A/N: Chapter 3, wow! Thank you all for the support, I'm having so much fun writing these two; I'm excited to continue this story. This chapter took so much longer than I expected to write, it took awhile to get Edd's POV how I wanted, and I'd be delighted to hear what you guys think of it. This is still mainly going to be told from Kevin's POV, with occasional scenes from Edd, so I hope the perspectives work well together.

Just a heads up, I'm going to be starting my next semester at college soon so updates for this will probably slow down until December. I will still be writing it, just I won't be able to dedicate as much time as I want to ensure a update roughly every month, which is what I've been trying to do. If you're curious about progress between updates, feel free to PM me, I'll always reply so you guys know what's up. I'm also thinking about writing some one-shots to experiment with different types of scenes (fluff and smut, mainly) for this story, so expect some of those too!

Again, thanks for all the amazing feedback, enjoy!

Edd closed his front door, turning the various deadbolts and securing the multiple chain locks with anxious hands. Once every lock was in place he slipped off his shoes, walked up the stairs, and entered his room in a mystified daze. Depositing his plastic bag filled with supplies next to his desk, he sat down in his favorite plushy reading chair by the window, the setting sun barely visible over the roofs of the neighboring houses.

Kevin's motorcycle groaned to life on the street below, he must be turning it around to head home.

Once the noise faded Edd leaned over the side of his comfortable armchair, craning his neck to look out the window. Across the street Kevin stood tense on the stoop before his open front door, facing away from Edd so only the shock of his red hair was visible, along with the rest of his well proportioned backside. Kevin stayed there for a moment, before suddenly his tightly wound shoulders appeared to slump and relax. Edd watched as Kevin hesitantly took a step over the threshold, swiftly closing the door behind him. Edd continued to stare at the closed door before he twisted away from the window and sighed, further sinking into his chair.

He couldn't believe he had almost allowed himself to kiss the Kevin Barr. Edd flushed just thinking about it. Kevin was so intoxicating, Edd always found himself stuttering and loosing his impulse control whenever he was around that oddly mysterious boy. There weren't many people who had that affect on him anymore, however it didn't feel like an annoying weakness around Kevin. Instead he felt horribly giddy and excited when he was talking to his long-time crush, it would take awhile to get used to the effects of those emotions. He had the time to adjust though, because they were at the start of a friendship, which was something Edd had never expected to happen.

Edd ultimately hoped for something more. He had already planned on confessing his feelings to Kevin at some point during the year, if only to get over his 'slight' infatuation. But now he was too invested in what could happen to just mindlessly throw away their budding friendship, even if he had to endure the annoying perfection of Kevin's face. His crooked grin, the artful spattering of freckles across his cheeks, the way his reddish-blond eyelashes fanned out when he blinked or closed his eyes; all were some of the most beautiful things he's ever witnessed—Edd knew he had fallen hard.

Having a little crush was one thing, but he hadn't quite comprehended its true magnitude until he actually found himself in Kevin's presence. No wonder he had been caught up in the moment, staring at Kevin's full lips as he so effortlessly smiled down at him from atop his motorcycle. It could've been his imagination, but Edd thought Kevin had started to lean in too, the implications of that possibility still bouncing around in his mind.

Edd's rumination was interrupted by a vibration in his pocket, the text alert that ruined his possible kiss sounding again, almost mocking him. He grimaced and pulled out his phone, glaring at the screen. It was enough that Marie didn't like Kevin, but now her actions had inadvertently gotten in the way of the kiss he's been waiting so long to receive!

He unlocked his phone with a quick scan of his thumbprint and scrolled through Marie's string of texts, eying them cooly.

Marie Kanker:

Having a nice walk?

Are you okay?

Did those dicks from this morning corner you or something?

Omg, you're dead aren't you?

Okay, I'm getting in Lee's truck to search for your body

Whoever finds this phone please call me, I'm Eddward Vincent's emergency contact

Edd huffed out a startled chuckle. He could never stay annoyed at Marie for long, especially seeing that this time she was only worried for his safety. After all, he's the one who asked her to send those texts in the first place, just incase something did happen to him when he walked home alone. For the last two years she had never missed a day, Edd always receiving her messages roughly 30 minutes after practice, halfway through his journey home. He was grateful that she humored him like this, it showed him that she took their friendship seriously.

Eddward Vincent:

No, thankfully I'm not dead, so you can call off the search party! I just arrived home safely, sorry for worrying you.

Marie Kanker:

You're lucky this time buster, I couldn't find the keys to Lee's truck so I never managed to search any drainage ditches for your mangled corpse

Already home? What are you, a speed walker?

Curse his honesty! He probably should have pretended to still be walking home, but that thought hadn't occurred to him until it was too late. He couldn't tell Marie about the ride on Kevin's motorcycle though, could he? Despite that his own mistrust of Kevin had slowly faded over the years, to the point where it was barely even there anymore, Marie was still highly wary of the football star. Edd had come to realize that she was very protective of him, most likely to make up for the times when she was his primary source of torment, and honestly she had been much crueler than Kevin had ever been. That didn't matter apparently, for she had possessed an intriguing amount of animus towards Kevin and the other cul-de-sac kids ever since their conversation on the swings so many summers ago.

Edd silently chastised himself for even thinking of hiding something from Marie, for she was his best and only friend—until very recently the only person who was ever there for him. So he was actually glad that he had accidentally backed himself into a corner, forcing himself to review the situation. The last thing he wanted was to jeopardize their friendship with lies and half-truths, even though her reaction would most likely be negative, he decided that he had to tell her the truth.

Eddward Vincent:

Kevin gave me a ride home on his motorcycle, needless to say we went very fast, so I'm ahead of schedule. He also offered to take me home every day we have practice, and I accepted. No more walking home alone for me!

Marie Kanker:

That's nice and all, and I know you have a big boner for that asshole, but don't trust him too easily

There's something dark hiding there under that thick skull of his, don't tell me you can't feel it

Eddward Vincent:

I'll admit that I have picked up on something 'dark', as you so eloquently stated, but I'm pretty sure that's just him being nervous. Though it may sound surprising, I think he might reciprocate my feelings, and I'd appreciate it of you would stop being so downright rude to him.

Marie Kanker:

Surprising? It was completely obvious when he wanted to know why you were late to class, he was so nervous it was totally priceless! Who knew he could blush so hard?

Something still isn't right though. And it goes deeper than just being flustered by your schoolboy good looks

Plus, he's a football player, you know how they can be

Eddward Vincent:

Actually, no, I don't know how they can be. Please stop generalizing people!

Today was the first time in a long time that I've been bothered by anyone on the football team, and it was Kevin who came and helped me! I'm starting to think you might have something against him other than this 'dark feeling' you're going on about.

Do you seriously think he could like me? I admit it does seem unlikely.

Marie Kanker:

He definitely does. And if I had any doubts before, they're gone now that Nazz is asking me who you're crushing on. Who else would she be asking for but him?

I just don't want you to get hurt, he's obviously hiding something, there's a fakeness about him that makes my skin crawl

What if that whole thing this morning was all just a part of some plan to get you to like him or something?

I mean, you already do for some reason, but he doesn't know that. That's just how football players are, all manipulative and greedy, only caring about themselves

There has to be some ulterior motive, I don't know how you can't see it

Eddward Vincent:

I appreciate you worrying about me, but please stop this! How could you accuse someone of doing something so sadistic? For years Kevin has only been kind to me, and now that I've actually begun to talk to him and be around him, it's evident that he's even more different than I ever imagined. He even apologized for his past bullying! He's Nazz's best friend for heaven's sake, don't you trust her judgement? And now you tell me that he obviously likes me, how am I supposed to react to that along with everything else? There has to be some other reason for whatever it is that makes you so suspicious.

This continuous argument between him and Marie about Kevin was getting tiresome, they've gone over basically the same thing every time Marie noticed him glancing at his crush. Sure, for the longest time he was angry at himself for being so enamored with his bully, but as high school progressed Kevin had never once said anything hurtful or demeaning to him like he used to—if anything it appeared like he was going out of his way to be cordial and friendly. Still, it had taken Edd awhile to feel comfortable with his feelings, and to accept that Kevin no longer was the bully of his childhood. But even as he eased into their new reality, there were still those sneaking suspicions in the back of his mind that nothing had really changed.

Those worried thoughts as well as Kevin's apparent sexual leanings and popularity meant that he never even attempted to initiate a conversation, to discover the truth once and for all. But as those thoughts began to fade along with the painful memories, Edd had stupidly allowed himself to hope. Kevin never once had a girlfriend despite being arguably the most attractive guy at school; there was a time when Edd thought that him and Nazz were an item, but the silliness of that hypothesis had been revealed over summer break. The fact that Nazz was with Marie and still remained Kevin's best friend showed Edd that at least Kevin wasn't homophobic, and ultimately led to him secretly wishing for a possible relationship. And now that he had talked to Kevin and been around him for the longest time since they were children, those worried thoughts had begun to feel like they were going to disappear for good; Kevin was definitely different.

But there was some truth to what Marie had said too, there was something dark hidden there behind those hazel-green eyes. It was obvious when Kevin was silent, listening to what was going on, attempting to feign disinterest as he hung on to every uttered word. He was hiding something, but unlike Marie, Edd didn't believe that whatever he kept hidden was necessarily menacing or purposely harmful. To Edd Kevin just looked frightened or worried, but nobody else appeared to notice this; possibly they were too caught up with his charming bravado and athletic achievements to care. Even when Kevin was his bully, Edd had always cared—it was hard not to when there was a subtle sadness and anger behind every biting word. He found himself caring even more now though, especially since Marie made Kevin's alleged attraction sound self-evident and plain to see. Edd wanted to know what Kevin was hiding—why there was that undeniable pain imbedded deep in his kind eyes.

Marie Kanker:

Okay there MIGHT be an innocent reason behind his glaring fakeness

But don't trust him so easily, you don't really know him or his motivations, even if it looks like he's changed. Blind trust has gotten you into trouble before, don't let him take advantage of you

And even if you don't listen to my amazing advice, still let me know if he ends up being even more of an ass than I thought, you know I can take care of him

Eddward Vincent:

Glad I can gain your approval.

Have I ever let anyone take advantage of me while we've been friends? I mean allowing someone to boss me around and really toy with my emotions like Eddy once did. You know I'm never letting something like that happen ever again.

Trust that I can take care of myself Marie, at least in the emotional and moral sense. At the first sign of any manipulation I'll let you know immediately. In the interim, please try to be nicer to Kevin, you'll be seeing more of him (and Nazz) if he agrees to what I have in mind.

Marie Kanker:

My begrudging approval, you mean

I know, I know, but you still always see the good in someone where there really isn't any left. I wish that wasn't a bad thing, but there are a lot of pieces of shit out there in the world just waiting to use someone as nice and smart as you

I guess I'll try, but only if he's on his best behavior too. And I'll only be around him if Nazz is there, at least he hangs out with one cool person

And I assume what you have in mind is spending lunch with him and that other pretentious asswipe

Eddward Vincent:

You should probably practice being nicer now, while you can. It'll take awhile to get used to it!

And yes, that's exactly what I had in mind, I haven't asked him yet though, so I'll let you know what's going on later. I think I've sat around long enough, I need to start my chores and homework for the night.

Talk to you later!

Before Marie could respond, Edd shut off his phone and eased out of his reading chair. Now his room was completely dark, only the orange haze from the streetlight in front of his house offering any illumination from his window. He enjoyed relaxing in darkness, all alone in his empty house. This was a place where he was safe, no threat from his life could penetrate these walls. Even in the darkness Edd was at ease, every corner of the house mapped out in his brain by number of steps; he could freely roam without the need to feel around. In truth, he felt more comfortable in his house when it was pitch black, that way if an intruder did manage to break in, he would have the upper hand by knowing the territory. Usually he would have allowed his eyes to adjust and his mind to wander while he sat cozy in his chair, but due to his conversation with Marie he couldn't waste time dawdling anymore.

He had a routine and he had to stick to it.

First, Edd turned on the various table lamps and floor lights dotted throughout the room. He found overhead lights to be abhorrent in most situations. With the exception of a few precision-based tasks he never used any of the ceiling lights in the house; he had enough experience with harsh fluorescent tones at school, thank you.

With his room now appropriately lit, Edd then made his way to the plastic bag by his desk. He knew he would dread the sight of all his spare binders and stationary in disarray when he opened the bag, but organization just wasn't possible when using an amorphous sack as a replacement for his satchel. He laid all his classwork neatly out on his glass-topped desk, placing the backup binders for each class in the designated order outlined by his helpful labels. Once the bag was empty of work, all that was left was the balled soggy husk of his satchel, carefully enclosed in another plastic bag unceremoniously lying at the bottom of the first.

When he felt his encased satchel, Edd had to keep his hand from recoiling. The plastic bag was disgustingly cold; the bag had kept the moisture from destroying the rest of his school supplies but had also ensured that his toilet-soaked satchel wouldn't dry out. No wonder it was so cold. As he departed from his room, freezing bag in hand, he couldn't help but frown.

Micheal certainly knew how to irritate him. A physical altercation was what Edd had expected, and he could easily handle bruises, but destruction of his hard work—he had never considered that possibility. It was definitely worse than if he had been beaten up, a month of notes had been destroyed and his satchel rendered unusable until he washed it. Edd was sure that the loss of his notes wouldn't hinder his quest for knowledge too much, but it was undeniably annoying, and the manner of destruction revolting. Hopefully Kevin's notes would be sufficient, but he knew they wouldn't be as organized as his own. Still, it was amazingly thoughtful of Kevin to consider such a thing, and that kind act had set the tone for the rest of the school day.

Edd knew his cheeks were flushing, even though it would be impossible to tell as he made his way to the laundry room through the inky dark of his house. Once he opened the door, he turned on the harsh exposed bulb with a yank of the chain, closing his eyes so they could adjust to the searing whiteness. He opened the plastic bag and dropped his satchel into the washing machine, careful not to touch the inside of the bag as he threw it away in the lint trashcan by the dryer. Edd then made mental note of the current time and duration the machine listed for the wash to be completed. He quickly did the mental math, plenty of time to enjoy a brief dinner.

He exited the laundry room and headed across the hall to the kitchen. Expertly avoiding the central island and bar stools, Edd found the switch above the colorful backsplash to the left of the sink. The under-cabinet lighting flickered a little as the LED bulbs warmed up, illuminating the speckled granite countertops with enough light appropriate for preparing a meal. He stood in the now light-filled room, debating what to make as he mindlessly rubbed the chilly countertop with his hand.

The kitchen was large and well stocked, with enough space and food to feed the family of four his home was designed to house. Though Edd rather enjoyed cooking he never had the time to do so on weekdays, he preferred to experiment with flavors and different ingredients on Sundays when he invited Marie over for dinner. Those days were the best, when the house held two voices instead of one, plus it allowed him to make a decent dent in the almost repulsive amount of food his parents kept stashed in the many drawers and cabinets throughout the kitchen. On a typical Wednesday like this however, Edd liked to eat a simple seaweed salad tossed in a sesame vinaigrette with a little low sodium soy sauce for taste; something he could finish well within the time it would take for his satchel to be washed.

Edd opened the new SmartFridge his parents had installed at the end of the previous school year, retrieving his pre-packaged salad and placing it on the counter. As he mixed the salad into one of his favorite glazed bowls, Edd's eyes kept wandering over to the gleaming appliance. The refrigerator was a sophisticated piece of technology, quite easy to use and helpful in most cases. Using the touchscreen panel on the front, Edd could order food or other household goods to be delivered from a variety of local stores and businesses. He was even able to specify the time of delivery, so he could ensure that he was home to put everything away before it spoiled. It was a nice gift from Mother and Father, they knew how he loathed going shopping, and the saved time was a wonderful benefit. But perhaps what had led his parents to purchasing the undoubtedly expensive appliance was the cycling to-do list they filled with chores, which never ceased its scrolling across the top of the refrigerator's touchscreen.

Even as he watched the screen from his place seated at the island, he could see the cycling light blue text automatically update as his parents added new items to the list. If he was honest with himself, Edd felt a little peeved that his parents couldn't just text him what they desired him to do; that they had to find another medium to convey their wishes which helpfully prohibited a response. He supposed it made sense, because they weren't actually communicating with him, but rather stating tasks that needed to be done around the house. Of course, since he had done all the chores for eight years he already knew every task they could request, and usually Edd had everything already done before it even appeared on the SmartFridge. But he still checked it, just to make sure nothing out of the ordinary was being added to the list.

Nothing odd appeared as the list finished updating, just typical chores which he had completed the night before. Edd was oddly relieved, now able to focus on enjoying his fresh salad. But his mind had other ideas as his thoughts started to drift to the source of his chores: his parents.

He knew he shouldn't resent his parents for not being there; they had very demanding careers which meant they weren't home for two weeks at a time, but that knowledge didn't stop the occasional bout of loneliness he felt. He always felt it right after they left for another trip, they were most likely just now properly adjusted to the new timezone as they settled into their hotel in Toronto for their conference—he recalled that their flight had left Monday evening so his timing shouldn't be too far off. At least when his parents were home they would always do something special as a family, like going to a museum or enjoying an evening out at a fancy restaurant in the city, but then they'd leave only a few days later. They tried hard, and Edd knew that they loved him—that they were proud of him, but they were barely present in his life. Nothing could make up for not being there, because the only remedy would for them to actually be present, there was no possible substitute.

The loneliness his parents had accidentally thrust upon him had definitely impacted who he was as a person, but Edd decided that it was for the best, because he knew that if he saw someone else wallowing in a similar type of isolation, he'd be the first to try to connect and help them. He wasn't sure if that would be the case if his parents had always been around, and if caring for others was the only silver lining to his situation, he'd gladly take it. Regardless of how he felt, loneliness was a part of his life, and it was better to come to terms with it in a healthy way than to sink further away from other people—which was always remarkably tempting. He knew that his empathy had been used by scheming individuals before, taken advantage of in hateful and cruel ways, but now he felt like he could tell when people were being honest and sincere. And even if he judged poorly, Edd knew that he was better than those who would use others for their own momentary benefit, which was a soothing thought.

Edd put down his chopsticks as he finished his salad, looking up at the SmartFridge display to discover how much time had passed.

He quickly slid off his stool, collecting his utensils and bowl as he moved toward the dishwasher. He must have been lost deep in thought for so much time to pass in an instant, his satchel should already be done! After he glanced around the kitchen to ensure that it was indeed spotless, he switched off the light and went across the hall to the laundry room to start drying his hopefully-clean bag. He didn't bother taking note of the timing for the dry cycle, he would retrieve his satchel when it was done in the morning before he left for school.

Pulling the chain to the exposed bulb in the laundry room, Edd was once again surrounded by comforting darkness as he headed back upstairs to his room. He sat at his desk and pulled out the textbooks he needed for his homework, he'll have to rely off them and the notes he took earlier in the day to do his assignments. The ordering and labeling system the books used were a bit counterintuitive and it took a minute or two for Edd to adjust to the reasoning behind their illogical structure. Though he enjoyed reading textbooks, there was a reason why he took such detailed notes when he was in class. He knew how his brain worked and learned, so he designed his own system to best help the process along; the textbooks on the other hand were not designed specifically for him, so it made sense that it was a bit trickier to understand the material now that he wasn't using his notes.

When he was nearing the completion of his last assignment, a simple review of the different parts of a cell and their various functions for AP Bio, Edd's mind drifted to thoughts of Kevin. He still had to ask him if it was okay to eat lunch with him again tomorrow, a task that shouldn't be too difficult. Still though, the thought of texting Kevin made Edd nervous. What if he was bothering him? He didn't want to be an annoyance, in fact that was basically the last thing Edd wanted. Even though they were now friends, their relationship was tenuous at best, everything still fresh and new. Edd didn't know Kevin's preferred method of communication, he had only ever texted Marie or his parents, and he didn't want his message to be misinterpreted. Maybe it was best to ask Kevin in person tomorrow.

Heavens, Edd frowned at his anxious thoughts, what was wrong with him? It was only a simple text message asking if they could eat lunch together, not some steamy love letter or confession. It's not a big deal, and Kevin probably received messages all the time being at the top of the social totem pole, he should just text him now before he lost his courage.

Edd fished out his phone from his pocket and turned it on, immediately greeted by various notifications and alerts. He searched through his short list of contacts, eyes drawn to a little flame emoji by the newest entry.

He smiled, because he had done something similar to his contact name in Kevin's phone. It was pretty cute, and the tiny flame definitely represented Kevin well. It was nice to think that the emoji was unique to Kevin's contact in his phone, but it was probably something Kevin did all the time. Even if that was the case, Edd still felt the stir of butterflies in his stomach as he typed out a message.

Eddward Vincent:

Goodnight Kevin, I hope you had an enjoyable evening! Could Marie and I sit at your table again tomorrow? I don't want to be a burden so I understand if you refuse, but know that today I had a lovely time with you and your friends. Sleep well and see you tomorrow!

Edd sat with his phone balanced in his hand as he waited for a response. When a minute passed and none came he sighed and set his phone down, shifting in his chair to finish his homework. It was easier to distract himself with work than dwell on the possibility that Kevin was ignoring him, a thought which had horribly invaded his mind as he sat there patiently waiting. He knew it was ridiculous, but he couldn't help it, all the worries that he had battled to be able to even send that message in the first place were now crawling back as he double-checked the cell diagrams he was working on. Only when his phone lit up right as he finished his work did Edd's nerves finally settle, replaced instead by a overwhelming need to see how Kevin responded.

He was glad nobody was around to witness the embarrassing speed he used to snatch up his phone.

Kevin Barr:

Of course you can, you can sit with us whenever you want

You'd never be a burden to me

Ever

I hope you sleep well, goodnight Edd

Edd sat up and walked over to his window, phone in hand.

You'd never be a burden to me. Ever. He kept rereading those words, his heart beating a bit faster each time they cycled through his brain. He flushed, Marie was right: Kevin must really actually like him! There was still a chance that he was misunderstanding what Kevin meant, but that didn't seem likely. Those words were sweet, and filled with emotion seemingly impossible to convey through text, but he could still feel it, the sincerity—the raw feeling, and maybe even a hint of something a little bit sad.

Edd looked out his window at Kevin's house across the street, essentially a carbon copy of his own, its bright tones muted under the lone dim streetlight. There weren't any lights on inside, but he swore he saw a curtain shift on the second floor, but that could easily be a trick of the night. All he knew for certain was that Kevin was somewhere in that house, and that he cared about him.

And that they had almost kissed.

Edd smiled, hugging himself tightly as he slid into his reading chair. In that moment it seemed like he wouldn't be lonely for much longer. He felt scared and excited for what could happen; all his anxieties and fears felt distant and foreign, almost unreachable behind his distracted thoughts, while the possibilities for the future felt almost infinite.

Kevin Barr liked him back.

-o-

"At least report this to someone if you won't let me snoop around and find out who keeps messing with your locker," Marie crossed her arms and looked at Edd testily as he continued to wipe away the new graffiti which had appeared on his locker overnight.

"And what exactly would that achieve?"

"Absolutely nothing, or maybe some weak investigation that wouldn't get anywhere," she responded quickly, like she had her next few lines already planned out. "Which is why you should let me look around and teach this homophobe a lesson in pain."

Edd giggled, "Do you hear yourself sometimes? What forgettable action movie was that from?"

Marie smiled but quickly regained control as her signature frown contorted her face. She sighed and leaned against the locker next to Edd's.

"None of your business. But you should really take this more seriously," she said, pausing momentarily while she blew her bangs out of her face. "Hasn't this been going on since like, what, around the time school started? A month takes some serious dedication Edd, someone has it out for you."

"It's only a bit of writing Marie… It's not that big of a deal."

That was a lie, it was a big deal. Someone had been writing slurs on his locker every day since the first week of school, right before school started or right after it ended. Either way the first thing Edd saw in the morning was a different variation of 'fag' or some other more unusual term for a gay person written neatly on the vibrant orange backdrop of his locker. He hated it, the sight usually made him a bit melancholic—which wasn't a good way to start a day of learning. What was worse however, was the fact that someone knew about his sexuality and was trying to use it to make fun of him, which only served to reinforce his desire to wait till college to come out. Luckily he had industrial-strength chemical cleaner and disinfectant wipes, so the vandalism always came clean off before anyone else could see it.

"God, you're awful at lying to people you care about. And besides, you already told me last week that it was bugging you—and it should!" Marie exclaimed as she pushed off from the locker to join Edd in their standard walk to class. "The fact you tried to play it off also tells me that it's really irritating you too. You know you don't have to hide stuff from me Edd."

"Yes, I know. I apologize," Edd sighed, looking around the deserted hallway for any other sign of life before continuing, "I'm just not wholly comfortable with discussing these things at school. I assume most people wouldn't care about my sexuality, and I'm not going to any extreme lengths to hide it, but I don't want to be picked on or singled out again. Someone could overhear…"

"Well someone already knows, and honestly how can they not with the amount of girls you've denied. And whoever's doing this is picking on you—writing hate speech on someone's locker totally counts. Don't deny that it makes you feel like shit either. Face it, you're being bullied already.'

"That definitely makes me feel better, thanks Marie."

"Hey, I was offering to help out, but you don't seem to want that…" Marie trailed off and scrunched up her face in thought as something occurred to her, suddenly turning to Edd and excitedly whispering, "Didn't you tell me that whatshisname, Matthew, Micheal—yeah Micheal, that he wrote something on your locker yesterday? It's him! You saw the guy red-handed!"

"No, it couldn't be him," Edd confidently stated; at Marie's cocked eyebrow he hurriedly added, "Of course, it was him yesterday, but his handwriting was much to terrible for him to be responsible for the other more consistent vandalism."

Marie's questioning expression darkened into a tight grimace.

"This isn't good. I bet the original douche monger who keeps doing this bragged about it or something, maybe that's how a lightweight like Micheal got the idea to pick on you."

There was an unexpected pause as Marie's words sank in. Edd curiously glanced to his side only to see his friend's face slowly open up again, her eyes alight as she smirked to herself. Edd waited for her to say something more, to reveal what had just popped into her mind, but she never did. That wasn't a good sign.

"Marie, please don't do anything rash!"

"Who said I'd do anything?" Marie teased, doing absolutely nothing to reassure Edd.

Edd crossed his arms and pursed his lips. "You know, you aren't very good at hiding things either. You can tell me what you've planned, I'd rather find out now then have to wait till after your inevitable detention."

"I'll tell you—just not now," Marie grinned. "I need to do some recon first, but I'll probably be able to tell you at lunch—if you're willing to skip your date."

"It's not a date!" Edd hissed, opening the door to Mrs. Wells' classroom with a hearty push. "We're just having lunch. It can't be a date if you and his friends are there, but that doesn't mean I'll miss it without knowing what you're up to first."

"Well, I guess you'll just have to wait and ask me after my detention then," Marie said matter-of-factly as she sat down at her desk.

"You must really think I won't like what you have planned if you're so keen on keeping it a secret," Edd responded cooly as he sat down. "In fact, don't tell me, I don't think I want to know!"

Marie rolled her eyes and shrugged, bending down to retrieve her textbook and notes, her lack of response effectively putting an end to their morning conversation. Which was fine by Edd, he had to get ready for class anyway.

It was irritating that Marie refused to tell him what she was planning, especially after chastising him for not telling the truth. Also because whatever she was contemplating obviously had something to do with his locker, and he'd like to think that his possessions fell under his jurisdiction. He didn't need her to fight his battles for him, though he would gladly accept her help if she only elaborated on an acceptable plan, but evidently she already deemed her plan inadequate by his standards. That worried him, her last secret plan involved giving the captain of the lacrosse team, Ryan Crosby, a black eye—so by extension this new plan probably also involved violence of some sort.

Edd huffed out an annoyed sigh as he bent down to get out his fresh school supplies from his clean satchel. They were the first to class like usual, him and Marie always started their walk to school earlier then necessary; Marie liked to be early to finish last minute changes to her homework and have time to draw, while Edd wanted to assure he'd never be tardy. He was grateful Mrs. Wells believed his excuse the day before, protecting his unblemished attendance record. Edd had long ago perfected a way to get what he wanted from teachers; the key was to win their trust and be courteous and polite, to actually be nice and listen to them. He didn't like to manipulate his teachers though, because ultimately it was breaching the student-teacher relationship, but it wasn't like it was his fault that he was late in the first place. Plus he had to come up with an excuse for Kevin. Either he had to lie or tell the truth and talk to the school administrators about what had happened—which he knew would've been pointless, so lying was the only viable option he had.

Soon other students started to spill into the classroom and claim their seats. As more and more arrived the burble of chatter rose to that of a torrent, the incessant babble a soothing white noise to Edd. Silence allowed him to think, but the sound of other people talking to one another always calmed him down, which was perfect before starting a class. Mind you, perfect as long as they stopped their talking when class actually began.

Edd found that he was calm and ready to learn as he continued to look over the notes he took the day before, when the volume of conversation unexpectedly lowered throughout the classroom. He assumed Mrs. Wells had arrived, but looking up from his desk he was surprised to see Kevin hesitate by the door.

The first thing Edd noticed was that Kevin was wearing his old hat. The originally firetruck-red material was sun-bleached and faded, the vibrancy of the color mostly lost except for around the seams. Edd hadn't seen that hat in years, and had almost forgotten how attached Kevin had been to it, much like how Edd had been inseparable from his own old hat. He wondered why Kevin was wearing it all of the sudden, mostly because the sight was oddly alluring; though it was possible that had nothing to do with the beat up baseball cap, Edd always felt his heart beat loudly in his chest whenever he laid eyes on his crush, hat or no hat. The hat definitely wasn't helping though. Kevin's fiery golden hair stuck out from around the sides of his baseball cap, even through some small holes where the material was worn thin, and Edd had the embarrassing urge to run his fingers through those short soft locks—but that urge was replaced by worry as Edd looked down to Kevin's eyes.

They were red-rimmed and subtle purplish-blue bags had formed under the infinite depth of Kevin's green eyes. Edd could see what appeared to be embarrassment and fear flash across Kevin's face as his freckled cheeks flushed. It was then that Edd realized that a good third of the class had stopped talking and were staring directly at Kevin, who looked to be stuck with his hand on the open door. Kevin's eyes met Edd's and his flush deepened. He clenched his jaw in what had to be determination and walked across the room to his seat, ignoring the eyes and heads that were following his every move. When Kevin slid by Edd's desk, they locked eyes again and Kevin gave a small, almost imperceptible smile, and it was Edd's turn to blush. He heard Kevin breathe out a soft hollow chuckle, and the moment was over as Kevin sat in his seat behind him.

Once Kevin sat down, the third of the class which had stopped speaking began to whisper amongst themselves. Edd could see them hiss and mumble behind hands and notebooks to other students who were out of the loop—just like he was. He heard Kevin shift uncomfortably at his desk behind him, whatever was going on he was at the center of it. And by what Edd could tell, on the receiving end of something nasty.

What were they saying?

Edd glanced over at Marie, whose face was scrunched up again. She shrugged when she noticed him looking, she didn't know what was going on either. He took a breath and turned around to look at Kevin, who sat rigid in his seat. He had his big hands intertwined together in front of him on his desk, one thumb gently rubbing circles on the other. His eyes stared blankly down at his hands, his face almost a steely emotionless mask. To Edd, he looked impossibly lonely and sad, something he had never expected from someone so well-liked and popular.

"Kevin, is everything alright?"

Kevin glanced up in surprise, only now noticing that Edd was looking. His mouth opened as if he was about to say something, but closed it before anything came out. Edd could see Kevin's Adam's apple bob as he swallowed nervously, his eyes glistening from what had to be unshed tears. It looked like he wanted to tell him something, but just couldn't get the words out, his voice stuck deep in his throat. Edd had never seen Kevin look like this, at least not since they had become teenagers, and he wanted desperately to know what had happened. He wanted to help as much as he could, but he didn't know what to do. He only knew that nobody deserved to feel as dejected and alone as Kevin looked at the moment.

"Y-yeah," Kevin swallowed and nodded gently. "I'm fine."

Edd frowned. "Are you certain? You can tel—"

"Good morning class!" Mrs. Wells strode into the room and dropped her bag on her desk. "Today let's begin by taking a short pop quiz!"

Groans echoed through the classroom as Kevin pasted on a forced smile, which did nothing to soothe Edd's worries. Nonetheless Edd sighed and gently smiled back, turning around to clear his desk for the quiz. Hopefully classwork would distract his mind from the distress he felt rising in his throat like acidic bile.

-o-

AP Biology ended quicker than expected and his other morning classes began one by one, all the while Edd was constantly aware of the looks and whispers which followed Kevin around. He hadn't been able to talk to Kevin again, to find out what was really going on, since their brief exchange before Biology; but he constantly glanced at Kevin from across their shared classes, just to make sure that he was alright. At first it appeared that he had pulled himself together, disregarding the heads that turned to look at him or the occasional snicker, but he wasn't as vivid in his movements or facial expressions like he usually was in class. Edd noticed how Kevin was stiff, purposely holding his head high and his posture correct, quiet unless the teacher directly addressed him—never once cracking his normal lighthearted jokes to the students who sat close to him. In fact, nobody had said anything to Kevin in any of their classes, at least Edd hadn't seen any exchange. It was like he was being ignored as a person while still being the center of his classmates' incessant attention and rumor mill.

It was only during passing periods that Edd saw anybody interact with Kevin. It was always from a distance though, when Edd was out of earshot heading towards his locker or next class; but as always his eyes were drawn to the tall redhead when he noticed him on the edges of his peripheral vision.

The first time Edd observed something happen was right after Biology; when he saw a group of three girls step in front of Kevin, blocking his path as their mouths moved quickly. What was said didn't seem cutting or mean, because Kevin just averted his eyes and nodded, and the response the girls gave caused a strained smile to spread across his face.

The next time wasn't so innocent, one of the jocks from the lacrosse team sneered as he passed Kevin, his slash of a mouth spitting out something that had to have been vile. Edd saw how Kevin's face darkened and his neck tighten, whipping around he said something that led to the lacrosse jock's face to blanche and some of the surrounding students to chuckle.

There were a few other brief interactions in the hall that Edd had witnessed, both apparently positive or negative responses to whatever the school was talking about. However nothing he saw gave Edd the information he wanted, the reason behind the odd behavior his classmates were exhibiting.

Edd knew that he could walk up to Kevin and just ask what was going on. He had yet to hear any of his classmates' whispers, but whatever this gossip was about had to be profoundly personal to Kevin to elicit such a change in demeanor. As a friend, it would be better to ask him alone when nobody was gawking at him; hopefully lunch would allow for that opportunity.

It was during AP Chemistry, Edd's last class before lunch, that he found himself with enough free time to really think about what was going on around school.

Marie was his partner, and they were supposed to be comparing results from the lab they completed the day before in order to come up with a finalized lab report, but Marie was nowhere to be seen. Edd suspected that she was skipping class to do the so-called 'recon' her plan required. He had tried to get her to tell him what she was up to, but she still refused, and now he was left alone at their table as her trip to the bathroom hit the 20 minute mark. Their conclusions for the lab were the same, and he had already finished their report last night, so there really wasn't anything else to do than theorize different possible scenarios behind Peach Creek High's disturbing new interest in Kevin.

He glanced over his shoulder to the back of the room. Kevin was looking over his partner's results and copying down their answers to another sheet of paper. He looked much better than he did earlier that morning, but maybe it was because he was occupied with work. Edd had noticed that with each passing class and stint in the hallway less people stared at Kevin. The whispering and mumbling had been noticeably lighter too, leading Edd to the conclusion that by now whatever people were talking about was becoming old news. So perhaps what was being discussed was some sort of new revelation regarding Kevin, and now that three class periods had passed most people probably already knew what was going on. Though he had to acknowledge that students were still talking about it, just they weren't as shocked or surprised as they were at the beginning of the day.

What could be so world-shattering to warrant such intense babble?

Edd took out a fresh piece of paper and began to list the things he knew about Kevin to determine what could have changed.

First, Kevin was the captain of the football team. Edd knew that the first game was coming up next Friday, a little over a week from now, so maybe it had something to do with that? But that didn't explain Kevin's reactions to the attention, unless something bad had happened to the team. He'd have to look into it further to determine if that might be a factor.

Second, Kevin was smarter and more compassionate than he let other people believe. Edd couldn't possibly see how that would cause any problems; that wasn't something people were really mocked for if they were also popular and athletic, so that most likely wasn't it either.

Third, Kevin was undoubtedly attractive. Edd felt his cheeks start to warm as he quickly glanced back over his shoulder; yes, still as handsome as ever. Kevin had even more girls after him than he did, so maybe…

Edd's eyes widened. How could he have let something so obvious slip under his nose?

Edd jumped as the aluminum chair next to him screeched over the linoleum floor, Marie sliding into it with a lengthy sigh. She didn't look very pleased.

"Enjoy your vacation getaway to the scenic girl's restroom?"

"Can it, Edd," Marie rolled her eyes and kicked her legs up to rest on the table. "Before you ask, yes, I was trying to iron out the details of my plan, but… It didn't work out."

"I can't say that I'm shocked."

"Whatever smart ass, but you might be interested in something I learned," she said, leaning back in her chair, balancing it on two legs with her feet firmly planted on the edge of their table. "It's about all this chit-chat centered around a certain football player…"

Edd briefly looked back at Kevin. "I don't know Marie, I think I should ask him myself."

"Come on! It's actually pretty badass in my opinion, and I got all my info from Nazz so you know it's not exaggerated or anything."

Edd sighed, "I have a feeling you'll tell me anyway, even though I don't want to hear it."

He had to admit though, he was pretty curious.

"You bet!" Marie grinned. "Anyway, so I was looking for that ass who destroyed all your stuff yesterday—"

"Micheal," Edd interjected.

"Yeah, him. I figured that he'd know who was behind the writing on your locker, and I wanted to politely ask him some questions." Edd rolled his eyes, he very well knew what Marie meant. "But I couldn't find him anywhere, so I asked Nazz if she knew what happened to him, since she's a cheerleader and all." Marie unbalanced her chair, leaning forward to shift in her seat so she was closer to Edd. She then continued quietly, "She told me he wasn't at school today. But get this, it's because Kevin knocked him out at practice yesterday!"

"What?!"

Edd was surprised, he hadn't expected that. Though, he did remember how angry Kevin looked on the walk back to Biology yesterday morning, and if he got into a fight at practice that would explain how he was able to be present at the pool. Kevin had said that there wasn't any football practice yesterday; Edd had known then that he was probably lying, but Edd figured that he had just skipped it to come watch him swim, not that he had gotten in trouble for fighting. Edd grimaced, was Kevin really as different as he had originally thought?

Marie frowned, "Hey, I know that look, wait till I finish to pass judgement—and that's coming from me."

Edd exhaled, "By all means, please continue."

"Okay, well Nazz said that the fight happened because Micheal called you… y'know. And he insisted that since Kevin didn't like that word, he must be a 'fag' too," Marie chuckled sourly, "Apparently Kevin snapped and punched that asshole right in the jaw, and he was out cold from that one swing! But everyone on the team saw, and put two and two together. Basically Kevin accidentally outed himself because he wasn't able play off Micheal's accusation—so now the whole school knows because football players can't keep their stupid mouths shut."

"And that's why everyone has been staring at him like he's some sort of oddity," Edd whispered, feeling a bit guilty for quickly jumping to conclusions. Kevin was just defending himself, and essentially Edd as well.

"I have to admit, I now have some respect for the guy," Marie murmured, looking to the back of the room where Kevin sat. "Maybe he's not the absolute worst."

"I can't imagine how he feels right now, I doubt he was even prepared to come out in the first place, and now…" Edd gulped, imagining if something similar had happened to himself. "I should talk to him."

"Maybe that's a good idea, Nazz said some other shit is going on in his life too. She seemed really worried about him."

It was then that the bell rang, heralding the start of lunch. Mr. Fields jolted up from his slumped sleeping position at his desk in the corner of the room, yelling for everyone to turn in their lab reports. Soon Edd and Marie were out in the hall, heading to their lockers before making their way to the cafeteria.

Edd hoped that he would be able to talk to Kevin about what was going on, to show that he supported him; maybe even to tell him that he wasn't alone, that he was gay too, though he was far from ready to officially come out. It must have been horrifying to come to school expecting a normal day, only to find out that everyone knew your deepest secret. The reaction the school had wasn't what Edd expected either, but maybe the stares and whispers were only because Kevin was at the apex of the social pyramid. He wondered if the same reaction would occur if he came out, though he hoped he would never find out. It wasn't that he disliked his classmates, just that the vast majority weren't very close to him, and he had no desire for friendly acquaintances to judge him differently because of one little thing about himself. It would be easier to start with a fresh slate at college, that way he wouldn't have to worry about people he barely knew treating him any different; he'd know who to avoid right off the bat. That was what Kevin must be going through now, realizing who his real friends were.

Edd wished that they were closer, that they weren't newly minted friends so he would know how to comfort Kevin and show him that he cared. That he was there for him whenever he needed, even just to be a set of ears to listen to his problems. It occurred to Edd that maybe Kevin didn't have that with anyone, though that seemed doubtful knowing Nazz, but he just hoped that he could do something for him. He was a little wary because he didn't want Kevin to view his desire to help as pity, or think that he was just pretending to care—they've been honest and sincere to each other before, but the emotions in this situation were so much stronger.

Edd had partially expected Kevin to meet up with him and Marie like he had the day before, but that wasn't the case. It didn't worry Edd at first, not until they were halfway across the raucous cafeteria and Kevin wasn't sitting at the table with Nat and Nazz. Quickly scanning the large room, Edd couldn't spot Kevin anywhere. Once Nazz and Nat noticed them, they started to look around too, they had no idea where he was either.

Edd swallowed nervously and took out his phone. He had to find Kevin, especially after what he just learned.

He hoped he was alright.

-o-

Kevin breathed in slowly, letting the air fill his lungs to capacity. He then let the air slowly filter out through his nose, hoping that it would take his emotions along for the ride, leaving him comfortably empty and numb. He repeated the process over and over until the throbbing in his head lessened to a point where he could hear himself think once more. Not that he exactly wanted to focus on his thoughts, but it felt better.

He knew he should have listened to Nazz and Nat, that he shouldn't have come to school today.

One of the first things his friends told him after he explained what had happened last night was that he should stay home and relax. That class would be too much for him after what he went through, and that he needed the rest after getting so little sleep. But he didn't listen to them, insisting that everything was fine, and that holding onto his normal routine would help him more than wallowing at home alone. Kevin wasn't lying when he said all this over the phone that morning, or when he repeated it in Nazz's car on the way to school, but he hadn't expected that the day would turn out like this.

All those eyes, following his every move like he was dangerous; burrowing deep into the back of his skull whenever he turned away, every look followed by whispers and hidden giggles. He could still feel them, even in the safety of the bathroom stall he was occupying. At the invisible stares he hugged his knees, letting his head hang between them as he stared at the mottled toilet lid beneath him. Yeah, today was already turning out worse than yesterday, and there was nothing he could do about it.

When he first stepped through the front doors and saw the heads turn his direction in the hall, he was confused. The looks they gave him were nothing like what he was used to, no smiles or irritating meaningless conversations, instead he saw a range of unusual emotions painted on his classmates' faces. Curiosity and disgust, even some pity—nothing made sense until he heard some of the mumbles and whispers as he passed, the realization shocking him more than it honestly should've. He had known that his team basically knew that he was gay after practice yesterday, but he thought they were trustworthy. It didn't even occur to him that the truth would spread so far so quickly.

Or that everyone would care so much.

The looks were too much for him at first, and he knew his facade was cracking under so much unwanted scrutiny. Suddenly he was an outsider, and he never had to deal with that before; he never realized how involved he was in all the annoying social bullshit at school until nobody would utter a word to him. Oh, they had no qualms about gossiping and spreading the juicy news or whatever, but they couldn't even say a word to him. He was surprised that anger didn't overcome him then, right there in the hall before Biology, but instead he felt like he was shrinking into nothingness as he attempted to confidently stride to class. Even though it felt like everything was falling apart, he would not give them the pleasure of some sort of public breakdown.

That almost changed when Edd had turned around and asked him if he was okay. Kevin had been thinking about his dad and how he hadn't seen him that morning, his absence was normal since he had to go to work early, but still the lack of closure after last night was frightening to say the least. Edd had shocked him out of his thoughts, and the intense worry that disturbed his face—it was just too much, all of it. The stares, his father, the fact everyone knew, his crush so obviously worried about him; he wanted to tell Edd everything, but he couldn't. His lie that everything was fine just appeared to make Edd more worried, and that just made him feel guilty. Why was he such a fucking coward? He could've told him the truth right there, just spill everything—but he supposed he knew why. They were still watching.

Kevin took off his beloved hat, balancing it on his knee as he ran his fingers through his hair, trying to lose that feeling of being watched. He sighed and looked at the worn baseball cap, its bill was bent and in places the canvas threadbare, and Kevin couldn't stop the silent tears which began to drip down his cheeks.

He had put it on that morning because he thought it would comfort him after last night, that it would remind him of her. Hoping that some of his mother's strength would somehow rub off on him through the last physical connection he had with her. His hat, her last gift to him before she got sick, was his most cherished possession, and it nearly killed him when he had to stop wearing it because it was falling apart. Kevin rubbed the soft fabric, knowing that today might very well be the last day he would ever wear the hat outside of his house. It was stupid that he wore it anyway, putting it in unnecessary danger, but he knew he needed it if he were to get through a normal school day. But today wasn't normal, and though the hat was comforting it failed to give him the strength to dismiss all the whispers.

Even though Kevin told himself that he didn't care about what people thought of him, today had revealed that declaration to be a blatant lie. He did care, and it was pathetic—he was pathetic. Why should the approval of people who didn't know him, or even care to get to know him, bother him so much; so deeply?

He should have listened to his friends.

Kevin pushed his hat back onto his head, overcome with anger and self-hatred. He wanted to hit something, just to relieve the tension that he felt filling his body. His fists started tightening, but the dull throb of his knuckles broke his downward spiral. That pain, the raw redness that still adorned his right fist, reminded him of what anger could do—what it had done.

All of this had happened because of anger. It's what led to the school knowing his secret, and he supposed it's what led his father to attacking him last night; though violent homophobia was at the root of that incident. Kevin at least knew that his own anger was justified, that he should be angry that people wanted to belittle him for something he had no control over, but he couldn't let it consume him anymore. He wasn't going to be a slave to the violence which hid inside his body. He was better than that in so many ways, he had to be better or else there just wasn't a point to it all. When he was taken over by anger Kevin became a person he hated, did things which were stupid and impulsive. Things that made him feel embarrassed and filled him with regret. Above all, Kevin was determined to not let himself turn into his father, who long ago seemed to let anger and fear rule his life.

Kevin sighed and breathed in deeply, letting the tension he felt boiling under his skin out into the acrid air of the broken-down boy's restroom. He felt his pocket vibrate again, interrupting his breathing exercise. Kevin ignored it like he ignored the downpour of earlier text messages he received. He felt guilty that he didn't let his friends know what was going on, where he was and what he was doing, but he couldn't face them right now. Even in text form.

Even if they were probably worried, because they actually cared about him.

Kevin frowned, deciding that he shouldn't keep his friends waiting any longer. He reached into his pocket to take out his phone. Before he could unlock the screen fully, he paused. He thought he heard the light clack of the swinging bathroom door as it opened. He held his breath, nobody should be trying to use this bathroom, he thought he was safe.

"Kevin?" He heard Edd's gentle, but almost panicked voice call out, "Are you in here?"

Kevin exhaled. It made sense that Edd would look in the place where Micheal had taken him the day before. The fact that he was looking for him though, that made Kevin feel awful. He really hoped Edd hadn't been looking for him for the last 15 minutes, but he knew that if the roles were reversed, he'd certainly be looking for Edd.

He heard Edd's defeated sigh, and then he was certain that Edd had been looking for him since the beginning of lunch. Kevin felt like a complete ass. Why was he so intent on isolating himself from people who cared enough to actually worry about him?

"Y-yeah," Kevin swallowed and wiped his eyes, "I'm here."

He could hear a relieved exhale of breath and Edd's light footsteps over the tiled floor. Edd's black converse appeared in the space under the door to his stall, there was a slight hesitation before Kevin heard a quick knock on the door.

"You don't have to open the door if you don't want to…" Edd paused, and Kevin could picture the conflicted look on his face. "B-but I want to know that you're alright. We're friends now, correct? You can tell me anything, I'm here for you."

As Edd was speaking Kevin already leaned forward to unlatch the door. The way Edd's voice warbled, and how his weight shifted nervously from shoe to shoe—all pained Kevin's heart. His selfishness had caused Edd to worry, the least Kevin could do was to try to open up to him, explain himself to one of the few people who saw him as a real person; not just the role he filled. He shouldn't hide himself anymore, not from him.

"How much do you know?" Kevin inquired quietly, looking down at his hands folded in his lap. He wasn't sure what his reaction would be to seeing the sincere concerned expression on Edd's face. He didn't want to find out.

"Only the obnoxious rumors going around school," Edd said, something indiscernible tainting his clear voice. In a much quieter tone he went on, "That you defended me, and because of that revealed a secret that you probably meant to keep hidden."

Kevin swallowed and let out a shallow laugh. "Yeah, that's basically the gist of it…"

There was a silence as Kevin heard Edd move closer to him in the stall, his body eclipsing the fluorescent light which illuminated Kevin's shifting hands.

"Can… Can I ask you a question Kevin?" Edd's voice was barely above a whisper, filled with tentative curiosity. Before Kevin knew what was happening, he looked up from his hands and met Edd's eyes.

They were brimming with worry, hope, and embarrassment. Edd's face was flushed a delicate pink, his hands toying with the hem of his large sweater decorated with vibrant red rosebuds at various points of bloom, his lips open and waiting. Kevin nodded numbly.

"Are you ashamed?" Edd whispered, averting his eyes. "Of being gay?"

"No!" Kevin responded adamantly. He was a bit shocked at how firm his voice sounded, even though he could feel a blush form over his cheeks.

"Good. Neither am I," Edd said as casually as possible, looking down at his hands gently tugging at his sweater. Even though Kevin highly suspected that Edd liked him, the admission of his sexuality still took him by surprise. As Kevin's blush deepened, Edd's piercing blue eyes met Kevin's green, his voice cutting through the air, "I have to wonder though, if you aren't ashamed why are you in here hiding and not out in the cafeteria?"

"It's, uh, I… You wouldn't understand."

"Then explain it to me, please."

Edd hesitantly stepped forward, his hand reaching out to rest on Kevin's left knee. He could feel the warmth through his jeans, the delicate pressure as Edd's thumb gently stroked the fabric. Kevin was sure he was bright red at that point, but the touch was soothing and helped him concentrate on the words he was forming in his mind.

"I just needed time away from everything," Kevin began, looking up at Edd's supportive smile. "They were all staring at me Edd, constantly. I could feel them even when I was looking away, it felt like I was being dissected or something—and not in the way I'm used to. And everything they said, that they thought I couldn't hear…" He gulped and blinked away the threat of tears. "It hurts Edd, to know what people think of you. To hear it directly from their mouths, right in front of you like you didn't exist. I guess I'm in here because I couldn't deal with that anymore, even for another second."

"Kevin," Edd whispered, thumb making soothing circles on his knee. "Why didn't you just tell us? Nazz and Nat are so worried about you. I'm worried about you, heck, even Marie is worried! You could've just told us—you don't have to suffer through things alone." Edd's voice hardened a little as he added, "You can't let people make you feel isolated. When you feel that way always reach out to someone you can trust, that can help. Otherwise you'll start to believe what people say about you… And that's exactly what they want."

"I didn't want to burden you guys with my problems, even if that sounds stupid. I'm just not that good at expressing myself either," Kevin responded sheepishly. Edd was making him feel better, telling him things he already knew to be true. But opening himself up to people, even his friends, was easier said than done.

"I don't know what makes you think that you'd be a burden to your friends," Edd smiled and Kevin's heart beat faster. "In fact, you said so yourself last night in that text you sent to me. I feel the same way about you Kevin, you'd never be a burden to me. And I think you're actually pretty good at talking like this, at least when it's me you're talking to."

"But that's it, Edd," Kevin mumbled, looking down at his hands in his lap. He gave into the urge he felt since Edd had begun rubbing his knee; he lifted his hand and rested it over Edd's. Glancing up at his crush he sighed, "It's you. I dunno, I just feel like I can really be myself around you. That I don't need to be something I'm not when we're talking. You don't know what that means to me."

"I-I think I do, or maybe I'm just beginning to understand," Edd said softly, his face turning a deeper shade of red as Kevin squeezed his hand. But he wasn't pulling away. "I find you remarkably easy to talk to as well, I'm glad that you feel similarly. I am a bit annoyed that we haven't talked until this week though."

Kevin chuckled, which felt good. Though he didn't bother correcting Edd, it was hard talking to him in the beginning. "Yeah, I could've been bothering you in Bio since August!"

Edd giggled, which crinkled the skin around his eyes in a way Kevin thought astoundingly adorable. When Edd opened his eyes, he noticed Kevin looking and his ears pinked. Edd slowly smiled as that expression Kevin couldn't decipher, the one from the walk back to class the day before, appeared on Edd's face. For a moment Kevin thought Edd was going to say something, but then that moment was gone. Edd averted his eyes, lashes catching the light, and coughed into his free hand.

"You k-know Kevin, I think people are beginning to accept that you're gay. I noticed less people staring at you during class, and I heard some of our classmates refer to you as 'brave' when I was looking around school for you. Maybe this will all die down after a few days."

"Maybe," Kevin remarked, trying not to dwell on another lost moment. "After class there were a few people who told me they supported me, but that didn't stop them from staring."

"I think they'll stop after awhile, once they get used to the idea."

Edd tried his best to look hopeful and confident, but Kevin could tell he was still worried.

Kevin sighed, looking back down at his lap. He knew he'd have to leave the safety of the bathroom soon, but he really didn't want to leave. Especially when Edd was softly stroking his soft thumb over his knuckles while their hands lay intertwined on Kevin's knee. But he couldn't stay there forever, even if that meant facing down all those eyes again.

"Edd, would you walk back to the cafeteria with me?"

"Are you sure? We don't have to if you don't want to."

We. For some reason, Edd referring to both of them as 'we' stuck in his mind. They were holding hands after all, what did that mean?

"No, it's fine," Kevin assured, breathing in deeply as he stood up. "I want to."

"Alright," Edd eyed him suspiciously, backing out of the stall. "But if you feel like you need to get away again, please let me know."

A pang of guilt reverberated through Kevin's body. "Of course, I will this time. I won't disappear like earlier." Kevin winced as he realized something else, "Uh, I should probably text Nat and Nazz that you found me, I really hope they aren't still searching around the school…"

"It's okay Kevin, I texted them right when I heard you in the stall." Edd smiled up at Kevin, and ran his fingers across Kevin's palm. He was so distracted that he hadn't even realized that they were still holding hands. "It'll be okay, I promise."

"Alright then, lead the way."

Edd pushed open the bathroom door, revealing the deserted dead end hallway lined with sophomore classes. Kevin felt Edd's hand twitch from within the confines of his fingers, and he wondered if Edd was comfortable with holding hands as they walked down the hall. They hadn't talked about it after all, it just happened naturally.

Kevin got his answer after a few minutes when they were halfway down the hall. A door began to open and Edd hastily withdrew his hand before anyone could see. He also took a step away from him, the retreating warmth causing Kevin to furrow his brow.

Edd's hand had felt so amazing wrapped up in his own. Perfect, if Kevin was trying to be dramatic, and now that it was gone he longed to hold it again. Unlike the heavy feeling Kevin got around Edd since the beginning of his crush, actually touching him was light and airy. It made Kevin's heart race, and Kevin wondered if that feeling would happen every time they held hands; or if they would even hold hands ever again.

Kevin pushed that depressing thought out of his mind. Even though Edd's hand was gone, he was still there next to him. Kevin could still feel him there, he could still smell the subtle scent of Edd's lilac shampoo, hear his soft breathing. Just knowing that he was there, and that he genuinely cared about him—Kevin was pleased to find that Edd's presence was enough.

"Don't worry," Edd muttered as they were about to enter the cafeteria. "I'm still here."

Kevin nodded, ignoring the stares he already felt, "I know."

He was determined to get through this.

-o-

School on Friday had gone much better than Kevin had expected. Sure, mumbles and stares still followed him as he walked through the halls, but not nearly as much as the day before. People in class had even started talking to him again, though Kevin wasn't sure how he felt about that. If they had stopped talking to him because of the very factual rumors going around, Kevin didn't know if he wanted to pretend to be interested in what they had to say anymore. Kevin was certain that he had looked closed off and unapproachable the day before, so there was a chance that classmates who wanted to talk to him then didn't feel like they could—there was no way to know for sure.

What Kevin did know, or rather decided, was that he didn't want to play the game of being Mr. Perfect Football Star anymore. He was going to remain on the team, because the game really helped him and Coach Rene was more of a parent to him in three years than his father would ever be, but he wanted to completely opt out of all the social expectations demanded of the captain of the football team. He wasn't going to pretend to be interested in people he didn't like, go to the parties which he basically loathed at this point, or change himself just to get people to accept him. All of these changes were going to take awhile to settle in though, it was much easier to say that he was going to change than actually do it, especially since he had been pretending for so long. But really, it wasn't that he was forcing himself to change, just that he wasn't going to hide behind the image of the man his father or his classmates wanted him to be anymore. If anything he was trying to let his real self shine through, but he didn't really know who that person would be; and honestly that was a bit of a scary thought. Who was he, really?

He had no idea.

It was very frustrating and confusing, but he figured that now was the perfect time to stop giving a shit (or at least try to) and actually explore who he was. After all, everyone knew his secret now, there was no point hanging onto all the things that he wasn't, not anymore. This was what he wanted, after years of forcing himself into a tight container that didn't quite fit, he was finally given an opportunity to just let it all go. Yeah the cause of the opportunity was shitty and really embarrassing, but it happened. He only hoped that he could get over it with time, and ultimately that's what everything would take—time.

He really hoped he had the courage to remain genuine and go through with it. He didn't want to fall back into the pattern of lies that he had hid behind before, he knew that he could never go back; not when he had revealed everything to his friends. Maybe that would help push him forward.

A decent amount of his decisions to take action and stop hiding came from lunch Thursday, when Kevin had really tried to explain how he felt to Nazz, Nat, Edd, and yeah, even Marie. He knew he could trust them, they had spent a good amount lunch looking for him because they were worried, and he felt like he owed them something. Nat and Nazz knew a lot of what he was feeling, but during lunch he came to see that in a way he had hidden from them too. He had shut them out of his life, and that realization upset him deeply, but he was glad he had it. Otherwise, Edd had said in that odd knowing tone of his, how would he move forward?

Edd was right, as usual.

Through whispers and low tones, he tried to make them understand, himself understand, what was going on. Being open was kinda new to him, though obviously he didn't reveal everything that was bothering him, some things were too personal. Like some of the aspects of his relationship with his father, or his searing crush on Edd. But by the end of lunch, he had felt much better, and the stares from the surrounding tables didn't feel quite as important.

What really made him feel better though was texting with Edd when they had both gone home. They hadn't talked about the hand holding, or their almost kiss, but instead they just went back and forth talking about things that interested them. Shows and movies, different books or music, even what subjects they liked at school; they continued texting until Kevin's fingers were tired and Edd said he had to go to bed. Only after he said goodnight did Kevin realize that he hadn't heard his father come home that evening. He tried to push the bubbling anxieties out of his mind as he attempted to fall asleep.

Early Friday morning the only sign that his father had even come home the night before was the tight wad of spending money he always left for Kevin on the coffee table in the living room.

It wasn't exactly unusual for his father not to come home before Kevin decided to go to bed, it had happened many times before, but the timing of this absence was worrisome. However the sight of the money was actually a relief. It didn't cause that annoying feeling of being bribed like it usually did, instead the crisp roll of 50 dollar bills were a sign that everything was normal—safe. His father was still giving him the absurd amount of allowance he had been receiving since after his mother's funeral. Kevin suspected then, even as a child, that his father was just trying to distract him from his grief, but that distraction had turned into routine at some point—which hadn't stopped now. He still hadn't seen his dad since the fight, over a day ago; normally that would've been a relief all its own, but even the sight of the money couldn't ease all of Kevin's worries.

He had to see his father at some point, and Kevin wondered how that would go. Did his dad remember what had happened or, more importantly, the reason behind it? The money led Kevin to believe that his father hadn't remembered, just like he expected, but that didn't mean dealing with his father would be any easier. He still had to hide himself from his dad, and once he actually got used to being open and true to himself he was curious if he could continue the facade in front of that man. Kevin at least had to hold out until his birthday, or preferably until he went away for college. He didn't want to deal with his father's reaction a second time, especially when he was trying to figure out who he was as a person.

Luckily Kevin was able to ignore his anxieties regarding his father, just like he ignored the occasional stare or whisper as the school day stuttered closer to the weekend. Classwork helped by occupying his mind, and Kevin threw himself at it with renewed focus, but what really got him through the day was what he had planned after school.

When they were texting back and forth the night before, Edd had asked if he could copy Kevin's notes Friday after school. Kevin agreed and was excited to be able to spend time with Edd alone. He didn't know what 'they' were, if they were a couple or not. It was now pretty obvious that Edd liked him and that he liked Edd back, and though things were moving so quickly and so much was starting to change in Kevin's life, he wanted to talk to Edd about how he felt. If that didn't happen it wasn't that big of a deal, Kevin wouldn't force it, but he was still excited and a tad nervous for school to end.

Kevin breathed in as Nat continued talking, focused instead on changing into his uniform rather than listening; thinking about the last few days. His world had begun to spin upside down, and it felt like he wasn't in control anymore. But maybe that was a good thing, maybe he should let things pan out along the lines already drawn. Whatever was going to happen he couldn't bother worrying about it now, he had to concentrate on training for the upcoming game.

He heard the locker room door open as he finished changing, his teammates starting to fill the room. Some gave him a curious glance or two, but most didn't bother to look at him more than usual. Kevin didn't know if that was a good sign or not.

All he had to do was get through practice, and then he could see Edd again.

-o-

"How was practice today?" Edd asked, readjusting his satchel as they began walking away from the pool half of the Gym. "You don't look very pleased."

"Huh? Oh, it was fine," Kevin mumbled, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Coach is pushing us really hard since we have our first game next week."

"That's against Citrus Peak right? I recall hearing that they're really good."

"Yeah, not as good as our team though," Kevin hesitated, thinking about practice. "That's not what's bothering me."

"Are you going to enlighten me, or will I have to guess?"

Kevin chuckled briefly, but ended with a sigh, "Micheal was at practice."

Edd quirked his brow, "Should he not be?"

"Well, yeah, he's supposed to be there. But I was surprised to see him, I didn't know he came to school today."

Edd's mouth curved into a slight frown. "Did he cause any problems?"

"He always does, but I thought maybe today…" Kevin shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "When I first saw him glaring at me with that big purple bruise on his jaw, I felt really guilty. But he quickly reminded me why I hit him in the first place." He clenched his jaw, thinking back to practice. "He's the one who started telling the whole school that I'm gay, and he's turned a decent portion of the team against me. Not a big part, but enough for Coach to notice that we weren't as cohesive as we used to be, and…" Kevin trailed off, grimacing.

"And?"

Kevin looked to his side, where Edd was walking closer than he had moments before. He didn't look happy, in fact he looked a bit pissed, which didn't happen often. The last time he recalled Edd looking even remotely like this was when Mrs. Harper refused to call on him because he already answered 'too many' questions. It made sense that Edd was mad, Micheal had bullied him just a few days ago, and Kevin suddenly felt anger on his crush's behalf rise up in his throat again. Talking about that asshole probably didn't help either of their moods.

"I think he's trying to push me until I beat him up again, and I can't let that happen. I know I'll get in trouble next time." Kevin looked down at the path in front of them, they were almost to the parking lot. He fiddled with the fraying straps of his backpack, fretting, "Maybe I should just quit the team before that happens."

"You shouldn't stop doing something you love just because of that imbecile," Edd said, furrowing his brow. "I'm certain that you can avoid another confrontation."

"I sure hope so, but now he knows how to rile me up. He was already trying to bait me again today. I really don't want to hurt someone again, Edd."

"Well, why not bring this to the attention of your coach? She sounds like a reasonable person."

"I don't want to bother her—"

"Kevin," Edd interrupted sharply. "Tell her, she's there for a reason. If you're really worried, she should know."

Kevin relented, "Okay, yeah, you're right." He frowned, tired of the subject, "Can we please talk about something else? How'd your practice go?"

Edd appeared to light up, a small smile crossing his face. "Excellent! I think I'm really starting to know what I'm doing in the water. The last few years I've been decent at best, but over the summer I kept practicing on my own. Now I think it's finally clicked, I even beat Dom a few times again today!"

"That's really rad Edd," Kevin said, smiling as he remembered watching Edd in the water. "I wish I could watch you practice more, give you the luck to beat Dom every time," he teased. He then recalled that dissatisfied look Dom gave him on Wednesday. "Who is Dom anyway?"

Edd eyed him curiously, "Dominic Hernandez, the captain of the swim team? I thought you'd know him, he's one of the best young swimmers in the state."

"Heh, if you keep beating him, what does that make you?"

A serious blush tinged Edd's cheeks, he turned his head to try to hide that gap-toothed smile. "Y-you should come to our swim meet next Saturday, it'd be great to see you in the stands again." Edd ignored his compliment like usual.

"I'd love to," Kevin beamed down at Edd, who was finally looking at him again. "You're gonna come to the game next Friday, right? It should start after you're practice ends."

"Of course! I was already planning on it."

As they continued discussing their respective sporting events, Kevin and Edd rounded the final corner of the path where it swerved around the edge of the auditorium, entering the parking lot. Kevin's bike was parked under one of the shady trees in front of the steps leading to the main entrance, near a few moped stragglers. When they stopped next to his motorcycle Kevin took out his helmet and tossed his spare to Edd.

"I remembered to raid Nazz's car for my spare yesterday, I think it should fit." Kevin watched Edd place the neon pink helmet over his head, holding back a chuckle. "I hope you don't mind the color."

"I like pink," Edd stated flatly, adjusting the helmet. "I'm honestly a little relieved, you don't know how close I was to getting a heart attack when you started driving without a helmet last time," he confessed, flipping his visor down before dropping his satchel into one of the saddlebags.

"Yeah, won't be doing that again." Kevin straddled his bike, waiting for Edd's warmth behind him. "You remember the drill?" He asked when he felt Edd squeeze up on the motorcycle. Kevin could feel his pulse thrum along his neck.

"Yes, I believe so. Hold on tight?"

"Yup, hold on tight."

When he felt Edd's arms wrap around his middle, Edd's hands searching for a place to settle as they ghosted over his stomach, Kevin felt the warmth radiate from his cheeks. What he would give to feel those hands on his bare skin… Before his thoughts betrayed him, he revved the engine and maneuvered his bike out of the parking lot and onto Peach Tree Avenue.

The sun was just beginning to dip beneath the ridge of the hills to the west, painting the clouds a vibrant palate of pink and orange, the sky slowly transitioning from soft blue around the sun to dark navy far behind them. The open sky was one reason Kevin loved riding a motorcycle, and he could tell Edd appreciated it too from how he felt Edd's helmet move and bump against his upper back when Edd looked up. As Kevin took the turn to their cul-de-sac he felt Edd tighten his grasp around him, and he wasn't sure he wanted to get off the bike when they eventually parked in his driveway. The streetlights started to flick on as Kevin pulled the key out of the ignition, their soft electric hum filling the quiet twilight air.

"Please take off your shoes," Edd said once they were through his front door, pointing to a shoe rack along the foyer wall. "We can set up shop in the living room, follow me."

Kevin nodded and obeyed without question, there was an authority to Edd's voice that was typically absent—and a hint of something else. Edd went through the archway to the left and darted around the living room, turning on different lamps as he went. The rapidly fading sunlight from the wide front window was soon replaced by the whitish-orange glow of multiple different types of lightbulb.

"Would you care for some refreshments before we start?" Edd asked, an anxious tinge to his voice.

"Uh, yeah, sure. What do you have?"

"I think I have some lemonade or orange juice—tea if you'd prefer," Edd replied. His left hand was gently tugging at the righthand sleeve of his knit sweater. "And various kinds of rice chips or veggie puffs, if you're hungry."

"I think some tea would be nice actually."

Edd blinked quickly, lashes flaying across his cheeks. "What kind? I have many different varieties."

"Whatever you'd have for yourself." Kevin flashed a grin, hoping to calm Edd down.

"Alright, I'll be right back. Make yourself at home," Edd said with a small smile, dropping his bag on the floor by the coffee table as he went through the kitchen door. At least in Kevin's house that was the kitchen door.

Kevin sat down on the low beige couch along one side of the room, next to where Edd had placed his satchel. He opened his backpack and took out the notebooks Edd would be copying, setting them on the dark coffee table before him. Kevin leaned back and looked around the room, taking the opportunity to absorb his surroundings. He didn't remember if he'd ever been in Edd's house before.

It was clean, remarkably clean; the blue-grey carpet was absolutely spotless, and no dust was on anything he could see. The furniture was minimalist and stylish, obviously expensive, but if he could judge by the couch, all the matching armchairs and loveseats were probably just as uncomfortable. There were no photos on the walls either, just big prints of famous abstract paintings; a series of interesting tribal masks were set on stands above the fireplace, just under the flatscreen TV. The room didn't seem lived-in at all, almost clinical and maybe a little bit depressing, like a doctor's waiting room. Kevin wondered what Edd's parents did for a living, judging by the room they had to do something that made a decent amount of money—but looking back Kevin wasn't sure if he'd ever even seen Edd's parents. Only that silver Lexus coming and going every other weekend.

"I'll be just a moment, it'll take a minute or two for the water to heat up!" Edd called from the kitchen.

"Take your time, don't burn yourself!" Kevin called back. He hoped joking around with Edd would get him to loosen up from whatever funk he was in. He knew it helped him feel better.

Kevin shifted on the couch, trying to get comfortable. He wondered if anyone had ever sat on it before. The longer he was looking around the room, the weirder he felt. It was the exact shape and size as the living room in his house. He figured that their houses might have the same layout, but it was still odd seeing the same room filled with very different furniture. Kevin wasn't sure which he liked better. Neither, probably. Both felt severely oppressive in different ways.

"Here we go," Edd said, placing a tray with two colorful mugs and an electric kettle on the coffee table. He placed a teabag in each cup and poured the steaming water from the kettle. It smelled good, tangy and sweet.

Edd sat down next to Kevin, their knees barely brushing, and moved the mugs from the tray to sit in front of each of them on the near-black tabletop. Only after he put down a couple of coasters, of course.

Edd clasped his hands together, beaming, "So! Are these the notes I'll be transcribing?"

"Uh-huh," Kevin said, leaning forward to push the pile of his notebooks closer to Edd. "I dunno if you want to copy the everything or not. I think only the notes from the last two weeks should be needed for any quizzes next week."

"We'll see." Edd bent down and opened his satchel, placing multiple binders and various highlighters and pencils on the table. "Thanks again for letting me do this, it would have been quite annoying to piece together the necessary key points from our textbooks."

"I'm glad to help, I just hope they're good enough for you. I'm sure yours were way more detailed."

Edd offered a noncommittal hum, picking up one of Kevin's notebooks to cradle in his lap, eyes scanning each page as he flipped through it. Kevin suddenly felt very self-conscious, surely his notes were too simple to be of any help.

"These look fantastic Kevin!" Edd exclaimed, flashing a quick smile. "I admit, I was worried, but it looks like you've been very thorough with the information. We just have different organization preferences, I think."

"Thanks," Kevin mumbled, blushing. He rubbed the back of his neck, it was a new experience being complimented academically by the smartest person he knew. "Just let me know if you need me to tell you what a word is, I know my handwriting can be crappy when I go fast."

Edd giggled, a light and pleasant sound, but didn't say anything. He leaned forward, taking the teabags out of their mugs and deposited them on the tray next to the kettle. When he retreated from the table he grabbed one of his binders and a pencil, along with a couple of pencils. Only after Edd took a long drink from his mug did he begin to work.

Kevin took his mug and sipped the hot tea, watching Edd. He didn't really have anything to do except watch his crush's eyes glide over each page of his notebook; Edd's blue eyes digesting the contents as his right hand wrote out key phrases in his binder, his impeccable handwriting coming out quick and easy. Kevin supposed he could do his homework while Edd worked, but it was Friday and nothing was due until school next week, it could wait until later. Besides, it was much more interesting watching Edd in another one of his elements.

He really was beautiful. Handsome in a way that really shouldn't work, his features weren't 'perfect,' but they were all unified by a softness that could only be described as Edd. His pale cheeks were tinged pink as his brow scrunched from concentration, one hand quickly moving to tuck back a strand of black hair that had fallen into his face. From this angle Kevin had a perfect view of Edd's profile; how his pert button nose sat atop those pouty lips (which he just licked, fuck), which led down to the slight underbite of his delicate chin, his elegant and gently muscled neck disappearing into the sweater that hid Edd's compact body. The graceful arc of Edd's collarbone gently jutted out from the collar of his large sweater, and Kevin had the embarrassing urge to lick it, imagining the taste of Edd's skin. Kevin knew he was staring hungrily, but once he had started it was really hard to stop, he hadn't been able to really examine Edd up close in a long time. Not like this, anyway.

"Kevin? What's this wor—" Edd shifted to look at Kevin, his knee dragging along Kevin's lower thigh. He must have seen the hungry look in Kevin's eye because he stopped mid-question, the gentle pink of his cheeks deepening to a glorious red. In a soft voice, he whispered, "What are you doing?"

"Looking at you," Kevin's mouth moved before he thought of what he was saying. He could hear the huskiness in his own voice, and was instantly embarrassed. Kevin averted his eyes as he felt the heat of his flush spread.

There was a soft intake of air from Edd, followed by the weight of his hand on Kevin's knee. "Kevin, y-you can look at me. If you want." His voice was so soft and gentle, like a caress. It was also filled with a huskiness that matched Kevin's own.

Kevin glanced back to Edd, and was surprised to see Edd quickly lean in, brushing their lips together.

It was unexpected and clumsy as their lips locked, but their kiss deepened as Edd surged forward, the notebook and binder on his lap dropping to the floor with a soft thud. Kevin brushed his tongue along Edd's bottom lip, tasting the sweet licorice of the tea, and something warm and savory that could only be Edd himself. Edd kept leaning in, their chests now pushing together, and brought his hands up to cup Kevin's jaw, fingers rubbing his bristly stubble. His lips parted to allow Kevin's tongue access, the heat of Edd's mouth surrounding their tongues as they wrestled together, exploring the taste and feel of each other.

Edd whined in the back of his throat as Kevin reached forward and grasped Edd's hips, hoisting him onto his lap. Kevin could feel the little grunts and noises Edd made reverberate through his mouth as their tongues mingled and danced, and was sure Edd could feel the same as he groaned, needy. They were pushing so close together now, as if one were trying to absorb the other. Edd's hands moved up, knocking off Kevin's hat to run his fingers through Kevin's hair. It felt so good, and Kevin couldn't help but gasp and thrust his hips and caged erection up against Edd.

Edd moaned into Kevin's mouth, and Kevin felt the bulge of his erection scrape against his own, the denim confines providing pressure that was so tight but so sweet. Kevin's hands slowly worked up Edd's torso, slipping beneath his sweater to feel his warm skin. He was so soft but wiry, Edd's lean muscle shivering against Kevin's touch, his quick grunts filling Kevin's mouth. Edd brought his hands down to Kevin's chest and shoulders, curiously exploring the feel of his flesh through his shirt. Kevin had never been touched like that, so gentle and light, and he moaned when Edd lifted the bottom of his shirt and placed his searing hot hands directly on his skin.

Edd pulled back, separating their mouths, panting for air. Kevin realized he was panting too. He looked up at Edd's flushed face, his small smile shy and content, his eyelids half-closed and heavy. Edd lifted his hand, fingertips ghosting across Kevin's neck and jaw, looking down at him in awe.

"You don't realize how long I've waited for that," Edd whispered, his voice rough and breathy.

"I think I do, forever, right?"

Edd giggled and his face broke into a wide smile, open and unreserved. Kevin suspected that he had a stupid grin on his own face, but he didn't care. This was perfect. This is what he's been dreaming about since freshmen year.

"Exactly," Edd said, fingers playing with Kevin's hair, each gentle tug making his scalp tingle.

Edd leaned down for another kiss, smile still on his lips.

Perfect.