argyle

"Kevin?" Edd stood next to Kevin's bed, watching the redhead sleeping on his stomach. He bit his lip and adjusted his hat upon his head with a trembling hand. Edd's hair was dripping wet, and his clothing clung to the dampness of his skin. "K-Kevin?"

The boy didn't move let alone wake up so Edd reached out and shook his shoulder lightly. "Kevin, I'm terribly sorry, b-but please wake up," he murmured.

Kevin finally stirred and groggily looked up at Edd. His expression was drowsy, his eyes looking at Edd but not appearing as if they were actually registering what or who they were seeing. "What?" Kevin snapped, but before Edd could apologise again Kevin seemed to finally take in Edd's appearance. "What's wrong? Why are you wet? And why is there a plastic bag on your arm?"

Edd hugged his arms around himself, cast included, still shaking and undoubtedly looking pathetic. "I keep regurgitating, Kevin, and my stomach feels terrible- from all the inebriant I consumed last night, no doubt."

Rubbing an eye with the palm of a hand, Kevin sat up and let his sheets fall down to his lap. "Okay, but that still doesn't explain why you're in my room, soaking wet," he paused to glance at his dark window, "before the sun is even up."

"The sickening feeling woke me up," Edd explained, startling when Kevin beckoned him closer with a wave of his hand, but obeying slowly anyway. "I can't go back to sleep and I can't get rid of it. Oh, and I'm wet because I had a shower- Kevin, may I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Did I...just have alcohol last night?" Edd murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes wide. "I feel awful..."

Kevin smiled faintly and shook his head. "Just alcohol, Double Dork. Mostly vodka." Edd sighed in relief and frowned. "So why do you have a plastic bag around your arm again?" Kevin pressed, an air of humour about him.

"As I said before, I had a shower," Edd said, suddenly feeling the cold of his wet clothes, and shuddered, which finally managed to draw Kevin's attention away from the plastic bag.

The redhead rose an eyebrow. "Why didn't you dry yourself off?"

"I-I was in a rush- I forgot a towel," Edd murmured. "Look, that's really not important, what is important is you telling me how to get rid of the storm-riddled ocean currently dwelling in my stomach that's making me want to empty my already destitute stomach into the toilet bowl," he snapped desperately.

"You're shaking, Double D," Kevin said calmly. "You're gonna get sick if you don't dry yourself off."

Voice catching in his throat when he opened it to deliver a retort, Edd slowly realised just how ridiculous he was being. He looked away from the redhead and drew a shakily deep breath. As soon as he'd woken up all he could think about was his actions last night; kissing Kevin, the sickness in his gut and fact that he'd been sprawled against a nightclub's germ-infested public bathroom wall. He now supposed he had just been massively overloaded from it all coming crashing down on him as soon as his mind had cleared. His attention flicked back to Kevin when he started tugging at Edd. Edd looked down and realised that Kevin was trying to take off his shirt. Blinking in surprise and embarrassment, Edd backed away.

"U-uh I'll just go...get changed, then," he said, stumbling over his words a little. Kevin didn't look perturbed at Edd's retreat, but just nodded and added that he should dry his hair off, too.

Edd left and grabbed a towel from the linen cupboard before heading to his room where he dried his hair and changed his clothing. The plastic bag taped around his arm to keep his cast dry whilst he showered was also finally removed. He expected Kevin to be asleep again by the time he was finished, but to his surprise the redhead had dragged himself out of bed and was waiting at the top of the staircase for him.

"C'mon, then," was all Kevin said before he headed down the stairs. Edd followed him and cringed when they arrived in the kitchen.

"I don't want any breakfast, Kevin, my stomach couldn't handle it," Edd said honestly.

But Kevin either wasn't listening or just disregarded what he'd said and pointed to one of the stools at the counter. "Sit."

"But, Kevin-"

"Sit."

Being his ever polite self, Edd sat on the indicated stool and watched as Kevin got out the frying pan and some eggs and bacon. Edd could feel his stomach twirling and twisting when the smells from the cooking ingredients reached him, and when Kevin turned to face him Edd sent him a 'please, no' look, but Kevin just smirked a little and set a bottle of water down in front of him from across the counter.

"Drink that."
"All of it?" Edd asked incredulously.

"Yup," Kevin said, sounding a little more upbeat than his drowsy-self had a little while ago. He went back to his pan of eggs and bacon and Edd drank some of the water; it's lack of aroma making it easier to stomach. Then a plate with a pile of fried food was pushed in front of him, and Kevin took a piece of bacon from it and chewed on it as he looked at him expectantly.

"You know," Kevin began. "I'm surprised you don't know about hangovers and fried food."

Edd brightened a little. "This," he began, pointing at the grease pile on his plate, "will help?"

The redhead nodded. "Should do. It doesn't for some people, though, 'coz you know, everyone's different."

Edd forced himself to fork some of it into his mouth and he didn't find it as hard as he imagined it would be. He swallowed and ate some more before a thought occurred to him. "You aren't sick?"

Propping his hip against the counter, Kevin shrugged. "Not really. Not enough to freak out, anyway." He smiled whilst he said the last bit and shot a glance at Edd, who couldn't help but chuckle.

"I guess I did freak out, huh?"

"Sure did. So are you going to tell me why you rushed to have a shower while you were feeling sick?" Kevin asked, looking genuinely curious.

Edd looked down at his food, which was a mistake because the image made him feel sick again. He put his fork down on the plate. "Well, we were...in a- against a..." Edd flushed. He couldn't force the words out.

"Ohhh, I get it," Kevin said, pressing his fingertips to his forehead and smiling. "So it's a germ thing, right? The bathroom?"

"The physical contact with the wall, to be precise. Do you know what kinds of bugs can be found in a public bathroom? Staphylococcus, streptococcus, E. coli and shigella bacteria, hepatitis A virus, the common cold virus..." Edd tapered off when Kevin started chuckling.

Kevin grinned at Edd and shook his head in amusement. "You had a freak out when you woke up because you thought you were 'dirty'. But you were too totally drunk last night to care."

Edd sniffed huffily and crossed his arms as best he could with his arm cast. "Firstly, I'd thank you not to mock my disposition towards hygiene. Secondly, I was not 'totally drunk'."

Kevin leaned his elbow on the counter and cradled his chin in the palm of his hand. He was standing directly across from Edd and smiling easily. Edd belatedly realised that he was seeing more and more of that carefree smile lately, and that there was something comforting and satisfying in that thought.

"I'm glad to see you happy, Kevin," Edd found himself saying softly.

Kevin blinked, and then smiled a little wider. "It's not so bad around here without Lover-Boy cramping up the place," he joked.

"I'm being serious, Kevin," Edd pushed.

"So am I, that guy almost made living here unbearable," Kevin stole from Edd's plate again before stealing his water and downing some of it.

"Is that all that makes you happy?" Edd asked, unsure exactly why he was pushing the subject.

Kevin glanced at Edd whilst he was still drinking. He tossed the empty bottle in the trash and shrugged. "Well you kissing me last night helps."
Edd turned crimson. "K-Kevin! I didn't- you kissed me!"

Laughing, Kevin rose an eyebrow at Edd. "Are you serious? You practically told me to kiss you!"

"I did not!"

"I believe you even said yourself that you invited me," Kevin grinned, moving around the counter.

Wrinkling his nose when he remembered the exact sentence he was referring to, Edd's gaze dropped to the floor in embarrassment and said nothing more, clasping his hands over each other in his lap.

There was a pause. "Do you regret that?" Kevin asked.

Edd snapped his gaze back up to see Kevin's stoic one. "Of course not." Flushing, Edd couldn't hold his intense gaze; more memories of last night ran through his mind, ignited by the look in Kevin's eyes.

"Good," Kevin said simply, earning an analysing look from Edd, which elected another roguish smile. Kevin then stretched and yawned. "Anyway, I'm going back to bed."

Edd glanced at the clock on the wall. "But it's six-thirty."

"Exactly," Kevin grimaced, scratching his back. "Which is way too early for me."

Smiling fondly, Edd nodded in understanding. "Thank you for getting up for me, Kevin, even if I was being a bit silly."

"Do you feel better?" Kevin asked.

"A little, yes, thank you for asking."

Nodding, Kevin reached out and ruffled the top of Edd's hat instead of his hair before he walked away, yawning again. "I'll leave the cleaning up to you, considering how inclined you are towards hygiene."

Chuckling behind his hand, Edd watched him go before attempting to do just that, but realising with a frown that he couldn't very well do the dishes without getting his cast wet. So he left it. Very reluctantly and not without irritation.

With plenty of time before school started, Edd decided to go for a walk to get more cleaning supplies. He'd used a lot of soap this morning in the shower, and he was running out of wet wipes, rubber gloves, and disinfectant. He also needed new floss, mouthwash and shampoo, now he thought about it.

With everything silent in the dorm house, Edd left with his wallet and headed for the local shops, which weren't far from school campus. He still felt sick, but not so much as earlier. He also felt much cleaner- but it was a feeling that his intensive shower hadn't quite been able to achieve.

-~X~-

Wearing his favourite grey argyle sweater and rain coat to keep away the light drizzle of rain that pattered on his hood, Edd walked through the park that was his shortcut to the small shopping plaza. Plastic bags hung from his arms and he hummed a cheerful tune; his stomach feeling much better after some fresh air and another bottle of water. The school Edd and Kevin attend was located in a quiet, small, upper-class town. There were a lot of parks and even a river not five minutes away. The trees in the park were tall and as Edd looked up through their mazes of leaves at the sky, droplets of rain fell onto his upturned face.

There were some people Edd recognised from school wandering through the park that connected the school, the dormitories, and the small town, though none of them paid him much mind. Other than that and an elderly man walking his greyhound, the park was void of life.

Then, suddenly: "Hey, Edd!" a masculine voice called from behind.

Edd stopped and looked behind himself to find Felix Moore and a few others he didn't recognise walking up to him. Edd's blood ran cold and his stomach lurched with a sudden renued feeling of nausea. His body remembered fuzzy, blurred feelings, images, sensations, from the night that Felix had tried to force himself onto Edd, and it made him shudder violently. Without a word he spun on his heel and continued on his way back home, walking much faster now. He prayed silently but fiercely in his head for Felix to leave him alone.

"Edd!" Footsteps sounded heavily and then Felix was beside Edd, alone and without his friends. "Hey, Edd, I want to talk with you."

"Leave me alone," Edd said quietly, nervously, not even looking at the boy.

"C'mon, Edd, I want to explain myself," Felix said, keeping stride with Edd. "Hey, how did you get that cast on your arm?"

Calming himself so he didn't just take off in a sprint to get away from Felix, Edd focused on the ground. "I don't want to talk to you, just leave me alone."

"Look, Edd, I was drunk, I couldn't help myself," Felix explained, ignoring Edd's request. "And it's your fault, anyway; you're just too cute for your own good."

"Leave me alone!" Edd said firmly this time, cringing inwardly at the boy's stupid and pathetic excuses. He felt slightly courageous from the repulsion overtaking his fear, and Edd sent a glare at Felix. "You're pathetic," he breathed. Even at a time like this, he disliked the taste of the negative words upon his own lips. Even considering the circumstances, it wasn't like him. Maybe he'd been spending too much time around Kevin.

Felix glowered darkly. "I'm pathetic? I'm not the one who accepted my obvious invitation, and then bailed at the last minute. What the fuck were you thinking? That I invited you because you're cool?"

Overwhelmed again and tearing up a little, Edd turned sharply and started to run away from the boy playing with his mind. He was just tormenting him.

But a hand grabbed the back of his sweater and yanked him back after only a few strides. Edd stumbled and fell onto the damp grass, feeling the give of mud under his fingers. He yelped in pain and rolled twice from the force of his abrupt fall. He tried his best to protect his injured arm but he still felt shooting pain up along the very bone of it. When he attempted to sit up it was to see Felix hovering over him, Edd's shopping bags in his hand. Felix messily dumped the contents of them, some of which Edd had to protect his face from, and gave a couple of the items a few half-hearted kicks across the grass. Edd noticed for the first time Felix's bruised, swollen and sore-looking nose.

Felix noticed him staring and his face flushed with anger. "Yeah, take a good look at what your bodyguard did to my face."

Edd, numb with fear and pain, just kept on looking at Felix' face, which seemed to anger him further because he suddenly threw a punch down at Edd. It caught him directly in the face, the cheek, and before he could assess any damage another punch landed, also on his face.

Edd cried out in pain and dipped his head to hide it from the taller boy. He hugged himself and trembled, eyes clamped shut, waiting for the next blow. But it never came. Gingerly, he peered up at Felix. The boy was sneering at him.

"I have to get it fucking re-structured," Felix spat. He features were twisted with unkempt agitation.

"Why are you doing this, Felix?" Edd managed to ask, placing his hand as inconspicuously as he could over his throbbing left cheek. The pain was terrible, but he couldn't just let go of the situation because of it, so he focused on the brunette standing over him who looked absolutely murderous.

Felix squatted down onto his haunches to glare at Edd with hard eyes. "Because I'm Felix-fucking-Moore and you can't just break my nose and get away with it."

"I didn't," Edd breathed, almost too afraid to speak. "Kevin did."

"Kevin did it because of you," Felix countered quickly, his eyes narrowing.

Edd couldn't stop his head from shaking slowly from side to side. "No. He did it because of you."

"Enough!" Felix suddenly stood up and aimed a kick at Edd, which was unavoidable and connected with his shoulder painfully. Head snapping forward with the force, Edd was laid flat on his back. He coughed violently, gasping, his very breath knocked (kicked) out of him. But then the caress of the cool rain dampening his hair and tickling his scalp was felt and Edd's eyes widened beyond that which the pain and fear had caused. He frantically scrambled onto his hand and knees and went for the black lump that lay a few feet away, but just as he had it within his grasp it was torn from him.

Felix looked at the black piece of material in his hand with distaste.

"Felix, please, I implore you, give it back." Edd was rising shakily to his feet, his fear of Felix momentarily put behind his need of his hat.

"Why?" Felix was making a face, a bit of a mix between derision, confusion, and disfavour. "It's just a dirty old hat."

"It's not dirty," Edd said quietly, biting his lip. He took a step towards Felix, gravitated desperately by his hat, but Felix sent him a dirty look and Edd stopped abruptly. "Please, I need it."

"Well," Felix began, looking back down at the saggy hat and turning it over in his hand. "In that case..." With a flick of his wrist, Felix wrapped it around his knuckles and threw a punch at Edd, who caught it in the face and immediately cried out and keeled over, belatedly protecting his face with his arms instinctively.

"Tell Kevin I said hi, won't you, Edd?" Felix said dainty. "And tell him he's gonna pay. For everything."

Edd didn't reply and just watched as Felix walked away with his hat dangling from his clenched fist, wondering just what 'everything' was.

His thin plastic rain coat torn in several places from his harsh falls and Felix's yanking of it, Edd shivered from the cold of the rain and realised he was covered in mud. Scavenging what he could of his shopping from off the ground, Edd trudged back home in the now-heavy rain.

When he finally entered the dorm house after what felt like an eternity of pain and rain and his haunting thoughts, he sighed a breath of relief. The clock on the wall said eight o 'clock, which meant Kevin should be awake by now. True to his thoughts, Edd heard Kevin whistle as he pried off his gumboots.

"Take a swim in a mud puddle, Double Dork?" Kevin asked from somewhere behind Edd. There was obvious humour in his voice, and Edd didn't blame him.

"I suppose I must look a mess," Edd replied calmly. "I feel it." He slipped off his ruined raincoat with a little difficultly and draped it onto the nearest coat hook. He looked down at his cast as he placed his remaining shopping on the floor and frowned; it was wet.

"What do you mean?" Kevin asked, and suddenly Edd can hear his voice getting closer, but he still didn't look at the redhead. He wasn't sure how Kevin would react to what had happened, and Edd wasn't sure he wanted to find out, either; Kevin had...a bit of a temper.

"I think I might have to go see the doctor, I got my cast wet. I've never broken anything before, so I'm only assuming when I say that it'll needed to be replaced. I'm sure the moisture could cause infection if left," Edd said calmly, still facing the coat rack next to the door. He touched the cast tentatively. "Not to mention the integrity of the cast is probably rendered-" Kevin cut him off by physically turning him around.

At first, Kevin's face was stern and concerned, but that soon turned into surprise when he saw Edd's face. Edd expected the inescapable bruises to be apparent, then.

"What the...?" Kevin's eyes sought out Edd's, and then searched them for answers. "Shit, Double D, what happened?"

"I fell," Edd lied automatically. He tried to look embarrassed, but knew he wasn't managing more than a blank stare. "The rain made the grass in the park slick and I slipped."

Kevin watched Edd cautiously and when Edd finished, his expression turned dark. "What. Happened?" he demanded again.

"I just told you."
"Tell me the truth."

Edd bit his lip, showing off the gap between his two front teeth. "Kevin, I-" He worried his lip before continuing. "Promise me you won't do anything if I tell you."

"No," Kevin said flatly. He gripped Edd's shoulders again but Edd flinched at the touch and Kevin quickly withdrew his hands. "I won't promise anything until I hear exactly what the fuck happened to you."

"I'm sure it was a one-off thing," Edd insisted. "It won't happen again."

But Kevin was beyond pushing him now and was focusing his intense eyes at Edd's shivering, mud-covered frame. "C'mon, lets get you cleaned up first, then," he murmured, placing a gently firm hand on his back. Edd said nothing to that and allowed himself to be led into the downstairs bathroom.

Kevin fiddled with the bath plug and the taps and soon water was gushing into the tub. Placing a few towels beside the bathtub, Kevin walked back to Edd. "Will you be alright by yourself?"

"Certainly," Edd said quietly, nodding. He rubbed his injured upper arm and looked down at the tiled floor, but was surprised when Kevin suddenly swept him up in an enveloping hug. "Kevin?"

"Shut up," Kevin mumbled, pulling Edd against his chest. It was only slightly painful because of his bruises, but the sensation of the warm hug overbore that easily. Then Kevin let go and slid out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. It was over quite quickly and left Edd standing in the middle of the room, a little lost. But the gathering steam caught his attention and he turned off the taps and stripped off his wet, discoloured clothes. He turned to look in the mirror at the damage done to his face, but his reflection pulled a startled gasp from his lips. Not because of his bruises, but because he'd just realised that he was still bare-headed. He'd been hatless in front of Kevin and the redhead hadn't made a big deal out of it. He'd just...put it aside because of Edd's injuries.

Feeling both strangely fuzzy and renew queasiness, Edd's eyes slid to the giant bruise over his cheek. Then the one on his jaw. Then the one beside his eye. And lastly the one over his shoulder. Edd sighed raggedly and rubbed at an eye before moving over to the steaming bathtub. Edd spent a good while soaking and scrubbing the mud off, and just generally mourning over the loss of his favourite argyle sweater that lay in a muddy heap on the floor. He'd have to throw it out now.

The time allowed his heart to finally slow down and his nerves to relax somewhat. With his cast-covered arm hanging over the edge even though it was already soaked beyond repair, Edd stared up at the ceiling as he thought. When he was finished, he dried himself off and was forced to leave the bathroom in nothing but a towel and an opaque shower cap covering his hair- there weren't any hats in the bathroom, after all.

He looked around for Kevin, but couldn't see the redhead anywhere. Worried, Edd started up the stairs. "Kevin?" he called. "Kevin?"

"I'm here," Kevin answered from somewhere upstairs. The redhead appeared at the top of the stairs and moved out of Edd's way when he reached him. "Was it Lover-Boy?"

"What?" Edd's foot fell uselessly after he'd lifted it for another, non-existent step. He snapped his widened gaze up to Kevin's and his mouth gaped uselessly for a moment before he could form together some words. "What makes you think that?"

Kevin narrowed his gaze and Edd felt sheepish.

"Blake never meant to hurt me. He wouldn't do this," Edd defended, not under the assumption that Kevin would take his defending of Blake very well.

"He was a selfish prick," Kevin spat. "He only wanted what he wanted."

Averting his eyes, Edd started to make his way to his room to change. "Kevin, let's not. I hardly think I could handle it."

"Sorry." Kevin's voice was also low, but Edd heard it clearly. Edd sent a feeble smile over his shoulder before he shut himself in his room with a sigh. For the first time that Edd could recollect, he didn't want to go to school. But, unfortunately, it was a weekday, and Edd could never knowingly skip, so he opened a drawer and pulled out some clothing and another black ski hat.

The sound of a nearby door slamming loudly made Edd jump and freeze with only one arm of his sweater on. Heavy footfalls travelled down the hall and started down the stairs and Edd sprinted out of his room and stared after Kevin. "Kevin? What's going on?" Edd called after him. Kevin stopped and looked back at Edd, and oh. His face was steel. Darn.

"He's going to fucking pay, Double D," was all Kevin said in ways of an explanation.

His hands immediately clutching at each other and folding over themselves, Edd faltered, but Kevin sounded so confident, so unflinchingly set, that Edd knew lying or bluffing was of no use. "How did you find out?"

Kevin lifted his phone into view and waved it in the air, his expression never changing, and stared at Edd for a moment before then abruptly continuing down the stairs. Again, the explanation was vague at best, but Edd didn't have the time nor the words to ask for a better one. He jogged down the stairs after Kevin.

"Kevin, please, don't!" he caught up to the redhead and grasped a handful of his hoodie, but visions of earlier ran through his hand and he dropped the material quickly. Kevin kept on walking, most likely completely unaware. "Kevin, will you talk to me about this?"

Kevin was at the front door, but his shoulders tensed and he stopped. "I know where he is, Double D, if I don't go now, I might not catch him."

Edd manoeuvred himself around the taller boy so he was blocking the door as best he could with his thin frame. "That's good, I don't want you to hurt him, Kevin," Edd reasoned, forcing eye-contact. "We need to get to school."

That made Kevin's face twist. "You're more important than school, Double D," he said lowly. "Please move."

"No."

Sighing in frustration, Kevin ran a hand backwards through his hair, the action lifting his hat up. "God, Double D, he hurt you," he said. "I can't just let anyone waltz up to you and hit you. What kind of a person would I be if I did? I have to stop you from getting hurt, okay?" It sounded so final, so absolute, that Edd just stared. He couldn't even find it within himself to resist when Kevin moved him aside with firm, gentle hands, and left through the front door.

There were things he could say- things he wanted to say, but somehow, Kevin's words had rendered him completely speechless. He stared at the door for at least a minute, wondering where his words had gone, before he yanked it open and chased after the redhead.

-~X~-

It was still raining, and the dark, threatening clouds were unrelenting and thickened. Edd hadn't had the chance to grab a jacket- in all honesty the thought hadn't even crossed his mind when he'd left the dorm house. But now, as he alternated between quick strides and jogging to try and catch up to Kevin, who's long legs kept him well ahead of Edd even though he was only walking (marching, even), Edd wished for something to keep the rain off him.

Edd hugged his arms around himself and watched Kevin ahead of him. The redhead was still angry, and Edd was lagging behind on purpose; the thought of trying to convince him to not confront Felix again was both overpowering and terrifying. But he knew that if he caught up to him- if he made eye-contact again, he would have to try and stop him. He couldn't just keep quiet and let him go. So he was staying behind, wracking his brain for some kind of solution. But he wasn't having much luck.

Up ahead, Kevin's determination seemed unwavering. If anything, he seemed to merely be getting more and more rigid and agitated the longer he walked. He also didn't appear to be suffering from the cold, even though he wore even less than Edd, his chest was covered in only thin material and his arms completely bare. The rain was sliding down the skin of Kevin's arms smoothly, dripping from his fingertips. Edd worried he might get sick.

"Go home, Double D," Kevin called without looking back and without stopping.

Startled, Edd faltered. But he kept on following, and he remained silent. There was nothing he could say to the redhead to change his mind, but maybe he could at least diffuse the situation with his presence somehow.

They rounded into a new street and Edd immediately recognised the difference of it. The dorm houses here were twice as large as they normally were, which themselves were quite large. The familiarity of it chilled Edd's bones. This was the street the Moore brother's house was in. Kevin was going straight to Felix's house?

The house came into view and Edd felt sick at the very sight of it. Kevin suddenly stopped and faced Edd sharply, and his face was barely restrained anger. Still.

"Double D," he said. His voice was slower and held more meaning than before. "Go, home."

Edd stopped, too, and stared for a moment. "No," he choked out, forcing himself to speak, and because that was said, a strained "please," wasn't far behind.

For the first time, Kevin looked doubtful, hesitant, and he took a step towards Edd. "Double D-"

"Please, for me," Edd begged, sensing a thread of hope for bypassing the conflict.

Kevin frowned deeply, glanced back at the Moore brother's house, then walked back to Edd. "Then you report him," he said, sounding calmer. "We'll report him."

"There were no witnesses," Edd responded quietly. Relief was washing through him, but his nerves were still shot, and he was still cold, so he trembled.

Stopping in front of Edd, Kevin's shoulders slumped and he sighed heavily, taking a step into Edd's personal space he placed a hand atop the black sock hat before resting his chin there, too. "You're too soft, Double D. Not everyone is as kind as you, people'll take advantage."

"You don't," Edd murmured, desperate to rid his head of some of the words and thoughts that were blocking and crippling it, even if it was only a couple.

"As hard as it might be to believe, there are worse people out there than me," Kevin replied, and Edd's first reaction was to smile, but the realisation that Kevin's voice hadn't held any humour in it corrupted it and twisted it into a frown. But there was no time to react further.

"What a pleasant surprise." It was Felix's voice, and Kevin immediately released Edd and spun around. The brunette was smiling unsettlingly. "Kevin. Edd, couldn't keep away, huh?"

Snapping his jaw shut, Edd swallowed dryly. Kevin, however, was straightening to his full height and squaring his shoulders.

"You know," Kevin began, staying put in front of Edd. "I really thought you would have learned from our previous little encounter that messing with my friends isn't a good idea."

Felix's face erupted into fury. "You bastard. What's happened to you?" he spat, and Edd frowned in confusion. "You here to go another round? Well bring it, you prick, I'm not drunk this time!" And he lunged at a scowling Kevin.

Felix connected the first hit to Kevin's cheek, and although Kevin's head snapped back with the force, he was quick to send a replying fist flying. Edd clutched his hat to his head and stifled a gasp against his hand. That had happened so quickly.

Edd watched in horror as skinned bone cracked skinned bone and muscle, and growls and cries of rage and pain were exchanged. Others in the street were stopping to watch in awe as the two young men fought in the front yard of one of the most beautiful houses Edd had ever seen in person. It was a show of power and anger and it was both magnificent and terrifying.

Kevin had the upper hand now, not that Edd ever imagined he didn't, and Felix was backing away in fear. But Kevin was furious and following him with unrelenting force. Felix was not only bruised worse than Edd, but he was also bleeding and clutching his arm like it was gold. He was also crying and coughing and spluttering. Edd's eyes were huge as he stared at the broken image of the brunette. Kevin had bashed him to a pulp so quickly, with such force and anger... it frightened him.

It wasn't until the sight of blood spraying that Edd found his voice- his words."Stop!" he cried out weakly. "Enough, please!" Kevin had been aiming another kick to the doubled over figure, but stopped when asked, leaving Felix like one would a piece of rubbish, without a second glance, and walked over to Edd. But Edd couldn't stop staring at him- lying on the grass, groaning in agony.

"Give me your phone," he murmured.

Kevin looked at him. "What, why?"

"Just give it to me," Edd insisted, holding his hand out for it. Kevin handed it to him and Edd dialled the number for emergencies. He ordered an ambulance, gave the address, refused to give his name, and hung up.

"...C'mon," Kevin placed a hand behind Edd and lead him away from the scene. They left, Edd still in a daze and Kevin's face set, silent.

When they reached home, Kevin dropped his hand and Edd belatedly realised that it hadn't moved from his back the entire journey back. They walked up the pathway and an uncomfortable silence fell in which Edd had no clue what to say; he didn't even know what he felt.

Edd felt Kevin touching his arm and watched as the redhead raised it to inspect his cast.

"We should go to the hospital," he said.

"It's alright, it'll be alright until after school," Edd replied softly, distractedly.

But Kevin shook his head and tugged him around the outside of house. "No, I'll take you now, and then I'll take you to school."

Nodding absently, if only so he didn't have to speak any more, Edd followed Kevin to his motorcycle and climbed on behind him. They rode in silence to the hospital and Edd was reminded of the last trip they'd made together to the very same place. It was interesting to think, that Kevin had been violent just before the last trip, too. Kevin was violent a lot- he had a volatile temper. Edd wondered what would happen if he, himself aggravated Kevin enough for his temper to explode. It wasn't pleasant thinking, and Edd tried not to ponder on it too much, but the implications were worrying.

They weren't at the hospital long. Kevin sat in the waiting room with all the glossy magazines while Edd got his cast replaced and reprimanded by the doctor.

Edd insisted they go straight to school so they didn't miss any more than they already had, and Kevin complied.

The lecture was long, and Edd found himself unfocussed, and not for the first time during this class. His attention was stolen by Kevin, which was quite the feat because Kevin was on the other side of campus.

This thought brought up a question that had been hovering around in Edd's subconscious all year: just what was Kevin studying here? And how did he even manage to enrol- this was a school for genius', raw talent, and rich kids. So which was Kevin?

Edd doodled idly in his textbook as his mind wandered, which was entirely out of character for him.

"What are you doing, Eddward?"

Jumping slightly, Edd's gaze flicked up to meet Mr. Dane's, the blond teacher looking at him with no annoyance, but some humour. He wore a hideously brown and woolly jumper.

"Uhm, I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Dane," Edd mumbled, embarrassed when some of the class sniggered at his feeble apology.

"Doing some art, are we?" Mr. Dane was quick to reach out and take Edd's book from him before Edd could stop him. Edd gulped and wrung his hands.

Mr. Dane rose his eyebrows, smiling lightly, calmly. He smiled and nodded in mock appreciation. "Ah yes, flowers and hearts and...magnets?" Speechless, Edd just gaped. His teacher was humiliating him on purpose! Smiling agreeably, Mr. Dane handed Edd his book back after flicking it to a new page. "Please copy the information projected on the white board, Eddward, and see me after class."

Another gulp and a meek nod later and Edd sunk down in his seat, quickly writing out the paragraphs blaring on the wall in the front of the classroom.

After the period had finished and everyone had filed out of the spacious room, Edd sighed, stood from his chair and gathered his belongings from his desk. A lot of the other students preferred to use laptops and some even used Ipads, but after Edd had lost an entire assignment through a simple computer malfunction, he'd stuck to pen and paper ever since.

He walked up to Mr. Dane's desk and waited politely for the teacher to notice him. Looking up from some papers, Mr. Dane smiled.

"Eddward, thank you for staying behind," he said. "I have a few questions I hope you won't mind answering."

"Of course."

"Good," Mr. Dane said before he stood and sat on his desk rather than his seat, so he was more eye-level with Edd. "I know I've already asked this before, but your distraction in class has prompted me to ask again. So, Edd, how did you get those injuries?"

"I'm not in trouble?" Edd asked. Mr. Dane was Edd's favourite teacher; he was pleasant and made class fun and interesting. He also didn't tolerate tom-foolery during class, which Edd was eternally thankful for. But mostly, he was the only faculty member of the school that managed to pay enough attention to Edd to notice he had been unfocused, had gained a sudden broken arm, and now had bruises littering his face. Mr. Dane was also one of the school's counsellors.

The teacher shook his head.

"Well, I certainly appreciate your concern, sir, but I've already told you how I obtained my slight injuries. I attend martial arts class and I'm afraid I'm not very good at it yet," he said, ending it with a sheepish smile.

Mr. Dane wasn't smiling any more. He looked at Edd thoughtfully and crossed his arms. "What kind of martial arts are you doing?"

Struck dumb for a moment, Edd searched his brain for a name, a title, anything. Karate came up first, but was too unoriginal. "Wing Chun," he blurted.

His teacher raised an eyebrow. "Wing Chun?"

"Yes, it's a style of close combat and a relaxed form- mainly punches."

Mr. Dane hesitated, then sighed and nodded. "Okay, then, Eddward. Sorry for the questioning." He stood and picked up the papers he'd been studying before. "If you find you're falling behind in class, I'll be happy to offer you some one-on-one time so you can concentrate in class. Don't let a hobby get in the way of your school work."

Nodding in an understanding way, Edd thanked his teacher and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Edd?"

Edd looked over his shoulder to see a casual smile directed at him.

"Can I have your drawings from today?"

Step faltering, Edd turned back around to face Mr. Dane. "Pardon, sir?"

The tall, thirty-something-year-old smiled, nodded, and held his hand out. "Please."

Frowning in confusion, Edd fumbled in his bag and took out his textbook. He flipped to the page of the flowers and hearts and after glancing at Mr. Dane and receiving an approving look, ripped it out carefully. "Why do you want this, sir?" Edd asked, handing it to him.

"I like it," Mr. Dane answered with a smile as he took it and glanced at it before folding it up and slipping it into his pocket. "I'll see you tomorrow, Eddward."

Still frowning, Edd nodded, turned around and stiffly walked out of the class. He rubbed at his shoulder where a bruise was paining, but his mind was still back in the room.

But just outside the building, leaning against a brick wall, was Kevin. Hands in pockets and shoulders drawn together, he was patiently waiting. Waiting for Edd. And everything else melted away.