By- Peach Creek
Summary: Edd's nightmares have been keeping him up at night. Kevin convinces him to take a nap, but will Kevin be enough to stop the fear?
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Kevin was still in the shower when the doorbell rang. Dammit, Edd... He knew the boy liked to be early, but this was just ridiculous. He viciously scrubbed the last of the shampoo out of his hair and shut the water off. He nearly tripped on the shower curtain as he lunged for a towel. He rubbed himself dry from the waist down as fast as he could, threw on a clean pair of boxers, and scrambled into his jeans. Stumbling down the stairs, he tried to simultaneously dry his upper half and button his pants, arriving at the door just as the second ring of the doorbell echoed through the house. He threw the door open, ready to give his little man a hard time about it, but the words caught in his throat.
Edd was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, attire usually reserved for the safety of his own bedroom and nowhere else. His shoes were untied, only one of them actually fully on his foot, and his posture was slumped. His face seemed much paler than usual; the dark bags under his eyes were a sharp contrast to the whiteness of his skin. The only thing that was perfectly in place was his hat, a hat that Kevin now tugged playfully down over Edd's eyes.
"I-I apologize for my early arrival, I j-just..." A single tear tripped down Edd's face.
Kevin smiled gently. "C'mere," he said, wrapping a hand around Edd's neck and pulling him closer.
They stood like that until Eddy shouted at them to get a room from across the street. Kevin flipped him off and pulled Edd into the house, shutting the door softly. Edd stayed buried in Kevin's chest until he could control his urge to cry. Pulling back with a sniffle, he glanced up and smiled.
"You're wet," he stated. He adjusted his hat. "Did I interrupt your shower?"
"Nah." Kevin waved him off. "I was done anyway. Let's go upstairs."
Edd sank onto Kevin's bed, hands folded neatly in his lap. Kevin turned the TV on, threw a shirt on, and sat behind his boyfriend, pulling him back against his chest and rubbing those skinny shoulders. Edd allowed himself to relax, rubbing his face with his hand. He felt so safe in Kevin's arms.
"So what's wrong, babe? Still having nightmares?" Kevin planted a kiss behind the boy's ear.
Edd sighed. "Yes. I managed to sleep for nearly two hours last night, but I couldn't bring myself to try to sleep after I woke up." He rubbed his eyes-Kevin bit his knuckle to stifle a moan at the cute gesture-and made a noise of discontent. "I'm so tired, Kevin..."
Kevin shifted so he was leaning up against the headboard of his bed. He motioned for Edd to join him. They snuggled up together, Edd gently gathering a handful of Kevin's shirt in his fist and resting his head on Kevin's chest. Kevin grabbed his game controller from his bedside table.
"I'm going to play video games for a while. I want you to take a nap," Kevin said softly, kissing the boy on the forehead. He shushed Edd's halfhearted protests. "I really don't mind. Far from it. Just take a quick nap. If you have a nightmare, I'll be right here for you. Okay?"
Edd nodded and let his eyes slide shut. He nuzzled in closer and breathed in Kevin's scent. A tiny smile lit his lips and within minutes he was asleep. Kevin smiled, satisfied, and hit the start button, switching on the subtitles so he could play without waking his little dork.
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Edd opened his eyes and blinked several times, trying to remember where he was. Messy desk, clothes on the floor, soda cans in the corner... His mind raced, trying to place the familiar surroundings. He yawned and tried to stretch, but his arm met resistance. Turning his head, he found himself next to a very familiar torso.Kevin...? But...that must mean...I successfully napped! This is great! Mood considerably brightened, he wrapped his arms around Kevin.
"Hello, handsome! It would appear that you were correct in telling me to take a nap. I feel much better!"
Edd looked up, expecting a kiss, and was very surprised to see that Kevin hadn't responded to him at all. He was focused on his video game, smashing buttons down and growling in frustration. His character rushed down a hallway, dodging a few stray bullets, and took out a turret set in the ceiling. The hallway seemed to be littered with illogically placed traps, ranging from bear traps to gaping holes. Approaching one such hole, the heavily armored character broke into a sprint and ran right over the edge.
"Son of a bitch!" Kevin shouted, startling Edd. He threw the control down on the bed, narrowly missing Edd's feet.
"Kevin! You nearly hit me! Do control yourself; it is merely a game," Edd fussed. He pulled Kevin's face toward his own, running a calming hand down the other boy's cheek.
Kevin's eyes focused on him and his face suddenly became hostile. "Who the hell are you?"
Stunned, Edd jerked away, pressing up against the wall. "K-Kevin?"
"Who are you? What the hell are you doing in my room?"
Kevin jumped up and backed away from him. Edd couldn't respond; his mouth worked up and down uselessly, his vast vocabulary failing him. Kevin reached back and grabbed a baseball bat from the closet. He held it up threateningly. Edd leapt out of the bed and inched along the wall towards the window.
"K-Kevin, if this is a joke, it isn't very f-funny!"
"Who the fuck said anything about joking?" Kevin advanced on him, jabbing him in the chest with the bat. "I don't even know who you are." He twisted the bat, grinding it into Edd's sternum. "I don't hang out with dorky fags like you." The window behind Edd slid open as Kevin reared back and drove the bat through his chest.
The blow pierced Edd to the core and sent him back through the open window. He watched the cul-de-sac pass by, upside down, in slow motion as he fell. He closed his eyes, braced for impact. When he kept falling, he looked up and found himself approaching a glassy black surface. His reflection rushed up to meet him and he smashed into the surface of the water. He sank for several feet before the shock of the cold sent his limbs into action, pumping through the water, reaching for the surface. As hard as he tried, his efforts seemed futile. His lungs began to burn, screaming for oxygen, but he was only sinking faster. This is it, he thought.I am going to die here. His vision began to fade. He gave one final, desperate kick before his body gave out and he descended into the darkness.
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Kevin was growing very frustrated with his video game. No matter what he tried, he just wasn't strong enough, didn't have enough weapons or health potions, or used the wrong companions. He paused the game mid-blow, freezing his character as it flew across the screen, and rubbed his face, muttering to himself. A gentle tug on his shirt drew his attention. He glanced down, thinking that Edd was awake. The boy was still asleep, but his face was drawn up in fear and pain. His fist clung desperately to Kevin's shirt, knuckles white with strain. Kevin gently reached down to brush his fingers over Edd's face and the boy whimpered.
"Hey," Kevin whispered. He smoothed the hair out of Edd's face and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I've got you, sweetheart. I've got you."
Edd immediately relaxed, losing his grip on Kevin's shirt and burrowing further into the warmth of Kevin's side. Kevin smiled tenderly and turned back to his game.
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Edd let himself sink, slowly losing consciousness. The image of Kevin's cruel and hostile grin as he pushed the boy out of the window was burned onto the backs of Edd's eyelids. A sharp pain shot through his heart and he whimpered, bubbles trailing up out of his mouth. He followed the bubbles up with his eyes and saw a flash of red just above the surface. He stared at it, struggling to maintain consciousness. Suddenly, a hand plunged into the water and caught Edd by the shirt. It pulled hard, ripping Edd out of the water. In slow motion, he watched the water break over his head, falling away to reveal Kevin's kind eyes and loving smile. In one smooth motion, Kevin lifted Edd up and into the air. Edd flew higher and higher, finally breaking through a dark blue film. He looked around in wonder at the stars and planets that lazily spun past him. Cautiously, he put out a hand and caught one of the bright orbs in his hand. His hands tingled and sent waves of warmth through his body.
Fascinating!
He spun wildly, looking for Kevin, finding him standing off in the distance. He tried to call out, but nothing came out of his mouth. Kevin grinned and beckoned him over. Edd took a tentative step forward, surprised to find that he could move normally. He ran over to Kevin, careful not to jostle the delicate star in his hands. Kevin raised an eyebrow, peering into the pale, slender hands. Edd indicated his desire to hand it to him, softly tipping the star into his calloused palms. Kevin smiled at the warmth before throwing the star back into the air. He took Edd by the hand and pulled him into an embrace. The pair spun through space, sucked into the star stream. Edd gazed around in utter joy, trying to take in everything. He tugged on Kevin's sleeve, drawing his attention to a shower of shooting stars passing overhead.
They began to sink, falling out of the stream and landing softly on the surface of a pale moon. Edd ran up to the lip of a massive crater, grinning wildly at the amazing view. Kevin nodded appreciatively and indicated through mime that the crater would be great for skateboarding. Edd giggled and shook his head, pulling Kevin along to inspect the pebbles dotting the surface. Edd picked up stone after stone, examining each closely before moving on to the next. He was startled when Kevin slid a round object into his hand. He looked down at the heart shaped rock, speechless. He felt a tear escape his brimming eyes, a tear that Kevin caught with gentle fingers. He moved to place a kiss on the boy's lips, but a large shadow passing overhead drew the little dork's attention.
The giant planet slid through the sky easily. The colorful ring around it sparkled as it passed. Edd jumped up to catch the edge of the ring and climbed up. The surface was much more slippery than he was expecting, and he had to windmill his arms rapidly to correct himself. Laughing, he glanced down at his boyfriend, still standing on the surface of the moon, watching the boy enjoy himself. Edd crouched down to inspect the sparkling surface. He scratched it with a fingernail, delighted to find that it came right off like glitter. He stood up quickly, excited to share his discovery with Kevin. In his haste, he lost his balance, and his foot slipped off of the edge of the ring. The pit of his stomach filled with a sickening falling sensation as he tumbled backwards. His fear was short lived as he soon found himself in the arms of the boy he loved. Kevin cradled him close, pressing a kiss to his forehead. Edd closed his eyes, allowing Kevin's scent to wash over him.
I love you.
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Edd's eyes snapped open. The room was dark save for the flickering light from the TV. What time is it? It can't be that late... Edd peered at the clock on the wall, barely making out the hands positioned at the twelve and the six. Twelve-thirty? That means I slept for...nine hours! Edd glanced up at Kevin. His mouth was open, head twisted at an awkward angle. The game controller was barely hanging on to Kevin's fingertips. Edd reached over and gently took the controller, setting it on the bedside table. He rearranged the pillows, gently tugging Kevin down into a more comfortable position. The jock grumbled and rolled toward him, tossing an arm across his stomach. Edd smiled, snuggled into the embrace, and shut his eyes, anxious to return to his lovely dreams, safe in the arms of someone he loved and was loved by.